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Losing weight without protein is impossible. It must be included in the nutrition system of a person seeking to lose weight. Numerous studies show that eating protein can help you better control your appetite and prevent overeating, so it’s a good habit to include high-protein foods in your daily breakfast.
Do you need breakfast to lose weight?
In past years, it was believed that skipping breakfast was a direct path to weight gain. To date, it has been proven that this is not the case. However, as far as possible, you should not skip the first meal. A proper breakfast is the key to mental activity and well-being throughout the day, and if it consists of foods high in protein, you will also be able to lose weight.
How does protein help you lose weight?
The body spends more kilocalories to digest protein foods than it does to digest carbohydrates and fats. Protein foods help to keep the feeling of hunger longer, which means that a person will eat less per day.
In a study that lasted 3 months, it was possible to find that increasing protein intake from 15 to 30% helps to reduce the daily intake by 441 kcal [1].
In another study, a 25% increase in protein in the daily diet led to the fact that people are 60% less likely to start waking up at night to snack. During the day, thoughts about food do not visit them as often as before. [2].
A third study was also conducted, in which 2 groups of subjects followed a diet with different amounts of protein, but with the same calorie content. The experiment lasted for 70 days. All participants lost weight, but the weight in women from the group with a high protein intake was higher by 0,5 kg. In addition, their body lost more fat than muscle. [3].
The benefits of high protein breakfasts
A number of studies have found that eating protein at breakfast can dull the feeling of hunger and consume 135 kcal less throughout the day. [4], [5], [6].
A study using a tomograph showed that a protein-rich breakfast reduced the intensity of brain signals responsible for eating behavior. As a result, a person feels full longer, and at the sight of food he does not have an irresistible desire to eat it.
Scientists attribute this finding to the fact that the level of the hormone ghrelin decreases in the body, but the level of the peptide of the hormones of saturation YY, GLP-1 and cholecystokin increases.
Protein breakfast helps to lose weight and remove extra centimeters at the waist
If you regularly eat high-protein foods for breakfast, you will not only be able to better control your appetite, but also get rid of belly fat. This was scientifically proven in an experiment involving adolescents who suffered from overweight. In the morning, instead of cereals, they received eggs. As a result, they all lost significant weight in just 3 months.
Adolescents who received more protein lost about 3,9% of their original body weight. While in the control group, the plumb line was only 0,2% [7].
In another study, some participants received protein for breakfast, while others received bagels. At the same time, the number of kilocalories was the same. As a result, in the first group of subjects, the body mass index decreased by 61%, and the waist decreased by 34%. [8].
Protein speeds up metabolism
If the metabolic processes in the body are accelerated, then the person loses weight faster. For the breakdown of protein, cells spend about 20-30% of energy, while only 5-10% is spent on the decomposition of carbohydrates, and fats require only 0-3%. As a result, every day a person spends 80-100 kcal more if there is protein food.
Protein diet prevents muscle burning. Weight goes away due to the decomposition of fat.
What foods should you eat for breakfast?
Eggs are the best source of protein. Eating them for breakfast allows you to eat less food over the next 36 hours. In addition to eggs, breakfast may consist of fish, animal and poultry meat, and dairy products.
Options for a proper breakfast, in which the protein content will be increased:
Eggs fried in olive oil with vegetables.
Cottage cheese omelette, which can be supplemented with spinach.
Tofu with cheese and cabbage.
Greek yogurt with sprouted wheat, berries and seeds.
Whey protein, banana, berries and almond milk. Based on these products, a shake is prepared.
To lose weight, at breakfast you need to consume at least 20 g of protein.