Food QUALITY, not just QUANTITY, is key to weight loss and maintenance

[Ann2]

A new study, published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that people who cut back on added sugar, refined grains and highly processed foods while concentrating on eating plenty of vegetables and whole foods -- without worrying about counting calories or limiting portion sizes -- lost significant amounts of weight.

This strategy worked for people whether they followed low-fat diets or low-carb diets.

This research supports the notion that diet quality, not quantity, is what helps people lose and maintain their weight most easily in the long run.

I can personally attest to the workability of this conclusion, based on an experiment I’ve been running on myself since August 2017 (6 months ago). At that time, as I ended my third year post-VSG and entered my fourth year post-op -- a year that is renowned for regain by VSG patients -- I resolved to up my daily veggies and fruits from 5 to 8.

In the next few months I lost 3 pounds, while raising my daily calories from 1,750 to 1,850. It was so exciting for me to be able to eat more food that was so nutritious and satisfying while (unexpectedly and unintentionally) losing another 3 pounds.

I know 3 pounds isn’t a lot of weight for those of us who’ve lost 100+ pounds with WLS. However, all 3 of those pounds appeared to come off my mid-section, hips and thighs, where I still carry some of that jiggly stuff that hangs on underneath extra skin that doesn’t go away without plastic surgery. Put another way, my pants now fit better. 😊

Live, do some science on yourself, and learn. 😉

Here’s a link to the JAMA article.

Here’s a link to The New York Times article about the study.

[Stacey03]

Couldn't agree with this more! :-)

[Dutchie]

Thanks Ann2, this is a great article!
I've shared it in the Dutch community.

Where I am yet again flabbergasted with the comments of a dietician regarding cookies: not eating cookies (sweets, candy, sugars) is not something you can do for the rest of your life, so just start eating that right now. WTH??
I'm still not eating that stuff, I have no cravings for those foods (yet).
But I am pretty sure that starting to eat one cookie ("to prevent me going overboard later on in the processs"), will lead to two, four etc.
For me, that is.

[Ann2]

Re cookies and other slider foods ....

I sure as hell wouldn't eat (and didn't eat) cookies or any other highly processed slider foods during the weight loss phases. Happily, avoiding those foods is comparatively easy during weight loss phases, because our ghrelin levels have dropped so much post-op.

In maintenance, some WLS patients can tolerate a small amount of foods that have added sugar. But for other patients, added sugar (and all the slider foods) are powerful triggers they're unable to moderate.

I am lucky in that during maintenance I can eat about 300 calories/day of "treat foods" (my typical daily treats are a couple of biscotti with an afternoon coffee and 5 ounces of wine before dinner). But life is much easier for me if I simply don't buy and bring some foods into my house -- cakes, cookies, muffins, ice cream, chips (arrrghhh!), most crackers, dinner rolls, white breads, candy of any kind.

If someone serves those things to me at a party or if I splurge on some of those foods while eating out, that's one thing. But to have them in the kitchen, sitting on the counter, just inside the cupboards, singing their siren songs ... nope, can't handle that. Wish I were tougher. But I'm not.

Instead, these days I buy and eat many more fresh vegetables and fruits these days than I ever did pre-op. It's so much better tasting, too!

[Dutchie]

Sadly enough, this advice is given to people, who are only weeks out.
The reason behind is: you will never succeed in not eating those things, so when you do, you won't be able to control yourself and go overboard.
So you might as well start now and get used to it, so you may not go overboard later on in the process.

I did try the occasional bite of cake, icecream, chocolate and some typical Dutch treat at New Year: "oliebol".
Lots of fat and sugar and white flour in that last one.
But it was never more than one bite and I didn't like it.
I prefer to eat some sweet fruit instead, so I am not worried (yet).

[AnnieG]

I am a cookie-holic. Therefore, they may not come back in my world. I can do a tiny bite of anything else and be happy with it. Cookies come in a bag or a batch -- you know, a single serving, lol

It's easier when you think of your calories as full of health, or empty of health. I have only had sugar once in 6 months, and that was a bout of diabetic low blood sugar -- had 1/2 of a hard butterscotch and protein.

[KiwiGal]

I find that putting food into my food diary app - which gives me the calories and nutritional value - puts me right off eating anything that might not be good for me that I may be tempted by. Luckily I haven't felt any real cravings for anything and like others I just don't buy the things that I used to. Cookies were my downfall. I love Ann2's comment "But to have them in the kitchen, sitting on the counter, just inside the cupboards, singing their siren songs". If they are not in the kitchen they can't be singing those songs

[Dutchie]

Note to self: put the food into MFP BEFORE it goes into my mouth...

Having said that, I notice that since the operation I am more into this whole food stuff.
I am constantly looking for new recipes and trying new foods is fun now.
Before the operation I was a bit stuck in my eating habits.
I am experimenting more with new things, like substituting grains for pasta, wholeweat or corn couscous, things I've never eaten.
It's fun!

[Christie13]

I totally agree. Yay for healthy foods! My hubby has changed the way he eats and now is eating a ton and way thinner than he was.