High protein and low carbohydrate diets have been followed for years to achieve weight loss success. The diets come in a range of varieties, but all focus on reducing unhealthy carbs from the diet, while increasing protein from foods or supplements. The diets are not without controversy, but their proponents support them with gusto. Once you learn what each diet has to offer, you can select the best protein diet for weight loss success.
Some of the most popular high protein diets include the Atkins, South Beach, and Paleo diets. Each diet is distinctly different, despite their similarity in concept. High protein liquid diets, including prepackaged foods, are also available for those who look for convenience or need a more restrictive diet.
The Atkins Diet, developed by Dr. Robert Atkins, has been around since the early 1970s. The diet focuses on consuming high amounts of fat and protein rich foods, such as meat and eggs, while limiting most fruits and vegetables. Grains, starchy vegetables, sugar, and most fruits are not permitted during the weight loss phase, but some are reintroduced during maintenance. The diet is very restrictive, but it has been proven effective for weight loss.
Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist, created the South Beach Diet to help his patients improve their heart health. Weight loss was a bonus, so the diet became popular around the world and the book was published in 2005. The diet focuses on healthy carbs and encourages lean sources of protein. The plan isn't as high in protein as the Atkins diet, but it encourages more protein than many other diet plans. The diet encourages a wide range of fruits and vegetables, but limits starchy foods and saturated fats.
The Paleo diet is a newer high protein diet for weight loss, but is based on our ancestral diet. The diet eliminates grains and processed foods, while encouraging the consumption of grass-fed beef and other naturally healthy sources of protein. Paleo dieters also eat a wide range of fruits and vegetables, allowing more carbohydrates than the Atkins plan. The plan has a proven success rate and has gathered an enormous number of fans in a short amount of time.
Many people choose to follow a liquid high protein diet for weight loss or use prepackaged foods. These plans are low carb and require the purchase of special high protein shakes and other products. Medifast and Ideal Protein are two examples of prepackaged and liquid protein diets. The programs allow a small amount of fresh food daily, but followers use prepackaged foods for most of their meals.
High protein and low carbohydrate diets are often the source of controversy among dieticians and other health professionals. Many experts feel that these diets are not nutritionally balanced and may cause nutritional deficiencies if followed for long periods of time, especially if dieters don't strictly adhere to the guidelines of the program. However, many dieticians also feel that they can be used successfully if dieters follow the diets as they are written, and consult their physicians before beginning their diets.
When selecting a high protein diet for weight loss, it is important to review the diet plan carefully and decide if you will enjoy the foods you will be permitted to eat. Each of these diet plans have been proven to work, as long as the dieters followed them correctly. You will be more likely to stick to your plan and reach your weight loss goal if you enjoy the foods allowed in the diet you select. The diet plan you choose will likely become a road-map for your future lifestyle to maintain your weight and good health.