On Fat Loss and Eating Clean
Recently, a reader e-mailed me for some advice about clean eating
and fat loss.
"I have a history of eating disorders," they wrote. "The
worst of my problems are now five years in the past, and I have
pretty healthy habits these days."
"However, I find that my enthusiasm
for clean eating and working out will last for about a week, before
I get derailed and find myself struck with that manic urge to order
a large pizza for myself!! The past few weeks (I hate to say) I've
obeyed the urge."
"There seems to something about the restriction that triggers
me. I don't know if this is due to my memories of eating chaos
in the past or if there's something happening on a physical level,
like maybe my body is extra sensitive to the slightest hint of
starvation."
"Do you have any advice for me? How do people who've struggled
with eating disorders in the past break free and get results on
a fat loss program?"
Here's what I told them...
Firstly, I should make it clear that I don't have any clinical
experience or training in the area of eating disorders, so what
follows is just "my two cents" based on my own experience
and that of my clients and friends.
For some, "clean eating" can take on an almost religious
importance, where any
deviation is seen as the equivalent of dancing with the dietary devil.
My own view is that clean eating is not necessary or even desirable
for people who want to lose fat. As I see it, having some kind
of "cheat" meal once or twice per week can actually help
with fat loss from both a physiological and psychological point
of view.
The main physiological benefit of a meal that's high in carbohydrate
(such as pizza) is an increase in muscle glycogen (carbohydrate)
levels. This can help to improve performance in the gym, especially
during high-intensity exercise, such as weight training or interval
training.
A high-carbohydrate meal can also help to improve your mood. Meals
high in carbohydrate elevate serotonin levels and leave you feeling
a little calmer and more relaxed [1].
And no research I've seen shows that the source of carbohydrate
in your diet has much of an impact on how fast you lose weight
once the basics of your diet are
in place (calories are set at
an appropriate level, protein intake is adequate to preserve muscle,
and you're getting sufficient amounts of essential fatty acids).
Psychologically, however, a cheat meal can cause some people to
come unstuck. They take an "all or nothing" approach
to diet and exercise, and any kind of unplanned deviation marks
the end of the diet and the start of a junk food "binge" that
can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
I don't think this is all that uncommon. And, in my experience
at least, it's not exclusive to people who suffer or have suffered
from an eating disorder. While I don't think this type of behavior
falls into the category of an eating disorder, you could probably
label it as a form of disordered eating.
I think the solution is to incorporate some kind of planned and
controlled cheat meal into your diet. It's human nature to want
the things we can't have, and if you actually plan to have a pizza
(or whatever you fancy) once or twice a week, I'm guessing that
you'll want it less. This should make it a lot easier to stick
to your diet in the long run.
About the Author
 Christian Finn holds a master's degree in exercise science, is a certified personal trainer and has been featured on BBC TV and radio, as well as in Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Fit Pro, Zest and other popular fitness magazines.
If you want better, faster results from the time you spend in the gym, click here now for instant access to his step-by-step muscle-building and fat-burning workout routines.
Related Articles
Reference
1.
Wurtman, R.J., & Wurtman, J.J. (1995). Brain serotonin, carbohydrate-craving,
obesity and depression. Obesity
Research, 3, 477S-480S
|
| 
