Health Resolution 2023: Goodbye Fad Diets, Hello Weight Management 1/3

With New Year quickly upon us, & the mammoth indulging during the Christmas festivities, there will be many people beginning to think about their BIG 2023 health kick. Over the next three weeks I hope to provide some positive tools that will generate real, lasting momentum to kick start your 2023 health goals.

Goodbye, Fad Diets

I don't know about you, but the best thing about Christmas is the colossal amounts of food & drink. Like clockwork, when December hits I seem to become a hungry monster. I look forward to hibernation mode as I unapologetically eat & drink whatever is put in front of me (& I do so without any guilt or shame because I have understood the principle of 'restriction')!.

I honestly think it is hardwired into us to indulge more than usual over the winter months because of the colder weather. I am coming to think that we aren't actually designed to be 'skinny' all the time (James Smith). With the seasons I think our body shape should fluctuate. Whether that be shedding a few pounds in the warmer months or being comfortable with the extra timber during the winter (especially with high gas prices!). I'm also convinced that our self esteem shouldn't swing across the pendulum every time Christmas comes around the corner. It comes down to balance, & our relationship with restriction..

With the right balance we can build behaviours in to our lives & say goodbye to 'fad diets' that lack any long-term substance. Scientific research on 'all' the popular diets concludes that 'each are equally terrible for long-term weight loss' (Layne Norton, PhD). Norton is a leading world expert in nutritional science (see @BioLayne for some great advice)

Fad diets are almost always born out of anxiety! I need to lose ex amount of pounds to get in that bikini, to go on holiday, or to simply feel better about myself. However, when the goal is realised (if ever!) old habits quickly takeover, & the cycle is repeated.

What if you could find the balance of weight management? What if when Christmas arrived your self-esteem wasn't tarnished, & you felt zero guilt about consuming those colossal calories?

The answer lies in what each of the fad diets aim to achieve, the relationship with restriction! Whether you are counting calories, accumulating points, adopting time restrictive eating, or avoiding certain foods, the underlying principle is the same, restriction.

Hello, Restriction Management!

Choosing Your Relationship

Imagine if you met someone who immediately made you feel better about yourself, so you decided to marry them instantly. You go on a lavish honeymoon & with each passing day you feel more incredible, wondering if this amazing feeling could last forever. However, when the honeymoon is over, & the emotional momentum plateaus, you realise that your long-term attachment to this relationship is probably unsustainable, & with that the relationship is over

This is how most fad diets start (& end)! They begin great & immediately produce some positive results, which in turn drives you to stick with your favorite new diet. You tell everyone how great it is, & how this IS THE WAY to everlasting weight loss. However, when the honeymoon is over & the restriction of the fad diet is too much to maintain you realise this is not sustainable! The diet is boycotted & you return to your old ways.

Norton notes that the question to be asked about your choice of diet is, can I see myself doing this forever? Much like a physical relationship, you shouldn't dive in only to regret it later. Our restriction management strategy should be something that is both fluid, sustainable, & with long term focus in mind, depending on our goal (Norton).

He explains that all weight management strategies must embrace some sort of restriction. However, he also advocates for the effort to be lasting you should 'choose the form of restriction that is least restrictive to you' (see Huberman Lab episode 97). The best efforts take elements from each of the diets that work best for you.

The Calorie Deficit

James Smith repeatedly reminds his audience that if weight loss is the goal, the single most important (& only) thing you can do is maintain a prolonged period of calorie deficit (James Smith, Not A Diet Book). 'You need to eat & drink fewer calories than you burn'. There is no diet other than starvation (not recommended) that will work if this fundamental principle is not understood.

A calorie is simply 'a unit of energy' (Norton). By digesting macro-nutrients from our food/drink sources, our bodies transfer them to energy (fat, carbohydrates, protein). I am not a nutritional scientist so will not attempt to go in to detail about which 'source' is better. However, to note that calories from fats, carbs, & proteins each transfer energy differently to your body (some more efficiently than others).

The calories we consume are either burned or stored for reserves. When we consume too many calories, those that aren't transferred to energy & burnt to help your body & brain function, are stored for a rainy day (evolutionally from when we were hunter gatherers, & food sources were limited). When we consume too few calories the storage reserves are activated as a mechanism to keep our bodies functioning. The calorie deficit!

The modern lifestyle is one of plenty in our culture, even for the poorest of families. Have you noticed how for the first time in history the poorest people are the most risk of obesity? This is due to the cheaply accessible food available that is low in nutritional benefits, but high in calories (Smith). This is coupled with the increasing sedentary lifestyles of many people today, of whom consume lots of calories, but lack the physical output to utilise them effectively.

The number of daily recommended calories to be consumed to maintain a healthy lifestyle differs by your level of activity throughout the day (see blow).

Increased weight is the byproduct of consuming more daily calories than is recommended over a prolonged period of time. The calorie deficit is where you consume less over a period, thus the only method for weight loss (Smith). This is important because depending on your goal of weight loss or weight maintenance this is where your relationship with restriction management comes in.

Whatever method you choose to restrict, it should start with an understanding of the number of calories you need to function healthily, & thus not build a greater number of reserves. Whether it be counting calories, time restrictive eating, or limiting certain food types, the underlying principle is the same. This is why Smith & Norton both advocate for a lifestyle change that adopts a healthy long term relationship with restriction, a relationship that is sustainable & realistic, but is also least restrictive to you!

The Toilet Roll Analogy

Imagine you have a fresh toilet roll. You take off one piece of tissue & you see no difference. You take off another piece & still see no difference. In fact you don't begin to notice the difference in the size of the toilet roll for sometime. However, over time if you keep consistently removing a single piece of tissue, you will see the roll get smaller & smaller. Until of course you realise you best go & buy some more! (nobody likes running out of toilet roll!).

James Smith explains how when we say goodbye to faddy, unsustainable food relationships, & say hello to a healthy lifestyle of long term focus, the progress will be slower (initially), but much more meaningful long term. Moreover, our self-esteem will be in a constant equilibrium, & most importantly guilt & shame free.

If weight loss is the goal, then restricting the amount of calories is the way of calorie deficit! Smith advises that an individual should work out where they sit on the activity scale/calories recommended, & reduce their daily calorie intake by 15%. If you are currently sedentary, aim to move toward moderately active & so on. This is like removing one piece of tissue paper at a time!

Over time, as you develop your own relationship with restriction, it will become much easier to add or reduce calories as needed for the level of energy you require to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You will find confidence & happiness in your own skin, & without the financial cost of yet another popular fad diet. It comes down to one simple scientific principle, that calories are simple units of energy!. What you don't use will be stored, not in a tank, but on your belly.

Notes For Action

If you have read any of my previous blog posts you would have heard of my favorite Stoic 'more often than not' principle. If you adopt a certain behaviour or practice 'more often than not', you are more likely to see long term improvements. Moreover, if I adopt my own restriction management relationship 80% of the time in a given week, month or year (not 'day', because this is too small of window to track) I am confident that long term progress will be made.

The restriction relationship that works best for me is time restricted eating. Following the principle from my Circadian Rhythm post I aim to eat within a certain window (between 10:30am-8:00pm). This ensures my cortisol hormone has activated my metabolism before eating any food. This is coupled with reducing the amount carbohydrates I consume, & increase the number of higher protein & fat rich sources. This is to optimise the energy levels I require to ensure I can exercise regularly, efficiently, & reducing my chances of injury.

I enjoy crisps, cream, cheese, wine & beer more than anything else! But as long as 80% of the time I follow my restriction strategy, I am happy to enjoy these indulgences 20% of the time. The balance moves off kilter when this equilibrium is broken! Moreover, on a yearly macro-scale of maintaining the 'more often than not' principle, the small Christmas period makes up only a small percentage of indulgence! To which I welcome any extra timber because I know that my restriction relationship is healthy.

Whatever your goal, whether it be weight loss, maintenance, or gain, you should find the relationship that works best for you. You should start by working out your current level of daily activity & compare it to your current calorie intake. If loss is the goal try reducing it by 15%, & aim to move to a more active lifestyle. Bit by bit the toilet roll will reduce with consistent focus!

Moreover, if weight loss is the goal, Norton recommends weighing 4-5 times a 'week' & then taking an average, as opposed to once a week. This is a more accurate measurement based on the fluctuation of weight (especially if you're a women with menstrual cycles!). Smith however, recommends the old fashioned tape measure, because most of the time you cannot notice the subtle changes in the size of the toilet roll that often discourage your efforts.

Whatever you choose to help you achieve your goals, ultimately hoping to maintain a healthy & confident self-esteem, ask yourself can I maintain this effort, not for a moment, but forever? Because therein lies the answer to keep moving toward your healthy new lifestyle.

Summary

You don't need another fad diet to make you feel good about yourself. You simply need the knowledge to give you the tools to manage your own weight management strategy. I haven't endeavored to tell you what you what to do, but to provide you with some philosophy & knowledge to help build your new identity.

Imagine If you made the decision that your current condition was no longer an option? If it was not an option to feel conscious about your weight? It wasn't an option to feel guilty any longer? Change is possible. A healthy lifestyle is achievable. But only when you develop your relationship with restriction.

See next week's post where I build on the foundations of this week's post to tackle our relationship with exercise to optimise our health goals.

Much love, Ross