Provided the opportunity, most adults will overeat, however unconsciously, to store energy as fat. Also, given a chance, most adults will stay put to preserve energy (stored as fat) rather than move around to waste it. In practical terms, these two intrinsic biological traits – storage and preservation of energy – mean that weight loss is alien to the nature’s normal order, and that weight gain is a norm, not an exception.
With that in mind – that most of us are genetically pre-programmed to be work-lazy and food-greedy, maintaining normal weight is a huge challenge for anyone, while losing weight can be a lifelong fight against human nature itself.
No wonder, then, why it is so hard to crack the code of the obesity enigma. Still, it can be done by following a set of the following common sense rules:
Rule #1: Above all, a no-fail weight loss diet must contain less energy than you expend throughout the day, otherwise you aren’t going to lose any body fat, and may gain even more. Any time you encounter a plateau or begin gaining again a few weeks into your weight loss diet, it simply means that you are consuming more calories than your body can expend on energy and structural metabolism. I will elaborate on this rule in much greater detail in the next post.
Rule #2: A no-fail weight loss diet must be balanced. It’s actually quite difficult for many people to lose weight by eating unlimited fats as the late Dr. Atkins once suggested. A single gram of fat contains almost two-and-a-half times more energy than a single gram of carbohydrates, assimilates into the blood at a rate close to 98%, and contributes to weight gain just like carbs, only two-and-half times faster.
A high-carbohydrate diet, such as the Ornish diet, is just as fattening – many times more so – than the high-fat Atkins Diet. It is also a big no-no for health reasons because it shoots blood sugar, insulin, and triglycerides levels sky-high. Adding insult to injury, it may cause wasting of the bones and muscles because it lacks primary proteins by design. Even more damage results from its lack of the fats essential for assimilating fat-soluble micronutrients.
High-protein diets, such as the Paleo diet, are contra-indicated for most people past middle age (40+) because dietary proteins consumed in excess may cause gastric disorders, such as indigestion, heartburn, ulcers, gastroparesis, and other similar conditions.
Unlike these three extremes – high fat, high carb, or high protein, the most effective approach for weight loss contains all three nutrient groups in balanced physiological proportions, just as much as your body needs for its normal function, while, at the same time, allowing for sustained weight loss.
Rule #3: A no-fail diet must be simple to prepare, so you spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. If you really want to lose weight without failure, salivating over foods and recipes while cooking is not helpful. Neither is a lot of Food TV watching.
This is particularly true for people with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes – upwards of 80% of persons with adiposity – because even seeing pictures of food stimulates the release of first-phase insulin, which, in turn, incites hunger, appetite, and sugar cravings.
That is why any weight loss diet that comes with an accompanying cookbook or TV show is double jeopardy. First, it tricks you into believing that it works, and second – it sabotages itself. So don’t fall for this commonplace mistake assuming that you can pave your way out of obesity with gourmet meals and exciting menu.
Rule #4: A no-fail diet must reduce your appetite and hunger; otherwise you will not be able to stick with it much longer than a few weeks. Since both appetite and hunger are governed in part by primal instincts and unconditional reflexes, reducing them requires foods that are quick and simple to digest and assimilate, and that do not adversely affect the endocrine, immune, and nervous systems. And this brings us to…
Rule #5: A no-fail diet must not stimulate cravings for sweets and comfort food, otherwise you will compromise your weight loss even before starting it. To reduce cravings for sweets, which are a symptom of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, your diet should not contain anything that tastes sweet, even artificial sweeteners, because even the taste of sweetness stimulates the release of insulin – a sugar-craving hormone.
Artificial sweeteners while losing weight? Definitely not as they are totally counterproductive!
Rule #6: To reduce hunger pains you must prevent and eliminate gastric disorders. If you experience intense hunger pains, it may indicate that you are affected by an inflammation of your stomach mucosa, a condition known as gastritis. The pain goes away after eating because foods and fluids dilute the gastric acid and proteolytic enzymes, so the related pain is lessened. That is why hunger pains stimulate frequent eating and overeating – the exact opposite of what must to be done to lose weight.
Rule #7: To speed up satiety and prevent overeating you must consume low-density foods – a medical term for a reduced fiber diet. You must also avoid excess fluids, particularly after meals, because fiber and excess fluids distend the stomach, making it more difficult to fill it to the point of satiety the next time around.
Rule #8: To maintain a high rate of energy metabolism, you must normalize your thyroid function and prevent anemia. Early stage hypothyroidism deprives your body of energy, and slows down or interrupts weight loss. Elimination and prevention of anemia is an equally important condition for sustained weight loss. If your blood cannot transport oxygen efficiently, your energy levels drop, stimulating weight gain.
Rule #9: A no-fail diet must prevent undernutrition of critical nutrients, such as essential amino and fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and microelements. A deficiency of these nutrients slows down energy and structural metabolism, and reduces or halts weight loss. In addition, chronic undernutrition stimulates intense cravings for foods that may contain missing nutrients, and this leads to overeating.
Ironically, a badly conceived and incorrectly executed weight loss diet may also ruin your appearance and accentuate your age by causing muscle wasting, skin sagging and pigmentation, hair loss, periodontal disease and ensuing tooth loss, height reduction, decreasing eyesight, and other telltale signs of weight loss-related undernutrition – the complete opposite of what you want to accomplish (i.e. to improve your appearance) by losing weight in the first place. And it goes without saying, that diet-related undernutrition is behind most of the nastiest health complications related to weight loss, particularly the “yo-yo” effect.
Rule #10: A no-fail diet must assure good sleep, because the more you sleep, the more weight you are going to lose. There are three reasons behind this paradox: First, the longer you sleep, the less you eat; second, the rate of energy metabolism during sleep is quite high, so it contributes to the loss of fat; third, cellular renewal takes place mostly while you are asleep, so the longer you sleep, the more resources, including body fat, are used for structural metabolism.
Rule #11: A no-fail diet must demonstrate ongoing weight loss constantly, otherwise you are not likely to continue your diet long enough to reach your desired weight. Since eating less intentionally is one of life‘s most difficult sacrifices, tangible weight loss is the best incentive to keep you going.
Constantly does not mean daily – the weight changes from day to day aren’t significant enough to register on consumer-grade scales. So, please, don‘t make a habit of checking your weight more than once a week to avoid discouragement and bathroom scale anxiety.
Finally, Rule #12: A no-fail diet must avoid and eliminate spoilers. These are not just foods and food additives that trigger hunger, stimulate appetite, diminish metabolism, or interfere with digestion, but also events, habits, and behaviours that result in overeating, and stop weight loss and diabetes reversal dead in their tracks.
This completes my top twelve list. Sharing with you these rules in advance should make it absolutely clear that a successful weight loss diet requires more understanding, skills, and support than simply switching from one menu to another. It goes without saying, that my weight loss program observes all twelve of these rules with a vengeance, and then some. That is what makes it so effective not only for weight loss, but also for protecting your appearance, preempting premature aging, and improving your health, energy, and vitality.
1. The Real Reason Diets Fail and What You Can Do About It
2. How Long Will It Take Me to Lose the Weight?
3. Why One Calorie For Her Is Half a Calorie For Him
4. The Top Four Misconceptions Behind Weight Loss Failure
5. Energy Metabolism: The Good, The Bad, and In-Between
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Photography credits:
Cover illustration: © 2013 iStockPhoto LLP;
I’m very suprised by the water. I was told to drink a cup of water before a meal and one after….
water is only ok to drink with meals not before or after because it interferes with digestion. this one little tip helped me greatly
Stella,
These aren’t mine recommendations. I recommend consuming fluids before and with foods (in moderation). This, indeed, improves digestion, and reduces the risk of heartburn, indigestion, and gastritis. Also, these recommendations apply primarily to protein-containing meal, and they aren’t as critical for young people (15-35) with good health because they can do a lot of crazy things that kids under 15 or adults over 35-40 can’t. I’ll deal with this subject in depth in future posts.
well some teenagers like me weren’t so lucky i had bad heartburn since the age of 17 thinking the more u drink the better. my digestion was totally messed up. I would drink a gallon of water a day but ever since i eliminated gluten and stopped drinking so much water everything stopped. like i am so much better, i can exercise do cardio and weight training without getting stomachaches. i feel like i got my life back- well almost –
have you addressed in past articles if saunas are good or not?
Stella,
Saunas/hot bath/hot showers are contra-indicated for gastric disorders because of the following factors:
1. The exposure of skin to high heat releases histamine, a neurotransmitter that triggers a host of physiological functions, including immune response and gastric digestion. H2 receptors stimulates the secretion of gastric acid, and this may cause pain in people with preexisting gastritis or general dyspepsia. That is why all of the drugs that suppress acid secretion are, by design, histamine suppressors. Histamine is a strong inflammatory agent, and will exacerbate any kind of preexisting inflammation in sensitive individuals, not just gastric.
2. Extended exposure to high heat in sauna may cause a rapid loss of water and sodium chloride (salt) with sweat. The loss of salt without its adequate dietary intake affects the quality of protein digestion in the stomach because it can’t produce enough hydrochloric acid. General dehydration and salt deficiency also affects overall well-being (low blood pressure, depression, fatigue, etc.).
Sofia,
My recommendations are to drink a cup of water 30 or so minutes before meal to get hydrated, and at least a cup of fluids (water, soup, etc.) with a meal, or withing 15-20 minutes after the meal, but not later. These fluids will assist digestion and acidification of the stomach’s content, so no fluids need to be taken from the blood to facilitate digestion. You shouldn’t consume fluids in 4-5 hours after eating protein-rich food to avoid diluting gastric acid and enzymes.
Just to speak up from the silent majority, keep it coming ! It’s informative and useful. Of course Sarah has a way with words, but don’t be put off, I’m sure one picks it up !
For your information I’m really interested in decreasing calories without having to count them and finding a natural balance between different components without getting my scales out so any rules of thumb would be appreciated.
Thanks again
Helen,
Thank you for your feedback. My approach to decreasing calories without having to count them is surprisingly simple and practical: no snaking, no alcohol, very simple diet, and two-three daily meals, depending on your lifestyle and occupation. It will all come out in future posts.
I echo Helen, JessicaK and Marie’s comments above. I don’t do well following someone else’s idea of what a daily weight loss diet should be and I don’t think the majority of people do (hence the shelves full of weight loss diet books). I think most people would do well to read and re-read these posts (and the future ones) and devise a diet for themselves. Ultimately, we have to be responsible for ourselves!
Sam,
You are correct, something along these lines. It outright impossible (and irresponsible) to “devise” a single diet that fits all people of all ages, all genders, all ethnicities, all occupations, all means, all cooking skills, all family environment, and on, and on, and on. The framework is a key. The second most important issue is dealing with exceptions — what do you do when something goes wrong, and dealing with objectives — what do you need to do, so everything goes right. That’s what this book is all about.
I agree with you. Calorie counting is scary to me, I really don’t want to go there 🙂
Konstantin, thank you for these posts. I enjoy the scientific explanations. Some of Sarah’s readers have been a little rude to you. I think they are used to Sarah’s style which trends to be more narrative and much less scientific. Also weight loss tends to be a touchy subject for most and I actually find your no nonsense style refreshing.
Also remember, he is trying to give us a book’s worth of information in small increments, not an easy task.
Jessica,
You are very welcome, and thank you for commenting. If you look at the ratio of shares to negative comments, the silent majority enjoys the materials, and shares it with their friends, so the audience here is quite sophisticated.
I am consistently amazed at the depth and breadth of Sarah’s writing. And that she can turn these sophisticated and complicated subjects into an intelligent narrative so consistently and for so long — it amazes me even more. Just reading Sarah’s blog convinced me not to do my own because I simply wouldn’t be able able to do a job of similar caliber.
Your right JessicaK people are very rude and only because they want someone to pat them on the head and tell them the “magic” formula to losing weight.
I wondered that too, as my understanding of the word “forensic” was that is was to do with using science/technology to prove something in a court of law… however, according to Webster’s dictionary, it is not just for law courts, but also public debate or formal argumentation. So, I imagine he uses the phrase forensic weight loss expert, to infer the use of science in his argumentation of weight loss principles.
Roseleanor,
I don’t use the term “forensic weight loss expert.” Here is what my brief bio section (right under the post) says:
“He is an expert in forensic nutrition, a new field of science that investigates the connection between supposedly healthy foods and nutrition-related disorders, such as diabetes and obesity.” You can learn more about this approach here: What Is Forensic Nutrition?
What does this guy think of the gaps diet for older people?
I’m not a big fan of his posts, (but then I’m an advocate for healthy bodies at any size). I think all of the guidelines and rules for losing weight is really distressing to a lot of people. I think following the Weston A. Price type of diet and getting regular exercise and sleep will give people the bodies they were meant to have (which is probably NOT skinny!). Just eat healthy ya’ll. I don’t think we need rules, we need whole foods.
While I agree with your post, many people may be walking into a WAP world AFTER living on a processed foods diet, or other unhealthy lifestyle. Somebody who is too heavy to be healthy and doesn’t feel good could most certainly benefit from understanding rules like these. At the end of the day, these rules are just in support with how a person’s body functions, the nature of foods, and social/behavioral health.
Anthony,
You are correct. What I described is a framework for weight loss diet, not a diet itself. It applies with equal effectiveness to WAP diet, GAPS, Atkins, Paleo, South Beach, etc. or any other low carbs diet. It isn’t my goal to dictate what diet people prefer. That said, closer to the end I will describe my own version of what I believe a weight loss diet (not “health” diet) should be, though it may not appeal to many people because it may not mesh well into their lifestyle.
I loved this post! And the last one as well. I can’t wait for you to dig in all those rules one by one. I’m the type of person who does not like diet books with a diet plan and recipes to follow. I think it’s too demanding and I easily give up when I have a new recipe to learn everyday. I prefer learning and understanding principles that I can apply to my life and eating choices. I still wonder how your advice and principles tie in with the WAP way of eating. We’ve been eating WAP for the past year and half and we are still struggling with our health (for me it’s weight gain and for my son it’s failure to thrive, 17 and a little too skinny)
Marie,
Thank you very much! You are right on the money — my approach is to teach principles, so people can apply them to their on lifestyle, circumstances, personal preferences, biases, ethnic and religious believes, and so on. Yes, it may not appeal to all, but I am not really trying to save the world, but to help people like you who (a) are willing to think for themselves; (b) take full responsibility for their own actions (or lack of ones); and (c) don’t expect miracles.
In regard to the WAP way of eating: my work meshes with the WAP’s guidlines beautifully for as long as people understand that “weight loss” diet for overweight people and “traditional diet” for normal weight people isn’t the same, and that “traditional diet.”
If you go over my rules one-by-one, and will start to analyze them in the context of the WAP’s lifestyle, you’ll soon see that the principles are identical, except that weight loss requires a sustained reduction in calories. But that’s just as axiomatic as day and night.
Thanks for your reply. Looking forward to learn more.
I am confused with the whole fat statement. First, I would swear Sarah always is saying to eat animal fat to loose fat. Secondly, to reinforce that point I have always used the Atkins diet to drop my weight. It always worked and I ate nothing but animal fat. It seems a bit weird that eating fat makes you fat…?
Sarah,
Here is what my post says:
“It’s actually quite difficult for many people to lose weight by eating unlimited fats as the late Dr. Atkins once suggested.”
The accent here isn’t on “eating fats,” but on “eating unlimited fats.” That is what most people took away from the Atkins Diet — that you can lose weight while eating unlimited fats. It isn’t just my opinion, but the editorial and scientific team behind “The New Atkins Diet,” has made similar revisions, and no longer recommends consuming unlimited fats. Even more offensive was the fact that Dr. Atkins didn’t make any distinction between unhealthy vegetable fats and healthy animal fats the way it is so eloquently made in Sarah’s new book:
To summarize, eating fat doesn’t make you fat, but eating too much fat may. But, again, arguing this point seriously is like arguing that you can squeeze 2 gallons of water into 1 gallon rubber container because “rubber can expand.”
Are you familiar with the term “Resistant Starch”? It has been studied since he early 80’s and has been shown to increase glucose control and lipid metabolism by feeding crucial colonic microflora.
I see dieters adding approx 40g per day of raw potato starch to drinks and cold food and seeing immediate improvement in gut function, blood sugar, and hunger control, all leading to weight loss.
Any words of advice on this?
Tim,
The “resistant” in resistant starch means that this particular carbohydrates can’t be broken by enzymes in the small intestine, and gets down into the colon undigested, where it will act as a “prebiotic,” meaning it will provide the flora in the gut with “digestible” nutrients. The truth is, our innate flora is primarily anaerobic, and obtains all of its nutrients from the mucosal membrane. It doesn’t “live” of outside of mucosal layer, and doesn’t need “resistant” starch to function. To learn more about this subject, read my book about fiber.
Furthermore, “glucose control” is governed by the pancreas, while “lipid metabolism” is governed by the liver. While the gut flora is of paramount importance, it doesn’t have any direct control of either mechanisms, only indirect, through its role in immunity and the synthesis of vitamins essential for energy and structural metabolism.
Looks like a whole lotta words followed by, oh wait, BUY THIS PRODUCT OR DIE OF CONSTIPATION! Lots of scientific BS and not much else.