Spring temperatures rise parallel with the expectations of Southwest Floridians who dream of fitting into that perfect swimsuit after finishing the latest fad diet. As fickle as the weather, fad diets are lacking in solid science and can’t keep the weight loss promises they promote. “One of the most significant reasons that fad diets are ineffective is because they are largely focused on deprivation and fail to tell the whole story about calories and portion control, two important facets of any weight loss program,” says Anthony Memmo, DC, founder of Synergy Nutrition of Naples.

All Calories Are Not Created Equal

“A patient chose to eat three Oreo cookies rather than one avocado because the chart showed that the cookies had fewer calories. I gave her credit for listening and paying attention to balancing calories but her choice wasn’t the right tradeoff. That made me dig a little deeper for an explanation that would help her understand why all calories are not created equal,” says Memmo.

Avocadoes do have more calories than Oreos. The fact that their nutritional benefits are far different means that their calories are not equal.  Although there are additional fats in the avocado that raise its caloric value, they are burned at a slower rate and as a monounsaturated fat they are associated with other health benefits such as increasing the body’s metabolic rate, which can aid in weight loss as well as the reduction in LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase in HDL (good cholesterol).

“While comparing calories to calories may seem logical, in this case a true comparison cannot be made.  This ‘no comparison’ applies to other foods as well, which is why the traditional weight loss model has to be revamped ,” advises Memmo.

Portion Control When Eating Out

According to the U.S. Healthful Food Council, the average American buys a meal or snack from a restaurant 5.8 times per week.  A big mistake in weight loss is over eating, which is easy to do restaurants serve food on big plates. Although it may not look like too much food in comparison to the plate size, it is too much food when compared to what the body needs from one meal.

“Eat only the amount your body needs to function until the next meal. Imagine that you have a cup that is the equivalent of putting two hands together, palms up, in the shape of a bowl. All the food that you need to convert into energy until the next meal will fill the cup. Excess food that causes the cup to overflow, from eating too much, gets converted into fat.  With the exception of some extreme cases, glucose never leaves the body. It is the body’s currency and what is needed to create energy. The body holds stores it for later. To avoid overeating when dining out, divide the meal in half and take the remainder home to eat later,” advises Memmo, who offers customized nutrition programs to suit every individual’s weight goals.

Synergy Nutrition of Naples is located at 13020 Livingston Rd., Ste. 14 in Naples. For appointments call 239-263-3330 or visit NutritionOfNaples.com.