What An Expert Says About TikTok's 'Eat What You Want, Add What You Need' Weight Loss Hack
TikTok has become a hub for all sorts of health and wellness trends, and one is the "eat what you want, add what you need" weight loss hack (via TikTok). This new way to lose weight encourages people to eat their favorite foods while also adding healthy ingredients to their meals to make them more balanced. While it may sound too good to be true, many users swear by this method and have achieved impressive weight loss results.
The creator of the trend, Liza Saunders, says in a TikTok video that she's lost 120 pounds with this method. While this might have worked for her, we asked Dr. Amy Lee, Head of Nutrition at Nucific, what she thinks about this weight loss hack.
"The creator of this eating method states that she was trying to use it to address her bingeing, and she ended up losing significant weight," Dr. Lee says. "It is about relationship and understanding what you are putting in your body, every time you are encountering food and/or drinks." Since we eat several times a day, she says, we may as well work on developing a healthy relationship with our food.
The drawbacks and benefits of 'eat what you want, add what you need'
Dr. Lee explains that one drawback of this weight loss hack is that its success relies on understanding what nutrients are best for your body and will help you achieve your desired results. "Maybe someone thinks that ketchup is counted as a vegetable and [they] inadvertently end up with more empty calories," Dr. Lee says. She also stresses the importance of portion control for the foods that you crave. "You may end up eating too much of what you want and only a little of what you need, which can result in caloric stacking."
That said, according to Dr. Lee, the "eat what you want, add what you need" trend has some merit. "I think that a benefit is requiring people to truly understand what wants versus needs are when it comes to food, and being able to adapt and change their diet naturally without restricting themselves," she says. She adds that many people lack an understanding of nutrition science, and this weight loss trick encourages people to become more aware of what they're putting in their bodies. "It could result in you asking more questions about what you are really eating or drinking, and can end up creating a healthier relationship with food in the long run."