Does a high-protein diet help you lose weight? Here’s the truth!

Many people want to control their weight or even lose weight, but they dare not eat this or that. Some people only eat vegetarian food, and some people do not eat any starch at all. None of these are acceptable. So, how can they lose weight scientifically?

Can a high-protein diet help you lose weight?

Liu Cuibing, chief technician of the Clinical Nutrition Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, said that for obese people, the dietary principle is to have a balanced diet based on controlling the total energy intake. Generally, the daily energy intake should be reduced by 300-500 kcal, the intake of fat and oil should be strictly controlled, the amount of refined white rice, flour and meat should be controlled appropriately, and the intake of vegetables, fruits and dairy products should be guaranteed.

However, for some obese people, such as those with high triglycerides and high low-density lipoproteinemia, and those who need to lose weight quickly in a short period of time due to complications of obesity, a high-protein diet is also a good choice. A high-protein diet also increases protein intake on the basis of controlling total energy intake, generally reaching 1.2-1.4g/kg/d, or accounting for 20%-30% of daily energy intake.

So how does protein help us control our weight? Liu Cuibing introduced that, first of all, protein can increase satiety and help reduce total energy intake. Protein can stimulate the release of some hormones to increase satiety. Protein itself also has the effect of delaying gastric emptying, and this satiety helps reduce energy intake. Among them, high-quality proteins such as whey protein, soy protein, pea peptide, and wheat peptide have a strong sense of satiety.

Secondly, a protein diet can increase energy expenditure. The body's energy expenditure is mainly used to maintain basal metabolism, physical activity and the thermal effect of food. The thermal effect of food refers to the additional energy expenditure when food is consumed. The body uses this energy to digest, absorb, transport and metabolize nutrients in food. Among them, protein has the largest thermal effect of food, accounting for about 20%-30%, while carbohydrates and fats only account for 5%-10%. The thermal effect of a general mixed meal is 10%, so a high-protein diet can significantly increase the energy consumption of the thermal effect of food.

Thirdly, adequate protein intake can increase muscle mass, thereby increasing the basal metabolic rate. This is very important for people who are losing weight, because general dieting will cause a large loss of muscle, resulting in a decrease in the basal metabolic rate, which is more likely to lead to weight rebound. For thin people, it can also increase muscle mass and enhance physical fitness. Of course, with a large amount of healthy muscle, it can also increase the ability to consume fat through exercise, which complements exercise weight loss.

Finally, I would like to remind you that for Asians, on the one hand, this high-protein diet is often difficult to stick to, which goes against our long-standing eating habits. On the other hand, high protein will also increase the burden on the kidneys. Therefore, it is best to use a high-protein diet to lose weight under the guidance of a nutritionist to work better.

Tips: Potatoes are suitable for people who want to lose weight

Zhang Xiaoyan, former director of the Nutrition Department of Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Jiangsu Province, said that potatoes are a food that makes the human body feel full after eating. Eating potatoes in moderation when losing weight is not only beneficial for weight loss, but also makes you feel less hungry.

If potatoes are steamed, the impact on the nutrients in them is relatively small, and the retention rate of vitamin C in the steamed potatoes is above 80%. There is not much loss of carbohydrates, minerals, dietary fiber, etc., and they are easy to digest and absorb.

The steamed potatoes can be mashed into a soft and crispy texture, which is more suitable for the elderly and children. Frying and braising are not recommended, and try not to cut them into thin slices or shreds for cooking, as they easily absorb oil.

It should be noted that potatoes are more suitable to be eaten as a staple food. Because potatoes have a relatively high starch content, they are counted as staple foods. If you eat potatoes, you should reduce the amount of other staple foods.