5 Ways Having Protein for Breakfast Helps You Lose Weight
A healthy body needs an ample amount of protein, so why not start your day with a protein-rich breakfast? Here are 5 ways in which eating a high-protein breakfast will help you lose fat!
1. Having More Protein Keeps You Feeling Fuller For Longer.
Staying away from fulfilling comfort foods and chocolates can be a challenge, but the challenge becomes harder when you are faced with ravenous hunger pangs. Eating low-fat, low-protein meals with a moderate amount of carbs is the set trend in dieting, prescribed by even the doctors. But the issue with this type of diet is that the carbs get used up quickly and you have no more fuel to run on. Protein and fats burn more slowly, providing you with more energy while suppressing those hunger pangs.
In a study conducted by the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA, it was found that increasing protein intake from 15 to 30% of total calories helped them lose 5 kg in just 12 weeks. This increase in the protein content of their diet helped them eat 441 fewer calories per day. This effect results from the fact that protein metabolism burns calories and the additional fact that protein also keeps you feeling fuller for longer.
2. Decreases Obsessive Thoughts About Food
Going on a weight loss diet is tough. But even when we manage to stick to our prescribed portions of diet foods, cravings can drive us mad. You may be able to use willpower to stave off those hunger pangs and hold out till the next planned meal on your list, but then the thoughts about eating and cheat meals can become obsessive. If you can just switch off those thoughts about food and eating, you may be able to still get through your day without succumbing to temptation. And this is where protein comes to your rescue.
Another research from the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, The University of Missouri, USA, using 27 overweight/obese men, recorded that consuming 25% of total calories from protein sources reduced late-night snacking by 50%. It was even found to decrease obsessive thoughts about food by 60%.
3. Helps Reduce The Percentage Of Body Fat
This is a vital point as weight loss by low-calorie diets usually lead to weight loss, which can mean weight loss from water, muscle or fat in the body. In fact, if you cut off a hand, that’s weight loss too. But what we are all looking for when we say weight loss- is actually fat loss. We all want to lose excess body fat. No one wants to lose their hard-earned muscles. But that's what usually happens in weight loss diets. The body holds onto its fat stores with a vengeance while sacrificing its muscles and water content. That's why, even when you manage to lose weight through starvation diets, you end up looking pale and unhealthy.
4. Helps You Maintain Weight Loss Long-Term
In a study conducted by the Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, Netherlands, using 148 male and female subjects, a 20% higher protein intake during weight maintenance after weight loss, resulting in a 50% lower body weight regain, only consisting of fat-free mass. Increased satiety and decreased energy efficiency were also noted when protein intake was upped.
5. Eat protein rich meals for breakfast, not dinner
Have a protein-rich meal at breakfast, rather than dinner, ensures you reap these benefits during the day when your body needs it the most. Having a heavy meal at dinner is not advisable as it can negatively affect your metabolism. Dinner should be a light meal that is digested quickly and allows your body to concentrate on recovery and healing.
Protein is not just for building bigger muscles. In reality, a high-protein, low-carb diet also keeps you feeling fuller for longer, cuts down body fat and reduces cravings or obsessive thoughts about food.
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