The problem is more complicated then given credit to. Basically, we don't know. We do have hundreds of diets, but if you go to a doctor and ask the question you're not going to get a nice, uniform and consistent answer.
From what I read and experienced over time there are some conclusions to be drawn:
1. Most diets are short-medium term, and for long term they're inefficient or (if at least one study is to be believed) even detrimental.
2. Excercise does help. The single most efficient thing you can do, with long term results and no side-effects is to build up your muscle mass. Aerob (resistance) exercise helps too, but I'm not sure yet how much.
3. Meta-diets are more efficient. Instead of following a certain diet, make long-term smaller changes to the way you eat. A few things you can try:
- Add more variety. That's btw what all the doctors say: a balanced diet is a healthy diet.
- Switch starting/stopping a meal from external cues to internal cues. Eat when you're hungry, not when you are offered food or the favorite show is on. Stop eating when you're full, not when the plate is empty. If you can, don't do anything when eating, like watching tv or reading. Hurts the above-mentioned internal cues.
- Don't base your diet on willpower. Willpower is a limited commodity, and it's best kept for other things (really, it's cognitive science).
A good way of combining all of the above is to plan what you're going to eat, but not from a diet standpoint but from a gourmand one. Eat only delicious food. Eat whatever you feel like at the moment. Enjoy eating. By that i don't men stuff yourself with the same hamburgers all the time, but cook your own food and actively search new eating places and foods.
Making my own meals helps me. I try to start from scratch as much as possible and avoid fatty meats. Plus, cooking my own food makes it more enjoyable to eat, which means its easier to eat healthily. The inventive aspect is also fun.
From what I read and experienced over time there are some conclusions to be drawn:
1. Most diets are short-medium term, and for long term they're inefficient or (if at least one study is to be believed) even detrimental.
2. Excercise does help. The single most efficient thing you can do, with long term results and no side-effects is to build up your muscle mass. Aerob (resistance) exercise helps too, but I'm not sure yet how much.
3. Meta-diets are more efficient. Instead of following a certain diet, make long-term smaller changes to the way you eat. A few things you can try:
- Add more variety. That's btw what all the doctors say: a balanced diet is a healthy diet.
- Switch starting/stopping a meal from external cues to internal cues. Eat when you're hungry, not when you are offered food or the favorite show is on. Stop eating when you're full, not when the plate is empty. If you can, don't do anything when eating, like watching tv or reading. Hurts the above-mentioned internal cues.
- Don't base your diet on willpower. Willpower is a limited commodity, and it's best kept for other things (really, it's cognitive science).
A good way of combining all of the above is to plan what you're going to eat, but not from a diet standpoint but from a gourmand one. Eat only delicious food. Eat whatever you feel like at the moment. Enjoy eating. By that i don't men stuff yourself with the same hamburgers all the time, but cook your own food and actively search new eating places and foods.