Did you know that 95% of diets fail?
Why? Because they followed the old and obsolete science.
Let us look at 15 reasons why diets fail.
1. Old Obsolete Science:
Starvation & fasting = Weight loss
New Science Fact:
Starvation backfires by down-regulating metabolism. You must eat more than your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) to prevent starvation metabolism, but eat less than your maintenance level for your current weight, activity and gender.
2. Old Obsolete Science:
Exercise a lot = Weight loss
New Science Fact:
Less than BMR calorie + Exercise = Muscle loss. Too much exercise without calorie input switches to starvation metabolism. The new science gives you the latest Mayo Clinic research of “exercise without workout” called NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis).
3. Old Obsolete Science:
Skip breakfast = Weight loss
New Science Fact:
Breakfast = 5% more fat burn; protein breakfast turns glucagon on to counter insulin towards hormone balance. If you skip breakfast, you get fat like sumo wrestlers.
4. Old Obsolete Science:
Rapid and most weight loss = Most effective
New Science Fact:
Fast weight loss = Water and Muscle loss. Fast weight loss is feeding marketing and diet industry. You lose Pounds and $$$, not fat. It also leads to yo-yo dieting. Weight loss of 10% over 6 months is a good rule of thumb.
5. Old Obsolete Science:
Weight loss is “fat loss”
New Science Fact:
“Quick” diets cause you to lose fat and muscle, reducing RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate), you end up gaining the fat back much faster and become weight loss resistant. You should focus on body composition, losing inches rather than weight per se. Muscle weighs 3 times of fat.
6. Old Obsolete Science:
All calories are made equal
(Count your calories and you will lose weight)
New Science Fact:
“Quick release” calories into blood is more important than the total calories. Furthermore, the old science of glycemic index (GI) is replaced with total glycemic load (GL). Good proteins, and good fats burn your bad fat.
7. Old Obsolete Science:
Fat will make you fatter
New Science Fact:
There are “good fats” and “bad fats” based on how they communicate with PPAR gamma and control inflammation. For example, saturated fats turn on inflammation and toxic fat switch. Omega-3 fats reverse it.
8. Old Obsolete Science:
Low carb, or no carb = Weight loss
New Science Fact:
Your body does need some carbs per day (~50g) or else the Krebs Cycle chokes, thyroid function fails. You need unprocessed, whole grain carbs to maintain your insulin balance.
9. Old Obsolete Science:
High protein diet = Weight loss
New Science Fact:
While adequate protein is good, protein only diet excludes carbs and leads to less active thyroid, weak kidneys and bones, and even cancer risk.
10. Old Obsolete Science:
Food fight myth:
Don’t eat carbs and protein together
New Science Fact:
Protein and “functional fiber” counter balance the “quick release” effect of food. Mother Nature endowed the grains and legumes with proteins and carbs for a reason. Mother’s milk is mix of carbs, proteins, and fats.
11. Old Obsolete Science:
You cannot change your metabolism
New Science Fact:
Low Glycemic Load food, NEAT (Non-Exercise-Activity-Thermogenesis) exercise, and thyroid balance tune up your metabolism.
12. Old Obsolete Science:
Diet pills = Weight loss
New Science Fact:
Pills can be a head start, in the long run you are “beating the tired horse”. Skill is better than pill. Diet pills like phentermine are helpful to block the night eating syndrome and carb craving in the beginning of diet, because these agents put a restraint on leptin-melanocortin drive towards eating.
13. Old Obsolete Science:
Being overweight = way of life
New Science Fact:
Health risks increase as soon as you are 7 pounds overweight. Killer co-morbidities of overweight are diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, sleep apnea and cancer.
14. Old Obsolete Science:
Diet means stop your “Comfort foods”
New Science Fact:
Deprival of comfort foods = Lapse, Relapse, Collapse. If you buffer the comfort foods by combining good protein, and fiber, the glycemic impact if dampened. E.g. One gram of fiber deducts 7 calories from the comfort food you have already eaten.
15. Old Obsolete Science:
Emotional and physical hungers are same
New Science Fact:
Physical hunger: Builds slowly, occurs several hours after meal, strikes the stomach (growling, hunger pains), goes away when full, and eating leads to satisfaction.
Emotional hunger: Builds suddenly, unrelated to mealtime, strikes above neck (taste, smell), persists despite fullness, and eating leads to guilt and shame.
