Does Protein Really Curb Your Appetite?

It's hard not to get misled by misinformation, or hype, when you're searching for reliable information on weight management. The daily rush to publish makes even seemingly reliable sources vulnerable to "getting it wrong"—because it takes time to do enough research to make sure you've got it right.

Nutrition Action didn't 'get it right' with their recent post on protein and appetite: Does Protein Really Curb Your Appetite?

After more than two decades specializing in weight management I have 52 papers tagged under "appetite regulation" in my research database. Appetite regulation is a fascinating and important topic within weight management. I covered it in my 6-hour Advanced Training in Weight Management CE workshop back in 2003 and 2004, and since then have only seen one other seminar on macronutrients and appetite regulation cross my desk. I know the key papers off the top of my head, and I know that the fact that protein has a higher satiety value is not even a question among researchers who are experts in that area.

That said, there are several important caveats...

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Protein and the Thermic Effect of Food

The Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) is one of the three major components of daily energy expenditure, the other two components being a) Basal Metabolic Rate and b) the energy cost of activity.  

The energy expenditure from TEF is related to the stimulation of obligatory energy-requiring processes associated with eating, digesting, absorbing, and storing food (as well as the facultative energy expenditure associated with hormone secretion, sodium-potassium ATPase pump activity, protein synthesis, and substrate recycling).

The TEF raise in metabolism spikes after meals, and gradually declines over ~10 hours (as determined by the return to Basal Metabolic Rate). The main determinant of TEF is the total energy content of the meal (total calories consumed), followed by the protein fraction of the meal.

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Does HOW You Lose Weight Really Matter?

How much does HOW you lose weight really matter? Your approach can make a big difference in the amount of lean body mass (muscle and bone mineral density) you lose. Your goal should always be to maintain as much lean body mass as you can (to optimize your metabolic rate and ensure functional strength). Remember, the older you are the more difficult it becomes to build back lost muscle or bone density!

So HOW do you maintain more lean body mass while you lose weight?

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Book Review: The 17-Day Diet

The 17 Day Diet, one of the latest best selling diet books is new wrapping paper on an old package—high-protein/low-carb diets.

Author Dr. Mike Moreno claims that “you’re not apt to plateau” on his plan because of his “carefully designed balance of food and exercise [that] adjust your body metabolically so that you burn fat, day in and day out.” Moreno says that, “by changing calorie counts with each 17-day cycle you prevent your body from adapting,” and he calls this notion “body confusion.”

When looking at fad diets you’ll find that they all consist of two key components:

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Which Protein Foods are Best at Keeping Hunger Away?

Knowing something about appetite regulation will support your efforts at eating fewer calories over the course of the day, which translates directly into better success with weight loss or maintenance.

As I discussed in my recent blog 5 Things you Need to Know about Protein for Healthy Weight Loss  protein "stays with you longer" than "carbs" or fat. This characteristic of protein supports your efforts at eating fewer calories over the course of the day. That however is not the end of the story.

We also need to also look at which types of protein are most and least satiating. The first example is liquid proteins, which are a complete exception to the rule. Liquid proteins are NOT more satiating than the other macronutrients (carbohydrates and fat).

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