An insight into Weight Loss Methods
Weekly Fitness and Wellness Article:
by Juan Jimenez
We have all heard of these famous and commercialized “diets” claiming permanent and efficient weight loss. It’s critical to distinguish between the facts and the fallacies when it comes to implementing a “diet” that will help you maximize weight loss and .
Let’s take a look at the various weight loss methods:
1. Very-Low Energy Diets:
Also know as very-low-calorie-diets, they are used to achieve rapid weight loss. The administration of liquid meals with daily intakes varying from 400Kcal/day to 800Kcal/day. This diet is very effective in reducing body weight rapidly. In the first week, weight loss comes mainly from water and glycogen. Fat loss is relatively small and muscle wasting can rapidly become an issue. Due to very low carbohydrate intake, lethargy, nausea, halitosis (bad breath), muscle loss, hypotension, light headedness, and dehydration are common side effects of these very low energy diets. Dieticians recommend this diet for individuals who suffer from obesity or are highly over weight.
2. Food-Combination Diets:
Based on the philosophy that protein and carbohydrates should not be combined. Such combinations result in a “build-up of toxins”, which can result in weight gain. The reason behind the success of this diet is the reduction in energy and fat intake and not from avoiding the combination of carbohydrates and protein as it claims. Since carbohydrate intake is low, glycogen stores are reduced resulting in low physical and mental performance as well as impaired muscle recovery.
3. High-Protein Diets:
Encouragement for increased protein consumption is one of the most common approaches of many popular diets. Taking 2 to 3 times more protein than what is recommended contributes to urinary calcium loss, which in the long term, predisposes for mineral loss. Be careful to implement this diet if you are predisposed to kidney disease and diabetes. High protein diets aid in preventing appetite, which might be a mechanism for weight loss. Also, protein has a high thermic effect, therefore, increasing total energy expenditure by increasing the thermic effect of digesting food.
4. Low-Carbohydrate Diets:
Some examples are the Atkins and the Sugar busters diet. They are based on the belief that carbohydrate reduction increases fat oxidation (fat burning). These diets can be effective but no more than a well balanced energy restricted diet. The high fat content on these diets raises your blood lipid levels, which could result in hypertension and increased risks for cardiovascular complications. Since glycogen reduction is maximized, exercise capacity will be diminished. When you are on a low carbohydrate diet, ketone bodies will become your main energy source (glucose is the main energy substrate in the human body) resulting in feeling of fatigue, mental fogginess. Ketones are by-products of fat metabolism. These chemicals are produced by the liver when the body cannot use glucose and must break down fat for energy. Ketones can poison and even kill body cells.
5. The Zone Diet:
There is a lot of positive anecdotal evidence that indicates that weight loss occurs with the Zone Diet. Traditional recommendations of high carbohydrate and low fat are major opposing forces to the Zone diet. It proposes a macronutrient ratio of 40% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 30% protein divided into a regimen of 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. Even though it may sound scientifically sound, the Zone Diet contains some contradictory information. Many of the promised benefits of the Zone Diet are based on the information about hormonal influences on eicosanoids (hormone like derivative of fatty acids in the body that act as cell-cell signalling molecules that aids in fat breakdown) metabolism claiming increased fat burning effect. Many research studies have been unsuccessful in showing that eicosanoids increase lipolysis (fat breakdown).
6. The 3-day on 1-day off Diet:
This is a highly successful diet that I like calling it a nutritional plan since it has helped many adhere to a sound nutritional habit that lasts a lifetime once you get used to it. It consists of consuming 6 meals per day every 3 hours. It’s quite hard to follow for the first couple of weeks if you are someone used to just eating 2-3 meals a day. For 3 days the restriction of high glycemic foods, junk food, and high fat foods its imperative. On the forth day, one of the 6 meals will be a “cheat meal” in which you can eat whatever you want without going overboard. During this diet, limitation of fat add-ons such as sauces, sour cream, and high fat salad dressing it’s crucial. Instead, you will be getting your fat intake from olive oil, fish oil, flax seed oil, and almonds. Meals must be small to medium size, avoid having large meals. Carbohydrate intake is high during the first meal of the day upon wakening and immediately after exercising. Protein intake consist of 1 gram per Lb of body weight. Consumption of fruits and vegetables is high during this diet. Every single meal will have one or the other. The goal of this diet is to not try to lose more than 0.5 Kg/week (about 1 lb/week), and do not restrict energy intake by more than 500 kcal/day to 750 kcal/day than from daily caloric intake used to be before you started this weight loss method.
Now that we have looked at the various weight loss methods, next week we will look at which is the best and healthiest method to maximize weight loss and wellness.
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