Fewer calories, healthy food best weight-loss plan
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss-and-calories/MY01903
- With Mayo Clinic preventive medicine specialist
Donald Hensrud, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Donald Hensrud, M.D.
Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.
Dr. Donald D. Hensrud is chair of the Division of Preventive, Occupational and Aerospace Medicine with a joint appointment in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic. He is an associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Dr. Hensrud directed the Executive Health Program at Mayo Clinic for more than 10 years.
He received his B.S. from the University of North Dakota, M.D. from the University of Hawaii, M.P.H. from the University of Minnesota and M.S. in nutrition sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed residency training in internal medicine and fellowship training in preventive medicine at Mayo Clinic and completed a clinical nutrition fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Dr. Hensrud is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Preventive Medicine and the American Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists, of which he is a past president.
His career interests have combined nutrition, weight management, and prevention. He is the author of many scientific articles and book chapters and was editor of Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody; The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook, which won a 2005 James Beard Foundation award; The Mayo Clinic Plan: 10 Essential Steps to a Better Body & Healthier Life; and The Mayo Clinic Diet, published in January 2010.
Dr. Hensrud says healthy lifestyle habits in diet and physical activity are extremely important as evidenced by a large body of scientific evidence. He also says implementing these lifestyle habits is realistic, sustainable and enjoyable. A primary goal of his work is to help people achieve this.
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Nov. 5, 2011
Fewer calories, healthy food best weight-loss plan
By Donald Hensrud, M.D.
Everyone knows decreasing calorie intake is the key to effective weight loss. However, there are many ways to lower calorie intake, some healthier than others. The total number of calories will determine how much weight you lose. The type of calories you eat will determine how healthy the dietary program is.
Let's use an extreme example. If you eat 1,200 calories per day, you should lose weight. If those calories come only from jelly beans (that's a lot of jelly beans!), it won't be a very healthy way to lose weight. Jelly beans contain calories but very few vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients the body needs.
The Mayo Clinic Diet also recommends 1,200 calories for women under 250 pounds who want to lose weight. In contrast to jelly beans, however, when people follow the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid, they will eat generous amounts of vegetables and fruits, whole grain carbohydrates, lean sources of protein, heart healthy fats, and just a small amount of a sweet, such as jelly beans.
These types of foods contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and many other nutrients and phytonutrients (different types of nutrients found in plants). These types of foods have a tremendous amount of evidence supporting their beneficial effects on health.
There are many different types of diets in existence. To promote effective weight loss, they should lower calorie intake. To promote good health, they should include a variety of healthy food choices.
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