WHY HIGH PROTEIN DIET? 

Going on a high-protein diet may help you tame your hunger, which could help you lose weight.

You can try it by adding some extra protein to your meals. Give yourself a week, boosting protein gradually. 

Remember, calories still count. You'll want to make good choices when you pick your protein. 

Slideshow: How to Get the Protein You Need

The Best Protein Sources

Choose protein sources that are nutrient-rich and lower in saturated fat and calories, such as:

          

Lean meats

Seafood

Beans

Soy

Low-fat dairy

Eggs

Nuts and seeds   also all vegan protein               

It's a good idea to change up your protein foods. For instance, you could have salmon or other fish that's rich in omega-3s, beans or lentils that give you fiber as well as protein, walnuts on your salad, or almonds on your oatmeal.

How much protein are you getting? 

Here's how many grams of protein are in these foods:

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese: 14

3 ounces tofu, firm: 13

1/2 cup cooked lentils: 9

2 tablespoons natural-style peanut butter or almond butter: 8

1 ounce cooked lean meat, fish, skinless poultry: 7

1 ounce cheese: 7

1/2 cup cooked kidney beans: 7

1 ounce nuts: 4-7

1 large egg: 6

4 ounces low-fat plain yogurt: 6

4 ounces soy milk: 5

4 ounces low-fat milk: 4

Carbs and Fats

While you're adding protein to your diet, you should also stock up on "smart carbs" such as:

Fruits

Vegetables

Whole grains

Beans and legumes (both also have protein)

Low-fat milk and yogurt (both have protein)

Also try healthy fats such as:

Nuts and natural-style nut butters

Seeds

Olives

Extra virgin olive oil and canola oil

Fish

Avocados

To help manage your appetite, it also helps to split your daily calories into four or five smaller meals or snacks.

Too Good to Be True?

Lose weight while eating steak, burgers, cheese, and bacon? High-protein, low-carb plans like Atkins and the Zone can work. But you should consider the risks and rewards before you decide to try one.

How Much Protein?

Most Americans get should get 10%-30% of their calories from protein. With a high-protein diet, it can be much more than that. Protein may be half of your day’s calories. Most of this extra protein comes from animal sources like meat, eggs, and cheese. Often, these diets severely restrict foods like cereals, grains, fruits, and vegetables.

How Do High-Protein Diets Work?

When you cut out carbohydrates, you lose weight quickly because you lose water. Then, with no extra carbs, the body begins burning more fat for fuel. This can lead to ketosis, which may make dieting easier because you feel less hungry.

Lean Beef

Nothing says protein like a nice, juicy steak. And if you choose a lean cut, you will get all of the protein with far less fat. In fact, a lean cut of beef like a top round steak has barely more saturated fat than a similar-sized skinless chicken breast.

Don't Overlook Pork

Pork offers plenty of protein without too much fat, if you know what type to buy. Look for tenderloin, top loin, rib chops, sirloin steak, or shoulder blade steaks. Pork cuts are much leaner than they were decades ago.

Fish Offers Healthy Fats

Fish is loaded with protein and almost always low in fat. Even the fish that have more fat, such as salmon and tuna, are good choices. Those fish generally have omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your heart. Most people don't get enough omega-3s.

Eggs for Low-Cost Protein

Eggs do have a lot of cholesterol, but one a day is safe for healthy adults. The yolk has all of the cholesterol and less than half the protein, so you might opt for egg whites. But even if you eat the yolk, remember that only a small amount of the cholesterol in food gets into your bloodstream. Saturated fats and trans fats are more likely to raise your cholesterol levels.

Eat More Beans

A cup and a half of beans has about as much protein as 3 ounces of broiled steak. Along with protein, the fiber in beans helps you feel full longer and also helps lower your LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

Leave Room for Fruits and Veggies

Keep fruits and vegetables in your diet. They have nutrients you can't get in most other foods, and they're so good for you that they deserve a spot on your plate, even on a high-protein diet.

Essential

The Power of Protein

The moment it leaves your fork, protein starts winnowing your waistline. High-protein foods take more work to digest, metabolize, and use, which means you burn more calories processing them. They also take longer to leave your stomach, so you feel full sooner and for a longer amount of time. The cumulative effect has obvious benefits for anyone who is watching her weight.

In a study published in Nutrition Metabolism, dieters who increased their protein intake to 30 percent of their diet ate nearly 450 fewer calories a day and lost about 11 pounds over the 12-week study without employing any other dietary measures.

And if, like most successful dieters, you're burning calories as well as counting them, protein is doubly essential for making sure you lose fat, not muscle. Your body uses the amino acids in protein to build lean muscle, which not only makes you stronger and more toned but also fries calories even when you're not active—unlike lazy fat. Ultimately, this keeps your metabolism humming along at high speed so you can burn off the occasional cookie, no problem.

Protein to Go

You can't carry a grilled chicken breast around in your purse, so try these more portable options.

Protein Powder

(a 4 1/2-tablespoon scoop = 16 grams)

Keep a canister of Whey To Go protein powder at your desk for a quick protein fix. It comes in four flavors, mixes well with calories per serving.

Energy Bars

(1 bar = 10 to 12 grams)

Pack a few Luna protein bars (190 calories, 12 grams protein) or Honey Stinger protein bars (190 calories, 10 grams protein) in your bag.

Hard-Boiled Eggs

(1 egg = 6 grams)

Cook a dozen, stick them in the fridge, and grab one when you need a high-protein snack or want to add protein to a meal. Another option: Buy Eggland's Best hard-cooked peeled eggs. Because Eggland's hens are fed organic grain, their eggs have 10 times more vitamin E and three times more omega-3 fatty acids than other brands.

String Cheese

(1 stick = 8 grams)

Pair some low-fat string cheese (80 calories each) with an apple and a few crackers for a filling snack that will easily hold you over until your next meal.

High Protein Snacks    

Grab protein cookie, bar, muffin or pudding ��

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