Want to know one simple change you can make to your diet to make weight loss feel easier?  

Up your protein intake!

Many people aren’t really getting that much, especially if a larger portion of their diet is made up of highly processed foods.

Most people, including you, are getting enough to stay healthy, most of us eat meat and a couple servings is enough to supply our bodies with enough protein to get by.

BUT are you maximizing all the benefits more protein can offer you? If you want to lose weight, upping your protein intake could pay big dividends and if that extra protein is coming from lean protein sources…even better.

What makes protein a solid macronutrient to load up on? 

1. Protein can help suppress appetite.

Protein can help reduce cravings, and prevent late night snacking. How? Protein helps keep you feeling fuller longer. Meaning you can eat less, aka eat fewer calories, at meals and still feel happy with your meal.  

2.  Protein can help boost your metabolism.

No, it isn’t magic. It doesn’t do anything crazy, BUT your body uses more calories to digest protein than it does carbs or fats. You get a bit of extra calorie burn simply by eating more protein. Cool right? This is called the thermic effect of food.

3. Protein helps your body keep and build muscle.

Having more muscle means you’re stronger. Being stronger makes normal daily activities easier and less sucky. You can carry more bags of groceries. You can carry a kid. A dog. Climb more stairs. You’ll have better posture too, which helps with aches and pains!

Having more muscle keeps your metabolism as high as possible, so you burn a few more calories just hanging out and being alive.

A biggie here. When losing weight it is super important to try to keep as much muscle mass as you can! Eating protein (and lifting weights) helps make this possible.  That way when you do lose weight, minimal amounts come from muscle mass loss and the maximum amount comes from body fat.

4. Lean protein is easy to prep.

Many lean proteins are easy to prepare ahead of time AND still taste good as leftovers. Chicken, turkey, pork and beef all can be made in batches and used for meals later in the week. Saves money. Saves time. Saves calories. Healthier. It’s a quadruple win! 

Toss some in a salad. Add some to soup. Spice it different ways and enjoy it with some veggies. Mix in rice. Make a scramble. The possibilities are endless. 

5. There are a ton of ways to make protein taste great.

There are a decent amount of options. Chicken, beef, pork, turkey, egg whites, cottage cheese, greek yogurt and tofu to name a few.

If you eat chicken, pork, turkey, or beef, there are an unlimited number of different ways to season and cook them. Spicy. Tangy. A bit sweet even? Baked. Broiled. Grilled. Slow cooker. Whoa. Easy to make it feel like you’re eating something new every night. The only limit is your creativity.

Whether you’re aiming to gain muscle, lose weight, or maintain weight, upping your protein could be a great option for you. Remember, lean protein is going to be the better option, if you’re thinking about increasing your daily protein aim to get it from lean sources like the ones I’ve mentioned in this article. 

Now go grill some chicken!