What Happens When You Eat Enough Protein

Learn all the beneficial ways that eating more protein can have on your body, how it can help you lose weight, how much protein you should be eating as well as what types of protein you should eat and my favorite high protein recipes for a full day of eating. 

It was during my college years that I started to see a decline in my health. And for a good reason too. My diet was trashed. Gone were the colorful green veggies, lean cuts of meat and fish, and in came the cup of noodles, mac and cheese from the cardboard box, and bowls of cereal.

Not only was it fast and easy for the busy girl who spent her time stressing about school but the quick carbs worked their magic and left me feeling full. It wasn’t until I returned home from a break in school, had a few real meals with my family, and saw the color return to my cheeks and the bounce come back into my step that I learned my lesson about protein.

Why protein is important?

Protein sits alongside its other macronutrient brother and sister, fat and carbohydrates. All three are essential for good health. Protein by itself, is the building block for your organs, muscles, and hair. Without protein, things start to fall apart at the foundation.

What happens to your body when you eat enough protein?

Increased muscle mass and maintaining muscle

I feel like I’ve heard enough gym bros say the secret to their muscles is strength training and enough protein. And while sometimes I think their brains are filled with too much testosterone to function, they’re right. 

With strength training and the right amount of protein, your body goes through a process called protein synthesis which is responsible for building muscle mass. Even if you’re not strength training, eating enough protein will maintain your muscles. Destini Moody, RD, CSSD, LD, a registered dietician at Top Nutrition Coaching explains, “Even for those who don’t exercise consistently, eating enough protein can help prevent the body from breaking down muscle for energy that results in muscle loss (1).”

Boosted metabolism

For the longest time, I believed that your metabolism was an actual organ in the body that broke down your food. It wasn’t until a high school science class taught me that your metabolism refers to the metabolic process by which your body converts your food into fuel. 

When it comes to your metabolism breaking down protein, it requires more calories in digesting, absorbing, and putting the energy to work than carbs and fats. So with protein in your system, your body is burning more calories than it would with carbs and fats. 

Protein also kicks your metabolism into a higher gear and burns more calories throughout the day and even while you sleep (2).

In one study, a high-protein group burned 260 more calories per day than the low-protein group, which is the number of calories you usually burn in a semi-intense workout (3). 

Protein increases satiety

Studies show that protein is the most filling food and keeps you satiated, another fancy way for the full feeling you have after you eat, for longer. 

This is because protein reduces the ghrelin level, a hormone that cues hunger. Protein also boosts the peptide YY which gives your body the ability to feel full (4).

With both of these hormones in check, it is more than likely that you’ll consume less than normal and be able to lose weight without restriction and ignoring your hunger cues.

Support your gut health

Your gut is a complex collection of bacterial strands and microbiota that touch on a myriad of health functions from your mood to your digestion. 

Lucy Kerrison, RD and UK-based dietician and gut health specialist explains that on a basic level, “the gut is a muscle as well and needs a certain level of protein to correct functionality.”

Besides the gut’s day-to-day operation, “the components found in proteins influence the gut microbiota and microbial metabolite, which take part in diverse physiological functions involved with health (5).” 

Support your immune system

The antibodies that fight off disease and illness are made from proteins. Alayna Hutchinson, MS, LDN, RDN, a registered dietician said, “The cells lining the intestinal wall rely on proteins for structural support, helping to prevent the passage of pathogenic organisms and other toxins from the gut into the bloodstream (6).”

How much protein should you be eating?

There are a few different ways to measure how much protein you need. What I most commonly hear in the health community is you should be eating 0.36 grams of protein for every pound you weigh.

For example, if you weigh 125 pounds you multiply it by 0.36 grams which equals 45 grams of protein.

I’ve also heard that you should be eating anywhere from 10% to 35% of your calories should be from protein. 

For example, if you normally eat 2,000 calories in a day, 200-700 of those calories should be from protein.

But for those who are focused on losing weight and toning their muscles, it’s recommended that you eat 0.81-1.23 grams of protein per pound of body weight (7). 

For example 125 x 0.81 grams =101 grams of protein.

What types of protein should you be eating?

The best protein sources are those that are high in nutrients and low in saturated fats.

• Lean meats like chicken, turkey, and duck
• Seafood
• Beans
• Soy
• Low-fat dairy
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds

Will protein help you lose weight?

The simple answer: YES!

With the reasons mentioned like how protein burns more calories to metabolize, boosts your metabolism, keeps you feeling full for longer, and helps build muscle, there’s no question that it helps you lose weight. 

It’s even been proven by several clinical trials that upping your protein intake reduces body weight but also decreases fat mass (8).

Let’s be clear though. You can’t increase your protein but continue to eat an excess amount of cookies and ice cream. 

Along with your workout routine, and a healthy diet, increasing your protein will help you reach your goals faster or easier.

Can protein cause constipation?

Eating protein by itself does not cause constipation. However, some sources of protein, like meat, poultry, and fish don’t contain fiber. Fiber is essential to bowel movements because it not only softens but increases its weight and size (9). 

If someone were to eat high amounts of chicken and fish without the right amount of fiber, they could suffer from constipation.

The good thing is, it’s an easy fix. You just need to increase the amount of fiber you eat every day. 

Foods high in fiber

• Pinto beans
• Edeame
• Acorn squash
• Guava
• Collard greens
• Strawberries
• Pomegranate arils
• Brocolli
• Carrots
• Quinoa
• Oatmeal
• Chia Seeds
• Bananas

Citations

1. Chang, Katherine. “What Actually Happens When You Eat Enough Protein.” The Everygirl, 10 June 2024, https://theeverygirl.com/what-happens-when-you-eat-protein/.

​2. DeSoto, Lindsey. “5 Ways Protein Can Help You Lose Weight.” Health. 31 July 2023, https://www.health.com/ways-protein-can-help-you-lose-weight-7562625#:~:text=7-,Protein%20Can%20Increase%20Metabolism,diet%20can%20boost%20your%20metabolism.

​3. Bray GA, Redman LM, de Jonge L, Covington J, Rood J, Brock C, Mancuso S, Martin CK, Smith SR. Effect of protein overfeeding on energy expenditure measured in a metabolic chamber. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Mar;101(3):496-505. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.091769.14 June 2015,https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25733634/.

​4. Gunnars, Kris. “10 Science-Backed Reasons to Eat More Protein.” Healthline, 9 Feb 2023, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-to-eat-more-protein#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2.

​5. Ross, Michele. “The Type of Protein You Eat- And How Much- Majorly Impacts Your Gut Health. Here’s How.” Well+Good, 1 Dec 2023, https://www.wellandgood.com/protein-gut-health/#:~:text=Protein’s%20components%20influence%20gut%20microbiota,protein%20to%20maintain%20correct%20functionality.%22.

​6. Chang, Katherine. “What Actually Happens When You Eat Enough Protein.” The Everygirl, 10 June 2024, https://theeverygirl.com/what-happens-when-you-eat-protein/

7. Willson, Amelia. “ How Much Protein Should You Eat to Lose Weight?” RO, 5 Feb 2024, https://ro.co/weight-loss/protein-to-lose-weight.

8. Moon J, Koh G. Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2020 Sep 30;29(3):166-173. doi: 10.7570/jomes20028. PMID: 32699189; PMCID: PMC7539343.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7539343/#:~:text=Several%20clinical%20trials%20have%20found,calorie%20and%20standard%2Dcalorie%20diets.

9. Whelan, Corey. “Can Eating Too Much Protein Make You Constipated?” Healthline, 18 April 2024, https://www.healthline.com/health/can-protein-make-you-constipated#protein-and-constipation.