The Single Most Important Factor in Losing Weight Is...

Well now that I have your attention, let’s turn the tables. What do YOU think the single most important factor in losing weight is? Is it restricting your calories? Is it eating a no or low-fat diet? Is it taking appetite suppressants? Is it skipping meals? NO, NO, NO and NO. I believe the single most important factor to losing weight is controlling insulin production and eating foods with a low glycemic index (GI). With diabetes now multi, multi billion dollar disease in America, glycemic index should be a well known term at your dinner table. GI measures how quickly a sugar converts into glucose in the blood once it is eaten. The higher the number, the higher your blood sugar is after a carbohydrate is eaten. The GI of table sugar is 100. All carbohydrates are based around this number. Your goal should therefore be to eat foods low in GI. For example, vegetables have a low GI, while white flour products, such as bread and pasta, have a much higher GI. If you eat too many high GI foods, your body responds by producing higher levels of insulin than it would if you were to eat low GI foods. When insulin levels are high, your body not only converts blood sugar into energy, but also stores extra energy as fat. Thus, when insulin levels are high, you store more fat; when insulin levels are low, you burn fat more efficiently. Also, know that when you consume a high GI food right before bed (such as pretzels), you just greatly reduced your chances of burning fat while you sleep because the body has to burn off that sugar first. Below is a sample of low versus high GI foods.

 LOW GI

Instant Rice: GI = 87

So get to know the GI of foods you’re eating. I put it this way to our patients: Eat TONS of vegetables, a moderate amount of fruit, and an OCCASIONAL starch. For some, occasional might be once or twice per day and others it might be 3x/week. And remember, beans are a low glycemic index carbohydrate due to their fiber content and most Americans don’t consume beans regularly. Combine a can of drained black beans, with a can of tuna (optional) and a small bag of mixed frozen vegetables and sauté with a tablespoon of olive oil and you can feed your family of 4 a quick and easy dinner. Combine this type of diet with weight-training and cardio-vascular training each week, and you have now hit a healthcare home run.

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