Looking for High-Protein Foods to Help You Lose Weight?
The first step to losing weight is rethinking your diet.
“Weight loss comes down to energy balance—meaning you have to consistently burn more calories than you eat. High-protein foods help out with both sides of the energy balance equation,” says Kim Yawitz, a registered dietitian and gym owner in St. Louis, MO.
“First, high-protein foods can help boost your metabolism, both short- and long-term,” Yawitz says, adding that eating a protein-heavy meal temporarily increases calorie burn, simply because your body has to work harder to digest and metabolize protein compared to fats and carbs. “Over time, incorporating more high-protein foods can also help protect against muscle loss while in a calorie deficit, allowing you to eat more calories while still losing weight.”
As a bonus, high-protein foods are also highly satiating, says Yawitz, especially when pitted against high-carb foods (bread, pasta, rice, etc.). “In this way, eating more protein at meals and snacks can help you to eat fewer calories overall when you’re trying to lose weight.”
Excerpted from Men’s Health
