A Doctor’s Turning Point
It was on one of those early morning walks along the lake, when my lab coat was still a little too close-fitting, that I realized something had to give. My months of advising patients on lifestyle changes hadn’t translated into making them for myself. Mid-morning, my energy was waning, and the prospect of standing on the weighing scale filled me with dread. That was the wake-up call.
As a physician, I am aware of the ways in which food choices impact our metabolism. So I practiced what I preach — and I adopted a high-protein, low-carbohydrate (HP-LC) diet. It didn’t only facilitate my 20-pound weight loss over a few months; it transformed how I thought about food, energy and well-being overall.
What Is a High-Protein, Low-Carb Diet?
The HP-LC diet encourages a high amount of protein consumption while drastically reducing the intake of carbohydrates. In contrast to calorie-restricted diets that can drain energy and cause loss of muscle, this protocol preserves energy and supports lean muscle.
It works by resetting the body’s fuel system — prompting it to burn fat more efficiently by reducing insulin levels and boosting satiety. Biochemically, it shifts the primary fuel substrate from glucose to fatty acids and ketone bodies — stable energy sources that don’t promote spikes in insulin that store fat.
The Power of Protein for Weight Loss
Boosts Metabolism
Protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs or fats, since it requires more energy to break down. Melted calories burn out and speeds up the metabolism. A review in Nutrients explains that high-protein diets significantly promote fat burning through increased thermogenesis.
For protein, the thermic effect of food (TEF) costs us about 20-30% of energy, carbohydrate 5-10% and fat 0-3%. This means that up to 30% of those protein calories get burned up just from the act of digesting it.
Reduces Appetite
Protein makes you feel full longer. Protein affects hormones that control appetite like ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and a satiety hormone that increases peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).
Indeed, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that participants who ate a high-protein diet ate fewer calories naturally because they were less hungry.
Preserves Muscle Mass
Weight loss typically also means muscle loss, but protein helps to protect against this. An adequate amount of dietary protein can lead to a stimulation of muscle protein synthesis through the mTOR signaling pathway, and help preserve lean body mass, especially in the context of caloric restriction.
High protein diets also maintain muscle in a weight loss process and prevent rebound weight gain, according to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity. Maintaining muscle also raises basal metabolic rate (BMR), helping long-term fat loss.
This Is Why Cutting Carbs Makes You Burn Fat
The importance of cutting carbs is something similar in this method too. Here’s how it contributes:
Lowers Insulin Levels
Carbs raise insulin levels — a hormone that signals the body to store fat by inducing glucose absorption and lipidogenesis (lipid creation). When carbs are restricted, insulin levels drop, and fat stored away can be accessed for fuel.
High insulin, long term (chronic) also blunts leptin signaling (making you less full and making you crave more). Cutting carbohydrates breaks this cycle.
Enhances Fat Burning
With lower carbs, the body goes into a state called ketosis, in which it burns fat for energy rather than converting it to glucose. Under this metabolic state, mitochondrial efficiency is increased and oxidative stress is decreased.
Another landmark study just published in the New England Journal of Medicine also found that low-carb diets resulted in greater weight loss and better cardiovascular outcomes than low-fat diets. They saw significant improvement in triglycerides and HDL, both of which support heart health long term.
HP-LC Foods That Had a Bigger Impact on My Journey
Here are the staples that kept me on track and feeling nourished:
- Chicken breast grilled with broccoli and crack olive 돼지껍질
- Breakfast: Cheesy spinach and mushroom omelet
- Oven-roasted salmon with avocado and a crunchy green salad
- Tofu ta los huevos como stira y hsd con verdugnes bell pepper and zucchinis
Pairing protein with healthy fats and fiber-rich vegetables helps achieve satisfaction and nutrition balance. These combinations support stable blood glucose levels and minimize postprandial glucose spikes.
When You Are Trying to Balance Protein with Fats and Fiber
Protein is the star, but fats and fiber are key supporting players:
Add Healthy Fats
Include brain-boosting fats such as:
- Avocados
- Almonds and walnuts
- Chia seeds
- Extra virgin olive oil
These help with hormone production, lessen inflammation, and improve the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K).
Prioritize Gut-Friendly Fiber
Select non-starchy vegetables such as:
- Kale and spinach
- Broccoli and cauliflower
- Zucchini and bell peppers
It helps to digest, improves gut microbiota and decreases sugar craving. Soluble fiber mediates the rate of nutrient absorption, which can prevent blood glucose spikes and improve insulin sensitivity.
HP-LC: Making It a Lifestyle, Not a Diet
You are more sustainable than hot running. Here’s what kept me on track:
Establish SMART Goals
Rather than declaring, “I want to lose weight,” I set incremental goals each week — meal prepping on Sundays, for instance, or walking 10,000 steps per day.
Plan Ahead
Meal planning prevented me from eating impulsively. I’d batch cook and keep healthy snacks on hand, such as boiled eggs or tuna salad, in the fridge.
Stay Active, Not Exhausted
I complemented my diet with daily movement — from brisk walking to light strength training. This preserved muscle and improved my mood with the release of those endorphins.
If you find any of your habits difficult to change, ask others for help.
Seeing my progress with friends and in online communities helped keep me encouraged.
So much about tracking your progress holistically.
Other than weight, I recorded sleep quality, mood and waist measurements. It was very satisfying to watch all those metrics improve.
That was my personal outcome from skeptic to believer.
In advance of this journey, I found myself sluggish by midafternoon and uninspired by the foods I was eating. After months of high-protein, low-carb living, I was mentally sharper, my clothes fit better and I had no more energy crashes.
This wasn’t about aesthetics. It was about rediscovering my vitality — for my patients, my family, and myself. I now advise patients on metabolic flexibility, the ability to switch between fuel sources, which this diet promotes.
The bottom line: An easier, healthier way to lose weight
The low-carb, high-protein way of life is not a fad. It’s a scientifically proven protocol that increases your metabolism, suppresses your appetite and maintains your lean muscle — all while tuning your body’s ability to burn fat more effectively.
Its benefits on metabolic health are due to:
- Improving mitochondrial function
- Lowering insulin resistance
- Stabilizing blood sugar
- Reducing systemic inflammation
Whether you’re trying to lose weight, increase energy, or prevent chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes or PCOS, this method offers a flexible and enjoyable pathway to better health.
Are you ready to take the first step? Start small. Stock your fridge with protein staples, plan simple meals, and track your journey. You don’t need perfection — just consistency.