If you have not had a chance to read my last few blog post you may want to do so before reading this one. My journey to a new me has taken a recent detour when I met my nutritionist, Stacy, who is also a trainer. She has given me permission to include some of the valuable information from her Be Fit Program in my blog post.
The first step in correcting your diet for weight loss is to understand how much protein you need at each meal. Your daily menu needs to focus on getting protein at every meal with emphasis on increasing protein at breakfast and lunch. The effect of protein on appetite or "satiety" is something you have probably already experienced when you had a high protein breakfast with eggs, meat or dairy. It's not a feeling of being stuffed, but one of feeling satisfied. More important, you realize that the meal seems to "stick with you". When you include protein in your breakfast in the correct amounts you don't feel hungry in two hours.
The research is clear that when you eat protein at meals early in the day, your desire for food changes for the rest of the day. This can result in your desire to eat less total food for the entire day. The facts prove that protein distribution throughout the day have the greatest effect on weight loss. Let's face it, most adults consume most of their protein at dinner time. The problem with this is that the amount of protein in each meal is how your body "uses" the protein. It takes 30 grams of protein at a meal to fully stimulate healthy muscles. With a skewed protein distribution, only the dinner meal has enough protein to get into the range to stimulate protein synthesis and protect muscles.
To fully understand protein needs in your diet, you need to understand a little more about the roles of protein in your body. Generally, when people think about protein needs they think about building muscles. The proteins you eat and the proteins in your body are actually long chains of small parts or molecules called amino acids. There are 20 different amino acids required to make all of the different proteins in our bodies. The proteins you eat are digested in your intestines and then absorbed into your body as the individual amino acids. These individual amino acids are then used to form the millions of proteins that make up your body. The process of building new proteins in the body is called protein synthesis.
A rule of thumb is that you need to get 25 to 30 grams of protein at every meal. Including protein at your snacks containing a range from 15 to 30 grams of protein. (based on your activity level) will also help rev up your metabolism and lose body fat.
In conclusion:
Protein helps you stay full, aiding in weight loss, keeping you from the munchies.
Protein repairs and rebuilds muscles.
Protein revs up your metabolism.
Protein is IMPORTANT!
Here are some great choices for Protein
Lean Beef - Flank Steak, Eye of Round, London Broil, Tenderloin, Top Sirloin, New York Strip, 2% or 4% Fat Lean Beef
Fish - Tilapia, Salmon, Tuna, Cod, Grouper, Halibut, Macheral, Mahimahi, Sea Bass, Red Snapper, Swordfish, Lobster and Shrimp
Chicken Breast (canned is ok if there is no salt added)
Turkey Breast
Canned Tuna (low sodium, in water)
Boar's Head low-sodium (Turkey or Roast Beef - limit intake since it's processed)
Pork Tenderloin
Egg Whites
Low Fat Cottage Cheese (watch for sodium)
Tofu (watch for sodium)
Veggie Burger (watch for sodium)
Legumes (They provide protein and carbohydrates so measure accordingly)
I hope that this blog post has clarified any remaining questions that you may have had concerning the importance of having enough protein in your daily food choices. Without the proper amount of protein you will not be able to burn off the fat that is keeping you from being the healthiest that you can be!
The first step in correcting your diet for weight loss is to understand how much protein you need at each meal. Your daily menu needs to focus on getting protein at every meal with emphasis on increasing protein at breakfast and lunch. The effect of protein on appetite or "satiety" is something you have probably already experienced when you had a high protein breakfast with eggs, meat or dairy. It's not a feeling of being stuffed, but one of feeling satisfied. More important, you realize that the meal seems to "stick with you". When you include protein in your breakfast in the correct amounts you don't feel hungry in two hours.
The research is clear that when you eat protein at meals early in the day, your desire for food changes for the rest of the day. This can result in your desire to eat less total food for the entire day. The facts prove that protein distribution throughout the day have the greatest effect on weight loss. Let's face it, most adults consume most of their protein at dinner time. The problem with this is that the amount of protein in each meal is how your body "uses" the protein. It takes 30 grams of protein at a meal to fully stimulate healthy muscles. With a skewed protein distribution, only the dinner meal has enough protein to get into the range to stimulate protein synthesis and protect muscles.
To fully understand protein needs in your diet, you need to understand a little more about the roles of protein in your body. Generally, when people think about protein needs they think about building muscles. The proteins you eat and the proteins in your body are actually long chains of small parts or molecules called amino acids. There are 20 different amino acids required to make all of the different proteins in our bodies. The proteins you eat are digested in your intestines and then absorbed into your body as the individual amino acids. These individual amino acids are then used to form the millions of proteins that make up your body. The process of building new proteins in the body is called protein synthesis.
A rule of thumb is that you need to get 25 to 30 grams of protein at every meal. Including protein at your snacks containing a range from 15 to 30 grams of protein. (based on your activity level) will also help rev up your metabolism and lose body fat.
In conclusion:
Protein helps you stay full, aiding in weight loss, keeping you from the munchies.
Protein repairs and rebuilds muscles.
Protein revs up your metabolism.
Protein is IMPORTANT!
Here are some great choices for Protein
Lean Beef - Flank Steak, Eye of Round, London Broil, Tenderloin, Top Sirloin, New York Strip, 2% or 4% Fat Lean Beef
Fish - Tilapia, Salmon, Tuna, Cod, Grouper, Halibut, Macheral, Mahimahi, Sea Bass, Red Snapper, Swordfish, Lobster and Shrimp
Chicken Breast (canned is ok if there is no salt added)
Turkey Breast
Canned Tuna (low sodium, in water)
Boar's Head low-sodium (Turkey or Roast Beef - limit intake since it's processed)
Pork Tenderloin
Egg Whites
Low Fat Cottage Cheese (watch for sodium)
Tofu (watch for sodium)
Veggie Burger (watch for sodium)
Legumes (They provide protein and carbohydrates so measure accordingly)
I hope that this blog post has clarified any remaining questions that you may have had concerning the importance of having enough protein in your daily food choices. Without the proper amount of protein you will not be able to burn off the fat that is keeping you from being the healthiest that you can be!
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