The 20/20 diet has two CORE rules:
Eat Less
than 20 Grams of Fat Per Day
Eat More
than 20 Grams of Fiber Per Day
And a Fair Number of Exceptions and Add-Ons:
"Good fats" (Anti-inflammatory fats like omega-3 fatty acids) are "free". You do NOT have to keep track of their fat grams
Sugars that contain fructose should be limited by common sense to small amounts
Probiotics (yogurt) and "prebiotics" (inulin) should be consumed at least once daily
Never skip breakfast
Eat at least 3 meals per day
And a Behavior Modification Rule:
Weight loss is never about NOT eating when hungry. The reverse is in fact true: weight loss is about eating when you are NOT hungry so that you never GET hungry. It's what I call "pre-emptive eating".
THAT IS IT... (except of course that the devil is in the details. I'll have a lot more to say about them in-office)
What About Calories?
They’re covered. When you eat less fat and more fiber you
eat fewer calories automatically. You never have to count calories on this diet
and because you don’t, you won’t end up feeling deprived.
What About Starchy Carbohydrate?
Very high-glycemic index starches should generally be limited but for most people in a practical sense, starchy carbohydrate can be eating. This makes the diet far more liveable.
What About Sugar?
Sugar is different. Table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, agave syrup and honey all contain fructose and large amounts of fructose may cause weight gain.
Why Does Low Fat Work?
Because fat is calorie dense and easy to absorb. Even pure
sugar has less than half the calories of fat. If you don’t eat fat, you can eat
more food and get fewer calories at the same time.
Why Does High Fiber Work?
Same reason. Fiber has ZERO calories per gram and it fills
you up.
What Food is Rich in Fat?
- Many
animal products, especially
- Fatty
meats and lard
- “Whole”
dairy like butter, cream, whole milk, cheese and ice cream
- Oils and
shortening
- Nuts and
seeds (but the good news is that they contain so many "good fats" that they are free)
- Avocados
- Fried
foods
- Fast food
- Snack
foods like chips
What Foods Have Little or No Fat?
- Fruits
(except avocados)
- Vegetables
- Beans and
peas (soybeans are medium-fatty)
- Grains
and most breads
- White
chicken and turkey
- Most fish
What’s the Best Way to Tell How Much Fat is in a Food?
- “Nutrition
Facts” tables found on most food labels are the very best way to know how much
fat is in a food.
- If the
food lacks a label, you can use several approaches:
- Ask: if
you’re in a restaurant, most servers know what’s low fat
- Judge: If
it’s fried, greasy, cheesy, creamy or otherwise ‘heavy’, it has a lot of fat.
If it’s green or baked, if it’s mostly grains or vegetables, it’s probably OK.
- Taste: As
a last resort, use your sense of taste. If the food leaves a coating on your
tongue, tastes ‘oily’ or if it is very creamy of ‘heavy’, you can bet that it
has a lot of fat.
What is Dietary Fiber?
Fiber is plant material that we humans cannot digest and
which therefore has zero dietary calories. Examples of pure fiber include bran
and pectin.
What Food is Rich in Fiber?
- Unrefined
plant products including:
- Whole
grains
- Fruits
- Vegetables
What Foods are Fiber Deficient?
- All
animal products
- “White”
grain products like white flour
- Sugar
Are Fiber Supplements as Good as “Natural” Fibers?
Yes,
ounce per ounce, gram per gram they are, BUT most fiber pills and capsules
contain less than one gram of fiber so it’s generally easier (and cheaper) to
get fiber from foods.
Does Eating Low-Fiber Foods Harm Weight Loss?
No. Not
as long as you get the 20 grams of fiber from something every day.
What is “Soluble Fiber”, Insoluble Fiber, Resistant Starch and Should I care?
- Soluble
fiber dissolves in water. Fruit pectin is an example.
- Insoluble
or “bulk” fiber doesn’t dissolve and bran is a perfect example.
- Some
soluble fibers are “pre-biotic” meaning that they promote the growth of “good
bacteria” in the gut. Bulk fibers lack this ability.
- For
purposes of weight loss, you can ignore the differences between soluble and
bulk fiber.
- “Dietary
Fiber” listed on food labels reflects ALL the fiber found in a food. In other
words, it is bulk fiber PLUS soluble fiber combined.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 20/20 Diet
Question: How fast can I lose on the 20/20 diet?
Answer: 1-2 pounds per week on AVERAGE.
Question: Will I see big water loss at first like people do
on low-carb diets?
Answer: Probably not. The water weight from low-carb diets
occurs because of something called ketosis. This doesn’t occur on low fat
diets.
Question: What happens if I blow it and eat a lot of fat one
day?
Answer: You will probably consume more calories and gain a
few ounces of fat that you otherwise would have lost. That’s all. You won’t
have massive overnight weight gain the way people do if they blow a low-carb
diet like Atkins.
Question: What happens if I don’t eat enough fiber?
Answer: You won’t lose weight as fast and you may feel
hungrier.
Question: How hard is it to get used to the 20/20 diet?
Answer: Most people find it easy, especially compared to low
carb diets. On this diet you can eat like a normal human being.
Question: Are there any side effects to the 20/20 diet?
Answer: You may notice more intestinal gas at first. This is
because of the fiber and it won’t last long (maybe 1-2 weeks). Fiber will also
increase stool volume a bit and it should help keep you regular. Gallbladder
stones are the big risk associated with fat reduction. Please consult the
information I have provided about how to minimize gallstone risk.
Question: What are essential fats and will I get enough?
Answer: Essential fatty acids are fats that our bodies need
and cannot make. We must get enough of these from our diets or we will become
deficient. This CAN be a problem on low fat diets. The best way to prevent
deficiency in essential fats is to take a fish oil supplement.
Question: Do I have to do the 20/20 diet to be on this
program?
Answer: The 20/20 diet is PART of the Holland Clinic medical
weight loss program. No, you are not required to follow the 20/20 diet, but for
reasons outlined later, I believe that this is the best diet for most people.
Still, you may certainly follow a different diet plan if you like but I do ask
that you let me know.
