In today’s media, we are constantly bombarded with “the latest and greatest weight-loss solutions,” or so they say. Most people think of weight-loss as something that can be accomplished by simply going on a “diet.” The problem with all of these fad diets is that, once the weight is lost, research has shown that people tend to revert back to the same eating habits and behaviors that originally caused them to become overweight. This on-a-diet/off-a-diet pattern may allow a person to look good for a specific occasion, but it is not what is needed for long-term weight management.

The most common misconception about dieting is people’s tendency to associate the word “diet” with “starvation.” These people attribute being overweight simply to the act of eating; therefore, they believe that in order to lose the excess weight, they should simply not eat. What if I told you, though, that you could lose weight without ever missing a meal? By understanding a few basic fundamentals—which I will touch base on continuously in these posts—you can indulge in the foods you enjoy without your weight increasing.

In a previous post, I talked about the importance of meal timing and portion control. Those are key fundamentals to any weight management program. In this post, I will be talking about improving the quality of your diet without sacrificing the quantity of foods consumed.

Today’s marketplace can make our attempts to improve our diets and control our weight a frustrating experience. Food companies are constantly marketing their products as “fat free” or “made from whole wheat.” What these companies are not telling us is that, although they have reduced the amount(s) of something in their product, they have also increased the amount(s) of something else.

For instance, a lot of bakery products, like cookies and pastries, are claiming to be healthier by being low in fat or low in cholesterol. When the fat is removed from a food product, some of the taste goes with it. Therefore, in order for these products to remain tasteful, more sugar is added. Although the fat has been reduced or removed, the excess sugar will still promote body fat storage; therefore, these products are still fattening.

Luckily, though, the FDA requires that all food products designate a portion of their label to list serving sizes, calories per serving, the sources of those calories (carbohydrate, protein, and fat), and also to list the ingredients the product is made from. Whenever you see these so called health claims on a food product, check the “nutritional facts panel” on the back or the side of the container. If the product claims to be low in fat, and you’re curious if the fat has been substituted with additional sugar, you’ll find your answer there.

Furthermore, if you’re looking to avoid foods that promote the storage of body fat, look for foods that contain no more than 20-25 grams of sugar per serving. To further assist with weight control, look for at least 3-5 grams of fiber per serving and at least 6-8 grams of protein per serving.

Fiber helps to slow the absorption rate of nutrients. This offers two separate benefits. One: the slower the absorption, the more work the body has to do to digest the foods consumed; the more work the body has to do, the greater the increase in your metabolism. Two: when too much sugar enters the blood stream, the body freaks and tries to store it up as fat. Because fiber slows the absorption rate, the sugars consumed enter the blood stream at a more gradual rate than if they were consumed alone. This gives the body an opportunity to use these nutrients for energy purposes and/or tissue repair, rather than store them up as body fat.

As for protein per serving, it also offers two separate benefits for weight control. The first is that protein takes longer to digest, and it will leave you feeling full longer. This will help with your meal timing, because you're able to control your appetite between meals if you’re left feeling full longer. The second benefit is that protein, in the absence of sufficient carbohydrates, can be metabolized for energy (this is the concept utilized with the Atkin’s Diet). However, the body must go through some metabolically elaborate processes in order to use protein for energy. Every step the body takes to convert this nutrient into energy actually burns energy, thus speeding up your metabolism even further. Supplementing some of your carbohydrates for protein can help to speed up your weight-loss efforts.

There are a lot of food products out there that are accurately promoting health benefits. Look for words on food labels like “whole” in front of the type of grain used; i.e., whole wheat. Be careful that it doesn’t say “made from whole…” This can be misleading. You can also look for things like “reduced fat,” “low fat ,”or“ high fiber.” The FDA also regulates these terms to the point where the product must meet certain requirements in order for the company to place those words on their labels.

A healthy diet should not force you to make sacrifices. Instead of making sacrifices, try making substitutions. For example, if you like to eat white rice or white bread, try substituting them for brown rice or whole wheat bread. Similarly, if you enjoy drinking sodas, try substituting them for diet sodas. Most fad diets require people to completely eliminate items from their current diet. Although effective in the short-term, making sacrifices this way only makes the diet harder to sustain over long periods.

To manage your weight at your desired level, you should be able to establish a pattern of food consumption and exercise that allows you to enjoy the foods and activities that you enjoy without causing your weight to increase. It should be a pattern that you can comfortably adapt to for life. Therefore, rather than associating the word “diet” with starvation, think of your diet as a set of healthy eating habits.

I hope that this post is informative and easy to understand. Please feel free to ask any questions. I will always make time to address anyone’s health concerns to the best of my ability.