Weight Loss Diet Variety Is Not The Spice Of Life

Is variety the spice of a dieter's life? Maybe not. A new dieting concept soon to be released calls for less variety in your daily diet. By eating less variety in one meal, your brain receives the "I'm full" signal from your stomach faster. The result: you eat less at each meal.

The diet has not been released as of today. Out of respect for the authors, I simply want to voice two concerns about it, both of which, I am confident, the authors will address.

For this article, the diet in question will be referred to as the "Less Variety Diet."

From a professional perspective, this sounds good. Research from the past and a few current studies do show that subjects eating meals with less variety, become full faster and eat less. Eating less does translate into weight loss, over time.

And here's the first snag: Over Time.

If the authors mean "over time" to describe two to three weeks, than yes, you'll lose weight. However, your brain is smart. The question left unanswered is, "Does your brain soon compensate for the less colorful meals and switch back to the slower "I'm full" signal?

In my experience, quick changes in body physiology, as proposed by the less variety diet, results in quick counter-changes by the body parts involved. It makes sense to me that the Less Variety Diet will last, and you'll revert back to eating more of the less palatible meals.

This idea of a quick change for a quick counter-change, brings up a second possible snag. Your body doesn't like it when you eat fewer calories.

Regardless of the means to eating fewer calories, your body's response will be to slow down your metabolism. Unless there's more to the Less Variety Diet, like exercise and resistance training, weight lost is weight "regained."

Overall, the Less Variety Diet is scientifically sound, at least in the short run. Questions remain as you follow this new concept into week three, week four, and so on. I'll hold my final verdict for now, but I will look for the authors to "unsnag" the snags in more detail, soon.

To Healthy Living!
Michael A. Smith, MD
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