What really makes us fat (NYTimes.com)
Replies
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You know what I reckon makes us fat?
Food.
Not even the 'wrong kind' of food - just food.
I think our whole society is geared towards making us want food, I think there are too many ads on tv for food, too many billboards advertising food, too many sports events sponsered by food companies. Ad infinitum.
And too many news articles avoiding this issue, instead they focus on 'white noise' and confusing notions. (Because 'big food' absolutely owns us)
This.
People get fat from eating too much food for their respective activity levels. Sit at the desk all day and eat out every meal of course you'll get fat. Carbs aren't the devil, sugar isn't the devil, fat isn't the devil....eating too MUCH of them or anything else and not burning more units of energy than you're ingesting on the regular.....that's the issue. I can honestly say I never ate a doughnut and woke up five pounds heavier the next day. #JUSTSAYIN
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The more we concentrate on hormones and the less on the overly simplistic calories in/out math problem the better off we'll collectively be.
If calories in/out worked as effectively as touted then we'd be able to do it, and we can't.
I always find it interesting that the younger people tend to be down on this idea, presumably because their metabolism has been battered around less and yeh, they can lose weight by cutting the calories a bit, no worries. And hey, look at my ripped profile pic to prove it, check out those 'guns', etc.
Compare that to yer average dieter approaching middle-age just wanting to lose a bit of wobble ... Hormones a bit more of a factor there I'd wager.
But hey, you go your way, you keep trying to exercise off that grub by burning xxxx calories, and keep it up, good luck to ya.
This times a million!
When I lost 40 lbs in my teens and twenties (yup, twice) it was simply as mechanism of eat less, move more. Now, for the love of god at 35 years old, I have lost 5lbs in 5 months, with the eat less move more/eat more/lift more.
Last week, I switched to 100g carbs and I feel better than I have in years.0 -
The more we concentrate on hormones and the less on the overly simplistic calories in/out math problem the better off we'll collectively be.
If calories in/out worked as effectively as touted then we'd be able to do it, and we can't.
I always find it interesting that the younger people tend to be down on this idea, presumably because their metabolism has been battered around less and yeh, they can lose weight by cutting the calories a bit, no worries. And hey, look at my ripped profile pic to prove it, check out those 'guns', etc.
Compare that to yer average dieter approaching middle-age just wanting to lose a bit of wobble ... Hormones a bit more of a factor there I'd wager.
But hey, you go your way, you keep trying to exercise off that grub by burning xxxx calories, and keep it up, good luck to ya.
This times a million!
When I lost 40 lbs in my teens and twenties (yup, twice) it was simply as mechanism of eat less, move more. Now, for the love of god at 35 years old, I have lost 5lbs in 5 months, with the eat less move more/eat more/lift more.
Last week, I switched to 100g carbs and I feel better than I have in years.
Here's the interesting side to the calories in vs calories out/hormones equation:
Unfortunately it's not as simple as calories in vs calories out because calories in vs calories out eFFECTS calories in vs calories out. Here's a quick extreme example:
Person is dieting in a 500 calorie deficit to lose 1 pound a week. "Gee, why don't I crank that to 1,500 calorie deficit and lose 3 pounds a week?!" Not so, because now the person has substantially cut the energy intake they are accustomed to for daily living. That intense hour of weights and cardio goes to **** because of the lack of energy available to work at that level now. On top of that, the person's hormone levels go all out of wack too. Hormones down, chance of overtraining higher, substantially lowered caloric intake creates substantially lowered metabolism, etc."
A great diet comes from a slight caloric deficit and daily intense exercise while keeping the body recovering strongly on a regular basis which will keep cortisol levels down and hormone levels in balance. #MYTWOCENTS 0 -
You know what I reckon makes us fat?
Food.
Not even the 'wrong kind' of food - just food.
I think our whole society is geared towards making us want food, I think there are too many ads on tv for food, too many billboards advertising food, too many sports events sponsered by food companies. Ad infinitum.
And too many news articles avoiding this issue, instead they focus on 'white noise' and confusing notions. (Because 'big food' absolutely owns us)
Absolutely. Too much food.0 -
So you've been living in a fantasy world for years where the bold is true?
Instead of trolling, why not enlighten the masses with your insinuated expertise?0 -
The usual garbage from Taubes
Just because you choose to eat low calorie compared to low carb doesn't make him a quack. There are millions of good studies over the past 30 years that tell us that eating lower carb keeps you healthier and less likely to get the diseases associated with being fat. If it helps people why are you such a hater?
Maybe they're speaking from experience like I am right now. I did Atkins years ago and yes it worked! BUT, only for the short term. Within 6 months I started gaining a little back at a time. Now 7 years later I'm heavier than before I started Atkins. I was exstatic with the quick weight loss but let me tell you, I felt like crap. Not only that, when I did eat carbs, my stomach revolted violently. So thinking logically, a diet that has you limit fruit & carbs (both in the food pyramid), should this be healthy? I agree in keeping the carbs on the lower side but not getting rid of them completely. I'm losing the weight slower now, but it's a steady loss with no gains. Moderation, variety and exercise are the keys to my sucess.0 -
We are not meant to eat carbohydrate. The common misconception is that we need carbs for energy. Once you are low carb for long enough, you begin to burn fats in ketosis instead. It is amazing for your health.0
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bumping for the entertainment value0
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The more we concentrate on hormones and the less on the overly simplistic calories in/out math problem the better off we'll collectively be.
If calories in/out worked as effectively as touted then we'd be able to do it, and we can't.
I always find it interesting that the younger people tend to be down on this idea, presumably because their metabolism has been battered around less and yeh, they can lose weight by cutting the calories a bit, no worries. And hey, look at my ripped profile pic to prove it, check out those 'guns', etc.
Compare that to yer average dieter approaching middle-age just wanting to lose a bit of wobble ... Hormones a bit more of a factor there I'd wager.
But hey, you go your way, you keep trying to exercise off that grub by burning xxxx calories, and keep it up, good luck to ya.
This times a million!
When I lost 40 lbs in my teens and twenties (yup, twice) it was simply as mechanism of eat less, move more. Now, for the love of god at 35 years old, I have lost 5lbs in 5 months, with the eat less move more/eat more/lift more.
Last week, I switched to 100g carbs and I feel better than I have in years.
Of course, as a teenager, your metabolism was higher and you probably moved a lot more during the day. So, there's that to take into account.0 -
Talk to a vegan and they will say the same about meat eating.The usual garbage from Taubes
Just because you choose to eat low calorie compared to low carb doesn't make him a quack. There are millions of good studies over the past 30 years that tell us that eating lower carb keeps you healthier and less likely to get the diseases associated with being fat. If it helps people why are you such a hater?
Point is that thinking of any food/macro nutrient is the reason we're fat is someone really trying to make money.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
You should really open your mind because most everyone can not eat junk food and lose weight due to insulin and other hormone issues.
They are proving this more and more each day and the people need to wake up.
The fake food is not helping any of us and that is why I no longer partake in fake food.
Taubes is against eating fruit. Are you going to argue that fruit is fake food?
No one is advocating eating junk food. The definition of junk food is not carbohydrate.
This statement still doesn't make any sense. Where is the proof that "most everyone can not eat junk food and lose weight due to insulin and other hormone issues?" What do insulin and hormones have to do with it?0 -
Lol, well by your source of "DRs" it's no wonder you believe that carbs are evil...........................For the record, My naturopathic Dr, Chiropractor, and my family Dr all advocate the Paleo lifestyle because it FOCUSES on eating REAL food and finding what works with your individual body.
I find it funny that so many people on this site saying that those of us that are living a controlled carb lifestyle say we are making excuses for the very people that MANY doctors are embracing and finding fact with.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Talk to a vegan and they will say the same about meat eating.The usual garbage from Taubes
Just because you choose to eat low calorie compared to low carb doesn't make him a quack. There are millions of good studies over the past 30 years that tell us that eating lower carb keeps you healthier and less likely to get the diseases associated with being fat. If it helps people why are you such a hater?
Point is that thinking of any food/macro nutrient is the reason we're fat is someone really trying to make money.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
^^ This exactly. I hear the Adkins people saying "humans aren't supposed to eat carbs". I hear vegans saying "humans aren't supposed to eat meat". The funny thing is that I see both healthy and unhealthy vegans and both healthy and unhealthy low-carbers. So, it can't just be about the carb vs. meat. It must be something else ---- ummm, like CALORIES!0 -
You know what I reckon makes us fat?
Food.
Not even the 'wrong kind' of food - just food.
I think our whole society is geared towards making us want food, I think there are too many ads on tv for food, too many billboards advertising food, too many sports events sponsered by food companies. Ad infinitum.
And too many news articles avoiding this issue, instead they focus on 'white noise' and confusing notions. (Because 'big food' absolutely owns us)
^^ So agree with this post.
Coming from an Asian background, I do not believe that a lower carb diet is always the way to go. Everyone is different and low carb works for many individuals, but my mother, brother, and sister were born in Asia and they have been slim my entire life and they eat loads of "bad" carbs(aka white rice). The difference is that they don't consume processed foods like chips, deserts, packaged foods, etc... My mother has always cooked from scratch. I was born here with a father that only ate typical American processed foods(tv dinners, fast foods, boxed stuff), so I developed very bad eating habits. Everywhere you turn there is a fast food joint or someone selling junk food.
Moderation with the aim towards quality foods is what I believe is the best "diet".
^^^^^^^^^^^ Both0 -
Reading all of these different points has left me confused. Which is best - low carbohydrate diet or otherwise?
I tend to eat more carbohydrates like wholegrain because I'm vegetarian, but I know that if I made more of an effort into finding low carbohydrate, higher protein sources of food I could allow them to become a larger part of my diet.
Both the 'carbohydrates don't matter' and 'carbohydrates do matter, you must reduce intake' arguments look comprehensive here! :S So confused0 -
How about this.....Find something that works and do it! If its Adkins, WW, Fasting, pizza, vodka, or insert fad diet here. If you are healthy and more importantly happy, who gives a rats *kitten* about the rest? All these charts, science reports, and nut jobs telling us what we should be doing is trash. Get regular check ups with the doctor, eat what makes you happy and healthy, and just live life! A ton of people seem to over think this.
I'll take the vodka diet for 100
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Reading all of these different points has left me confused. Which is best - low carbohydrate diet or otherwise?
Adherence is, by far, the #1 predictor of success or failure on a diet. So the best diet is the one that:
1. Creates a caloric deficit.
2. You can consistently adhere to.0 -
The more we concentrate on hormones and the less on the overly simplistic calories in/out math problem the better off we'll collectively be.
If calories in/out worked as effectively as touted then we'd be able to do it, and we can't.
I always find it interesting that the younger people tend to be down on this idea, presumably because their metabolism has been battered around less and yeh, they can lose weight by cutting the calories a bit, no worries. And hey, look at my ripped profile pic to prove it, check out those 'guns', etc.
Compare that to yer average dieter approaching middle-age just wanting to lose a bit of wobble ... Hormones a bit more of a factor there I'd wager.
But hey, you go your way, you keep trying to exercise off that grub by burning xxxx calories, and keep it up, good luck to ya.
This times a million!
When I lost 40 lbs in my teens and twenties (yup, twice) it was simply as mechanism of eat less, move more. Now, for the love of god at 35 years old, I have lost 5lbs in 5 months, with the eat less move more/eat more/lift more.
Last week, I switched to 100g carbs and I feel better than I have in years.
Of course, as a teenager, your metabolism was higher and you probably moved a lot more during the day. So, there's that to take into account.
I absolutely agree with you there. I personally cannot imagine being on a Adkins type diet on the long term. I am comfortable at 100 grams. So is my doctor. But I do wonder, how many carbs do we really need? I am not saying that number is low, but I just really wonder. I mean, I sit at my desk all day, go to the gym and work hard for about an hour. I then go home, make dinner, ect for 1 hour, and then back on my butt I go. How much energy does that take? And I swear, I am being genuine with this question.0 -
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Reading all of these different points has left me confused. Which is best - low carbohydrate diet or otherwise?
Adherence is, by far, the #1 predictor of success or failure on a diet. So the best diet is the one that:
1. Creates a caloric deficit.
2. You can consistently adhere to.
^^ this
bit of a long read but well worth it
http://www.cspinet.org/nah/11_02/bigfatlies.pdf0 -
Reading all of these different points has left me confused. Which is best - low carbohydrate diet or otherwise?
Adherence is, by far, the #1 predictor of success or failure on a diet. So the best diet is the one that:
1. Creates a caloric deficit.
2. You can consistently adhere to.
^^ this
bit of a long read but well worth it
http://www.cspinet.org/nah/11_02/bigfatlies.pdf
Great article!0 -
What makes you fat?
In-taking more calories than your body burns off.
Duh!
And guess what made me fit?
Same thing but in reverse.
I don't do any kind of diets.
Eating healthy 90% of the time is actually quite simple. I eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fruits and veggies.
Simple deal.
And once the lifestyle becomes habit, it gets easy.0 -
I have to lower my carbs to increase my protein for P90X but let's face it...I'm a busy girl who starts work at 6am and drives kids for a living. Add to it a side business I'm trying to build, helping my parents, working out, living life and if I expect to have the energy to do all of this I'd better eat some carbs or you'll be reading about a school bus accident in NJ from a driver who fell asleep at the wheel. I'm not buying that bacon is better for me than a banana b/c of the high sugar content in a banana. I am, however, buying the idea that refined carbs and processed foods make me feel like crap and the more I'm moving away from the processed crap and eating REAL food again, the better I feel and look. And the carbs I choose? Whole grain, brown rice, etc b/c my body just doesn't digest refined carbs well anymore.0
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I'm vegetarian so my biggest intake on a daily basis is carbs... Lost 3lbs this week, it's not making me fat.
What made me fat was the endless amount of food I used to put in my mouth. So I made ME fat, I didn't have to but I did.
If people ate a nutritionally balanced diet suited to them then there would be no need for cutting certain food groups.0 -
Great article - thanks!0
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There are so many people doing low fat and still cannot lose. There are so many people doing low fat and are still diabetic and hypertensive. It does not matter who says it, low carb gets these numbers in a good range and takes off the weight. 0
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And my Naturopathic Dr is a registered holistic dietician as well as a General M.D. - she is far from a quack.
You have a "Naturopath" holistic dietitian that went to medical school? Wow, that's very unusual.0 -
There are so many people doing low fat and still cannot lose. There are so many people doing low fat and are still diabetic and hypertensive.
The same can be said for low carb.0 -
Low-carb diets increase the stress hormone cortisol, CRP, which is an inflammation marker linked to heart disease and diabetes, and overall mortality.
That is funny, then how do patients on low carb diets have their numbers decrease so much that they do not have to take any medicine?????0 -
There are so many people doing low fat and still cannot lose. There are so many people doing low fat and are still diabetic and hypertensive.
The same can be said for low carb.
Maybe, but I have never seen it in working in over ten years in the medical field. I should have said my own personal experience. 0
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