THE HOME OF CHRISTIAN FINN Home | Home | Contact | My Story | Join Now | RSS Facebook RSS You Tube Twitter

Weird Tips to Lose Your Abdominal Fat

The Glycemic Index And Weight Loss

If you've spent any time looking for information about how to lose weight, chances are you've heard of the glycemic index (GI for short).

Despite its popularity, many people are surprised to learn that eating more carbohydrate-rich foods with a low GI and fewer carbohydrate-rich foods with a high GI — without making any other change to your diet — actually has very little effect on weight loss.

When I first read about the glycemic index in the early 1990's, it seemed to make perfect sense. And, being one of those people who have a tendency to obsess over small details, I invested a lot of time and effort in eliminating foods with a high GI from my diet.

Much of this effort, unfortunately, was a complete waste of time.

It's not that there's anything wrong with following a diet that has a low GI. But if you make the same mistake that a lot of people do, and focus ONLY on the glycemic index, chances are you'll end up feeling frustrated because you're not losing any weight.

I'll explain why in a moment.

Firstly, I want to take a closer look at a study that puts a low GI diet to the test.

Low GI diet

Researchers from the University of Minnesota wanted to find out if lowering the GI of a diet already low in calories would have any further effect on weight loss [1].

They compared the effects of three low-calorie diets, each with a different glycemic load, on 29 obese adults. All of the diets — high GI, low GI or high fat — provided the same number of calories.

For the first 12 weeks, all food was provided to the subjects (the feeding phase). Then, 22 subjects were told to follow the assigned diet for an additional 24 weeks (the free-living phase).

After 12 weeks, all three groups lost weight. However, there was no significant difference in weight loss between the groups.

Subjects on the low GI diet lost, on average, 21.8 pounds (9.9 kilograms), while those on the high GI diet lost 20.5 pounds (9.3 kilograms).

Weight changes between weeks 12 and 36 did not differ among groups. Those on the low GI diet lost an additional 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms), while those on the high GI diet lost 3.5 pounds (1.6 kilograms).

"In summary, lowering the glycemic load and glycemic index of weight reduction diets does not provide any added benefit to energy restriction in promoting weight loss in obese subjects," conclude the researchers.

That's not to say that eating a diet with a low GI won't help with weight loss, because it can. But that's largely because many foods with a low glycemic index (with the exception of high-fat foods like nuts and avocados) also have a lower energy density.

In other words, when you eat fewer refined carbohydrates like cookies, cakes, or sweets and replace them with fruits, vegetables and protein-rich foods, you end up eating fewer calories.

The result is that you lose weight.

In fact, if you follow the dietary guidelines outlined in The Anatomy Of A Balanced Diet and A New Way To A Leaner Body, you'll be eating a low GI diet without having to pay the slightest bit of attention to it.

Although its frequent appearance in newspapers and magazines means that the GI will remain popular, it's my opinion that it adds an unnecessary layer of complication to what is a relatively simple process.

When it comes to losing weight, the secret to success is still to consume fewer calories than you burn.

In fact, once the basics of your diet are in place, I don't think that the source of carbohydrate calories in your diet makes a huge difference as far as weight loss is concerned.

Although the GI can useful in some circumstances, it was never meant to be used in isolation. Peanuts and avocados, for example, have a very low glycemic index. But, they're also high in calories. Eat too many of them, and you'll get fat.

About The Author
Christian FinnChristian 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're stuck in a rut with your current exercise and diet plan... fed up with only losing a pound here and there... or still skinny after months (or even years) of trying to build muscle and gain weight... click here now for instant access to his step-by-step muscle-building and fat-burning workout routines.

Related Articles

References
1. Raatz, S.K., Torkelson, C.J., Redmon, J.B., Reck, K.P., Kwong, C.A., Swanson, J.E., Liu, C., Thomas, W., & Bantle, J.P. (2005). Reduced glycemic index and glycemic load diets do not increase the effects of energy restriction on weight loss and insulin sensitivity in obese men and women. Journal of Nutrition, 135, 2387-2391
2. Sheard, N.F., Clark, N.G., Brand-Miller, J.C., Franz, M.J., Pi-Sunyer, F.X., Mayer-Davis, E., Kulkarni, K., & Geil, P. (2004). Dietary carbohydrate (amount and type) in the prevention and management of diabetes: a statement by the american diabetes association. Diabetes Care, 27, 2266-2271
3. Johnston, C.S., Day, C.S., & Swan, P,D. (2002). Postprandial thermogenesis is increased 100% on a high-protein, low-fat diet versus a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet in healthy, young women. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 21, 55-61


Christian Finn

Who is Christian Finn?
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 and other popular fitness magazines.
Click for instant access to his step-by-step muscle-building and fat-burning workout routines.


3 veggies that fight abdominal fat

What's Hot?
The Best Way to Lose Belly Fat
How to Lose Belly Fat... Fast
The Three Best Ways to Gain Muscle
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle: How to Do It
Creatine Side Effects: Fact or Fiction?

What's New?
The Real Truth About Building Muscle Fast
Coffee as a Pre-Workout Boost: Right or Wrong?
Overtraining Symptoms: Too Much Exercise?
Straight Talk about Insulin and Weight Loss
Burn Belly Fat the "Old School" Way
Tabata Intervals: The Best Way to Burn Fat?


YES! I'm interested

TO: Christian Finn

FROM:

Hello. I would like some more advice on burning fat and building muscle. Please e-mail it to me now.

Follow Christian Finn on Twitter
Add Christian Finn as a friend on Facebook


The Facts About Fitness
14 Hares Run
Mawsley
Northamptonshire
United Kingdom
NN14 1TG

The Facts About Fitness Limited is registered in England and Wales No. 04538088

Home | Articles | Lose Fat | Core Training | Muscle & Fitness | Belly Fat | Get Fit | Nutrition | Supplements | Programs | Nutrition Plans | Terms of Use

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.