The most extreme weight loss methods revealed – would YOU try these extreme diets?
Most of the headlines emphasized the fact that the two diets involved — low-fat and low-carb — ended up having the same results across almost all end points studied, from weight loss to lowering blood sugar and cholesterol. The authors wanted to compare low-fat vs. Previous studies had suggested that a difference in a particular genetic sequence could mean that certain people will do better with a low-fat diet.
Other studies had suggested that insulin sensitivity may mean that certain people will do better with a low-carb diet. The study began with relatively healthy overweight and obese people, and completed the whole year. For the first month, everyone did what they usually did.
Then, for the next eight weeks, the low-fat group reduced their total fat intake to 20 grams per day, and the low-carb group reduced their total carbohydrate intake to 20 grams per day. That kind of dietary restriction is impossible to maintain over the long term and, as this study showed, unnecessary. Participants were instructed to slowly add back fats or carbs until they reached a level they felt could be maintained for life. In addition, both groups were instructed to. People were not asked to count calories at all.
7-Day Diet Plan for Weight Loss | Shape
Over the course of a year, both groups attended 22 classes reinforcing these very sound principles — and all participants had access to health educators who guided them in behavioral modification strategies, such as emotional awareness, setting goals, developing self-efficacy also known as willpower , and utilizing social support networks, all to avoid falling back into unhealthy eating patterns. Get all that? Basically, the differences between groups were minimal. Yes, the low-fat group dropped their daily fat intake and the low-carb group dropped their daily carb intake.
But both groups ended up taking in to calories less per day than they had before, and both lost the same average amount of weight 12 pounds over the course of a year. The only measure that was different was that the LDL low density lipoprotein was significantly lower in the low-fat group, and the HDL high density lipoprotein was significantly higher in the low-carb group.
I love this study because it examined a realistic lifestyle change rather than just a fad diet. Both groups, after all, were labeled as healthy diets, and they were, because study investigators encouraged eating high-quality, nutritious whole foods, unlimited vegetables, and avoiding flours, sugars, bad fats, and processed foods.
Everyone was encouraged to be physically active at a level most Americans are not. And — this is a big one — everyone had access to basic behavioral counseling aimed at reducing emotional eating. This whole study could just as well be called a study of sustainable healthy lifestyle change. The results jibe very much with prior research about healthy lifestyle.
The end message is the same one that we usually end with:. The best diet is the one we can maintain for life and is only one piece of a healthy lifestyle. People should aim to eat high-quality, nutritious whole foods, mostly plants fruits and veggies , and avoid flours, sugars, trans fats, and processed foods anything in a box.
Everyone should try to be physically active, aiming for about two and a half hours of vigorous activity per week. For many people, a healthy lifestyle also means better stress management, and perhaps even therapy to address emotional issues that can lead to unhealthy eating patterns.
But all that changed once i adopted its high fat, low carb principles. There is plenty of research to support a low-fat lifestyle, just as there is strong evidence that you can lose weight by cutting carbs. Different approaches work for different people, but if you want to slim down, cutting back on added sugars is consistent advice across all programs.
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One more note on added sugars: Whether you call it agave, cane juice, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, fruit juice concentrate, date sugar, or any of the 61 names for added sugar , they all spell trouble for your health and your waistline. Overly processed foods have been linked to weight gain, perhaps because many unhealthy packaged foods think: potato chips, ice cream, frozen pizza, cookies, and the like lack the fiber found in many whole foods, including vegetables. Fiber helps fill us up, and research suggests that by simply adding more fiber to your menu, you can lose weight nearly as well as a more complicated approach.
Consistently choosing whole foods is one way to do this. Think of how long it takes to eat a fast-food sandwich compared to a plate of fish, salad, broccoli and brown rice.
When researchers conducted a similar experiment, matching meals for calories, carbs, protein, fat and sugar, and allowing people to eat as much or as little as they liked, they found that people ate about calories more per day when eating heavily processed foods — and they gained an average of two pounds during the short study period. They ate more, ate faster, and experienced some changes in their appetite-regulating hormones that can make it harder to feel full.
But those same folks lost about two pounds when given the whole foods diet, suggesting that prioritizing whole foods can help you regulate your appetite and weight. Whole foods include fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, eggs, seafood, chicken and so on. The goal is to select an approach that feels sustainable to you. Vegans and vegetarians can lose weight by choosing fruits, vegetables, whole grains and plant proteins.
Nut lovers may do well shedding pounds with a Mediterranean-style menu.
Which diet is best for long-term weight loss?
Whatever diet appeals to your appetite and way of life, focusing on whole foods is something that all plans promote. The truth is that losing weight is easy, but only if done in the right manner. Studies suggest that people who exercise in the morning are relatively slimmer and healthier than the ones who exercise later in the day.
Carry the feel good hormones and energy throughout the day by doing your exercise in the morning. Skip the Scale Don't weigh yourself daily, sometimes it just unnecessarily panics you and can be demotivating. Also, the scale can be deceiving as it ignores the fact that you might be adding muscle weight. Weigh yourself once a week and ideally in the morning.
Carry Your Own Snacks When I consult clients I have realised that their main meals are well managed, however, snack is an area where most of them end up going for unnecessary foods and jeopardise their weight loss. It's a great idea to pack your own snack at work or on the go. Make small packs of nuts and seeds, fruits, plain yogurt, chaach, sprouts, dark chocolate, chilla, cubes of paneer or cheese.
Eat An Apple This one is my favorite, and I tell most of my clients "eat an apple or visualise it.
If you are not hungry enough to eat one full apple , you are not hungry, just bored! Engage in fun activities or hobbies like singing, reading or whatever you fancy. Thinking about food all the time can be extremely taxing for your weight loss efforts. This gives you complete control over ingredients like sugar, fat, oil and salt that goes into your food.