How to Lose 20 Pounds With High Protein

High-protein dieters get the bulk of their calories from protein. According to proponents of the diet, it is particularly effective for people who are less concerned with losing weight and more concerned with losing fat; because your muscles need protein to grow, an increase of protein will encourage your body to shuttle this protein to your muscles and burn fat for fuel. Protein is also filling, which makes it easier to cut calories. Safe weight loss is around a pound or two a week, so losing 20 pounds on a high-protein diet should take between 10 and 20 weeks.

Instructions

1

Weigh yourself, write down everything you eat for a few days, then weigh yourself again. The average number of calories you consumed per day is your maintenance level -- the number you need to consume to neither gain nor lose weight.

2

Increase your protein intake so that 30 percent of your calories come from it. You also need to reduce your net calorie intake by 500 a day to lose a pound a week. You can either do this by eating less, exercising more or both, but it is important to consume fewer calories -- simply changing the amount of protein you eat won't cause you to lose weight.

3

Eat a source of lean protein with every meal, and for two small snacks a day. Cottage cheese, tofu and yogurt are all good lower-calorie sources of protein. Meat has a lot of protein too, but most meat is calorie dense, with the exceptions of skinless chicken breasts, some fish and lean beef.

4

Reduce your carbohydrate intake to 50 percent of your total calories. This will create a gap to be filled with proteins.

5

Change your carbohydrate intake from simple (white) sources to complex (whole grain and vegetable) sources. Your body can process these sources more efficiently and is less-inclined to store them as fat.

6

Eliminate fast food, soft drinks and premade processed meals from your diet, as these consist of a lot of calories but few nutrients, which means your body will have no choice but to store them as fat.

7

Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. This can be any kind of exercise you want, although a combination of weight training and cardiovascular work is the most effective. Exercise breaks down the fibers in your muscles, forcing your body to send protein to them, thus encouraging muscle growth and fat loss.