DietNet - Weight Loss Diets

It concerns me that so many women (and some men) spend their lives agonising about their weight. Given the images of super thin women we see in the media all the time, it is very hard to have an accurate self image. Is this weight one that is healthy for me, or am I fat? How fat? The continual worry is emotionally unhealthy, and the continual deprivation and dieting is physically unhealthy. Being too thin is as unhealthy as being too fat, and many of our role models are too thin.

I’ve started to see teenage girls walking round in skimpy tops with rolls of flab hanging over the top of their low slung pants. And while part of me goes “I wouldn’t wear that if I looked like that”, I admire them. I think it’s healthy that girls are starting to reject the media images as ideal, and are starting to accept themselves as they are. If you are eating a healthy, balanced whole food diet, doing some moderate exercise, drinking clean water and have no chronic health conditions, it may be that your weight is right for you.

Just imagine if more actresses had such a sensible approach. We might start to have more realistic role models, and might beat ourselves up a bit less. The photo of Liv was taken at the LOTR premiere parade on 1 Dec, 2003. I didn't get to the parade myself, but everybody said she looked stunning, and the crowd went wild for her.

Then just a week later, another Listener piece caught my eye. This one has got to be good news for all us big-bottomed girls, and also for the men who appreciate a nice round bum.

Bodyfat indicators :

A common indicator of whether you are a healthy weight is the BMI or Body Mass Index. This is calculated on your height and weight. This has it's drawbacks as it doesn't take into account the size of your frame, how well muscled you are, or ethnic grouping. It only give you a rough guideline of whether you are a healthy weight or not. Under 18.5 is considered underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 healthy, over 25 overweight, and over 30 obese. [eg. for my height, 5' 3" or 160cm, this translates to 105 lbs (47.5kg) to 140 lbs (63.5 kg) as my healthy weight range.] Note that the high point in the normal weight range used to be 27 until 1998, and one study showed that 27 was the optimal level for low mortality. By this standard, I'd be considered healthy up to 69kg (152lbs).

Another indicator is waist size divided by height. If your waist measurement is more than 1/2 your height, this indicates too much fat in the abdominal area.

A more useful indicator is bodyfat percentage. This differentiates between lean mass and fat, to give you a better idea of whether you are overweight or not. The American Council on Exercise gives the following guidelines for fat percentages :

Classification	Women (% fat)	Men (% fat)
Essential Fat	10-12%	2-4%
Athletes	14-20%	6-13%
General Fitness	21-24%	14-17%
Acceptable	25-31%	18-25%
Obese	32% and higher	25% and higher

You would probably need to see your doctor or a gym to get this measured. The most common way is using skinfold calipers to measure the thickness of the fat layer at certain points on your body. Another method is using bioelectrical impedance. This test is based on the principle that the conductivity of an electrical impulse is greater through lean tissue than through fatty tissue. You lay still with electrodes placed on the wrist and ankles. This is quick and quite accurate, but can be skewed by your level of hydration and can be expensive. The most reliable method is hydrostatic weighing, which involves suspending yourself under water seated in a chair attached to a scale, usually in a pool or tank of water. The tester compares your normal body weight to your underwater weight to calculate your body density. This can be very expensive, assuming you can even find somewhere to have it done!

Once you have started your weight loss program, and want to monitor your progress, remember that your weight will increase if you are exercising and putting on muscle (which I hope you are). So your measurements will give you a better idea of how much fat you are losing. If you do want to weigh yourself, make sure you use the same scales, wear the same amount of clothes, and weigh yourself at the same time of day. For women, it might be better to only weigh yourself once a month at the same point in your menstrual cycle, as weight does go up and down naturally during the month.

Before you rush off to start weighing or squeezing your fatty bits between nasty pointy calipers to determine just how fat you are, consider this:

A recent article quoted by Dr Mercola says that surveys have shown that people with a BMI of 23 to 25 (white adults) or 23 to 30 (black adults) were the longest lived. Note that these are at the top end of the healthy range, and for black adults are into the overweight category.

In Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Deepak Chopra says "Extensive actuarial studies ... have shown the lowest mortality among those who are 10% overweight, and the highest mortality among the chronically underweight." He also says that as long as you're not obese, the greatest risk to your heart health is not in fact from being overweight, it is from gaining or losing weight. Better to maintain a higher level of bodyfat than to have your weight going up and down.

It seems to me that popular definitions of what is overweight are actually too low. So take these indicators with a pinch of salt and a large dollop of commonsense. Also take into consideration your fitness, energy levels, and health.

On the other hand, there are now huge numbers of people who are truly overweight or obese. For many people, this is not healthy either. Obesity can contribute to heart disease, blood sugar imbalances, and diabetes, among other things. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say that some of the factors that cause obesity also cause heart disease and other diseases.

This article in the NZ Listener discusses "the obesity epidemic" in more depth. There are many people who believe they are overweight when they're not. You could be one of them. Please read this before deciding you need to lose weight, as it may help get some perspective.

If you truly do need to lose some excess fat, let’s look at the best ways to do it.

The reason for weight gain is often not too much food, but rather too much of the wrong types of food. It can also be because of a chronic health problem, which itself could have been partly caused by the wrong diet.

While it is possible to get fat from too much protein and/or fat, it is more common to gain weight from over eating of carbohydrate, especially refined carbs. These are very prevalent in our society, and mostly come with a large amount of processed (trans) fats. The dramatic rise in obesity, diabetes and heart disease has come about since our food supply has become more processed.

Refined carbs and trans fats are very bad for everybody’s health, as well as contributing to weight gain. The first step for anybody wishing to lose weight (or to improve their health) should be to totally eliminate these from their diet. For many people, eating a whole food diet with adequate levels of protein and good fats, drinking enough water, and regular moderate exercise will be enough to improve health and start fat loss.

People who have extreme metabolisms, who are metabolically resistant to losing fat, or who have more serious chronic health problems may need to follow a more structured plan. Or you may just find a structured plan easier to follow.

* One of the Syndrome X diets – these are low carb, adequate protein and fat plans. They are designed for people with Syndrome X, which is characterised by blood sugar imbalances, high cholesterol, fatigue and weight gain. They are suitable for most people who want to improve their health, and to prevent the onset of these types of disease.

* Atkins diet – also low carb, with adequate protein and fat. This plan tends to be higher in saturated fat, so while it can be very effective, does not suit everybody.

* The Zone diet – this plan has a specific ratio of carbohydrate, protein and fat. This was originally designed for improving athletic performance, with weight loss being an additional benefit for some. May be more suited for athletes, or those with just a small amount to lose.

* Blood type diets – designed for improving health, but weight loss is often an added bonus.

* Metabolic diets – a whole food diet that varies according to your metabolic type. Generally used for assistance with chronic diseases like arthritis, but weight loss can also occur.

* Sandra Cabot’s Liver Cleansing diet – useful if your weight gain is because of an overloaded liver. It is comparatively low protein though, so many people will find Sandra Cabot’s Syndrome X diet more suitable.

* Food combining - often useful for those with digestive difficulties and may assist with weight loss in those with an Agriculturist metabolism. Not suitable for anyone with blood sugar problems.

Be sure to read the reviews of each diet before choosing one, and always monitor how you feel. Withdrawal symptoms are common for up to the first week of a new eating plan, but after that you should start to feel a lot better. You may also find it useful to review the page on low fat vs low carb diets, before deciding on a plan.

You will notice that some of the more conventional weight loss programs like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig have not been recommended. I am personally distrustful of diets that require you to pay out money week after week to belong. A good eating plan will allow you to find a sustainable way of eating that suits you and doesn’t require an ongoing financial outlay. Anything else should be considered part of the “diet industry”. I’m not saying they don’t work – some do, for some people. But I believe the other plans I have discussed are more likely to assist people who have had long term struggles with their weight, and who have not had success with the more conventionally accepted diets.

I am also not a fan of fad diets. Anything that restricts your diet to just a few foods, or restricts your calories to a level where you are continually hungry, is not balanced and is not healthy. An interesting article on the diet industry can be found at http://www.sharechat.co.nz/features/unlimited/article.php/631fd3c4. Note that I do not agree with the general principles they recommend at the end of the article. This is the conventional food pyramid that just hasn’t been working. It works for some people, but has sadly let down a large part of the population.

Another interesting view comes from Christie Keith in this article entitled The Food Of Love Thing. She talks about how she healed her relationship with food, and learnt to truly love real, nourishing food.

If you have chronic health problems, you also need to consider the possibility that you also have food intolerances or addictions, and/or candidiasis, in which case the elimination diet is a good place to start. You should consult a health care practitioner to make sure that your chosen plan won’t cause any complications.

There are indications that, for some people,eating 6 small meals a day, instead of 3 large ones, can be helpful for weight loss as well as being better for your health. See this article from Dr Mercola's website for more details.

Other people feel better eating only three meals a day, but the right meals - meals that sustain your energy for 4-5 hours. This gives your digestion time for a rest in between.

Drink plenty of water between meals, especially if you are on a program that puts you into ketosis. Make sure your water is free of chemicals as these will only tax your liver more.

While it is possible to lose weight through dietary changes, it is much easier if you are also getting in some of the right exercise. Exercise has other health benefits as well. The well rounded exercise plan has the following components :

* Aerobic – to condition the heart, increase energy, burn fat and generally make you feel good.

* Strengthening – muscle burns fat, so the more muscular you are, the more fat you will burn at rest. Strengthening exercises also improve bone mass, but make sure you are eating enough protein, and getting enough rest to regenerate the muscles.

* Stretching – it is important to stretch out the muscles you have been working to prevent them from becoming compacted and to maintain good posture.

Don’t forget to take some time out to rest, regenerate and have fun. If your exercise isnlt fun, you won't keep it up.

There are certain health problems, like thyroid disorders, that result in weight gain. See your doctor for a check up.

For some people, there are mental or emotional factors that affect weight. It is beyond the scope of this website to cover this in detail, but it may be worth considering. There is one tool that you may like to check out - EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique. Some of these factors take a bit of investigating to find, so it is well worth consulting an experienced practitioner to help you find them.

General weight loss principles :

* A whole food diet, with adequate protein and fat, and only a low to moderate amount of carbs. The ratio varies, so you might need to experiment.

* Listen to your body. If after a week's "bedding in" you feel unwell on your chosen plan, reconsider it

* Carefully chosen supplements, as advised by your natural health practitioner

* Approx 2 litres of clean water per day, more if it's hot or you're doing a lot of exercise

* A balanced exercise program

* Adequate rest

* If you have chronic health problems, you can't lose weight, or you have other reasons to think you may have food intolerances, consider an elimination diet

* If you still don't feel well, consider the possibility you have candidiasis or are suffering from environmental poisoning

* Consider if there are emotional contributors to staying the weight you are.