Maintain your weight: What to eat?

Through a large-scale study which took place in 8 different European countries, scientists tested what kind of diet to have when trying to prevent weight gain after losing weight. 1208 overweight adults were screened, of which 938 adults underwent a low-calorie diet to lose body weight. Of these, 773 adults made it to the "next round" and were randomized to one of five different types of diets:

1) High-protein, high-glycemic index
2) High-protein, low-glycemic index
3) Low-protein, high-glycemic index
4) Low-protein, low-glycemic index
5) Control (the "recommended" food balance of each respective country)

Results showed that option 2 (slightly higher protein, slightly lower glycemic index) helped in maintaining weight loss. Meanwhile, participants in option 3 (low protein, high glycemic index) tended to regain their weight. Maybe this will give you some ideas as to how to balance your nutrition during and after weight loss.

However, it should be noted that less than half the initial sample completed the study, meaning that perhaps the people who remained in the study are different from the ones who dropped out, and are not accurate representation of the real population.


Food for thought: 
It's not just about losing weight - how will you maintain it?


*Low Glycemic foods include: most fruits, wheats, oats, barley, beans, nuts, seeds
*High Protein Foods include: Turkey/Chicken, lean meats, beans, egg whites, yoghurts, nuts, seeds



Source:

1.

Larsen TM, Dalskov S-M, van Baak M, Jebb SA, Papadaki A, Pfeiffer AFH, et al. Diets with high or low protein content and glycemic index for weight-loss maintenance. N. Engl. J. Med. 2010 Nov 25;363(22):2102–13.