The Fat Loss Fuel

Over the years, many diet trends have come and gone. First it was the low fat, then the low carb, then the balanced meals, then the whole foods. Each generation has come up with a new hot diet, but why do these never seem to last? The problem is that to sell a diet, you have to make it different. You have to make it special in some way, unique, and this ends up hurting long-term sustainability. The truth is that there is nothing special or unique about eating “healthily”, it’s actually quite boring, and it’s all things that most of us already know we should do. Don’t eat too much, stay away from junk/processed foods, drink water, eat your veggies, etc. If we all started doing these things today, we would be healthier in no time.

One dietary idea, however, has only recently been getting more attention and I want to help propel this as just one more standard ingredient to staying healthy. If you want to be lean, get in your protein. Protein has always been on the back burner of the diet debate and has even gotten a bad rap for potential health concerns. Today, let’s look at why protein is a vital part of looking and feeling your best. 

What are proteins and why are they important?

Proteins are molecules made up of amino acids—the building blocks of life. These amino acids are joined together in specific ways that are necessary for our bodies to function properly. During digestion, protein is broken down into these building blocks so that the body can later reconstruct them into other molecules such as enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and antibodies. If you do not eat enough protein, your body will be unable to manufacture these molecules and will stop working as well.

There are two main categories of amino acids in the body. First, there are essential amino acids – those that the body can’t manufacture and must be consumed in our diets. Second, there are nonessential amino acids – those that the body can usually make for itself. Eating enough protein to fully supply your amino acid needs is essential when it comes to optimal health. In addition to creating the molecules listed above, it also helps to replace worn out cells, transports various substances throughout the body, and aids in growth and repair.

Getting to the point

Yeah, yeah, protein is important, but what does that have to do with losing weight and burning fat?? Okay, so now that you know why protein is fundamentally important to your functioning, let’s look at how eating more protein can actually help you to look your best. When it comes to protein and fat loss, there are three main ways that it can help.

1) Satiety. Protein keeps you fuller longer, leading to a decrease in calories consumed. If you have protein at every meal, you will not eat as much per meal and you will not need to eat as often.

2) Hormones. Protein consumption results in the release of a hormone called glucagon. Glucagon is your best friend when it comes to fighting fat because it signals your cells to release fat to be used as fuel. There is no more direct way to make your body start burning fat than to eat some protein!

3) Fats. Something that we often talk about on this blog is the importance of eating high-quality meats. Grass-fed, wild, and pastured are always preferred because when you eat these sources of protein, you also ingest high quality fats. These fats help to balance out our diets and can actually have their own positive effect on fat loss.

How much protein do you need?

The amount of protein you need is based primarily on your level of activity. The minimum amount that anyone should eat is 0.4 grams per pound. So for a 150 lb. individual, you would need a minimum of 60 grams per day. But this would really just be the amount needed to survive. Yes, we need protein for the basic function of preventing deficiency, but for optimal functioning and fat burning, we really need 2-3x this much.

A good standard to go by is that if you are active (exercising consistently), you probably need 1 gram per pound of body weight. If you never exercise, you could probably get away with 0.8 g per pound, but to be honest, if you never exercise, protein consumption is not your biggest concern.  

Now that we know how much protein to eat, let’s talk about when to eat it. First, it is always best to spread out your protein over the course of the day. While your body can use a decent amount eaten in one sitting, you will store and utilize more of it if you eat some at each meal. You can actually increase how effective you are at utilizing your protein by exercising, specifically by weight training. If you do participate in weight training, it would also be best to have some protein before and after your session to maximize your recovery. When you train with weights, you are actually breaking down muscle so that your body will adapt and build more muscle. You can only do this, however, if there is adequate protein in your system, meaning that the more consistent you are with protein intake, the better off you will be.

Protein Reflection

Most people do not really think about how much protein they eat, let alone how much they eat in general. This is why I have a three-step system for evaluating your protein intake. Only advance to the next level when you feel confident with the one before it.

1) If you have no idea about how much protein you eat, start by just becoming aware of your meals. Does each one have some portion of protein? And when I say protein, I mean animal protein. Beef, chicken, lamb, salmon, shrimp, eggs, etc. These types of protein will always be superior to any alternative, so unless you are vegetarian, go for the meat! If you are a vegetarian, you will have to be a little more creative, but the best way to go is either a protein powder, tofu/tempeh, or beans. While these are not optimal, it is important to get your protein in as best you can.

2) If you go through this first exercise and determine that you are already including a protein source at each meal, the next thing I would do is reflect on the quality. There is a big difference between bacon and pastured pork chops. Any time you can trade out processed or conventionally raised meats, do so.

3) The last thing, for those of you that are all about your protein, it can be a good idea to weigh and track how much protein you actually get in a day. If you just do this for a few days, you will have an image of what 4 oz, 6 oz, and 8 oz of meat look like, and how much protein each of those provide. You can use www.myfitnesspal.com to find out how much protein you are actually consuming.

Wherever you land on this spectrum, I do highly encourage that you find ways to add high-quality proteins into your diet. There are too many benefits to doing something that is so simple.