Find out how a 4/5 protein meal helped a dietitian lose 35 pounds

Protein-rich foods are beneficial for the body as they provide essential nutrients to help the body grow, repair, and function effectively. It also acts as an important component when it comes to losing weight, as it affects the metabolism, body composition, and hunger levels. The high-protein foods like eggs, fish, Greek yogurt, seeds, and nuts aim for about 30% of your daily diet, which can be effective for losing weight.



Speaking to Business Insider, American dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine explained how her approach to protein-rich food is both practical and balanced. Raine started consuming a high-protein diet 6 years ago, and managing to lose 35 pounds and has been able to keep it off.

The 4 out of 5 rule


Raine mentioned that it was impossible to count calories or track her body for protein count as it was not sustainable, and that's why she developed a simple formula to stay in shape. She decided that out of the five meals she had in a day—breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and dessert—4 out of these, she would focus on providing a good amount of protein to the body.

The concept formula invented in her diet works well with mindful eating without counting and tracking the protein or calorie intake in the meal. Raine explained how her method has been flexible and added how she focused much less on planning her meals. Citing an example that if she chose to have pasta for dinner, she would opt for yogurt as a dessert instead of chocolate, which helped her to make sure that her body received enough protein for the day.

Raine mentioned that at least 4 out of 5 of her meals include protein, and it was a simple yet effective strategy.




Relationship with food

Raine explained that her flexibility with food allowed her to enjoy her meals and, at the same time, have a sustainable and healthy relationship with food. She also mentioned that to lose weight, one needs to be more adaptable to the intake of food rather than stressing and counting food intake. Raine added that her protein intake would fluctuate daily, as some days she might consume more protein and a few days where her body would have received less than 30%; but said that it wouldn't bother much of the body mass.