Eat This, Feel Full, Gain Less

You’ve been counting every calorie, but the scale (and your gut) won’t give an inch. Protein may be the answer to all your weight-gain woes, says new research from the University of Sydney.

Scientists put 22 healthy, lean adults on three separate diets with varying amounts of protein. Those dieters who consumed the lowest protein diet (10 percent protein) ate about 230 more calories per day than people on the high protein plans (25 percent). That translates to about a 2-pound weight gain—per month! The extra calories usually accompanied snacks that were savory—a taste associated with protein—and not at mealtimes, explains Alison K. Gosby, Ph. D., the study’s author.

More from MensHealth.com: 5 Protein-Packed Snacks

“Our appetite system doesn’t count calories,” Gosby says. “We have separate appetites for protein, fat, and carbohydrates.” Over the years, protein has been crowded out of the typical western diet by the pumped-up levels of fat and carbs in processed foods, Gosby adds. When you’re not getting enough protein, your body stokes your appetite so you keep eating more of everything in an attempt to hit your protein quota.

Study volunteers on higher-protein plans were less likely to snack, or could go longer before snacking, even though they didn’t report feeling more full than their low-protein counterparts.

Gosby recommends aiming for 75 to 100 grams of protein per day—or roughly 15 to 25 percent of your daily calories—to avoid weight gain. Try for a mix of protein from vegetables (legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains) and animal sources (red meat, fish, chicken, and dairy products). Two scrambled eggs contain about 12 grams of protein, while a salmon filet packs roughly 25 grams.

More from MensHealth.com: The Truth About Protein

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