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Surprising weight control diet facts

If you are on a weight control diet you are probably going to be surprised when I tell you that a recent study showed that people who drink diet soda daily are more likely to gain weight, over ten years, than those who drink no soda at all. Is the concept of 'diet' soda – soda with little or no sugar, fat or calories – backfiring. Does diet soda really make you fatter, and could the same be true of other 'diet' products?

At first sight this does appear to be the case. Other studies show that 'lite' products – products with reduced fat and calories – do not correlate with weight loss in the long term. In fact, some studies suggest that they too correlate with gaining weight. It seems crazy. How can this be true?

Well, firstly, we must take into account that these studies are not comparing like with like. They have not take a random group of people and had half of them drink diet soda and the other half none. Instead they have compared people who regularly drink diet soda (and may be choosing it because they know that they have a tendency to gain weight) with people who do not like soda (and perhaps do not particularly like sweet things, so may have less tendency to gain weight). All that is proven, then, is that the diet and 'lite' products do not make people lose weight.

On the other hand, some experts suggest that these products really do ‘backfire’ and cause weight gain in the longer term. Here are the main reasons why –

First, these products may give you a false idea that you are restricting your calories, when you are not. Studies show that if people have diet drinks instead of regular soda or alcoholic beverages, they will often then overcompensate for the calories they have ‘saved’ by eating more food. So over time, they end up consuming more calories.

The same is true for diet and 'lite' snacks. Because they are advertised as low fat or low calorie, we will tend to eat more other food after eating them. It seems that people feel they have 'checked' their weight loss plan for the day just by buying and eating these foods, and can now eat whatever else they want. Of course, this is completely illogical. These foods may be lower in fat and calories than the standard product, but they still have some – and sometimes the calorie difference between 'lite' and standard products is small.

Another reason could be that people often eat more 'diet' foods because they are less satisfying than than the regular version. For example, a diet cookie or chip is usually smaller than the full-calorie product. So, telling ourselves that it's okay because it is a 'diet' product, we just eat more of them to feel satisfied, and end up consuming the same number of calories or even more. Remember too that people who are buying these products are usually on a weight control diet. If your diet is restricted and boring, you may be easily tempted to overindulge on treats that are 'allowed' according to your eating plan.

So, ironically, one good piece of diet and weight loss advice is to avoid 'diet' foods. Of course, there are exceptions – now and then, for example, a 'diet' chocolate bar may get you through a craving without doing any damage. But before you go ahead and buy it, read the packaging carefully and ask yourself whether you might not be happier with a smaller regular chocolate bar that would probably taste better and would have no more calories. Over time, if you make a habit of eating a lot of diet foods, you will not be doing yourself any favors.

That brings us to the next question. What should you be eating to lose weight? One easy rule to follow is to eat food that is as close as possible to its naturally occurring form – food that has been very little processed, if at all.

If you generally eat healthy and varied foods, you might just want to reduce the amount that you eat by 20% to 25%. If you eat at a restaurant, skip or share the entrée, or have the waiter give you half of it to take home. When you eat at home, eat slowly and use smaller plates, to give yourself the illusion of having eaten more. Follow these easy diet tips for your long term weight control diet.