There is a common misconception that protein alone will make you “bulky” since protein contains the building blocks for muscles! However, protein is essential for maintaining and building lean muscle mass which in return will help you burn excess fat and keep your body working for you.
Protein is composed of a series a building blocks we call amino acids. There are over 20 different types of amino acids that can be combined to create a protein. By eating a variety of protein foods we can obtain all the amino acids our body needs to grow, repair, and perform a variety of functions including:
Building hair and nails
Carrying oxygen in your blood to all the parts of your body
Carrying messages to and from your brain via nerve cells
Building muscle
Digesting food
Building antibodies that help defend the body against viruses and bacteria
High protein foods (that are relatively unprocessed) also help to keep us full, which in turn, helps with weight control.
So, no, adding in some extra chicken, tofu, protein powder, or even collagen peptides to reach your target protein numbers won't bulk you up, but it will help you lose weight in the long run!