Is increasing protein intake enough for weight loss?

Sristi, a software expert from Bangalore, wrote about her experience of how, despite all her efforts to switch to a high-protein diet coupled with light exercises, she failed in helping her lose weight. In fact, much like Sristi, there are many people who are hitting the gym, boosting their protein and still struggling to lose weight. However, when it comes to weight loss, there are so many trends, fad diets, supplements and viral advice floating across the internet that claim to reduce weight just by increasing the protein intake, but are these trends actually good for weight loss and can protein alone help lose weight? Let’s find out….


Why protein?
There’s no denying that protein is one of the most important nutrients required to carry out vital functions of the body, but can protein alone help in faster weight loss? Well, the answer to this is a simple no, as weight loss and shedding body fat is a holistic process, which requires other nutrients as well to sustain the diet in the long term.



How much protein is actually good?
The ideal protein intake for someone trying to lose weight must be around 1.2 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for both men and women. However, the protein intake must also depend on the activity level and body composition goals. For instance, a moderately active woman weighing around 60 kg might need about 72–132 grams of protein daily. On the other hand, a man weighing 75 kg may need around 90–165 grams. In fact, higher protein intake helps preserve muscle mass, boosts metabolism, and keeps you fuller for longer, all of which holistically can support fat loss.



Here’s why too much protein is not good for health
Much like all other foods and nutrients, an excess of protein can also impact health and lead to several health conditions. However, it also depends on the source of protein, so if your protein sources are mostly coming from high-fat and high-carb options like nuts, nut butters, beans, or fatty meats, then chances are that you must be overeating to stay satiated, which often adds on to the calories and interferes with the weight loss process; you could be overeating calories without realizing it.



Are you banking on processed foods?
Well, the world of processed foods is full of protein-rich options such as protein supplements, drinks, protein bars, snacks and what not; but do you know what happens when you heavily rely on processed sources of protein like protein bars? Then you are missing out on real and whole protein that helps you build muscles. So, the best way to lose weight is to ensure that your plate is balanced with unprocessed sources of protein like chicken, turkey, tuna, egg whites, fatty fishes nuts, seeds and Greek yogurt that provide more protein per calorie than eggs and fattier meats or fish. As per experts, the golden rule is to add just ¼ portion of protein to any meal to witness effective changes in health and fitness.