A Protein Diet To Lose Fat

To lose fat while dieting, you should have a balanced meal plan and exercise consistently. A diet focused on protein-rich foods can help you lose fat because protein preserves your muscle mass, and muscle is your body's primary fat-burning tissue, author Jack Challem, writes in "Stop Prediabetes Now." Before you use a high-protein diet to lose weight, talk with your nutritionist or physician to make sure it fits with your medical and weight-loss needs.

Professional Insight

A diet high in protein may initially help you lose more fat than a diet rich in carbohydrates, according to Frances Sizer Webb, lead author of "Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies." Webb indicates that high-protein diets facilitate quick weight loss initially because they focus on proteins that help you feel full for an extended time, and so you eat less. But Webb also says that you may adapt to the higher protein intake and begin to eat more after the first few weeks of your diet. Over time, both diets high in protein and those high in carbohydrates yield similar results, assuming you reduce and keep your calorie intake to a weight-loss level.

Thermogenesis

Protein increases fat-burning efficiency through the process of thermogenesis, according to an October 2004 article in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition." Evidence from the review study also indicates that high-protein diets increase the amount of fat lost and reduce overall caloric intake. The study authors caution that more research needs to be done to demonstrate the effectiveness of a diet high in protein over an extended time.

Protein Intake

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2010 Dietary Guidelines suggest that adults should get 10 to 35 percent of their total calories from protein. Intake on a high-protein diet may be in the 17 to 50 percent range, according to a review of high-protein diets in the USDA's Nutrition Evidence Library. If you consume about 1,600 calories each day, 640 calories can come from protein-rich foods, assuming you get 40 percent of your calories from protein-rich foods. To avoid eating too much unhealthy saturated fat, concentrate on lower-fat choices, such as lean pork, extra-lean ground beef, ground turkey and skinless poultry.

Sample Eating Plan

A high-protein diet includes foods high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Avoid starchy protein sources that are high in carbohydrates, such as beans, which are also an incomplete protein. When looking for cereals, wraps or breads, select those labeled low-carbohydrate to keep your overall carbohydrate intake low.
Breakfast meals should include a low-carbohydrate cereal with skim milk, lean sausage and low-carbohydrate bread. Scrambled whole eggs or a cheese and egg white omelet are other options.
Healthy high-protein lunch options include poached salmon, grilled chicken or a lean hamburger on a half a bun. Eat lean steak, baked turkey breast or a 4-oz. serving of tilapia for dinner. With your lunch and dinner meals, eat fruit such as apples or red grapes and nonstarchy vegetables. Include small amounts of whole grains and monounsaturated fatty acid-rich foods such as nuts and seeds with your meals to further promote fat loss.