How Does a High Protein Diet Work?
You’ve probably heard a lot about eating a high protein diet recently. Some people choose a high protein diet because they are trying to build muscle rapidly. Some people choose high protein because they are hoping to lose weight. High protein diets have many applications, but if you really want to see results, you have to understand how and why they work for your body.
Why High Protein?
In order to understand why people focus on protein, you first have to know that there are three macronutrients that your body uses: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. These three macronutrients make up the majority of your daily food intake. We’ve all been taught that we want less fat, so that leaves a choice between carbs and proteins for healthy dieting. Unfortunately, foods that are high in carbs, also tend to be high in other things that we don’t want, whereas proteins tend to stand by themselves. Plus, our bodies break down carbs and proteins at different rates, so eating more protein can change the way your body is forced to process every calorie that comes in.
How Much Protein?
The challenge with creating a high protein diet is that nobody can tell you exactly how much protein you need. For a typical person, a balanced diet consists of about 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats. On a high protein diet, you aim to recreate this balance by cutting down on carbs and fats, but not eliminating them. For instance, switching to 40% protein and 30% carbs, while leaving your fat intake at 30% is enough to do the trick.
What to Expect During a High Protein Diet
After you have altered your macronutrient intake to reflect your high protein diet, it will take a few days for your body to adjust. Each time you workout, your body will begin burning off calories differently than it was before. It will have fewer carbs to burn through before it gets to the fats, so you will start to burn more fat earlier in your process. Meanwhile, with all the added nutrients that come in protein packed meals, you will start to see more rapid muscle growth.
Properly Supporting a High-Protein Diet
The most important part of switching to a high protein diet is making sure that you’re choosing lean proteins. Fatty pork and steak will not help you reach your goal. Likewise, you need to go with skinless chicken breasts to cut out all the saturated fat. Do not eliminate carbs and fats, because your body needs these to prevent fatigue, but also because they provide a wide range of micronutrients. Make sure the carbs that you are allowed to have are whole-grain choices that are not refined or processed. This will give you the best results.
Lean Lifestyle can help you with your high protein diet. Our custom meal plans include a number of options for accelerated weight loss, muscle building and more, so you can get perfectly balanced meals every time.
