By: Sean Nalewanyj
Submitted: 2009-11-01 01:27:55 | Word Count: 753
One of the best ways to bring about a change in your body composition by burning fat and building lean muscle is to eat more protein for fat loss. In fact, consuming more protein for fat loss should be the foundation on which you build your daily nutrition plan.
The Value of Complete Proteins
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If you choose to eat more protein for fat loss, it is important to focus on "complete proteins." These are foods that contain all the 8 essential amino acids that your body cannot manufacture on its own.
Simply put, the body breaks down muscle mass to get the amino acids it needs, and so eating incomplete proteins is ineffective when eating protein for fat loss since it forces the body to do just that.
Since muscle is a metabolically active tissue that burns calories on its own, this is obviously not a good thing.
Focus on determining which foods contain all the 8 amino acids, and then try and include them in your diet. Some of the sources of complete proteins include skinless poultry, seafood, egg whites, and lean red meat, to name a few.
It is important to carefully select the food you eat if you want to benefit from the technique of eating more protein for fat loss. Your body doesn't store protein in the same way that it stores fats and carbohydrates, so you need to keep up with its intake on a daily basis.
You'll see that a majority of food sources that contain complete proteins come from animals. Most dieticians will advise you to steer clear of animal proteins given that they also contain saturated fats. This concept, however, has been seriously over-exaggerated, and those who select lean proteins such as poultry, fish, lean cuts of red meat, and egg whites will consume valuable protein for fat loss while consuming very little saturated fat.
While protein does have extremely positive effects on the maintenance and growth of muscle tissue, eating protein for fat loss should also be taken into consideration. The body's fat burning processes are triggered by the intake of considerable protein; this is not true for other types of foods. It is true when they say that not all calories are "created equal"; proteins have far more benefits than carbohydrates and fats when it comes to changing your body composition.
How Does Protein Burn Fat?
Protein helps burn fat in two different ways. First, it inhibits the hunger response. Second, it results in an increase in "thermogenesis."
Your weight loss goals can be met if you eat protein for fat loss; this is because eating protein inhibits your appetite. This will allow you to be more successful in keeping up with a weight loss diet plan, while building your body's lean muscle mass. You'll begin to feel full shortly after eating, and you'll find that you don't want to eat as much.
With regard to increased thermogenesis; thermogenesis refers to your internal body temperature and metabolism, and this is increased because the body makes an extra effort to digest the amino acids in the protein. Consequently, you end up burning more calories during digestion.
Both of these advantages are just 2 more reasons why you should focus on eating protein for fat loss. Eat a lean protein source at every meal if you are committed to transforming your body as quickly as possible.
