Simply Weight Loss -- Losing Weight is Easy if You Stop Dieting
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System recently
published their findings from a 21 state study with over 112,000
participants on how weight loss methods affect dieter's success.
Each participant was placed into one of four categories based on
the weight control method they used.
1. Increasing physical activity
2. Eating fewer calories
3. Combination of fewer calories with exercise
4. None (not trying to lose weight)
For those who were trying to lose weight, the most common weight
practices were eating fewer calories without other methods
(32.3% of women, 24.1% of men) and eating fewer calories with
exercise (33.8% of women, 19.9% of men).
Increasing physical activity as a sole weight-loss practice was
reported by 3.4% of women and 4% of men.
The last statistic on exercising without dieting is where I get
lost. It's hard for me to understand how only 3% of women and 4%
of men use exercise as their sole weight loss practice. Is
anything wrong with this?
Yes, we are wrong. The entire weight loss industry is wrong!
It all reminds me of a slogan from a few years ago, "Simply
Weight Loss." It represented a return to diet basics. And that's
when it hit me, a return to diet basics is what is wrong.
Dieting is Wrong
You're too heavy and you need to lose weight. The extra pounds
pushing you above your ideal weight, resulted from a chronic
state of positive energy balance...eating more calories (energy)
than the body needs.
This is usually followed by the question, "Why doesn't my body
just get rid of the extra energy?" I totally agree. Just get rid
of all that extra energy, send it on it's way. Unfortunately,
the laws of thermodynamics are what mess things up.
The big stinker involves the whole idea that you can't create or
destroy energy. It's constant. Since you can't simply destroy
energy, you have no choice but to use the extra energy (packed
into calories) or store it.
So, how does this make dieting wrong? Dieting only works in
theory. In theory, dieting, which is synonymous with calorie
restriction, causes total body energy to decrease in hopes of
creating an energy deficit.
To make up for this deficit, the body will tap into energy
stores to cover immediate needs. So, in theory, dieting causes
weight loss.
Is this what occurs in dieters? Yes and no.
The Best Method for Using Stored Energy
Dieting, a.k.a. calorie restriction, slows down the resting
metabolic rate, throwing the body into a state of energy
conservation. This is not conducive of weight loss but instead
is perfect for gaining weight.
Those dieters that do lose weight and keep it off, practice my
concept of Slow & Low.
Now what? Exercise.
What is the best method for using the extra energy we didn't use
in the past? Exercise. Start an exercise program first, one that
centers on muscle tone and strength, then use dieting on an as
needed basis to lower total body energy.
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System published perfect
statistics. We should be using exercise as a sole weight loss
method more often.
To Healthy Living!
Michael Smith, MD
Chief Medical Consultant
Diet Basics Website