This article gives you a basic outline of how to follow a high protein weight loss program, without needing to buy any books or special equipment.  However, if you want to really make this type of eating and exercise a part of your life, we recommend trying The Atkins Diet, one of the world’s leading high protein losing weight diets & programs.

To start you will need:

• A fridge full of lean meats like tuna, fish and turkey
• A cupboard full of healthy, protein rich vegetables and legumes like lentils and beans.
• A protein shake – you can buy any of the well-known brands online, but if you’re trying to keep costs to a minimum you can usually pick up a large bag of protein powder from your local health food store or sports equipment store. Larger stores are more likely to have good deals.
• A gym membership, or some weights and the willpower to go running every day.
• (Optional for muscle mass building) Creatine powder

A high protein weight loss diet is all about getting the right fuel for your body, and keeping your exercise levels up.  Remember that you need to eat some carbs if you’re exercising. A sample meal plan looks like this:

Breakfast

Poached egg (or two if you’re focusing more on muscle building) with fruit juice

Morning Snack

Protein bar or protein shake with some fruit

Lunch

Tuna or chicken salad with low-fat dressing

Afternoon Snack (Before exercise)

Low-GI sandwich with turkey or another lean meat, protein shake

Dinner

Roast chicken served with peas or lentils and green asparagus

Obviously you’ll need to vary this to keep it exciting, but that gives you an idea of the types of food you need to eat.  Note that some of these meals are fairly calorific – this means that you’ll need to be exercising a lot, as well as eating right.  Here’s a sample exercise plan:

Monday – Cardio and upper body

Tuesday – Cardio and lower body

Wednesday – Cardio only

Thursday – Cardio and upper body

Friday – Cardio and lower body

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Cardio only

This exercise plan requires you to be at the gym, or on the road, every single day except for one.  If you can’t commit to this, there is a chance you will gain weight as well as build muscle. However, if you use both in conjunction, you will likely lose several pounds of water in the first few days, followed by sustained weight loss, which eventually plateaus as you build lean muscle.

If You Are Using Creatine

Creatine mimics the hormone creatinine in your system, which causes your muscles to use ATP more efficiently, and therefore to let you get more out of your workout. However, it also causes you to retain water during the first week or so, which can make your muscles look a lot bigger.

Always consult a doctor when using Creatine or any other hormonal supplement for weight gain.  Recommended usage is 5 teaspoons of powder dissolved in water or juice a day for the first five days, followed by 1 teaspoon a day for the next two weeks.  It is then advised to take a three-week break before starting the cycle again.