You can’t browse your social media without hearing about a new diet everyone is trying, and if you’re a certain age… that “unwanted belly fat” ad is constantly dancing across your screen. Who hasn’t been tempted to click?
Let’s face it, some of us run to compete in marathons, and some of us run for “some exercise/ to keep fit/ to lose a couple of pounds.” If you’re one of the latter, don’t fall for the latest/greatest/sure-fire thing to help you lose that last 10 (or even the first 10), says registered dietician Matt Dengler of RxRD Nutrition.
He hears about these 10-day, 30-day, 60-day diets all the time, because it’s his business to help you continue to reach your health and nutrition goals AFTER you’ve gone on — and off — those diets. He posted a handy chart from scientist Asker Jeukendrup at mysportscience.com to show you how they work. See what they have in common?
“I don’t like that word diet,” says Dengler. “Not where you don’t eat your favorite foods.”
Okay, we’re listening….
“I don’t care what you call it, there’s nothing magical about any of those,” he says about the alphabet of diets like keto, paleo, low fat/ low calorie/ low carb, and all the rest. “The question is, ‘Can you do it? Does it fit your lifestyle for a period of time?’”
The problem with diets that ask you to do something for a predetermined amount of days — which we all agree look very doable in that short time frame — is that those days come to an end, says Dengler. And then what?
“You always have your eyes on your endpoint,” he continues. “The problem is, you’re so relieved that on day 91, 61, or 31, you’re going to go crazy on whatever you were missing.” Oh yeah — pizza, beer, wings, cake? Yes!
“You’ll feel really bad, and then you’ll go back to what you were doing before because you’re thinking about how bad your diet was,” he tells us. “It’s not a lifestyle plan. Even if they’re successful early on, they can’t keep up. They’re so restrictive, they’re not built for longevity.” And that’s why they’re referred to as “yo-yo” diets.
For instance, “keto” is about putting your body into a state of ketosis to burn fat for energy, which actually isn’t healthy, says Dengler. It’s for when you’re on a desert island hoping to live long enough to get rescued.
“Your body does not like ketosis,” he says. “It’s not a good place to be. It was never meant to be a weight loss thing.”
How about low carb? You know — you get to eat all of those yummy fats but cut out the sugars and starches that add calories. Nope, says Dengler. “Eating fats for a long period of time is bad for our heart.” Don’t sacrifice your arteries for a few pounds or you could hurt your ticker.
And what about cutting out all those fats? Difference scenario, same answer: “Are they eliminating an entire macronutrient? Huge red flag! It’s a bad diet,” he says. Yes, even if your favorite athlete is doing it. You’re not Tom Brady or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and you don’t have their team of experts guiding you.
And no, don’t think you’re going to “jump-start” a weight loss or healthy lifestyle by doing a named, calorie-restricting diet, says Dengler. If you want to jump-start a healthier lifestyle, just do it! Keeping with the running analogies, healthy eating, and weight control are a marathon, not a sprint.
Let’s start with what you’re eating. Your plate will look different if you’re a run-to-keep-pounds-off runner versus a serious marathon competitor or triathlete.
If you’re the former, your plate needs to look like the U.S. Government’s “Choose My Plate” option:
Half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables, one-fourth should be carbs, and one-fourth should be protein, says Dengler. We know this, right? But sometimes we have to wrap our heads around it in a different way to make it work for us.
“We tend to make the entree (the protein) the star of the show, and the other foods are the side dishes,” he relates. “But fruits and veggies should be the star of the show, with carbs and proteins as side dishes.” Ahhhhhhh…. That works! Think of your diet as plant-based for starters — but that doesn’t mean you don’t eat meat, says Dengler. It just means you eat more plants. And yes, you can still have a sweet treat or a beer. Just remember to include it in your overall meal plan so you can cut back another carb or sweet.
This way of looking at our daily food consumption should work for anyone doing less than two hours of training a day, he says. If you are a professional athlete or a seriously competitive amateur who trains more than two hours a day, flip your plate. Dengler says to eat more grains and carbs — up to half of your plate. That will give you the fuel you need to keep your energy level where it needs to be.
For the rest of us, rearrange your plate and your thinking, and learn how to measure your success in ways other than stepping on a scale.
“Weight is a gravitational pull to the earth, but says nothing about body composition,” he notes, so don’t rely on your scale to tell you everything you need to know. In fact, you may not want to look at it at all!
“The scale is one piece of the puzzle, but it’s the most discouraging piece. It’s never going fast enough,” he says. “You’re always going to be unhappy — even if you reach your goal!” So let’s look at other ways to measure your success.
“How are you doing? How do you feel? How is sleep? How do your clothes fit? How are your workouts?” he asks. These are real measures of success. Start with a piece of clothing you want to look great in, and keep trying it on until it fits the way you want it to. Keep a food journal. Take before, during, and after pictures. If you can, track your muscle mass and body fat percentage. Those are the results you want.
Sit down and write out your goals. Consider your lifestyle. Make a plan to do what’s doable on a consistent basis, for life. THAT’s the diet you should be on, says Dengler.
“If you can stay consistent,” he says, “that’s the best diet.”