Calories out. Calories in. Eating More Protein MIGHT Make You Thin

With all the buzz about high protein diets, one has to wonder, why?  Well, the answer to this is a bit ambiguous and so here is the meat of it (no pun intended...well, maybe a bit), as well as some other misconceptions surrounding this type of eating habit.

Reasons for the High Protein = Weight Loss Phenomenon
In many studies done today, there is a clear difference in the results achieved by those on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet as compared to others.  This is because of several reasons.

1.  It does not take your blood sugar on a roller coaster as opposed to those complex carbohydrates.  Instead of having a quick high and low, energy is sustained longer.

2.  Protein is digested slower than carbohydrates.  So, since your system takes longer to get rid of it, you feel full longer.

3.  Because specific protein has less fat, it can help as a substitute for foods that do have it so that body composition is improve instead of just weight.

The Carbohydrate Monster

How often have you heard someone say that "carbs make you fat"?  This is all too common and so to replace this they practically chug protein at every meal.   In reality, carbohydrates are metabolized by your body any differently than protein, especially if you are consuming too much because it is calories in and calories out.  Too much leads to weight gain.  On top of this, if you eat more protein, you're possibly not eating enough carbs which can be dangerous since your heart and brain run off of this.  

Protein Makes Muscle

Another common misconception is that simply eating protein will build up muscle.  This is both true and not true.  Without exercise with all the contractions and energy put into them, muscles will not grow.  So, these work in tandem, instead of the killing two birds with one stone.  It takes diligence with food along with the hard work of exercise.


I stress might in the title for certain reasons.  Although protein can be a valuable tool, it must be remembered that it is not the end all be all.  A diet high in moderation is key. 


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The Nutrition Source