Protein intake when dieting

Question
Hi,
How important is it to reduce the intake of protein when on a low fat and low carbohydrate diet?
I am aware that reducing carbs and fat can have a positive effect when attempting to lose weight, and I also know that red meats must be kept to a minumum too.  But can I eat white meats (fish, chicken, turkey, pork) more freely than I eat carbs and fats?
I am currently eating about 170 grams of carbs per day and 25 grams of fat a day can you suggest a suitable amount of protein intake that will not affect my diet?
If it is not possible to increase protein intake (currently 65 grams) then can you suggest a way of stopping the hunger without piling on the fat? (water only stops the hunger for five minutes!)
Thank you very much

Answer
Dear Phil,

In fact, one can reduce carbs OR fats in a diet thus shifting the metabolic pathway from running on carbohydrates to using fat as fuel (body fat including.)

If  you wish to reduce both, than, naturally you are left with proteins and of course you can eat lean protein freely but keeping in your mind that almost half of it can be converted into carbohydrates - so it will not be really low carb diet.

To be truly - biochemically - low in carbohydrates, diet must be high enough in fat, that is a sad scientific truth :)

On a good low carb diet, your hunger stops very reliably because your body fat is finally recognized by the body as a legitimate kind of fuel and 'burning' it means to the body same as eating a fatty meal.

HOpe it helps,

Tanya Zilberter, PhD

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