Diet - "Quantity vs. Quality" - Does it matter?

We were doing some research for the next posting in our nutrition series and came across a blog posting by Jade Teta who is one of the co-authors of The Metabolic Effect Diet book.  He was addressing a question about how it could be possible to lose weight on the Twinkie Diet.  The obvious answer is that the individual, even though he was consuming junk food, ultimately ate fewer calories than his body required.  We certainly hope that none of you have tried the Twinkie Diet, but we know that there are many diets that sound appealing because they promise results...  and some actually deliver if weight loss is the only factor you are considering.  But what about fat loss vs. lean muscle loss?  And does it matter to you if the diet has possible serious side effects? 

Our goal through our nutrition postings is to help educate you so that you can make better food choices that will enhance the fat burn that you are getting by working so hard at your trainings.  The following information from Jade Teta helps illustrate how food choices can impact our hormones and ultimately whether we are successful at fat loss and weight loss.


"At Metabolic Effect we take a much different approach than most and focus on the quality of the food vs. the quantity. In other words, we believe it is far better to eat more of the right things more often. Doing so helps to adjust hunger hormones, balance brain chemistry, decrease cravings, improve energy levels, and optimize hormonal metabolism toward fat loss not just weight loss. In other words, eat more of the right things more often and the quantity of food automatically takes care of itself.

Here is an example of what we are talking about. I am going to give you two meals. Meal 1 is a medium sized bowl of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal (2 cups), 6oz skim milk, 12oz orange juice. This is considered a healthy breakfast by most. Lets compare that with an eight egg white omelet packed with a cup each of spinach, tomato, onion and mushrooms accompanied by 1 cup of blueberries and 12 oz green tea. Which of these meals has more food? 2 cups of cereal is not a big meal. Keep in mind one serving of Kashi is much less than two cups and is laughable when put in a bowl. The average bowl of cereal in the West is probably closer to 4 cups, but we are using 2 cups here. It is obvious the egg white omelet is more food. Now, go count up the calories. Here is how they break down using calorieking.com:

Kashi Cereal Meal:
Calories= 680. Total Carbs= 118.2g. Fiber= 17g. Protein= 27g. Fat= 7g

8 Egg White Omelet Meal:
Calories 341. Total Carbs= 49.4g. Fiber= 9.3g. Protein= 36.1g. Fat= 1.8g

The comparison here should immediately make the point that if you are serious about body change then quality matters. Most people could not even finish the egg white omelet meal……………. meaning the calories actually consumed would be even less. Then the question becomes why are people unable to eat such a meal? And the answer is food quality. How many Twinkies, doughnuts, potato chips or M&Ms could you eat.?  I have been known to go through 8 doughnuts pretty quickly. However, could I eat 8 chicken breasts? Could anyone?
The fact is the macronutrient ratios of these two meals sends very different signals. One says stabilize blood sugar, one says don’t. One says feel full and satisfied, the other does not. One says burn more fat than sugar the other says the reverse. The Protein to carb ratio, the carb to fiber ratio and carb to fat ratio all lead to different outcomes. Eat less of either of these foods than you require from a total calorie standpoint and you will lose weight. Will you lose fat? Yes, but one of these meals will lead to greater fat loss and better maintenance of muscle the other will lead to much more muscle loss."