Turn on the TV and you will most likely see advertisements for the next great diet. Go to the bookstore (or now in this age your tablet) and you’ll see countless diet books. Your friend will tell you she “ate this and lost 40 lb” and your coworker will probably say the same thing. So, who are you to believe and what is supposed to work?
There are a few types of diets in my opinion. There are diets that eliminate entire macro-nutrient (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) groups, diets that reduce a macro-nutrient group, moderation or portion control diets and the “see food and eat it” group. The latter of these will give you the complete opposite weight loss results…. obviously. Diets that exclude a macro-nutrient would be a poor choice. Completely eliminating one category for long-term weight loss may cause long-term problems. These may include “fat-free” or “carbohydrate-free” diets. Reduced diets include those that are “low-carb” and “low-fat” diet. These diets have come under scrutiny as of late with low adherence rates and poor weight loss results over time (1).
That leaves one type of diet left, moderation and portion control. Call it what you want, but consuming the calories that you need throughout the day in a portion controlled system will work for weight loss. The importance of moderation is key to weight loss.
One thing is for sure: You need all three macro-nutrients to survive. Protein contains the building blocks of life known as amino acids. They play an important function in recovery and regeneration and building muscle mass amongst other important life functions. Carbohydrates in their simplest form, glucose, provides the fuel that our central nervous system (CNS) runs off of. Fats promote healthy hair, nail and skin. I’m sure I have not covered all of their functions, so please feel free to add to that list! There are also better good and poor choices of those three macro-nutrients: olive oil has more heart healthy fats than butter and oatmeal contains more fiber, chicken breast is a higher quality protein source than bologna or salami and slow digesting carbohydrates than white bread.
If you are unsure which direction to turn for your weight loss goals, perhaps I can help. Full nutrition service information can be found under our nutrition page, or you can contact me directly!
