Increase Your Metabolism And Decrease Your Appetite
With
This Fat-Burning Food Group
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.burnthefat.com
There have been countless studies performed on the role of protein in the
muscle growth process to try and determine exactly how much protein you
should consume to build muscle mass. Recently, several studies have looked
at the role that dietary protein plays in helping you lose fat, and more
importantly, helping you keep it off!
One thing scientists have discovered is that eating lean protein foods
is important for regulating body composition because it decreases your appetite.
In a 2003 study reported in the journal, Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition
And Metabolic Care (2003; 6(6): 635-638), protein was shown to be more satiating
(made you feel fuller) than both carbohydrate and fat both in the short
term and the long term.
Eating more lean protein foods has also been proven as an effective
strategy to help you burn fat and keep it off because of something
called, “dietary thermogenesis” (also known as the
thermic effect of food).
In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2005
(93(2): 281-289), researchers followed a group of 113 overweight
subjects after 4 weeks of a very low calorie diet, through a 6
month period of weight maintenance. The subjects were divided into
a protein group or a control group. The protein group was simply
given an extra 30 grams of protein per day on top of their usual
diet.
The researchers found that during weight maintenance, the group
with the higher protein intake was less likely to regain the lost
weight, and any weight gain in the protein group was lean tissue
and not fat. The results were attributed to higher thermic effect
and a decrease in appetite.
Although calories will always be the bottom line when it comes
to fat loss, studies such as these are confirming what bodybuilders
have known for a long time: That calories are not the only factor
that can influence your body composition. Your protein intake and
your ratios of protein relative to carbohydrate and fat can clearly
play a key role in helping you lose fat and keep the fat off.
None of this is news to bodybuilders or to anyone who is already
familiar with bodybuilding-style nutrition programs such as Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle. But it’s
interesting that such positive results were achieved in studies
where protein was increased so conservatively - as little as 30
additional grams of protein per day or a 20% increase above traditional
protein recommendations.
Many bodybuilding-style diets (such as Burn The Fat and Body For
Life) call for as much as 30%-40% of the total daily calories from
protein and some competitive bodybuilders crank up the protein
(temporarily) to as much as 50% before competitions.
I’m curious to see if any research is ever conducted with
these more aggressive protein intakes. If so, my guess is that
we will find once again, that the bodybuilders are ahead of the
science when it comes to the manipulation of diet for improving
body composition.
The take home lesson is simple: If you remove some carbs and put
in some protein - nothing too radical; even as little as trading
30 grams per day of carbs for 30 grams of lean protein - this small
change in your diet may decrease your appetite, decrease your body
fat and help you keep the fat off after you lose it.
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best
selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches
you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known
secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn
how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism
by visiting:
www.burnthefat.com. To get Tom's free fitness
newsletter, visit: www.tomvenuto.com
