In order to properly manage our weight we need to eat proper food (quality) in proper amounts (quantity) at proper time.
Food quantity.
Calorie counting alone works and it works extremely well. It is possible just to eat less and have a great success. Everyone can do it, but it may not last unless it is coordinated with proper food quality. One chapter of this site is dedicated to calorie counting. It is extremely important and it should be a part of any weight loss management plan. Calories are calories. Regardless how good is your food selection, you can overdo on calories and gain weight.
Food quality.
Eat the right food and it might be difficult to overdo on calories. Eat the wrong food and you still can do well with calories, but this time it will take a conscious effort to calculate them and fight your hunger. Losing weight might require some extra effort, your body always motivates you to maintain the steady weight, but this effort might feel seamless while eating the right food, or feel like fighting some serious cravings while enjoying the wrong selections. Most of the discussions and education we will have in our weight loss clinic will concentrate on proper food selection. The amount of food calculations are relatively straightforward. Eating the proper food will result in a healthy appetite, which will subconsciously regulate the amount of food we consume. Expect this topic to be constantly updated and changed as I spent more time researching and exploring this subject. People hate the word “diet”, but it is a proper word to describe food selection.
How do we know if we do it right?
1. Weight yourself daily
2. Measure or weight at least some food to get a proper estimate of quantity
3. Read the labels or find out about nutrients from other references like internet to estimate the calories and quality
P.S.
In order for our clinic services to be covered by OHIP, patients need to be referred by another physician (could be a Family Doctor, a specialist, or any walk in Clinic) and have either a diagnosis of obesity (BMI>30), (here is the link to calculate your BMI) or be overweight with BMI of 27-29 with coexistent medical conditions such as HTN, Sleep Apnea etc. Patients with DM 2 or Hyperlipidemia would particularly benefit from weight management and healthy diet education. We can also do telemedicine consults and assessments, but such services are not currently covered by OHIP.