When most people decide to get fit, they think about a diet and limiting what they eat. After many years of on and off dieting, I decided to turn the logic upside down and eat more of one specific food group – lean protein. This helped me get into the best shape of my life and most importantly – as I was not limiting myself, I was able to keep this habit up for the last few years.
Why adding food groups works better than dieting
For me, labelling a food as “forbidden” is the best way to start obsessing over it. This makes diets a bad idea from the start. The only way that I finally managed to get fit and stay that way was by establishing habits that I can sustain for the long term.
Do you imagine yourself not eating fries or cake for eternity? Me neither.
By focusing on taking in more protein daily, I was creating an abundance mindset, rather than a mind that feels deprived. The best part is: I did not end up eating more. The protein naturally replaced other less healthy foods in my daily meals. But it happened gradually and effortlessly, without me noticing.
Why lean protein is the best food to get more of
Protein keeps us full for much longer. What I observed was that after meals without protein, especially those high in carbs, I would be hungry within less than an hour. Then I would snack on more non-protein food and feel hungry again. By skipping protein, I created a loop where I was constantly hungry while at the same time eating much more than I needed.
When to add protein to your meals
I now eat protein with every single meal, every single day. It is the one nutrition habit that had the most positive impact on the way I look and feel. On the rare occasions when I don’t eat protein with other foods, I feel so hungry and exhausted from the sudden spike and drop of blood sugar that it is just not worth it.
The best sources of protein
In the very beginning I made the mistake of eating protein for the sake of ticking the box. I was not paying enough attention to the source. This meant a lot of heavily processed packaged foods such as protein bars, too many shakes etc.
There is nothing wrong with protein sources that are convenient once in a while. But I saw the best results for my shape, as well as my health, when I started eating wholesome foods.
Lunch and dinner protein ideas: salmon, sea bass, shrimps, lean beef minced meat, chicken, lentil, beans
Snack protein ideas: cottage cheese, Skyr yoghurt, Kefir + protein, boiled eggs or omelette, edemame
We should not exclude any macronutrient for the sake of another. Doing so, can create many problems such as hormonal acne to name just one. But the reason why I am focusing on protein is because majority of people undereat it. Even If you do not do any other change to your eating habits, just adding protein to every single meal will have a huge, visible impact to the way you look AND feel!