Nirvana Diet

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Not all calories are created equal…we have been misled on the weight problem

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Crusty Bread and Fruit SnackThere is a new documentary about to air The Weight of the Nation. This well researched documentary has come to the same conclusion I have on the weight problem in America. The best way and only way to lose weight and keep it off which to me is the only successful way to lose weight you must treat the way you lose weight as your lifestyle. That means the changes you make must be permanent and not viewed as a diet. This is hard to do because the brain tricks you into thinking its ok to eat this or that and not exercise every day. The problem is before you know it the weight starts to come back.

The other important piece of information you need to successfully lose weight and keep it off is to stop allowing yourself to be brainwashed about how the weight problem is an energy imbalance- you eat too many calories and expend too few calories. The problem is not just with calories in and out but the type of calorie you consume. Gary Taubes has written this in his bookGood Calories Bad Calories and in an article in Newsweek The new obesity campaigns have it all wrong. There is a different theory which says holds certain foods accountable- foods that contain refined sugar and grains which are loaded with them because of the affect it has on creating metabolic syndrome and their effect on the hormone insulin which regulates fat accumulation.  These foods also change the way the brain operates by increasing the production of ghrelin and decrease the production of leptin so you feel hungrier and are never satisfied. Sound familiar?

The single easiest thing you can do to put a stop to this is to stop looking at calories and low fat and start looking at the sugar or carbohydrate content in the food you buy. This includes the biggest offender which is soda, including diet soda. The other simple thing is to stop buying packaged food or fast food. This is why the nation is heavy and getting heavier.  This is really important that people start paying attention to this. It’s time to wake up. We as consumers can put a stop to what the food and drug companies are doing to us. Just stop consuming it.

 

Best way to lose weight? Get savvy…not all calories are the same

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done-with-dietingOne of the reasons it is hard to lose weight is that most people don’t understand what they have to do. That’s because it’s really confusing. The current thinking is that you have to exercise and reduce your calorie intake. Well my experience and now research is finally showing that is not correct. If you exercise more and cut back your calorie intake you are going to be hungry. That is not a formula for success. The goal is to change what you eat, have more energy and not feel hungry. Sound too good to be true? Not if you know what to do.

The first thing you have to change is the notion that all calories are the same. I have always thought Gary Taube’s book Good Calories Bad Calories explained the science very well.  Now his new book, Why we get fat-and what to do about it, is also helpful especially for debunking the myth that cutting back fat and calories is how you lose weight; which most people think means cutting out the fat.

Cutting out the fat is really not the point, it is more important to cut out the wrong carbohydrates. Most people who are overweight eat too many carbohydrates, which may not amount to that many calories, but when consumed in excess leads to a condition called metabolic syndrome. It is basically a disorder in the way your fat tissue works and this depresses the metabolism as well as your energy levels.

While I do think it matters how many calories you eat, the real issue you need to focus on is how much protein you need. Unlike Taube’s, I do not think you can eat as much protein and fat as you want. I have a very easy way to figure this out how much protein is the right amount. Take you ideal weight which let us say 150 lbs. and divide that by 2.2 and you will get an estimate of how many grams of protein you need. In this case it is it is about 70 or 23 grams per meal. This is an estimate; the actual number is related to your lean body mass and your exercise levels. The leaner you are and the more active the more protein you need.

The next key number is how many grams of carbohydrates you need. The current thinking is that this number is less than 50 grams after you subtract fiber. If you divide that by 3 you get about 15 grams per meal. This information is so useful to getting yourself on the right path that will allow you to lose weight, give you energy, and most importantly you will not be hungry. I am conservative in my assessment about how much fat you need.  I would not eliminate fat, but be mindful of eating real food so that the fat you eat does not have a negative effect. That means nuts, avocado, some cheese and dairy. To eat fat with abandon is missing the mark. If you eat the right amount of protein and carbohydrates the fat naturally falls into place. That’s what I teach my clients…it should be coming naturally to you and something you enjoy doing or else, it will not be sustainable. That’s how you lose weight and keep it off.

Let me know what you think about this? This is what has worked for my clients. The only other pieces you will need are how much exercise and how to manage the internal dialogue. Stay tuned…