8/18/2021 I Cut My Body Fat Percentage in Half With a High-Protein Diet

This is Google's cache of https://www.insider.com/high-protein-daily-diet-to-lose-body-fat-keep-muscle-2021-8. It is a

snapshot of the page as it appeared on 17 Aug 2021 21:01:17 GMT. The current page could have changed in the
meantime. Learn more.

Full version Text-only version View source

Tip: To quickly find your search term on this page, press Ctrl+F or ⌘-F (Mac) and use the find bar.

Insider Beats
Politics
Entertainment
Tech
Science
Health
Reviews
Lifestyle
T

HOME
HEALTH

I cut my body fat percentage almost in half after

starting a high-protein diet. Here's what I eat.

Rachel Hosie
Aug 13, 2021, 4:30 AM

H O M E PA G E Subscribe

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NaSGsjmrPZYJ:https://www.insider.com/high-protein-daily-diet-to-lose-body-fat-keep-muscle-20… 1/13
8/18/2021 I Cut My Body Fat Percentage in Half With a High-Protein Diet

Rachel Hosie in 2018 (left) and 2021.

Rachel Hosie

Over the years, I've reduced my body fat percentage from 30% to 17%.

Eating a high-protein diet keeps me full and helps me maintain muscle.

Here's how I eat every day to maintain my physique.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Business Insider: A daily selection of curated stories

Email address
Email address

SIGN UP

By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider
as well as other partner offers and accept our
Terms
of Service and
Privacy Policy.

H O M E PA G E Subscribe

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NaSGsjmrPZYJ:https://www.insider.com/high-protein-daily-diet-to-lose-body-fat-keep-muscle-20… 2/13
8/18/2021 I Cut My Body Fat Percentage in Half With a High-Protein Diet

Nearly three years ago, I decided to work on my relationship with food. I vowed to stop
overeating, and I wanted to lose fat.

At the same time, I wanted to hold on to the muscle I'd built through 18 months of weight
lifting — or even increase my gains.

Over six months, I lost 35 pounds and reduced my body fat percentage from 30% to 17%.

Since then, I've kept the weight off, fluctuating a little over a small range, and continued to
lose fat and build more muscle by altering my diet and training consistently.

Here's how I do it.

H O M E PA G E Subscribe

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NaSGsjmrPZYJ:https://www.insider.com/high-protein-daily-diet-to-lose-body-fat-keep-muscle-20… 3/13
8/18/2021 I Cut My Body Fat Percentage in Half With a High-Protein Diet

rachel_hosie View Profile

14K followers

View More on Instagram

429 likes

Add a comment...
H O M E PA G E Subscribe

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NaSGsjmrPZYJ:https://www.insider.com/high-protein-daily-diet-to-lose-body-fat-keep-muscle-20… 4/13
8/18/2021 I Cut My Body Fat Percentage in Half With a High-Protein Diet

I alter my portion size when I want to lose fat

I'm now in a position where I know how to manage my weight, body fat, and physique.

I go through phases where being lean isn't a priority, and I just want to relax a bit and
enjoy celebrations with friends and family, or maybe focus more on muscle-building
(which is best done in a calorie surplus), even if that comes with an increase in body fat. 

At other times, I decide I want to trim off those few extra pounds, and I know how to do
that healthily without losing muscle.

H O M E PA G E Subscribe

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NaSGsjmrPZYJ:https://www.insider.com/high-protein-daily-diet-to-lose-body-fat-keep-muscle-20… 5/13
8/18/2021 I Cut My Body Fat Percentage in Half With a High-Protein Diet

rachel_hosie View Profile

London, United Kingdom

View More on Instagram

H O M E PA G E Subscribe

340 likes
webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NaSGsjmrPZYJ:https://www.insider.com/high-protein-daily-diet-to-lose-body-fat-keep-muscle-20… 6/13
8/18/2021 I Cut My Body Fat Percentage in Half With a High-Protein Diet

Add a comment...

During fat loss phases, it's important to only cut calories slightly and to maintain a high-
protein intake — eating protein keeps you full and also helps you to hold on to or build
muscle, depending on your body and how you're training.

"Protein is a really satiating macronutrient, which means it can leave you feeling fuller for
longer," dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine told Insider. "Protein also takes more energy to
break down and metabolize in comparison to simple carbohydrates or fats."

I don't really change my diet when I want to lose fat, I mostly just alter my portion size and
manage my overall calorie intake.

I include donuts and cake into my diet

Every day is different, but here's what an average day of eating might look like when I want
to eat in a calorie deficit:

Breakfast: overnight oats with berries and banana (if I want to make this even lower in
calories, sometimes I use powdered peanut butter instead of regular) 

H O M E PA G E Subscribe
Lunch: bagel thin with grilled chicken breast, avocado, and cream cheese, plus an apple

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NaSGsjmrPZYJ:https://www.insider.com/high-protein-daily-diet-to-lose-body-fat-keep-muscle-20… 7/13
8/18/2021 I Cut My Body Fat Percentage in Half With a High-Protein Diet

Afternoon snack: slice of banana bread

Dinner: wholegrain pasta with turkey meatballs and green vegetables in a creamy pesto
sauce

Dessert: Greek yogurt with mango

While I try and cook from scratch and keep ultra-processed foods to a minimum, I
definitely do eat some out of convenience. I love low calorie ice creams and protein bars,
but I also incorporate donuts, cake, pizza, and burgers into my diet.

I follow the 80/20 rule, so I aim to eat nutrient-dense foods 80% of the time, and
whatever I want for the remaining 20%.

H O M E PA G E Subscribe

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NaSGsjmrPZYJ:https://www.insider.com/high-protein-daily-diet-to-lose-body-fat-keep-muscle-20… 8/13
8/18/2021 I Cut My Body Fat Percentage in Half With a High-Protein Diet

rachel_hosie
View Profile
14K followers

Subscribe

View More on Instagram

H O M E PA G E Subscribe

304 likes
webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NaSGsjmrPZYJ:https://www.insider.com/high-protein-daily-diet-to-lose-body-fat-keep-muscle-20… 9/13
8/18/2021 I Cut My Body Fat Percentage in Half With a High-Protein Diet

Add a comment...

If you tell yourself particular foods are off limits, but they're foods you enjoy, you end up
putting them on a pedestal.

In my experience, this isn't a sustainable way to live, because the more you restrict, the
more likely you are to binge. That's why I include all foods in my diet, even when in a fat
loss phase.

NOW WATCH: Every difference between UK and US Wendy's

including portion sizes, calories, and exclusive items

H O M E PA G E Subscribe

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NaSGsjmrPZYJ:https://www.insider.com/high-protein-daily-diet-to-lose-body-fat-keep-muscle-2… 10/13