Posted on: Wednesday, September 22, 2004

SHAPE UP
After the diet, eat sensibly

By Charles Stuart Platkin

As predicted, many people are growing tired of low-carb diets because, like all diets, they have a low long-term success rate, offer little variety and — well, I guess people miss the carbs.

But the truth is you can still maintain the weight you lost on your low-carb diet if you follow a few simple rules.

Patience

"Don't freak out. When you start eating healthy carbs, you may gain water weight, because some of the weight you originally lost was water, especially in the intro stages," says Samantha Heller, senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center in New York City.

How long until you adjust? "Give it about three to four weeks," suggests Dawn Jackson of Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Don't go white

One of the biggest mistakes low-carb dieters make is going back to the white stuff. It's very easy to overindulge in "empty-calorie" foods, such as cookies, cakes, white bread, potatoes and pasta. "And white carbs are also convenient — too convenient! — available at every turn: vending machines, the open box in the pantry, side orders in restaurants," says nutritionist Molly Kimball of the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans.

Make sure your starchy carbs come from whole grains. "When you reintroduce carbs, whole grains give a more consistent release of energy, whereas eating foods with refined white flour or sugar may make you hungry sooner," Heller says.

Whole grains are high in fiber, which means you should feel full longer.

Substitute

As you start putting carbs back into your diet, you'll probably need to trim calories from other areas by replacing higher-calorie foods with lower-calorie foods you enjoy. For example, switch from full-fat to light salad dressing, regular to light mayo, or from regular bacon to turkey bacon. Replace high-fat, high-calorie foods with lower-calorie whole grains and vegetables.

'Free food' mentality

Just because you're off your low-carb diet doesn't mean you should eat as much as you want of a food that's whole grain or considered "healthy."

Even fruit can pile on calories — so steer clear of the "free food" mentality.

Be cautious — you might have a tendency to overeat all those foods you denied yourself for so long, and the increase in variety can also lead to overindulgence. Some high-carb foods contain a lot of calories in a very small amount, "so even eating a small portion can add up," says Cynthia Sass, author of "Your Diet Is Driving Me Crazy" (Marlowe & Co., 2004).

Pump up the volume

One of the biggest advantages of your low-carb diet was eating as much protein and fat as you wanted. Well, those days are over, but you can still try to find foods that are low in calories but large in volume.

In fact, Barbara Rolls, a professor of nutrition at Penn State University, wrote an entire book, "The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan," on the topic of eating large volumes of food. All foods have a certain number of calories within a given amount (volume). Some foods, such as desserts, have many calories in just a small portion, while others allow you larger portions for fewer calories.

To feel full and still lose or maintain weight, you'll need to eat foods that "look large" and fill you up but are low in calories by volume, especially those that are high in water and/or fiber, such as soups, vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Don't jump backward

Not every one of your low-carb foods has to go. Many of them are also low in calories, and if you were using them to replace higher-calorie foods you had been eating —don't go backward.

Do fat right

Don't eliminate all fats. Include healthy fats such as nuts, peanut butter, avocado and olive and canola oils, and limit saturated fats, butter, cheese and whole milk. Portion control is still essential, however, since all fats — even the "good ones" — are high in calories.

Stay lean with protein

Protein is still a nutrient that fills you up and keeps you satisfied. In fact, some research has demonstrated that protein can make you feel full longer than other nutrients. Even so, protein contains calories and often carries fat with it. So keep protein in your diet, but make sure it's lean — for example, chicken breast without the skin or nonfat dairy products.

Become active

A low-carb diet can sap you of energy, especially in the beginning. Because carbs boost energy, reducing or eliminating them can make people feel fatigued and less likely to exercise.

There's a good chance that you will have more energy as a result of getting off your low-carb diet. And if you have more energy, you should try to move more.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public-health advocate. Write to info@thedietdetective.com.