This is a popular myth in the health and wellness industry. Mainly driven by the thought that it will make your muscles grow past what you’d be comfortable with and be considered “bulky”.
This is FALSE.
It’s actually the opposite, believe it or not.
I have worked with a lot of clients who consume 100g(or more) of protein each day and successfully lose weight whereas before working with me, they would try diet apps, fad diets, etc and wouldn’t be successful at losing weight.
Why is a high protein diet so effective for weight loss?
For three reasons honestly.
1) It requires DOUBLE the amount of energy to digest vs carbohydrates
This means your overall metabolic output increases just by consuming it which makes it easier to reach the calorie deficit necessary to lose weight
2)It suppresses appetite
It does this by decreasing circulating levels of ghrelin(hunger hormone) while increasing peptide YY,cholecystokinin, and GLP-1 hormones that signal to your brain that you are full. This makes a high protein diet great for reducing cravings that most people struggle with!!
3)It helps maintain muscle mass
When you are in a caloric deficit, you’re not giving the amount of calories you need in order to maintain your body weight. If you don’t eat enough protein, your body will break down both fat mass AND muscle mass(which isn’t good). Eating adequate amounts of protein minimizes muscle loss to ensure all the weight you lose is body fat!
So if you are a person who struggles with overeating and cravings, add protein to every meal you have during the day(20g at least). You will notice an immediate difference in feeling fuller for longer and you will see the weight scale go down as well!
As always, I’m here as a resource to help the community to become a healthier place so don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.