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Here’s a new study we really could have used before the holidays: If you are going to overeat, be sure your diet has enough protein.

Body fat increases in all who overeat, regardless of the level of protein eaten, the researchers found. But those who overate with low protein levels in their diet stored a higher percent of calories as fat. They also lost lean body mass, while those on the higher-protein diets gained lean body mass.

The messages are clear, says researcher George Bray, MD, Boyd professor and professor of medicine at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La.

Calories count, and so does protein. "Very low protein diets are clearly detrimental," Bray says. "You lose lean body mass."