In the February, 2011 issue of the Reader's Digest, the headliner is "Eat This, Lose Weight: The New Science of Dieting." After reading it a couple times, all I can say is that I feel so sorry for anyone who is relying on advice from magazines and current literature for fitness and nutritional guidance. One source says, "turn left," while the other source says, "turn right." It must be so frustrating for people who are really trying to figure out how to eat. The gist of the article is that:
1. Fat isn't the enemy; easily digested carbs are. Okay, I can agree with that to a point.
2. You don't get fat because you're overeating. You overeat because you've developed a disorder in the way your fat tissue is regulated. In other words, when you eat too many simple carbs, you raise your insulin levels. Insulin is the primary hormone that regulates fat tissue. Too much insulin causes your fat cells to lock up and not release any fat for energy. Without energy, you get hungry and overeat.
3. Diet's don't work. If you cut calories, you'll be hungry all the time - that's a given. I agree that diets don't work, but I don't agree that, in all cases, if you cut calories, you'll be hungry. all the time. Many people can afford to cut out quite a few calories and without risk of being hungry.
4. It's impossible to count calories. If you take in just 20 extra calories a day, you will gain 20 pounds in a decade. I double-checked the math because I couldn't believe this was true. It is correct. So if you are eating 100 extra calories per day, you'll gain 100 pounds in 10 years? Wow! I'm going to have to give this topic some thought. That almost convinces me that there is definitely more to the weight-gain equation than simply calories consumed. I mean, 20 calories is nothing and it is impossible to count them that accurately, even with the great websites out there like MyPlate at Livestrong.com.
5. Exercising won't keep you thin. It will just make you more hungry. This is where I strongly disagree. It's never okay to tell people that they don't need to exercise or give them any additional reasons, excuses, not to do it. It's hard enough to get people off the couch without saying something irresponsible like this. Exercising properly will help you get thin and stay thin. Exercising, done properly, should inspire you to eat and re-fuel your muscles with healthy nutritional food. It doesn't compel you to eat something that will sabotage all your hard work. Clients have told me over and over throughout the years that they make healthier food choices when they are exercising regularly.
6. Don't limit your fat. Bacon, cheese, heavy cream, sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, butter and oil are healthy for you. Here is an area where I have real mixed emotions. I've read "The Schwarzbein Principle" which offers similar beliefs. I can agree that we need a certain amount of fat in our diet and that it is even healthy. They say you won't overeat fat because it fills you up and satisfies your hunger. Somehow, though, I'm pretty sure that if you ate fast-food bacon cheeseburgers every day, even without the bun, you would hardly be thin or healthy.
7. Say goodbye to pasta, bread and rice. These items cause your insulin levels to spike and, as mentioned above, cause fat to cling to your body. But what about healthy grains and fiber? Brown rice and whole grain breads are not simple carbs.
8. Be Picky about Vegetables. Starchy vegetables are off-limits. I never discourage anyone from eating vegetables, starchy or not. I've really never heard of anyone overeating or getting fat from eating vegetables.
9. Say No to Hidden Sugars. That means soda, cakes, candy, and fruit. Obviously, soda, cakes and candy are to be limited or eliminated. Fresh fruit, on the other hand, does contain sugar, but also contains everything your body needs to digest it, not store it. Of course you shouldn't eat apples all day long,and it might not a good idea to have a banana, an apple, a pear, some pineapple and berries all in the same day. I'm pretty sure your body wouldn't allow you to do that anyway, if you know what I mean.
10. Eat as Much as You Want. You don't have to use portion control. Just stop when you're full. Apparently, when you eat this way, your appetite will shrink and you'll feel like eating less. Once again, I'm not so sure. A lot of people have lost touch with their stomachs and have no idea if they're full. They see food on their plate and they keep eating until it's gone. It seems risky to give people permission to eat as much as they want. Stopping when you are full is using portion control, isn't it?
I'm as confused as the rest of you are when it comes to the topic of how to eat healthy. I agree that the low-fat diet fad has had the reverse effect and has contributed to the obesity of our society. Personally, I eat extremely healthy and still when I enter my food journal, my fat intake is usually around 35%. And I don't even eat bacon or mayonnaise! That fat comes from almonds, avocados, butter, peanut butter, cheese and chicken. It used to alarm me when I'd see my fat percentage inching up to 38 or 40%, but now I just pay more attention to how I feel. Even though calorie counting may not be perfectly accurate, it's still the best indicator we have of what we are consuming and I highly recommend it. It can give you some really interesting and surprising information about yourself.
Let me know what you think.
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