And the best diet for losing weight is ...
The verdict is out and published in the September 2014 issue of Journal American Medical Association.
All diets for losing weight work, at least in the short term.
It doesn't matter whether it's high or low in fat, high or low in carbohydrates, whether it has a catchy name or unusual approach, whether it includes a gimmick like a small plate or blindfold, whether it asks you to quit sugar or carbs, go gluten free or vegan, or whether it is a design-your-own or a commercial approach.
It simply doesn't matter as long as the kilojoules are cut down.
Cutting kilojoules consumed is the only way to shed the kilograms of body fat.
But you and I know that most diets are short-term wonders. Almost faster than the weight came off, it piles back on again often with more added.
And therein lies the problem of diets. If the diet-of-the-day doesn't suit or match your style (food preferences and lifestyle) it is not going to work for you in the long-term.
As a dietitian with more than 35 years experience and a special interest in weight management, I could have predicted this 'big-news revolutionary' finding.
A good plan is flexible and adaptable.
There is no single diet plan that suits all when it comes to weight loss.
I also know from experience that pre-set menu and diet plans don't work in the long-run. We are creatures of habit and familiarity and bounce back towards our usual and familiar fodder. Changing habits around the way you shop, the way you cook, the way you eat and the way you approach food make the difference. Habits don't form overnight. Habits take months and months (make that nearly a year) to bed down.
New recipes may enthuse you in the short-term but if you or the household don't like the offerings or the recipes take too much effort and thought, you'll be back to the familiar in no-time.
If the plan includes foods you don't eat, you'll drop it.
And the reverse holds true as well. If the plan totally excludes foods and drinks you enjoy, you will soon drop it like a hot potato.
It makes obvious sense that the best plan for you is the one that suits you.
A good plan gives you freedom to choose.
Some days you may want more to eat, other days less. Some days may be heavy on fruit and vegetable, other days loaded with rice and pasta. Everyone has some food choices or habits that need tweaking to reach a healthier body. Perhaps your routine with shopping and cooking could be streamlined? Or your snack-graze-meal timing is a little too hard to keep track of but you don't fit into the breakfast-lunch-dinner style?
What matters most is how your week shapes up.
And that's where users of my book 'this=that' have an advantage. They have discovered the weekly chart on page 233 that shows weekly rather than daily targets for food.
'this = that' gives enormous flexibility when you choose the foods you enjoy from the more than 400 life-size photos of food serves.
You will discover the eating style that suits you and keeps your body healthy on the inside and you happy on the outside.