Overweight? Fed up with diets? Read on…….
Over the years I have helped many people with their weight, talking them through the myths and the science. This is my chance to write a single article with clear advice based on science.
It’s January where people tend to make changes for the better – so if you are anywhere between needing to lose a few pounds and very heavy please read on……
Before we start…
Why lose weight? Walking around in today’s world I am constantly shocked by how heavy the general population is, young, old or somewhere in between, it doesn’t seem to matter. Obesity/ being overweight is associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, many other conditions and of course more recently, risk of a poor outcome with covid-19. It has now been shown that being overweight is a risk factor in its own right for being hospitalised, ventilated or death of covid, independent of age.
First, let’s just get one thing straight – the most commonly offered advice, to eat less and exercise more, doesn’t work. At least not for the vast majority of people.
When people begin the “eat less, exercise more” diet they quickly start to feel like they’re starving to death. At the same time, their metabolism slows to a crawl, which results in much less weight loss than would be predicted based on how much less they’re eating. It’s only a matter of time before they break down, and when they do, they’re likely to end up weighing even more than they did to begin with.
In addition, you have to run a long way for an hour or so to run off a Mars bar (other confectionery is available)!!
Consciously counting calories and eating the same things you were eating before, just less generally isn’t successful – you need to completely overhaul what you’re eating.
There are two different ways in which this can be done, both of which work. The first is to significantly increase protein intake. The second is to significantly increase fibre intake. Both work. If you want to lose weight rapidly, do both simultaneously. There seems to be no disadvantage to doing both simultaneously, unless you have some gastrointestinal issue and aren’t able to tolerate high fibre foods, or you’re vegan, say, and therefore can’t access the densest sources of protein (although there are good sources of protein in the vegan diet)
Most people in the western world have a protein intake, at around 12 to 14% of total calories. They simultaneously have a low fibre intake, at around 15 to 20 grams per day.
Studies suggest that people with functioning kidneys can safely get as much as 30-40% of total calories from protein, which if you’re overweight will result in rapid weight loss. The average person can also easily increase fibre intake to 50 grams per day without negative consequences, although the fibre intake should be increased gradually, over the course of a few weeks, or there is likely to be some stomach pain and diarrhoea while the body adjusts to the increased fibre.
Here are some examples of foods that are high in protein:
Tuna (85% of calories)
Chicken breast (75% of calories)
Cottage cheese (70% of calories)
Low-fat Greek yogurt (70% of calories)
Beef steak (50% of calories)
Soybean (50% of calories)
Pork chop (45% of calories)
And here are some examples of foods that are high in fibre:
Cauliflower (16 grams per 100 calories)
Raspberries (13 grams per 100 calories)
Broccoli (12 grams per 100 calories)
Spinach (10 grams per 100 calories)
Asparagus (9 grams per 100 calories)
Cabbage (8 grams per 100 calories)
Strawberries (6 grams per 100 calories)
Chickpeas (5 grams per 100 calories)
Kiwi (5 grams per 100 calories)
Avocado (5 grams per 100 calories)
Blueberries (4 grams per 100 calories)
Sweet potato (4 grams per 100 calories)
There is one class of food that is particularly detrimental to body weight, and that is refined carbohydrates (sweet things!). Refined carbohydrates are low in both protein and fibre, and they are therefore optimally designed to make you gain weight.
Pure fats, such as butter and oils, are also low in both protein and fibre, and intake of them should therefore also be kept to a minimum. This doesn’t mean look for low fat alternatives as these tend to be higher in refined carbohydrates.
So, to summarise:
- Increase protein intake to 30-40% of total calories.
- Increase dietary fibre to at least 50 grams per day.
- Avoid refined carbohydrates and pure fats.
If you’re overweight and you do all these three things, then the excess weight will rapidly come off. You don’t have to feel like you’re starving. And you don’t have to count calories. You just have to make sure you’re getting sufficient protein and fibre.
Speak to Jo at Functional Fitness if you want more specific tailored advice for your specific circumstances but if you are overweight, please look at making some changes – it could save your life.
