how do i loose weight? and Do diets work?
Most people find it easier to put on weight than to loose weight. I think the reason is pretty simple, its because generally speaking it IS easier. There are 3500 calories in 1 lb of fat. We can over eat by that amount in a day! Christmas we eat stacks of turkey and Christmas pudding, Easter is all about hot cross buns and chocolate for most, weddings, weekend pizzas with garlic bread and fave ice cream, bottles of wine. But we can't under eat by this amount in a day to loose it. And after each of these habitual scoffs, do we then work at removing what we added every time? For most of us no. Without thinking each week do you find yourself having that latte and muffin on your way to work, those cakes and snack that Sally at work brings in fresh baked every Friday, that habitual sausage roll and packet of crisp from the station on the way home from work, that bottle of wine or two at weekends, finishing the kids meals/snacks or whatever your thing is. These little habits amount to thousands of calories. And then you find yourself saying 'How did I gain all the weight over the years?' and 'My metabolism is so slow I gain weight so easily!'. Really? Or do you have a lot of ignored bad habits. Just a latte and a muffin can be around 700 - 800 calories in one hit. If you are a woman in a sedentary job that doesn't exercise, your average daily calorie intake should be about 1600 - 1700 calories. You just ate half your calories in that 'snack'.
According to the NHS information site, 'As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500 kcal a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000 kcal a day. These values can vary depending on age, size and levels of physical activity, among other factors.'
I find people live by these calorie rules, but note the last sentence that often gets over looked. 'These values can vary depending on age, size and levels of physical activity, among other factors.' These figures are based on an active person of an average age. I am a woman and at the time of writing this I am 48 years old, I am 168 cms tall, and weight 70kg. If I do nothing all day but lay on the couch, I only need to eat 1349 kcals. This is what my body needs to function. If I do a little movement, maybe sit at my desk and write this article all day, I will need around 1691 calories. Still no where near the 2000 calories a day average most woman have stuck in their heads. And if I ate 2000 calories a day living a life like this, I could gain nearly 1 lb a week, as I would be averaging an over eat of 500 calories a day x 7 days = 3500 calories. As mentioned earlier, there are 3500 calories in a 1lb of fat. So, you can understand how people mindlessly gain weight over time.
Based on my BMR (Basal Metaphoric Rate) this being a calculation of how many calories I need for my sex, age and height if I did nothing all day. I then add my activity level. If I trained 7 days a weeks for 15-30 minutes of elevated heart activity OR 3-4 times a weeks of intense exercise, that's 45-120 minutes of elevated heart rate activity, THEN I will need to eat 2091 calories in the day, which is nearer the NHS guidelines of 2000 calories a day for a woman. So you have to ask yourself, are you doing enough activity to allow for you to eat the average daily calories recommended? So is it a diet you need? Or a change of lifestyle?
According to the NHS information site, 'As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500 kcal a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000 kcal a day. These values can vary depending on age, size and levels of physical activity, among other factors.'
I find people live by these calorie rules, but note the last sentence that often gets over looked. 'These values can vary depending on age, size and levels of physical activity, among other factors.' These figures are based on an active person of an average age. I am a woman and at the time of writing this I am 48 years old, I am 168 cms tall, and weight 70kg. If I do nothing all day but lay on the couch, I only need to eat 1349 kcals. This is what my body needs to function. If I do a little movement, maybe sit at my desk and write this article all day, I will need around 1691 calories. Still no where near the 2000 calories a day average most woman have stuck in their heads. And if I ate 2000 calories a day living a life like this, I could gain nearly 1 lb a week, as I would be averaging an over eat of 500 calories a day x 7 days = 3500 calories. As mentioned earlier, there are 3500 calories in a 1lb of fat. So, you can understand how people mindlessly gain weight over time.
Based on my BMR (Basal Metaphoric Rate) this being a calculation of how many calories I need for my sex, age and height if I did nothing all day. I then add my activity level. If I trained 7 days a weeks for 15-30 minutes of elevated heart activity OR 3-4 times a weeks of intense exercise, that's 45-120 minutes of elevated heart rate activity, THEN I will need to eat 2091 calories in the day, which is nearer the NHS guidelines of 2000 calories a day for a woman. So you have to ask yourself, are you doing enough activity to allow for you to eat the average daily calories recommended? So is it a diet you need? Or a change of lifestyle?
So do standard low calorie diets work? Why do I always gain so much weight coming off a diet? I am a yoyo dieter, as my weight comes off, then goes back on, then again comes off and goes back on. Why is this?
I hear this is all the time. So have a think about this.
This can also be the same experience for people on the usual weight loss diets. Weeks of a low calorie restricted diet, leave you craving foods and volume of foods. Often craving fullness, over specific food. Resulting in....over eating when it's over, which means the weight goes back on. And so the cycle continues.
Also your metabolism slows after long periods of lowered calories on a diet. I've mentioned BMR before, this being Basal Metaphoric Rate, this is the calculation that works out how many calories you as an individual needs for you body to function when you do nothing for a day. So how many calories your brain, heart, kidneys etc need to function properly to do there job, this remember includes no activity, purely just to function. Here's one (of a few) reasons why your metabolism appears to slow after a diet -
So is it a diet or a lifestyle change needed?
Something else that happens during long term low calorie dieting, is the body adjusts to adapt and learns to live off a lower amount of calories. Our bodies are clever and adapts to survive. So when it sees a long period of low calories, it teaches itself to survive on these fewer calories This adjustment rarely goes back to normal. Leaving you needing less calories to live on...forever.
Think about this example - An average woman wants to loose weight 10 lbs in 10 weeks. Loosing 1 lb a week 'healthily'. She knows that there are 3500 calories in a 1 lb of fat. So she splits this over 7 days. meaning she would have to under eat by 500 calories a day to loose 1 lb a week. So, as an average woman (national RDA 2000 calories a day remember), she will need to eat 1500 calories a day to do this. So she starts her diet, religiously sticking to these calories.
**Thought for you - If she continued to eat 1500 calories forever, would she disappear? No, of course not. So what happens?
She looses 1lb a week for the first 4 weeks, then the weight loss starts to slow. Until at 7 - 8 weeks she stops loosing weight.. Shes confused, she has been so good? What has happened?
Well, her body has adjusted itself to survive on 1500 calories. Our bodies is very intelligent and can adapt to exist. That's why us humans are still here, we adapt to survive. It learns a pattern and adjusts itself. Our organs adjusts the speed of which they pump, our body temperature lowers which uses less calories, everything changes to adapt to this new way of functioning on the fuel its being given. This is called slowing down you metabolism. Your 'Basal Metaphoric Rate' (BMR) resets and lowers to survive.
She now gets disheartened, and would either eat even less (encouraging even more bodily adjustments) or starts eating what she thinks is back to normal again. 2000 calories a day. She doesn't want to gain the weight she lost so is good at sticking to her normal 2000 calories a day. BUT...she suddenly starts gaining weight. Putting it back on and some. Sound familiar?
Why? Because her metabolism is slower. She no longer needs 2000 calories. Her body has adjusted to 1500 calories. So now it sees her as over eating by 500 calories a day! And it rarely changes back now its formed this habit. The damage is often done. It might improve slightly, but here begins the yo-yo dieter. Gaining and losing forever, wondering why you always gain weight so easy. Not realising every time you do a long term low calorie diet that adjustment becomes more and more ingrained in your being.
So is it a diet or a lifestyle change you need?
There are lots of different lifestyle changes to diet that are an option for you. It depends on your preference in food, and your current levels of health. As a number of diets can help improve your health depending of what issues you may have. Here are some of the lifestyles or diets that you may of heard of.
I hear this is all the time. So have a think about this.
This can also be the same experience for people on the usual weight loss diets. Weeks of a low calorie restricted diet, leave you craving foods and volume of foods. Often craving fullness, over specific food. Resulting in....over eating when it's over, which means the weight goes back on. And so the cycle continues.
Also your metabolism slows after long periods of lowered calories on a diet. I've mentioned BMR before, this being Basal Metaphoric Rate, this is the calculation that works out how many calories you as an individual needs for you body to function when you do nothing for a day. So how many calories your brain, heart, kidneys etc need to function properly to do there job, this remember includes no activity, purely just to function. Here's one (of a few) reasons why your metabolism appears to slow after a diet -
- An 200 lbs, 46 year old woman at 5 ft 6 ins starts her diet with a rested BMR of 1564 (check calculation here ) So at the beginning of her diet she needs these calories per day before activity. So, taking into consideration this individuals moderate activity levels of doing exercise 3-5 days a week, we calculate her daily calories required to maintain weight by multiplied it by 1.55. Which equates to 1564 x 1.55 = 2424. So a woman of her size and age needs to eat around 1600 calories on an idle day, and 2500 on an active day.
- There are 3500 calories in a 1 lb. To lose a pound a week, she needs to under eat by 500 calories a day (7 x 500 = 3500 kcals) So she sets off on a diet eating 1100 kcals on a no activity day, and 2000 calories on an active day.
- She loses 50 lbs in a low calorie long low calories diet over nearly a year, with an exercise regime. Works hard for it, so good job!
- She is now a 47 year old woman at 5 ft 6 at 150 lbs. At this age and weight, her BMR is now lower at 1332 calories. Because she is lighter and a little older the calories she needs to exist daily is reduced. So lets recalculate her calories. So add her same activity now to the new BMR, 1332 x 1.55 = 2065 kcals. So, she now needs to eat after finishing her diet 1332 calories on a non active day, and 2065 calories on an active day. Her required calories have dropped by 232 on non-active and by 359 calories on an active day. So now due to her age and weight loss, her metabolism is slower.
- But her long term dieted brain tells her you are no longer on a diet and can eat your 'normal' amount. And gradually the weight goes back on, creeping up with those extra calories no longer required for her size. Even though she may feel like she's eating the right amount, she should now be eating less because her age and size has change.
So is it a diet or a lifestyle change needed?
Something else that happens during long term low calorie dieting, is the body adjusts to adapt and learns to live off a lower amount of calories. Our bodies are clever and adapts to survive. So when it sees a long period of low calories, it teaches itself to survive on these fewer calories This adjustment rarely goes back to normal. Leaving you needing less calories to live on...forever.
Think about this example - An average woman wants to loose weight 10 lbs in 10 weeks. Loosing 1 lb a week 'healthily'. She knows that there are 3500 calories in a 1 lb of fat. So she splits this over 7 days. meaning she would have to under eat by 500 calories a day to loose 1 lb a week. So, as an average woman (national RDA 2000 calories a day remember), she will need to eat 1500 calories a day to do this. So she starts her diet, religiously sticking to these calories.
**Thought for you - If she continued to eat 1500 calories forever, would she disappear? No, of course not. So what happens?
She looses 1lb a week for the first 4 weeks, then the weight loss starts to slow. Until at 7 - 8 weeks she stops loosing weight.. Shes confused, she has been so good? What has happened?
Well, her body has adjusted itself to survive on 1500 calories. Our bodies is very intelligent and can adapt to exist. That's why us humans are still here, we adapt to survive. It learns a pattern and adjusts itself. Our organs adjusts the speed of which they pump, our body temperature lowers which uses less calories, everything changes to adapt to this new way of functioning on the fuel its being given. This is called slowing down you metabolism. Your 'Basal Metaphoric Rate' (BMR) resets and lowers to survive.
She now gets disheartened, and would either eat even less (encouraging even more bodily adjustments) or starts eating what she thinks is back to normal again. 2000 calories a day. She doesn't want to gain the weight she lost so is good at sticking to her normal 2000 calories a day. BUT...she suddenly starts gaining weight. Putting it back on and some. Sound familiar?
Why? Because her metabolism is slower. She no longer needs 2000 calories. Her body has adjusted to 1500 calories. So now it sees her as over eating by 500 calories a day! And it rarely changes back now its formed this habit. The damage is often done. It might improve slightly, but here begins the yo-yo dieter. Gaining and losing forever, wondering why you always gain weight so easy. Not realising every time you do a long term low calorie diet that adjustment becomes more and more ingrained in your being.
So is it a diet or a lifestyle change you need?
There are lots of different lifestyle changes to diet that are an option for you. It depends on your preference in food, and your current levels of health. As a number of diets can help improve your health depending of what issues you may have. Here are some of the lifestyles or diets that you may of heard of.
THE PALEO DIET -
A Paleo Diet (sometimes known as the Caveman diet or Hunter/Gatherer Diet) is a lifestyle diet based on foods similar to what might have been eaten during the Palaeolithic era, which was about 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago.
A Paleo Diet usually includes lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds — foods that in the past could be obtained by hunting and gathering. A Paleo diet limits foods that became common when farming emerged about 10,000 years ago. These foods include dairy products, legumes and grains.
A Paleo Diet (sometimes known as the Caveman diet or Hunter/Gatherer Diet) is a lifestyle diet based on foods similar to what might have been eaten during the Palaeolithic era, which was about 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago.
A Paleo Diet usually includes lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds — foods that in the past could be obtained by hunting and gathering. A Paleo diet limits foods that became common when farming emerged about 10,000 years ago. These foods include dairy products, legumes and grains.
What to eat
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The Paleo Diet is a anti-inflammatory diet believed to have great success in helping people with autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), psoriasis, and multiple sclerosis (MS).
It is a very healthy lifestyle diet due to the very clean selection of whole organic foods it suggest. But if you function better on grain fibres and legumes like me, it may not be suited to you needs.
It is a very healthy lifestyle diet due to the very clean selection of whole organic foods it suggest. But if you function better on grain fibres and legumes like me, it may not be suited to you needs.
THE KETO DIET -
The Keto Diet (or Ketogenic Diet) is a very low carb high fat diet. It's goal is to have you empty your bodies stores of glycogen (essentially carbs stored in your cells) to deplete them of this food source, to force your body into a 'ketosis' state where is starts to live of your body fat for fuel. This body fat fuel is known as ketones. Because you are not eating carbs for fuel, your insulin levels stay low and rarely peak, which is why this diet is often good for those people with Type 2 Diabetes as it can help to regulate your insulin levels.
As well as this, Ketogenic diets may even have benefits against cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease research has shown.
Do Eat -
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Don't Eat -
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Have a read here my client Paul'ls journey to reverse his Diabetes Type 2 on the Keto diet.
INTERMITTENT FASTING -
In past years, I always used to say to people who have asked about Fasting diets words to this effect 'I can't see how they can be good for you, as your body will go into starvation mode, and your body needs a constant flow of macro-nutrients (Carbs/Proteins/Fats) and micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals), so starving them of these can't be good'.....Or can it?
So after some research, I can now say with confidence that Fasting isn't starving.
In simple terms - For purpose of dieting, fasting is generally done for a pretty short period of time, normally 12/24/36/42 hours or however ever many hours you prefer depending on your needs. It can take up to 24 hours to deplete your glycogen stores (this is the fuel stored in your tissues produced by eating mostly simple/complex carbs, but also proteins too). This is the preferred fuel of the brain and body and will use up this resource before it moves onto it's second favourite fuel. Ketones, which are produced when the body burns fat for fuel. As I mentioned in the Keto Diet explanation.
So once your glycogen runs out, the body automatically switches to living off your fat stores. That's what it's meant to do. That's how we are made to work. We are still not in starvation mode. Your body is still using it's own available fuel. Eating up your fat resources. Or put simply... fat burning.
Once your fat stores starts running too low (your body will reach a point when it starts naturally fighting against using fat for fuel when fat sources are too low), it will then start fuelling using your muscle tissues and organs. This IS starvation mode. You will not and should not ever reach this point during these short fasting periods. If you are looking into loosing weight, my guess is you have too much fat, that you want to get rid of, right?
In 1973 the longest ever recorded fast is 382 days! This subject weighed in at 456 pounds. And he lost 276 pounds during the fast. Five years after the fast ended, the patient’s weight was reported at consistent to around 196 pounds. And had no ill effect during and after the fast. Have a read of some statistics and more information here on this amazing Longest Fast link.
Individuals with very low body fat (woman under 20% and men under 15%) should never start a fasting diet, as they may not have enough stored fat for fuel. But why then would you start a diet if you are already so low in body fat? I hear you ask. Well...you might be a competing bodybuilder! If you are show prepping, on very low body fat towards the end of prep, don't try fasting. If you are starting with some mass to lose, you could use it to kick start your prep.
Other people who should not fast -
In past years, I always used to say to people who have asked about Fasting diets words to this effect 'I can't see how they can be good for you, as your body will go into starvation mode, and your body needs a constant flow of macro-nutrients (Carbs/Proteins/Fats) and micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals), so starving them of these can't be good'.....Or can it?
So after some research, I can now say with confidence that Fasting isn't starving.
In simple terms - For purpose of dieting, fasting is generally done for a pretty short period of time, normally 12/24/36/42 hours or however ever many hours you prefer depending on your needs. It can take up to 24 hours to deplete your glycogen stores (this is the fuel stored in your tissues produced by eating mostly simple/complex carbs, but also proteins too). This is the preferred fuel of the brain and body and will use up this resource before it moves onto it's second favourite fuel. Ketones, which are produced when the body burns fat for fuel. As I mentioned in the Keto Diet explanation.
So once your glycogen runs out, the body automatically switches to living off your fat stores. That's what it's meant to do. That's how we are made to work. We are still not in starvation mode. Your body is still using it's own available fuel. Eating up your fat resources. Or put simply... fat burning.
Once your fat stores starts running too low (your body will reach a point when it starts naturally fighting against using fat for fuel when fat sources are too low), it will then start fuelling using your muscle tissues and organs. This IS starvation mode. You will not and should not ever reach this point during these short fasting periods. If you are looking into loosing weight, my guess is you have too much fat, that you want to get rid of, right?
In 1973 the longest ever recorded fast is 382 days! This subject weighed in at 456 pounds. And he lost 276 pounds during the fast. Five years after the fast ended, the patient’s weight was reported at consistent to around 196 pounds. And had no ill effect during and after the fast. Have a read of some statistics and more information here on this amazing Longest Fast link.
Individuals with very low body fat (woman under 20% and men under 15%) should never start a fasting diet, as they may not have enough stored fat for fuel. But why then would you start a diet if you are already so low in body fat? I hear you ask. Well...you might be a competing bodybuilder! If you are show prepping, on very low body fat towards the end of prep, don't try fasting. If you are starting with some mass to lose, you could use it to kick start your prep.
Other people who should not fast -
- Children and young adults under 18, they are still developing and need all nutrients.
- Pregnant woman and breast feeding woman, again as they need a constant flow of nutrients.
- Any one with anorexia, of course. This is a mental illness where someone sees themselves fatter than they actually are, and shouldn't be attempting a diet at all.
- People with Type 1 diabetes, due to their already low levels of insulin. Fasting has been proven to lower insulin, so this could be dangerous with these type of diabetics.
- People on medication that needs to be taken with food.
What Can I eat? -
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So what are the benefits of a fasting diet/lifestyle?
Intermittent Fasting Part 1
Intermittent Fasting Part 2
Prolonged Fasting
- It's free - It costs nothing
- You save money - On less groceries
- No prep - 2 days less of food preparation
- No complex dietary routine or restrictions to follow.
- Even if you have allergies or intolerance's to foods, you can still do it.
- It can help to make you feel less hungry. Many reports from people who fast say they see there hunger levels drop dramatically.
- It's a life style diet - Once losing your weight through fasting, research has shown that weight loss stays consistent. As well as that you would continue to use it to help balance your life. So after that feast you had at that part or wedding, follow it with a fast day. Feast then Famine. It can balance out the meal and get you back on track. Most people who fast who have lost weight manage to maintain the weight loss. Remember the man who did the Longest Fast ? The weight never went back on.
- Faster weight loss - If I fast for 2 x 24 hour periods, I will be under eating each week by nearly 3800 calories by not eating for 2 days. The other days I intend to eat my normal BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate which is your personal calories calculation). So remembering that most diets base themselves on under eating by 500 calories a day, or 3500 a week to lose 1 lb, as 1 lb remember equates to 3500 calories. But these daily low calorie diets do tend to plateau as the body learns to exist and adapt to the daily calories intake. Research has shown that fasting diets tend to not plateau, you do lose the weight you should each week from your days of no eating. But because there is no consistent low calorie intake to get used to, it doesn't slow your metabolism.
- It has many health benefits - It has been used to reverse the effects of Type 2 Diabetes due to the fact it reduces insulin levels, it helps with healthy cell regeneration. it elevates growth hormone levels (which is why it is suggested to keep training on fasting diets, as it can assist with muscle growth, and why athletes have been training fasted for many years), they are building proof that it helps with cancer, it can also quickly reduce visceral fat, the internal 'dangerous' fat around your organs too. Have a read here 10 Evidence Based Reasons for Fasting to find out more information on the health benefits of fasting, or have a read of The Complete Guide to Fasting by Jimmy Moore and Dr Jason Fung. for more in depth information on fasting benefits.
Intermittent Fasting Part 1
Intermittent Fasting Part 2
Prolonged Fasting
THE WHOLE FOOD PLANT BASED DIET/LIFESTYLE -
On researching this diet/lifestyle plan, all the statistics on how it can slow down and even reverse heart disease has been some interesting reading. As well as also prevent cancers, and many sources also repeatedly claiming the diet can can also shrink cancer growths, and some have claimed it to have totally gone. As well as reversing blood pressure issues and cholesterol issue and so much more. Some vast and interesting research has been done on this WFPB diet. And its all intriguing.
On this diet you can eat grains - such as Spelt, Oat Groats, Rye, Buckwheat, brown rice, quinoa, barley. And legumes - all types of beans, peas, lentils. And all vegetables and fruits, seeds and nuts, spices and water, honey, maple syrups, plant milks/yogurts, herbal teas, green teas and coffees. To me as a Nutritionist, this is everything I would promote people to eat in the way I think people should be eating. Although my own personal preference, will include occasional organic grass fed meats, fresh fish and raw dairy's, as I believe these complete your nutrient requirements, and how us humans are are meant to survive, on a diverse range of food. BUT, I think (and I do) often have periods of sticking to the WFPB diet for 1 - 2 months at a time as it resets your stats so to speak, helping quickly reduce blood pressure, cholesterol (if you feel you need to) and regulating hormones.
Now, I don't see this as a 'Vegan' diet/lifestyle. Vegans do or can eat processed foods such as breads, cakes and pastries, and also pretend meat replacements like Quorn, Tofu, Seitan which are not a whole food.
So WFPB diet means just that.
Only whole, unprocessed, unrefined plant based foods. Eat it if it looks like it had just been harvested from the earth or a tree. No dairy, no meats, no fish, no eggs, no refined sugars (no packaged bread which are nearly all shop bought, no pastas, cous-cous, cakes, sweets, pastries etc). Sugars can be eaten if from whole organic unprocessed grains such as Spelt Flour, Sourdough and Rye. And in the natural forms of honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar. |
Have a read of my blog and my experience on the WFPB diet here -