If you are feeling stuck on your weight loss journey, giving a try to a high protein low carb diet might be just worth it. A low carb high protein diet with low carb consumption can have several benefits, including cognitive and physical effects. However, it is vital to keep in mind the importance of a balanced diet.
Well, if you are a gym freak or just someone looking to shed those extra kilos, a high-protein diet can be a good choice for a leaner body without shedding muscle mass. However, there are several studies that suggest multiple health risks.
Read on to explore if this weight loss protein diet is good for you, and what you need to keep in mind to ensure health at the same time.
Understanding Low Carb High Protein Diet
Simply put, a high protein low carb diet is all about swapping your carb consumption with protein. This diet is a combination of two different dieting plans- a protein diet and a low-carb diet.
A low-carb diet is restricting your calorie consumption to less than 26% of your daily calorie consumption. A high-protein diet focuses on a higher consumption of protein. According to RDA, you should be consuming 0.8g/kg of your body weight every day. This diet exceeds this recommendation.
It is also possible that a high protein diet includes higher fat consumption to deal with the carb deficit. So, if you are on a 2000-calorie diet, it will include consuming about 34% protein, 26% carbs, and 40% fat.
However, it is vital to note that these recommendations might differ from body to body and are not set as a generic recommendation. It is vital to get in touch with a healthcare professional who can help you achieve this low carb high protein diet without dealing with unwanted health risks.
Benefits of Low Carb High Protein Diet
This weight-loss protein diet can come with some noteworthy benefits. Here are some of them:
Weight Loss
This one has to be our number one benefit. Several studies suggest that consuming high protein can help with weight loss in many ways. For starters, you would start to feel full, which would further reduce cravings and appetite. This will also lower your hunger hormone and increase other hormones like peptide YY and glucagon. Consuming high protein breakfast and diet every day can also help speed up the metabolism process and increase the thermic effect of food. The thermic effect of food refers to the number of calories burnt during digestion.
Body Composition
Going on a low carb high protein diet can also improve body composition. For instance, you would have noticed that when you lose weight, you also lose muscle mass. However, with this high protein diet, you won’t be losing any muscle mass. Several studies suggest that cutting your carbs to 700 calories a day and consuming high protein foods can trigger weight loss while maintaining muscle mass. This diet can also help increase your muscle mass if followed carefully.
Other Benefits
Apart from losing weight and maintaining muscle mass, this high protein diet can also come with many benefits. To start with this diet can help regulate blood sugar levels. This can be helpful if you have diabetes. The diet can also strengthen your bones and decrease the chances of your bones getting fractured. Lastly, going on a diet involving high protein snacks and meals can also improve cognitive processes.
Potential Risk Factors of High Protein Diet
Some studies suggest that a low-carb high protein diet is associated with health factors like increased chances of heart attack. Plus, it is also not a recommended choice if you are dealing with kidney problems.
Lastly, going on a low-carb diet can restrict your overall consumption patterns, leading to unhealthy weight loss. This is why it is recommended to always seek advice from a medical professional before going on a high protein diet with limited carbs intake.
High Protein Foods: What To Eat & What To Avoid?
Here’s a list of what you can eat when on a low-carb high protein diet:
- Eggs
- Almonds
- Chicken Breast
- Cottage Cheese
- Greek Yogurt
- Milk
- Lentils
- Lean Beef
- Fish
- Quinoa
- Protein powders for weight loss
- Wholegrain bread
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Turkey Breast
- Shellfish
- Peanuts
- Peanut Butter
Here’s what you should be avoiding:
- Baked Goods
- Pasta
- Cereals
- Rice
- Bread
- Sugar
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
- Coconut Sugar
- Coconut
- Juice
- Sweetened beverages
- Soda
- Beer
- Fried Chicken
- Chips
- Pizza
- French Fries etc