Eat Enough Protein When You Want to Lose Weight | Hardworkout Magazine

Key takeaways

- An adequate protein intake limits the loss of muscle mass during a calorie deficit, and strength training stimulates muscle protein synthesis at the same time.

- For people who train regularly, 1.6–2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is a reasonable starting point when the goal is weight loss — roughly 110–155 grams a day for someone weighing 70 kg.

- The thermic effect of protein is about 20–30% of the energy it provides, compared with around 5–10% for carbohydrates and 0–3% for fats.

- Peptides and amino acids from digested protein increase the secretion of CCK, GLP-1 and PYY, hormones that signal the brain to suppress appetite and increase fullness.

- Plant protein sources differ in their content of essential amino acids, so a mainly plant-based diet should vary between legumes, soy products, grains, nuts and seeds — though not necessarily within the same meal.

Why does protein matter more when you are eating less?

When the goal is to lose weight, the calorie intake over time must be lower than energy expenditure. When food intake is reduced, it becomes increasingly important to prioritize foods that provide enough protein and other nutrients.

How much protein you need depends, among other things, on body weight, activity level, and how much you train.

What you should know about proteins

An adequate protein intake helps to limit the loss of muscle mass when you are in a calorie deficit.

Strength training stimulates muscle protein synthesis and is important for preserving muscle mass when you lose weight.

Proteins generally provide better satiety than fats and carbohydrates with the same calorie content.

Peptides and amino acids from proteins affect hormones that help regulate appetite and satiety.

Proteins have a higher thermic effect than fats and carbohydrates because digestion and metabolism require more energy.

For individuals who train regularly, around 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily can be a good starting point.

Preferably choose protein sources that provide a lot of protein relative to calorie content when you are trying to lose weight.

If you primarily eat plant-based, you should vary your protein sources to get enough of all essential amino acids.

Proteins help preserve muscle mass

In a calorie deficit, you can lose both fat and muscle mass. How much muscle mass you retain is influenced, among other things, by protein intake and whether you do strength training.

What happens to amino acids the body does not use?

Muscle proteins are continuously broken down and rebuilt. To form new muscle proteins, you need amino acids from proteins in food. Nine of the amino acids are essential. This means they cannot be formed in the body and must therefore be supplied through the diet.

The body does not have a specific storage for amino acids, as it does for fats and carbohydrates.

Amino acids that are not used to form proteins or other compounds are therefore broken down.

The nitrogen-containing part is removed and mainly excreted as urea in the urine. The rest of the amino acid can enter energy metabolism, and certain amino acids can be used as a starting point to form glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis.

If protein intake is too low while you are in a calorie deficit, several amino acids may need to be released through the breakdown of the body's own proteins. Muscle proteins constitute a large available source of amino acids. If the breakdown of muscle proteins over time is greater than the rebuilding, muscle mass is reduced.

Strength training stimulates muscle protein synthesis and thus helps maintain the balance between the breakdown and rebuilding of muscle proteins when you are in a calorie deficit.

Proteins provide good satiety

Proteins generally provide better satiety than fats and carbohydrates with the same calorie content.

When proteins are digested, they are broken down into peptides and amino acids. These are registered by receptors in the gastrointestinal tract and can increase the secretion of, among other things, CCK, GLP-1, and PYY.

The hormones send signals to the brain that suppress appetite and increase the feeling of fullness after a meal.

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Proteins have a high thermic effect

Part of the energy from food is used for digestion, absorption, and further metabolism of nutrients. This is called the thermic effect of food.

The thermic effect varies between nutrients. For proteins, it corresponds to about 20-30% of the energy they provide. For carbohydrates, it is around 5-10%, and for fats, 0-3%.

Proteins have the highest thermic effect because the breakdown and further metabolism of amino acids require more energy.

This includes the processes used to build new proteins and to convert amino acids that are not used for protein synthesis.

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How much protein do you need?

When you are trying to lose weight, your protein intake should be high enough to meet your needs even if the total calorie intake is reduced.

For individuals who train regularly, around 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is a good starting point when the goal is to lose weight. If you weigh 70 kg, this corresponds to approximately 110-155 grams of protein daily.

If you do a lot of strength training and already have a low body fat percentage, it may be appropriate to be in the upper part of the range. With a higher body fat percentage, it may be more practical to calculate needs based on target weight rather than current body weight.

Distribute your protein intake over three to five meals throughout the day. For example, if you plan to eat 120 grams of protein daily, four meals with about 30 grams each can be a simple distribution.

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Choose good protein sources

When calorie intake is reduced, it is useful to choose foods that provide a lot of protein relative to calorie content.

White fish, shellfish, lean meat, and low-fat dairy products are examples of foods that provide a lot of protein and relatively few calories.

Other good protein sources include:

- Fish and seafood

- Chicken, turkey, and lean meat

- Eggs