No flour, no sugar = fewer calories

The key to weight loss is simply to burn more calories than you take in. In the simplest of terms, then, my No Flour, No Sugar Diet works because eliminating flour and added sugar from your diet, without making other changes, reduces the number of calories you consume. I have found, and my patients’ successes have verified, that eliminating flour and sugar from your diet is a simple way to cut calories instantly. Replacing high-calorie breads, for instance, with low-calorie vegetables and legumes will take a big chunk out of your caloric intake without leaving you feeling hungry or unsatisfied. Likewise, by replacing sugar and honey with no-calorie sweeteners, you can feed your sweet tooth while cutting calories.

To see how eliminating flour and sugar from your diet can dramatically reduce the number of calories you consume, let’s compare the caloric content of two breakfasts -- one with flour and sugar and one without. If you normally start your day with a bagel (about 250 calories) spread with a pat of butter (50 calories) and a tablespoon of strawberry jam (50 calories), and coffee with two teaspoons of sugar (30 calories), you’re eating about 380 calories. Simply switching to old-fashioned oatmeal (100 calories) with one cup of skim milk (90 calories), a medium apple (80 calories), and coffee with artificial sweetener (0 calories), will save you 110 calories. You will also have reduced your fat intake from 7.5 grams to 2 grams, increased your fiber from 1 gram to 7 grams, and added 400 milligrams of calcium. And that’s just breakfast.

As the above comparison clearly shows, eliminating flour and sugar from your diet is a simple way to rid your meals of many unnecessary calories. As an added bonus, you may find you’ll automatically reduce the amount of fat you eat. Without bread and jelly, for instance, what fun is high-fat peanut butter? No flour means no cheesy pizza, no pasta in cream sauce, and no buttery cookies. Eliminating sugar means no more fat-laden ice cream or cake with buttercream frosting.

One pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories. In order to lose one pound in a week, you need to consume 500 fewer calories a day or burn 500 more a day -- or in a perfect world, a little of each. If you could make dietary changes such as those mentioned in the breakfast example above, cutting 110 calories from every meal you eat, you’d easily be more than half way there.

Avoid products containing any kind of flour, including wheat, rice, and corn flours, or refined or concentrated sugars (cane sugar, beet sugar, glucose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, molasses, etc.). Whole grains and starchy vegetables, such as wheat berries, barley, brown rice, corn, and potatoes can add bulk to your meals. Satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit and products sweetened with fruit -- as long as they don’t contain added sugar. You can also enjoy sugar-free soda, chewing gum, and even many of the light ice creams now available that are sweetened with Splenda or other artificial sweeteners. Snack on raw vegetables and fresh fruit -- excellent low-calorie sources of important nutrients and fiber.

Cutting the unnecessary, or “empty,” calories of flour-based, sugary foods from your diet is a simple and relatively painless way to move toward your goal. Add an extra half hour of physical activity a day -- a brisk walk, a game of tennis, or a spin on the treadmill -- and you can expect easily to lose a pound a week until you reach your desired weight.

Slow and steady wins the race

While calorie reduction is the key to losing weight, it is important to remember that calories are our bodies’ fuel. They provide the energy we need to perform normal daily activities. While consuming more calories than our bodies require leads to weight gain, it is important -- even while you’re trying to shed unwanted pounds -- to eat enough calories to get the nutrients and energy your body requires to function optimally. That is why diet and health experts generally agree that the most effective diets are those on which you lose no more than one to two pounds per week.

To facilitate fast and dramatic weight loss, many fad diets require you to decrease your caloric intake to levels that are inadequate to insure you’re getting the nutrients you need. Furthermore, weight that is lost quickly is very likely to come back just as fast when you stop starving your body. A slow, steady approach will maintain your health while producing the results you desire -- and you’re more likely to keep the weight off over time. You’ll have a bad week here and there, but don’t be discouraged. It happens to the best of us. Even if you don’t meet your one-pound goal in a given week, stick with the diet and the weight loss will average out over time.

A diet for (just about) everyone

Because my No Flour, No Sugar Diet encourages eating a wide variety of foods from all of the food groups -- including ample amounts of nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains -- it is suitable for just about anyone, no matter what his or her age or activity level. Everyone, from young children to older adults, can benefit from cutting empty calories from highly processed foods out of their diet. People with specific medical conditions -- including diabetes, coronary heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, and so on -- are advised to seek the advice of the medical specialist who is treating them for that condition before making any major changes in their diet or activity level. That said, the No Flour, No Sugar Diet provides guidelines for healthy eating that can be adapted to suit a wide range of special dietary or medical needs.

The average American today consumes 500 more calories per day than in 1970.