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In this article we discuss a high-protein meal plan for weight loss. Inside, we cover why you need protein, daily requirements, sample meal plans, and tips to ensure weight loss success.
When it comes to managing our weight, it can feel like there is a constant struggle between time, and creating healthy nutritious meals that taste good.
The truth is, that we can create healthy meals, which taste good, but it will take time. But we do have the ability to make time work in our favor.
Why Protein Is Essential for Weight Loss
Protein is a macronutrient that is essential to the function of our body and can improve satiety, which is invaluable for weight loss.
High protein diets have been shown to increase satiety and hunger-inhibiting hormones. Protein also can increase energy expenditure by helping us maintain muscle mass, which boosts resting energy expenditure.
This combined with it capacity to promote diet-induced thermogenesis, the metabolic process where the body burns calories to produce heat.
This illustrates the profound effects of dietary protein, as it curbs hunger while elevating resting energy expenditure. This means less calories consumed and more calorie burn, equalling weight loss.
Benefits of a High-Protein Diet for Women
To show you just how powerful high-protein diets can be, here is a list of benefits. This will help you decide whether this is the right choice for you.
Maintains Lean Muscle Mass.
Protein can help us maintain lean muscle mass. Age-related muscle loss is known as sarcopenia. is associated with increased risk of frailty, and loss of function. Muscle mass declines typically happen after the age of 30, with people losing as much as 3%-8% per decade.
Women in particular experience a greater risk of muscle loss due to menopause as estrogen and progesterone levels decline. This affects muscle protein turnover, the process of protein breakdown and synthesis in the body, impairing muscle regeneration.
High protein diets can help us meet the increased protein demands to reduce age-related muscle loss and maintain lean muscle.
Reduces Risk of Health Condition
Our protein's effect on the body goes beyond weight loss, it can help reduce the risk of health conditions.
As we age, our metabolism declines. For women, the decline of estrogen during menopause increases appetite which can lead to weight gain and even obesity. This brings various negative health outcomes including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, and joint and muscular disorders.
High protein diets' ability to improve satiety and increase resting metabolic rate can help improve weight loss and manage weight, reducing the risk of chronic illness.
Supports Weight Loss
Weight loss requires a calorie deficit, meaning that we need to be consuming fewer calories than we burning.
Weight loss can become more difficult as our resting metabolic rate and activity energy expenditure decrease. This means we burn fewer calories at rest, and through being active. For many of us, these are subtle changes that suddenly appear when our favorite pair of jeans don’t fit anymore.
High-protein diets can help address this problem. As mentioned, protein has the power to improve satiety. This can reduce feelings of hunger, and stop us from snacking and reaching for calorie-dense poor food choices.
Adding a lean source of protein to each meal will keep you full to the next meal. This will help you manage your calorie intake, and keep you in the calorie deficit required to lose weight.
Boosts Resting Energy Expenditure
High protein diets can help elevate basal metabolic rate also known as resting energy expenditure. This is our body’s energy requirement at rest. Like declines to muscle mass, resting energy expenditure decreases. Older adults have between a 20%-25% decrease in energy expenditure.
High protein diets can help build, and maintain lean muscle mass, boosting resting energy expenditure. This combines the proteins' ability to promote diet-induced thermogenesis with gives our resting energy rate a health boost.
Preserves Bone Health
High protein diets can indirectly preserve bone health. Like muscle mass, women experience a decline in bone mass, which deteriorates further with the onset of menopause as bone mineral density declines. This increases the risk of fractures and weakness.
Mechanical stress is one of the biggest determinants of bone health. This comes in the form of gravity and muscle contractions. Muscular contraction through the form of daily movement and resistance training are highly effective for maintaining bone mass.
Eating a high-protein diet helps us to build and preserve muscle mass, providing our bones with ongoing mechanical stress to support bone health. This combined with an exercise routine consisting of weight-bearing exercise and resistance training can help preserve bone health.
Designing a High-Protein Meal Plan
Now that we understand the positive impact a high-protein diet can have on women, its time to discuss how to design your high-protein meal plan.
Below, we discuss daily protein requirements, and how to balance them throughout the day.
Daily Protein Requirements for Women
Meeting our daily protein goals is one of the simplest ways to manage our weight. While our calorie intake and balancing our intake of protein, carbohydrates, and fats are important, it can feel overwhelming, especially if we are attempting to lose weight for the first time.
So, let’s talk figures.
The recommended calorie intake for women is 2,000 per day to maintain body weight. If we want to lose weight, we need fewer calories, placing us in a calorie deficit.
For protein, the recommended daily intake is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, regardless of age. These figures increase to 1.0-1.2 g/kg/bw for healthy individuals over 65 years, and 1.2-1-5 g/kg/bw for chronic illnesses.
Below is a table to give a clear outline of recommended protein intake for health, chronic illness, and those over 65 years of age.
How to Distribute Protein Intake Throughout the Day
From the table listed above, we can see some very realistic daily protein requirements. To make consumption easier, we recommend evenly distributing your protein throughout the day.
A good rule of thumb is if you have three meals per day is to add 25 grams of protein to each meal. This will ensure you are full after each meal, stopping you from snacking between meals, and keeping you within your calorie limit.
To put this in perspective here is an example of how easy it is to consume 75 grams of protein for a healthy 27-year-old.
- Protein Yogurt - 20 g of protein
- 100g Grilled Chicken Breasts - 32 g of protein
- Protein Shake (1 Scoop)- 23 g of protein
Sample High-Protein Meal Plan for Weight Loss
This sample high-protein meal plan for weight loss will show you how to distribute your protein content throughout your day. The protein content of the meals is 124 grams.
Breakfast
- Chicken Omelet (28g Protein) — 50g shredded chicken breast, 2 eggs, onion, red pepper, light cheese
Lunch
- Grilled Chicken and Quinoa Salad (41g protein) — 100g Grilled Chicken, 30g Goat Cheese, Quinoa, Corn, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onion, Baby Spinach, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice
Dinner Recipes
- Baked Lemon and Paprika Salmon (20g) — 100g Salmon
- Mixed Vegetables — Spinach, Brocolli, Corn, Carrots, Onion
High-Protein Snacks
- Protein Smoothie (35g) — 1 Scoop Protein Powder, Low-Fat Milk, 100g Greek Yoghurt, Banana, Mixed Berries
7-Day High-Protein Meal Prep Plan
Meal prepping is an easy task, however, the most difficult component is the planning. Sure, it can be easy to save your Saturdays for a grocery shop, and Sundays for meal prep, but plans can change, which can derail your prepping plan, and derail your high-protein diet.
Below, we have created a 7-day high-protein meal prep plan to get going.
Day 1: Grocery List & Shop
Start your meal planning prep by identifying exactly what you want to eat for the next week. Begin by choosing recipes and work backward, by choosing ingredients. Get your tubs, fridge, and freezer space ready for all those delicious meals you are about to create.
A tip when doing this to make prep and shopping easier, choose meals with similar ingredients. For example, if you want to boost your veggie intake, select four of five vegetables to add to your meals for the week.
Week one you center your meals around carrots, spinach, peppers, corn, and zucchini.
In week two you might try dishes with corn, peas, black beans, spinach, and red peppers.
This is a great way to make shopping and prep time easier, allowing you to prepare slices, dice, and chop your veggies in bulk and split across different meals.
Day 2: Meal Prep: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The next day it's time to prepare your meals. Get those tubs ready and get cooking. Depending on your schedule you may not need to prepare every single meal for the week ahead.
For those who have limited time, you might want to have everything cooked and ready to go. But if you have a little extra time and don’t mind cooking in the evenings, have your vegetables pre-cut to minimize prep time.
As for snacks, we recommend choosing simple high-protein options that either require little prep or are premade and can be pulled off the shelf and ready to eat. This will require a little organizing, significantly cutting down your prep time.
Day 3: Begin Your Week: Monitor Satiety
So, you are all prepped and ready to go. It’s a Monday and you have a got big day ahead, which is perfect for testing how your meals hold up.
As you progress through the day, monitor meals, portion sizes, and satiety. During this time it is essential to note that it is your first day and there will be moments that hunger and craving will creep in.
Make a note of how you are feeling and any alterations you may want to make for the next meal prep.
Day 4: Continue To Monitor Satiety
Day two of eating a prepared meal will give a better understanding of how your meal planning and prep is going.
The first few days are always the toughest when dieting as portion sizes change. For the first week, we recommend sticking to your guns and eating exactly what you prepared for each day. This will give your body time to adjust and help you understand your hunger, satiety, and craving patterns.
During the day of the week between those shopping and meal prep days, make sure you identify the positives of your high-protein diet. It can be easy to feel down about reducing calories, this is why we need to identify the positives. These include:
- More free time in the evening due to no meal prep
- Less grocery shops
- Sustained energy levels
- Feeling full for longer after each meal
- Less time deciding what to eat
Day 5: Research New Meal Ideas
You are a few days into your week of meal planning, so what better time to start researching new meal ideas? This can be an exciting time as it allows you to explore new ideas and think about adding variety to your meals.
Adding variety is the best way to keep your high-protein diet interesting. A good way to do this is to keep the meals you enjoyed your first week and replace the ones you think you need to switch out.
Meal planning and prep isn’t just about eating healthy and easy meals, it is about eating food you like and love. By exploring new recipes, you will discover a variety of meals you like, helping you make a lasting change to your nutrition.
Day 6: Continue To Monitor Progress
You are nearing the end of your first week and will start to understand how your body is adjusting to your high-protein diet. Write down your observation of satiety, energy levels, and meal preferences. This information will come in handy when it comes time to shop and prepare next week's meals.
Day 7: Reviewing Progress and Planning for the Next Week
Congratulations! You have completed your first week of meal planning and preparation. If it didn’t go as you planned, don’t beat yourself up. The main thing is that you are still moving forward.
With your first week complete, it's time to assess how felt about your meal prep. Review everything from shopping and prep time to portion sizes and meal choices. This only will take a few minutes and can help you improve your future preparation for success.
Tips for Success on a High-Protein Diet
Maintaining a high-protein meal plan comes with its share of challenges. Between preparation time, ensuring high-protein foods are available, and managing cravings. Below, we list our tips for a successful of your high protein diet, to ensure you make long-term changes.
Meal Prep and Planning
When it comes to sustaining a diet plan, one of the biggest hurdles if having healthy food sources available. Finding healthy options is easy, but when they aren’t available or we are tired from a long day, it can be easy to reach for unhealthy food options.
Meal planning and preparation are the best ways to help us stay on track. This can be done by planning your week's worth of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks, and preparing them a week in advance.
By planning your meals, you will be able to create healthy, high-protein meals version of meals you enjoy.
This will ensure that you are eating healthy high-protein meals and loving them, making you want to continue the practice long-term.
Staying Hydrated
Staying hydrated is essential during your loss journey. While protein will keep you fuller for longer, there will be times when hunger kicks in between meals, especially during the early phases of your diet.
Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to reduce feelings of hunger which can decrease calorie intake. Sipping water can keep us full between meals, and stop us from drinking calorie-dense drinks such as juices, soda, and milk.
Furthermore, water is important for many of our bodily functions including the health of our heart, gut, and skin, as well as maintaining mood and cognitive function.
Monitoring Progress and Adjusting Intake
When you set out to achieve a weight loss goal, you need to monitor your progress. Losing weight is a difficult task, which takes time. Monitoring your progress by logging your calorie intake, protein, body weight, measurements, and photos will give you hard evidence of where you started, and how far you have come.
As you progress you will be confronted by weight loss plateaus. Having records of your progress will not only help you put things in perspective, it can spur you on to persist toward your goal.
Potential Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Changing lifestyle habits and nutrition always comes with its challenges. Whether it's hunger, cravings, or a simple lack of time, there will be hurdles to overcome.
Below, we highlight potential challenges and how to overcome them.
Managing Cravings and Satiety
As mentioned, protein is excellent for improving satiety and reducing cravings. However, this does not mean the temptation for calorie-dense poor food choices won’t pop up.
The key to addressing hunger and cravings is to understand the pattern and address it with a healthier option. For example, it's 3 pm, and the afternoon fatigue has started to set in, which often brings on sugar cravings.
Ask yourself, does this happen often? If so, plan for a sweet healthy protein snack before at 2:45 pm such as a protein shake, fruit, or nuts. This will stop the craving before it starts. Additionally, consider preparing exciting afternoon snacks. Foods such as shakes, dark chocolate nut clusters, or protein yogurt. This will have you looking forward to your afternoon snack, making it even easier to stop that afternoon snacking.
Ensuring Nutritional Balance
Finding a nutritional balance can be challenging when we begin our high-protein diet. Beyond our calorie intake, we need to balance our macronutrients to ensure we are getting enough carbohydrates for energy, and healthy fats to absorb nutrients and support many of the body's systems.
While this sounds difficult as no one has the time to calculate every meal's macronutrients, the process can be streamlined by finding recipes online with calorie and macronutrient information displayed.
From here, you can easily use a calorie-counting app to monitor your intake. This will ensure you are hitting your daily macronutrient targets while staying within your calorie limit
Avoiding Common Mistakes on a High-Protein Diet
Changing and shifting your can be difficult, even for those who have done it all before. While we can plan and prepare, things will not always go to plan.
When these difficulties such as missing meal prep, giving in to cravings, or hitting a weight loss plateau come around, we mustn’t let one bad moment ruin days, weeks, or months' worth of hard work.
Weight loss comes with hurdles. The key is to avoid letting them spiral out of control, and get back on track.
If you missed your high-protein meal in favor of an unhealthy lunch with friends, eat your healthy protein-rich dinner.
Feeling like the weight isn’t shifting? Check-in with your progress records.
Getting back to your plan will ensure that there are nothing more than minor missteps.
Conclusion: Achieving Weight Loss with a High-Protein Diet
High-protein diets are phenomenal for weight. Proteins' ability to keep us full, manage weight, and maintain lean muscle are essential to our diet.
If you are considering trying a high-protein diet for weight loss, use a calorie-calculating app to track your nutrition. This will streamline the tracking process, and provide you with exact macronutrient breakdown based on your calorie deficit.
FAQs
How does a high protein meal plan aid in weight loss for women?
A high protein meal plan helps with weight loss by boosting metabolism, reducing appetite, and preserving muscle mass during calorie restriction, making it easier to lose fat while maintaining a toned physique.
What are some examples of high-protein foods included in a weight loss meal plan for women?
High-protein foods in a weight loss meal plan for women typically include lean meats like chicken and turkey, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, legumes, tofu, and protein-rich grains like quinoa.
How many grams of protein should women consume daily for effective weight loss?
The ideal protein intake for weight loss varies, but women generally should aim for about 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day to maximize fat loss while preserving muscle mass.
Can a high protein diet cause any side effects for women during weight loss?
While a high protein diet is generally safe, some women may experience side effects such as digestive discomfort, dehydration, or kidney strain if protein intake is excessive. It's important to balance protein with other nutrients and stay hydrated.
Is it necessary to use protein supplements on a high protein meal plan for weight loss?
Protein supplements can be convenient but are not necessary if you can meet your protein needs through whole foods. However, they can be useful for busy women who struggle to consume enough protein from meals alone.
