LE - Upping Protein

First let's talk protein. Eating more protein has seriously been one of the most instrumental changes in my diet. Bryce and I both love eating this way. Since most men I know love protein-rich food (not a stereotype, just an observation), this is a great diet change for the whole family.

Protein and carbohydates both have 4 calories per gram. However, your body uses carbohydrates faster than proteins, which means that (even though they have the same amount of calories per gram) when you eat carbs, you get hungry faster than you do when you eat protein. Think of it as a race. If carbs were racing protein in a marathon, the carbs would have the lead for the first mile, but then have to stop. They would be burned up so quickly that they couldn't make it to the finish line. Protein, however, is the pacer.  It is burned more slowly, and thus it last longer. Similarly, if you eat carbs for breakfast at 8, they will be totally burned up by 10:30 and you will be starving. However, if you eat protein, you will stay "full" until lunch.

Thus, eating protein will help you lose weight because you get hungry less frequently. Being hungry less results in fewer thoughts about food, less trips to the kitchen, less snaking, and overall, less excess food consumed. This has been huge for me. Before I learned this, I would eat cereal for breakfast everyday and would be famished only a few hours after. I would then find myself meandering to the kitchen for a granola bar. The granola bar lasted and hour or two, and then it was back to the kitchen for a bagel, etc. Although the food I was eating was never high calorie food, this caused me to gain weight simply because I was having to eat so frequently to stave off hunger. Now, however, I eat high protein breakfasts and often totally forget about eating lunch because I don't get hungry.

The same thing can be said of eating "good" fats (dairy fat, nut butter, etc), although they do have more calories than protein. However, if you read the previous post, I hope you gathered that nutritious calories are not bad things! Your body needs them. Do not be afraid of eating good fats!

Here are some ways that I incorporate protien (and fat) into my diet...

Breakfast food options:
Eggs with sausage or bratwurst or bacon.
Oatmeal with a couple big scoops of peanut butter mixed in.
Whole yogurt with berries.
and always a cup of coffee with cream or whole milk.

Lunch:
Tuna-salad or chicken-salad salads or sandwiches
Chicken grilled on the Foreman
Hamburgers (usually without the bun...stay tuned for the next post!)
Dinner leftovers (see below)
Lunch meat and cheese (which is great for lunches on the go!)

Snack:
Nuts
Beef Jerky
String cheese (the real kind, not a "cheese product")
Hard boiled eggs

Dinner:
Meaty stews and chilis
Grilled or baked cuts of meat (steaks, fish, pork chops, chicken breasts)
Roast beef and other slow-cooked meats (become good friends with your crock pot!)
Authentic-style tacos

These are just a few suggestions. Generally when I talk about eating these foods, people start getting concerned about cholesterol. However, I would point you to the book "Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It" by Gary Taubes to answer your questions. The response is too lengthy to type out here. Suffice to say, I do not think eating these foods (within reason) will result in cholesterol problems, especially if you are at a healthy weight.

Overall, eating protein gives your body a healthy and sustainable form of energy. I am not, however, against eating carbs. Stay tuned to my next post about how to incorporate carbs into your diet in a healthy way.