WHAT DOES WORK? A fairly comprehensive review paper on this matter was published in 2018 which looked at over 8000 separate studies before nailing it down to 67 key papers. The researchers pinpointed a number of common trends among successful weight loss dieters who maintained weight loss for an extended period. So, what’s the best diet? It’s the one that works for you, that you can stick to, and the one that’s healthy and sustainable long term. Key factors identified in successful and maintained weight loss were: • Portion control • A reduction in total food energy intake • A higher dietary protein intake • An increase in fruit and vegetable intake • Less calories consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages • An inclusive rather than exclusive approach to food choice • A lower dietary fat intake (not to say dietary fat is “bad” but it is the densest of the macronutrient groups at around 9kcals per gram) Food is awesome — you just have to appreciate when to have certain foods. Research has also suggested some behavioural changes are associated with successful, sustained weight loss: • Monitoring weight (without getting too bogged down by arbitrary numbers) • Monitoring eating (understanding the role of energy intake in relation to weight) • Monitoring exercise (increased exercise actually leads to weight loss and sustaining it) BACK TO MENU
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjg5ODM4NA==