by Tami Raco Personal Trainer and Health & Nutrition Coach
The New England Journal of Medicine predicts that by 2030 one out of two Americans will be obese. With obesity being one of the largest predictors to chronic disease it is so important that we strive to manage our weight and body fat composition.
Why do obesity rates continue to climb despite the expansive nutritional and exercise information available? Let’s look at the most common weight loss advice that many follow despite the increasing trend of obesity.
Calorie Restriction: The theory behind calorie restriction is one of the most pervasive approaches to dieting. The theory is that obesity comes from eating too many calories and if we reduce them we will reverse obesity. For decades the eat less and exercise more model has people struggling to lose weight and keep it off. So why has it continued? Likely due to the simplicity of this way of eating. But it often comes at the expense of regaining weight and reduction in overall health and wellbeing. Using this model of dieting would require a person to consume less than their daily expenditure, the bigger the deficit, the bigger the weight loss is what this theory suggests. The human body is more complex than this which is likely why America’s obesity rate is not trending in the right direction. It ignores the human metabolism and hormone systems. Most people who restrict calories for any length of time gain it back as it decreases the overall metabolism, increases hunger and spikes hunger hormones as well as fat storage hormones. Over time, eating less calories than the body needs will teach the body to adapt by slowing down the metabolism. The body will put on the brakes to burning calories as a survival mechanism and the body begins to store fat again, if the person does not continually reduce daily caloric consumption.
Quality over quantity: Nutritional quality is a better place to focus dieting energy and efforts. Nutritional quantity leads to disregarding the important factor of nutritional quality. Everything we eat contains instructions for the body on everything from cellular function to metabolism and hormonal responses. The human body will respond very differently to one hundred calories of almonds in contrast to one hundred calories of cookies. They are both metabolized differently, impact blood sugar and insulin differently, as well as affect fat storage differently. Hormones are often at the root of weigh loss struggles. Insulin (the fat storage hormone), ghrelin (the hunger hormone), leptin (the feeling full hormone) and cortisol (stress hormone) are critical in managing for successful weight management.
The solution: Focus more on the quality of the foods you consume. This means eat more whole foods that are not highly processed. A diet with more fruits, vegetables, natural fats like nuts and avocados, and good quality protein sources will help you stabilize your hormones, hunger and metabolism. These types of foods are nutrient dense and will naturally help you feel more satisfied. The quantity of food will adjust naturally as you focus more on the quality of your diet and less on the calories. Reducing the foods that are processed and full of sugar and refined carbohydrates will lower the risk to insulin resistance, diabetes, high cholesterol and certain types of cancers.
By changing our focus from counting calories to the quality of our health and wellness is how we can adapt a healthy lifestyle versus a short-term diet. The focus on quality of health will help us manage our weight as well as positively impact our health, quality of life and our relationship with food. Our bodies thrive from nutrients, not numbers.
