Problems with Protein

Are you finding it a problem to keep the proportion of protein in your diet high enough?

Are you struggling to follow a “Carb Restricted” diet plan as part of your weight loss program?

I have found that many people have a problem with these issues, and I have also struggled with this situation from time to time, particularly when trying to follow a low carb plan to get through a “resistance plateau” after a period of prolonged gradual weight loss.

In trying to deal with this issue I have developed some “Strategies” which have helped me and which amount to a few Tips, Tricks & Cheats, which I have found to be quite useful and which you might like to consider trying out yourself.

Most of us do not seem to have too much of a problem in cutting down on dietary Fat if we need to, and the food industry’s stance on the use of “Low Fat” branding as a promotional tool means that there are many food products out their that can help with this.

However, despite the popularity of “The Atkins Diet” it is still not as easy to do the same with Carbohydrates (although there are now an increasing number of places where you can get a good range of “Low Carb” foods –at a price!).

Now, especially if your metabolism is particularly sluggish and/or you suffer from insulin resistance, it can be advantageous to increase the relative proportion of protein versus carbohydrate in your diet and (whilst not actually going down the “Atkins” route) adopting a more “low carb” approach to your eating. Tom Venuto in fact recommends this approach in BFFM and where coupled with his ZigZag diet technique (also called Re-feeding by some) this can be extremely effective.

The important thing here is getting the Protein/Carbohydrate balance right and it will be easier to achieve a balanced intake if you are able to both increase protein whilst at the same time decreasing carbs.

Now my Tip here is to keep your protein intake up by eating more fish and lean white meat, which are your best sources of natural protein. (I have even developed a habit of ‘snacking’ on slices of chicken or turkey breast instead of being tempted by the carbs!- Plus you also get an added  benefit from the "thermic" effect of the meat protein). However many people feel that there is only so much protein they can absorb in this form (particularly if they are not habitually big meat eaters). This is where the Trick comes in and it is in the form of Protein Shakes. These are the sort of “sports supplements” drinks used by athletes and body builders to “instantly” increase their protein intake after working-out. The big advantage of these drinks is that they give you a big protein “hit” for a relatively small “cost” in calories and they are also quick and easy to prepare.

The most common form of this is made from “Whey Powder” which you mix with milk or water to make your “shake” but in my experience there can be quite a difference in terms of the protein powder quality as far as taste and its "mix-ability” (either with water or skimmed milk) are concerned. The one I use mixes very smoothly (many powders create a “lumpy” residue when mixed) and has both sweetener and banana flavour added and is really just like a Banana Shake! There are plenty of places you can get these protein powders from health food shops and the like as well as online but you can check out a couple of the latter here:

 For info on Protein Powder click on product images below:  

      FOR US PROTEIN SUPPLIES

     FOR UK PROTIEN SUPPLIES

The other way of helping to address the Protein/Carb balance question is where the Cheat idea comes in and that is making use of “Carb Blockers”, to reduce the amount of carbs absorbed by your digestive system. This is a technique that many people have found to have some value, particularly as it means that you can get away without being quite so strict on completely cutting out as many carbohydrates from your diet and it is something that I myself have found to be effective in helping me to follow a low carb plan to get through a “resistance plateau”.

For more information on this and a review of Carb Blockers generally go to the page on the site that deals specifically with this topic at >> Carb Blockers