I want to lose weight, will protein make it harder or make me gain weight?

I'd just like to point out that low carb and high protein aren't the same. There's a recent study that just came out that showed people feel more 'full' if they're getting 25% of their calories from protein than if they're getting less. (Was actually based on g/kg of weight I believe).

The Atkins diet (and the paleo diet, which I believe is closer to what TheW8LossMonster is recommending) are more about what you don't eat than making sure you get enough protein.

Also, while the studies on the Inuit diet are interesting, it's a diet I don't see myself trying any time soon as 1) my cholesterol etc. numbers are good with my current diet and 2) I don't see myself eating raw caribou brains and livers to get my allotment of Vitamin C :D

I don't know that protein necessarily increases your metabolism, but there is a slightly higher energy expenditure needed to digest it - which is what resulted in the studies where people eating 2000 calories on a high protein diet lost as much as people eating 1800 calories on a lower protein, higher carb diet.

Disclaimer: I myself lost 70 lbs on Atkins, but switched to a more moderate approach after 5 years. Atkins is quite happy to let you eat processed crap as long as you buy it from them, which is one of the things that differentiates it from paleo eating. Sugar alcohols, 'energy bars', it's all about net carbs, baby. However, I don't think there's a doctor anywhere that would say it's a bad thing to eat more calorie sparse, nutrient dense foods (like veggies and fish) and less calorie dense, nutrient spare foods (like white bread and potato chips - despite their yumminess). And there are a lot of good reasons to eat lean protein s well.
 
Whether or not it helps you lose weight depends mostly on you.

For me, increasing protein helps me feel more full (so indirectly helps me lose weight because I'm less hungry, and therefore eat less if I'm listening to my stomach) and helps maintain muscle so I lose fat instead.

So as long as you're calculating your protein powder into your calorie intake, it should help you. I.e. don't eat more calories than before just because you're eating protein, and it won't hurt your weight loss and could end up helping.
 
Yes but in the process of evolution mankind and its direct ancestors have been using tools, controlling fire, and hunting for over 2.5 million years. Our genetic code was in the process of developing in this time and on this diet for millions of years prior to the agricultural revolution. And regardless, mankind's DNA has not changed since pre-agricultural times.

The idea is that nutritional needs are determined by our genes, by our DNA. The evolutionary pressures that shaped chimpanzees over millions and millions of years eventually into homo sapiens sapiens are the pressures that determined our genetic makeup, determining our nutritional needs.

This diet consisted exclusively of lean meats, fresh fruits, and vegetables. For most people it has only been a few hundred generations since thier ancestors abandoned nomadic hunter-gathering and focused on agriculture. This idea was popularized about 30-40 years ago and there is wealth of literature on it in scientific journals as well as many great books.

And you misunderstood me. I am in no way shape or form promoting the Atkins diet. I am not proposing anyone keep their carb intake below 20g or some other rediculous level to induce ketosis. Atkins and other low carb essentially carb starvation diets are NOT healthy. Your body needs carbs.

However, i AM arguing that the source of carbohydrates is an important decision to make in a diet, and cereal grains, processed grains, refined carbs, starches... what most people envision when they think of carbs have very high glycemic loads and are not nearly as healthy and not nearly as conducive to weight loss than obtaning carbs from filling fruits packed with vitamins and minerals.

Weight loss aside, the so called "diseases of civilization" like heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, etc are virtually nonexistant in the few hunter-gatherer societies that remain today. Scientists from Denmark studied Greenland's eskimos from 1968-1978. Of 2600 eskimos, there wasn't a single death from heart disease or even a single heart attack.
 
Yes the Paleo Diet is what i am referring to. Haha and no brains dont sound too appetizing. Im just making the point that lean meats, and veggies, are better for your health and weight loss goals than a diet high in cereal grains.
 
Primetime - no problem, and good luck! :)

TheW8LossMaster - Have you read Catching Fire - How Cooking Made us Human? I'm not sure how much support there is for it in actual research, but it's got a really interesting take on human evolution with respect to food.

And I'm not knocking paleo - after all, I did Atkins for 5 years so I can't toss stones ;) - although I'm not sure how much the human body really has or hasn't adapted to grains (The Okinawans eat lots of rice & sweet potatoes and have similar heart health etc. compared to the Innuits, as an example) but I'm a big fan of anything that encourages people to increase the veggies and lean proteins in their diets :D
 
Weight loss aside, the so called "diseases of civilization" like heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, etc are virtually nonexistant in the few hunter-gatherer societies that remain today. Scientists from Denmark studied Greenland's eskimos from 1968-1978. Of 2600 eskimos, there wasn't a single death from heart disease or even a single heart attack.

It's you! I mean likely not you but it's our guy who quoted that stupid book! Same idea, different name. Oh yes, we have a whole long heated thread about this.

Get the grass people, we might need it.

http://weight-loss.fitness.com/club/38286-wsj-article-says-you-can-obese-normal-weight-shocked.html
 
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Can't be the same guy ;) He approves of veggies and doesn't think eating them is unnecessary and counter productive! (Whatever that meant). And I haven't seen "Insulin=fat" yet ;)
 
My small tips for weight loss

i like to share my small tips for you ,hope can help more.
regasrding weight loss and diet this is my tips,
easy tips,
1.ether you eat allot of food you change with fruiths
2.stay away from frieds food,
3,stay away from fat meat,
4.do exercise
5.get some supplement for your body
6.eat alot of raw food.

try it and you will surprise i have some more tips, you can use
good luck
 
i like to share my small tips for you ,hope can help more.
regasrding weight loss and diet this is my tips,
easy tips,
1.ether you eat allot of food you change with fruiths
2.stay away from frieds food,
3,stay away from fat meat,
4.do exercise
5.get some supplement for your body
6.eat alot of raw food.

try it and you will surprise i have some more tips, you can use
good luck

Wow. Ok let's see...

#1: No idea what you are saying there.
#2: Actually you can have fried food, just in moderation
#3: See #2
#4: Exercise isn't absolutely needed for weight loss as diet is 80-90% of the battle
#5: Eat balanced diet and you don't need 'supplements'
#6: The raw food diet is a myth
 
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