1. Optimize
Before you start any diet, make sure that you optimize your nutrition. Ensure that you get all your essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fats. One way you can optimize your nutrition is to pay attention to Dr. Joel Furhman's Aggregate Nutrition Density Index (ANDI) score, which grades foods based on their nutrient density. Another simple way to optimize your nutrition is to avoid processed foods and eat exclusively non-starchy plants and protein, as I advise in The Ping Pong Diet approach to sustainable weight loss.2. Volumize
Another sound principal for weight loss and healthy living is to purposefully eat satiating amounts of foods that are low in energy density, such as non-starchy vegetables. Dr. Barbara Rolls demonstrated that fullness is a function of food volume, not caloric density. In one study, women instructed to incorporate satisfying amounts of low energy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and soups, reported less hunger and lost 33% more weight at six months compared to women who were counseled only to reduce their fat intake. A large salad is a great way to fill up without filling out!3. Harmonize
No diet will work in the long run if it makes you hungry. Starving yourself and skipping meals is a surefire way to get yourself into trouble. Instead of eating out of balance, harmonize your eating so it controls your hunger. A good strategy is to eat frequently enough to stay ahead of hunger rather than eating in response to hunger. Eating approximately five times per day was a successful strategy employed by weight loss maintainers in the National Weight Control Registry.4. Liberalize
Your body weight is made up of both fat and lean body mass. Healthy weight loss gets rid of excess fat, while preserving lean body mass. Liberalizing protein intake is an important means of getting in essential amino acids and maintaining healthy muscle. In order to maintain weight, you need to eat 0.7-1 milligrams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight per day. In order to promote weight loss and maintain muscle during the process of weight loss, you need to eat approximately 1.5-2 times that amount. Animal meat is a complete source of protein and a great source of essential vitamins and minerals, which is why I recommend five servings per day in The Ping Pong Diet.5. Minimize
While you can lose weight by reducing calories alone, most successful dietary strategies also minimize intake of high glycemic carbohydrates. Restricting carbohydrate intake to 100 grams and less has been shown to enhance weight loss, reduce hunger, improve adherence, and improve metabolic derangements. In The Ping Pong Diet, I recommend cutting out all sources of carbohydrates except non-starchy vegetables that contain five grams or less of carbohydrates per one cup serving.
Try this recipe for cauliflower crust pizza. It will help you to optimize, volumize, harmonize, liberalize, and minimize, all in one tasty bite. Happy New Year!
References
Ello-Martin JA et al. Dietary energy density in the treatment of obesity: a year-long trial comparing 2 weight-loss diets. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:1465-77.
Steelman GM, Westman EC. Obesity: Evaluation and Treatment Essentials. 2010.
Hession M et al. Systematic review of randomized controlled trials of low-carbohydrate vs. low-fat/low-calorie diets in the management of obesity and its comorbidities. 2008. Obesity reviews 10:36-50.
Volek JS & Feinman RD. Carbohydrate restriction improves the features of metabolic syndrome. Nutr & Metab. 2005;2(31):1-17.
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