Here at 5S Fitness we like to take a more educated, evidence based approach to nutrition.
Its safe to say your average person these days understands the basic principles of a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight… “Calories In vs Calories Out” etc. However we all know that “Dieting” is not quite as “Black and White” as this.
We have all come across countless diets and weight loss programmes, some of which will centre around reducing/cutting out a certain Macronutrient, specifically carbohydrates or fats. Others will keep you calorie counting and sticking to foods which they deem to be of good nutrition, whilst some will have you supplementing in some form of complete meal replacement, often in the form of shakes/juices (These are often marketed as Detox products)
All of the above concepts are going to cause physiological changes in the body and as a result of a “Calorie Deficit” (Calorie input that’s lower than our calorie output) will result in “Weight loss”. Now this is a key term… When a person undertakes a diet centred around weight loss, their true goal is to reduce fat (Body fat %) and the goal is often to do this as fast as possible. However during these diets, are we really reducing our body fat % as much as we think, or are we losing weight from other sources?
The most common example of weight loss stemming from other sources is during diets which aim to cut out carbohydrates. Carbs (Glucose) are stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen and each gram of glycogen is bound to about 3-4 grams of water… So when we don’t take in any carbs, we deplete our glycogen stores and this is the dramatic weight loss we are seeing – “Water weight”. Problem is your liver and muscles will rapidly soak back up all that glucose as soon as carbs are reintroduced into the diet.
If our body is not receiving the energy it needs it will bring about physiological changes such as reducing hormones that help us to strip fat and producing hormones which help us to store what fat we can… Our body will be ready to store as soon as we return to a more normal diet (Hyper-storage – This often results in weight gain that exceeds the individuals weight prior to the diet). Stress hormones such as Cortisol can also be produced which will cause us to catabolize our muscle (Break our muscle tissue down for use as energy). Any lean muscle that was lost as a result of the lack of energy intake is not going to suddenly reappear… Reduction in lean muscle mass = Reduction in Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR – The rate at which we burn energy at rest)… Its much harder to make lean muscle gains than it is to reduce fat, so never sacrifice lean muscle gains for faster weight loss!
(Our body is going to want to ensure its survival, It isn’t aware that we can just pop to the supermarket and buy some food.)
Its important to know that “Calories” are just a unit of measure (The energy in our food), protein and carbs have 4kcals per gram, whilst fat has 9kcals per gram (Alcohol has 7kcal per gram). What’s even more important to know is that “Not all calories are created even”, different calorie sources will be used (Metabolised) differently to others.
This is most prevalent when it comes to carbohydrates, most people have heard of the terms “Simple” and “Complex” carbohydrates. Basically a Simple carbohydrate is going to be broken down (Metabolised) quickly and therefore will result in a much more dramatic rise in blood sugar levels… A Complex carbohydrate on the other hand is going to take longer to be broken down and therefore the energy is released gradually (Keeping you fuller for longer) and the blood sugar levels are kept far more stable (The Lower the Glycemic index the slower the digestion and absorption). Its this dramatic rise in blood sugar levels caused by simple carbs which is the major issue… When our blood sugar is suddenly raised our body produces the hormone insulin to bring the blood sugar back down to normal levels and the easiest way for the insulin to do this, is to covert and store the glucose as fat.
(The levels of Refined Sugar in the food on our supermarket shelves is in my eyes the No.1 Issue!)
So when it comes to weight loss, yes we need a calorie deficit… Without an energy expenditure greater than what we are inputting there will be no weight loss. However what we have to remember is that we are trying to reduce our body fat %… Yes we can create huge calorie deficits by cutting out certain foods or replacing these food with shakes and juices, but we have to look at what’s really happening when we do this and what the long term effects are.
We should not be cutting healthy nutrients out of our diet (Balance is the key)… Yes each individual is different, one person may be suited to a high input of carbohydrate whilst another is more suited to a fat based diet. However one thing is certain… The dieting industry caters to a wide variety of individuals who want to lose weight fast, in the easiest ways possible… Its not based around healthy nutrition, its based around earning money and what makes the industry all the more full proof, is that they know most of the individuals who take part in their dieting regimes will not sustain the weight loss and will soon be a returning customer… Maintaining a healthy weight is not about quick fixes, its about long term, sustainable changes.
Remember… A shake will not result in a large weight loss because it has certain Micronutrients or Aloe Vera in it, the calorie deficit which is caused by having a shake instead of burgers and chips for dinner will… Do not be fooled by “Fad Diets” and their marketing ploys!