With 2023 now in the rearview mirror, many are pledging to improve their health and eating habits for the new year. But with social media and the internet saturated with dieting misinformation, our efforts can easily backfire instead of delivering results, experts tell the Star.
From accidentally cutting out important nutritional sources to overdoing it on so-called "superfoods," there is plenty of room for missteps — which could lead to serious consequences for some.
Here's what we know does work, and some common mistakes Toronto-based nutritionists see people make when dieting.
Stop cutting protein out of your diet
A common error nutrition coach Kyle Byron sees clients making is cutting protein sources from their diets, whether accidentally or on purpose.
While this might seem like an easy way to reduce our calorie intake, proteins are vital to our bodies' recovery after exercise, according to Byron.
Proteins can also lead us to eat less overall. Studies show protein intake upregulates hormones that make us feel full and satisfied, while reducing other hormones that make us feel hungry.
"The first intervention I usually do with someone trying to lose weight, is I get them eating more protein — and they will naturally eat less," Byron explained.
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A recent review also indicates eating more protein can promote weight and fat loss, while maintaining the body's muscle mass — great if you're looking to exercise more on top of your weight-loss plan.
Don't go overboard on "superfoods"
On the flip side, there's a risk in going overboard on one type of food just because it's deemed "healthy." Salmon, olive oil and quinoa are good for you — but not when you eat too much, Byron said. This could cause a nutritional imbalance in your body.
For example, Alia Virjee, a registered dietitian with Tangible Wellness, recalled when a well-meaning client who enjoyed carrots decided to make the root vegetable a central part of their dieting plan.
"Her skin actually turned orange because she just had way too much," Virjee said. "You can say she got a natural tan."
"There's something to be said about balance … All foods fit in a healthy diet. You just have to find the right balance that works for you," she said.
In other words, don't over commit to a specific food that promises fast results — it might be healthy, but only in moderation.
Drastic changes can backfire
While fad diets might help you shed pounds in the short term, in the long run most people return to their original body weight — with a minority gaining more weight than before, experts say.Â
According to Lindsay Hall, a registered dietitian with JM Nutrition, this is largely because such diets often require sudden, extreme changes to one's lifestyle. While you might feel motivated to keep up with these changes for now, they're unlikely to be sustainable in the long-term — especially after the novelty wears off and we encounters plateaus in our weight loss, which could hamstring our motivation, she said.
"I often have clients who are looking to cut back on their sugar intake. Much of the time, they will set a goal for themselves to cut out sugar completely, as opposed to gradually cutting back on their intake of it," Hall said. "Nine times out of 10, this tends to backfire, as it results in going from one extreme to the other."
Physiologically, our bodies also tend to reject drastic change — research suggests if we deviate from a "set point" in our body weight too quickly, our bodies will act to bring us back to our initial weight point, through adjusting our hunger levels, metabolic rates and more.
"The only way to change that set point is with gradual weight loss," Hall explained, "and this is something that most fad diets do not take into account."
Don't believe the hype that all fats and carbs are bad
Similar to cutting proteins out of your diet, it's a bad idea to stop eating whole food groups like the often-derided carbohydrates and fats. These can be vital to our body's functioning, and can result in serious consequences.
Fats are important in helping us create hormones and aid in providing fat-soluble vitamins, according to Byron, and even previously villainized components like saturated and animal fats can be good for us in moderate amounts, he said.
In the same vein, carbohydrates are very important to our diets — and contrary to what some believe, a 2018 review couldn't conclude that a high carb diet increases one's risk of obesity. This is believed to be because there are so many varieties of carbohydrates, from simple sugars to complex starches, which have varying effects.
Sugars are broken down quickly and can cause your blood sugar levels to spike, but you still won't feel full. Meanwhile, complex carbohydrates laden with fibre take time to break down and can contribute to satiety and provide the body with needed nutrients. As a result, those who practice diets that are rich in complex carbohydrates and fats, like the Mediterranean diet, tend to enjoy long-term health benefits.
"Carbohydrates are our main source of fibre," said Stefanie Senior, a Toronto-based registered dietitian. "Having a high-fibre diet can be very, very helpful for weight loss because it helps with appetite control and cravings."
Stop only counting calories
Despite the age-old adage "calories in, calories out," relying on calorie tracking to inform our diets can leave us open to blind spots in our eating habits, Senior said.
Our bodies are each unique and may require many different foods to function. But if you're looking at food purely as a supply of calories, you're missing the nuances of their nutritional value — 500 calories of a well-balanced meal is very different from 500 calories of pure mashed potatoes, for example.
We all need different amounts of calories to function as well, but calorie counting apps or diet plans are often generalized — so the numbers you're trying to follow may not be right for you, Senior said. "As a result, you may be undernourishing. And that can lead to low energy, poor mood, hunger, food cravings," she continued.
Following a strict calorie-counting regime can be dangerous for some if they have a medical condition or certain nutritional needs, Senior said. As a result, she recommends dieters — especially those who have tried and failed with conventional diets — to consult a registered dietitian. These professionals can help tailor a diet around your specific needs, and offer support throughout the weight loss process to make the results stick, she said.
"A lot of people actually feel shameful around having to reach out for help or something," Senior continued — but the most successful tend to have had professional help.
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