Why Overweight People Can't Lose Weight on a Balanced Diet

If you are significantly overweight, chances are you have tried every diet on the book. Your doctor, nurse, mother, or friends might tell you that you need a balanced diet to lose weight. So why doesn't a balance diet work for weight loss?

Weight has always been an issue in my life, with the exception of the first 8 years. For whatever reason, my body would put on weight simply by looking at a cookie! And my weight never reached the point of morbid obesity, I know that if I did not continue to remain on a diet of some sort, it would.

The fact that I continue to put on weight no matter how hard I try has puzzed me for years. Why is it that, when I participate in programs like Weight Watchers or South Beach, I can't lose weight? Why must I resort to extreme measures, like taking dangerous diet pills or sheer starvation to drop the pounds. And why is it, even after losing a significant amount of weight, that a healthy, balanced diet for weight loss success just packs it right back on?

As you can imagine, I have done my fair share of research about diets for weight loss, and I have tried the majority of them. The cabbage soup diet, while sustainable for a short period of time, grew old very quickly. The Atkins diet, where you eat nothing but meat, made me feel very sluggish and drained our bank account, not to mention the health risks involved. Weight Watchers gave solid advice, but making it to meetings was not always easy, and even after following the diet to the letter I lost a whopping 5 pounds in 8 months. The use of various diet supplements, such as TrimSpa, Stacker, Dexatrim, etc. may have worked temporarily, but the weight flooded right back into my body very rapidly once I stopped taking them. Some diet pills did not work at all! Others made me feel even hungrier. And finally, trying to follow a balanced diet to lose weight, as advised by various health care officials, did absolutely nothing to regulate my weight!

While watching a recent episode of Dr. Oz, it was discussed that since people are different, diets should be different too. Dr. Oz explained that there are three different (general) body types, and each type needs a different diet. These diets were as follows: low fat, high protein, and low carbohydrates. He discussed why each diet is important and why they work best for each body type. He also stated that these are a general categorization, and some people may need a combination of these approaches, or may have different metabolic rates which require more or less nutrients. I do not have the specific link to that episode, although I am sure one could find it by searching for Dr. Oz and weight loss tips.

This episode served as the catalyst for the coggs in my brain. What if I needed a specialized diet, too? What if the reason I wasn't losing weight was because I didn't tailor a diet to my body, and instead tried to follow the rest of the world? Maybe the reason why I wasn't successful in losing weight with a balanced diet wasn't because of a lack of effort, but because balanced diets were not the best option for me.

Further research and long nights searching online ensued, resulting in the following discovery: balanced diets are great, but only if you want to stay the weight that you already are! I learned that, being overweight means that something in your body is off balance. In the American diet, which is high in fat and low on nutrition, it was stated that the body is so nutrient deprived that it turns on hunger signals. People go and get something to eat, but this food is more of what they don't need, which does not satisfy their deep nutritional needs. The research indicated that these hunger signals are similar to those experienced by a pregnant woman, who feels intense cravings for certain foods for no apparent reason. Our brains are hard-wired, as it were, to drive us to seek food, water, or proper nutrition. When we continue to deprive ourselves of proper nutrition, our bodies get off balance. Our eating habits spiral out of control, and we gain weight.

Provided that someone doesn't have any underlying health conditions to cause weight gain, such as diabetes or thyroid disorder, perhaps this approach would work.

As is the case in any cause and effect situation, in order to regain balance in the body, one must engage in an extreme counter-balance activity. In other words, an overweight person must flood their bodies with wholesome nutrition, and primarily, from non-starchy fresh fruits and vegetables. Trying to lose weight on a balanced diet will not work for some overweight people simply because the balanced diet serves to maintain the body, not reduce it. Balanced diets are intended to maintain balance, not upset it. In other words, if you want to lose weight, you must forego the balanced diet approach and opt for more fresh, non-starchy produce instead!

For me, this approach makes perfect sense. I have always had a big appetite. But now, as I am currently engaging in a weight loss regimen with tons of fresh vegetables, my weight loss efforts are a success. In about three months I have lost a little over 30 pounds, a major accomplishment for me! I have not starved at all, nor have I felt deprived. I do always keep my fridge stocked with things like cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, and other good-for-you vegetables. For fruit, I opt for fresh apples, which tends to be my breakfast. For grains, I eat just a few reduced fat Triscuits, but only if I start to feel deprived or need something right away. Finally, I do eat a couple of bites of whatever is cooked for supper, which gives me a little protein and other nutrients. I find that my uncontrollable (and sometimes ravenging) appetite has begun to subside, and I am able to resist unhealthy food temptations.

As far as what body type I would be, as reported by Dr. Oz, I cannot say. My current diet is considered low carbohydrate and low fat, which I suppose is good considering that diabetes runs in my family. Will I ever return to a balanced diet for weight loss maintenance once I meet my weight loss goals? I doubt it. I am enjoying my veggies way too much!