Smart Thinking: Using ZonePerfect® Nutrition Program™ as a Weight Loss Strategy

"The current evidence combined with the need to meet all the nutrient requirements suggests that hypocaloric weight loss diets should be moderate in carbohydrate (35% to 50% of energy), moderate in fat, and protein should contribute 25% to 35% of energy intake" ¹

To summarize; the recommended nutrient profile for weight loss is one high in protein, moderate in carbohydrate and low in fat which describes exactly our ZonePerfect® Nutrition Program™ balanced nutritional profile.

Why does this nutrient profile work?

We believe it has a lot to do with the fact that high protein delivers satiety. Also, moderate amounts of carbohydrate allows you to get the nutritional benefits of good carbohydrate sources such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains but avoids the deprivation experience of low-carbohydrate diets that make it so difficult to stay on them. The low-fat intake is enough to ensure you get the healthy fats and essential fatty acids your body needs, but it keeps the calories under control to help you achieve your weight- loss goal.

Weight loss is a very hot research topic. Many scientists have studied the benefits of following a more balanced nutrient profile such as ZonePerfect® Nutrition Program™. Here are just a few of the research projects that have been published in support of this strategy:

• Dr. Weigle and his colleagues at the University of Washington School of Medicine demonstrated that a group of men who were fed 30% of their total calories everyday from protein had greater satiety and greater weight loss than a similar group of men who were fed a diet that had only 15% of the energy coming from protein. ²
• Dr. Layman and his research team at the U of Illinois reported greater weight loss, greater loss of body fat, and reduced loss of lean muscle mass in the group who was fed a high-protein weight-loss diet for 4 months compared to the control group who was fed a diet lower in protein. ³
• Dr. Farnsworth and his colleagues found that in a group of subjects fed a high protein diet did not result in greater weight loss but did result in better preservation of lean body mass and a greater reduction in triglycerides, a blood fat that is linked with heart disease, compared to the group that was on a diet lower in protein and higher in carbohydrates. ⁴
• Dr. McLaughlin and associates demonstrated that even if the diet was not high in protein, feeding a moderate carbohydrate level has advantages as well. This research team fed two groups of obese subjects either a 40% carbohydrate diet or a 60% carbohydrate diet, with protein at 15% of the total calories. Again they didn't find greater weight loss in the moderate carbohydrate group but they saw greater improvements in metabolic parameters associated with heart disease and diabetes for the same amount of weight loss. ⁵
• Dr. Johnston and co-workers have shown that you can achieve the same level of weight loss using a 40:30:30 nutrient profile instead of using a very low carbohydrate plan without all the side effects of ketosis that result from severe carbohydrate restriction. ⁶
• Joslin Diabetes Center and the Joslin Clinic recommend a diet that provides 40% of total calories from carbohydrate, 30-35% from fat and 20-30% from protein for overweight/obese patients who are at risk for diabetes or who have diabetes. Weight loss for people in these groups is very important for their health yet it can be very difficult for people with diabetes to lose weight. It is reassuring that this world class medical and research organization recommends the nutrient profile that we recommend here. ⁷

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