Low Carb Diets or High Protein Diets-Why They Melt Away The Fat!

By Gary Gil

Everywhere you turn nowadays, there's a new Low Carb Diet. There's even a line of foods products that are "Low Carb" foods.

But recommendation you'll find in virtually all "Low-Carb" diets is to consume higher amounts of protein. The amounts vary from diet to diet, but the message is the same... eat fewer carbs, and more protein.

Let's take a look at protein and how consuming more of it can help you shed pounds faster.

First of all, protein is much more than just a nutrient you get when you eat steak or chicken. Protein revs up your metabolism higher and faster than any other single food group. When you eat protein, you burn far more calories than when you eat other foods. Plus, protein helps rebuild and maintain vital tissues such as your muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and connective tissue.

Unfortunately, most people don't consume nearly enough protein to benefit from its powerful metabolism-boosting abilities. Most people consume far more carbohydrates than they do protein, so they store fat, instead of burn it.

While high-glycemic carbohydrates trigger the release of insulin, the "fat-storage" hormone, protein triggers the release of glucagon, the hormone whose job is the exact opposite of insulin. Instead of being a fat-storage hormone, glucagon is a fat-mobilizing hormone. Glucagon stimulates the burning of stored fat as fuel.

How Protein Revs Up Your Metabolism

Digestion accounts for approximately 10% of your total calories burned in a day. Digestion is also referred to as the "thermic effect of feeding." Well, scientists have found that some foods have the amazing ability to increase this part of your metabolism, so you burn more calories. Some foods ignite your metabolism so you burn more calories, while others are just average.

Scientists have found that protein has the highest "thermic effect" of any food group. In fact, in one research study, scientists found that consuming a high-protein diet can increase your "thermic effect" as much as 42%!

In a recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology, researchers found that people who exercised and ate a high-protein diet (approximately 1 gm of protein per pound of body weight daily) burned far more fat than people who ate a lower-protein diet closer to the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). After eating, researchers measured an elevated thermic effect of 42% for the high-protein group.

In my opinion, protein is by far the most important of the three macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat), yet it's the most under-consumed nutrient by most people in our society.

The Optimal Amount of Protein to Consume

There's universal agreement within the scientific community that people who exercise regularly (which I'll assume you will be doing while trying to lose weight) have significantly greater protein requirements than sedentary individuals.

But the one thing that the scientific community can't seem to agree on is exactly how much protein to consume a day. There are hundreds of complicated formulas to determine how much protein you should consume, based on age, weight, gender, lifestyle, etc.

But based on my research, I've found the optimal amount of protein to consume is 1 gm of protein per pound of body weight. For example, if you weight 175 lb, you should consume 175 gm of protein daily. Again, this is assuming you are engaging in a regular exercise program.

Of course you'll want to divide up this optimal protein amount into 6 meals. You might plan for 3 regular sized meals, and 3 in-between smaller meals. But the key is to plan your meals around your protein intake for the day.

One gram per pound of body weight may seem like a lot of protein to consume each day, but once you find high-protein foods you enjoy, it becomes a much easier dietary adjustment.

Even though this article is about protein, let's talk about fats for a moment. Saturated fats found in animal meat and dairy products are generally considered "unhealthy fats." I should clarify that saturated fats are unhealthy when you regularly over-consume them.

An easy way to identify unsaturated fats is to give them the room-temperature test: Unsaturated fats are normally liquid at room temperature; saturated fats are solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated fats found in avocados, cold-water fish, peanuts, and flaxseed oil are "healthy fats."

Fats play an important role in helping you lose weight. First, fats slow the absorption rate of carbohydrates into the bloodstream, thereby keeping insulin levels in check. Second, fats make foods taste better and release a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK), which tells the brain that you're satisfied.

So try to consume healthy, unsaturated fats along with each meal so you can nourish your body with the fats it needs as well as keep your insulin levels in check.

To quickly summarize. To shed pounds faster... increase your protein intake to 1 gm per pound of body weight to speed up your metabolism, and to repair and maintain your tissues and cells. Minimize your consumption of high-glycemic carbs. Try to consume unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats with your meals.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
About the Author:
Gary Gil is a weight loss expert and author of the popular book, "Weight Loss Secrets," which reveals the 12 secrets to
losing all the weight you want -- and keeping it off for life.

Each of the proven weight-loss secrets are revealed in full detail in Mr. Gil's book "Weight Loss Secrets." A electronic copy of his 212-page book (a $29.97 value) is included free as a member of the DietSecrets Weight Loss Program. You can learn about how you can become a member of the Dietsecrets Weight Loss program at: DietSecrets.com

Site Map

Information presented at Diets-Directory.com is designed for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice from a qualified physician or other licensed health care practitioner. The information provided through Diet-Directory.com should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you are encouraged to consult with your health care provider.