Bathroom scales do not tell the whole story

According to a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association, you may gain less weight by overeating on a low-protein diet than on a normal-protein or high-protein diet. Huh?

The reason is you lose lean body mass (muscle and organ tissue) on a low-protein diet and you gain lean body mass on a normal or high-protein diet. The less protein you eat, the more fat you will store. Fat is lighter than muscle.

In the study, the amount of carbohydrates stayed the same with the low, normal, and high protein groups. Those on the low-protein diet gained about 7 pounds compared with 13 pounds for those on a normal-protein diet and 14 pounds for those on a high-protein diet. The reason: lean body mass decreased by 1½ pounds in the low-protein diet group, compared with a gain of about 6 pounds of lean body mass in the normal-protein diet group and 7 pounds in the high-protein diet group. Protein contributed to the changes in lean body mass.

Bonnie - a "holy grail" comment of sorts came straight from the lead researcher of this study: "The bathroom scale doesn't tell you what the composition of your body is." How many years have I said that of the multifaceted contributions of protein, one of the most important is that it maintains and builds muscle mass while replacing body fat. This is why some of my clients, after several weeks on their food plans, do not see measurable differences on the scale. The difference is hidden: they are replacing body fat with lean muscle mass. This is beneficial for all age groups, but especially so for the elderly.