Not so Fast, I Need a Shot

January 2025 

It’s January so I get to listen and read about everyone’s new diet plans again. I love to learn what people are thinking and doing. Or what the media is pushing.  For a food scientist and someone who knows a bit about nutrition, this is a time for both laughter and learning.  New science emerges yes, but many crazy new diet plans come to the fore. Just out of scientific curiosity, I have tried more than my share. I once ate exclusively cabbage soup for a week straight. Awful!

One thing to always remember is that there is no such thing as a magic bullet.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  A few years back, a group of work colleagues and I did a Vegan Juice diet.  We could eat whatever we wanted from the fruit and vegetable world, it just had to be “Juiced”, meaning liquefied.  Whether it was broccoli, pecans or an apple, it had to be turned into liquid. We bought a juicer and began the experiment, documenting our results like the good scientists we were.

There was a metabolic purpose to juicing, as it made the foods we consumed incredibly easy to digest. The process strips away most of the solid matter, including the seeds and pulp, from whole fruits and vegetables.  The resulting liquid contains most of the naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. But you lost most, if not all, of the macronutrients, including some protein and almost all of the fiber.

Regardless, it turned into calorie deprivation to such an extent that we were all unable to think with any clarity.  I ended up wearing two very different shoes to work one day.  Another person kept forgetting her computer password. Another lost her keys and purse two days in a row.  We each suffered in our own way.  We did it for a week and then quit. I was worried about people getting in accidents.   Yes, we each lost a little weight, but it just wasn’t a program. And there are so many diets that are like that.  Interesting.  Intriguing.  But just not long-term solutions.

Weight management is, simply put, a balancing act.  Much like a bank account, the more you put in the bigger it gets.  The more you take out the smaller.  For banks, we are talking about money.  For diets we are talking about calories. Which inevitably are used to store fat in your bodily bank account if you consume more than you use.

Now truthfully, all calories are created equal in terms of energy, but not in terms of the nutrition that gets carries along with them.  A sugary soft drink may have 140 calories but that is about all you get.  There is very little nutrition except energy.  Provided by 40g or so of sugar in each can. The term for this is “Empty Calories”.  And we drink and eat way too many of them.

A large apple may have the same calories, but generally less than 20g of sugar and a fair amount of nutritional quality.  A half of an avocado brings about the same number of calories but loads of nutritional substance. This fact is what nutritionists like to call “nutrient density”.  We need the calories, but we also need them to have the right other stuff coming in with them.  The human diet has gotten less nutrient dense in the last century.  A major factor in our battle with obesity.

Anyway, that’s all good stuff to know.  But back to this year’s dietary fun. Somebody asked me the other day what I thought about the shots people were taking to lose weight as well as what I thought about intermittent fasting.  I’ll start with some quick background and thoughts on the trend towards using the side effects of diabetic medication as a weight loss regimen. I had to do a little research as I was only minimally informed in this area.

Drug companies Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly produce Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Zepbound. These are the brand names of the most popular drugs in this sector. Although Ozempic is the named often used in error to describe all of these.  Ozempic itself is an FDA-approved medication for treating type 2 diabetes. Its active ingredient is semaglutide, a peptide that acts like the hormone that our body releases in the digestive tract when eating. This hormone signals “fullness” to the brain, delays stomach emptying and lowers blood sugar.  Semaglutide also targets areas of the brain, such as the hypothalamus. This is the area that controls appetite and influences eating decisions.  This may further assist with weight loss.

Zepbound is one of the few of these medications designed for weight loss specifically. Tirzepatide, the active ingredient, is an appetite suppressant. The drug also slows down digestion, so after eating you feel fuller sooner and for longer. These effects help you consume fewer calories. Zepbound is also used as treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. All of these drugs are administered as weekly subcutaneous injections in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm.

Of course, I am suspicious of anything that seems to work miraculously to control weight.  I also don’t love anything that requires an injection, even if it is only weekly. But I have to admit, the science is strong and the data supports a good short term answer for obesity management.  I also have several friends that have been very successful using this as their weight loss tool.  As far as side effects go, there are many, as with all medications. But right now, they are quite minimal for most people. Studies continue while the drugs are becoming more available and exploding in popularity.  I assess their mode of action as being quite simple. They are basically taking the place of self-control.

Now Intermittent Fasting is something I am very familiar with, as it is my preferred method of keeping my weight down.  Fasting has been a normal condition as humans have developed. We evolved as hunter gathers, so feast and famine are the facts of life for that nomadic existence. We are quite able to function without food for extended periods of time.  Nowadays, people commonly fast for religious or spiritual reasons.  A ritual included in most of the world’s main religions, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism.

Intermittent fasting has had quite a buzz for the past few years now.  Essentially, it is an eating pattern that is exactly as titled.  It alternates between periods of fasting and eating. However, the periods of fasting are extended in order to have a metabolic impact.  This practice is currently prevalent in the health and fitness community. It is popular for a variety of reasons, the main one being it does not specify which foods to eat but rather focuses on the timing of meals. Therefore, it is considered a modulation of consumption patterns, rather than a diet.

When you fast, several things happen in your body.  First, human growth hormone levels go up and insulin levels go down. Your body’s cells also initiate cellular repair processes.  Mostly positive things happen, at least in a healthy individual.  Regardless, a lot of nutritionists are highly critical of intermittent fasting diets.  One of the most obvious reasons is that one size does not fit all.  It is very age, health, and gender dependent. It can be a slippery slope for someone with a history of an eating disorder.  Regardless, it is still very popular.

Common methods involve fasting for 16 hours, leaving a window of 8 hours to eat. That is the method I use. Some people do 24-hour fasts twice per week. For me, I can eat or drink whatever I want from Noon until 8pm.  Then I fast from 8pm until noon.  This is easy for me as I do not crave food in the morning.  It is a little more difficult at night, as I have always enjoyed a midnight snack!  Regardless, I have followed it for several years, lost about 20 pounds and continue to slowly lose.  That is, if I have the discipline to stay on track.  Just like most diet plans. 

Many people of all ages have been very successful when using this method.  Some people swear it does everything, from improving heart health to helping with longevity.  But, as I said, intermittent fasting doesn’t make sense for everyone.  Or even for most people. Still, it may be worth a shot for some, because it is very simple.  No real rules, just times when you can eat, and times when you cannot.

Either of these programs, like any diet or weight loss regimen, are most effective when paired with a healthy lifestyle. One focused on a balanced, nutrient-dense diet rich in whole foods like vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats. That is never going to change! Processed foods, sugary beverages and alcohol counteract metabolic improvements. And add empty calories.

Exercise is also critical of course.  And it doesn’t have to be something ridiculously intense.  Movement in general is good. Low impact physical activities like walking work well and tend to be more sustainable than high intensity workout options.  At least for most of us.  Regardless, exercise not only boosts weight loss by burning calories, but it also enhances insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular health. Especially when done right after a meal. It doesn’t hurt to prioritize quality sleep either, as well as adopting stress-reducing practices like meditation or mindfulness. Both play critical roles in hormonal balance and overall health.

Whatever you choose this year, there will be new choices ready for you next year. Remember of course that magic bullet parable. About the one that does not exist! Recalling that, as always, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.  With that, I leave you with my favorite quotes from eminent writer and speaker on food, agriculture, and health, Michael Pollan…

1) “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

2) “Is there any practice less selfish, any labor less alienated, any time less wasted, than preparing something delicious and nourishing for people you love?”

3) “Simply by starting to cook again, you declare your independence from the culture of fast food.”

4) “Food consists not just in piles of chemicals; it also comprises a set of social and ecological relationships, reaching back to the land and outward to other people.”

5) “Food is not just fuel. Food is about family, food is about community, food is about identity. And we nourish all those things when we eat well.”

I don’t see anything in there about taking a shot once a week.  I don’t see anything about long stretches of fasting.  I don’t see anything about juicing or only eating cabbage soup or exclusively protein.  For most healthy individuals, adopt these practices and you find weight management takes care of itself.  Food and eating should be a source of joy, so enjoy it! Cooking is a fun and highly social activity!  Beneficial for both mind and body.  So, find a healthy eating plan that suits your lifestyle for both the short and long term. You deserve it!