High protein diet is a difficult strategy to lose weight

A high protein diet is a great strategy for losing a significant amount of fat in a short period of time. By that I mean a high protein diet could help a dieter lose 10 to 15 pounds in 2 weeks. Assuming some of that is water weight, the fat loss would still be in the 8-pound range, give or take a couple. That’s a significant amount of fat to burn.

At first glance, 8 pounds of fat may not seem like much. Let’s say a dieter loses 6 lbs. Again, that may not sound like much to some. But consider this, a dieter follows a 2 week high protein diet followed by 4 weeks of clean healthy eating. Dieter loses 6 pounds and then stays steady for 4 weeks, maybe even down a pound or two.

At a minimum, the dieter loses 6 pounds in a 6-week cycle. With the cliché rinse and repeat, the dieter is looking for a loss of over 48 pounds. 52 weeks divided by 6 gives 8 more cycles. 8 times 6 equals 48 pounds. That can be life changing. That is assuming there is no weight loss during the 4 weeks, the cleanse feeding phase. And your water weight loss will add to that number.

So what is a high protein diet for weight loss? Or more correctly, what is a high protein fat loss program?

Most Americans probably get a large portion of their calories from carbohydrates. In Business they talk about the Pareto Principle that establishes that 80% comes from 20%. In this case, since carbohydrates probably account for 80% of calories, the Pareto Principle could be modified to say that 80% comes from 33%.

Although many Americans get their calories from carbohydrates (read: sugar), conventional wisdom suggests that calories should come from a ratio of 50% carbohydrates, 20% protein, and 30% fat. Those numbers could fluctuate to a little more carbs and a little less protein.

The high protein diet obviously changes the ratios. But first, the general principle of weight loss is to achieve a caloric deficit. The greater the deficit, the greater the weight loss. All the programs that exist are strategies to achieve caloric deficit. If this guiding principle is respected, the programs are good.

That said, while there are many ways to get to Boston, some modes will get you there faster and better. High protein is one of them. This strategy is very simple, most of the calories come from protein.

This is in contrast to established programs like the Adkins diet that seek to minimize carbohydrates as the primary goal. The calorie deficit is balanced by increasing protein and fat. But the main goal is to reduce carbohydrates.

The subtle difference is that a high-protein diet focuses on (drastically) increasing protein intake, while minimizing carbohydrates and fat. 1 gram of protein has 4 calories, just like carbohydrates, but fat has 9 calories. Drastically minimizing fat and carbohydrates also means drastically increasing protein intake.

“In the past,” Arnold Schwarzenegger recommended a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Conventional wisdom suggests 0.36 grams per pound of body weight. That’s not much.

With one gram of protein per body weight, a 200-pound man would need 200 grams. 200 grams would produce 800 calories, add some residual fat and carbohydrates, and caloric intake would probably not exceed 1,000. The caloric deficit has been reached. The combination of high protein with the minimization of fat and carbohydrates will drastically reduce caloric intake.

But let’s be clear, this is no walk in the park. A high-protein diet can be stressful on the body. Although various indigenous peoples around the world abandon a high-protein diet as a matter of “survival” or “culture,” it is not something a person should start without doing some solid research and talking to their doctor. If there are underlying health issues, definitely talk to a doctor first. Even if there are no health issues other than weight; Talking to a doctor is always a good idea.

And this should not be a prolonged diet. Daily consumption of plain chicken breast and celery sticks could easily have you bouncing off the walls in no time. This strategy would involve completing this rigorous approach over 2 weeks with 2-4 weeks of a clean, balanced diet that provides a minimal caloric deficit. This cycle would be repeated until the desired weight goal is achieved.

Lastly, critical to the success of a program like this would be to have a support group of like-minded people going through the process. On the tenth day of canned tuna, chicken breast and cucumbers, support is essential. In addition, a group that can encourage one is very important, a group to share successes, frustrations, hopes and challenges.

The high-protein diet for fat loss is clearly a powerful tool in the fight to combat obesity.