At Medical Weight Loss Clinic, we have professionals who specialize in different areas of health and wellness and work directly with patients to reach their goals. We’ll be checking in periodically with our highly-trained nutritionists to answer common health questions and concerns. It’s a new series we call Ask a Nutritionist.
How do you know if you’re getting enough protein? Ask a Nutritionist at Medical Weight Loss Clinic and find out.
First up is Krysta Sauvie, a regional manager here at Medical Weight Loss Clinic. She’s often busy training and working directly with our staff. Krysta travels among seven clinic locations – Saginaw, Flint, Rochester Hills, Farmington Hills, Novi, Brighton and White Lake. She also happens to be a nutritionist.
We count on Krysta to assist patients and staff by sharing her in-depth nutritional knowledge. We reached out to her to ask about something our patients work to get plenty of in their daily diets – protein.
How important is protein, really?
“Protein is essential to healthy diet and is so important for weight loss,” Krysta says. “It helps keep people fuller longer, which can also reduce cravings. It can even increase the amount of calories you burn throughout the day.”
Why is it especially important for patients to make sure they’re getting enough protein?
“Having a diet adequate in protein intake will also ensure that you are preserving lean muscle mass while you burn your body fat,” Krysta adds.
How do we determine what is “enough” protein each day?
“Here at Medical Weight Loss Clinic, we make sure to calculate how much an individual will need of each macronutrient so you don’t have to worry,” she says. “But for someone trying to change their eating habits, I would recommend having a moderate amount of lean protein with each meal.”
A moderate amount might be the equivalent of a handful portion of protein. But there’s more to consider. Krysta reminds us that while protein is healthy, it’s not something you can eat without limits.
“Although protein can help prevent overeating by increasing satiety, eating too much protein can lead to weight gain,” she says. “It’s important to consume a well-balanced diet with all food groups represented to best increase weight loss and your chance of maintaining it.”
Do you want to learn more about how to incorporate a healthy amount of protein into your diet? Reach out to us at Medical Weight Loss Clinic today. Sign up for a free consultation at mwlc.com.
