The high protein diet is very popular these days. No wonder: People have learned they can lose weight quickly and build muscle at the same time. While there are a variety of high protein diets out there, most of them involve the same basic rules.
1. Eat plenty of chicken, turkey, lean beef, fish and egg whites. The basic rule of thumb is to eat your weight in protein grams. That is, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should 150 grams of protein each day. So how much is that? A good rule of thumb to remember is that each ounce of meat (or chicken or cheese or egg) has about 7 grams of protein. Thus a 4 oz hamburger has about 28 grams of protein. While there may be some slight variations, remembering that rule of thumb will keep you from going crazy measuring each bite of food.
Of course, when we speak of eating protein, we mean just that. Buy and eat lean cuts of meat. Avoid saturated fats. Part of the beauty of the protein diet is that you will feel too full from all that lean meat to want to indulge in sugary or salty snacks.
2. Eat on a regular schedule. You should eat protein every three hours or so to give your body the energy it needs to get through the day. You should definitely eat as soon as you wake up and eat a little protein right before you go to bed. A little bit of protein right after you workout will help you stay energized enough to get you through the rest of your day.
3. Consider protein supplements. If you have trouble getting enough protein in your diet, consider one of the many protein bars, powders or shakes. The average serving can give you up to 30 grams of protein, which will go along way toward helping you reach your daily goal. Protein bars are easy to take with you and they taste pretty good too, so you’ll feel like you’re indulging in a candy bar or cookie.
While you are concentrating on your protein diet, there are many things you can do to help improve your results. For example, keep busy in those three hours between meals so you won’t be tempted to snack. When you feel the urge to eat, why not tackle that project that you’ve been meaning to get to? Or perhaps you can phone a friend or take a walk.
Speaking of walking, exercise is always a good idea when you’re trying to lose weight. A brisk walk may be just the thing to get your mind off food and whatever else may be stressing you out.
Another tactic is to drink plenty of water, a calorie free way to feel full quickly and to flush fat out of your body. Some experts say you should the amount of water you drink daily should equal half your body weight. Let’s say again that you weigh 150 lbs. Then you should drink 75 oz of water each day. Another rule of thumb says to watch your urine output: If it’s clear or a pale yellow, you are drinking enough water. If your urine is darker yellow or golden, then you should drink more.
Protein diets are an excellent way to lose weight and build muscle fast. Why not try it?
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