The Secret To Losing Weight & Keeping It Off

Have you ever gone on an extremely calorie-restricted diet and lost weight only to gain it all back and then some? Studies show reducing caloric intake may not be the best way to lose weight and keep it off long-term.

It is estimated that 80-90% of individuals regain weight within 5 years of losing it. The rise in obesity over the last few decades can partly be attributed to the consumption of highly-processed foods and changes to the physical environment making us far more sedentary than ever before. Further, outdated weight loss guidance and a misunderstanding of the mechanics of weight loss and human behaviour keep individuals in a frustrating cycle of weight fluctuations.

Why extreme caloric restriction is not the way to go.

Severely restricting caloric intake leads to hormonal changes that affect appetite, metabolism and body composition. As humans, we’ve evolved through periods of famine. The human body has developed survival mechanisms through these periods that lead to fewer calories burned, greater fat storage and slowed metabolism. Leptin and ghrelin levels are also modified after chronic caloric restriction, leading to increased hunger.

So, what’s the better approach to weight loss?

Greger, M. (2019). How Not To Diet. Macmillan.

While it’s true that “calories in” must not exceed "calories out”, the notion is not as simple as it seems. Multiple factors affect how food is metabolised, altering the number of calories stored. You can read about it in my article “Myth: A Calorie Is A Calorie”.

The better approach to sustainable weight loss is to adopt dietary habits that are easy to follow for life. As you’ve probably experienced, you can’t revert to your previous eating habits after losing weight and expect to keep the weight off.

The approach that has seen the most success is volume eating. Volume eating ensures you’re eating enough food to feel full and satisfy your body’s nutrient needs, while still consuming fewer calories. The way to do this is by incorporating more nutrient-dense foods into your diet such as fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. These foods are naturally lower in calories and high in volume, so it’s almost impossible to overeat them.

The 50/50 plate, coined by Dr McDougall, suggests visually filling half your plate with non-starchy vegetables and the other half with minimally processed starches and proteins. This method encourages you to eat foods high in volume and low in calories to ensure you feel fully satisfied and eradicates the need to count calories if done properly. Non-starchy vegetables include eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, cucumbers, kale, lettuce and the list goes on. There’s no limit to the kinds of meals you can create.

Dieting has an expiration date. Permanent weight loss needs permanent changes to dietary and lifestyle habits. Implementing changes you can sustain long-term early on in your weight loss journey will ensure maintainable weight loss.

If you’re struggling with weight loss and would like help using tailored approaches, make an appointment. Together, we can explore your concerns safely and confidentially to formulate a treatment plan tailored specifically to you.

References

Benton, D., & Young, H. A. (2017). Reducing Calorie Intake May Not Help You Lose Body Weight. Perspectives on psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, 12(5), 703–714. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617690878 

Greger, M. (2019). How Not To Diet. Macmillan.

Hall, K. D., & Kahan, S. (2018). Maintenance of Lost Weight and Long-Term Management of Obesity. The Medical clinics of North America, 102(1), 183–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012 

McDougall, J. A. (2021, December 29). Maximum weight loss, 50/50 rule. Dr. McDougall. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://www.drmcdougall.com/newsletters/mcdougall-program-maximum-weight-loss-10-point-checklist-and-recipes/

Memon, A. N., Gowda, A. S., Rallabhandi, B., Bidika, E., Fayyaz, H., Salib, M., & Cancarevic, I. (2020). Have Our Attempts to Curb Obesity Done More Harm Than Good?. Cureus, 12(9), e10275. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.10275

Redman, L. M., & Ravussin, E. (2011). Caloric restriction in humans: impact on physiological, psychological, and behavioral outcomes. Antioxidants & redox signaling, 14(2), 275–287. https://doi.org/10.1089/ars.2010.3253