Calorie In/Calories Out is BS - Part 2

We know the reasons the calories in, calories out theory is flawed. We know most traditional methods of weight loss, such as counting calories or starting an exercise program don't work. (click here to read part 1 of this article detailing why traditional calorie counting methods don't work)

But what should we do if we need to lose weight? The best long term solutions for weight loss are those that reduce the amount of calories consumed without restricting caloric intake. In other words:

"We need to eat less while still allowing ourselves to eat as much as we'd like." 

I know this sounds stupid, I know it sounds illogical, but this is the key to long term weight loss. If we consume less calories without actually restricting them we avoid all the problems associated with diets. You won't feel hungry all the time, because you will eat whenever you are hungry. Your metabolism won't slow down and you will not have reduced energy levels, because your brain recognizes that you are eating whenever you'd like. No starvation response will ever be triggered. 

But how can we subconsciously eat less when we are consciously eating as much as we want? Several approaches have shown promise, both in research settings and in the real world.

1)  Exercise

I know, I know, I already said starting an exercise program isn't an effective fat loss strategy. But there are ways to tweak the approach that can help us loss weight without ever counting a calorie or skipping a dessert. While exercise doesn't cause weight loss directly through the calories burned, it does have a host of benefits that can have a positive impact on our body composition.

Exercise has a powerful, positive effect on mood, stress levels, and self-esteem and has been studied extensively as a treatment for depression and other mood disorders. Exercise makes us feel better, and when we feel better, we make better food choices.

But as we've already discussed, there are many pitfalls to exercise. Typically people compensate for the calorie burn of exercise by subconsciously eating more during the rest of the day.

"The key is to exercise enough to fell better without exercising so much that you work up an appetite."

When implementing a program start very small. If you currently don't exercise, begin with 15 to 20 minutes, two or three days per week. You shouldn't dread it either - remember, we are trying to make you feel better, not worse. Killing yourself will be counter productive.

After two weeks assess how you feel. Do you have more energy throughout the day? Do you sleep better on the days you exercise? Are you beginning to look forward to your workouts?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you are on the right track. You can begin to increase the intensity and duration of your workouts, but do so cautiously.

If the answers are all "no" change what you are doing. It's not working. 

2) Sleep

Lack of adequate sleep negatively effects mood and energy levels. And if we feel like crap and have no energy, we are not likely to make good food choices. This is why poor sleep patterns are almost universally linked to weight gain. If you don't get enough sleep, fix the problem and you will likely lose weight without ever watching what you eat.

Go to bed at the same time every night. Wake up at the same time every morning. Make sure your room is very dark. Even the light from a LED alarm clock or cell phone charger can disrupt sleep. If all else fails see your doctor and schedule a sleep study. Your lack of sleep may be due to a medical condition such as sleep apnea.

3)  Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting (IF for short) means alternating periods of fasting with periods of eating. For example, you might eat only between 5pm and 8pm each evening or alternate days of eating with days of fasting.

IF has shown great promise lately as an effective and healthy fat loss program. Animal studies have shown that alternate day feeding increases insulin sensitivity, improves blood lipid profiles, and causes greater fat loss that traditional calorie restriction. And in the real world, many people report amazing results using IF.

To avoid the pitfalls, start slow. For a week, skip breakfast and eat normally the rest of the day. When your get accustomed to that, try postponing your first meal until late afternoon. Eventually, try eating for only two hours each day. For most people eating your only meal at night works best. Many people find it hard to sleep when they are hungry. And late night snacking is the downfall of most people anyway. By eating your meal shortly before you retire you don't give yourself a chance to cheat.

While IF may sound extreme, it is definitely a program worth trying.

4)  The Paleolithic diet

The Paleo diet focuses on food quality. Meals include unprocessed, natural foods such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and tubers. This diet also minimizes unnatural and potentially unhealthy chemicals and hormones, forgoing factory farmed foods and instead choosing grass fed, hormone free beef, pastured poultry, and organically grown fruits and vegetables. The diet is free of grains, legumes, and dairy products (which can be irritating to the gut), effectively eliminating all processed foods from the diet.

"Research shows that people who follow this eating plan tend to reduce their caloric intake even though they are permitted to eat as much as they'd like." 

One potential downfall of this approach is the need for meal planning and preparation. Eating out, although possible, is difficult. Most common snacks foods, such as cheese sticks, crackers, chips, and low fat yogurt, as well as most convenience foods, are not allowed. But if you enjoy cooking and typically prepare your own meals already, this approach is for you.

Follow these links for more information and sample meal plans.

5)  Exercise, part 2

Another counter intuitive but highly effective way to lose weight is to try and gain muscle. Adding muscle mass helps aid in fat loss through two primary mechanisms. First, it increases increases insulin sensitivity by increasing the amount of insulin receptors in your body. This essentially gives you more places to "deposit" any excess calories you consume, reducing the amount "deposited" in your fat cells. Second, muscle mass increase energy expenditure. Add a few pounds of muscle and you will burn more calories throughout the day, regardless of activity level.

To maximize increases in muscle mass perform weight training with moderate weights near the point of muscle failure. Take adequate rest between sets, typically two to five minutes. Stretch each muscle group you trained deeply when you are done.

"Even 30 minutes, three days a week can have a dramatic effect when implemented properly."

If at first your weight doesn't budge don't get discouraged. You can rest assured that you are losing fat and gaining muscle. Make sure to track the changes in your body with skin-fold testing, circumference measurements, and photos. Eventually you will start losing weight on the scale but in the meantime feel good about how good your arms look in that sleeveless shirt and much your waist measurement has dropped.

Follow this link for effective muscle building programs for both men and women.

6)  Cut carbohydrates

People on a low carbohydrate, Atkins type diet, are allowed (even encouraged) to eat as much as they want, as long as they avoid carbohydrate containing foods. But when compared to calorie restricted, low fat dieters they eat less daily calories.

In effect, low carb but calorie unlimited dieters actually reduce "calories in" more than those dieters who are consciously trying to do so!

"When it comes to fat loss, this spontaneous, subconscious calorie restriction is just what the doctor ordered."

If cutting all the bread, pasta, and sweets out of your diet seems impossible, start with only your first meal of the day. As you adapt eliminate carbohydrates from lunch and eventually from dinner. And contrary to popular belief, an occasion indulgence does not mean impending doom. Just get back on track as quickly as possible.

Alternately, you can "eat half". At every meal, eat only half of the bread, pasta, corn, potato, rice, or other grain. If you have dessert, make sure you share it with a friend or family member. Still hungry? Load up on meat and veggies. Even modest reductions in carbohydrate intake can have a positive effect on body weight.

Putting it all together

There they are - six ways to eat less without trying to eat less. Include one or more of them into your lifestyle for fat loss success. Please feel free to call or email me for help or to report your success stories.

In Good Health

John Kuzora

1976 S. Main St

Wake Forest, NC 27587

(919) 435-1960

john@kuzorafitness.com

Kuzora Fitness - innovate and effective fitness and nutrition solutions for a time pressed world

Eight Most Fattening Foods

What Makes a Food Fattening?

A combination of factors makes a food fattening. First and foremost, the most fattening foods in our diet are those that we compulsively eat, and not all foods are like this. While many people may have found themselves mindlessly eating a quart of ice cream or a bag of M & M's, have you ever heard of someone binge eating steak or grilled shrimp?

I love a good porterhouse, but I'd be hard pressed to finish a 16 ounce serving. However a pint of most premium ice creams has about the same amount of calories. Yet somehow polishing that off doesn't seem very hard.

Besides taste, what causes some foods to be eaten compulsively while other foods can be eaten in moderation with little or no will power? The answer lies in the way foods affect the chemicals in our brains.

Although all foods trigger the reward centers in our brains, some seem to affect it to a much greater extant than others.

Quick digesting carbohydrates, particularly sugar of any type, are the biggest culprits. Researchers at Princeton found that rats fed sugar water have a large dopamine release in their brain. Drugs of abuse, such as cocaine and heroin, cause a release or an increase in dopamine levels in the same area of the brain. This would explain why many people find themselves almost unconsciously eating candies, cookies, and crackers even when they are no longer hungry.

Another characteristic of fattening foods is their ability to raise insulin levels. Insulin is released by our bodies primarily when our blood sugar increases. Certain other foods, such as proteins (particularly those high in branched chain amino acids), artificial sweeteners, and possibly even dairy fat can also increase insulin levels in the body.

I'll spare you the biochemistry, but insulin makes us fat. Any Doctor who has ever treated a diabetic patient knows this. Treat someone with insulin and they immediately gain weight, even if they are already obese.

In general, foods that increase your blood sugar the most, such as sugars and processed grains, cause the largest release of insulin.

Finally, the most fattening foods are high in calories. This seems obvious but probably accounts for much of the difference between very similar foods. For example, a large glass of OJ has about 250 calories. We would need to eat four oranges to get the same amount of calories! Both oranges and orange juice taste good, they are both high in sugar, and they both cause a rapid increase in blood sugar. In fact, the glycemic index (a measure of how much a standard amount of a certain food increases your blood sugar) of oranges and orange juice are nearly the same. But oranges are inherently low in calories and orange juice in inherently high in calories.

Many of us drink a large cup of OJ with breakfast. And most of us think this is healthy. But in reality, OJ has more calories and sugar per ounce than Coca-cola or Pepsi!

Without further ado, here is my list of the eight most fattening foods.

Eight Most Fattening Foods

8) Salted nuts

Nuts are a fairly low carbohydrate food and they do not cause much of a blood sugar spike. But they are incredibly high in calories AND can be eaten compulsively. Varieties with added sugar, such as honey roasted peanuts or candies walnuts, are the most fattening but all varieties can cause problems.

Although generally a healthy food, low in sugar and high in fiber and certain minerals, they should be avoided if you are trying to loss weight. One important note: raw, unsalted varieties don't seem to cause overeating the same way as roasted, salted varieties. If you must have them around, try buying these types of nuts.

7) Cheese

This is another low carb food that can be easily eaten to excess. There is also some research that shows dairy fat has a unique ability to stimulate an insulin release (most fats have no effect whatsoever on insulin release).

Processed cheeses and those with mild flavors, such as cheddar, American cheese, and queso, seem to be the most fattening, but all varieties can cause problems.

6) Any food labelled "Fat Free" or "Reduced Fat"

Foods labelled "reduced fat" should really be labelled "increased sugar." Almost inevitably when food processors remove fat they replace it with sugar or some other high glycemic index carbohydrate.

One example of this is a Starbucks blueberry muffin. The low fat versions has 25 more grams of sugar and half the fiber of the regular muffin!

So if it says "low fat" just avoid it!

5) Potato chips and other salty snack foods

Chips, crackers, and other salty snack foods are all fattening. They are all high in calories, cause a significant insulin release, and are often eaten compulsively. Even popular diets foods like baked potato chips and fat free pretzels should be avoided.

4) Bread and other wheat products - Bread is another food that fits all three of my criteria for fattening foods. In addition, there is some research that suggests wheat may interfere with leptin signaling.

*Leptin is a hormone that decreases appetite and increases energy expenditure. It is released by fat cells in direct proportion to the amount of body fat a person has. It is theorized that wheat can cause leptin sensitivity, thereby changing a persons body fat set point. This resulting leptin sensitivity literally "tricks" the body into thinking it has less fat storage than it really has. When leptin signaling is thrown off, appetite increases and energy expenditure decreases because the body is trying to gain fat!

3) Breakfast cereals - Most breakfast cereals, even supposedly heart healthy ones like cheerios, spike blood sugar to extremely high levels. In fact, cheerios actually have a higher glycemic index than soda! And cereal is often eaten compulsively. How many of us have raided the pantry at night for a bowl of cereal? And how often does it end at just one bowl?

Most people make this food even worse by adding raisins or bananas. Although considered by most to be healthy, a breakfast of cheerios and sliced bananas in skim milk with a glass of orange juice will insure a blood sugar roller coaster for the rest of the day. You'd be better off skipping breakfast than starting your day like that.

2) Milk chocolate and other candy - Candy is loaded with calories and sugar. Most of us already know we need to avoid these foods if we are trying to loss weight. If you have an insatiable sweet tooth or your are a "chocoholic", try eating only chocolate that is at least 75% cocoa. Also consider shaving it off with a sharp knife or potato slicer and letting the shavings dissolve on your tongue one or two at a time.

1) Sweetened Beverages - Soda, sweet tea, and other sweetened beverages are the most fattening foods around. They are very quickly digested and cause a large insulin release. It takes only a few seconds to chug a 12 ounce can of soda, yet that beverage contains 150 calories! Consuming that many calories from solid food sources, even candy, would take much longer. Even 100% fruit juice contains an incredibly high amount of sugar and should be avoided if you are trying to lose weight or if you have metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, or diabetes.

Recommendations

To lose weight (or to avoid gaining weight) it is important that we reduce or eliminate these fattening foods from our diet. Sometimes, eliminating even one of these foods can cause a significant weight loss. One client I worked with lost 18 pounds in one month simply by cutting cheese out of her diet! It is also typical to see a double digit monthly weight loss by cutting out soda and all other caloric beverages. But it is not necessary to eliminate all of these foods completely.

Some of the strategies I have found to be most helpful include:

1) Start with breakfast

Most typical American breakfasts are loaded with processed grains and sugar. Even a "healthy" breakfast of cereal with skim milk, juice, and dry whole grain toast will sky rocket your postprandial blood sugar and leave you hungry and low energy two or three hours later. Other typical choices, like muffins, doughnuts, and bagels are just as bad, although the fat in these foods can help to stabilize your blood sugar and keep you full for a little longer than the first example.

Instead of the typical choices, start your day with a low carbohydrate, high protein, and high fat meal. Eat foods naturally low in carbohydrates such as eggs, avocados, olives, smoked salmon, and naturally cured breakfast meats. Small amounts of low calorie fruits such as raspberries or blackberries can also be included.

2) Strive to eat half

It can be very discouraging to imagine a life without your favorite foods. So don't. Instead strive to eat half.

Take half the bread off your sandwich. Eat half of the pasta that is served with your grilled chicken. And when you eat desserts, share them with a friend.

3) Don't keep fattening foods around

Most people overeat at night. But if you don't have fattening foods in your pantry you can't eat them. Don't buy candies, chips, cakes, or cookies. Ditto for breakfast cereals and breads. And I don't accept the excuse that you need to have these foods in your house for your kids. Even if you feel that you have to keep some snack foods around for them, don't buy ones that you like!

4) Consider supplements and super foods

Fenugreek and cinnamon extracts have both been shown to improve postprandial blood sugar spikes. Acidic foods such as vinegar and lemon juice can also lower blood sugar. Medium chain triglycerides (i.e. coconut oil) and green tea have both been shown to increase metabolic rate and energy expenditure. And fish oil seems to improve just about every condition known to man.

* This is a highly simplified explanation of leptin and body fat regulation. Please consult the following series of articles, written by Stephan Guyenet, for a much more detailed explanation: The Body Fat Setpoint