I have a question, I've heard many people say that if you start to gain back a few pounds, that sticking to lots of protein will help. I know this means eating eggs for breakfast and lots of lean meat. But does anyone have any other advice for making foods that have lots and lots of protein? And has anyone heard (one way or the other) whether or not it's the protein that helps us lose the weight? And also, I've heard some say that they make those Slim Fast shakes (or those protein shakes) for a high protein kick. Do those really help? And if they do, what kinds (brands, flavors, etc) are best? I'm sorry to be a pain with all these questions, I'm just so new to maintenance and I'm trying my best to find ways to help me stay on track. Any suggestions or advice would be so very much appreciated!!! =]
Ideally the protein should come from whole foods.
Lean meats such as chicken and turkey breast, my favorites deer and bison,
fish, egg whites preferably, low fat dairy, tofu, soy burgers, soy bacon, etc,
lastly whey protein supplements.
Protein takes more time for your body to digest to it stays with you longer than carbs or fat and it burns more calories during digestion.
I don't think it's the protein per se' that will make you shed those pounds. It still ALWAYS boils down to restricting your calories. Creating a DEFICIT. Surely eating proteins and clean altogether will HELP keep you full, thus staying on track and do the most for you and your weight loss.
Last edited by rockinrobin; 03-06-2008 at 08:20 AM.
When I am being most restricted with calories, I try to eat clean, which for me means as few processed foods as possible, low sodium, tons of fruit and veggies, no "white" carbs, and I aim for about 30% calories from protein. So I try to get the most bang for my buck, calorie-wise, so to speak. I get my protein from low-fat dairy (skim milk, light yogurt, part skim mozzarella cheese, or other low fat cheese, and lowfat cottage cheese is very popular), meat (lean steak, chicken breasts, lean pork, occasionally venison when I can get it!), fish (fresh or canned salmon, usually canned tuna, shrimp, oysters, scallops, or whatever my fisherman BF catches), raw, unsalted nuts, homemade or store-bought high protein bars or muffins (contain why or soy protein), beans - chickpeas, black beans, red beans, and beans, high-protein grains like quinoa, lentils, hard boiled eggs.
Some so-called experts say a calorie is a calorie, no matter if it comes from carbs, protein, or fat. Other experts, who I agree with more based on my experience, disagree - they say protein is more work, thus burns more calories, for your body to break down, than simple or even complex carbs. (But complex carbs are still 'harder' to break down than simple.) Also since protein and complex carbs take longer to break down, they will keep you feeling fuller longer than simple carbs. I think I'm repeating this information correctly. It's also important to get enough (healthy) fats in your diet. I believe fat is easier (easier than carbs, even? I think?) for your body to break down, but will keep you satiated longer.
I definitely had to experiment a bit to see what my body responded well to - our bodies are all different, after all. Congrats on being on maintenance!
If you want to do a ready made protein shake.. Atkins are really good. But the best way is to make your own. That way you can keep the calories down. If that is what your looking at.
Maybe the recommendation came from the idea that there are three basic areas where calories can come from: carbs, protein, and fat. If you're increasing the protein then, by definition, you're decreasing at least one (if not both) of the other two groups. So, by eating within a certain calorie range and increasing protein, you are thereby decreasing the amount of carbs and fat in your diet. (If you had been eating a 40%/30%/30% carbs/protein/fats ratio and then increased your protein to 50% of your daily percentage of calories, then you only have 50% left to split between carbs and fat.)
Sometimes it's hard to take recommendations out of the context where they were initially used and then apply them appropriately.
******** makes a *fantastic* protein shake -- I like to do one scoop chocolate, one scoop vanilla, with water and ice. (I find they taste much better mixed together than either alone). You can only get them online and they're a little pricey. But if you're interested try googling ********.
Personally, I'm not a fan of a high protein approach, at least for myself. But when I am trying to get extra, I find myself going for eggs. Quick, cheap, versatile, even portable if hard boiled.
I think protein satiates me more, but it has to be in combination with other things. I did the no carb diet, low carb diets and I was always hungry no matter what I ate. I would massive amounts of meats and veggies and still want more food. Now I can eat a sandwich and feel full. It really does depend on how you are and experimenting to find out what works for you. Now besides your typical meats, I like cottage cheese (my favorite!), beans, soy nuts, protein shakes, greek yogurt, tvp, tofu for my protein sources...Mmmmm.
According to the Sugar Busters book, eating foods high in protein causes the pancreas to release glucagon, which stimulates the body to burn stored fat. (By comparison, eating foods with a high glycemic index--processed sugar, corn, pineapple, banana, and a few other fruits--causes the body to release insulin, which stimulates fat storage.) So that might be another reason to eat more protein if you are trying to lose weight. Although I would be concerned that if you couldn't maintain the higher amounts of protein, you'd gain back any weight lost when you returned to a lower protein diet.
Also a high protein diet doesn't necessarily mean eggs for breakfast. Yogurt or cottage cheese are very high in protein, as are some high-fiber breakfast cereals. My breakfast of 1 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup high fiber cereal, and 2 oz of fruit has 22g of protein--the equivalent of 3.5 eggs--a not a single egg or egg white.
I eat a higher than average protein diet (35% of my calories are from protein). I try to eat 2-4 oz of lean meat with my lunch and 4-6 oz of lean meat with my dinner. I've also found that making sure I'm eating high protein snacks helps. A few of my high protein snacks:
egg white omelets
whole wheat wrap with scrambled egg white and refried beans
sardines or kippered herring
whole wheat wrap with laughing cow cheese
oatmeal with a tbsp of peanut butter (this is a high calorie snack and I also use an all natural peanut butter that is a blend of different nuts and seeds and that has close to twice the protein of regular peanut butter)
cottage cheese or non-fat yogurt
salad of 1/2 cup non-fat yogurt, 2.5 oz cucumber, 1/4 cup chickpeas, 1.5 oz cherry tomatoes, 1 tsp dijon mustard, minced mint or basil, and salt and pepper to taste
Trader Joe's spicy ranchero egg white salad in a whole wheat wrap
Barbara, what brand of peanut butter do you use? I'm intrigued!
Kara
P.S. Thanks for posting those snack ideas! They all sound so delicious (except the herring, although my father-in-law will be over knocking on your door the next time you open a jar!).
When it comes to losing fat and building muscle, eating less food is not the answer to getting lean and cut. Others will try to tell you that losing excess fat is simply a matter of using more calories than you eat. What they don’t tell you is that eating less will slow your metabolism.
Part of the secret to eating the right amounts of food while keeping your fat levels in check is to use the thermic effect of food to your advantage.
The thermic effect (also referred to as specific dynamic action) is the incremental energy requirement above your resting metabolic rate used due to the cost of digestion, absorption, and disposal of ingested food.
Translation: Some of the foods you eat speed up your metabolism more than other foods.
You’ll find it much easier to reduce your fat levels if you consume plenty of foods with a higher thermic effect. Proteins tend to have a much higher thermic effect than other types of foods.
Calculating the thermic effect: A general guideline used by some to calculate the thermic effect of the foods you eat is to take your total calorie consumption and multiply that by 10% to get the total get the number of calories for the thermic effect. This method is a gerneral estimation, and the thermic effect for different food types can range from 3-30%.
In general:
Fats: Thermic effect of about 3%. Keeping certain levels of fats in your diet is necessary, but fats tend to be high in calories and have a low thermic effect.
Fibrous vegetables: Thermic effect of about 20%. Many fruits and vegetables are negative calorie foods. Get a good portion of vegetable in at least 2-3 of your 6 daily meals.
Proteins: Thermic effect of about 30%. High protein foods are essential for muscle gain and fat loss. Think of these foods as your metabolic stimulator. One portion with each of your 6 meals.
How to do it:
Correct Portions: Each meal you eat should have a portion about the size of your palm/ fist of protein and a portion of complex carbohydrate (like whole grains). Eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Spread your protein intake evenly throughout
Eat, not drink: Eat your protein instead of drinking it. Protein shakes have their place, but the thermic effect is much greater when your body has to break down solid proteins.
Weight Lifting: Yes, weight training increases the thermic effect of the foods you eat. Read more here.
Vegetables: Again, eat plenty of vegetables, particularly fibrous vegetables.
Fruit: One or two pieces of fruit per day.
Never go too low: Never drop your carbohydrate intake below 25-30% of your total calories.
You will always need at least some carbohydrate intake to keep your body moving and your metabolism roaring. Carbohydrates provide your body with the energy needed so that you can get the workout you need. They are energy source for your muscles, and without some carbs, you won’t be able to get in the type of workout you need to build muscle.
Negative calorie foods: Foods that burn more calories than they provide to you are called negative calorie foods. You can see a list of these foods here. Get your daily fruits and vegetables, but don’t over-rely on these foods in your diet. Eat in the right portions, and you’ll be fine.
It’s virtually impossible to gain weight using a diet that is very high in foods with a high thermic effect. Rely more heavily on these types of foods for fat loss, but keep your carbohydrates in place for weight gain and adding more muscle.
The above is from worldfitnessnetwork.com
I found the above information very helpful. It is not always calories in versus calories out it does matter where those calories come from.
High Protein To Get Back On Track?
