Is your nutritionist/dietitian keeping you fat?

Have you noticed how dietary advice has changed dramatically over time?

Older nutritionists who are licensed or go to courses from the government tend to say high carb/low fat is the key. The logic is fats have more calories, therefore the more fat you eat the more calories you eat.

Now, it doesn't matter what research comes out the recommendations largely remain the same. Any deviation from high carb will be treated with suspicion and contempt. You will be told you are wrong. If the diet doesn't work you will be told you failed.

This old brand of nutrition is so rigid it has not changed since it was taught by very much.

Newer, nutritionists tend to be more open minded. They tend to more influenced by current research.

Current research paints a much more diverse set of scenarios that work for different people.

One particular theme is high fat and low carb. This works well because fats tend to be satisfying and a small amount can keep appetite at bay for longer, meaning fewer overall calories are consumed.

Now, who is right the old or the new? I reckon both have their good points. But it depends on the person you are and your body. There are plenty of people who use the high carb/low fat approach and it works for them. There are also people who use the high fat/low car and it works extremely well for them.

If I was confused I would try both, noting how I felt, what my energy levels were, what my appetite was like, how much my weight changed (up or down), how easy it was to maintain the current diet, whether I enjoyed it and whether I could stay on it comfortably. Using a number system where 1 was the lowest and 10 the highest, Then I'd compare each diet for 2-3 months. (That is plenty of time for a trial. Shorter time frames like a week are usually not recommended because the body can still be readjusting especially if the diet is radically different.)

Go with the more effective one with higher scores, rather than going with dogma - then you'll get to know your own body much more intimately.

Then I would make adjustments to keep on improving the diet to make it more manageable and suitable for my lifestyle.

Now, I am not willing to wait for research to back up whatever the view is because life is too short. The only people who wait are the ones who end up doing nothing.