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.

Emotional Eating: Ending the Cycle

The midmorning glazed donut, now stale, you furtively pop into your mouth an hour after the boss issued an ultimatum at the 9:00 meeting. Your fingers swipe fries from your son's kiddie meal after an argument with your mother. You stand in front of the freezer at midnight, digging a spoon into the now ice-frosted Ben & Jerry's, anxious about your relationship or unpaid bills.

You chastise yourself for the dietary lapse. You've blown the calorie/fat/carb balance for the day; pick your poison. May as well order a cheeseburger, well-done fries, Diet Coke for lunch or dig into the bottomless basket of chips, guac washed down by a couple of slushy margaritas at happy hour. You'll be skipping yoga or spin class for a date with a serve-yourself fro-yo with your choice of toppings. Tomorrow's another day.

Why do we turn to our childhood pals fat and sugar when we feel exhausted/overwhelmed/stressed/guilt-ridden or even in a celebratory mood? How do we stop the Pavlovian guilt response when we fall captive to cravings or hidden binges? How do we resist the lure of chips/fried mozzarella sticks/icing scraped from the top of someone's birthday cake?

Geneen Roth has penned a library of books linking compulsive eating and restrictive dieting to deeper, spiritual issues. Her latest book, Women Food and God, An Unexpected Path to Almost Anything, landed on the number one spot on the NYT bestseller list.

Roth who has been writing about compulsive eating issues for thirty years observes, "“...compulsive eating is basically a refusal to be fully alive. No matter what we weigh, those of us who are compulsive eaters have anorexia of the soul. We refuse to take in what sustains us. We live lives of deprivation. And when we can't stand it any longer, we binge. The way we are able to accomplish all of this is by the simple act of bolting -- of leaving ourselves -- hundreds of times a day.” 

The roller coaster ride between restrictive dieting and eating everything that isn't nailed down is destructive to our waistlines and our psyches. Add in traffic, overscheduled lives, physical and mental exhaustion. That 3 pm cupcake is looking pretty good.

Flipping the switch from emotional to intuitive eating is a learned response. Contact me at info@bethckramer.com for a complimentary health history and information about my upcoming workshop on Emotional to Intuitive Eating.

Moving the Mat

Yesterday, when I entered my Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday vinyasa flow class, my teacher noted someone had taken my usual spot. I glanced over with a small amount of apprehension. Would I be able to flow through downward dog, chataranga, upward facing dog, and get to my eventual shavasanah from some other vantage point in the studio?

In full disclosure, I've never been a "routine" girl, outside of my regular workouts and some temporary dietary obsessions like when I ate Oprah's personal chef's variation of Caesar salad for two weeks straight.

Yet, with some trepidition, I moved my mat to the "clock" side of the room. I glanced longingly at my usual spot. I noticed the adjacent space was free! Perhaps, my fellow yogis has repositioned their mats to accomodate me or maybe I just hadn't noticed. So, I moved my mat.

As I walked towards the "retreat" aka locker room after the 90-minute class, I reflected. The practice of yoga leads us to join our bodies and minds, to trust our instincts, to embrace our emotions and experiences. Yoga also makes us more flexibile, in body and in our spirit. So, why was I so reluctant to reposition my mat?

Repitition and routine are the comfort foods of behaviors. In our often chaotic and stressful lives, we need to count on a monthly game night, our morning latte or even our spot in the yoga studio. Of course, when these behaviors no longer serve us, maybe it's time to let go or find a better option than the daily burger, fries, and XL Diet Coke.

Making changes is easier when you can count on support. E-mail me at info@bethckramer.com to set up a complimentary health history consultation to find out how to get started.

And Happy Birthday, Chaz! xo

Spring Cleaning

March 20. First day of spring.  Depending on where you live, you're filling the Space Bags with heavy sweaters or shifting your body-covering clothes to the back of the closet.  Spring is all about renewal and preparing for the "baring" of arms and legs. 

Instead of downloading the latest trend in diet books from Amazon or buying the magazine at the checkout that tells you how to lose ten pounds in five days, clean your diet and your pantry of the unhealthy foods.  I'll share my list of the dietary offenders, which when eaten on a regular basis, give us more muffin tops than the local bakery!

1. Sugar:  Cane sugar, beet sugar, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, agave, the blue, yellow, or pink stuff.  A rose is a rose is rose.  Sugar is the suspect for countless diseases and conditions, from Type 2 Diabetes and obesity to heart disease and increased LDL or "bad" cholesterol. Sugar consumption  may play a role in promoting the growth of insulin-receptive tumors.  The pastel packets  are responsible for additional mischief.

2. Artificial Colors: The chemicals that give mac & cheese or Cheeto's their bright orange hue may also contribute to hyperactivity in children and a host of other problems.  A recent Change.org petition asked Kraft to remove the colorant from the boxed favorite. 

3. BHA and BHT: This pair of additives are used to prevent oxidation of fats and oils in processed foods.  The verdict is still out on their safety. The Center for Science in the Public Interest places BHT on its watch list and recommends avoiding BHA.

4. GMOs: The safety of genetically modified organisms or GMOs is a dubious proposition at best.  Whole Foods will be labeling all foods containing genetically modified ingredients by 2018.  Check my previous blogs about GMOs for more information.  In the meantime, avoid the following ingredients.

5: Non-organic Corn, Soy, Beet Sugar, Canola Oil: The who's who of the processed food lineup.  An estimated 97% of domestic soy crops are genetically modified.  In addition to the questionable safety of GMO crops, habitual consumption of any food can present risks.  Since virtually all processed and fast foods contain derivatives of corn and soy, walk on the safe side.

6. Soy:  Few other foods have shared equal time on both sides of the Most Wanted List.  Not so long ago, the medical community and food processors were lauding the health benefits of the fuzzy green bean with presumptive heart disease and cancer protection.  Not so fast.  Studies have been inconclusive and processed soy as in soy milk, soy protein isolates, lechitin, texturized vegetable protein and the rest may cause hormone and endocrine disruption, which may lead  to a multitude of diseases and conditions, including infertility, cancer, and thyroid problems.

7. Vegetable Oils: Canola, Mazola. An excessive amount of Omega-6 oils may lead to a variety of health problems, especially when heated to smoking point.  Our per capita consumption of Omega-6 oils has increased from one pound at turn of century to 75 pounds today. 

8: Trans fats: Food processors add hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make the oils solid at room temperature to increase shelf life. Trans fats throw a one-two punch on cholesterol levels, raising your LDL or "bad cholesterol" while lowering your HDL or "good" cholesterol.  Trans fats are found in crackers, cookies, baked goods, snack foods, frozen dinners, and shortening.

Cleaning our your pantry means more than checking the expiration dates or near empty containers.

Need some assistance to switch out your pantry with healthy options? Contact me at info@bethckramer.com to find out about April's Clean Your Pantry Special.

A Mom, A Daughter, A Healthy Eating Plan

Over the past few months, my New Jersey cousin has cleaned up her seven-year old's diet. leading to a five pound weight loss.  Dieting among the playground set has its share of critics.  Any of us who were given a copy of "The Scarsdale Diet" or the latest regime clipped from a women's magazine as a preadolescent are likely cringing at the memories of half a grapefruit and dry protein toast. 

Vogue writer Dara-Lynn Weiss, author of The Heavy, A Mom, A Daughter, A Diet,  took more heat than a plate of Szechwan string beans when she penned about her seven-year old daughter Bea's weight loss diet, accompanied by a photoshoot chronicling the girl's sixteen-pound weight loss.  The fashion writer recounted her own lifelong issues as a high-mileage dieter who had gone everywhere from Atkins and Jenny Craig to Weight Watchers and raw food.  Weiss also detailed how she'd grab a salad away from her daughter who'd already eaten and penciled in every Oreo that would pass her daughter's lips.  As a former compulsive dieter who's logged as many weight loss journeys as Weiss, I'll share it's tough work balancing our own food and body image issues with raising healthy daughters.

Yet, in my cousin's case, job well done!

By tossing out the sugared cereals and making healthy food and activity choices, weight loss is a  bonus and not the "main event."  For those of us who spent our adolescent  through young adult years cycling between popular diets and fitness routines to fit into our skinny jeans, the link between body image and food choices often became an unyielding connection to break, requiring years of self-reflection along with a small fortune in therapy.

When we shift our attention away from pounds lost per week to changing our behaviors, we experience healthier outcomes.  We're not as tempted to skip two meals a day to save calories for a margarita and chips or to spend an hour on the treadmill at the highest setting to burn off that birthday cupcake.  Instead, we eat clean, unprocessed foods, choose exercise activities for enjoyment, and allow for occasional indulgences.

When my aunt shared her grandaughter's fitting room kvelling moment, I did a little victory dance inside.  I'm so proud of my cousin and her parents for cleaning out the cupboards and making healthy food choices!

Whether you need support to shift from years of compulsive dieting to intuitive eating or guidance to help your children or entire family, email me to set up a complimentary health history at info@bethckramer.com. 

Beth