Hey guys!
Did you watch the TV program called The Truth About Food on SABC2 last week? Three of my clients watched it and there has been some healthy debate since then, so I am going to lay it out flat here – on the blog.
For those of you, who missed it, the program displays five admittedly unscientific experiments with a bunch of volunteers to confirm or reject some wide-spread claims from supplement manufacturers, celebrity nutritionists and dieticians worldwide. The tests done were as follows:
- Three London cab drivers were initially tested for their basal stress tolerance levels (read someone got in the cab and irritated the living cr*p out of them). Then, the drivers were put on a diet consisting of fatty fish (salmon & tuna) at least twice a week for three months. Then, their response to “stressful situations” was tested again. The purpose of this test is to verify the effects of Omega 3 fatty acids (in fatty fish) on the nervous system’s ability to cope.
- A group of 12 karate masters, all vegetarian, are split in two and half of them agreed to accept meat once again in their diets for 2 months. The objective is to evaluate the performance of meat eaters vs. vegetarians and specifically whether the low occurrence of creatine and iron in the vegetarians’ blood hampers their physical ability.
- Two caffeine addicts are subjected to a blind experiment with one of them being given decaf coffee for a week, while the other downs real java. The goal is to determine whether caffeine withdrawal interferes with mental performance.
- The forth test was the one that drew my clients’ attention. Here , four sets of very active identical twins are split in two groups (a twin of each pair in each group) to “take genetics out of the equation”. The two groups are fed drastically different diets, high carb vs. Atkins’ type protein-fat combo, and then taken through a gruelling physical competition, to establish which nutritional plan is more appropriate for athletes.
- Finally, the last test aims to identify whether it is carbs that fuel performance or “the taste of carbs”. The test involves sugar cane farm workers who are split in three groups. One group drinks water, one group – sugar water, and the third group only swirls the sugar water solution in their mouth and then spits it out.
As I said, the debate with my clients was centred around the fourth test. While I do not support the drastic carb elimination suggested by Dr. Atkins, and Dr. Agatston (the author of The South Beach Diet), I do know that reducing carbohydrate consumption is essential to weight loss. And since my clients are primarily concerned with weight loss, their meal plans resemble the no-carb team’s one much closer than the sugary cereal and spaghetti the other team was offered in the test. By now you have obviously figured it out – the team of twins consuming carbohydrates won the challenge, which consisted of a 5 hr mountain bike ride, a run through a lake, carrying a raft and some boot camp drills back at home base. Thus, my clients believe that I am misleading them by “taking away their daily bread” (excuse the pun!).
So, for all of you out there, let me clear it all out:
The test was measuring performance for HIGH ENDURANCE athletes. In fact for the first two hours of the test both teams kept up with each other. It was only after 2 hrs that team protein started slowing down. Now, if you run/swim/ride/etc for 3 hrs or longer every day, by all means you need the carbs!
How many of you do that?
I thought so!
The other thing to remember is what are you trying to achieve. None of these athletes were trying to lose weight! There is no such thing as a bad diet. Just a diet that achieves different results. To lose weight you lower the carbs and to keep up the pace in a long-distance event you down Energades. Simple!
Oh, and if you are curious about the rest of the findings:
Apparently eating fatty fish does reduce the stress levels significantly. How to cook the fish was believed to be the major issue people have with adding it to the menu, so if you fall in that camp – supplement… (Just watch out for the mercury in some of the supplements!).
Caffeine addiction is absolutely real and mental performance did dip quite a bit for the poor oak on decaf in the second and third day of the test. By day 7, though, he was back to his espresso-days-performance and the addiction was cleared. Is it worth ditching your daily fix, then? You decide…
On the vegetarian vs. meat eaters debate, the conclusion was inconclusive! One of the girls in the experiment improved her scores by 21%, while the others recorded no significant change…
And lastly, it is the TASTE of carbs, not the actual carbs that fuel performance, according to the sugar cane experiment. This is apparently due to some carb receptor on the tongue that sends a message to the brain that carbs are coming, which subsequently energizes the body! I know these findings clash a bit with the twins’ test, but the difference is (again) in the duration. The latter test was only done over a one hour period.
So, to make a long story short, you still need to watch the carbs if you want to lose. Period.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Weight Loss: What NOT To Do
Being in the midst of weight loss season (September to late November is the period when the weight loss industry really flourishes in South Africa!) we are currently immersed in “professional tips” and “proven information” on what to do to get the coveted 60cm waist. Shape magazine has a new plan guaranteed to help you lose 5kg till Christmas. Cleo Mag also offers advice on battling the bulge. Actually, I don’t think you will find a mag that doesn’t.
The concepts are all quite simple (and similar), really. Eat healthy, exercise daily, take care of your body and mind, visualise your success… All the things that you already know you should do…
Yet, weight loss sometimes requires of you to just let go and NOT do. Relinquish the control and let it happen naturally…
Here is a list of some common mistakes that we all get caught into amidst our eagerness for slimmer and prettier “me”:
1. Don’t check your weight in your bathroom scales everyday.
I know you are eager to see the confirmation of your efforts in the shape of lost pounds, but you should not let this drive you to checking your weight everyday. The daily fluctuations of your weight will soon have you depressed and ready to quit the plan. And this is something you want to avoid.
2. Don’t rush into the toughest weight loss diet
This is the most common mistake by far (in my view). Super strict diets don’t work. Period. They don’t work for anyone in the long term. Not even for the “testimonials” used to sell the books. Get it into your head and stick to the more sensible approaches. I mean, come on… You know that you can’t survive the strict routine for more than 3 days, right? And then what? Once again admitting to failure and beating yourself with endless guilt?
3. Don’t go to the gym too often to lose weight!
Another common mistake is to use the enthusiasm of the first days to hit the gym every day. This won’t help you at all. Your body needs time to heal and expand the muscle mass after each training session and going to the gym every day interferes with this natural process. Besides, a week of non-stop training could never offset ten or twenty years of couch potato lifestyle.
4. Don’t cut down too many calories in order to lose weight
We all know that cutting down on calories is one of the building blocks of all diets, but you have to be careful about it. Cut down on too many calories and your body will start storing anything it possibly can. This is not a good way to lose weight. You can look at the earlier posts in this blog to calculate the “safe” amount of calories to cut, but general rule of thumb is no more than 20% of your total intake. I.e. if you currently eat 1,800 calories a day, you can’t cut out more than 360 calories at a time… about a small meal. Yep, you are right – you will need to keep a food diary to track that!
5. Don’t skip meals in order to lose weight quickly!
Some people think that skipping one or two meals could help them lose weight faster. Been there, done that. Won’t even talk about it any further, but just for the uninitiated: Work towards INCREASING your number of meals, not reducing it. Eating all your calories in one or two sittings a day is totally counter-productive. 6 meals a day IS YOUR GOAL!
6. Don’t rely on your will power alone for weight loss
Use your head as well. If you wish to know how much you eat, then write everything down and analyze the list for things that should not be there (or mail it to me!). Sometimes “hunger” creeps up on you and make you eat something you shouldn’t. Beat it. Unless you are pregnant (and I am not even too sure about that one!) physical cravings DO NOT exist. It’s all in your head!
7. Don’t let emotions drive your weight loss
Aside from the eagerness that drives people to check their weight every day, there are other emotions that influence dieting. If you know you’re used to reaching out for ice-cream or snacks when you are bored, frustrated or angry, then you should deal with these issues first. Weight loss will happen, once you have your life sorted out.
8. Don’t lose touch with reality while following a weight loss plan
You can’t realistically expect things to happen over night. When choosing your goal, start small, but be prepared to go far. If you hear someone saying that he lost a large number of pounds in a short time, don’t make it your goal to match his performance. Diet results are different from one person to another. It is NOT a competition!
9. Don’t deny yourself your favourite foods while trying to lose weight
Treats are allowed and actually required to preserve your mental sanity and wellbeing. But don’t go overboard. It wasn’t treats that made you fat. It was overdoing them. So, make peace with your past and allow yourself a treat occasionally. Keywords to note here are “a treat” (as opposed to “treats”) and “occasionally” (meaning exactly that)!
10. Don’t refuse to seek help for losing weight
Not knowing what to do in order to lose weight effectively is NOT a reflection on you. Unless you studied dietetics, kinesiology and physiology, no one expects you to know what a phytonutrient is, why you need it and how your body reacts to its presence in your digestive track. No. Going to a weight loss coach, dietician or trainer is NOT embarrassing. Think about it… How does it differ from going to a doctor, mechanic or enrolling for Spanish lessons? You need something to happen and you go to a professional, right?
I wish you all a successful weight loss journey!
Ciao!
Jeni
The concepts are all quite simple (and similar), really. Eat healthy, exercise daily, take care of your body and mind, visualise your success… All the things that you already know you should do…
Yet, weight loss sometimes requires of you to just let go and NOT do. Relinquish the control and let it happen naturally…
Here is a list of some common mistakes that we all get caught into amidst our eagerness for slimmer and prettier “me”:
1. Don’t check your weight in your bathroom scales everyday.
I know you are eager to see the confirmation of your efforts in the shape of lost pounds, but you should not let this drive you to checking your weight everyday. The daily fluctuations of your weight will soon have you depressed and ready to quit the plan. And this is something you want to avoid.
2. Don’t rush into the toughest weight loss diet
This is the most common mistake by far (in my view). Super strict diets don’t work. Period. They don’t work for anyone in the long term. Not even for the “testimonials” used to sell the books. Get it into your head and stick to the more sensible approaches. I mean, come on… You know that you can’t survive the strict routine for more than 3 days, right? And then what? Once again admitting to failure and beating yourself with endless guilt?
3. Don’t go to the gym too often to lose weight!
Another common mistake is to use the enthusiasm of the first days to hit the gym every day. This won’t help you at all. Your body needs time to heal and expand the muscle mass after each training session and going to the gym every day interferes with this natural process. Besides, a week of non-stop training could never offset ten or twenty years of couch potato lifestyle.
4. Don’t cut down too many calories in order to lose weight
We all know that cutting down on calories is one of the building blocks of all diets, but you have to be careful about it. Cut down on too many calories and your body will start storing anything it possibly can. This is not a good way to lose weight. You can look at the earlier posts in this blog to calculate the “safe” amount of calories to cut, but general rule of thumb is no more than 20% of your total intake. I.e. if you currently eat 1,800 calories a day, you can’t cut out more than 360 calories at a time… about a small meal. Yep, you are right – you will need to keep a food diary to track that!
5. Don’t skip meals in order to lose weight quickly!
Some people think that skipping one or two meals could help them lose weight faster. Been there, done that. Won’t even talk about it any further, but just for the uninitiated: Work towards INCREASING your number of meals, not reducing it. Eating all your calories in one or two sittings a day is totally counter-productive. 6 meals a day IS YOUR GOAL!
6. Don’t rely on your will power alone for weight loss
Use your head as well. If you wish to know how much you eat, then write everything down and analyze the list for things that should not be there (or mail it to me!). Sometimes “hunger” creeps up on you and make you eat something you shouldn’t. Beat it. Unless you are pregnant (and I am not even too sure about that one!) physical cravings DO NOT exist. It’s all in your head!
7. Don’t let emotions drive your weight loss
Aside from the eagerness that drives people to check their weight every day, there are other emotions that influence dieting. If you know you’re used to reaching out for ice-cream or snacks when you are bored, frustrated or angry, then you should deal with these issues first. Weight loss will happen, once you have your life sorted out.
8. Don’t lose touch with reality while following a weight loss plan
You can’t realistically expect things to happen over night. When choosing your goal, start small, but be prepared to go far. If you hear someone saying that he lost a large number of pounds in a short time, don’t make it your goal to match his performance. Diet results are different from one person to another. It is NOT a competition!
9. Don’t deny yourself your favourite foods while trying to lose weight
Treats are allowed and actually required to preserve your mental sanity and wellbeing. But don’t go overboard. It wasn’t treats that made you fat. It was overdoing them. So, make peace with your past and allow yourself a treat occasionally. Keywords to note here are “a treat” (as opposed to “treats”) and “occasionally” (meaning exactly that)!
10. Don’t refuse to seek help for losing weight
Not knowing what to do in order to lose weight effectively is NOT a reflection on you. Unless you studied dietetics, kinesiology and physiology, no one expects you to know what a phytonutrient is, why you need it and how your body reacts to its presence in your digestive track. No. Going to a weight loss coach, dietician or trainer is NOT embarrassing. Think about it… How does it differ from going to a doctor, mechanic or enrolling for Spanish lessons? You need something to happen and you go to a professional, right?
I wish you all a successful weight loss journey!
Ciao!
Jeni
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