The Shape of Things

(Originally appeared in the July 1, 2004 edition of the Century City News)

The newest villain to invade our psyche (while expanding our waistlines) is the dreaded carb. Naturally, we react in typical fashion by wiping it out altogether, banishing it from breads, snacks, and even beer. Banning it from any public display will undoubtedly render us skinny.

Or so we thought. Here we are, months into the low carb/no carb movement and waistlines are still bulging. It’s time to rethink the calories and rewrite nutritional plans.  Even the USDA is taking a look into how to redesign the classic food pyramid so people have a better understanding of healthy eating.

Rather than practice extreme dieting and eliminating an entire food group, pay attention to the amount of calories consumed each day. Many foods that scream  “low-carb” or “no-carb” contain as many calories as their full-carb cousins. Sometimes even more.’ “The low-carbohydrate claim on a label does not necessarily mean low calorie”, says David Heber, M.D., Heber, director of Center for Human Nutrition at University of California, Los Angeles. “Many of these foods contain sweeteners which may have the same number of calories as regular sugar, and there are ‘low carb’ candy bars available that contain 200 calories”, says Heber. 

Not all carbs are evil; there are the good carbs, think fruits and veggies, and whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat pasta.  Fruits, vegetables and whole grains have fewer calories ‘per bite’ than do more refined carbohydrates such as white rice, cakes and cookies.  Also, in addition to vitamins, mineral and fiber, these healthy carbohydrates contain a wealth of healthy phytonutrients – plant compounds which provide additional health benefits.    

In addition to watching caloric intake, a high-protein diet can help one lose weight. But eating healthy protein is the key. There’s no point in eating a high protein diet if that protein is clogging your arteries at the same time.  Poultry breast, egg whites, fish and shellfish, soy and whey protein powders and nonfat milk are excellent sources of high quality, low fat protein. 

“Because protein plays a key role in controlling hunger, it is the key to weight loss,” says Dr. Heber.  “Increased daily protein intake, along with exercise, builds muscle and lean body mass. The more lean body mass you have, the higher your metabolism and the more calories you’ll burn.”

A study published in Journal of Nutrition reported on the effects of a diet high in protein compared with a high carbohydrate diet.  Those individuals in the high protein group experienced greater improvements in body composition with an increased ratio of fat to muscle loss over those consuming the high carbohydrate diet.  The same study concluded that test subjects eating higher protein diets reported a higher level of satiety.

The challenge is in knowing how to implement these recommendations.  One option is to substitute a protein-rich meal replacement shake for breakfast and/or lunch.

According to experts reporting at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity annual meeting, studies show that people who follow a meal replacement plan not only lose more weight, but also weigh less over time – on average about 33 pounds less over a ten year time span than those who follow a traditional weight loss plan. Dr. Heber also emphasizes the importance of exercise and eating a healthy, balanced meal when using meal replacement shakes instead of breakfast and lunch.

Products such as Herbalife’s new ShapeWorks™ meal replacement shakes use a combination of soy and whey proteins in an overall meal plan which allows individuals to personalize their daily protein intake.  Pre-mixed protein drinks typically don’t contain enough protein to replace a nutritious meal and to keep hunger at bay.   

Dieting is a personal process; food choices need to be made taking  each body’s specific needs into account.  Someone who is active all day requires more protein than a sedentary person because their bodies have more lean muscle mass. Likewise, men typically need to eat more protein than women.  By knowing how much protein your  body needs to in order to lose weight and build muscle, and how many calories the body burns each day, it is possible to reshape your  body in a positive and healthy manner.

Closing note:

Find out how much protein you should be consuming  daily and how many calories you burn at rest with a free “Shapescan” body analysis from Herbalife. .Call 866-61SHAPE to arrange free body analyses at your office, or go to www.shapeworks.com to arrange an individual body analysis with one of our ShapeWorks coaches.