Is obesity really about overeating? Gary Taubes author of Good Calories, Bad Calories, dives deep into causes and myths of obesity. A very interesting speech goes for an hour and 17 minutes. I encourage you to watch the whole thing, but to sum up; Fat is mobilized when insulin decreases. Carbohydrates drive insulin which drives fat. Carbohydrates make us fat.
Protein the building block of life is critical for lean tissue production among other important body functions.
My goal is to consume 1-1.5 grams of protein per lb. of body weight daily. This can get pretty caloric intensive in itself when calorie counting, but when protein consumption is the goal appetite is satiated and empty calories will be an afterthought. If you go over on your caloric intake goal for the day, but achieve this optimum amount of protein for muscle production level, you win. Remember, protein is thermogenic in itself and increases lean muscle mass, which elevates your resting metabolic rate. For every pound of increased lean muscle you will burn an extra 60 calories per day.
Low carbohydrates diets work. These diets are successful in reducing body fat not because of calorie restriction, but because your insulin production is being used to promote muscle growth instead of metabolizing carbohydrates. The mystery behind why low carbohydrate diets work without calorie restriction is due to the hormone levels it promotes in your body. I am a fan, but have a hard time saying no to delicious carbohydrates. What has been working for me is a more hybrid approach. One where my daily goal is to increase protein intake, but keeping track of my calories allows me to indulge in some biscuits and pasta every once in a while. To wrap it up, eat more meat than other stuff, it what your body wants.
With the help of calorie tracking and expenditure web-based software Graphite online I have broken into the 240′s. Down from 285 lbs. in December of ’08 I am dropping pounds and entering into new territory. My physical training has remained consistant, but keeping track of what I consume has been the game changer. I have developed better habits and am more conscience of what I put down the hatch.
Keys to success:
-reduced calories (recording daily what I eat)
-increased protein
-consistent strength and conditioning training
The digestion process requires calories, as do other functioning body systems. The digestion of food accounts for 10% of your body’s metabolic rate. So which foods enhance the process and help raise your resting metabolic rate the most? Protein has a natural thermogenic effect in that 30% of all protein consumed is used up in the digestive process. Vegetables also create this effect to a lesser degree.
Spicy peppers and chili powder contain Capsaicin which is a naturally occuring stimulant that raises your body’s temperature and helps you burn more calories, and is what packs the “heat” in spicy foods.
Stimulants and thermogenic supplements are controversial and sometimes get a bad rap. For those who prefer a more “natural” alternative tea and coffee contain caffeine for a boost. Green tea, cinnamon, parsley, ginger, and garlic also provide additional health benefits and aid in digestion.
As a general rule, its always a good idea to eat food that is the way God made it, and has less human intervention. The fewer hands and processes that have touched your food the fewer calories and additives it will hav,e and the better it will be for your body.
Weigh in was 254 lbs. today, down from 284 in December. No time to celebrate, it’s a work day. “There’ll be time for counting when the dealing’s done”, and the dealing has only begun. Momentum is building and you got to get it while you can. Time to keep my head down, and keep going.
This is no April fool’s joke- since December I have lost over 25 lbs. Today I broke into the 250′s, a place I haven’t been in over 5 years. The goal I set December 11th was to get down to 265 by mid March. Mission accomplished a few weeks ago, and now it is time to set the next mark. I am going to put 245 lbs. on the board. The strategy will remain the same.
As I have mentioned before my exercise patterns have not changed much, if at all. I have to continue to give credit to Graphite online, as it has become part of my day to login and simply input my meals and exercise. Is is currently in beta and I’ll let you know when it’s available to the public. Anyway, inputting my meals and exercise has led to better choices in food selection, and I’ve been more conscious about calorie content of the foods I do choose. More protein is always a good idea, and the goal remains to get 1 gram per lb. of body weight.
Remember to keep the scale in its proper perspective. The end game is not a number on the scale, but rather ideal body composition. We want to decrease body fat and increase lean muscle mass.
See you at 245…
December 10, 2008 I was tipping the scales at 284 lbs. and on March 17, 2009 I clocked in at a svelte 262 lbs. I got here without a specific diet and my exercise routine changed very little. Two things I believe have lead to my success are tracking my caloric expenditure and consumption on the web-based Graphite application, an easy to use database for recording and monitoring what I eat and how many calories I burn. If it sounds like a pain or that it takes a lot of time, it doesn’t. I spend about 3 – 5 minutes a day on the application. Seeing the results and daily progress right in front of me has been motivating and addictive. It’s not work, it’s just what I do now.
Secondly, because I am keeping track of what I eat I make better choices in what I eat. I have been eating more protein with the goal of eating 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Eating more protein, mostly from shakes, helps add lean muscle mass and increase resting metabolic rate. The goal is increased lean muscle mass and decreased bodyfat, and not weight loss. The scale can mislead especially when strength training and trading good for bad pounds. The mirror, the fit of your jeans, friends, the scale, and how you feel are all progress trackers and should be considered in balance.
Here a few tips to speeding it up no matter what your age:
Try these tips to speed up your metabolism. Sound like too much? Try two new tips per week until you have added all of them. You will like the results.
Okay, I’m pretty jazzed at this point and was happy with the weigh in. However, I realized today that I need to check myself a little. My focus has shifted to concentrating on pounds lost, and even though that needs to happen for me and is a bi-product of proper diet and exercise, I need to keep my priorities in line and not obsess about the weigh in. If I keep my focus off-base and not do things correctly I will be losing more lean muscle mass than fat.
One of my favorite features on the Graphite application is the nutrition breakdown of the input foods. I can see that this last week I overdid it a little, and need to eat more protein and possibly sacrifice not cutting so many calories. I may get down in the 250’s but if it’s soft that’s no good. Two pounds a week is about the maximum amount of fat weight to lose- anything more and you’re losing water and lean muscle. Patience and balance- slow down big boy.
With 5 weeks under my belt tracking my calories consumed and burned, I will have my weekly weigh-in tomorrow. According to my recorded data I’m at a 10,000 calorie deficit for this week. And with 3,500 calories equaling 1 pound lost, I should be alm0st 3 lbs. down this week. As I gain momentum I start to challenge myself more and more. I find myself trying to outdo the day before, within reason of course, and keep in mind I’m still eating well over 2,000 calories a day. We’ll see if I have been close on inputting my meals, and if I do weigh in at 273. Stay tuned.