iDiet’s Curated Weight Loss News for April 2017

Here is what caught our attention during the past month. It’s not all rosy news, but we believe it’s best to work from realistic, responsible and science-based foundation. The good news is that iDiet is the answer to most weight loss problems, including these challenges. And we’ve got cats at the end!

More evidence “yo-yo” dieting is bad for you

“Yo-yo” dieting may increase the risk for deadly heart attacks and strokes. A reported study showed yo-yo dieters had a 78 percent higher risk of new onset diabetes, a 117 percent higher risk of heart attack, a 136 percent higher risk of stroke, and a 124 percent higher risk of death. The top 20% of yo-you dieters are the ones that appear to have an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, on top of the higher blood pressure and heart disease.
It’s important to lower your weight into a healthy zone, but the data suggests you should then keep it off. Among typical dieters, roughly 8 in 10 regain their lost weight within a year, so it’s important to choose a program that is sustainable over the long haul by helping you create good long-term food habits.
Choose a weight loss program that is sustainable over the long haul, and safe. Click To Tweet
Reducing calories enough to lose weight can trigger the body to fight back by increasing hunger, slowing metabolism and prioritizing fat storage. It’s important to choose a program (like iDiet) with a nutritional composition that helps preserve your lean muscle over fat, because unless you carefully manage your nutrition during weight loss, the body can have a hard time telling the difference between intentional dieting and unintentional famine. Avoid fad diets and crash diets to preserve your metabolism — stick to responsible, safely-paced programs.
As reported in the New York Times and Washington Post.

Some reasons weight loss becomes harder with age

You can lose weight at any age, but we lose muscle mass each year over 30, and muscle is our body’s furnace, so your calorie needs decrease each year. Decreasing levels of sex hormones (for both men and women) also compound the effect. Exercise that emphasizes muscle strength can help, as can a program like iDiet that includes moderately high protein to help preserve muscle during weight loss.
As reported in the New York Times.

Fat cells are forever

While you can definitely maintain a lower weight, you do not actually lose fat cells during weight loss. The cells shrink, but do not disappear. This may theoretically contribute to the tendency to regain weight after weight loss. It is also yet another reason to be vigilant about rebounds, because weight regain can add even more fat cells and increase the cycle. After weight loss, continue to eat a healthy diet low in added sugar, and avoid starving yourself too — this will help to keep your insulin and hunger levels stable, to help maintain your new lower weight.
As reported in the New York Times.

Confusion continues over weight targets

How much extra weight is too much? It depends on which researcher you ask. Different studies produce different results. It may be a question of study design, with some studies taking weight-related disease and weight fluctuation into account, and others having a simpler, (perhaps flawed) design. But one thing that’s clear: weight-related diseases will shorten your life, and are the top causes of premature death in the USA. So get those annual check-ups and listen to your doctor if s/he suggests you watch your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, or other medical conditions.
As reported by NPR.
Weight-related diseases will shorten your life, and are the top causes of premature death in the USA. Click To Tweet

Can I drink while dieting?

There is also a disturbing lack of consensus regarding alcohol consumption and weight control. But what we do know for sure: alcohol is disinhibiting and will weaken your self-control regarding other food choices. And what we’ve seen at iDiet is that most dieters who add in alcohol see reduced weight loss. Those who do successfully manage a sensible amount of alcohol during weight loss (e.g.: one small glass of wine a night) need to be 100% on-plan in other areas, and generally need to subtract those alcohol calories somewhere else during the day, which can reduce enjoyment overall. At iDiet, we suggest you start your diet with zero alcohol consumption, and only add a sensible amount back in slowly, after you lose your first 10 pounds.
As reported in the New York Times.
Cats do not blame you for reduced food if you put them on a diet. Click To Tweet

Good news: your cat on a diet won’t hate you

Obesity in pets is increasingly common, it does hurt their health, and treats are unnecessary — you don’t need to buy your pet’s love 😉  Luckily, a recent study in The Journal of Veterinary Behavior shows that cats do not blame you for reduced food if you put them on a diet, and in fact seem to appreciate you more when you feed them. So you can lose weight together! As seen in the New York Times.