Do Diets Cause Greater Weight Gain?

I recently returned from the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE – fence E), the annual meeting for dietitian nutritionists. Along with some 10,000 other members and professionals, I acquired updated information on some of the latest food products and nutrition research. One reminder about weight control came from a speaker in interaction with the audience. I don’t recall the session, but the speaker’s comment reverberated in my brain, “In the long run, weight loss diets can cause greater weight gain.” That’s not the exact quote, but close. How often do we hear about or experience weight loss only to regain pounds and exceed the starting point of the diet?

Our bodies need sufficient calories to accommodate body functions, but when we overindulge and acquire excessive weight, health problems may occur. We often seek remedies through unwise “dieting.” Several older studies confirmed negative results of dieting. Restricting calories increased secretion of the steroid hormone cortisol causing weight gain. Also, monitoring calories increased perceived stress resulting in added weight. Yet, about half of Americans continue to diet. Why?

In her October 2019 article “The ‘Biggest Loser’ returns‒should you watch?” dietitian nutritionist Susan Burke March explored the perils of rapid weight loss. Contestants for the TV show exercised for six to eight hours daily. The starvation diet resulted in failure to meet minimum nutritional needs. The outcome? While participants lost weight during the show over a short period of time, most regained it, and several surpassed their initial weight.

What is the message here? Give up? That’s not the solution. We know the dangers of excessive weight. Worldwide projected estimates for diet related expenditures in 2019 expect to reach more than $206 billion even though weight gain seems to occur regardless of the type of weight-loss diet. Extreme diets play havoc with hormones and metabolism causing our bodies to need fewer calories. Our bodies adjust to starvation by lowering our energy needs to a minimal level. When we return to a normal diet with appropriate calories, we tend to gain more weight instead of returning to normal metabolism because our bodies have compensated for lower energy needs.

However there is hope for a healthy weight. Being the biggest loser isn’t the answer, being the biggest winner is. As March said, “Be a winner by making your diet a healthy one.” I have often alluded to this same advice in previous blogs. The perfect diet for us is the one that meets our nutritional needs with adequate calories for appropriate weight. Be a winner.

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Food Decisions─Easy or Hard?

When it comes to food, I’m all about choice. But, as it turns out, not everyone is. While I find it easy to decide, others find it hard. According to registered dietitian Samantha Cassetty in her article “Why We’re so Obsessed with Rigid Diets like Keto,” many like the structure of  stringent diets. Most of us prefer the simple way out, and allowing someone to make our food decisions somehow seems easier. We don’t have to think. It’s either on the diet list or not. That throws a whole new light on the word dieting.

Cassetty first describes decision fatigue. We become so overwhelmed with decisions demanded of us, we gratefully accept someone deciding what we should eat. Rules simplify decision-making. Likewise, diet structure helps us feel in control, empowered, and excited to find a plan that works. The predictability of what to eat helps reduce stress and maintain calm.

Cravings are complex traits we learn. A “diet” generally nixes high-fat, high-sugar foods we desire. The problem is, we soon tire or become discouraged with this restriction. According to Cassetty, most diet plans are unrealistic and can damage our relationship with foods. She suggests we 1) find a plan that appeals to our taste buds, 2) have a flexible backup plan, 3) create a healthy foundation with exercise, appropriate sleep, and minimal stress, 4) watch for red flags that hamper lifestyle, and 5) decide what about the diet works.

Certainly, there’ a protocol to eating. Perhaps if dieters learned the best one, they would enjoy structure yet still have choices. The USDA Healthy Eating Pattern has such a structure. Below are three options for a 2,000-calorie diet, the recommended calorie level for a healthy weight woman. All plans meet daily food needs of 2 cups fruits; 2½ cups vegetables; 6 ounces grains (at least half from whole grains); 5 ½ ounces protein foods; and 3 cups dairy.

While the pattern doesn’t list specific foods, it does give appropriate guidelines for a healthy diet. That narrows a lot of choices but leaves selections up to us. Do we want a bowl of cereal or a slice of bread? Do we choose a half-cup of blueberries or a medium orange? Think of the freedom with limited decision-making efforts.

Healthy Eating Pattern
Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
1 ounce Grains	1 ounce Grains	1 cup Fruit
½ cup Fruit	1 cup Dairy	1 cup Dairy
½ cup Dairy	1 ½ ounces Protein Foods
Morning Snack	Morning Snack	Morning Snack
1 ounce Grains	1 cup Fruit	1 ounce Grains
1 cup Fruit	½ cup Dairy	½ cup Dairy
		1 ½ ounces Protein Foods
Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
2 ounces Grains	2 ounces Grains	2 ounces Grains
1 cup Vegetables	1 cup Vegetables	1 cup Vegetables
½ cup Fruit	½ cup Dairy	1 cup Dairy
1 cup Dairy	2 ounces Protein Foods
2 ½ ounces Protein Foods
Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack
½ cup Vegetables	1 ounce Grains	1 ounce Grains
½ cup Dairy	½ cup Vegetables	½ cup Vegetables
½ cup Dairy		2 ounces Protein Foods
Dinner	Dinner	Dinner
2 ounces Grains	2 ounces Grains	2 ounces Grains
1 cup Vegetable	1 cup Vegetable	1 cup Vegetable
1 cup Dairy	1 cup Fruit	1 cup Fruit
3 ounces Protein Foods	1 cup Dairy	2 ounces Protein Foods
	2 ounces Protein Foods

It’s up to us. We can have structure and make healthy decisions work.

 

 

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Did You Resolve to Lose Weight in 2019?

With the new year now underway, many resolved, “This will be the year I will lose weight.” If that was your resolution again, how are you doing?  Repeated disappointment to lose weight requires a change in mindset. What do you really want—to lose weight or to be healthy?  Remind yourself it isn’t about losing weight. It’s about getting and keeping a healthy body. Weight is only one aspect of that goal. When you strive for better health through wiser food choices, weight loss will come―without all those weird, expensive, and/or dangerous diets.

 

So stop! Change that resolution now. Too many of us become discouraged with diets in a few short weeks. We may eat something that isn’t on our new “diet” and decide we are a failure. We aren’t. That’s the problem with all these “eat this, don’t eat that” rules. If you truly need to lose a few pounds, how can you do that without “going on a diet?”

1. Eat more. That’s right. Too many starve themselves, feel weak and famished, and then try to make up for it by choosing foods or drinks that don’t help weight or how they feel. Intermittent diets have become popular. That is, choosing a time to skip eating. In the right conditions, it may help some people. But for most of us, it’s probably not a good idea.
2. Look for ways to give up junk foods or extra snacks without missing them. So often we eat foods just because they are there. We aren’t hungry. We just want something to munch. Or we see food and think we have a responsibility to eat it. Not so. When you feel any of these urges, ask yourself if you want it, do you need it, or can you do something else to get your mind off eating.
3. Stop eating when you aren’t hungry. This may be a continuation of the above. Are you starved for that bedtime snack? Will something bad happen if you take a few sips of water and go to bed without eating again? How about those break times? I know how tempting chocolate can be, but if you must indulge with everyone else, choose just one piece or one cookie you believe will have the fewest calories and walk away. Who will notice (or care) if you pick a bottle of water instead of some sugar-sweetened beverage? Ask yourself, “Should I allow others to dictate what I should and shouldn’t eat?”

Keep in mind that those with diabetes need to eat in sync with medications. When properly regulated, eating extra foods may not be necessary, and if they are, those in the junk food categories aren’t a good idea.

Stop the dieting habit. Many weight-loss diets are dangerous, and few people stick with them for very long. Healthy weight doesn’t depend on any one food. It depends on you making better choices and eating smaller amounts. Try it. What do you have to lose but unneeded weight? Happy new year.

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Holidays―Not the Time to Diet

Eating is a major focus during the busy holiday season. Many people add a few pounds to their weight from the festivities centered around food. This isn’t the time to diet, but with a few simple changes, we can spare ourselves from gaining additional pounds.

1. Choose smaller portions. Not easy, but many times we not only add extra calories but become uncomfortably full from excess food. Gauge those portions sizes and feel better afterward.
2. See what calorie-laden foods you can skip or resolve to eat less. Gravies and creamed dishes add lots of calories. Select unsweetened beverages. Choose red sauces over white ones for fewer calories.
3. Choose desserts with less calories. Double crusted pies and those with whipped cream or topping have more calories. If you must have a piece of that traditional coconut cake, make it a smaller portion.
4. Watch out for snacks of candies, nuts, party mixes and yellow cheeses. Look for veggie or fruit trays and skip the dip.

A few simple changes can keep away those dreaded extra pounds. Make the holidays a time of love and joy without those rich, fattening foods. Have a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

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