If you’re interested in improving your body composition, losing fat, or building muscle - then getting the right amount of protein should be very high on your list of priorities. Prioritizing a diet higher in protein is not just for bodybuilders or competitive athletes. If you’re looking to look and feel your best, then protein is a must.

For most people, a great (and general) starting point is 1 gram per pound of your bodyweight, which is much more than most people get in a day. I tried diets for years that manipulated how much fat or how many carbs I ate, but I never saw the results I desired until I focused less on carbs/fats, and more on protein/total calorie intake.

If you’re ready to breakthrough some weight loss or muscle building plateaus, read on to learn why protein is such an important part of your success.

1: Protein Keeps You Full For Longer

If you want to lose fat, it requires you to be in a calorie deficit. For anyone that’s tried eating in a calorie deficit for a long enough period of time, you understand how fighting your hunger between meals is one of the biggest challenges. Protein helps counteract this while supplying your muscles with the necessary building blocks.

Protein is very satisfying and will keep you full for longer, making it easier to stick to your diet and keep seeing progress.

2: Protein Has A Higher Thermic Effect

Did you know that the calories burned simply by digesting your food accounts for about 10% of your total calories burned throughout the day? And of the three main macronutrients - protein, carbs, and fat - it’s protein that has by far the highest percentage of thermic effect, or calories burned simply by digesting. 

Protein burns more calories during the digestive process when compared to fats or carbs. While this number isn’t enough to necessarily spark weight loss on its own, it does become very substantial over time - especially when eating in a calorie deficit.

3: Higher Protein Naturally Limits Easy To Consume Fats/Carbs

Do you think it’s easier to eat 1,000 calories of chicken breast (nope, NOT fried chicken) or 1,000 calories of ice cream? Because protein is so satiating and keeps you full longer, it’s much harder to overeat protein in large quantities. If you are tracking your calories or controlling your portions, focusing on more protein and slightly less carbs/fats will limit some of the temptation to overeat.

Protein is typically the hardest macronutrient to overeat. When a higher percentage of your total calories comes from protein, there’s less chance of overeating on fats or carbs.

4: Protein Is Essential For Building (And Preserving) Lean Muscle

Even more important than the calories you burn while digesting food is the calories you burn during rest. For many people, the calories you burn during rest accounts for 70% of total calories. For reference, calories burned during exercise for most people is only around 10%. One of the biggest things that can increase the amount of calories you burn at rest is the amount of lean muscle mass you have on your body.

Protein helps you build (or preserve) lean muscle mass, which is important for longevity, performance, and burning more calories at rest.

If you’re looking for simple but effective strategies for long-term muscle building or fat loss, prioritizing protein should be on your list. Instead of focusing on crash diet strategies or extreme workout programs, continue to focus on the fundamentals that lead to long-term success with less effort.