Ten things about weight loss: Part 4

Here's the next installment of the lessons to be learned from the programme about weight loss.

5. Protein staves off hnger pangs

At any one time in the UK, some 10 million people are on a diet! However, what people don't recognise is that some foods are much better than others at staving off hunger and making us feel full for longer. When the stomach is empty, it sends a hormone to the brain and tells the brain that the stomach needs more food. The brain then tells the rest of the body to provide more food. Now, it has been known for some time that proteins keep us feeling fuller for longer. However, until recently, no-one really understood wy this is. In fact, just adding 10% more protein in breakfast cereal can make you feel full for longer.

In the programme, they conducted an experiment with three men who were busy painting the Forth bridge!! Each man was given a comparable breakfast to eat with an identical number of calories. However, man A had a carbohydrate-rich breakfast (he was given more muesli); man B had a fat-rich breakfast (he was given a double cream smoothie and bacon); and man C had a protein-rich breakfast (he had added baked beans and lean ham). Each man was given a pocket computer and asked to rate how hungry they felt - every hour, on the hour - until their next meal. After 4 hours of work they returned their computers and the data was analysed. The results showed that despite only having 10% extra protein, C felt fuller for much longer. This man was also more likely to eat less at lunch time than A or B.

So, why does protein have this effect? Protein releases a hormone called "PYY" that suppresses hunger pangs in the brain. Of all food types, protein triggers more of this hormone than any other food type. So, although it is true to some extent that calories are calories - regardless of where they come from - protein switches off hunger much more effectively than any other type of food.

I posted ages ago about the apparent emphasiss on proteins on some of the American web sites about gastric band surgery. I was curious as to why this was, since they also seem to frown upon carbohydrates in the diet to a degree that is not evident in the UK. I asked around to see if anyone knew why this was and learned that the emphasis on protein was probably aimed at ensuring bandits got enough protein to support the healthy growth of bones, nails, teeth and hair. I had also heard that proteins keep you feeling full for longer but nobody seemed to be shouting this out very loudly. So, I am very interested in this particular lesson because I don't think I do eat enough protein in many of my meals. My provider says our plates should be filled with one quarter protein, one quarter carbs and half veg. However, I bought an American post-gastric banding recipe book where all of the meals in it are primarily protein-based with some veg and fat, and have very little carbohydrate.

I have to work at reducing my carbohydrate intake because many years ago I was a runner, and regularly did carbo-loading before races. My brain is conditioned to think that carbohydrate = energy. In reality, calories are calories - and calories are energy. So energy gained from proteins is just as good as energy obtained from carbs. I need to re-learn this!!