High Protein Low Carb Diet: Health Benefits and Weight Loss

Are you in search of a good high-protein, low-carb diet? Do you want to know what the low-carb, high protein foods are? Your search has undoubtedly made it to the best post that’ll tell you everything about the high protein food chart that is low in carbs. It is quite a popular diet since it helps you lose weight and yet increases or maintains your muscle mass. Besides, they come along with other health benefits too. So, let us quickly jump onto knowing everything about a high protein low carb diet chart, its possible benefits, and much more!

Table of Contents

What is a good high protein low-carb diet?

Before we tell you the best high protein low carb diet, you must know everything about the diet and all the possible downsides it might have.

A low-carb, high-protein diet plan primarily focuses on minimizing your carb intake by a sufficient amount of protein supply.

This diet plan encourages you to include protein in your food intake, but there is no definite macronutrient ratio in the plan. This kind of diet plan got its inspiration from two other diets that were successful in losing weight.

For instance, when you follow a low carb diet, the daily carb intake is restricted under a 26% calorie intake daily. Otherwise, lower than 130 grams of carb intake for the people following a 2000 calorie intake diet, whereas an extremely low-carb diet can bring down that number to lesser than 10%.

On the contrary, the high-protein diet is filled with protein where the daily intake meets more than the Recommended Daily Allowance or RDA. All of which provides 1.3 grams of protein in each kilogram of body weight.

In some high protein diets, the protein supply is also 3 grams in each kilogram body weight, which equals consuming 204 grams of protein intake daily for a 68-kilogram person.

But you must keep in mind that a high-protein, low-carb diet foods contain a higher amount of fat content to fill up the deficit of carbs.

Nevertheless, some athletes and bodybuilders keep a close watch on the macronutrients that range in this diet. More so, they even replace the carb with protein-rich food.

A few people try to follow a lesser rigorous version that contains only 30% to 35% carbs that are believed to be a moderate level of carb intake.

Health benefits of high protein low carb diet

Are you someone who is, has a very active schedule, and wants to lose weight? Well, then this is the best diet plan choice for you. Whereas people inactive or maintain a sedentary lifestyle, this kind of low-carb, high protein diet might be inappropriate.

If you consume a high-protein diet, at the same time, consume foods that are low in carbs, it will reflect numerous benefits.

Here we have got for you the health benefits of following a high protein low carb diet. Which are:

Helps in Weight loss

You can kill your hunger and minimize your food intake by consuming protein. That’s because protein is a filling macronutrient that can help you minimize your frequent craving, which can aid in weight loss.

The protein in diet daily can boost up your filling hormone and can even lower the levels of ghrelin, a hunger hormone.

Some researches show that when you consume meals with 25 to 81% of calorie content gotten from proteins, your fullness feeling increases. All of which also means that diets that contain protein in moderate levels can also reduce hunger.

More so, the diets that contain higher protein foods ensure a thermic effect in the foods you eat. All of which can burn down the calories during the process of digestion. It is believed that you can benefit because of the excess requirement of oxygen to break up foods rich in protein.

Plus, the high protein low carb diet helps in secreting glucagon, a hormone your pancreas produces to give you the feeling of fullness. It also leads to a higher production of ketone in your body, particularly hydroxybutyrate or BHB. Your body can produce ketone in your liver when your body is not sufficiently supplied with glucose. Numerous studies show that when your body has a high level of BHB, your appetite gets suppressed.

There are plenty of studies that support a low-carb, high-protein diet plan for losing weight rather than a high protein and carb diet.

But it would be best you keep a count of your daily calorie consumption and how much calories you can lose when on a low-carb, high-protein diet.

Helps Maintain Body Mass

It is quite normal to lose weight and muscle mass both at the same time. But it can lower your metabolism levels as the more muscle mass you have. You can lose more amount of calories when your body is at rest.

So, you can preserve your body mass by consuming a high protein low carb diet. Even more, it can result in increasing your muscle mass too.

When you consume a high amount of protein in the diet and at the same time cut down the intake of calories by 500 or 720, you’ll notice significant weight loss effects. But it would help if you kept in mind that when you do not plan your diet plan well, this effect might be lost.

Plus, several studies show that your body can start losing weight and start building lean body mass when you consume a low-carb, high-protein diet.

A study was conducted for four weeks on twenty men. One group of men was given a protein-rich diet of 2.4 grams in each bodyweight and were asked to exercise rigorously. And another group were given a controlled diet.

The men who followed a high protein diet plan gained three-pound muscle mass and lost body fat. Also, the group that consumed a controlled diet had their muscle mass as before.

Many more studies also support the loss of muscle to be stable while losing weight in a high protein diet for both women and men compared to diets that contain a lower protein intake.

It is seen that when athletes consume a low-carb, high-protein diet, they gain body mass during the training. You can say a high protein low carb diet can help in weight loss and maintain good muscle mass.

Other health benefits of a low-carb high protein diet

Apart from providing you with weight loss and body mass benefits, low-carb, high-protein diets have some other benefits.

Here are the following:

Regulates Blood Sugar Levels

Studies show that you can improve both your long-term and short-term markers of controlling blood sugar levels when you consume a low carb and high protein diet.

Reduces Heart Ailments

A low-carb, high-protein diet can reduce both your blood pressure and triglyceride levels, which can lead to heart problems. However, some contradictory studies state that consuming large protein amounts can also increase heart problems.

Keeps Bone Healthy

Some studies show that diets rich in protein can help prevent the loss of bones and even reduce the chances of fractures in oldies.

Drawbacks of a low-carb, high-protein diet

Besides supplying you with numerous health benefits, the high-protein, low-carb diet plan has certain drawbacks.

Here are the possible negative impacts this diet plan might have:

Increases the chances of Heart Problems

Certain studies show that consuming high protein in diets can increase the chances of heart failure and heart diseases.

When a study was conducted on 2441 men aged between 42 to 60 years, having a high protein intake increased the risk of heart problems by 33% compared to diets with a lower protein intake.

More so, they even had an increase in diabetes, too, which is linked to heart ailments.

Increase the Chances of Cancer

Some researches show that you might have a chance of developing cancer when you consume high amounts of animal protein. One of the commonly seen cancer is colorectal cancer that occurred in people consuming high amounts of animal protein.

Increases Kidney Problems

When you have normal kidney functioning, consuming protein is potentially safe. But when you consume too much protein, it might negatively affect people having kidney problems.

Foods to avoid in a low-carb, high-protein diet

When you follow a high-protein, low-carb diet plan, you must restrict yourself to specific food intakes.

Here are the following foods that you must avoid consuming when on this specific diet plan:

Starches and Grains: Keep away from pasta, rice, bread, cereals, baked products, etc.
Sugary Syrups and Sweeteners: Limit the consumption of honey, refined sugars, coconut sugar, maple syrup, agave, etc.
Sugary Beverages: tea, coffee, artificial sugar juices, alcoholic drinks, soda, beer, etc.
High-carb processed foods: Deep-fried foods like fried chicken and French fries, chips, pizza, burgers, etc.

The foods mentioned above are harmful to your health and must be avoided as much as possible. However, you can consume some starchy fruits and vegetables that high in carbs but moderate amounts. It would be best you keep in mind that the total amount of carbs you consume depends a lot on the macronutrient ranges you desire.

Keep the macronutrient goal in mind. You can also minimize the consumption of fatty foods like high-fat fishes, oils, and fatty meats.

High Protein, Low-carb diet foods

When you’re on a low-carb, high-protein diet, consuming nutritious foods and mostly whole are the best. That’s because you would concentrate mainly on foods that rich in protein and low in carbohydrates.

So, here are some possible food inclusions you can make while following the high protein low carb diet.

Some of the foods inclusions are:

Eggs: Consume egg whites and whole eggs both.
Shellfish and Fish: You can try consuming shrimps, clams, flounder, cod, etc.
Poultry and Meats: Try consuming lean chicken, turkey, bison, etc.
High-protein vegan foods: Some of the vegan food includes soy foods, tofu, hummus, edamame, etc.
Dairy products: Some of the products that a rich in protein include cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, milk, etc.
Low starch veggies: Some of the non-starchy veggies include peppers, cauliflower, greens, broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, etc.
Seeds and Nuts: You can eat chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and peanut butter when following a low-carb, high-protein diet.
Seasonings: Some flavorings your meal may contain are peppers, spices, fresh herbs, etc.
Drinks: The best liquid for consumption is water. But you can also consume sparkling water and herbal teas that do not contain sweeteners.

You can always consume some grains rich in protein such as quinoa and some fruits and veggies but moderate amounts.

Consuming the amount of fat consumption completely depends on the regime an individual follows. Fatty fishes, olive oil, avocados, egg yolks, and nut butter all contain healthy fats and are one of the finest sources. But you must keep a count of calorie intake daily, if you want to positive effects of the diet plan, you’re following.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know all the foods to include in a high protein low carb diet plan, trying out this regime will be easy. But always keep in mind that the high, low-carb diet is best for athletes who want to lose weight and maintain their muscle mass intact.

This diet plan comes with several health benefits but does have a few drawbacks too. You need to understand your body condition well before opting for a low-carb, high-protein regime. It is not suitable for people who have pre-existing health problems like kidney failure, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

If you want to reap all the benefits of following this diet, you need to make sure your body is fit to endure the restricted diet. Also, avoid processed, sugary and deep-fried foods as much as possible. Remember to exercise daily and also reduce stress levels to see the positive effects of this wonderful diet!