Protein for Weight Loss Success: How One Woman Lost 230 Pounds at Age 70—And Kept It Off
Plus see simple, protein-packed breakfast recipes to jump-start your journey
We often hear that protein is key for weight loss after age 50, and for good reason. “It’s true,” confirms University of Maryland’s Pamela Peeke, MD, explaining that older bodies don’t break down protein as well, so we must eat extra to absorb enough. But once we do, we get stronger, healthier and slim down doubly fast, per a Duke University study.
Fortunately, increasing your protein intake or following a high-protein diet doesn’t have to be a chore. Here we reveal how one woman lost over 200 pounds by increasing the amount of protein she ate, plus we share simple simple (and delicious!) recipes to get more of this key nutrient in your diet.
The crucial role of protein for weight loss
Research has consistently shown that getting 30 grams of protein in the morning is needed to “wake up” your muscles, says Skidmore College expert Paul Arciero, PhD. A Purdue team also found morning protein boosts belly-fat loss by at least 220 percent. “It turns the furnace in muscles to high,” Arciero says. “You see a lot more fat loss.”
Woman's World Answers
It also causes high blood and sugar insulin levels to fall 50 percent in 12 weeks. “When insulin comes down like that, fat burning has gone way up, especially in the abdominal area,” he notes.
And women report losing up to 12 pounds and a pants size in a week while improving energy, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar—often without exercise!
Protein for weight loss: One woman’s success story
Debbie Bika and her husband, Dan, were strolling along a cobblestone street to a restaurant near their Ohio home when she tripped on an uneven brick and went down hard. She couldn’t find anything to help pull herself up, and at 510 pounds with newly-replaced knees, there was no other way to get back on her feet—not even with Dan’s help.
After strangers rushed over to offer assistance, Dan and Debbie walked slowly on. She thought: “Things like that could happen over and over unless I get healthier.”
Right after the fall, Debbie gave up her usual pizza, chips and cookies and dabbled in strict fad diets. None felt sustainable. “At this rate, I’ll end up in a nursing home, or worse,” she thought. “No more quick fixes. They don’t work.”
How Debbie used protein to lose 230 pounds
The day Dan and Debbie went to the gym, she was anxious, but a trainer named Ray Droney came over to give her pointers and put her at ease. Each time Debbie went to the gym, Ray gave her advice. Her goal had shifted from weight loss to being strong enough to get up if she fell again.
“To build strength, you have to give your muscles the right nutrients all day long,” Ray told her one day. “You want 30 percent of your calories from protein.”
Debbie’s son Jason suggested an app called LoseIt! and explained that all she had to do was type in what she ate and it would track her calories and protein and help her stay in an optimal range. She could even log meals when she went out to eat with friends.
She focused on protein-rich foods
The first few times Debbie used the app, she didn’t meet her protein goal. “I’ll need more protein in the morning,” she realized. “But I’ll get bored eating eggs every day.”
She hit the internet and found tricks to get her intake up while keeping her calories moderate. She’d mix protein powder in oatmeal, enjoy her fruit with cottage cheese. She even found tasty recipes for protein muffins and protein balls.
Midmorning, Greek yogurt with seasoning made a great protein-rich dip for veggies. The rest of the time, Debbie and Dan enjoyed endless combinations of fish or meat, veggies and a little starch, like baked potato or quinoa. She also carried individual packets of her favorite lower-calorie dressing so she could enjoy protein-topped salads at restaurants.
“Anytime I’m hungry, I check my food log and realize I didn’t meet my protein goal for the day,” Debbie told Dan.
She increased her physical activity
Debbie kept at it and found herself celebrating 50, 75, 100 pounds lost. Gradually, a whopping 200 pounds were gone.
“We still socialize often, up to five times a week,” shared the then 70-year-old. “And my world has just opened up. I have more energy for everything. I can not only get up off the floor, I walk for miles! I’m finally able to really enjoy retirement.”
Down 230 pounds so far, “the combination of logging my food, adding exercise and the magic of protein—it worked for me when nothing else did,” says Debbie. “I lost a lot of years to poor health, but I’m hoping I’ve gained some of them back. I’m no longer prediabetic, I’m off blood-pressure meds and I no longer need epidurals or surgery for my back.”
She built lean muscle
Though Debbie’s actual weight loss has slowed throughout her journey, she keeps getting smaller.
“That’s because I’m building muscle, which weighs more than fat but takes up a lot less space,” she shares. “My trainer says I’ve probably gained 50 pounds of muscle since I started. So I don’t worry about the scale much anymore. It’s a joy to be stronger. And it’s a joy to shop for smaller clothes too!”
Debbie, who stands 6′ tall, once struggled to find size 6Xs that fit. Today, she’s a size 18.
4 protein-packed breakfast recipes for weight loss
To follow Debbie’s lead, download a free tracking app like LoseIt! and use it to create a daily calorie budget. The goal is stay within the budget while getting at least 25 grams protein per meal, including breakfast. You also want 10 grams of protein at mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks to help feel fuller and lose weight in the long term.
Morning eats like these turbocharge slimming, but as always, get your doctor’s okay to try any new diet.
Higher-protein eggs (30 grams protein)
Whisk 1-1⁄2 Tbs. egg white powder in 1/4 cup warm water; whisk in 1 egg. Scramble in a drizzle of olive oil with optional veggies.
Creamy protein bites (25 grams protein)
Enjoy ¾ cup cottage cheese with cucumbers, salt and pepper plus an optional drizzle of olive oil and hot peppers.
Protein-powered poppers (6 grams protein each)
Mix 1-1/2 cups oats, 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder, ½ cup nut butter and 1/3 cup honey (or sweetener to taste); roll into 12 balls.
Mocha protein hotcakes (32 grams protein per serving)
Combine 2 large eggs; 1 Tbs. instant coffee; ½ cup plain Greek yogurt; ½ cup low-sugar chocolate whey protein powder and 1 tsp. baking powder in a food processor or blender. For each cake, spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of batter on a hot griddle misted with nonstick spray. Flip as it bubbles, about 60 seconds; cook 10-20 seconds on the other side. Enjoy with low-sugar syrup. Serves two.
For more, enter “protein” in the search box at sites like SkinnyTaste.com and Hungry-Girl.com.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
