Although many of the current fad diets promote calorie cutting as an effective way to lose weight, many of these diets can actually make you gain weight. “Starvation is often defined as consuming less than 2,100 calories each day, yet most diets tell people to consume as little as 1,300 calories,” says Paul Ratté, ND, a naturopathic practitioner at Northwestern Health Sciences University’s Woodwinds Clinic in Woodbury, Minn. “When the body is starved, it enters survival mode and holds on to what little food there is, causing the body to accumulate instead of burn calories.”
People generally base their food choices on two factors. The first is convenience and the second is what they hear or see. The food industry has the primary goal of selling, pitching and promoting anyway they can to make the sale. This often results in confusion over what is truly “healthy.” Labels can make people believe the food is healthy but in reality it is often processed or refined, making it full of fat and calories.
Many people tend to think that if they simply eat less and exercise more, they will lose weight. But according to Ratté, there is no such thing as a quick fix. He says that slowly building your metabolism will result in more successful weight loss in the long term. He offers these tips:
- Eat More Whole Foods: Eating whole foods means consuming food the way it is found in nature. These foods are nutrient dense, meaning they have a low number of calories and a high amount of nutrients and phytochemicals. “Instead of drinking orange juice, eat an orange,” Ratté recommends. “A small glass of orange juice may contain as many as four oranges, but the average person generally doesn’t eat four oranges in one sitting.” Caloric-dense and nutrient-deficient foods include candy, sugar and even “whole grain” cereals and breads. These are all foods that have been processed or refined.
- Stay Away From the Television: Watching television not only prevents you from getting adequate physical activity; it may also trigger emotional eating. “Television promotes food and stimulates the appetite,” says Ratté. “It has the power to make you think you are hungry.”
- Don’t Be a Reactive Eater: “If you eat a poor breakfast and a small lunch, chances are you will be starving by 4 p.m.,” says Ratté. “Your body will crave a quick fix so you might eat junk food to raise your blood sugar and get fast relief.” Eating like this can be problematic because it doesn’t provide long-term energy and hunger often strikes soon after eating, which may make you prone to eating even more food.
- Be a Proactive Eater: Eating protein in the morning keeps your blood sugar balanced during the day. “If you eat a serving that’s about the size of a deck of cards you will have more energy and won’t crave sugar,” says Ratté. “Because digestion is the most active before 3 p.m., try not to eat protein after 3 p.m. It will be harder to break down and will sit in your stomach overnight.”
- According to Ratté, five percent to 15 percent of your daily caloric expenditure should stem from digestion; however, when you eat a lot of sugary foods that are easy to expend, the percentage of calories burned through digestion is very low.
- Moderate Physical Activity is Important. Physical activity is important because it can help stimulate metabolism and reduce stress levels. “You don’t need to exercise 14 hours per week,” says Ratté. “Approximately 300 minutes per week should suffice for many people.” For those who struggle finding time for exercise, simple physical activity for 10 minutes, three times per day, can still be beneficial. Even simple activities burn calories. Instead of eating at a restaurant, try cooking your own food. The sheer movement that’s involved with the preparation work will burn a few calories. Click here for more useful information about exercise.
Many people think they need to lose weight in order to be healthy, but Ratté says it’s the other way around: You have to be healthy in order to lose weight. There are three basic elements that create the foundation of health. In order to experience successful weight loss, Ratté suggests focusing on:
- What You Think: This element includes stress management. High stress may lead to an increase in the production of the hormone cortisol. Because metabolism is controlled by hormones, this increase in cortisol may lead to weight gain around your mid-section;
- How You Move: Stay active and be sure to get a moderate amount of physical activity; and
- What You Eat: Make a conscious effort to eat well.
“To be effective, all three elements need to be taken into consideration,” says Ratté. “This will help you understand how your body functions, and you will soon realize that cutting calories and excessive exercise aren’t the keys to successful weight loss.”
