Often, when people start asking me nutrition questions, the number one question I get is “so if fad diets are bad, what diet should I follow?”. And while the complete answer to this question is different for everyone, and requires some trial and error, the advice I always give is that the best diet for you is one that leaves you feeling energized and satisfied.
Any diet that makes you feel deprived or sluggish likely won’t last very long, and therefore any “results” you see won’t last either. Research has come to recognize dieting as a main predictor of future weight gain. This is likely due to many factors, but essentially, when someone is restricting their food intake, as seen with most fad diets, their metabolic rate slows in order to compensate for the reduced energy (calories) available. Once this person inevitably returns to normal eating, their metabolic rate may remain suppressed which will lead to weight gain.
On the contrary, adopting a day to day eating pattern that includes both nutritionally dense foods (think traditionally “healthy” foods) along with more energy dense “fun” foods (think snacks and desserts) is both sustainable long-term AND will leave you satisfied and hopefully feeling your best.
My favorite way that I have heard this way of eating described is to eat what you want and also what you need. The American food system has so many extremely appealing foods available to us, that tend to be less nutritionally dense while containing more calories than other foods. Examples of this are Oreos and potato chips (who doesn’t love these snacks?!). By giving yourself permission to eat what you want (ie. Cheetos, ice cream, chicken fingers etc.) while also including what you need in the form of fruits, vegetables, protein, whole grains and fats, you’re able to get the best of both worlds. This way of eating is also known as the 80/20 rule, where 80% of your food is “clean” or “healthy” and 20% is more fun. I personally hate to describe foods as “clean” as that implies other food is “dirty” which I’m not about, but if that works for you, go for it! I’m sure this way of eating is described in a million other ways as well, but when it comes down to it, it is all about balance.
If you think about it, a diet completely based on pizza and snacks and cookies might be enjoyable for a little bit, but likely won’t leave you feeling your best. On the other hand, for many of us a life completely without those things will leave us feeling deprived. Therefore, paying a little more attention to eating both what you want and what you need is probably your best option.
Things I do to make this easy include having a fruit or veggie with every meal, making sure to grocery shop once a week, adding an electrolyte mix or lemon juice to my water to make me want to drink more of it, and making sure I have food prepped or frozen meals ready during busy weeks so that it’s easy to eat at home whenever possible. I also like to make sure my meals all have a source of protein, fiber (fruits and veggies), fat and some sort of starch like potatoes or grains.
My favorite “what I want and what I need” type of meal after a long day of class is probably Banza mac and cheese (tastes the same to me, but with more protein than Annie’s), chicken nuggets, and broccoli or peas either mixed in or on the side. This way I still have my fiber, fat, protein and starch, but it is super easy to make and satisfies my need for comfort foods when I’m feeling busy.
Of course, the exact makeup of this diet will differ for everyone. As a runner, I thrive on a diet that tends to be pretty high in carbs and know that I don’t feel satisfied without a carb source making up a decent percentage of my meals. Others though may be hungry soon after eating carb-heavy meals and will need to increase the percentage of fat they eat instead.
Don’t be afraid to really listen to what your body wants to eat and honor that. Play with what meals look like for you and remember not to take food too seriously! Eating is fun and shouldn’t be a source of stress.
If you’re confused, stressed or just have more questions, contact me to set up a free 15 minute nutrition consultation to see if my coaching is the right fit for you!
