The Idea Of Weight Loss With Calorie Quality, Not Calorie Quantity

When trying to lose weight often the most stressed concern is reducing calorie intake. While committing to a calorie deficit will definitely help you lose weight it may not be the most important aspect to losing weight as a new study by Christoper D. Garner the director of nutrition at Standford Prevention Research Center suggests. This study found that cutting out processed foods, grains and added sugar and at the same time increasing whole foods and vegetable intake was paramount to weight loss, not counting calories. The people in this study who concentrated on calorie quality lost significantly more weight than those who concentrated on counting calories. It has been suggested by other studies that based on genetics, a person metabolizes carbs and fats differently and this can have an effect on diet performance.

This idea has grown in popularity and some businesses have started individual diet plans based on their genetics. Garner’s study found that the popular idea of tailoring a diet based on a person’s genetics doesn’t carry much weight. Being on a low carb or low fat diet did not matter and neither did the individuals ability in metabolizing carbs or fat. It’s also important to note that the study’s participants did not increase exercise and there were no severe restrictions on calorie, carb or fat intake. The main focus for the participants was on what type of foods they ate. For example if you’re on a low fat diet, white bread is low in fat but is a refined grain that should be avoided. Instead you could eat other low-fat whole foods such legumes. Or if you were on a low carb diet you could choose to eat avocado or vegetables instead of unhealthy low carb foods like bacon and deli meats. Ultimately carbs and fats don’t matter as long as you make the right food type choices and try to remain balanced. Personally whenever I am dieting for weight loss I try to stay away from grains, dairy and fruit while eating tons of vegetables, plenty of lean meats and a moderate amount of legumes. My weight loss diet would be closely related to a paleo or ketogenic diet but not as strict. I still eat some grains and fruits like a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries or a quick banana but very seldom like once a week. I never eat dairy unless I’m doing a cheat meal which can vary from once a week to once a month depending on my weight loss goals. As far as bread goes, I personally think it’s the devil and should never be consumed! I do consume wheat in cheat meals though, like on fried chicken or jalapeno poppers. Notice how I say “cheat meal” not “cheat day”, my cheat meals consist of one meal of normal proportions.

One of my favorite cheat meals consists of tons of bacon, almond flour pancakes with sugar free maple syrup and scrambled eggs. There are several things that I do or purchase that make weight loss a little easier. Consuming and cooking a lot of vegetables can be a pain so I like to purchase a large variety of steamtable vegetable bags and keep those on hand at all times. Having a slow cooker is also very handy, making chili or roasts loaded with legumes, veggies and lean meats. All you have to do is dump it in the pot, add some seasoning and a few hours later you have several meals ready for the next day or two. I have about 3-5 different meals that I like and are easy to cook that I stick to in order to make cooking an easy task. My go to snacks are pickles, very low in calories but I wouldn’t recommend them if you have low sodium needs. Lastly, I found that for myself the most important first step to weight loss was stop eating out right away, it makes weight loss a lot easier and it also puts money back into your wallet!