If you want to lose weight, a new study finds that your best bet is to eat more protein and fiber.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed an individualized dietary modification program and followed 22 participants who followed the eating plan over a 25-month period.
Volunteers were advised to increase their daily protein intake to 80 grams and dietary fiber intake to 20 grams.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed a personalized diet modification program and followed 22 participants who followed the meal plan for 25 months. Prostock-studio – stock.adobe.com
Participants were also encouraged to limit their calorie intake to 1,500 calories per day, a significant decrease from the typically recommended 2,000 to 2,500 calorie intake.
According to results recently published in the journal Obesity Science & Practice, 41 percent of iDip participants were deemed successful at one year, losing an average of 12.9 percent of their body weight.
iDip diet participants were weighed daily and attended dietary education sessions and individual advice meetings.
“The iDip approach allows participants to try different dietary iterations, and the knowledge and skills they gain while losing weight provide the foundation for sustainable maintenance,” said lead researcher Manabu Nakamura, a professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Illinois and California.
Participants were weighed daily for a year. gpointstudio – stock.adobe.com
However, about 59% of participants had lost just over 2% of their starting weight after one year.
Researchers believe that those who prioritized high protein and fiber intake showed the most significant weight loss.
Mindy H. Lee, a registered dietitian and first author of the study, argues that “to maximize the safety and effectiveness of weight-loss diets, dieters need to increase their protein and fiber intake while simultaneously reducing calories.”
In publishing their findings, the research team acknowledged that the group of participants was small and the observation period was limited.
Those who prioritized protein and fiber lost the most weight. timolina – stock.adobe.com
The strategy of increasing fiber and protein and decreasing calories is backed by outside research.
Fiber is associated with sustained energy because it is digested more slowly than other substances. In the large intestine, fiber triggers the release of hormones that reduce appetite. This process takes several hours, reducing cravings between meals.
The American Heart Association recommends consuming at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day to help regulate bowel movements, control blood sugar levels, and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, but most Americans only get about 15 grams per day.
Most Americans consume only half the recommended daily intake of dietary fiber. Charlie's – stock.adobe.com
Rapid weight loss is typically accompanied by muscle loss, but iDip participants maintained most of their muscle mass.
The researchers found that for people who lost 5% or more of their starting body weight, 78% of the weight lost was fat.
They attributed this to increased protein intake, as protein helps maintain muscle mass and improves metabolic function.
The recommended intake of protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound. A person weighing 150 pounds needs 54 grams of protein per day.
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Researchers say it's even more important for people taking weight-loss drugs like Ozempic to increase their protein intake. alones – stock.adobe.com
Nakamura argues that sufficient dietary fiber and protein are even more necessary for people using weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, which cause decreased appetite, rapid weight loss and potentially significant muscle loss.
“Injectable weight-loss drugs are becoming increasingly popular,” Nakamura says, “but using these drugs when food intake is severely restricted can cause serious side effects, such as muscle and bone loss, unless protein intake is increased during weight loss.”
