You might have seen the annals of internal medicine report “most diets don’t work”. The gist: most people on a diet or taking weight loss drugs lost 10-15 pounds, but gained it back. Read the MSNBC article.
As my friends and colleagues in the research field will tell you: If you’ve seen one study, you’ve seen one study. There is an important outcome that is worth noticing…
Programs that made people eat fewer calories worked better, as did those that involved more frequent visits to either diet groups or to a counselor’s office.
The great challenge with diets is sustainability. Usually, they are too restrictive to adopt as a permanent lifestyle change. That’s also what make calorie restriction work. If you determine the number of calories you need to maintain weight, then cut that by 500 calories a day. You should lose a pound a week. Say a 30 year-old woman’s daily caloric need is 2000 calories, if she cuts that to 1500 a day (and sticks to it) she will lose weight slowly and permanently. Chances are, to stay within the calorie limit, she won’t dine out as much or she’ll choose healthier options such as garden salad, skinless chicken breast, or steamed veggies. (you could easily rack up 1500 calories in one sitting at a fast food chain or restaurant) Calorie restriction also keeps the portion sizes in check. You can save hundreds of calories just by choosing the smallest size. You don’t have to give up entire categories of food, like most diets suggest. (I am still shocked about the notion of giving up fruit because it has “too much sugar”)
The second outcome is also notable. When you are talking about long-term lifestyle changes, you are talking behavior change. This requires social support from family and friends. Ask anybody who has lost weight and I’d bet they’d tell you they had a strong support network. Visits with a health counselor also provides support and professional advice to help you succeed on your life-long journey to good health. Registered dietitians are nutrition experts. You can find one at www.eatright.org.
Filed under: adult health, calories, diet, nutrition
