A while back I wrote a blog that asked the question if everything we know now about nutrition and exercise was wrong how should we train and eat to stay healthy and lean? I asked this because not that long ago, our understanding of both nutrition and exercise was nothing compared to where we are today. What makes you think it will not change in the next 20 years, 10 years?
There is a never ending discussion in the blogosphere about diets and nutrition. Most of it consists of arguments about what works or what does not work. People have their tribes and will fight to the death to defend that tribe.
Right out of college I worked in the oil business for Baker/Hughes, an oil service company. I would supervise the implementation of down hole completion systems. On the rig there was someone called the Driller. He was the general of the rig. He kept everyone safe and oversaw the production of the well. Typically it was someone that was seasoned and salty. He knew everything about how the rig ran and what it could do, he was a self-taught petroleum/mechanical engineer. On the other side was a young green well educated petroleum engineer that was representing the oil company drilling the oil well. I witnessed these two individual always butting heads. The driller from his experience standpoint, and the engineer from his educational standpoint. The driller was usually the one who was most capable at solving the problems that the production of the well would entail. However, they were both stubborn, and this was unfortunate because they both could have learned a ton from each other, but as is often the case in life, ego got in the way. I try to keep my ego out of the business of health and wellness and keep an open mind as I know the science is always evolving. I am more focused on how to chalk up a win for my clients as effectively, sustainably, and safely as possible.
I see the same friction I saw in the oil business in the world of nutrition coaching. With even more players in the game, and because of social media today, the ego gets in the way even more. On one side of the coin you have experts with PhDs in nutrition science and the other side of the coin individuals promoting or wedded to a particular type of diet or book that they are trying to sell or defend. The tribe mentality does not allow either side to solve problems effectively. Keto, Atkins, Mediterranean, Lo Fat, Low Carb, Carnivore, Vegan, Vegetarian etc., the list is endless. Everybody has their tribe.
Because my goal is to be successful helping my clients getting healthier, and in most cases losing weight, I try to learn from all of the different perspectives and keep an open mind utilizing strategies and tactics from every tribe. Some are completely bogus, but if I can find some tactic that may improve my ability to coach I will adopt that tactic. I believe each client is an experiment of one and that different eating habits impact each person differently. If this was not the case there would be just one type of diet that everybody would use and be successful. We have more exercise available, more information on diets available, more online programs, yet the obesity rate continues to rise. Why?
I typically see the following arguments presented. It is all about calories in calories expended (CICO). That if you eat all carbs or all protein it does not matter as long as the calories are the same. This may work in the lab, but may not be the best way to solve the problem in the real world. For example: If you lived in a house with a pantry full of candy, it may be difficult for you to maintain the appropriate caloric imbalance for weight loss because candy is easily overeaten and highly caloric. So even though the science of a caloric deficit may be true, you may not be able to maintain the imbalance because of the current environment. I believe this is the case with many types of food, and many different individuals. I think regardless of calories, certain foods can create an environment where you want to eat more total food and that other foods can reduce the risk of overeating. This is very individualized. Some people have a sweet tooth, some do not. This is not to say that the laws of thermodynamics can be overturned. However if a caloric deficit is the goal , you have to ask what type of diet influences the calories ingested and calories expended most for an individual and is healthy. For example, I will hear the argument that low carb only really works because people end up eating less. Well as long as the diet is not making you unhealthy and can be sustainable then who cares? If the goal is to create an environment around food and exercise that creates an imbalance of calories so that body composition is changed, then why worry about who is correct as long as the diet is not detrimental to one’s health. What matters is that you use the prevailing science and your personal physiology to create the easiest and most sustainable and enjoyable method to promote health and weight loss. If Keto does this better and it works for you and you like the food then you should be Keto. If it is high carb then let it be high carb. Knock yourself out. I just believe there may be some quicker ways to solve this problem and also make the solution sustainable. Do not be so tribal that you cannot appreciate other methodologies and you can pick and choose what is best suited for you specifically. You do not have to be all in on one type of strategy.
I have listed a few simple steps below that I have adopted to try and help my clients figure out what works best, and lower the risk for failure. I am regularly evolving my methods and the framework I employ when working with a new client. It is not so dissimilar to exercise. As a strength coach I determine the capabilities of a client when designing workouts and training. The type of workouts and training will change and is dynamic as the client changes. This should also be the case with food.
Step 1: The first thing I tell clients is to eat real food. Organic protein sources whenever possible, lots of colorful organic veggies when possible that do not result in any GI distress, fruits seasonally, and good natural fats. This is real food. I met a 95 year old woman a few years back and she said she did not remember seeing many fat people when she was growing up. She told me she had to go to the circus to see really fat people. Why? I think they ate more real food and did not have the processed foods available that are designed to be overeaten. If you look at a street scene from NYC in the 1920s there were few really overweight people in the film. That scene is much different today. Why?
Step 2: Eat when you are hungry, and do not eat when you are not hungry. I know a calorie is a calorie, but that means you could be on the cardboard diet to obtain a calorie. This extreme example may not be very sustainable or healthy.
There are two primary hormones that dictate being hungry and full. Leptin and Ghrelin. These hormones when highly functional make you feel full (Leptin) and make you feel hungry (Ghrelin). I have done some long term (7day) fasts. Everyone asks me how can I do it? I must be starving for food. In fact after the initial 24 hours my Ghrelin starts to drop off and as the fast extends in time the level of Ghrelin gets even lower so I am not very hungry in spite of having nothing but water. I also believe that the type of food that you eat will either make you feel hungry more often or make you feel full longer. You can argue about insulin and fat adaptation, but it does not matter if it does not work for you.
I find many of the pure science types lose sight of the bigger picture when they focus solely on the calories especially when it comes to sustainability of a change in eating habits. When I work with a client I try to find the type of healthy food they enjoy that creates an environment that supports the energy output needed and at the same time is enjoyable and sustainable and helps diminish the risk of overeating. There is a lot of argument about metabolic advantage of eating a particular way and whether there is any validity to metabolic advantage if calories are the only thing that really matter. I do not want to get into that argument here but I think there is some merit to paying attention to metabolic advantage and how different food may impact people differently. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC506782/ ) Many will argue that this is not true. I have found in the real world examples of different food choices impacting the ability of clients to lose weight even though there may be calorie imbalances.
Step 3: There are a few small changes that can really make weight loss easier. One, eat slower. The hormones I mentioned before are triggered based on food in the stomach. If you swallow your food whole and do not eat slower the hormone (Ghrelin) is not triggered until you have already overeaten. Next bump the protein. Lack of protein will drive hunger. Protein also takes more energy to digest. Carbohydrates we need, but it is the only macro-nutrient you can go without ingesting and still stay healthy and alive. Protein is a must. Also, do not be afraid of fat. It tastes great and is not the enemy that everyone has made it out to be. Just so I am clear carbs are not your enemy either. Keep foods that you know you will overeat out of reach. Of course always consult a physician so you are not making changes that could adversely impact your health.
Step 4: Goes back to step one, but is more important. Eliminate the highly processed foods. It is not to say that they are all bad, however this change is an easy fix to better manage your hunger. Most of these foods are designed to keep you eating more. So if you believe in the laws of thermodynamics and want to create an environment that is more sustainable stop eating Hot Pockets and Nutter Butter cookies. I believe people did not overeat as much as in the past when real food was more available and there was less processed foods within reach.
If people could take a pill that would give them their desired body composition the majority of people would take it. Last I looked the US spends over 74 billion dollars per year on weight loss. The industry considers success to be losing weight and keeping it off for one year or more. Most would never guess that the percentage of people who are successful is only about 6%. When you think about this it is like going to Vegas and gambling. The house usually wins and they celebrate the small number of winners so others will give it a go. At least at Vegas you get some entertainment and drinks for the time spent gambling.
What are the reasons the weight loss business is so poor at achieving success. The list would be long. I think the better question is how the small percentages of successes actually happen. How can you lower the risk of failure? The steps above are a good start. Accountability to a third party can also lower risk of failing dramatically.
I am in the final stages of developing an app that will help the public to better tackle this problem. For close to 10 years I have been coaching hundreds of clients on how to be successful with healthy eating, performance, and weight loss.
I have written over 1 million words of food journal comments and have spent lots of time coaching clients and have learned a lot about those that are successful. I do not have PhD in nutritional science. However, I can see methods that can be employed successfully to get someone to their desired end that are healthy and sustainable. Most of these revolve around lowering the risk of eating too much food by creating environments that promote success. As much as I love the science, what is important is to be successful for your client using the science to your advantage. I believe that a trusted coach provides the accountability that is a necessity for sustainable weight loss and great health.
Remember it is an experiment of one! Find a healthy path that is based on the prevailing science, is sensible, and can be sustained. There is no magic bullet, but you may find a path that can work well for you.
Truth in Fitness,
Jacques