The FastDiet or 5:2 Diet: Fact or Fiction?

For two non-consecutive days a week, you limit your calories to 500 a day for women; 600 for men or the approximate equivalent of a breakfast of one egg and a cup of strawberries, an iced tea or black coffee for lunch, and four ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast with one cup steamed broccoli plus 1 cup salad greens with lemon.  Five days, almost anything goes. 

Dream weight loss regime or dietary nightmare? 

Back in 2012, the BBC aired "Eat, Fast, and Live Longer," a documentary about intermittent fasting.  In the documentary, scientist/researcher Michael Mosley explored the benefits of an extremely low calorie diet on aging or specifically, levels of blood markers such as IGF-1, an insulin-like growth hormone, glucose, and cholesterol.  In lab conditions, mice put on a calorie-restricted diet experience about a 40% greater life expectancy than their counterparts who nibble at will.  High levels of IGF-1 seem to accelerate aging and age-related conditions.  In starvation mode, the body seems to switch from growth to repair mode.

Mosley followed up the documentary with "The FastDiet," a book that topped the UK's best-seller list and has become the diet du jour across the pond. The book, co-authored with journalist Mimi Spencer, has spun off a cottage industry of feast and famine titles, including the Cliff Notes version, "The 5:2 Diet" penned by fellow Brit journalist Kate Harrison.  British women's mags, tabloids, and a slew of recipe/meal plan books feature the One from Column A, Two from Column B approach to cut calories to 500 per day. 

Cycling between starvation mode and higher calorie days is hardly a new approach.  Anyone who's fallen down the rabbit's hole of disordered eating or eating disorders is likely well-versed in how to follow up a few days of binging with compulsive dieting and exercise.  Arguably, this plan may be more proactive than reactive. 

Consistently restricting calories is ultimately ineffective on several levels.  Cutting calories below what we need impacts hormone levels and can cause the body to lose muscle mass, both of which lower our set point and metabolism.  Denying ourselves whole food groups or limiting food choices can also set us up for binging, usually on simple carbs like that donut in the office breakroom or a pizza with everything ordered at midnight.  Conversely, changing up calorie counts may be an effective way to lose and maintain weight. 

So, are calorie cycling programs like "The FastDiet" and "The 5:2 Diet" effective, safe weight loss diets? 

Most health professionals support extreme calorie deprivation only under medical supervision.  Anecdotal documentation demonstrates an average 1-2 pound per week weight loss, a safe range.  However, like any dietary program, the execution is the most powerful indicator of success.  If low calorie days of lean protein and leafy greens are followed with higher calorie days of whole foods and not cartons of Ben & Jerry's or huge plates of pasta, the program may be help you get back into your skinny jeans, if you can make it through the lean days.

Learning to eat and move intuitively is the best approach to long-lasting weight loss and maintenance.  Any diet that starts and ends on a day ending in "y" probably won't lead to lasting weight loss.

Working with a certified health coach is a useful tool to learn the skills to eat for life.  Contact me at info@bethckramer.com for a complimentary health history and consultation to get you on the right path.

Counting Calories

Last week, as I waited for a prescription to be filled at the pharmacy, I noticed it by the counter.  When I first met it as a 14 year old high school student, it seemed to be a likely useful tool to help me fit into my Calvins or Jordache. 

A calorie counting booklet.  Essentially, a guide to just about every food or drink known to man.  Always an information junkie, I was on first name basis with the calorie counts of everything that might pass my lips.  A small peach? 35 calories.  Half a cup of 1 % Friendship Cottage Cheese?  90. In short time, the pocket sized booklet turned my world upside down as I spent hours sequestered in my bedroom, concocting ways to restrict my daily calories to no more than 500, topic to be covered in future blog.  Conventional dietary wisdom says 3,500 calories = one pound.  Cut out 3,500 calories or burn those suckers on the treadmill, and you'll lose a pound.  Indulge in a few midnight buffets on a cruise and your pants will be tight. 

Calorie labeling has become the darling of politicos and health professionals. New York City restaurants have been posting calorie counts in chain restaurants and establishments since 2008.  The labeling mandate is key to the Affordable Care Act of 2010. 

So, do calories count?  Does swapping out the afternoon 240 calorie Hazelnut Macchiato for 45 minutes on the treadmill at 4.0, 50% incline lead to six-pack abs or a bikini body?

Yes... And no.

Calories are units of energy.  I remember a seventh grade science experiment that involved burning a peanut over a bunsen burner to conclude the nut contained five calories.  It would seem logical that if we were to consume an additional 3,500 calories above what is required by our BMR  or basal metabolic rate, we will gain a pound.  Conversely, for each 3,500 calories restricted from our BMR, we should lose a pound. 

Calories in vs calories out is simple arithmetic whereas the scientific reality resembles calculus.  In a paper by Dr. Martin Katahn, author of a bevy of diet books, published in JAMA, Katahn explains when we eat that extra cookie, we may gain weight but our weight gain will eventually taper off as we need additional calories to sustain the new weight.  Conversely, when we lose a few pounds by restricting calories, our lower weight becomes almost impossible to maintain because our BMR is lower.  Calorie restriction leads to changes in hormones, the autonomic nervous system, and muscle's efficiency to conserve energy.

Or, simply put, there may be some truth in the Aunt Martha's revelation that she could gain five pounds just looking at that Christmas cookie.

Am I advising you to throw caution to the wind and binge on Chips Ahoy or nightly dips into the Ben & Jerry's New York Fudge Chunk? Not exactly.  In my next few blogs, I will detail my own dysfunctional relationship and breakup with calorie counting as well as tips to help you achieve lasting weight loss and develop a healthier relationship with your body and food.

Moving the number on the scale or pants size and maintaining those changes is not as simple as balancing an equation.  Working with a health coach  can help you adopt new behaviors and examine the reasons behind the old ones.  Contact me to schedule a complimentary consultation at info@bethckramer.com.

Loving the Body You're In

How do you feel about your body? 

I've listened to women and girls of all ages complain about the size of their stomachs, thighs that rub together, "bubbie" arms, pick a body part.  But, I've also heard people express gratitude following a medical scare or struggle for the body's ability to heal.

Huff Po's Style section featured a piece on Mad Men's Christina Hendricks.  The redhead who portrays Joan Hollaway is known for her curves as well as her sassy attitude.  When she sashays into a room, people take notice.  She owns her body.  Back in 2010, the actress was pleased to receive positive notice for her voluptuous figure after years of agents suggesting the latest diet.

Wherever we are on the fitness spectrum, we must appreciate the skin we are in before we can make any changes.  We are more than the numbers on a scale or BMI or fat percentages.  Like most women, I've struggled with my body image over the years.  Was I thin enough?  Was I too tall? My yoga practice has led me to embrace my body and treat myself with respect.  When I stopped obsessing over calories in, calories out, I ended up in better shape than I've ever been. 

When I first started this blog, one of my intentions was to create a safe place to share our feelings about our bodies.  I welcome comments on my Facebook business page, https://www.facebook.com/BethCKramerHealthCoach?ref=hl or email me at info@bethckramer.com.

As a health coach, I work with women and girls to develop healthy attitudes about our body image and what we eat.  Look for upcoming workshops on a variety of topics including Intuitive vs Emotional Eating and Beating the 3 PM Sugar Rush.