How to lose weight “forever” with the crumbs diet

The point is not how to lose weight, since everyone knows very well how to do it: just eat less and move more. But it is precisely on that “enough” that good intentions run aground, almost always concentrated in short periods of sacrifices and then returning to one’s habits, nullifying the results. Instead, “the benefits of every change, including those regarding diet, must be seen as a structured path and not as a temporary sacrifice.”
The nutritional biologist Enrico Veronese he studied the topic in depth, until he identified the correct strategy he discusses in his new book: The crumb diet, Change to lose weight and above all to maintain the results (Mondadori Electa, 168 pages, 20 euros).

Because (almost always) you fail

«Let’s imagine it’s a trip from Turin to Milan», he explains. «Before leaving you need to know how to drive, otherwise even the best route indicated above Google Maps It doesn’t lead anywhere.” In the case of a change in dietary regime, however, first of all “mental training” is necessary. Another crucial point is that the results obtained from a correct diet must be maintained over time. «The real challenge is not just losing weight, but never gaining it back. Restrictive diets can lead to temporary effectsbut they often cause a yo-yo effectwhich frustrates the efforts. This happens when the diet becomes an unsustainable suffering and therefore one returns to old habits – when in the meantime the metabolism has become accustomed to the previous restrictions – with the result of gaining weight again”. If not more. Here’s why «it is essential to avoid thinking that there is a “miracle” solution, such as a hyper-restrictive or exclusive diet. These practices, although sometimes based on correct physiological principles, are simple deprivations that do not address the real causes of the problem”, continues Veronese.

The pleasure principle

And here is the solution: «The diet must not be a regime of deprivation, but a process of compensation: we need to replace bad eating habits with correct ones in a long-term process of change, taking small steps at a time (hence “the crumb diet”, ed.). I developed a nutritional model inspired by behavioral sciences, coming from the Stanford Departmentwhich I adapted to nutrition. And the key point is that every change, to truly be such, must generate a positive emotion. We cannot make choices that, although healthy, we do not like. Egg whites for breakfast, for example, can represent an excellent source of proteins, but if they are unpleasant they will never create a positive bond and therefore we will be induced to look for other satisfactions.”

The host theory

Definitely better to rely on the “guest theory”. «We must treat ourselves with the same attention that we would treat a guest we care about, such as offering him a good meal in a well-lit room, setting the table carefully». For example: «You can choose to eat Greek yogurt straight out of the fridge, without adding anything, and eat it quickly with a spoon, perhaps standing up. And this will generate a feeling of discomfort, cold and acidity. Now, imagine taking the same yogurt and putting it in a glass bowl, adding a spoonful of Truvia – an absolutely natural vegetable sweetener – a little hot coffee and a sprinkling of cocoa: the perception will be completely different. The brain will associate the gesture with something pleasant which produces dopamine, the pleasure hormone, and the behavior will become easier to repeat. The same goes for wholemeal pasta: why choose horrible varieties when there are delicious ones at Eataly? Then I can season it with a spoonful of pesto, a grating of Parmesan, a fresh basil leaf or maybe a little meat sauce. I don’t necessarily have to eat a lot of it, but that pasta becomes a prize, a gratification. It’s the same concept that applies to puppies: when you want them to do something positive you reward them, you don’t punish them.”