When it comes to dieting to lose weight, I believe you ultimately have to experiment to find what's right for you. Not every diet works for every person.
Trust me, when I was 50 pounds heavier, I tried the then-popular Atkins diet only feel lethargic, constipated (sorry) and just blech. Following a fake-food, low-fat diet full of sugar made me hungrier for more crappy low-fat food.
What Helped Me Drop 50 Pounds
Ultimately, no magic diet works for me. I do enjoy the Mediterranean approach to eating but I try to eat real food, most of the time. I focus on fruits, vegetables and avoid saturated fats. I love fish, dark chocolate and wine. I have a sweet tooth that I am always battling and I enjoy indulging in what I love. I had my once-a-year basket of Snuffer's Cheese Fries Sunday after the TX/OU game and loved every calorie of the fat-bomb without an ounce of guilt.
There. That's it.
If I want to drop weight quickly or balance out an indulgent weekend, I might juice for a few days or live on watermelon and vegetables. That is NOT a good way to sustain weight loss but it's a quick fix which I sometimes, yet rarely, incorporate into my regime.
Does Low-Fat Make You Fat?
There's an interesting article in Britain's Daily Mail that bucks the theory that all calories are created equal.
"The skeptics argue that calories from different sources have different effects on the body, with calories from carbohydrates more likely to encourage weight gain."
A personal trainer from London did an experiment consuming a high-calorie diet comprised of different types of food.
Sam Feltham "upped his intake to a massive 5,000 calories every day. For three weeks he got these calories from a low-fat, high-carb diet; for another three, he ate more fat and cut right back on carbs.
He did exactly the same, moderate exercise regimen each time.
Now, according to the conventional wisdom, the weight gain would be the same on both regimens. After all, a calorie is just a calorie.
| Remember these? |
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| Staples of the Mediterranean Diet |
Ultimately, no magic diet works for me. I do enjoy the Mediterranean approach to eating but I try to eat real food, most of the time. I focus on fruits, vegetables and avoid saturated fats. I love fish, dark chocolate and wine. I have a sweet tooth that I am always battling and I enjoy indulging in what I love. I had my once-a-year basket of Snuffer's Cheese Fries Sunday after the TX/OU game and loved every calorie of the fat-bomb without an ounce of guilt.
There. That's it.
Snuffer's Cheese Fries
Does Low-Fat Make You Fat?
There's an interesting article in Britain's Daily Mail that bucks the theory that all calories are created equal.
"The skeptics argue that calories from different sources have different effects on the body, with calories from carbohydrates more likely to encourage weight gain."
Sam Feltham "upped his intake to a massive 5,000 calories every day. For three weeks he got these calories from a low-fat, high-carb diet; for another three, he ate more fat and cut right back on carbs.
He did exactly the same, moderate exercise regimen each time.
Now, according to the conventional wisdom, the weight gain would be the same on both regimens. After all, a calorie is just a calorie.
In fact, on the low-fat diet Sam stacked on 16 lb - more than a stone - and gained 3.7 in (9.5 cm) around his middle.
But when he ate more fat and cut his carbs, he added just 2½ lb and lost 1 in (2.5 cm) from his waistline."
This is a lengthy and substantial read but worth your time if you are looking for information to help shape your approach to eating.
What works for you?
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