There are all kinds of fad diets to help you lose weight. A recently published study shows that a higher protein and lower carb diet can help you lose weight and keep it off, but you have to eat healthy carbs and protein, not junk food.
First off, I will tell you this is not a keto type diet. Those diets or ways of eating are too high in fat, including saturated fat, which is not healthy for the heart or the circulatory system.
European Weight Loss Study
The New England Journal of Medicine published a study in November 2010 that shows how a high protein low carb diet is the way to keep the lost weight off [1].
The DiOGenes study conducted at the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark study was to find out how to keep from regaining weight after a diet.
Completing the study were 548 overweight adults from eight European countries who had first lost at least 8% of their body weight or an average of 24 pounds (11 kg).
They initially lost this weight eating a low-calorie diet of 800 calories per day, which is actually below the recommended amount of calories male or females should eat per day.
- Low-protein and low-glycemic index (GI) diet
- Low-protein and high-glycemic index diet
- High-protein low glycemic index diet
- High protein high glycemic index diet
- A control diet consisting of the current dietary recommendations, moderate amounts of protein and no limit on carbs.
Of these five diets, those in the low-protein high-glycemic index (GI) diet regained the most weight, regaining an average of 4 pounds. Those on the high protein and low carb diets showed the least amount of weight gained back.
Weight Gain and the Children’s Study
The Faculty of Life Sciences also conducted a study with 827 children ages 5 – 18 years old. These children did not participate in the losing weight part of the study; they only followed the diet that their parents were put on.
The study found that of the 465 children who completed the study, those who maintained a lower protein and high glycemic index diet increased body fat significantly more than the other diets.
The group of children who ate the high protein low glycemic index (GI) foods lost body fat. The number of overweight children in the high protein lower GI foods group dropped by 15%. They didn’t count calories; they just followed this healthy diet.
The children’s study conclusion was that a low-protein high-glycemic index combination can increase body fat and a diet more in line with high protein and low glycemic index foods were protective against obesity and body fat in children [2].
Glycemic Index Foods
The glycemic index or GI ranks carbs according to their effect on the blood sugar or blood glucose levels. Foods that are low GI cause less fluctuation in blood glucose and insulin levels.
A food with a GI rating of 55 or less is considered low and a GI of 70 + is considered high GI. The glycemic index of glucose is 100.
Use the glycemic index as a guide since it can sometimes be misleading. For example, milk chocolate has a lower GI reading than brown rice does, but it is healthier to eat a bowl of brown rice than it is to eat a bowl of chocolate.
Low Carb Doesn't Mean No Carb
When people hear the diet phrase low carb diet, they might think that means a no carb diet or an all meat diet. Eating a diet with no carbs or even few carbs is not healthy.
You have to remember there are healthy good carbs and there are bad carbs, our bodies and brains need the good carbs to function properly.
A Healthy High Protein and Low Carb Diet
The main concern with this way of eating is that meat is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, has no fiber and too much protein is bad for the kidneys and can deplete the body of calcium.
And a higher protein diet does not mean eating more hamburgers from the fast food place. In fact, more protein does not have to include meat of any kind. There is plenty of protein in plant foods like quinoa, all types of beans and lentils, and tofu.
Like all plant foods, whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, and other whole grains have their own unique nutrients, healthy fiber and phytochemicals and should be included in a well-rounded diet.
Just don’t overdue it with the grains. And if you notice yourself gaining weight or feeling a little more bloated, just back away from these carbs for a while.
You should lower the amount of meat you eat and replace the meat with plant proteins like beans, lentils, legumes, and quinoa. You should not be concerned at all about limiting meat, you will get all the vitamins and nutrients you need from healthy plant protein.
You could also add in healthy yogurt like Greek yogurt which is high in protein. Eat as simple and healthy a diet as possible.
Simple and healthy means the least amount of processed foods. Eating lean meats doesn’t mean eating processed meats; stick with grass-fed beef, buffalo and range fed chicken and non-farmed fish. Grass-fed beef has more vitamins, nutrients, and healthy omega-3 fats than the feedlot type beef.
My Personal Experience
A diet with higher good quality protein like legumes along with plenty of vegetables, both starchy and non-starchy vegetables is a healthy way to lose weight.
I also stayed away from fat, eating fat does not help you lose the fat you already have and are trying to get rid of. Limit high-fat foods like nuts, seeds, tofu and foods that contain too much saturated fat like animal foods.
Replacing some carbs like potatoes and other starchy vegetables with non-starchy vegetables can help lose excess weight and get rid of that bloated feeling while you are trying to lose weight.
After you feel like you have lost the excess weight, you cannot go back to the old way of eating, or you will just gain all that weight and fat back again. This is a great way to lose weight, but also a great learning experience as you will love to learn good healthy food again.
About the Author
Sam Montana is a certified Food Over Medicine instructor from the Wellness Forum Health Center and certified in optimal nutrition from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Copyright © 2010-2018 Sam Montana
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