Not all kilojoules are equal!
I was taught during my undergraduate degree that we can maintain our weight by following the kilojoule in vs kilojoule out rule of thumb. If you want to lose weight then eat less and exercise more- right? No this is definitely not always the case.
Us humans are incredibly complex and a simple rule like that does not take into consideration age, hormones, or how our body actually metabolises food.
I recommend that you watch ‘that sugar film’ which follows fellow Aussie Damon Gameau during a dramatic dietary change. Damon had consumed a healthy diet with minimal processed carbohydrate and virtually no refined sugar for 3 years prior to his experiment. He then embarked on a high carbohydrate, low fat diet- one which seems perfectly healthy for the general population. For 60 days, he maintained the same level of exercise ate no chocolate, ice cream, soft drink or confectionery. He did however manage to consume 40 teaspoons of sugar a day. The 40 teaspoons a day were ‘hidden sugars’ found in foods like low fat yoghurt, cereals, muesli bars, juices, sports drinks and sauces, mustards and other condiments. He employed doctors to measure biochemical changes and of course body composition changes were measured as well. Basically, Damon followed a low fat, high carbohydrate diet. Just briefly (and again you should watch it), It dramatically records the demise of his general well-being and on the same or fewer kilojoules than he was previously consuming. Damon started to dramatically gain body fat, especially on his abdomen which, as we know is the most dangerous for our health.
It is only now that we realise that weight loss is not just a matter of energy in versus energy out- and we are seeing more evidence that low fat, high carbohydrate eating is not the way to go either. The biochemical processes that the body goes through when digesting 2000kj of sugary muffin compared to 2000kj of sweet potato are completely different. When you consume sugary muffin, the glucose spikes your blood sugar, which stimulates insulin secretion, and subsequently signals to your body to store body fat. Inflammation is triggered, triglycerides are raised (essentially fat in your blood), and leptin, one of the hormones involved in appetite regulation, is blocked. Leptin is responsible for signalling to your brain that you’re satisfied, and if the brain doesn’t receive this message, you are likely to continue eating. Many people who follow low fat, high carbohydrate diets experience the 'full after it's too late' scenario. Only when their stomach is bulging, and they need to unbuckle their belt, do they realise they ate too much.
However, if you were to consume the same amount of sweet potato – a high fibre option, it will have an effect on your blood glucose, but will not trigger the same biochemical reaction at all. You would feel full quicker and leptin would kick in and let you know you’ve had enough and you would experience the feeling of being full… and incredibly nourished. Many high fat foods are powerhouses of nutrition. For example, an avocado. An avo is full of healthy and satiating fat, full of nutrients such as folate, vitamin C, Potassium, vitamin E and many more. They are full of heart healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, and fibre. Yet they are a high fat, low carbohydrate food.
Nutrition is full of controversy and we are learning now that much of what has been taught in the past is incorrect. It is vital that we question what dietary recommendations advise and look at the most recent research ourselves.
Some additional advice is to consume more ‘real foods’, avoid processed and packaged food and focus on your health rather than your weight. Also focus on the nutrient density of the food, the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, as these are essential to our health and well-being. An avocado doesn’t come with a nutritional label, so when you move towards consuming more plant foods you naturally stop counting calories. You will feel better when you put real nutritious foods in your body, and with that the weight loss will follow.