Whether you are overweight or obese, the main issue, unless it is a medical condition, is to stop eating the foods you crave, uncontrollably. I say uncontrollably because that is how it feels. You have to be putting food in your mouth, whether you are watching television, at work, or just waking up in the morning.
Generally the food you crave is processed, full of sugar and rarely resembles a fruit or a vegetable. The key is to substitute the bad food with something that is good for your health. Let’s look at the science behind this idea.
Most weight loss interventions focus on reducing calories, however a recent study shows that vegan and vegetarian dietary patterns can result in more weight loss than those that include meat without emphasising caloric restrictions. The study, called ‘How plant based do we need to be to achieve weight loss?’, was presented at a special session of The Obesity Society Annual Meeting in 2013.
“Many researchers agree that vegan eating styles are tied to lower BMI (body mass index), lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes and less weight gain with age,” said leading researcher Brie Turner-MCGrievy, PhD, of the University of California.
“This is the first randomised study that directly compares how vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous dietary patterns, that do not emphasis caloric restriction, can impact body weight. We found that participants consuming vegan and vegetarian diets lost an average of 3.7 to 4.5 kilograms over eight weeks, while those consuming some meat lost 2.3 kilograms.”
The reason for greater weight loss in the vegan and vegetarian groups requires further study but may be due to changes in macronutrient content – macronutrients were found to be significantly different across groups, with the vegan group having the lowest saturated fat. In addition, participants in this study most likely ate fewer calories as a result of the dietary changes they made, to consume more vegan or vegetarian meals.
The leading researcher explained that diets that focus primarily on calorie restriction tend to be the cornerstone of weight loss programmes, however, they always involve dietary self-monitoring. Those following such diets find this difficult and will limit the time they stick to the diet. However, if an individual can continue to eat a large meal (albeit not processed food) of plant-based foods, there are no restrictions to size, or amount, of food consumed.
Study participants achieved weight loss by following a plant-based diet without any calorie restrictions
Study participants achieved weight loss by following a plant-based diet without any restriction on calories, for the eight-week duration of the study. In the US there is a huge issue with obesity, as reported by the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC).
“We need to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables, engage in more physical activity and reduce the consumption of high calorie foods and sugar sweetened beverages, in order to maintain a healthy weight,” Dr William Dietz, director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, said.
The CDC also advocated switching to a vegan or vegetarian, plant-based diet together with an exercise regime.
All this may seem a difficult task. But it’s not impossible. In fact, author Victoria Moran has written a book about it, called Main Street Vegan. She described herself as ‘an obesity survivor’ of 30 years, as she spent the first three decades of her life either bingeing or dieting.
This obesity survivor began her life change by realising that she was addicted and knew that she had come to the end of the line with external support – it just wasn’t working. She prayed for support and found the inner strength to join a gym, without a goal weight, met a group of people who had recovered from eating for a fix and took it one day at a time.
She became astounded at how well she could eat when building menus around fruit and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. She starts the day with a morning power smoothie and drinks fresh juices.
Moran’s key is to make her plate look like a Christmas tree – mostly green with splashes of other bright colours. She explains that a green salad is an open invitation to carrots, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and bean sprouts. Also steamed broccoli, asparagus, yellow Finn potatoes or bright orange yams, red beans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, artichoke hearts, and black olives.
It is not necessary to become a vegan – you could add oily fish such as salmon, sardines or tuna, to help your body. The main thing to remember is if you need to push food in your mouth, pick up a carrot, piece of celery, some nuts, berries, raw vegetables, drink a smoothie, or make an omelette with lots of vegetables. So stock your fridge and cupboards with healthy ingredients and eat away to your heart’s content.
kathrynmborg@yahoo.com