One of the easiest ways to help control your appetite when trying to lose weight is to make sure you’re eating enough lean protein. Your body takes more time to digest protein than carbs, which means you feel fuller for longer and hence don’t get the cravings or hunger pangs. Protein can also help to boost your metabolism, which means you’ll burn more calories.
Here’s some weight loss tips on how to choose lean protein for your diet:
Fish - this is one of the leanest and healthiest sources of protein we can get. It is low in bad fats (like saturated fat) but good sources of essential omega fats. Salmon in particular is very high in omega 3 fatty acids.
Chicken and Turkey – these are both quality lean protein sources but try to choose the white parts of the meat instead of the darker sections. You do need to make sure you remove any skin before eating it though as that’s where the saturated fats lie.
Beef - you can still eat beef when trying to lose weight, just restrict your beef based meals to once a week. Always cut off any visible fat from the meat or choose lean or extra lean cuts.
Eggs – there has been a lot of bad press about eggs and their relation to cholesterol, but eggs should definitely be part of your healthy diet. Egg whites are very high in good quality protein, and the yokes are a good source of omega fatty acids. I love an omelette for breakfast with loads of mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes fried up in a little olive oil.
Dairy products – I know milk based products are a good source of protein but personally I prefer to keep diary out of my diet completely. It’s not natural for cows to be producing milk day in day out, and the way the farmers manage to achieve this is by adding hormones to their food. These hormones remain in the milk and have a negative effect on our health and encourage our bodies to gain weight. Have a look at notmilk.com for the full story.
Lentils, Peas and Beans – these are just for vegetarians you know! There are very good source of high quality protein and have the added benefit of providing plenty of fiber for your diet. Protein and fiber together will really help you feel full between meals and therefore help prevent overeating.
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