The Secret Weapon to Fat Loss-Protein
One of the easiest and fastest ways to improve your diet and accelerate your fat(weight) loss is to focus on your protein intake. Like I’ve said before, no American ever has to worry about getting enough carbs.
When you do increase your protein intake all kinds of good things happen: Getting more protein into your diet
has been proven to
1. Increase lean muscle
2. Reduce belly Fat
3. Increase your metabolism
4. Minimize the effects of menopause
5. Reduce blood pressure
6. Reduce Cholesterol levels
7. Lower glucose levels
8. Reduce post-exercise recovery time
9. Accelerate Fat-Loss
How much protein Do You Need? Click here to do the math=> Fat Loss Secret Weapon Formula
So let’s look at the best sources of protein and how you can get more into your diet and start seeing results more quickly.
Beef- Old school athletes are famous for loving red meat. I’m seeing less and less red meat in journals but that doesn’t mean it should go away.
Lean red meat is an excellent source of protein, iron and creatine. Look for lean cuts 80/20 or better. Portion control is also important- 1 serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards.
You can get a variety using beef, lamp, pork and wild game types meat like venison, rabbit and duck.
Hamburger patty, 4 oz – 28 grams protein
Steak, 6 oz – 42 grams
Most cuts of beef – 7 grams of protein per ounce
Chicken- The old standby and for good reason it works. Fast convenient and hard to screw up. Sometimes that’s all you’re looking for in fat-loss food. Chicken is the number one most popular lean protein sources amongst fitness and fat loss seekers. Remove the skin and get the light meat found in the breasts. The thighs are higher in fat and calories.
Obviously you should broil, grill or roast these, don’t fry them.
Chicken breast, 3.5 oz – 30 grams protein
Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size)
Drumstick – 11 grams
Wing – 6 grams
Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams
Fish-I’ve noticed fish is either a love it or hate it food. People either seek it out or avoid it completely.
As with other meats, you can take something pretty lean and healthy and screw it up frying it and adding high calorie sauces and butter. Eat your fish grilled or baked . Most fish are low in fat and high proteins. Shellfish have many of the benefits that fish have and it can add some variety to your diet if you’re getting bored of egg whites and chicken. This category includes shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, etc
By the way, when you’re eating in restaurants, fish is a great choice as long as you make sure there are no hidden bad fats or extra calories.
Here’s a list of fish to consider: salmon, tuna, haddock, flounder, mackerel, trout, snapper, sea bass, swordfish, mahi -mahi, perch, orange roughy, marlin, sole, halibut, herring cod, and catfish.
Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce
Tuna, 6 oz can – 40 grams of protein
Tilpia, 4 oz. – 21 grams of protein
Pork-It’s called the other white meat because there are certain cuts of pork that qualify as a lean protein. Particularly pork tenderloin, generally referred to as pork loin, is an excellent lean protein.
Pork chop, average – 22 grams protein
Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams
Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams
Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams
Eggs and Dairy-“Dairy products” cover an entire category of foods including milk, cheese, yogurt, sugar–free frozen yogurt, and cottage cheeses. The label needs to say “fat-free,” “skim,” or 1% low fat.
Dairy contains carbohydrates and proteins. Protein in dairy is high quality and complete. Non-fat cheese can also boost the protein content of a meal.
Dairy wouldn’t be complete without a discussion of yogurt. Yogurts can span the entire distance from Greek Yogurt(good source of protein low in calories) to an ingredient list full of High fructose corn syrup! Check your labels and choose wisely.
Egg, large – 6 grams protein- “The Gold Standard for Protein”
Milk, 1 cup – 8 grams
Cottage cheese, ½ cup – 15 grams
Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8-12 grams, check label
Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) – 6 grams per oz
Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) – 7 or 8 grams per oz
Hard cheeses (Parmesan) – 10 grams per oz
Beans- Don’t think that in order to get the maximum nutritional value out of beans, you need to start with dried or fresh beans. These types of beans require soaking (dried beans) and extra cooking time so most people don’t bother.
You really don’t need to go through all the hassle to reap the benefits of beans. Canned beans are just as nutritious as dried beans, and they are much easier to prepare – just open the can. (Just look for the low-sodium version for canned beans)
Most beans (black, pinto, lentils, etc) about 7-10 grams protein per-half cup of cooked beans
Split peas, ½ cup cooked – 8 grams
Nuts and Seeds-Most nuts and seeds are higher in fat than most people are comfortable with. As long as you stay in control this should not be a concern.
I’ve seen almonds and peanut butter work wonders as an afternoon snack. They consistently work to keep you feeling full and as an appetite suprressant.
Peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons – 8 grams protein
Almonds, ¼ cup – 8 grams
Peanuts, ¼ cup – 9 grams
Cashews, ¼ cup – 5 grams
Pecans, ¼ cup – 2.5 grams
Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup – 6 grams
Pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup – 8 grams
Flax seeds – ¼ cup – 8 grams
Whey Protein– This is the game changer. Lately, I’ve been seeing better and better(read faster and faster) fat-loss results with clients when we put this into their diet. Recent research is backing up what I’ve been seeing, especially for women losing fat.
Whey protein is best used at breakfast to kick-start your metabolism for the day and to keep you feeling full through the morning
Immediately after training help you 1) lose more fat faster 2) Recover from the training more quickly and 3) help you feel better sooner so you don’t sit on the couch for 2 hours after training.
And as a fast convenient supportive snack throughout when other options aren’t available or possible.
I recommend Advocare Meal Replacements for this.
Only 220 calories and 25 grams of Whey Protein per serving-that’s a winner in my book.
For More information click here=> Advocare Meal Replacement
Start focusing on increasing your protein intake today.
Combine that with a good high intensity exercise program like our Body Firm Fitness Boot Camps and you’ll see results in the mirror, on scale. and in your clothes within one to two weeks.
Yes it works that fast.
Talk soon.
Dave
Leave a Reply