Is Exercise All I Need for Weight Loss?

We know we need to exercise.  Exercise burns calories and fat, it builds muscle which improves metabolism, improves flexibility and mobility, and even strengthens our bones.  You want to be fit?  You definitely need to exercise.  Let’s consider the role both exercise and nutrition play in helping us lose weight, maintain that weight loss, and keep fit, lean, and healthy.

We need about 20 to 35 minutes a day of exercise to prevent weight gain.  25 to 30minutes a day,  or a little bit longer - 30 to 50 minutes - if you only exercise 5 days a week.  You may need to bump up the amount of exercise to lose weight, not just maintain and prevent weight gain, however.  We can look at this from a mathematical point of view: In order to lose a pound a week, you’d have to have a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day.  A 500 calorie deficit a day will mean a lot of exercise if your nutrition isn’t in check and your calorie intake isn’t reduced. 

This is why the phrase “abs are made in the kitchen” is basically true.  A huge percentage of your results come from what you eat.  If your goal is to lose weight and get lean, then you can’t ignore your diet.  (And by diet, I simply mean your normal way of eating, not something you do for a few months to lose weight before returning to your normal eating patterns.) 

Exercise, specifically strength training, will change your body for sure.  But you can’t rely on exercise alone to reach your health and fitness goals.  Exercise is a crucial piece in the puzzle, but it’s not the whole puzzle!

Figuring out what to eat in your effort to be fit, lean, and healthy can be very confusing, though, especially given the number of popular “diets” around.  Should you eat all fat and no carbs?  Only vegetables and no animal products?  Or focus on mainly meat and protein?

The thing is, there are pros and cons to all of the major diets; and furthermore, everybody is unique and different.  Diet is not a one-size-fits-all phenomenon.  This seems crazy, I know. Isn’t it science?  Aren’t there enough studies by now to figure out what diet or eating pattern is best for all people?

But we all have different gut microbiomes.  We all have different lifestyles.  We all have different likes and dislikes.  Some things might feel better in your body and in your digestive system than in mine.

So let’s take a look at a few of the popular diets, the guidelines they follow, and the pros and cons of each.

The Paleo Diet

The Paleo diet, also sometimes referred to as the caveman diet, is a diet focused on meat, produce, nuts, and seeds.  Basically, it focuses on foods that were supposedly only available during the Paleolithic period - foods that would be hunted or gathered. So on the Paleo diet, you eat: meat and fish (what you could hunt and catch); fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds (what you could gather and dig up); as well as animal products you could collect, such as eggs and honey.

The Paleo diet eliminates anything that we would assume wasn’t available during that time period: packaged and processed foods, grains, dairy products, soy and legumes.

So essentially, when you follow the Paleo diet, you focus on lean meat and fish, fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy fats.  You eliminate all processed foods and grains, as well as dairy products.  The Paleo diet usually has a macronutrient makeup of approximately 20-30% carbohydrate, 30-40% protein and 40% fat.

A major premise behind this diet is to take on the diet of our stone age ancestors since they reportedly didn’t have the chronic diseases so common today, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.  Proponents of this diet say that it’s processed food and the byproducts of agriculture that lead to many modern-day diseases.  The idea is that if you eat like our hunter gatherer ancestors, you won’t suffer from these chronic diseases.   

There are a lot of pros to this diet.  It focuses on whole foods, it avoids processed foods, and it promotes cooking meals at home. This diet is naturally high in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, thanks to all the meat, seafood, and fruits and vegetables.  And speaking of fruits and vegetables, with so many included in this diet, the variety of produce is helpful to the microbiome, which in turn benefits our immune system and helps regulate inflammation.

Now for the cons.  Omitting an entire food group, dairy, may be problematic for some.  Without consuming dairy, you need to be sure you are getting enough calcium and vitamin D, two essential nutrients for bone health.  Also, eliminating grains can be difficult for some and can be hard to maintain.  I’d say, as with any “diet,” remember that it’s a way of eating.  It should make up about 85-90% of what you normally eat.  If you want to follow the Paleo diet for health or weight loss reasons and have some toast at a Sunday brunch or wine and cheese during an evening out, Paleo life will go on.

So how about research in regards to the Paleo diet for health and weight loss?  Most studies have been short term trials lasting 3 to 12 weeks. The studies showed that the Paleo diet is effective for weight loss and for reducing waist circumference.  Studies have shown that people following the paleo diet also experienced greater satiety (feelings of fullness) regardless of calories or macronutrients.  So in other words cutting back on calories without hunger was easier.  Studies have also shown that participants were able to lower blood pressure and improve blood lipids.

So to sum things up: The Paleo diet appears to be effective for weight loss and health with definite pros including a focus on fresh fruits, veggies, lean meats and healthy fats while eliminating processed foods. The biggest cons of this include eliminating two entire food groups – grains and dairy, as well as all legumes. 

Here’s a sample 1,300 calorie / day Paleo weight loss meal plan:

Breakfast:

1 tsp olive oil (for cooking)

2 eggs

3.5 c spinach

1 serving nitrate free turkey sausage (approximately 150 calories)

Approximately 350 calories

Lunch:

Unlimited mixed greens

4 oz chicken breast

1 c steamed broccoli or cauliflower

2 tbsp olive oil, avocado oil or avocado oil dressing (such as Primal Dressing)

Approximately 360 calories

Snack:

Apple

2 tsp almond butter

Approximately 140 calories

Dinner:

4 oz grass fed beef tenderloin

4 oz sweet potato

Unlimited mixed greens

2 tbsp olive oil, avocado oil, or avocado oil dressing (such as Primal Dressing)

Approximately 460 calories

Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic (or keto) diet is a very low carbohydrate, high fat diet with a moderate amount of protein. The goal of this diet is to get you into a state of nutritional ketosis, which is measured by the level of ketones in the blood. 

Nutritional ketosis can be achieved by restricting carbohydrate intake to very low levels - usually no more than 50 grams a day depending on the person, or 5-10% of total calories.  Ordinarily, the body breaks down carbohydrates into the sugar glucose, which it uses for energy.  When there aren’t enough carbs into the body, it goes into the state of ketosis.  In the absence of adequate carbohydrates,  the breakdown of fat stores increases, and this results in the formation of the ketone bodies which provide an alternate fuel source to glucose.  It’s this rise in ketone bodies in the blood that put a person into a state of nutritional ketosis.  For most people to begin using stored fat as fuel, they need to limit daily carbohydrate intake to fewer than 20 to 50 grams depending on body size. (For comparison, a medium-sized banana has about 27 grams of carbs.) It typically takes two to four days to reach a state of ketosis (when fat becomes a main source of energy).

So on a keto diet, carbs are kept to less than 50 grams a day and protein to around 1.2-1.5 gram per kilogram (2.2 lbs) of body weight per day to maintain ketosis.  Too much protein needs to be avoided because if you eat more protein than your body needs while trying to achieve ketosis, some of the protein’s amino acids will be turned into glucose via a process called gluconeogenesis. This can prevent your body from going into full-blown ketosis.

The rest of the keto diet is made up of dietary fat, which will make up about 70% of total calories. So for example, here’s what a 1600 calorie day would look like in regards to macronutrients on Keto: Here’s a sample breakdown for someone consuming 1600 calories a day:

•   20 g of carbohydrate (80 total calories from carbs)
•   60 grams of protein (240 total calories from protein)
•   142 g of fat (1,278 calories from fat)

So the majority of calories on the keto diet come from high fat sources, such as butter, ghee, oils, nuts, seeds, avocados, steak, bacon and eggs.  Some of these items contain protein as well as fat.  Other sources of protein are allowed such as fish, seafood and poultry, in moderate amounts, as well as small amounts of carbs from non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, mushrooms, celery, tomatoes, asparagus, and brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

So in a nutshell, the keto diet eliminates the majority of carbs (no more than 50 g/day - that’s not many!). Therefore, most fruit, fruit juices, grains and grain products like bread and cereal, starchy vegetables like potatoes or sweet potatoes, as well as beans and legumes are not on the keto food list. 

An advantage to this diet is that several studies have shown that keto diets result in greater weight and fat loss - without focusing on or restricting calories.  But some of this weight loss is attributed  to fluid losses from depleting internal carbohydrate stores, called glycogen (aka,  losing “water weight”).  For every gram of carbohydrate stored in your liver and muscle, 3 parts water is also stored.  That’s why people often see rapid weight loss in the first week or two of a keto diet.  Also, some people notice a decrease in appetite on a keto diet.  It could be that the state of ketosis itself causes this decrease in appetite,  the satiating effect of the high amounts of fat, or maybe changes in the hunger hormone ghrelin.  

Cons to this diet include the fact that although research shows that keto diets result in weight loss, it also shows that in the long term, the keto diet doesn’t result in hundreds of extra calories being burned in comparison to higher carbohydrate diets with similar protein and calories.   Some of the other cons are that it is extremely restrictive, which makes it really hard to stick to long term.  Remember, we don’t want a 3-month diet, we want a “diet” that’s a lifestyle.  It’s also low in fiber, which may have potentially negative effects on the health of the gut microbiome. The long-term impact of eating high amounts of fat and very little carbohydrate  is unknown. And finally, there have been reports  of women who stick to the keto diet having irregularities in their menstrual cycle.

To sum up, there has been a lot of interesting research surrounding the keto diet.  Some research highly supports this diet, some shows that it is not a great choice.  And for some people, sticking to this diet is easy and takes the guesswork out of what  to eat.  For others, it feels impossible to stick with.  

Here’s a sample 1,300 calorie / day Keto weight loss meal plan:

Breakfast:

2 tsp olive oil (for cooking)

2 eggs

½ avocado

Approximately 320 calories

Lunch:

Unlimited mixed greens

4 oz chicken breast

1 c steamed broccoli or cauliflower

2 tbsp olive oil, avocado oil or avocado oil dressing (such as Primal Dressing)

Approximately 360 calories

Snack:

1 oz cheddar

1 oz slice turkey

2 tsp mayonaise (preferably avocado oil mayonaise)

1 romaine lettuce leaf for wrapping

Approximately 215 calories

Dinner:

4 oz salmon

1 tbsp butter or  ghee (to cook the salmon)

15 asparagus spears

Mixed greens

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Approximately 450 calories

Vegetarian / Vegan / Plant-Based

Many people have begun switching to a vegetarian or plant-based diet for health benefits and weight loss.  A well-constructed and healthy plant-based diet can help you lose weight and improve health if you make good food choices and reduce the number of calories you normally eat.  After all, muffins, bagels, chips and cookies are technically vegetarian foods — but they aren’t ones that will improve your health or help you shed pounds.  A healthy vegetarian eating plan has to include a variety of nutrients and  adequate protein to make up for meat options you are cutting out. A vegetarian diet, like any other, may help you lose weight, but it can also result in weight gain if you take in more calories than you burn off on a regular basis.

The big idea behind going plant-based is about eating more plants.  The goal is to have a diet filled with healthy vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, nuts and soy.  Not everyone who goes plant-based cuts meat or animal products completely (although many do).  When it comes to working toward a vegetarian or plant-based diet, there isn't just one way to go about it.  Let’s take a look at some of the common vegetarian diets:

• Flexitarian Diet

This diet doesn’t eliminate animal products completely, but encourages eating mostly plant-based foods.

• Vegetarian Diet

A vegetarian diet cuts out all meat, poultry, and fish, but still includes eggs and dairy products.

• Vegan Diet

Vegans abstain from all animal products, which includes all meat, seafood, eggs, dairy products, and even honey.

• Mediterranean Diet

This diet is based on the style of eating found in places like Greece and Italy.  It emphasizes plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and olive oil.  It also includes modest amounts of fish, lean protein, and dairy.  Red meat is included only  sparingly.

There are a lot of health benefits associated with plant based diets.  When approached correctly, weight loss can be a benefit.   But beyond that, a growing body of scientific evidence indicates that wholesome plant based or vegetarian diets offer many advantages compared to diets containing meat and other foods of animal origin. The benefits we see from plant based diets stem from the lower intakes of saturated fat, and cholesterol, as well as higher intakes of dietary fiber, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C and E, carotenoids and other phytochemicals.  Again, to obtain the biggest benefits from  a plant based diet, one must be consuming whole foods - not processed foods.  Think of the benefits as coming not from the removal of animal products, but from the fact that it is composed of vegetables, fruit, grains, legumes, and other whole-food sources.  

There can be some cons associated with going completely plant based.  To begin with, it takes a fair amount of planning to put together a plant based diet that includes enough protein and other nutrients lacking when you remove meat and animal  products.  Many people assume they are getting enough protein on a plant based diet without a problem, but that isn’t necessarily true.  (And best to stick with whole-food plant based sources of protein such as lentils, beans, chickpeas, nuts, seeds, soy  products, and whole grains rather than meat alternatives, which can be highly processed.)  There can also be some common nutritional deficiencies when following a vegan or vegetarian diet.  The most common deficiencies would be in Vitamin B12,  Vitamin D, Calcium, Omega 3 fatty acids,  Zinc, and Iron.

Here’s a sample 1,300 calorie / day Vegetarian or Plant-Based weight loss meal plan:

Breakfast:

½  c. uncooked oatmeal 

⅔ c. unsweetened almond milk (for cooking oats)

1 tbsp almond butter, stirred into oats

½ c berries for topping

Approximately 310 calories

Lunch:

Veggie  Wrap:

1 whole wheat tortilla

2 tbsp hummus

¼ avocado, mashed

1 cup sliced veggies, such as cucumber or bell pepper

1 small pear

Approximately 370 calories

Snack:

½ c almond milk or coconut milk yogurt

½ c  sliced strawberries

1  tbsp hemp hearts

Approximately 215 calories

Dinner:

4 tofu

½ c cooked brown rice

1 tbsp coconut aminos (for seasoning)

½ c  sliced  bell pepper

½ c sliced carrots

½ c snow peas

2 tsp olive oil (for cooking)

Unlimited  Mixed greens

1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or or avocado oil dressing (such as Primal Dressing)

Approximately 470 calories

So what diet is best for you?

Guess what, the research shows that THEY ALL WORK.  They all have the ability to lead to weight loss because weight loss is accomplished anytime you reduce your caloric intake for a sustained period of time.  What you need to  do  is choose a diet that you can sustain.  You need to choose a diet that seems most logical and doable for you. You may even need to  try  out a diet for a while and see how it feels on your body.  For example, a diet heavy in legumes, beans, and grains might not feel good to your stomach and gut.  Or maybe you notice  a sensitivity to certain foods such as dairy or wheat.  Diets are not one size fits all.  Whatever you choose, look for whole foods, and if weight loss is your goal, make sure you are putting yourself into a calorie deficit.  Our diet is a way of life.  Adherence, enjoyment, as well  as good decisions based on science (not cravings) should guide your decision in which diet to follow.