The resolution that is least likely to take off excess weight.

Most of the ideas that are good for encouraging healthful real-food eating in general, are also good for taking off excess weight (or at least for not adding any).

I think there’s one resolution — really a family of resolutions — that is likely to backfire for all but a few people.

It’s this one, in practically all its forms:

“I really should try to eat more X.”

Don’t laugh.  I think this is disturbingly common.  Someone resolves to lose weight.  And that causes them to take a good hard look at their diet.  And suddenly it becomes glaringly obvious that there is a deficiency in something — in “X.”  And so they focus their efforts on getting more X.  And along the way they lose sight of the major problem, which is very likely to be — note I didn’t say certain to be, I said very likely to be  — too much of something, or perhaps everything.  (Possibly including X.)

Apply Occam’s razor.  Excess is likely to be the problem.  Not deficiency.

Just take a look at this hypothesis:

“If you don’t eat enough ________, you’ll gain weight.”

“Weight gain is caused or exacerbated by not eating enough ____________.”

What on earth could you POSSIBLY put into that sentence that would, well, sound reasonable?  (There are a couple of candidates, and we will look at them in a moment.)

Obviously there are cases where one food may be profitably substituted for another.  That’s not what I’m talking about.

I’m talking about when people set out to lose weight and then suddenly get worried about becoming deficient in one particular nutrient or another.  To the point where they are blinded to the big picture, which is that deficiency is necessary to solve obesity.   

You have to get to the point where your body is consuming itself.   That doesn’t happen without some serious deficiency going on.

Let’s look at some of the things people might think they need MORE of….

(1) “I really should try to eat more dairy products”

What are you substituting those dairy products for?  If you are substituting milk for soda, great.  But if you are merely adding dairy products because you think you need the calcium…. a calcium supplement will also do the trick.  So will leafy greens, for far fewer calories.

(2)  “I really should try to eat more protein”

Most Americans get plenty of protein.

[Editing note, many years later.  This might not be true, especially when you consider how many folks—women and girls mostly—are systematically starving themselves.  The average is not too bad, but “most get plenty” might well be overstating it.  Here’s a link to some data.]

 If you think you might not, count up the grams in some of your regular foods and see what you get.  Remember that you do not have to eat “pure” protein foods like eggs or tuna to get enough protein.

My usual breakfast contains one egg.  [Editing note:  in 2025, at age 51, I’m generally trying to get 20-30 grams of protein at breakfast.  That would be, like, 4-5 eggs.]

I was shocked to discover midway through my weight loss that a bran muffin and three ounces of milk would provide me with the same amount of protein as the egg that I thought I “had” to have to get enough protein for breakfast.

Many people would benefit from redistributing their protein more evenly throughout the day.  This is not the same as adding more protein.

(3)  “I really should try to eat more whole grains”

Again, if you are substituting them for refined grains, the answer is yes.  If you are merely adding them, the answer is probably no.

(4) “I really should try to eat more breakfast”

If you are currently eating zero breakfast, then, yes, probably.  Otherwise, likely all you ought to do is redistribute some food to the morning.

In fact the only thing I can think of which will probably truly help is

“I really should eat more vegetables.”

Provided that the “vegetables” in question aren’t potatoes, peas, or corn, and provided that they aren’t soaked in sugary sauce or dressing, it’s hard to see how this could hurt.

(There’s also “I should drink more water,” but hey, that’s “drink” not “eat.”)

In summary, if you think that to lose weight you need to eat MORE of something, I suspect the chances are good that you’re wrong.  I wonder why people (me included) are so often tempted to do exactly the opposite of what will meet their goals?