WHAT IS THE BEST DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Thanks to Registered Dietitian Andrea Holwegner “The Chocoholic Nutritionist” for writing today’s post

As a Registered Dietitian for close to 20 years, one of the most frequently asked questions in my Calgary nutrition counselling practice is “what is the best diet to lose weight?”

1. The best diet is the one you can live with for life.

If you can’t see yourself following a diet plan or meal plan you are looking at in a book or online weight loss program FOREVER, your weight will continue to fluctuate. The idea you can restrict now, and then return to having a life later just won’t work to sustain weight change. This is the most common reason weight will yo-yo up or down.

While crash diets cause weight loss initially, the long-term results are always the same.  Soon enough you will find yourself back at your old weight or even heavier than where you were before. The most difficult part of the yo-yo cycle is the psychological damage it causes with feelings of failure, body hatred and worsening food relationships.

What can you actually enjoy versus tolerate?

• If you despise legumes and love meat, then a strict vegetarian diet is clearly not for you.
• If you are a carb lover and want to support sustainability efforts for the planet then a Paleo or keto plan certainly isn’t your best bet.
• If you have a chronic dieting or eating disorder history a system that meticulously has you tracking points or numbers in your smartphone will often increase obsessive thinking and steal the joy away from a healthy food and body relationship.

My suggestion is that you “take the die out of diet” and instead remove this word from your vocabulary and go for an eating lifestyle full of as much variety and as few restrictions as possible. After all there is a basic psychological principle that we all want what we can’t have. Keep your options open and free and of course ensure you consider your overall health since if you don’t take care of your body where are you going to live?

2. You can eat anything, just not everything.

It’s all about choice. Nothing is off limits. Just like budgeting your finances you need to develop the skill and awareness of spending and saving where it counts. Similar to our bank account, what we choose to spend our calorie currency on is highly individual. There will always be key basic needs we must spend on (similar to a basic level of nutritious foods that need to be consumed for health and productivity in our day). Then we have some money left to spend on fun stuff (just like we have some calories left to spend on soulful foods chosen for taste and enjoyment rather than any type of nutritional need).

What do you love? What is really worth it? What non-negotiables do you need to live a good life?

My suggestion is to think of your basic nutrition needs for health and productivity as a daily requirement but move to thinking about your soulful food intake as a weekly goal to allow yourself the most flexibility to have less some days and more at other times such as weekends and social outings.

3. What small effort creates MOST of the results?

“What bite-sized change can lead to supersized results?”

Success comes from doing what matters most and being consistent.

The most important nutrition habits often don’t yell the loudest. They also don’t tend to be sexy or revolutionary. Chances are they are no-brainer ideas you already know but just need to be reminded of.

Wondering what key habits lead to the greatest results for weight concerns?  Here are some of the most important efforts that lead to results:

• Learn how to meal plan. Answer the question “what is for supper tomorrow?” Determining the plan daily or weekly means that you have thought about groceries and time to prepare meals which are all key for success. It also means you have the intention to eat well tomorrow (after all you won’t want to waste the chicken you pulled out of your freezer that is now thawed). You will also be more likely to avoid quick fix convenience suppers not conducive to your weight loss plan.
• Learn basic culinary skills. You don’t need to be a chef, but in order to manage a healthy weight you need a handful of easy recipes you enjoy that you are confident cooking. Basic fundamental cooking knowledge also saves you time in the kitchen and allows you skill to make all food (including veggies) taste good. Most weight loss happens in the kitchen (not the gym) so if you hate cooking and are reading this rolling your eyes, book an appointment with a dietitian to help you make this process as time efficient and as easy as possible.
• Build in accountability and rewards. We all need a system to track our wins, measure progress and keep us encouraged when we fall. Find a friend, co-worker, support group, online community or Registered Dietitian for help so you are not alone. Think about systems you can build in for accountability.  Build a reusable grocery shopping list or review your dinner plan for tomorrow with your family today at the supper table. Think about ways you can reward yourself for positive progress with your efforts (not the number on the scale).

By Registered Dietitian Andrea Holwegner “The Chocoholic Nutritionist”

Andrea Holwegner is the founder and president of Health Stand Nutrition Consulting Inc. established in 2000.  She leads a team of experienced dietitians within her nutrition counselling practice. She is also known as the chocoholic nutritionist, believing anyone can achieve health without guilt or complexity, and that the secret to success is having fun.  She is an online nutrition course creator, professional speaker and regular guest in the media. In her spare time, she enjoys skiing, mountain biking and sipping wine with her husband over a delicious meal. Most of all, she loves being a mom and playing in the dirt in the vegetable garden she grows with her son.  www.healthstandnutrition.com   Instagram, Facebook, Twitter @chocoholicRD