According to a report I read at FoxNews.com (foxnews.webmd.com/content/article/102/106544.htm foxnews.webmd.com/content/article/102/106544.htm), researchers have come to some conclusions that are sure to create a firestorm of controversy. Researchers took ten obese patients into the most controlled of environments - an actual live-in study - where they closely monitored everything that they consumed, their weight gain or loss, water-weight gain or loss, and their blood glucose and cholesterol levels.
The premise of the study was to evaluate how an Atkins-like low carbohydrate diet actually works, or more specifically, why it works. The patients were to eat whatever they wished for the first seven days of the study. This period of time was used to determine their typical diet and caloric intake. Absent any guidelines, the patients consumed an average of 3,100 calories per day.
For the next two weeks, the patients were told to follow a low-carb diet. In this case, the patients were allowed to consume 20 grams per day of carbohydrate, but then they could consume as much protein and fat as they wished.
At the end of the two-week period, the patients lost an average of 3.6 pounds each and their blood levels normalized. But what about the low-carbohydrate diet caused them to lose weight? Interestingly, though they were not given calorie restrictions, the patients inadvertently cut their caloric intake by a whopping one-third. On average, the patients consumed only 2,100 calories per day while on the low-carbohydrate diet.
Researchers concluded that it's not what you are eating, but how many calories you are consuming that determines whether you experience weight gain or weight loss. Hmmm... that makes sense.
This is exciting news for those of us fighting the battle of the bulge. The implications are that structure; almost any structure, can result in a reduction in calories, and hence, weight loss.
There is a downside, but the well-informed weight loss warrior can overcome this hurdle if he or she is armed with the power of knowledge. The problem is that people do not seem to stick with a program even though it is working for them.
Researchers surveyed people who participated in four of the top-rated diet plans. After one year, only half of the respondents were still on the Atkins and Ornish diets, while about two-thirds of the Weight Watcher and Zone Diet participants were still in compliance. Persistence loses out to boredom.
So, how can we benefit from this information? Two things are clear when analyzing this information. The first thing is that structure results in a reduced caloric intake. Whether it's low-carb or low fat, when you watch what you eat, you tend to eat less and lose weight.
The second thing (and this is the key to long-term success) is that you should plan to switch, or switch your plans. The lack of variety may cause many participants to "fall off the wagon" ... even though they may be experiencing success.
Map out a course that you can live with. Try to use a certain plan for six months and then another for the next six months. If that works well, repeat it again for a year. For others, it might be easier to follow a seasonal plan. Three-month stints on each of four different diets might add the variety that you need to stick with your plan.
However you map out your future, be encouraged by this study. Ten people began a study. Three weeks later, they emerged weighing less and having stabilized their blood levels. They reduced their caloric intake by nearly one-third, and didn't miss anything. This is the kind of behavior from which we can all benefit.
Michael Callen is the author of the Weekly Weightloss Tips Newsletter (weeklyweightlosstips.com weeklyweightlosstips.com) and the Chief Technology Officer for WellnessPartners.com (WellnessPartners.com WellnessPartners.com), an online retailer of dozens of health and wellness products such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), r+ alpha lipoic acid (R+ ALA), and green tea extract.
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