When we lose weight we are happy, at least for a while. The indication on the scale goes down, our clothes fit better, our health improves and our body fat decreases gradually. However, this good mood does not last more than a few weeks.
It is very common to rapidly gain weight after a deprivation diet It is very important to fit your diet plan to your particular situation. It turns out that a different design of our diet (by a trained clinical dietician), can change how we feel.
Carbohydrates vs fats
A study was completed recently in Australia that was designed to measure changes in mood of people who are on diet for over a year. The 106 participants were randomly divided into two groups and each group was given a low calorie diet. Half of the volunteers were on a diet low in carbohydrates and the other half a diet low in fat. The researchers collected data on weight loss, mood, cognition and memory.
After a whole year, there was little difference between the two diets in terms of cognition, memory and weight loss (both groups lost about the same), . There was a difference in mood – the people who followed a diet low in fat were more “happy” than those with diets low in carbohydrates.
Brain and carbohydrates
What does that mean in practice? It maybe that cutting back on fat (instead of carbohydrates) makes us happier. Based on human physiology, the brain likes to use glucose as fuel. Our body is able to produce glucose from body fat, but the literature suggests that by consuming carbohydrates we can improve short-term cognitive function. Moreover, the carbohydrate consumption stimulates the secretion of serotonin, a brain chemical that is essential for good mood.
Dietary fiber and omega-3
It should be stressed however that in a diet low in carbohydrates while we get rid of the extra sugar, we are at the same time eliminating many healthy foods such as many fruits, some vegetables and whole grains. In contrast, low-fat diet limits saturated fats, but with them the key omega-3 and omega-6 fats that our body can not produce.
For people trying to lose weight it is especially important to try and preserve good psychology, especially if we take into account the (usually long) duration of each dietary intervention. Surely the adequacy of complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, unprocessed grains, etc.) will facilitate our work. Besides, it is very difficult to maintain a long term diet low in carbohydrates, mainly because of the “preference” to those as fuel from our body.
Eat bread …
In summary, there is no need to dodge the … bread or pasta to lose weight. They are allies and not enemies. They ensure that we had enough, we will not feel deprived, we would not be so moody and that we can have better perspective (health and body image) for the future.