High-protein diets may not be as bad as they say after all especially if you like to work out and add fiber and complex carbohydrates to the diet.

Research at the University of Illinois has shown that a diet rich in lean meat and dairy products can make regular exercise even more effective for losing body fat. I emphasize Lean Meat or Low Fat Protein Supplements such as whey or egg whites.

A study found that women who exercised at least 200 minutes per week lost about the same amount of weight whether they ate a high-protein or a high-carbohydrate diet, but the most important finding in this study was almost all the weight lost by those who ate the protein-rich diet was body fat, while almost one-third of the weight lost by those on the high-carbohydrate diet was muscle.

Losing the muscle reduces your calorie burn thus reducing your body's ability to burn calories. This is an extremely important finding as by losing the fat and retaining the muscle our body begins to burn more and more calories, thus accelerating the fat loss.

It is a proven fact protein really does help weight loss, but we as Americans already eat more protein than they need, but at the same time consume too many simple carbohydrates, sugars, saturated fats and trans fats.

Studies have also found that diets containing fruits and vegetables contain a lot of fiber and vitamin-rich carbohydrates The major role plant foods, like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans play in weight loss is adding fiber and complex carbohydrates to our diet. As we have discovered to maximize the bodies ability to burn fat we need to consume enough protein to sustain muscle tissue. Whole fruits, vegetables, fiber and complex carbohydrates that can cleanse the blood of artery-clogging cholesterol thus helping pull fat from the body. This gives you the double benefit of reducing fat in the blood and muscle to burn stored body fat.

So remember -- successful dieting does not mean not eating. It means eating right, and eating regularly. A lean body and genuine health can be yours -- safely and naturally.