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Introducing iDip -

A new, flexible diet is promising people seeking to lose weight that by focusing on two main types of food, they can reap the weight loss benefits.

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Introducing iDip -

The Individualized Diet Improvement Program, known as iDip, helped almost half of its participants to shed 13 percent of their body weight in a new study.

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Introducing iDip -

Even more remarkably, those who lost weight with the diet maintained their weight loss—in some cases, up to 26 pounds (12 kilos)—one year later.

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Slashing calories is unsustainable -

The authors of the study said in their findings that reducing calories alone isn't sustainable, as those kinds of diets lack nutrients.

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Slashing calories is unsustainable -

When slashing calories is the strategy, it puts people into a cycle of binging and in turn, more likely to pile on the weight again afterwards.

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Fiber and protein -

The amount of fiber and protein consumed by participants varied depending on their starting body weight and what they hoped to achieve with the program.

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Fiber and protein -

Overall, people ate a diet high in protein-dense lean meats including chicken and turkey, as well as fiber-rich oats, and fresh vegetables. But no food group was completely excluded.

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Why protein -

Protein helps you to feel full. It's a macronutrient, similar to fats and carbohydrates, but the feeling of satiety from eating protein lasts much longer.

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Why fiber -

Fiber is a bulky, essential nutrient. Given its structure, it doesn't get digested by the body and can help you to feel fuller for longer.

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No food group exclusion -

The iDip program differs from traditional low-fat or minimal-carbohydrate plans in that it doesn't eliminate or reduce food groups. Instead, it gives participants the information to make certain food choices.

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No food group exclusion -

Using a tool called the food plot, participants were able to make sure they hit their targeted amount of protein and fiber each day.

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High fiber low calorie -

Diet participants were encouraged to eat foods that contain high amounts of fiber while being low in calories, including oats, apples, beets, and broccoli.

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Low calorie high protein -

The participants were also advised to eat high-protein foods including beans, fish, turkey, and chicken, which are also low in calories.

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Sustainable change -

To help people make changes that are actually sustainable in the long term, iDip's plan differs from other low-calorie meal programs.

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Sustainable change -

If participants had been encouraged to just eat lower calories, they might have had success in the short term but a lot of the time people have trouble maintaining that goal weight once they reach it.

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Sustainable change -

By upping the protein and fiber content of meals alongside being mindful of calorie intake, the diet optimizes eating foods that will keep participants feeling fuller for longer.

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Trial weight loss results -

At the end of the iDip diet trial, 41% of participants had achieved significant weight loss. On average, these participants lost 12.9 percent of their initial body mass on average.

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Trial weight loss results -

To contextualize the results: one year on from the experiment, someone who weighed 200 pounds before taking part was able to keep off the 26 pounds they lost initially by following the diet plan.

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Trial weight loss results -

Unfortunately, not everyone experienced the same level of success with the plan. For some 13% of people, they only managed to lose an average of two pounds.

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Success in the first three months -

Interestingly, participants who experienced success in the first three months of the trial were the most likely to have sustained weight loss one year later.

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Tweaking the plan -

The range of success among participants has shown researchers where they might need to tweak the plan in order to make it successful for more people.

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More people needed -

In order to understand if the diet works on a bigger scale, it's also necessary to hold trials with a much bigger number of participants, as this one was quite small.

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Similarities with other diets -

With its focus on not excluding any food groups in particular, some people have drawn comparisons between iDip and the Mediterranean diet.

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Similarities with other diets -

The Mediterranean diet encourages people to eat more fresh food and lean protein, without demonizing any particular macronutrient group.

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Education and weighing -

How iDip goes a step further than the Mediterranean diet by combining food advice with education and weighing to help keep people on track.

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Flexibility -

The flexibility and personalization offered by the plan are designed to keep people on track after the initial weight loss journey, helping to encourage a new mindset about the best foods to eat to feel fuller for longer.

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Wider benefits of adding more fiber -

Many adults don't get enough fiber in their diet, even though it helps to regulate blood sugar levels, lowers cholesterol levels, and helps to maintain bowel health.

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Healthy gut -

Fiber also feeds good gut bacteria, helping to maintain a healthy gut microbiome, reduce inflammation, and improve digestive health.

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You can't go wrong with fresh foods -

While more research is needed to understand if iDip works on a larger scale, there are many years of research-backed studies linking a fresh, whole-food diet with better health and longevity. Choosing a diet rich in fresh foods and good macronutrients will help to support your body.

Sources: (Daily Mail) (The New York Post)

See also: What happens if you eat salad every day?

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