Eat more to lose weight?

If you’re trying to lose weight, you should be eating more protein.

Like way more.

When you hear “eat more protein,” you probably think of big bodybuilders chugging shakes and slamming egg whites.

Regardless of your fitness level or goals, a high-protein diet is important for both muscle growth and weight loss. 

Here’s why.

🔥 Protein burns more calories

Consuming more protein helps with weight loss because it has the highest “thermic effect” of the macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates). In simple terms, your body actually burns calories in order to digest protein. More than any other type of food. 

This meta-analysis found that the thermic effect of protein is about 20-30%, which means you only retain about 70-80% of calories from protein, and the rest is immediately used up in digesting the protein itself.

🥩 Protein helps you eat less

Every single person I coach finds that when they focus on eating more protein throughout the day, their overall appetite decreases.

A high-protein diet helps you lose weight by helping you eat less overall.  High-protein foods tend to be far more satiating, so you have less cravings for empty calories.

It makes us feel full.

💪🏼 Protein helps you retain muscle mass & bone density

If you simply stopped eating tomorrow, you’d lose weight quickly. Great right?

Nope.

The problem is, you’d lose weight from fat, but you would also be losing muscle mass and bone density. Bad news.

A high-protein diet combined with regular resistance training with weights at least 2x per week is key for preserving muscle mass and bone density while in a caloric deficit (eating less for weight loss).

⭐️ So what does that look like? Key takeaways

This week, try upping your protein intake. Don’t stress on exactly how much. 

The average American consumes about 80 grams of protein per day. A good goal for most men would be to double that (160 grams daily). 

Even better: eat a gram of protein per pound of (target) body weight. (Yes, it’s a challenge!) 

What about supplements?

Protein supplements (shakes, bars, powders, etc) can be an easy and enjoyable way to boost your intake.

Personally, Jocko Fuel’s “Mölk” protein is the best I’ve ever tasted. I also like that it has a blend of whey, casein, and egg proteins, transparent labeling (so you know exactly what’s in it) and quality ingredients like Monk Fruit as a natural sweetener. They have powders (Strawberry Milkshake is my favorite) and ready-to-drink bottles (Sweet Cream Coffee is ridiculously good.) _{(Affiliate Link)}

This week, set a daily protein goal and see its impact on your weight and eating habits!

Until next week, keep getting stronger at home!

-Coach Cody 💪🏼🖤

Verse of the week

PS - I help busy men ditch their dad bod

Men in the BROTHERHOOD (my group coaching program):

• Build lean muscle

• Lose up to 20 lb.

• In 12 weeks

• At home with simple equipment

• In just 30 minutes per day

I also offer a limited number of exclusive 1:1 coaching engagements for busy executives who value efficiency and privacy.

Book a fitness strategy call to see if we should work together.