Christmas feast, New Year’s dinner, family reunion meals, cupcakes, brownies and all kinds of dessert from visiting relatives may satisfy everyone’s stomach but also can add some numbers on the scale.
As the new year begins, students begin eating low fat diets to lose weight. However, the University of Idaho dietitian, Marissa Rudley, suggests there are healthier ways.
Aside from exercising, many people adopt so-called low-fat diets to lose weight and become fit.
“If I can get something that is low-fat, I’ll get something that is low-fat as opposed to just get something normal,” University of Idaho student Karma French said. “So I’ll get low-fat cream cheese, I’ll get low-fat tortilla. I (drink) skim milk, low-fat sour cream (and) a lot of creamy things.”
Many follow the same kind of low-fat trend at the start of the New Year since having low-fat diet makes them feel more confident in losing weight. However, from a dietitian’s perspective, a low-fat diet is not ideal for weight loss.
“Current research does not support a low-fat diet for weight loss since dietary fat is a necessary macronutrient,” UI campus dietitian Marissa Rudley said. “A low-fat diet contains approximately half the fat of a normal diet, with the rest of the nutrients coming from carbohydrates and protein.”
Rudley said foods that are considered low-fat include virtually all fruits and vegetables, most grains and certain types of protein such as beans, lentils, tofu and low-fat dairy.
Fad diets promise big results with little effort or time but if a diet or product seems too good to be true it probably is, Rudley said. She said there isn’t a single food or dietary product that will lead to rapid weight loss — even though diet companies will try to convince consumers.
“In terms of weight loss, I recommend an overall calorie-reduction, versus reducing or excluding a single macronutrient like fat or carbohydrates,” Rudley said. “A gradual weight loss can be achieved by reducing daily calories by 250 to 500, either through food choices, physical activity or a combination of the two.”
She said instead of looking for a magical diet solution, people should go back to healthy eating basics. They could make half of their plate fruits and vegetables along with whole grains that are high in fiber and high quality protein like lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts. They also need to watch out for excess saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugar.
“For breakfast, I always get wheat bread as well,” French said. “I’ll have eggs and wheat bread, a low-fat bagel or I’ll just have Special K cereal. For lunch, I’ll usually have a sandwich or something small but quick. For dinner, I usually have meat and lots of vegetables.”
Rudley said many dieters fall into the trap of using a strict diet plan that does not fit into their current lifestyle, and they become discouraged when they are unable to maintain this plan for the long-term.
“The biggest key to weight loss success is consistency,” Rudley said. “This does not necessarily mean that every single day must be spent eating the same exact meal or completing the same boring workout routine.”
Rudley said people can commit to a healthy lifestyle by nourishing their body with regular meals, snacks, a balanced diet that incorporates a mix of all types of foods and finding activities that can keep them moving throughout each day.
“Any diet that recommends eliminating an entire food group or macronutrient, such as no carbohydrates or no grains, should be a red flag that this is not a balanced eating plan,” Rudley said. “Even with a multivitamin supplement, important nutrients will be missing from a restrictive diet plan.”
She said a healthy lifestyle should be tailored to each individual and include enjoyable foods and activities. If a diet plan bans a favorite food or is overly restrictive, it will be difficult to maintain the plan in the long-term.
“I usually try to make a healthy lifestyle out of it,” French said. “Rather than being (on) a crash diet for a week and lose a ton of weight, I try to make it more like a lifestyle.”
Chin-Lun Hsu can be reached at [email protected]