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Switching up protein and fiber in your diet can reduce body weight by 15lbs, study shows�
Counting calories is not enough to shed pounds tweaking your diet is necessary for optimal results. With two changes, you can lose almost 13% of your total weight.
Different diets target different goals. While a calorie-deficit diet effectively reduces belly fat, as claimed by a fitness influencer, two refreshing beverages are considered “nature’s Ozempic”.
Two dietary changes to lose weight
If you’re packing paunch despite keeping a strict count of calories and running miles a day, your diet could lack two essential nutrients that naturally reduce fat.
The recent study echoes the findings of another research from earlier this year – the role of healthy carbohydrates in ‘natural’ weight loss.
The food scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign created an Individualized Diet Improvement Program, to analyze weight loss in participants over 25 months. The study published in Eurek Alert states the following findings.
At the one-year mark, they observed a whopping 12.9% weight loss in “successful dieters” who “consumed greater amounts of protein and fiber,” compared to others who lost 2% of their starting weights.
However, it’s important to note that the participants who showed positive results received intensive dietary education sessions before the experiment to create a “personalized, safe, and effective weight-loss plan” with their knowledge of key nutrients.
We strongly suggest checking with your nutritionist, dietician, or general physician before making key changes to your diet to lose weight.
Protein is important for muscle mass
While focusing on losing weight, one shouldn’t overlook the importance of muscle mass, which deteriorates with age. Protein one of the two essential nutrients in the special diet builds lean mass while simultaneously reducing fat mass.
To put the figures into perspective, successful dieters lost 7.1 kgs or 15.65 lbs at the 15-month mark. Their waist sizes dropped by 2.7 inches in 6 months and 3.5 inches in 9 months.
Keeping a count of your calorie intake is as important as modifying your diet. The participants consumed 1,500 calories or less and simultaneously ate 80 grams of protein and 20 grams of fiber daily.
“The research strongly suggests that increasing protein and fiber intake while simultaneously reducing calories is required to optimize the safety and efficacy of weight loss diets, said first author and U. of I. alumna Mindy H. Lee, a then-graduate student and registered dietitian-nutritionist for the iDip program.
