Who has the time to keep up with weight-loss research? It's so
technical...and confusing...and often contradictory! And yet if you
don't know what's going on in the world of calorie counting, you may not
be seeing the pounds drop off as fast as you think they should. In one
European diet-and-exercise study, for example, participants who were
given detailed explanations of the research itself were more likely to
improve (exercise more or eat better or both) than a less clued-in
group. Fortunately, we have dug into the latest research. And as we did,
we noted that a surprising number of dieting tactics accepted as gospel
have recently been shown to be dead wrong. Knowing which still hold up
and which are big (fat) lies can mean the difference between winning and
losing at weight loss. Here's the lowdown.
1. To lose a pound, you must cut 3,500 calories
FALSE: This much-quoted equation doesn't account for the slowdown that happens to your metabolism
as you drop pounds, explain researchers at the National Institutes of
Health. "As a result, it drastically overestimates how quickly people
will lose weight," says senior investigator Kevin D. Hall, Ph.D. That's
why his team has created a new, computerized model that accurately
predicts just how long you'll have to say non to french fries. It takes
into consideration not only the drop in calorie burn as you get slimmer,
but also your current weight, your age, how much you're eating now, and
other variables.
Let's say you're a 46-year-old woman who weighs 170 pounds. According
to the traditional formula, if you cut 500 calories a day, you would
drop a pound a week (500 ≈ 7 days = 3,500 calories, or 1 pound) - and
lose 26 pounds in six months. But the new math shows that the weight
loss is more likely to be 19.5 pounds.
Make this work for you: The weight-loss gods may be cruel, but
knowing what to expect can keep you from getting discouraged - and from
backsliding - when the scale seems stuck. To try the new Body Weight
Simulator, go to bwsimulator.niddk.nih.gov.
Especially cool: You can vary predictions of how much you might lose
and how long it will take by changing what you plug in for your calorie
intake and exercise level.
2. Three squares a day works as well as a "many mini meals" plan
TRUE: Dieters who stick to breakfast, lunch, and dinner are
often no hungrier than those who opt to have frequent small meals and
snacks throughout the day, a new University of Missouri study found.
Actually, if you're a dieter who doesn't want to have to be extra
careful about portion control, eating three squares might be a better
strategy. "Often people misinterpret the size of a 'mini meal' and end
up taking in far more calories than they realize," says lead author
Heather J. Leidy, Ph.D. "Also, more meals means more exposure to food,
which creates more opportunities for overeating."
Make this work for you: Whether you want to be a traditionalist
or a conscientious "mini meal" strategist, the most important thing is
not to go too low: Dieters who dine only once or twice a day tend to get
ravenous - and we all know where that leads.
3. A history of yo-yo dieting wrecks your chances of future weight-loss success
FALSE: This idea gained traction back in the 1980s, when
studies on rats found that those forced to yo-yo with their diets
actually became more efficient at gaining weight. Humans, however, are
luckier: In new research from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
in Seattle, a history of losing, then gaining, then losing wasn't
linked to any negative effects on metabolism. Even severe yo-yo dieters -
women who reported losing 20 or more pounds on three or more occasions -
were able to follow a new diet and exercise program just as
successfully as non-swingers.
Make this work for you: Yo-yoers are often women who try one
crash diet after another. So take encouragement from this study and look
for a plan that focuses on healthy lifestyle changes that lead to slow
and steady weight loss. One to consider: GH's Drop 5 lbs: The Small Changes, Big Results Diet ($5; exclusive edition available at Kohl's).
4. Exercise does not burn off pounds
TRUE: It's hard to believe, but in a study of 411 women, those
who worked out for over one, two, or three hours a week for six months
didn't lose significantly more weight than those who'd devoted
themselves to Sudoku or other sedentary pursuits. You'd think this
finding was a fluke, but a recent review of 15 studies came to the same
conclusion: Moderate workouts don't lead to weight loss, possibly
because they make us hungrier. But there's also a biological
explanation: As with weight loss, one of the ways your body adapts to an
increase in exercise is to lower your resting metabolic rate about 7%,
so you actually end up burning fewer calories - anywhere from 50 to 75
fewer per day, the review found.
Make this work for you: While exercise doesn't burn off the
bulge, "it does boost your PFF: Pants Fit Factor," says Diana M. Thomas,
Ph.D., of Montclair State University in New Jersey. "It helps reduce
your waist and gives you a firmer, leaner-looking shape overall." What's
more, a dwindling waistline is a key indicator that you're losing belly
fat - the dangerous fat type that's linked to health problems like
heart disease and diabetes.
5. It's best to set challenging weight-loss goals
TRUE: Weight-loss experts have long counseled that if dieters
set high - that is, unrealistic - targets, they'll quickly get
discouraged and give up. Better, the pros have advised, to think small.
But in a recent study of 447 overweight adults, Dutch researchers found
that the more weight loss the participants strived for, the more effort
they made - and the more weight they reported losing after two months.
One theory as to why being ambitious might help you shed more pounds: It
has a psychologically energizing effect, pumping up your commitment and
drive.
Make this work for you: When mapping out a pounds-off plan, go
for the gold - or strive to lose 14% of your current weight. That's the
target (on average) that motivated the higher-reaching dieters in the
Dutch study. For a 165-pound woman, that works out to about a 23-pound
loss.
6. Milk drinkers lose more weight
FALSE: Wipe that mustache off your face: When Harvard
researchers analyzed 29 studies on the topic, they found that while
dairy may help dieters in the short term, ultimately it's not a winning
(i.e, losing) strategy. In fact, in most of the studies that had lasted a
year or longer and that didn't restrict calories, adults who chugged
extra glasses of the white stuff (or ate more dairy) actually gained
more weight than participants who didn't.
Make this work for you: To satisfy your dairy cravings, sub in
yogurt: The Harvard team noted that a recent large study did find yogurt
intake helped with weight in the long term.
7. Tracking carbs is the best way to keep pounds off
FALSE: A balanced plan topped the usual technique of counting
carbohydrates or fat grams in a study of adults who had recently lost a
significant amount of weight. The least successful of the plans was the
one that counted fat grams: It caused the biggest slowdown in
metabolism, leading dieters to burn an average of 423 fewer calories a
day. The carb-counting plan was problematic because it caused an
increase in cortisol and C-reactive protein levels - factors that may
elevate your risk of cardiovascular disease. In contrast, the balanced
plan caused a less extreme drop in metabolism (under 300 calories a day)
and didn't trigger any heart-harming consequences.
Make this work for you: The study's balanced plan included lots
of whole grains, fresh vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, healthy fats
like olive oil, and lean fish and meats; it excluded heavily processed
foods like white bread and instant rice. Known as "low-glycemic," this
type of diet is based on regulating the body's blood sugar and hormone
levels. It may also be the easiest diet to stick to in the long term
because it doesn't restrict entire classes of food, notes lead study
author Cara B. Ebbeling, Ph.D., of Boston Children's Hospital. For info,
go to childrenshospital.org (search "low-glycemic diet" for shopping lists and other tips).
8. You have to watch what you eat - forever
TRUE: Previously, experts believed if you restrained eating for
too long, it would backfire and lead to bingeing, notes weight-loss
researcher Fiona Johnson, Ph.D., of University College London. "But the
constant bombardment of food temptations has led to a situation where
self-control is essential."
Make this work for you: Psychologists specializing in dieting
issues don't advocate outlawing a long list of favorite foods. Instead,
they suggest "flexible restraint" - passing on sundaes or fries on most
days, but occasionally allowing yourself those treats. To monitor how
well you're balancing restraint with indulgence, step on your scale at
least once a week. Regular weigh-ins will alert you to the need to rein
in before a big, hard-to-shake weight gain settles in.
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