High protein can drive weight loss

It may seem like the latest fad, but high-protein diets can be beneficial for many body types.

According to Healthy Eating Canada, proteins can help balance hormones, develop muscle and tissue, aid in digestion, improve immune systems and body composition, and promote bone health.

Foods that pack the highest protein punch include dairy products, eggs, meats and seafood, nuts and seeds, and legumes like dried peas, bean, lentils and soybeans.

Kevin Ostlund, a nutrition coach in Okotoks, took on a high-protein, high-fat diet in January 2014 when he decided to change his eating habits.

“I chose a healthy lifestyle and consequently enough that diet ended up being a high-protein diet, not by choice but the program I subscribed to was a higher-protein diet,” said Ostlund. “I’ve since learned that it doesn’t necessarily work for everybody.”

He said it’s important for people to eat to their body type with their goals in mind, whether that includes weight loss, hormone optimization or muscle-building.

People with a lot of lean muscle mass may work better with a lot of carbs because their bodies burn them better, he said. Endurance athletes also need more carbohydrates to sustain the body for longer periods of time, he said. Both still require protein, but not at the same level as others.

“Mine just happens to be a high-protein, high-fat diet, which is awesome because I love steak and eggs,” said Ostlund. “You get carbohydrates in so many things, but I try to minimize them for the most part. I’m a really low-carb person right now.”

A typical day will include a meal of proteins and fats before working out, followed by a heavy-protein meal like red meat with healthy carbohydrates afterward during recovery, he said. The rest of the day is made up of a balance of proteins and fats, he said.

His meal plan does not follow a three-square-meals-per-day philosophy, he said.

“I’m sure there are some people’s body types who work well with that, but the more research I’ve done through my last three years on my journey is that our bodies are all difference and they don’t all work the same and they don’t all require the same nutrition,” said Ostlund.

Instead, he plans around workouts and measures out the amount of protein and fat he’s consuming at every meal.

It’s not an exact science, he said. Ostlund experiments with levels to see what works best for his own needs.

“I’m a test-and-measurer,” said Ostlund. “I do really monitor my stuff. It’s not something everybody wants or needs to do, because it gives some people a bad relationship with food. But it’s beneficial just for data, for me.”

Getting into a high-protein diet began as a weight loss initiative, he said. At the end of 2013 he was thinking about starting back up on his road bike and competing. Weighing in at 245 pounds he had some weight loss to achieve before he could realize those goals.

As the weight fell away, the goals shifted to become more athletic performance-oriented, he said.

“You’re always evolving, and your diet – your meal choices or food choices – will change and evolve with that,” said Ostlund.

It’s important people take on a full lifestyle change in order to see the benefits of a high-protein diet, he said.

According to Ostlund, there are four pillars to embracing the healthy lifestyle: whole foods, supplementation, activity or exercise, and support.

“Our foods aren’t as rich in nutrients as they used to be, and that’s where the supplementation comes into play,” said Ostlund. “Everybody can use a good multi-nutrient or multi-vitamin for sure, that’s a staple.”

He said protein powders and digestive enzymes are also beneficial depending on what a person’s goals are.

“High-protein will work for the masses, depending on where you’re at in your journey,” said Ostlund. “I’ve opted to make a choice to change my habits for good, and the way I feel and how I perform at my mid-40s surpasses my 20s, so there’s been nothing negative there for me.”