Newcastle and soup

[Truffle]

I've been attempting the Newcastle diet for 2 weeks now and so far have found it remarkably easy with no great hunger problems. Although in the first week I would have sold my soul for a piece of cheese. What I would like to know is: if the object of the diet was to significantly reduce the calories and lose weight, does it reaaly matter what you eat?

I really don't like the shakes and have already got rid of the lunchtime one and replaced it with miso soup and in the evenings just have a large salad or veg. This means that I only have one shake a day and therefore have been taking a multivitamin pill as well. It also means that by having the miso soup (21 calories, 2.4g carbs per serving) and even with a very large salad or homemade soup I am only eating 600 calories a day rather than the 800.

What concerns me is; Was the diet especially formulated so that having the shakes with veg led to the optimum weight loss or if you stick to 600 calories, is a calorie really a calorie?

 

[sally and james]

The Newcastle Diet, was, as you probably already know, devised by Prof. Roy Taylor at Newcastle University as part of an experiment to mimic the effects of gastric band surgery, for the purposes of an experiment on the effects of internal body fat on insulin production. On a quick skim re-read of Prof Taylor's paper about his work, I can't see any reference as to exactly why a diet with shakes was devised, so can only assume that this choice was made so that the researchers could be certain that (a) a restricted and defined diet was being followed and that (b) the participants were getting a proper range of nutrients. If you are eating a very low calorie diet, it is quite difficult to get a full range of nutrients and this could be a concern, unless you are reasonably knowledgeable about food, or are taking good advice.

There is certainly a lot of varied opinions out there as to whether a calorie really is a calorie and some see the counting of calories as being outdated thinking. However, I don't think there would be much disagreement that on a daily calorie intake of 600 to 800, you will lose weight! Personally, I think these shakes sound disgusting and would far sooner have your home made soups and salads. Just include as much variety as you can into your basic ingredients.

Do also remember that Roy Taylor has pointed out that:

• Any pattern of eating which brings about substantial weight loss over a period of time will be effective. Different approaches suit different individuals best.
•  It is also very important to emphasise that sustainability of weight loss is the most important thing to ensure that diabetes stays away after the initial weight loss. Previous research has shown that steady weight loss over a 5 – 6 month period is more likely to be successful in keeping weight down in the long term. For this reason, I would not recommend a very low calorie diet initially for most people with type 2 diabetes. Very strict diets may be considered for particular purposes, but a steady, patient, sustained approach to restriction of food intake will be best for most people.

In other words, as long as you lose enough weight, and sustain the weight loss, you have a very good chance of improving your health - how you do it is up to you.

Hope this helps,
Sally.

 

[Yorksman]

It is primarily a very very low calorie diet designed to mimick bariatric surgery and was used as part of a study. You don't actually have to do it as quickly as they did. The diet they used, 600 cals from so called 'meals' with an additional 200 cals from snacks was designed to provide balanced nutrition during the 8 weeks. Essentially you are starving yourself and people who are starved in famine situations have problems eating properly again. The food can swell up and choke off shrunken passages. Normally this requires longer than 8 weeks but the Newcastle team were trying to keep it safe.

But, as has been pointed out, the amount of weight loss is the key, not the speed of it.

 

[Daibell]

Don't forget not all calories are the same so it's better to think carbs rather than calories if you have diabetes as this helps both weight and blood sugar reduction

 

[douglas99]

You need to ensure you get the nutrients and vitamins.
The food used was a shake as it was easily digestible, but also the idea of a meal replacement in the optifast plan was to wean the subject off food, break the eating habits, and reintroduce "good" food, afterwards.

So in this context, so long as you don't introduce bad habits, or keep bad foods in, it should still work.

 

[Truffle]

Thanks very much everyone - much as I thought, just nice to have it confirmed! I am sticking mainly to liquids and making sure that any solid food I eat apart from the veg has minimal carbs - i.e. cod or prawns so that I don't deviate too much. Although I only have about 20lbs max to lose I wanted to see if it would help with my blood levels. I am due o be tested at about week six so it will be interesting to see the results.

 

[douglas99]

It's worth making sure you don't go too low on carbs, the Newcastle diet is a calorie controlled diet, not carb counting.
Remember you need glucose as energy for your brain.
Estimates can be up to 120g a day.
It's ok to have a ketogenic diet, and feed the brain that way, but if you aren't eating enough carbs, and then not enough fats, you'll be living off body fat, then converting that into ketones. You still need glucose though, your body will convert amino acids from your bodies protein, unless you make sure you are eating protein.
This is getting more complicated, uses more energy, and is starting to become different to the original Newcastle diet. I'm not saying worse, or better, just be aware you are changing it, and you are really starting to push your body into true starvation mode.

About 25% of the energy for your brain should be/needs to be glucose, it's worth making sure you keep at least that in your diet, and 30g is about 120 calories out of your day, even if you do go ketogenic. Otherwise it's the full 120g.

 

[Truffle]

Thanks Douglas.
I have been having 29g carbs in my Slimfast shake and then probably another 20g in veg etc... I will go back to 2 shakes a day which will push it up to about 78g a day - which is more than I was eating before although I was eating a lot of protein and cheese... lots of cheese - hence the need to shift 20 lbs!