Magic diet? Not in the real world

Most people with a history of dieting have experienced the ups and downs that accompany diet programs. They gain weight; they lose weight. This becomes frustrating, made even more difficult by myths and misconceptions about nutrition and weight loss.

Adding to the confusion: There are 30,000 diets on the market. Which one do you choose?

Magazine advertisements can be seductive, and they attract many dieters to experiment with quick-fix plans. The problem is, there is no magical diet that will whisk away the pounds for successful long-term weight control.

Low-carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins New Diet Revolution are popular. This plan advocates a high-protein, high-fat diet with a significantly low restriction of carbohydrate-rich foods such as breads, pasta, potatoes, vegetables and fruits.

Granted, a small percentage of the population, approximately 25 percent, might be carbohydrate sensitive and have special dietary needs, but for those who do not fit this category, including carbohydrates in their diet should be a positive, not a negative.

Low-carbohydrate diets date to the early 1970s, and though they keep resurfacing, they have never been approved by scientific research. Proponents of this type of diet maintain that carbohydrates are the bad guys and once you eliminate carbs, you eliminate weight. Carbohydrates are one of the most misunderstood food groups.

Low-carbohydrate diets stimulate the production of insulin, which helps the body store fat. One of the many duties of insulin is to help our body cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream to be used for energy production. It is incorrect, however, to assume carbohydrates are involved all by themselves.

All foods will stimulate the production of insulin. If your input of calories is greater than your output of energy (exercise), insulin will help to store those extra calories as fat. It is not the carbohydrates causing you to gain weight, it is the excess calories from any source, fats, protein or carbohydrates.

As for the causes leading to chronically elevated blood sugar levels (diabetes), they are excessive weight, inactivity and heredity. Drastic limits placed upon carbohydrate consumption make it difficult to receive the recommended daily allowance of nutrients. You will be consuming limited amounts of essential vitamins and minerals, and more research is finding that we receive thousands of protective substances from vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes.

Another concern for dieters on a low-carbohydrate plan is the large consumption of foods high in saturated fat. Studies have shown that saturated fats have a strong correlation to heart disease and should be consumed only in moderation. The American Heart Association has written a paper warning the public about the dangers of high protein diets.

Dr. Robert H. Eckel, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, cited this information: Long term, the saturated fat and cholesterol content of the diet will raise the bad cholesterol level and increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. Five high-protein diets were reviewed for fat content. Protein Power led the pack with the highest amount of fat, 54 percent of total calories; the Atkins plan had 53 percent of total calories from fat.

So why do dieters become hooked on low-carb diets? For starters, they are impressed with the initial quick weight loss. Though losing more than 2 pounds a week is not recommended, initially you could lose 7 to 9 pounds a week on the Atkins diet.

Dieters assume this weight loss represents loss of body fat. The fact is, much of that weight loss is water, not fat. When you don't eat sufficient amounts of carbohydrates, the body begins to burn the stored carbohydrates (glycogen) for energy, releasing a large amount of water weight. If the carbohydrate reduction is severe enough, your body begins an unhealthy process of losing lean muscle mass because muscle is what revs up the metabolism and burns up the calories.

Think of eating for the health of it. Eat a variety of foods, eat in moderation and get a lot of exercise. If you cut back on portion sizes, have a little less pasta, a smaller piece of high-fat meat, less salad dressing. Make dessert a weekly treat instead of every night; you could still enjoy your food while losing weight. Eating should be nutritious and a pleasure.

- Sally Anderson is happy to hear from readers but cannot respond to individual queries. Write her in care of Seniority, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731; or send e-mail to slafit@tampabay.rr.com.

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