Witness 024 Health: Protein Effect On Weight Loss

Protein Helps Loss Weight

Protein has a major effect on weight loss.  Of course, you must intake fewer calories than you burn to lose weight.  Consuming protein can cause you to burn more calories by increasing your metabolic rate and reducing your appetite

Probably the most significant contribution protein makes toward weight loss is the reduction of appetite. If you eat enough protein, you feel full and are less likely to snack.

My Experience

My personal experience with protein has been positive.  I had weight challenges my entire life.  While playing college football and being a pilot in the Marine Corps, managing weight was critical.  I tried many different methods to lose weight and maintain my health.  Playing college sports and being a military pilot requires being healthy and maintaining a proper weight.  I tried many different diet and exercise programs.  Working out was never a challenge for me because I trained to run marathons my entire life, but proper eating habits were always a challenge. 

I tried many different diet plans.  Some of them limited my eating to fruits and vegetables, other diet plans had a combination of meat and vegetables.   The challenge to most of those plans was the discipline to stick to the diet.  I always wanted to snack in the evenings.  Sometimes the desire was so strong that I offset all the calories saving from the other 80% of the day.  I was never able to stick to the diet plan for more than a few days.

I had other diet challenges besides the weight gain.  I drank a lot of sodas, especially in the evenings.  I dropped the sodas but substituted a sugar free grape drink that was just as unhealthy as the diet sodas.  It was not until I limited my liquid intake to water or ice tea that I began making progress with weight loss and feeling better overall.

Result

When I changed my diet to include chicken, turkey, and a small amount of beef along with water or ice tea as the drink, I was able to maintain weight.  I did not have a special diet, but that combination of foods seem to control my appetite. Of course, I made a major effort to avoid sugar.  I do believe that the diet of protein along with fruits and vegetables, contributed to my ability to have the discipline to control my food intake.  I am sure the consumption of protein was a major factor in my overall good health.  I wish I liked to eat fish.  Everything I read about healthy diets suggested that fish is a great source of protein.