Do you need more protein if you are an athlete? | Dr. Maryam Saboktakbon, Tehran nutritionist
Yes. Highly active people generally need more calories. These extra calories should consist of protein as well as carbohydrates and fat.
To lose weight, athletes and weightlifters should consume 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of their goal weight. This recommendation may vary depending on the type and intensity of the activity. It also depends on the type of protein you eat and the time of day.
The best thing is to consult a nutritionist in Tehran to provide you with nutritional recommendations based on your health, activity level, and weight loss goals.
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How does protein help to lose weight?
Protein can help you lose weight as part of a balanced diet. Adding more protein to your diet may help you:
1. Feel full for longer.
Protein takes longer to digest in the stomach than other types of nutrients, so it can keep you fuller for longer. Protein can help you avoid snacking and consume fewer calories.
Research shows that protein consumption in people who have to follow their diet for a long time to lose weight has a direct relationship with eating less and losing weight. Studies show that people who had a high-protein diet were less hungry between meals and less likely to snack, and they also ate less at main meals.
2. Maintain lean body mass.
Increasing the amount of protein you eat can help reduce the accumulation of harmful fat in the body, especially around the abdomen (belly). The body uses protein to build muscle, so it can help prevent muscle loss with weight loss.

3. Use more calories to digest food.
When you eat, your body burns calories as it breaks down food, absorbs nutrients, and converts food into energy for your body. This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). Your body burns more calories digesting protein than carbohydrates, so protein has a higher thermic effect of TEF. Just by eating protein, you already burn more calories. If you want to burn an extra 500 calories a day to lose weight, this is good news.
4. Save body fat less.
There may be times when you consume more calories than you burn. To lose weight, it is important to minimize the amount of calories stored as fat. Your body processes the three main macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) in different ways. Protein is much harder to store as body fat than carbohydrates or fat, so even if you have too much protein, you will store less fat.
Healthy sources of protein
You can find many affordable and accessible protein sources, and know that protein doesn't just include meat. Recommended sources of protein are:
- Eggs (all types) or egg whites
- Dairy products, including milk, cheese or yogurt
- Fish and seafood such as salmon, salmon or sardines
- Legumes such as peas, green peas, cowpeas or lentils
- Meats such as chicken, lean beef and turkey
- Nuts, grains and seeds, including nut butter
- Tofu

When to use protein supplements
When you need a quick and convenient protein option, you can turn to supplements. But remember that supplements often lack other nutrients like fiber, so they shouldn't be routinely taken as a substitute for protein-rich foods.
For example, if you plan to work out after work and before dinner and haven't eaten anything at lunch, a protein supplement can be an easy way to fuel your workout before you get to that full meal, says nutritionist Annalize Pratt. Or if you have trouble eating breakfast in the morning, supplements can be good options for a quick meal."
"However, if you drink the calories your body needs, you probably won't feel as full as you would if you ate them," he says. Combine protein supplements with something else, such as a high-fiber fruit such as an apple. In this way, if you use protein food supplements as a meal replacement from time to time, you will not lose nutrients.Improving the quality of life with healthy and principled nutrition?
Do you suffer from nutritional problems? Our Tehran nutritionist, Dr. Maryam Sebaktekin, will help you restore your health and enjoy life by providing specialized services:- Problems related to nutrition: treatment of liver and digestive diseases and other problems related to nutrition
- specialized diet adjustment: controlling and improving blood pressure through faster
- Athletes' diet plan: improving sports performance for faster recovery
- Slimming treatment: healthy weight gain and reaching the ideal weight
