A high protein diet is a great strategy for losing a significant amount of fat in a short amount of time. By that I mean a high protein diet could help a dieter lose 10-15 pounds in 2 weeks. Assuming some of that is water weight, the fat loss would still be in the 8 pound range, give or take a couple. That is a significant amount of fat to burn.
At first glance, 8 pounds of fat may not seem like a lot. Let’s say a dieter loses 6 pounds. Again, that may not sound like much to some. But consider this, a dieter follows a 2 week high protein diet followed by 4 weeks of clean healthy eating. Dieter loses 6lbs and then is flat for 4 weeks, maybe even down a pound or two.
At a minimum, the dieter loses 6 pounds in a 6-week cycle. With the cliché rinse and repeat, the dieter is looking for a loss of more than 48 pounds. 52 weeks divided by 6 gives 8 more cycles. 8 times 6 gives 48 pounds. That can be life changing. That’s assuming no weight loss during the 4 week, cleanse eating phase. And the loss of water weight will add to that number.
So what is a high protein diet for weight loss? Or more correctly, what is a high protein fat loss program?
Most Americans probably get a large portion of their calories from carbohydrates. In Business they talk about the Pareto Principle which states that 80% comes from 20%. In this case, since carbohydrates probably make up 80% of calories, the Pareto Principle could be modified to say that 80% comes from 33%.
Although many Americans get their calories from carbohydrates (read sugar), conventional wisdom suggests that calories should come from a ratio of 50% carbohydrates, 20% protein, and 30% fat. Those numbers could fluctuate to slightly more carbs and slightly less protein.
The high protein diet obviously changes the proportions. But first, the general principle of weight reduction is to achieve a caloric deficit. The greater the deficit, the greater the weight loss. All the programs that exist are strategies to achieve the caloric deficit. If this guiding principle is respected, the programs are good.
That being said, while there are many ways to get to Boston, some modes will get you there faster and better. High protein is one of them. This strategy is very simple, most of the calories come from protein.
This is in contrast to established programs like the Adkins diet that seek to minimize carbohydrates as a primary goal. The calorie deficit is balanced by increasing protein and fat. But the main goal is to reduce carbs.
The subtle difference is that a high-protein diet focuses on (drastically) increasing protein consumption, while minimizing carbohydrates and fat. 1 gram of protein has 4 calories, just like carbohydrates, but fat has 9 calories. Drastically minimizing fat and carbs also means drastically increasing protein intake.
“In the past,” Arnold Schwarzenegger recommended a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Conventional wisdom suggests 0.36 grams per pound of body weight. That’s not much.
With one gram of protein per body weight, a 200-pound man would need 200 grams. 200 grams would yield 800 calories, add some residual fat and carbohydrates, and the caloric intake would probably not exceed 1,000. The caloric deficit has been met. The combination of high protein with the minimization of fat and carbohydrates will drastically reduce caloric intake.
But let’s be clear, this is not a walk in the park. A high protein diet can be stressful on the body. Although various indigenous peoples around the world give up a high protein diet as a matter of “survival” or “culture”, it is not something a person should start without doing some solid research and talking to their doctor. If there are underlying health issues, definitely talk to a doctor first. Even if there are no health problems, other than weight; Talking to a doctor is always a good idea.
And this should not be a long diet. Daily consumption of plain chicken breast and celery sticks could easily have you bouncing off the walls in no time. This strategy would involve completing this rigorous approach for 2 weeks with 2-4 weeks of a clean balanced diet that provides a minimal caloric deficit. This cycle would be repeated until the desired weight goal is achieved.
Lastly, critical to the success of a program like this would be to have a support group of like-minded people going through the process. On the tenth day of canned tuna, chicken breast and cucumbers, support is essential. Also, a group that can encourage one, a group to share successes, frustrations, hopes and challenges is very important.
The high protein diet for fat loss is clearly a powerful tool in the fight against obesity.
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