The Smarter Science of Slim

SkimFlatWhite68

A few friends have been asking me how I have lost weight. I admit, the first couple of months I was floundering around with counting calories and went gung-ho into the gym. And I must say, I was enjoying it, I certainly wasn’t grinding my teeth every day, I was really loving being healthy again. I listened to podcasts from Fat2FitRadio, and I found them really good. Started to appreciate EATING to lose weight (instead of starving myself and getting nowhere) and making this a lifelong journey to health rather than a 6 month challenge. Life was good.

Then I found Jonathan Bailor’s The Smarter Science of Slim.

I think my life has changed forever.

I started off listening to the podcasts. I have a long commute to and from work every day, and if I’m not actually working on my iPad, I listen to podcasts. So I have that time up my sleeve. After listening to a couple of SSoS podcasts, I stopped working on the train, and started really listening. Wow. This guy is on to something.

For some time we have been given the concept of calories in vs calories out using the model of a scale if we want to lose weight... Eat less, exercise more and you will lose weight. Hmm.. How's that working for us? Record levels of obesity around the globe, surely this is NOT working.

Enter Jonathan Bailor. He was a personal trainer and helped many clients lose weight, but watched them struggle with trying to keep the weight off. Over a period of 10 years he embarked on reading over 10,000 scientific studies on food, exercise and weight loss, resulting in changing the way that he lives his life, a weekly podcast and his book: The Smarter Science of Slim.

He reminds me in some ways of the Aussie Geoff Jowett who started Body Trim after being one of the best PT’s in Australia, but came to realise that exercise was only 30% of the equation and real food 70%. He advocates much the same thinking, but without the same scientific backing.

Back to Bailor - who prefers using the model of our bodies as a sink. Imagine that in a perfect situation, clean water goes in the sink and then out via the drain. However, when the wrong substances go into the sink, the drain will get clogged and the sink will fill up with water. Then it doesn't really matter if we put less water in the sink, it's not going to flow out properly unless we unclog the sink, and then the water will balance itself out and flow freely again. So if our body is the sink – eating the wrong things will stop our bodies from regulating its own weight, eating less will not fix the problem, and exercising is just like getting a teaspoon and flicking water out. The drain is still clogged.

2 things regulate the sink. Genetics and hormones.

Bailor says that calories matter, but not in the mainstream (number of calories) way that we have been told. It's more about the QUALITY of a calorie, and the effect that it has on our hormones. No matter how much you want to spin it – 2000 calories of donuts will not have the same effect on your body as 2000 calories of fresh food.

Our bodies regulate themselves. We don't regulate our breathing, out bodies just do it. Our body regulates our temperature, heart rate, blood pressure. It will regulate a normal weight as well - when it is free to do so by achieving balanced hormones.

So what should we eat?

Our bodies require Essential Amino Acids and Essential Fatty Acids or you will die. There are no such things as essential carbohydrates. Biology is not an opinion, this is a matter of fact.

Just eat food. Food that you can find in nature. Eat plenty of non-starchy vegetables, seafood, lean meat, low fat cottage cheese and low fat greek yoghurt, eggs, berries and citrus fruits natural fats, nuts, drink plenty of water. Fill your body with good QUALITY food and it will have no room for anything else.

Carbohydrates are a great source of calories, but not a great source of nutrition. Grains are not essential. There is no such thing as a bread tree.

I guess is it much like a Paleo/Primal diet, but with the addition of low fat cottage cheese and low fat greek yoghurt, which are terrific sources of protein. I haven’t looked into Paleo much, but am about to read books by Mark Sisson (and also Gary Taubes because I’ve been hearing a lot about him lately). I’m just loving finding out more about how my body works.(BTW, when I say “diet” I don’t mean “a” diet, I’m just talking about what we eat).

Now you are probably wondering what sort of exercise Bailor recommends.

Jonathan's research shows that 10 minutes of intense Eccentric exercise (HIRT) once a week plus one 10 minute intense cardio session (hiit) are all that is required to unclog the sink and keep your body in check. Daily activity is also recommended , physical sports as hobbies are fine as long as they don't interfere with your ability to do the eccentric exercises.

Having said that – I’m still doing my weights 3 times a week and 2 x HIIT. And Bailor does say that it was the hardest thing for him to give up, as his background was a PT and he just couldn’t get his head around exercising less. I also don’t think he has ever had a weight problem. But I’m going to start doing some SSos eccentric exercises, and I’ll let you know how that goes.

This is a lifestyle. You can't just say I'm going to eat like this for a month and going to lose 5kg. But I tell you – you will. And you will want to eat this way forever. No more sugar cravings, no more hunger, no more feeling tired. This way of life is just awesome!!

Bailor sets it out like this:

- Increase Diet and Exercise QUALITY

- By eating more and exercising less

- So our nutrition and hormones improve

- So we drop the weight out body works to maintain

- So we burn body fat automatically like naturally thin people

Anyway – listen to the podcasts. Get the book. I bought it on kindle for iPad and just love it.

Oh, and since I started this about 3 weeks ago, I’ve gotten off the plateau I was on and lost 4kg. Lost centimeters off my body and obviously in areas that had fat on them, my waist is shrinking. I have a figure again!! I feel amazing and absolutely feel like I can do this forever.

Life is fantastic!!

So - just wondering... Is anyone else following The Smarter Science of Slim?

mmk137

I am,

It's brilliant.

However I'm a runner, and I don't want to give it up, but I do do strength training a lot smarter.

But yes fantastic book and excellent podcast.

And carrie brown's recipe's are awesome. There was only 1 recipe I did not like (it was a texture thing), everything else was a winner.

Delicate

In

mainly so i can see this later

But im waiting on the 'if it fits your cals it shouldnt matter what you eat' thing that seems to be going on here now

(But to some of us, the type of food we eat does matter cause our bodies are different, although please switch a 'normal functioning' body with mine!)

sbrownallison

Food for thought -- and future reference. Thanks!

katepsher

OP - I feel like I could have written the intro of your post! I started out devouring Fat2Fit podcasts and learned a lot from them, and then I stumbled upon Jonathan Bailor on another health/fitness podcast and looked him up. Now I'm hooked. Have only been listening for a few days and am only on about podcast 7 or so, but the scientific studies he shares are quite compelling. I'm really enjoying the podcasts.

Do you get much more from the book than you did the podcasts? Would it be worth buying or do you get enough from the podcasts alone?

Anyhoo, thanks again. Nice to see others on board with this - nice incentive for me to keep listening and keep at it. I love learning how to take better care of myself.

SkimFlatWhite68

The book is basically the same as all the podcasts, but it has quite a few diagrams in it that are talked about in the podcasts. Plus diagrams of how to do the Smarter exercise. I still really like it, but if you listen to all the podcasts, all the information is there.

I think it's a terrific programme.

SkimFlatWhite68

I thought this was worth repeating:

=============================================================

So what should we eat?

Our bodies require Essential Amino Acids and Essential Fatty Acids or we will die. There are no such things as essential carbohydrates. Biology is not an opinion, this is a matter of fact.

Just eat food. Food that you can find in nature. Eat plenty of non-starchy vegetables, seafood, lean meat, low fat cottage cheese and low fat greek yoghurt, eggs, berries and citrus fruits natural fats, nuts, drink plenty of water. Fill your body with good QUALITY food and it will have no room for anything else.

=============================================================

Podcasts
Episode 12 is a good overall summary. As are the many Bonus episodes that feature JB being interviewed on other podcasts.
Episode 13 covers Diabetes and Insulin
Episode 28, 29 and 31, 32 are all about the exercise component.

Honestly - these are really good. For anyone interested in health and well being they are worth listening to.

Enjoy!

myofibril

I think it's absolutely terrific you have found a method which you have success with and you love doing.

We could argue about the science of it all until the cows come home but does any of that truly matter if you are achieving your goals and feel happy? Hell no.

In the words of Elliott Hulse - "honour your experience"...

Nice one.

bearwith

good read

twelfty

Just eat food. Food that you can find in nature. Eat plenty of non-starchy vegetables, seafood, lean meat, low fat cottage cheese and low fat greek yoghurt, eggs, berries and citrus fruits natural fats, nuts, drink plenty of water. Fill your body with good QUALITY food and it will have no room for anything else

idk where you find low fat cottage cheese and greek yoghurt in nature o.0

Nutella91

Just eat food. Food that you can find in nature. Eat plenty of non-starchy vegetables, seafood, lean meat, low fat cottage cheese and low fat greek yoghurt, eggs, berries and citrus fruits natural fats, nuts, drink plenty of water. Fill your body with good QUALITY food and it will have no room for anything else

idk where you find low fat cottage cheese and greek yoghurt in nature o.0

lol i love you

TheVimFuego

I read it and listened to the podcasts.

It's pretty solid advice IMO but pushes the 'you don't need to count calories' angle a bit heavy.

When cornered he admits that calories ultimately rule but eating the right foods can help the process and address metabolic issues.

His explanation of why insulin response is key (like Taubes) neglects to mention all the other ways the body can deposit fat in the absence of significant insulin. Go check out G3P for starters ...

I like him (and Carrie) but ultimately it comes down to focussing on whole unprocessed foods and moving about a bit more ... Who knew?

Iron_Feline

It's nice that you've found something that works for you, but this is far too restrictive for most people. Are you really never going to eat bread, pasta, cake, ice cream, cheese, rice, pizza, alcohol etc (the list is massive) ever again?

I really don't understand what is so hard about eating in moderation, having treats now and again. This would make is so hard to ever go to a friends house for dinner without dictating to them what you can and can't eat.

Also while there may not be a bread tree, wheat is found in nature as is rice. This is just another spin on palo. I glad it's working for you but I'd rather eat all foods I enjoy in moderation and not have to worry about socialising with friends.

SkimFlatWhite68

LOL! There is a codicil around the Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese. I can't put the whole book here... But yes, very funny

And sure, it's not something that might suit everyone 100% of the time. I still drink the odd wine, I had chocolate over the weekend. I had Quinoa breakfast bake this week. It's a bit of Pareto principle as well - 80/20. But it helped me get off a plateau and I feel terrific!

Just thought some people might find it interesting. Especially those who are "stuck".

myofibril

When cornered he admits that calories ultimately rule but eating the right foods can help the process and address metabolic issues.

I think this is spot on.

Obviously calories do matter but in a real world scenario certain foods or dieting structures make it easier for people to stay consistently in deficit, others make it harder. Unless you're a masochist then choosing the way that makes adherence easier is your best bet.

The "right" combination is due to a myriad of factors both physiological and psychological in my view but what seems clear to me is that it is quite a personal thing.

While this type of dieting may sound "restrictive" to one person it may not seem restrictive at all to another - how can you feel restricted if you are not craving something and have little desire to eat it?

It may seem astonishing but some people end up in a situation where they can take or leave pasta, bread, booze etc. They hold little sway. It is not a case of "never eating something again" - but rather having the flexibility to not be overly bothered in having it (or not as he case may be.)

WhaddoWino

Thanks for sharing this. I will look into it. Does he address the idea of aging, the hormonal imbalances that can occur, and how best to compensate for that?

selanrael

Thank you for your thoughts, guys! I think I'll look into this some more. I've always had problems with hormonal balance and if nothing else I hope I can find some tips about how to get healthier by eating right

twelfty

Just eat food. Food that you can find in nature. Eat plenty of non-starchy vegetables, seafood, lean meat, low fat cottage cheese and low fat greek yoghurt, eggs, berries and citrus fruits natural fats, nuts, drink plenty of water. Fill your body with good QUALITY food and it will have no room for anything else

idk where you find low fat cottage cheese and greek yoghurt in nature o.0

lol i love you

:blushing:

WinnerVictorious

When cornered he admits that calories ultimately rule but eating the right foods can help the process and address metabolic issues.

I think this is spot on.

Obviously calories do matter but in a real world scenario certain foods or dieting structures make it easier for people to stay consistently in deficit, others make it harder. Unless you're a masochist then choosing the way that makes adherence easier is your best bet.

The "right" combination is due to a myriad of factors both physiological and psychological in my view but what seems clear to me is that it is quite a personal thing.

While this type of dieting may sound "restrictive" to one person it may not seem restrictive at all to another - how can you feel restricted if you are not craving something and have little desire to eat it?

It may seem astonishing but some people end up in a situation where they can take or leave pasta, bread, booze etc. They hold little sway. It is not a case of "never eating something again" - but rather having the flexibility to not be overly bothered in having it (or not as he case may be.)

but what is the tradeoff?

always obsessing whether every ingredient in every food you eat is on the list of "ok" ingredients? or perhaps just exercising a little bit of self-control (this is a learned skill that anybody can learn) and not worrying about what foods you can and cannot eat?

for me, the latter is the obvious choice.

by definition, any diet that restricts your ability to eat certain foods is "restrictive", whether you want to eat those foods or not. i don't eat much seafood. in fact, i never eat seafood except for the occasional can of tuna. i don't miss seafood, but you could fairly say that my diet is restrictive in that regard.

SkimFlatWhite68

When cornered he admits that calories ultimately rule but eating the right foods can help the process and address metabolic issues.

I think this is spot on.

Obviously calories do matter but in a real world scenario certain foods or dieting structures make it easier for people to stay consistently in deficit, others make it harder. Unless you're a masochist then choosing the way that makes adherence easier is your best bet.

The "right" combination is due to a myriad of factors both physiological and psychological in my view but what seems clear to me is that it is quite a personal thing.

While this type of dieting may sound "restrictive" to one person it may not seem restrictive at all to another - how can you feel restricted if you are not craving something and have little desire to eat it?

It may seem astonishing but some people end up in a situation where they can take or leave pasta, bread, booze etc. They hold little sway. It is not a case of "never eating something again" - but rather having the flexibility to not be overly bothered in having it (or not as he case may be.)

Perfect response

myofibril

but what is the tradeoff?

always obsessing whether every ingredient in every food you eat is on the list of "ok" ingredients? or perhaps just exercising a little bit of self-control (this is a learned skill that anybody can learn) and not worrying about what foods you can and cannot eat?

for me, the latter is the obvious choice.

For you, and certainly many others. For everyone? No.

If an individual finds themselves overly burdened and obsessing then that won't be constructive in the long term and they can always try something else. Or they could experiment (I am a big fan of self experimentation myself) and use it a baseline template which they can add or take away from to see how they feel and they react.

It's not an all or nothing proposition. No one is coming to arrest you if you don't follow the list of foodstuffs or ingredients to the letter.

Try something. Keep what works, throw out what doesn't. Keep going until you find what suits you best personally.

Job done.

Sambo004

Thank you. This is very interesting. My husband and I have been discussing eating much cleaner and more natural recently and I am looking for more information. I am a vegetarian that doesn't eat eggs but does eat dairy. The thought of no refined carbs, grains or starch is a little daunting, but I do believe it's better for your body. Never say never (I adore my raw oats muesli mix that I make for breakfast and I live for my morning cup of tea). I may not "give up" everything, but I think if you really want that flat tummy and to be really healthy, you need to ensure that 90% of your diet is as clean and natural as possible.

kmorganlfc

"Eat less, exercise more and you will lose weight. Hmm.. How's that working for us? Record levels of obesity around the globe, surely this is NOT working"

I gave up after reading the logical fallacy of this premise which sets up the argument. Those who are obese are simply not eating less and exercising more, and they are not, as the statement implies, a result of people failing in an endeavour to exercise more and eat less. This statement is trying to portray diet and exercise as pointless exercises by means of a totally absurd argument. How can you take the intelligence of such an article seriously?

mmapags

I read it and listened to the podcasts.

It's pretty solid advice IMO but pushes the 'you don't need to count calories' angle a bit heavy.

When cornered he admits that calories ultimately rule but eating the right foods can help the process and address metabolic issues.

His explanation of why insulin response is key (like Taubes) neglects to mention all the other ways the body can deposit fat in the absence of significant insulin. Go check out G3P for starters ...

I like him (and Carrie) but ultimately it comes down to focussing on whole unprocessed foods and moving about a bit more ... Who knew?

QFT!

TheVimFuego

I'd just like to add that perceptions can change over time.

When I went all 'Low carb/GI is the way forward!' I was coming from being a carb-addicted, food craving nut every few hours.

Then I did it for a bit (and got immersed in the low carb thing) and was amazed I could not be hungry for hours at a time. This went on for some months. Hey, carbs must be bad, just scarf down everything else ... No insulin, no fat right?

BUT then my body adjusted and not only did I want the stuff I'd been restricting also I stopped making fat loss progress, while still being pretty strict on the calories.

I guess what I am trying to say is that listening to the body is key. Low carb I still think is a great tool for getting over metabolic hurdles but there is no miracle there. It's just a means to the end of creating an energy deficit.

myofibril

I'd just like to add that perceptions can change over time.

When I went all 'Low carb/GI is the way forward!' I was coming from being a carb-addicted, food craving nut every few hours.

Then I did it for a bit (and got immersed in the low carb thing) and was amazed I could not be hungry for hours at a time. This went on for some months. Hey, carbs must be bad, just scarf down everything else ... No insulin, no fat right?

BUT then my body adjusted and not only did I want the stuff I'd been restricting also I stopped making fat loss progress, while still being pretty strict on the calories.

I guess what I am trying to say is that listening to the body is key. Low carb I still think is a great tool for getting over metabolic hurdles but there is no miracle there. It's just a means to the end of creating an energy deficit.

Listen. Now you're just being silly.

Are you honestly trying to tell me that different approaches can work better at different stages in your life depending on your specific metabolic issues at that time but these may change so your approach can change as well? Are you also saying that underpinning all of this is the need for a negative energy balance if one of your goals is fat loss?

Nobody believes such sorcery!

jonathanbailor

A heartfelt thanks for the kind words and insightful chat!

Wanted to share two quick things which may be of use:

1. Our non-profit animated nutrition education video (think “Schoolhouse Rocks v2.0” :happy: ) http://youtu.be/U36XJaETbh8
2. A quick note about how spot on the “use things like SSoS as a *starting point* and do what works for you” sentiment is spot on http://thesmarterscienceofslim.com/community/#/discussion/1952/jj-virgin-avoid-7-podcast-can-you-discuss-the-avoid-eggs

Thank you again for the kind words and excellent insights.

- Jonathan Bailor
The Smarter Science of Slim (Aavia, 2012)
The Calorie Myth (HarperCollins, 2014)

SkimFlatWhite68

Thank you Jonathan Bailor!! I am star struck!

Sundt33

I can't wait to listen to these podcasts! I have always been a tv and general media entertainment fiend. My current favorite show is The Food Hospital! It gives insight into different foods for different body and nutritional issues. The website also has fantastic recipes and tons of information. Now I have something to listen to and to watch to keep me occupied on chill-out days!

grandmastime

A few months ago I had finally got fed up with my hubby and I always being sick. I took a class on natural health and healing. Aftrwards I sat down and figured out what vitamin minerals and herbs we needed to feel better. I started with the digestive system that was three weeks ago. Also I got rid of all processes foods. I went back to cooking like we were to the farm. Within one week I had energy again. My pooch started going away too. Three weeks later I feel wondrful. I Android going to oook into "the smarter science of slim" of sounds like it is riht up my alley. If anyone wants more detail to natural healng feel free to riend me. Good luck and good health all.

mmk137

I have listened to every single podcast and bonus podcasts, and I learn something new every time. I love it.

I strongly recommend reading the book or listen to the podcast. Make up your own mind, but for me i found that it was really an affirmation of everything I have learned on my journey thus far.