Do diets really work? Sanjay Gupta claimed to have the answer, which he shared on his podcast today. Of course, I had to listen.
On the podcast, Dr.Gupta interviewed a leading nutrition scientist out of Stanford named Christopher Gardner.
This guy is everywhere. He’s got clout. When he talks, people listen, including me. A few years back, I studied under his tutelage through the very popular remote Stanford Nutrition Course. He’s pretty convincing.
Like most nutrition researchers, he doesn’t produce high-quality evidence because studying people’s eating habits is so difficult. It’s not his fault! You would have to lock someone up for 10 years and monitor every single thing they ate during that period to know what’s true. But he does his best, and he means well.
Yet, while I don’t always agree with his conclusions, today, he hit the nail on the head.
Diets don’t work. But what does? Drumroll, please….
Paying attention to SATIETY. This is the bread and butter (pardon the pun!) of what I teach.
You have to feel like you’ve had enough. When you count calories, you might be cutting yourself off before your body feels the safety of being fed and cared for, and it will fight back—every time.
When you eat beyond your sense of satisfaction, your hormones signal that it’s time to start storing fat. This surplus tells your body, “Winter is coming!”
What do you eat to get to that point? Whole foods made by Mother Nature. Need some ideas? Let me know, and I’ll send you my list.
What makes someone feel satisfied differs from person to person, so experiment! Try a protein-forward, plant-based approach with legumes, tofu, nuts, and veggies. Try a higher-carb approach with sweet potatoes and whole grains like farro. Go animal-based, with eggs and sustainably raised beef or poultry. Also, remember high-quality fats like avocado and olive oil keep hunger at bay for longer. Diets don’t work for lasting weight loss. But we’ve got tools that do, and they have to do with your feelings, not counting. What makes you feel like you’ve had what you need?
