The Healthy Way to Lose Weight Without Starving: Protein Diet Plan

With a protein diet plan, you need not starve yourself and give up on your health to lose weight. A high protein diet coupled with a low carbohydrate, low fat regime is a proven successful way to lose weight effectively. On losing weight, one need not continue with the diet, but a moderate food plan will help you maintain the perfect weight. Protein foods serve as the ultimate energy source and therefore the sugar level in the body is maintained at the optimal level.

All kinds of high sugar and carbohydrate containing foods must be avoided to achieve weight loss. Most of the protein rich foods also contain good amount of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, your body wouldn’t have to face any kind of nutrition deficiency conditions. Meat, dairy products, legumes, oil, nuts, seeds and many other protein rich foods can be consumed while on a protein diet plan. They also help to reduce and control over eating. These foods are heavy on the stomach and fill up the stomach very fast. This reduces the dieter’s urge to eat more food. Therefore the basic consumption of food is reduced naturally through this weight loss meal plan.

What actually causes the weight loss in a protein diet plan? The above said factors will prevent weight gain. But the weight loss factor is due to a process known as ketosis. Carbohydrates are the main energy source of the body. While on a protein diet, the carbohydrate intake is reduced considerably. In the absence of sufficient energy in the form of carbohydrate, the body searches for an alternative energy source. To meet the energy needs of the body, the stored fats are burnt to give energy for the body functions. The stored fats are the major reason for the excess weight and with the burning of these fats, weight loss occurs.

It is very essential to couple a low carbohydrate diet with a high protein diet, because low carbohydrate diet will lead to muscle deterioration, but with enough protein supplement, the amino acids will help in muscle development and also repair damaged muscle tissues. This is the reason why body builders rely on a good protein diet regime.

Increased carbohydrate intake leads to fat accumulation. Carbohydrates trigger the release of insulin in the body. Increased carbohydrate intake leads to excessive insulin production to convert all of these into energy. Consequently, the burning down of fat into energy is stopped and all the fat consumed gets accumulated to form fat deposits. The energy derived from proteins has no such side effects and help in better fat digestion and also break down of deposited fat molecules.

When you have decided go for a protein diet plan, then the challenge lies in making a proper daily meal menu. You will have to cut down on your total calories intake little by little. The first day, you cut down a 50 calorie, the next day another 50 so on and so forth. If you were consuming 2000 calories a day, then you should make it 1500. Reduce the amount of carbohydrates and fat and increase the protein rich foods. Do not avoid carbohydrates and fats completely as they are essential for maintaining a healthy body.

Preparing a perfect calorie diet is very easy these days as most of the products available in the market have the calorie content and the amount of each item marked on it very clearly. You can prepare a good protein rich diet by looking at the label itself. Several kinds of beans like split beans, lentils, soybeans, black beans etc are high source of proteins. Good enough of fibers should be incorporated in the form of vegetables like beans, lentils, broccoli etc. Tofu is a good protein source. This helps in bowel movement and gives fullness to the stomach. Drinking water is essential too, drinking weight loss tea is even better.

A protein diet plan will be able to give you the maximum result if coupled with a daily exercise regime. Even a high protein intake might lead to fat deposition if the protein is not used up in the muscle building. It is very essential to follow a proper protein weight loss diet or else one could end up gaining more weight.