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Our diet is our destiny

                Full credit for that statement goes to Dr. William G. Wilkoff in his column of September 10, 2025. Dr. Wilkoff points out quite clearly that “Food — not lack of exercise – fuels obesity.” That was the title of an article on National Public Radio.

                To be sure, exercise does matter. When we cut back drastically on calories it’s important to exercise regularly – meaning a minimum of four times a week, with moderate intensity, for at least one hour. The reason? When we cut back significantly on calories it’s not the fat that the body draws energy from. First, energy comes from glycogen, the carbohydrate stored in the liver and muscles. Next, the body begins to burn protein – almost entirely from muscle – as well as from stored fat. Without exercise, almost half of the pounds lost during a weight-loss regimen come from muscle.

                If you have worked out on a treadmill or stationary bike at your local gym you may have already noticed a distressing fact: roughly one hour on one of these machines burns only about 300 calories – about as many as you will get in two scoops of ice cream.

                The ideal rate of weight loss is about two pounds per week. Losing more than that leads to fatigue, cravings and irritability. Two pounds of fat is equivalent to about 7,200 calories, or about 24 hours (!) on that treadmill!! On the other hand, you can reduce your calorie intake by 7200 calories a week by eliminating a daily dessert (which average 300-500 calories per serving – see below), replacing pasta, rice, or potatoes with a fiber- and nutrient-rich vegetable like broccoli, peas, cauliflower, beans, etc., and limiting your wine intake to only one small glass (four ounces) instead of two five-ounce glasses.

                By losing only two pounds per week even a morbidly obese person (more than 100 pounds over standard weight for height) will be back to normal in two years or less. That will likely reduce high blood pressure, lower the risk of complications of diabetes and certainly improve self-image. 

Lifestyle

Thoughts on desserts

                From what I have observed over the years, most of us have at least one dessert a day, typically with the evening meal. There is no need to give up desserts forever – a highly unrealistic goal – but a few relatively minor changes can significantly lower one’s total weekly caloric intake.

                There are three things to consider: type, size and frequency.

                Outside of the tourist areas, European desserts often consist only of a piece of fruit – not a whole one, mind you – with a small slice of hard cheese. If it is a sugary kind it’s about the size of your thumb, gone in a mouthful, or at most, two. The desserts served in our restaurants average about 500 calories; some of our most popular establishments offer1500 calorie desserts. As an example, a slice of apple pie a la mode has 400-600 calories.

                Don’t go cold turkey on desserts if you are used to having one every day. Do without dessert just one day a week for a month, then two, then three. At the end of three months that’s 1500 calories a week, or two pounds a month. Right on target for a healthier lifestyle!