Meristem: Top Stories

About to skip the evening walk and crack a low-carb T.V. dinner instead? Think twice before you do, says Calgary Health Region dietician Kristyn Hall. The facts behind the fad reveal common misconceptions important to keeping the pounds off and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle.

If your weight loss goal is shedding pounds for good while leading a healthy lifestyle, success depends on a more balanced approach than simply lowering carbohydrates, says Kristyn Hall, a registered dietician with the Calgary Health Region.

Healthy approaches to weight control begin at the supermarket, says Calgary Health Region nutritionist Kristyn Hall. Daily physical activity is also crucial.

Despite the weight loss benefits touted by low carb diets such as Atkins and South Beach, the latest research reaffirms there's still no better way to achieve true long-term weight control and overall health than sticking to a well-balanced diet and daily physical activity, says Hall.

"People are aware of the importance of nutrition and of physical activity, but too often we're still looking for the quick fix. We need to get back to making balanced choices, both in our diets and in our lifestyles."

1. Carbs are the enemy

Many followers of low carb diet plans achieve short-term weight loss success, but this is mainly due to lower calorie intake -- rather than any magic bullet impact of lowering carbs specifically, she says.

"There's really no magic to it. These diets are very restrictive, with limited food choices, and as a result, people on these diets tend to take in fewer calories. Anytime you take in fewer calories than you expend, you're going to lose weight, regardless of whether those lost calories are from proteins, carbohydrates or fat."

2. Weight loss by any means equals better health

There's no disputing the health benefits of maintaining a healthy weight. Obesity is arguably the leading health problem in North America and many experts have fingered a culture of over-consumption as a leading cause. "This overconsumption, combined with under-movement is contributing to our expanding waistlines," says Hall.

But there are ways of losing weight while enhancing overall health, she says. "People overly focused on carbohydrate reduction alone run the risk of becoming deficient in vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, vitamin C, thiamin, folic acid, potassium, magnesium and, of course, fibre, all of which contribute to a healthy diet."

"There's also no substitute for the health benefits of daily physical activity. The low carb trend has focused attention on diet, but we know that physical activity is a tremendously important part of any weight management program and any healthy lifestyle."

Many people look at weight loss as the only goal, which isn't a healthy approach, she says. "Health is much more than weight. When we focus on long-term healthy lifestyle habits, better weight and health will follow."

3. All carbs are the same

Different types of carbohydrates may have different impacts on weight control, says Hall. A good approach for carbohydrate containing foods is to choose more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, rather than solely eating low fat cookies, low fat muffins, sugary drinks or refined grain products.

The key is to move away from the black and white, "all-or-nothing" thinking of low carb versus high carb, to a more balanced approach, she says. "Include high fibre carbohydrates in your diet, along with moderate amounts of protein and healthy fats."

4. Weight loss is a quick fix

Losing weight and maintaining it is not an easy task. "Permanent weight loss is really hard," says Hall. We know that 95 percent of people who lose weight end up eventually gaining all of that weight back -- that's a very dismal statistic."

Most weight loss fails because the approach is not sustainable, she explains. "Weight loss requires permanent changes to your lifestyle - you need to change how you eat and become more active."

A challenge with low carb diets is that they are difficult to maintain over the long-term. "People will lose weight with these low carb diets, but research has shown long term that they don't keep the weight off. This is largely because it's very hard to stick to such a regimented diet for a long time - when you think about it, who wants to eat that way for the rest of their life?"

With low carb diets, many people have the mistaken impression that these diets allow followers to eat as much protein and fat as they'd like. "In fact, these diets are very restrictive, with limited food choices. The more restrictive a diet is, the less likely it is nutritionally balanced or can be maintained over the long term."

Archives

Carb diet myths

1. Carbs are the enemy

2. Weight loss by any means equals better health

3. All carbs are the same

4. Weight loss is a quick fix

Related stories