It’s amazing how many people take protein for weight loss! So many of us see protein as a weight loss food, and we take it counting on the “guaranteed weight loss” we hope it can provide. But is it really a weight loss food? Can casein, egg, and whey protein help you to lose weight, or is that just one marketing trick to get you to buy protein powders?

Guaranteed Weight Loss With Protein

In order to answer the question, you need to understand a bit more about weight loss… Your body is designed to store calories, as it is trying to prepare for the days when it will not get enough to eat. It’s a fail-safe mechanism against starvation. This means that your body is always trying to store more than it burns–leading to weight gain. Weight loss, therefore, simply means burning more calories than you consume. It’s basic math! If you are an average American with a diet of 2,000 calories per day, you need to burn 2,001 or more calories per day in order to lose weight. The more calories you burn and the fewer you eat, the more weight you will lose. But what role does protein play in weight loss? Is it possible to have “guaranteed weight loss” by consuming more protein? Here’s why protein is useful for weight loss:

It’s filling

Protein takes longer to digest than carbs (though not as long as fat). This means that it will sit in your stomach, stopping you from feeling hungry for longer. If you consume protein at every meal and snack, you’ll find that you can feel full without eating as many calories. The fewer calories you eat, the more weight you lose!

It burns more calories

When you consume protein, your body has to work hard to break it down into its individual amino acids. This means that there is a higher energy output (known as the “thermic effect of food”) when you eat protein. Carbs and sugars are broken down easily, but protein is harder for your body to process and absorb–meaning it takes more energy (calories) to do so. You burn more calories digesting protein than you do fats and carbs.

It balances blood sugar

For those who eat high carb foods, you’re no doubt familiar with the rush of energy and subsequent drop. This is called a “sugar rush”, and it’s caused by carbs. Carbs are absorbed into your body very quickly, and too many carbs leads to very high glucose levels. When your body senses that glucose is spiking, it releases insulin to lower blood sugar levels. Those sugar levels drop lower than normal, which is that “crash” you feel. When you add protein to the carbs, those carbs are absorbed more slowly. There are no sugar spikes and crashes thanks to the protein!

It builds muscle

What is the most effective way to burn calories? By doing exercise, of course! What helps you get through that workout as efficiently as possible? More muscles! Protein is needed to build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than inert body fat. By increasing your lean body mass (your muscles), you promote fat burning and increase the number of calories you burn every day. You burn more calories just by walking around, and it’s all thanks to protein’s ability to help you build muscle.

It burns fat

Did you know that protein is highly effective at burning fat? When you do exercise, your body tends to break down muscle tissue along with the sugar in your blood and the fat cells it is burning as fuel. A lot of exercise without enough protein leads to muscle breakdown, which can cause a higher body mass! But if you consume protein, you stop your body from breaking down muscle tissue for energy, forcing it to focus on blood sugar and fat. You will enhance fat-burning thanks to the protein you eat.

As you can see, protein is one of the best things to eat if weight loss and fat burning is your goal!

How Much Protein is Needed to Lose Weight?

If your goal is to lose weight, you should consume between 20 and 25% protein every day. That means that, of every 100 calories consumed, 20 to 25 of those calories should come from protein. For the average American on a 2,000-calorie diet, that means 400 to 500 calories’ worth of protein. That’s the right amount to help you build muscle, burn fat, and lose weight!

Here is the protein content of the most popular sources: [thrive_lead_lock id=’1912′]

• Beef (6 oz./170 grams) – 54 grams
• Turkey, breast (6 oz. /170 grams) – 51.4 grams
• Pork Chop (6 oz. /170 grams) 49 grams
• Chicken, dark meat (6 oz. /170 grams) – 47.2 grams
• Tuna (6 oz./170 grams) – 40.1 grams
• Chicken, breast (6 oz. /170 grams) – 37.8 grams
• Ham (6 oz. /170 grams) – 35.4 grams
• Salmon (6 oz. /170 grams) – 33.6 grams
• Yogurt, low fat (1 cup) – 10.7 grams
• Skim milk (1 cup) – 8.3 grams
• Whole milk (1 cup) – 8 grams
• American cheese (1 oz./28.3 grams) – 7 grams
• Egg (1 large) – 6.3 grams
• Tofu (6 oz. /170 grams) – 13.8 grams
• Peanut Butter (2 Tbsp.) – 8.1 grams
• Lentils (1/2 cup) – 9 grams
• Black Beans (1/2 cup) – 7.5 grams
• Garbanzo Beans (1/2 cup) – 7.3 grams

• Beef (6 oz./170 grams) – 54 grams
• Turkey, breast (6 oz. /170 grams) – 51.4 grams
• Pork Chop (6 oz. /170 grams) 49 grams
• Chicken, dark meat (6 oz. /170 grams) – 47.2 grams
• Tuna (6 oz./170 grams) – 40.1 grams
• Chicken, breast (6 oz. /170 grams) – 37.8 grams
• Ham (6 oz. /170 grams) – 35.4 grams
• Salmon (6 oz. /170 grams) – 33.6 grams
• Yogurt, low fat (1 cup) – 10.7 grams
• Skim milk (1 cup) – 8.3 grams
• Whole milk (1 cup) – 8 grams
• American cheese (1 oz./28.3 grams) – 7 grams
• Egg (1 large) – 6.3 grams
• Tofu (6 oz. /170 grams) – 13.8 grams
• Peanut Butter (2 Tbsp.) – 8.1 grams
• Lentils (1/2 cup) – 9 grams
• Black Beans (1/2 cup) – 7.5 grams
• Garbanzo Beans (1/2 cup) – 7.3 grams

(Info courtesy of Mark’s Daily Apple) How many grams/ounces for 400 to 500 calories of protein?

• 1 gram of protein = 9 calories
• 1 ounce of protein = 255 calories

Download your FREE Recipe You might also like: Healthy Weight Loss Foods: High Protein Foods to Incorporate into Your Diet [/thrive_lead_lock]

The Downside of Protein

Protein has A LOT of awesome benefits, but it has a few drawbacks as well:

• It’s hard on your digestion. If you eat a lot of protein, it takes a toll on your digestive tract. Without a lot of fiber to balance it out, you could have some serious digestive troubles.
• It’s usually high in calories. As you saw above, most forms of protein–particularly animal proteins, such as chicken, beef, fish, or dairy–are fairly high in calories. The high fat content of these foods make most proteins high in calories. You may end up eating more calories than you should thanks to your increase in protein.
• It’s expensive. High-carb foods tend to be much cheaper than high-protein foods at the supermarket, so trying to add more protein to your diet can cost a pretty penny.

Thankfully, for those who are trying to consume more protein, protein powders are an inexpensive, effective option! Fish, chicken, turkey, cheese, yoghurt, milk, beef, pork, legumes, and quinoa are all amazing options for protein, but they can be fairly expensive. With protein powder, on the other hand, you get a concentrated dose of protein at a much lower price. Well Wisdom has a whey protein powder that will give you all the protein you need for weight loss, but at a price you can easily afford. As a source of concentrated protein, it’s ideal to help you build muscle and burn fat. Plus, it’s great for your immune system, is 100% GMO-free, and made from grass-fed cows!