Is Counting Calories Really the Secret to Weight Loss? The Answer May Shock You
Calories in, calories out. It’s the standard formula for weight loss that everyone from casual dieters to strict fitness professionals swear by–but is it entirely accurate?
According to a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, led by Dr. Christopher D. Gardner, the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, the real secret to weight loss may lie in cutting back on refined grains, added sugars, and processed foods. The study found that individuals who incorporated whole foods and vegetables in their diets (without focusing on portion sizes or restricting calories) lost a considerable amount of weight over the duration of a year.
The study consisted of over 600 participants from the Bay Area. The participants were split up into two groups: the “healthy” low carb group and the “healthy” low fat group. Both groups were thoroughly educated on the benefits of eating healthy, whole foods, and cooking nutritious meals at home. The “healthy” low fat group was instructed to avoid foods such as muffins, fruit juices and white rice. They were instructed to eat brown rice, barley, lean meat, lentils, quinoa and fresh fruit. The “healthy” low carb group was encouraged to eat nutrient dense foods like salmon, avocado, vegetables, nuts and seeds and grass-fed, pasture-raised animals. In both groups, individuals were motivated by the freedom to choose healthy, whole foods and eating until they were full, versus limiting their calories and watching portion sizes. Unlike previous studies, this study was not centered around limiting fat, carbs, or caloric consumption. Dr. Gardner stated, “We really stressed to both groups again and again that we wanted them to eat high-quality foods…We told them all that we wanted them to minimize added sugar and refined grains and eat more vegetables and whole foods”.
Dr. Gardner constructed the study to assess how overweight individuals would respond to a low-carb or low-fat diet. He was also interested in examining how certain individuals with a greater susceptibility to insulin resistance, difficulties metabolizing carbohydrates and fats or genetic proclivities to weight gain would fare during the study. A growing number of programs and services have emerged as the result of the notion that certain individuals will have better success at weight loss if they follow a regimen designed for their genotypes.
This method was a success regardless of whether individuals followed a low-fat or low-carb diet. The method also proved to be successful for those who had insulin resistance and a genetic predisposition to weight gain- exciting news for dieters who have long assumed that different diets must be tailored to different people based on their biological makeup.
This new study sheds new light on what makes a diet and weight loss successful. These findings prove that when it comes to taking off unwanted pounds, it’s all about the quality of the food- not the quantity. Those who struggle with weight loss no longer need to fixate on the amount of calories that their ingesting; instead they should focus on the nutritional value of their food choices. Based on these exciting results, health and weight loss professionals are also encouraged to promote veggies and fruits, while warning their patients about refined starches, sugary beverages and snacks, and dangerous processed foods. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University suggests, “It’s time for U.S. and other national policies to stop focusing on calories and calorie counting.”
While this study may be a breath of fresh air for dieters, it’s still difficult for most Americans to completely abandon calorie counting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests “write down the foods you eat and the beverages you drink, plus the calories they have, each day.” Apps such as MyFitnessPal help frustrated dieters keep track of their calories. The popular website SparkPeople has communities, forums and journals all dedicated to monitoring caloric intake. For a dieter, it can be impossible to escape the myth of calorie counting.
This new study shows the importance of sticking with whole, healthy, nutrient-dense foods. Regardless of biological factors, genetic predispositions, and calories consumed, the participants who stuck to the program saw tangible results. By making smarter food choices the participants were able to consume nutritious foods while losing weight. The bottomline? “We really need to focus on that foundational diet, which is more vegetables, more whole foods, less added sugar and less refined grains”, according to Dr. Gardner.
