Is it really such an easy way to lose weight by not eating staple foods and eating more meat?

A pharmacist in the company had been overweight for a long time, which led to poor results in the physical examination. So he decided to restore his health by losing weight. He dieted, took walks, drank tea, etc. He was determined to lose weight. As the saying goes, hard work pays off. In half a month, he really lost more than ten pounds. But the good times did not last long. One month later, he had to be hospitalized for treatment due to serious adverse reactions, and his weight loss plan failed.

Why did such a serious problem occur when he was trying to lose weight? The reason was that he adopted a "meat-eating diet" that did not require dieting or exercise and was very effective. What reason was there to refuse such a comfortable way of losing weight?

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01

"Eating meat to lose weight"

It just sounds beautiful

This "meat diet" is nothing new. It is the Atkins diet we are familiar with. Its characteristics are that it does not limit the intake of fat and protein, only eats a very small amount of carbohydrates every day, and in the early stages of the diet, it is forbidden to eat foods rich in carbohydrates, such as bread, cakes, rice, peas, beans and other beans. Since you don't need to move your legs or control your mouth, the idea of ​​losing weight by eating meat has attracted a large number of people who have the need to lose weight but can't make up their minds to stick to exercise and control their diet. Even many "foodies" think this is simply a weight loss method tailored for them!

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However, from a nutritional point of view, this way of losing weight is not reliable! A large number of studies have confirmed that although the Atkins diet may cause a rapid weight loss in the short term, over time, this diet has no significant difference in reducing body fat compared to other low-energy diets. It also has more obvious side effects, such as bad breath, diarrhea, fatigue, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and can make diabetic patients more susceptible to complications. In addition, animal studies have shown that rats fed a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet have decreased energy and attention.

Therefore, it is not advisable to lose weight only by restricting staple foods. Since the meat-eating weight loss method is unreliable, why do people still flock to it? In addition to the reason that people want to take shortcuts, it is largely caused by insufficient understanding of the nutritional value of staple foods.

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02

The nutritional value of staple food cannot be ignored

Better roughing

my country's traditional dietary structure is based on cereals, so the staple food we refer to is actually cereal and potato foods, mainly including cereals, which refer to whole grains (those that have not been finely processed and still retain the complete grains and the natural nutrients they contain), potatoes and beans. They contain a lot of carbohydrates and are the most economical source of energy for the human body. At the same time, cereal foods are also an important source of nutrients such as protein and vitamin B1 for Chinese residents.

An important point of the meat-eating diet is that excessive carbohydrates in the diet are the main cause of obesity and overweight today. So compared with other foods, are staple foods really more likely to make you fat?

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Among all nutrients, carbohydrates, proteins and lipids are the main ones that can generate energy. Each gram of carbohydrates and proteins can generate 4kcal of heat, while each gram of fat can generate 9kcal of heat, which means that the same mass of fat can generate more heat. Therefore, compared with staple foods, fat-rich foods such as fried foods and fatty meat should be limited because they have higher energy efficiency and can stimulate appetite, leading to excessive intake.

In addition, overly processed cereal foods such as refined rice, refined flour, bread, and sugar have a high energy density. Refined processing can also lead to a serious loss of B vitamins and dietary fiber in cereal foods. If conditions permit, whole grains and coarse grains can be used to partially replace them. It is recommended that the daily intake of whole grains should account for about 1/3 of the staple food.

03

The right way to lose weight

There is no shortcut to losing weight, and you cannot measure and judge whether a weight loss method is desirable based on temporary weight changes. A truly lasting, healthy, and effective weight loss method should follow the following points:

First, control the total energy

We often say that to lose weight, we must not only control our diet, but also move our legs and ensure 6,000 steps of exercise every day to keep our energy in a negative balance, thereby achieving healthy weight loss.

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Second, change your diet

While limiting total energy, reducing the intake of pure energy foods such as cooking oil and refined sugar, and increasing the proportion of low-energy foods such as vegetables and fruits can effectively reduce energy intake.

In addition, since coarse grains with lower processing precision not only lose less nutrients, but also contain more dietary fiber, it can increase satiety and reduce the intake of other foods, and is also indispensable.

According to the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016)", adults should consume 250-400g of staple food per day, including 50-150g of whole grains.

Third, ensure adequate intake of micronutrients to prevent malnutrition

Maintain a balanced and reasonable dietary pattern, avoid picky eating and excessive dieting. When the diet really cannot meet the nutritional needs, you can ensure the intake of micronutrients by taking vitamin and mineral supplements in moderation.

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Summarize:

Anyone who tries to lose weight at the expense of health is just being a hooligan. Obesity is not caused by staple foods, but by an unreasonable lifestyle. A diet based on cereals is a traditional dietary structure in my country and is also a diet worth promoting. So, stop letting staple foods take the blame for obesity.

References:

1. Study on the effects of low-carbohydrate and high-protein diet on obese rats; Yang Yuexin et al.; New Observations on Nutrition and Health

2. Low-carbohydrate diet and obesity; Liu Lan, Yang Yuexin

3. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016); Chinese Nutrition Society

4. "Atkins diet" entry; Baidu Encyclopedia

Author | Zhang Xuebin, China's best nutrition science expert

Review | Qin Wenjun, Department of Nutrition, Shanxi Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine