Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsProtein Supports Weight LossHow Much?Calculating Daily IntakeAdding Protein to Your DietGaining Weight
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Protein Supports Weight Loss
How Much?
Calculating Daily Intake
Adding Protein to Your Diet
Gaining Weight
You may have been raised to think that weight loss is just a matter of eating fewer calories. But the calories-in vs. calorie-out theory of weight loss has been disproven.
Continue reading to learn more, including how much protein you generally need and how much is needed to lose weight. The article will also cover high-protein foods, and give a protein intake calculator example.
Anjelika Gretskaia / Getty Images
A Note on Weight and BMIThis article discusses weight loss, but Verywell understands that weight alone is not an accurate representation of a person’s health. The problematic body-mass index compares weight to height, without considering body composition (fat vs. muscle mass). If you’re interested in losing weight, talk to a trusted healthcare professional about a reasonable goal for your body.
A Note on Weight and BMI
This article discusses weight loss, but Verywell understands that weight alone is not an accurate representation of a person’s health. The problematic body-mass index compares weight to height, without considering body composition (fat vs. muscle mass). If you’re interested in losing weight, talk to a trusted healthcare professional about a reasonable goal for your body.
Protein Supports Weight Loss Without Calorie Restriction
Talk to Your Healthcare ProviderAlways talk to your healthcare provider before trying a new diet or exercise program.
Talk to Your Healthcare Provider
Always talk to your healthcare provider before trying a new diet or exercise program.
15 Drinks and Foods to Avoid When Trying to Lose Weight
Protein Changes the Levels of Several Weight-Regulating Hormones
Eating protein can increase the hormones that make you feel full, while also decreasing the hormones that make you feel hungry.
Protein intake increases three hormones that suppress appetite:
At the same time, it reduces the amount of ghrelin, a hormone that increases appetite and prompts people to eat.
Protein Reduces Appetite and Helps You Feel Full Longer
Because it increases the hormones that make you feel full and decreases the hormones that make you hungry, protein keeps you feeling fuller longer.A scientific review of more than 10 scientific studies found that people who are overweight and obese reported feeling fuller, for longer, when they ate a diet high in protein.
Ultimately, feeling fuller can help you lower your caloric intake and intake of processed foods, which can assist with weight loss.
Digesting and Metabolizing Protein Burns Calories
When you eat, your body expends extra calories to digest the meal and convert it into energy. This is known asdiet-induced thermogenesis (DIT).
It takes much more energy for your body to process protein than for your body to process fat or carbohydrates, the other two macronutrients. For each calorie of protein you eat, your body spends about 25% to 30% of the energy digesting that calorie. That’s much higher than the 3% per calorie of fat, or the 7% to 8% per calorie of carbohydrates.
After a high-protein meal, your body spends more energy, which contributes to your overall daily calorie burn.
In short, after digesting protein your body has fewer calories left over to store as fat, or excess weight.
Protein Is Harder to Store Than Fat
It’s also harder for your body to convert protein to body fat. That means that eating a high-protein diet makes it less likely that you’ll accumulate extra fat.
When you eat carbohydrates, your body can convert the food to fat with about 80% efficiency. With fats, the efficiency is about 96%. But the conversion of protein to fat storage is only 66% effective.
Protein Helps Prevent Muscle Loss and Metabolic Slowdown
Having muscle mass contributes to your overall metabolism. Many diets lead to muscle loss, which can result in a lower overall metabolic rate.
Protein helps fight muscle loss. Research has shown that eating a high-protein diet for weight loss results in less muscle loss.
How Much Protein Should I Eat to Lose Weight?
In general,people should getabout 10% to 35% of their calories from protein. This equals about 46 grams of protein a day for women, and 56 grams of protein a day for men. On average, mostAmericans get about 16%of their daily calories from protein.
However, if you’re trying to lose weight, you might want to aim for much more than that. A simple protein intake calculator is based on your weight:
For example, a 150-pound person could aim for 112 grams of protein each day. If you are overweight, you can use your target goal weight to calculate how much protein you should be eating. For example, if you weigh 220 pounds, but would like to reach 170 pounds, 170 grams of protein is a good target.
How to Calculate Your Daily Protein Intake
In order to track your daily protein intake, you need to track your macronutrients. There are many apps that help with this. Alternatively, you can keep track with a paper or note in your phone of how much protein you’re taking in.
How to Add More Protein in Your Diet
To up your protein intake, focus on eating protein-rich foods that aren’t processed or high in calories. The most obvious source of protein is from meats and fish, which often contain the most protein per serving.
Protein bars and powders can be a quick way to incorporate more protein into your diet. Just beware of relying too heavily on processed foods, which can hinder weight loss.
Reasons You May Be Gaining Weight on a High-Protein Diet (and How to Adjust)
Each gram of protein has 4 calories. So, if you’re eating a lot of protein you might be inadvertently eating too many calories, which can contribute to weight gain. For example, 150 grams of protein will have roughly 600 calories.
However, remember that weight gain isn’t always bad. If you’re increasing your protein you may be increasing your muscle mass as well. This can contribute to weight gain, since muscle weighs more than fat.
Summary
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Health Publishing.Stop counting calories.National Academy of Sports Medicine.Protein and weight loss: How much protein do you need to eat in a day?Moon J, Koh G.Clinical evidence and mechanisms of high-protein diet-induced weight loss.J Obes Metab Syndr. 2020 Sept. doi:10.7570/jomes20028.Georgia State University.Ways to support female’s hormones through nutrition.de Carvalho KMB, Pizato N, Botelho PB, Dutra ES, Gonçalves VSS.Dietary protein and appetite sensations in individuals with overweight and obesity: A systematic review.Eur J Nutr. 2020;59(6):2317-2332.Aita S, Matsushita M, Yoneshiro T, et al.Brown fat-associated postprandial thermogenesis in humans: Different effects of isocaloric meals rich in carbohydrate, fat, and protein.Front Nutr. 2022;9:1040444. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.1040444Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.FoodData Central.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Health Publishing.Stop counting calories.National Academy of Sports Medicine.Protein and weight loss: How much protein do you need to eat in a day?Moon J, Koh G.Clinical evidence and mechanisms of high-protein diet-induced weight loss.J Obes Metab Syndr. 2020 Sept. doi:10.7570/jomes20028.Georgia State University.Ways to support female’s hormones through nutrition.de Carvalho KMB, Pizato N, Botelho PB, Dutra ES, Gonçalves VSS.Dietary protein and appetite sensations in individuals with overweight and obesity: A systematic review.Eur J Nutr. 2020;59(6):2317-2332.Aita S, Matsushita M, Yoneshiro T, et al.Brown fat-associated postprandial thermogenesis in humans: Different effects of isocaloric meals rich in carbohydrate, fat, and protein.Front Nutr. 2022;9:1040444. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.1040444Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.FoodData Central.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Harvard Health Publishing.Stop counting calories.National Academy of Sports Medicine.Protein and weight loss: How much protein do you need to eat in a day?Moon J, Koh G.Clinical evidence and mechanisms of high-protein diet-induced weight loss.J Obes Metab Syndr. 2020 Sept. doi:10.7570/jomes20028.Georgia State University.Ways to support female’s hormones through nutrition.de Carvalho KMB, Pizato N, Botelho PB, Dutra ES, Gonçalves VSS.Dietary protein and appetite sensations in individuals with overweight and obesity: A systematic review.Eur J Nutr. 2020;59(6):2317-2332.Aita S, Matsushita M, Yoneshiro T, et al.Brown fat-associated postprandial thermogenesis in humans: Different effects of isocaloric meals rich in carbohydrate, fat, and protein.Front Nutr. 2022;9:1040444. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.1040444Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.FoodData Central.
Harvard Health Publishing.Stop counting calories.
National Academy of Sports Medicine.Protein and weight loss: How much protein do you need to eat in a day?
Moon J, Koh G.Clinical evidence and mechanisms of high-protein diet-induced weight loss.J Obes Metab Syndr. 2020 Sept. doi:10.7570/jomes20028.
Georgia State University.Ways to support female’s hormones through nutrition.
de Carvalho KMB, Pizato N, Botelho PB, Dutra ES, Gonçalves VSS.Dietary protein and appetite sensations in individuals with overweight and obesity: A systematic review.Eur J Nutr. 2020;59(6):2317-2332.
Aita S, Matsushita M, Yoneshiro T, et al.Brown fat-associated postprandial thermogenesis in humans: Different effects of isocaloric meals rich in carbohydrate, fat, and protein.Front Nutr. 2022;9:1040444. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.1040444
Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.FoodData Central.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
