I've started this topic so as to try to avoid taking over MrsSki's trainer thread.

Anyone that has read the thread will have seen the discussion brought up about different body types. Here's a quick recap.



Ectomorph: If you're an ectomorph, you're naturally thin with skinny limbs and a high tolerance for carbohydrates. Usually, your metabolic rate is fast. A good starting macronutrient ratio for you would be something like 25% protein, 55% carbs and 20% fat.

Mesomorph: Mesomorphs are naturally muscular and athletic. They have a moderate carbohydrate tolerance and a moderate metabolic rate. Mesomorphs can usually start at a 30% protein, 40% carb, 30% fat macronutrient ratio.

Endomorph: If you're naturally broad and thick, you're probably an endomorph. Endomorphs have a low carbohydrate tolerance and a slow metabolic rate. If you're an endomorph, try a ratio of 35% protein, 25% carbs and 40% fat.



Now I'm guessing many of us, if being greatly overweight, fall into the Endomorph category. I know I'm pretty sure I do.

I'm an inquisitive person and always like to find out the whys of things rather than just taking what I'm told as being right, so I dug a little deeper for explanations for the Endomorph macro ratios.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/06/time-to-retire-the-low-carb-diet-fad/258343/

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/opinion/sunday/what-really-makes-us-fat.html

The first link is to a article that I personally would disregard. It's actually the comments posted after that provide the important information. Well worth a read if you have plenty of free time on your hands.

I'll attempt a little brief for those with less time.

People who are Endomorphs, or put weight on easily, often have an insensivity towards insulin. Insulin is the hormone responsible for distributing and STORING glucose and fat.

I'm not sure how to quote but this passage seems very important to me.



"The Krebs cycle (the microbiological citric acid cycle of which you speak) takes place in the mitochondria of the cell. In order for nutrients to access the Krebs cycle, nutrients must enter the cell from the blood stream. For carbohydrates, this entry is facilitated by insulin.

In a healthy person, this poses no problems, but many of us (seemingly those of us who have been exposed to high carbohydrate loads for about 20 years or so) develop a noticeable resistance to insulin that inhibits cellular absorption of carbohydrates. To counteract this, more insulin is secreted.

So how does this make us fat? Another function of insulin is to cause fatty acids and triglycerides to be stored in fat cells, and to keep them there while blood glucose is high. Insulin resistant people on a carb-based diet will constantly have a high blood glucose level, resulting in a high insulin level that causes more fat to be stored than released from fat cells, therefore insulin resistant people get fatter.

But, you may say, fat people are often lazy and are always eating... how can we blame carbs when they obviously overeat? You have to think of overeating and/or laziness as being a symptom and not a cause - hunger is not induced by an empty stomach, but by a lack of nutrients available to your cells, and laziness is a clear indication of cells lacking energy. The cells of an insulin resistant person have limited access to fatty acids and triglycerides as energy, thanks to high levels of insulin, and have limited access to glucose thanks to their resistance to the effects of insulin. These cells lack nutrients, so the Krebs cycle in their mitochondria produces insufficient energy for the cells, causing the person to feel both lazy and hungry."

So in a nut-shell, carbs cause release of insulin. Insulin gets rejected by cells. Blood sugar stays high, which causes more insulin release. Insulin stores fat as a result. Also the lack of glucose in the cells causes tiredness due to lack of nutrition for cells.

Lower carbs means less insulin. Therefore allowing the body to release and burn fat.


In the last few weeks I've been feeling really tired at times, which I found strange considering the amount of calories I've been eating. I now believe this is very likely to be due to the fact my natural reaction to increasing my calories was to increase portion sizes of rice/potato/bread. All carbs! These increased carb levels were causing the insulin production levels to go crazy with no fat being burned off but still no energy getting to cells, hence the tiredness.

The high fat levels suggested are as if you have lowered the carbs your body will have no problems using them up, will keep you energised (replacing the carbs) and break down slower than glucose keeping you full for longer.



Now I'm not suggesting everybody should ditch all carbs and eat nothing but fat but it certainly looks like a reasonable plan for anyone that may have an insulin resistance.

I know that I'm going to start tweaking my macros and see what happens. I'm going to keep my calories at the same level to keep in the sensible EM2WL mindset, lower my carb levels , keep a good level of protein and make the rest with fats.

Even reading all the science it's still blowing my mind. I was losing weight eating a "low" calorie diet and watching fat intake. In the space of a month I've gone from that to almost doubling my calorie intake and now planning on eating as much fat as I like.
Everything inside of me is screaming that's wrong, it flies against EVERYTHING we have been taught, but I can't argue with what I've read.

I'll try to keep updates if anyone is interested on any progress, with energy levels, hunger, weight loss etc.
I plan on staying on reset for 2 more weeks and then hitting cut.