The Science of Weight Loss and Real Food

By Darlene Kvist, MS, CNS, LN
July 12, 2012

A common scenario…

Have you put off making an appointment with your doctor because you dread the nurse asking you to step on the scale and you don’t want to see her disapproving look? You say to yourself, “Is she really giving me the look or am I just being too sensitive?” Then your doctor will tell you to lose weight. “Your blood pressure and diabetes will improve,” he will say knowingly.

You’ve tried cutting back on food, but it just makes you hungrier and you end up eating more. Most diets you’ve tried virtually guaranteed success. A low-calorie starvation plan worked at first, but a short time later you looked at the scale. To your disbelief, you were 15 pounds heavier than when you started!

Then there were the daily trips to the gym, but soon you lost motivation and wound up back on the couch. You decided you couldn’t maintain the four to six hours of high-intensity physical exertion that the “Big Losers” on TV endure.

The feeling of failure set in, but you struggled on. You joined Weight Watchers 15 times, and told your friends, “I’m a lifetime member.” You paid big bucks when the latest weight loss clinic came roaring into town only to end up broke. Of course, you’ve also tried hypnosis, acupuncture and psychological counseling.

And did I forget to mention the scary weight loss drugs you took that were recalled eventually? “But my doctor keeps telling me to lose weight,” you moan. “Dieting is simple,” he says, “calories in and calories out.” You tell yourself that can’t be true, because you know the calorie count of every food you eat. You live on a low-calorie diet, but to your frustration, it no longer works.

As a nutritionist, I hear stories like these over and over from clients. They experience frustration, anger, fear and loss of self-esteem. They believe there must be something they are not doing or something they are overdoing. They wonder, “Why is losing weight such a struggle for me? Was I a bad child and the gods are out to punish me? Maybe I’m one of those night eaters and just don’t remember raiding the fridge (but there are no crumbs in my bed).”

There is a better way!

If you survey people on the street asking “do you want to be overweight?” I would guess not one person would say yes. But 62% of the population is currently overweight, and the number is growing. It’s time for us to face the facts, weight loss and weight maintenance are complex problems. As a nutritionist, I ask these questions:

• If obesity is our current health epidemic, why isn’t the government funding weight loss science?
• Is it easier to blame people than to provide answers?
• Do people believe that gastric bypass is the answer? (I sure don’t!)

Based on 30 years of nutrition experience, I understand that weight loss is complicated. However, there is hope for success.

A client's weight loss success story

Kathleen, a 69-year-old woman, came to Nutritional Weight & Wellness for nutritional counseling to reduce her body pain. To date, Katheleen has lost 76 pounds and no longer experiences pain. She has become a new person since her depression lifted and she no longer craves fast food and bread. Kathleen's own daughter did not recognize her when she attended her grandson's baseball game! Seventy-six pounds lost on a 5'3" woman is a lot! Kathleen achieved all of this success and never counted calories or points; she ate real food in balance throughout the day.

I would like to share information about the science of weight loss that we currently use with our clients.

Eat real carbohydrates and ditch the processed stuff

For many clients, the first step is learning to eat real food and eliminate processed food. This may be difficult to grasp because large food corporations spend billions of dollars annually on marketing and advertising campaigns that persuade you to eat processed foods. Your favorite processed foods might include bagels, cereals, low-fat dressings, soda, low-fat yogurt, fat-free goodies, bread, crackers, fast food, coffee mochas, candy, soy burgers…and the list goes on. If you struggle with weight loss and are eating processed foods like those listed, this could be the root of your problem.

Now comes the hardest part: Replace all those processed carbohydrates with real carbohydrates (vegetables) at every meal. Let go of bread, pasta, chips and crackers so that your body can let go of extra pounds. Processed carbohydrates are the number one culprit for slow metabolism.

Don’t skimp on protein

Choose a variety of healthy proteins such as natural, organic and grass-fed meat and eggs. Beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, pork, and buffalo are all good choices that will kick-start your metabolism. Eating small portions of protein several times a day increases metabolism by 30%.

Healthy fat is essential to weight loss

Finally, realize that beneficial fats are metabolism enhancers! Beneficial fats include butter, olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds, avocados and coconut oil. Add a healthy fat to every meal and snack.

Can it be that easy?

Now that I have revealed the foundation of the science of weight loss (healthy carbohydrates, protein and fat at every meal and snack), you may be thinking that it can’t be that simple. And that can be true especially if you have unique health concerns in addition to your weight loss goals. Metabolism is a complex topic, which is why calorie counting and fad diets don’t work. But at Nutritional Weight & Wellness, we truly believe that the base of a successful nutrition program needs be eating real foods in balance. What happens in addition to that is unique to the person.

So, where do you begin? Your success starts with your next meal. Remember to eat real carbohydrates, healthy proteins and beneficial fats at every meal and snack.