The weight loss doctor at our Gahanna, OH weight loss center understands that weight loss can be very challenging, especially when you lack the proper tools. With a completely new lifestyle as well as floods of information, it’s easy to get lost in the chaos. Luckily, there is a tool that is found in every weight loss program: protein.
Benefits of Protein in Your Diet
Protein is known to boost the metabolism and give the body lasting energy throughout the day. But is it really the key to healthy weight loss? Here are a few reasons why:
- Satisfied Longer
Eating carbs can give you quite a boost in energy, but it doesn’t last nearly long enough. This causes us to turn back to food just a few hours after a meal. Protein counteracts that effect that carbs have on your blood sugar.
Simply put, your Gahanna, OH weight loss doctor will explain that increasing your protein intake will help you feel fuller and last longer in between meals. This makes it much easier to make good choices and stick to a healthy meal plan instead of unnecessarily snacking through the day. In addition, protein also slows down the digestive system. This helps you avoid going back for seconds and creating a calorie deficit.
- Protein is Good for Your Diet
In addition to its benefits to the digestive system, it also contains lots of nutrients and important omega 3 fatty acids. These come from lean protein sources like chicken breast and salmon.
Making these high protein foods the foundation of your Gahanna, OH weight loss program gives your body the boost it needs to continue burning fat and staying healthy. The caloric value of protein is also much lower than most other foods. Compared to 9 calories per gram of fat, protein is only 4 calories for gram. This means more food for less.
- Muscle Builder
Bodybuilders and athletes rely on high protein diets to help build and maintain muscle mass. After an intense workout, your body is starved of protein and needs it in order to repair the muscle that’s been stretched and worked. Increasing your consumption of protein on the days you work out can help repair and refuel muscle after an intense exercise.
A high protein snack or using protein powder in a drink after a weight training workout can refuel your muscle faster and easier, seeing as the muscle will be starving for nutrients. Muscles will repair themselves faster and more efficiently with plenty of protein for it to consume.
- Protein Burns More Calories
Your Gahanna, OH weight loss doctor will explain that protein is a strong food and is harder to chew and digest. This means that it not only takes longer to digest, but it also takes more energy. This burns any extra or unwanted calories in the process. Scientists call this the thermic effect of food (TEF).
There is a small gain to the number of calories your body burns while eating protein. However, this doesn’t mean your diet should be only protein. Using protein for weight loss should be discussed with a health professional so you understand the balance your diet should have.
- Protein Kickstarts Fat Burning
Your body is unable to burn fat for energy if it doesn’t have a carbohydrate or protein to assist it. As you approach your weight loss goal, your body is going to start losing muscle as well as fat. It’s important to have plenty of protein in your diet to prevent this loss. This makes sure that your body is only burning fat while building your muscle.
Protein is a powerful nutrient that can reduce blood sugar spikes, stunt cravings for carbohydrates, and maintains your energy for longer. It can repair muscle and burns calories faster. This makes protein the key to your Gahanna, OH weight loss program and empowers you to be a weight loss champion.