The “No Diet” Diet (part 1)

The truth about diets is that they don't work. You don't have to go hungry in order to lose weight. Not only is the need to "go hungry" a myth, believing it and following it can actually add pounds! 

“Most people go on diets to lose weight quickly. To experience real fat loss, you must go off a diet and onto a true fat-loss program.”  Steven A. DeVore, The Neuropsychology of Weight Control.   Prolonged hunger triggers the body’s defenses against starvation.  Fat cells store fat for future use as energy. Dieting causes the body to slow down it’s metabolism rate and increases your appetite!  In addition, fat cells shrink during a diet but they never disappear.  When you come off your diet they multiply, giving you an even greater capacity for storing fat. A position paper published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise states, "Prolonged fasting and diet programs that severely restrict caloric intake are scientifically undesirable and can be medically dangerous." The dangers include impairment of glucose tolerance, electrolyte imbalance, decreased urinary output, rises in uric acid, impairment of liver function, myocardial (heart muscle) atrophy and even sudden death. As if that weren't enough, using fasting or starvation to lose weight leads to a disproportionate loss from water, electrolytes and lean body weight as opposed to fat. Up to 50 percent of the weight you lose is muscle tissue.  Muscle cells produce enzymes that burn fat. When there is less muscle tissue, fewer of these enzymes are produced, making the body less and less capable of using fat. Then, when you do eat, the body turns the food into fat in an effort to protect itself against the effect of further starvation.

So, how do we go about losing weight successfully?

Don't diet. The way to change weight is to change your eating habits and life style: 1) Eat at least three meals a day – or one main meal and several light meals; 2) Snack on fresh fruit whenever you are hungry; 3) Eat lots of fresh and unprocessed foods; 4) Stay away from fats and fatty foods, sugar, sugary foods and sweetened drinks; 5) Drink at least six glasses of water daily; 6) Weigh yourself only once a week. And last - although it's not an eating habit, it is an imperative good health habit - exercise regularly. Keep track of your progress by keeping a daily diary of what you eat and how much exercise you do.

Eat Less Fat.  Eat more Fiber.  Stay fit.  These are the three crucial rules for good health and weight control.  As a nation, 1 out of 3 adults are 30 or more pounds overweight.  Our children are in no better shape.  Our modern lifestyle of fast food, stress and lack of exercise are likely culprits.

Less Fat With A Word Of Caution.  Along with carbohydrate and protein, fat is an essential food.  Fat provides essential fatty acids and carries the fatsoluble vitamins in the blood stream.  Fat cells formed by the body are living tissue with bodily functions.  These include energy storage, cushioning, support for the vital organs and temperature regulation.  A good way to calculate adequate, but not excess fat intake is:  Individuals whose ideal weight is below 140 lbs eat no more than two tablespoons of fat and oil per day and those whose ideal weight is above 140 lbs eat no more than four.  Since sugar is easily turned into fat, consider sugar in this amount.  One hamburger contains 25 times this amount of fat.

Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes (beans) and whole grains.  These foods fill you up without filling you out.  You can eat as much as you want of these foods.  Low in calories and high in nutrients, they help regulate blood sugar levels and facilitate fat burning rather than fat formation.  Avoiding simple carbohydrates (white bread, white potatoes, pasta, mac and cheese, biscuits, sugar) while emphasizing complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, beans, whole wheat breads and pastas) help normalize fat storage and use.  These complex carbs invigorate the body so we feel more alert, have more energy, exercise more and tolerate exercise better. This is supported by a study in which subjects who ate a diet of 82 percent carbohydrates could exercise three times longer than those on a high fat diet and nearly 50 percent longer than those on a normal diet. Another advantage is that these foods high in fiber causes us to eat more slowly and get full sooner than on a low fiber diet. Nutritionists at the University of Alabama tested this by putting 20 people on a high fiber diet for five days, then on a low fiber diet for five days. When eating the high fiber foods, the participants took 33 percent longer to eat and consumed only half as many calories as they did eating the low fiber diet and they even liked the high fiber diet.  (Speaking of carbohydrates, you will feel better and have less craving for sweets if you stay away from sweetened drinks - artificial or otherwise. Do your best to limit your intake of these beverages to one daily and likewise with caffeinated drinks.)

Skipping meals is a well-known dieting strategy. It doesn't work. Not eating at breakfast or lunch will bring your appetite up and your energy (and blood sugar level) down. Lawrence Power, M.D. writing for the Los Angeles Times, reviewed a study in which rats allowed 24-hour access to food nibbled and stayed lean. When forced to eat the same amount of food during one daily feeding, they became overweight. Plan to eat at least three meals daily without overeating. Then snack between meals if you get hungry. Don't wait until you're hungry to eat a meal and don't snack if you're not hungry. Instead, drink a glass of water.

Lots of water (six 8 oz. glasses minimum) and herbal teas can help improve digestion and elimination. It also assists the body to get rid of toxins that are stored in fat tissue and released into the bloodstream with weight loss. Without enough water this breakdown can be hard on the liver and the kidneys, and it can cause headache and nausea.

Next time we will have tips on specific diet changes, recipe suggestions, exercise plans and supplements that may help you reduce your weight.

Health is not everything, but without spiritual and physical health, everything is nothing. Until next time we meet – may God Bless you with good health, with a little help from you!

The information in these columns is for educational purposes only and not to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Please consult your physician for any serious condition.

Len Rossi, ND has been a proponent of Natural Healing for 30 years. After a 25-year career as a pro wrestler, Len earned his Doctor Of Naturopathy degree in 1982 and is a Licensed Massage Therapist.