True long-term weight loss is possible! It’s all about eating the right amount of calories.
There are all sorts of fad diets out there designed and marketed to people for weight loss. Some go to the paleo or ketogenic diets, while others try things such as juice diets and intermittent fasting. The common core of all of these diets is decreased calorie intake, particularly in decreases in the amounts of carbohydrates. We live in a society where there is an overabundance of carbohydrates. Carbs can be found in almost all processed foods, and excess carbohydrates are easily converted into fat by the body. Carbohydrates in and of themselves are not harmful to people. Carbs are a quick source of energy and are used by the body to produce glycogen in muscles, for those on-demand loads.
As a short primer, carbs, proteins, and fats are the three macronutrients, defined as nutrients that provide calories. Carbs are necessary for muscle and fat synthesis inside the body. Ordinarily, the hormone, insulin, promotes the uptake of carbs and proteins by cells, including muscle cells, in the body thereby leading to an anabolic state and muscle synthesis. Ketogenic diets, which are low-carbohydrate, are a catabolic state, the body is placed into a ketotic state (ketosis) where fats, both dietary and stored, are broken down and utilized for energy. Each type of energy is necessary for the body, and that doesn’t change when you’re attempting to lose, maintain or gain weight.
Long-term weight loss requires not short periods of dietary restriction, but improved eating habits throughout the rest of your life. Rapid changes in weight and habits will lead to poor outcomes. And, dietary changes are likely to be maintained if one takes a gradual approach to change, with a clear goal diet at the end. For example, someone ordering a diet coke or water with their pizza instead of regular soda. Another example, is if food aversions are limiting a person’s healthy food choices, introducing one of those foods at a time gradually.
True long-term weight loss requires patience, developing long-term healthy eating habits and choices, and understanding the limits of our bodies.