FYI on High Protein diets
I’ve researched several books, articles, magazines and found one book that is by far the best resource yet. "Power Eating" 3rd Edition By: Susan Kleiner. This is where I get all the information that you’re about to read.
Not eating enough carbohydrates can lower your calorie intake, and when calories are restricted, your body will use protein from the diet to meet its energy demands. This leaves a reduced amount of protein available for physiological functions that only proteins can perform.
Without enough protein, more muscle will be lost during weight loss, resulting in the undesirable effect of reduced metabolic rate.
You need carbohydrates along with protein to maintain muscle mass.
High protein diets are high in fat. The protein in animal foods is often coupled with large amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol. Excess dietary fat can make you gain body fat and can damage your heart.
Most protein diets are often low in fiber too. Without enough bulk to move things along, your whole digestive system slows down to a crawl, which can lead to constipation and other internal disorders.
Most protein diets are dehydrating. 3lbs of water weight loss can make you feel draggy and hurt your work out performance.
The minute you get off this diet and eat some carbohydrates, water surges back into your tissues and you regain the lost water weight.
September 18, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Okay, so you have captured my attention. I’ve done pretty well with exercise and diet, but I’ve seemed to plateau now around 200 and my goal is to reach 180 at year’s end. What advice have you for me?