Diet

robby denning

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Been in the hills a bunch, but have not forgot about this thread. Here is some info on why I stood fast against some of the arguments presented earlier on here. From one of the best in the business, Dorene Robinson

When is a Calorie Not a Calorie?
Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at 2:16PM
From Dorene Robinson
Beyonddiets.com
Gary Taubes—author of Why We Get Fat: and What to Do About It—attempts to make the argument that obesity is the result of a “fat storage defect” which carbohydrates purportedly encourage through the secretion of insulin. Taubes theory hinges on the notion that some calories (carbohydrates) are more fattening than others (protein or fat).
Three reasons why Taubes’ theory fails:
1. Taubes ignores a consistent body of literature that shows “a calorie is a calorie.” At this point there are numerous well done studies that have compared diets of varying levels of protein, carbohydrate and fat that find no statistical difference in weight loss WHEN CALORIES ARE CONTROLLED (kept at the same level for each diet type).[a],,[c],[d],[e] Additionally, studies comparing low glycemic index (or glycemic load) diets to other weight loss diets find no difference when calories are kept at the same level for each diet type.[f] Furthermore, even when calories are not controlled any early statistical differences between diets are short-lived—dissappearing by six months.
2. Taubes’ theory ignores huge pieces of the human energy metabolism picture.[g],[h] Human energy metabolism is a complex system that constantly adjusts what substrates (carbohydrate, fat, protein or alcohol) it’s using (for energy) based both on what we provide it (eat and drink), as well as one’s current energy needs. More precisely we’re always burning a combination of these substrates, so it’s the ratio that changes.
Storing fat is the normal response to excess available energy from any substrate. However fat stores are also drawn upon between meals making the net change (in fat stores) zero over the course of a day—UNLESS energy intake has exceeded energy needs. Therefor, looking at energy balance in anything less than a 24-hour time frame is pointless.
When energy from carbohydrate or protein is taken in, the oxidation of protein and carbohydrate increases—as the body “knows” it has little ability to store either of these substrates (especially protein). At the same time, the body will preferentially store fat (hopefully for later use) as it has the unlimited ability to store fat. Likewise, since the body has no ability to store alcohol, it will also always be oxidized preferentially, even before protein or carbohydrate.
All these energy substrates are interconnected—the ingestion or oxidation of each affects the oxidation or storage of the others—in one of nature’s most elegant automatic feedback systems.
Taubes’ argument overlooks this big picture—total energy metabolism—by paying attention only to “deposits” (the storage of fat). This argument is like saying that your bank balance is only affected by deposits. If only it were so! As if that wasn’t specious enough, Taubes goes further into the weeds, essentially suggesting that $20 in five dollar bills (carbohydrate) adds more to your account (fat-deposits) than $20 in one dollar bills (protein), or $20 in ten dollar bills (fat).
This basic argument has long been the notion behind popular and fad diets of the low-carb, high-protein, and low-glycemic index approaches to weight loss.
While it is true that the Thermic Effect of Food is higher for protein than for carbohydrates or fat, those differences don’t add up to enough calories to be of practical significance, especially on reduced calorie diets.
3. Taubes’ theory would require reconsidering a law of physics. Earlier this year, a consensus statement came out of an American Society for Nutrition (ASN) conference where obesity researchers from a variety of backgrounds (biophysics, exercise science, human nutrition, physiology, etc.) formally agreed that the human body complies with the First Law of Thermodynamics. The bottom line the ASN Consensus Statement translates to is that—as far as human energy metabolism is concerned—“a calorie is a calorie.” The jury isn’t out, to suggest otherwise is to suggest that a law of physics needs to be reconsidered. No serious researcher supports such nonsense.
While "a calorie is a calorie," what comprises a healthy diet is another conversation. And on that front, at least three well done studies point to higher cardiovascular risk and mortality rates for persons following indiscriminate high-protein/low carbohydrate regimes. Atkins is an example of an indiscriminate-low-carb diet, while South Beach—which emphasizes lean protein, unsaturated fats, and whole unprocessed foods—is not. Data from Harvard’s Nurses and Male Health Professionals Health Studies show that those following low-carb diets rich in PLANT proteins were 43% less likely to have died over 20-plus years of follow-up as those following low-carb diets rich in animal proteins.[j]
The Bottom line: Looking at a snapshot of metabolism (i.e. what happens only in the few hours after eating) overlooks the “rest-of-the-story.” Making claims about human metabolism based on a snapshot is like claiming to know a jigsaw puzzle picture from 2% of its pieces.
Taubes isn’t the first armchair theorist with an intelligent sounding but specious theory—and won’t be the last.
For example, as I mentioned earlier, carbohydrate oxidation automatically increases after eating carbohydrate. The same is true for protein. Not so for fat however, which is why Covert Bailey PhD (author of Fit or Fat) jumped to the conclusion that dietary fat was more fattening (than carbohydrate or protein). Bailey’s “theory” is another example of the hazards of theories based on just a couple puzzle pieces! The low-fat craze that Bailey kicked off in the 90’s didn’t solve anyone’s weight problems, and most agree at this point that the indiscriminate avoidance of (healthy) fat in favor of the indiscriminate intake of sugar and processed carbohydrates was a health boondoggle.
Despite what Taubes and other authors of popular diets would have you believe there is no magic way of eating that unlocks the mysteries of weight loss (or gain). Weight management and a healthy diet don’t require a PhD—just some common sense.
 
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robby denning

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Out of the hills a few days and catching up at work. Here is another great, research based, article for anyone who wants to lose weight. It's not as elusive as the guru book sellers have made it out to be and evidence is mounting that you can do it!
This was written by RD/CN Dorene Robinson of Beyond Diets.

Are Successful Losers More Common than You Think?
24 Aug 2012 02:59 PM PDT
We’ve all heard the claims that something dire—like 95% of people—always end up gaining back the weight they’ve worked so hard to lose. The point underlying the nay saying and the contrarian remarks is the notion that weight loss is a hopeless, pointless, waste of time.
On the other hand, most of us know someone who lost a chunk of weight and did keep it off. So what made them special? How did they beat the (purported) odds?
The fact is the so often repeated 95% figure, can be traced back to a 1958 research review paper by Albert Stunkard. However, the data from Stunkard’s review was never applicable to the general population.
Part of the reason the 95% myth has been so intractable is that there has been almost no research on weight-loss maintenance that is applicable to the general population.
Would you believe that 1 in 6 US adults has maintained a weight loss of at least 10% of their body weight for at least a year? In fact, data collected on 14,000 US adults between 1999 and 2006, showed that about 17% had kept off an average of 42-pounds for a year or longer. (This data is from a random US adults sample--NHANES).[ii]

This data is reminiscent of the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) data, which is not a random sample, but is where most of what we believe we know about successful weight loss/maintenance comes from.
In 1993 researchers started an ongoing study—The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR)—to identify the behaviors associated with long-term successful weight-loss maintenance. In 1997 the first report on the study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study group (786 individuals) had lost an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for an average of 5 years (16% of them had maintained for 10 years).
Most of the dieters had been overweight since childhood. Almost all, 91%, said they had tried and failed to keep weight off in the past. Many reported previously losing and regaining as much as 270 pounds! This time they were stricter with their diets and exercised more vigorously. About half, 57%, initially got help from a weight management program or a health professional.
The NWCR now includes over 10,000 subjects and 31 research papers[iii] have been published to date illuminating key behaviors that successful “losers”—the Masters of Weight Control—have in common.
1. Track your progress. 74% of the Masters used food and activity records while they were losing weight, and 50% continue to track calories during maintenance. Also, 69% report weighing themselves at least weekly.
2. Get moving. The men and women in the study reported weekly physical activity levels equivalent to 4 miles walking per day for their respective body weights. Additionally, 62% report watching fewer than 10 hours of TV per week—the national average being 28-hours.
3. Turn off the TV. 62% of men and women in the study also reported watching fewer than 10 hours of TV per week—the national average is 28-hours.
4. Structure and consistency. Participants report eating breakfast 6.3 days per week, and 4.7 meals/snacks per day. Furthermore, they also report maintaining a consistent eating pattern across weekdays, weekends, and holidays and special occasions.
5. Eat breakfast. Participants report eating breakfast 6.3 days per week.
6. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Emphasizing fruits and vegetables is one of the main methods Masters use to add volume to their meals, while also keeping their calorie intake low.
7. Skip the fast food—Masters eat fast food less than once a week.
8. Become a manager and problem-solver. Masters have learned to problem-solve how to respond to cravings and stressful situations, and have learned to control problem foods. Not bringing them home is the foundation of ending the struggle with problem foods.
9. No man (or woman) is an island. Masters have become skillful in developing support relationships and have learned to be assertive about their needs. Not surprisingly, most report increased general quality of life, moods, mobility, self-confidence, health, and energy.
10. Practice makes perfect. Weight loss maintenance gets easier over time; after 2 years the chance regaining is reduced by 50%. In fact, most Masters report that maintaining weight is EASIER than taking it off.
The Bottom Line:
You can lose weight and keep it off, and don’t let anybody try to tell you otherwise. It will take patience, won't be the result of fadish dieting, and will require permanent lifestyle changes.
 
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How do you lose weight? Many consider diet soda drinks as good tool to lose weight. PepsiCo produced a product for Japanese dieters. The Pepsi Special has dextrin that apparently soaks up fat. Dextrin is a non-digestible starch found in some baked solutions that will apparently raise the consumer's metabolism and actually burn fat. Learn more: Alleged fat-blocking Pepsi Special available in Japan.

Discipline! SNL has a skit called, Eat Less, Move More. On a serious note, try tripling your produce, cutting fat and addind some protein.
 

ChrisA

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I dropped 20 lbs in June and have maintained in July. I cut out all grains,processed sugars and cut way back on beer and alcohol. It certainly takes discipline but well worth it. I haven't drank a soda by itself since 1990 but drank more than enough beer and liqueur to make up for it. I think the liver needs to be healthy in order to burn fat.

Chris
 
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At my largest, I weight 280. In August 28, 2012, I woke up feeling just as tired and pathetic as I did when I went to bed. That day was Turning Point #1 in my life. I went to the office and got rid of every piece of candy and nutty bar that I had stashed. I began eating healthier and dropped nearly 60#. I started working out January 2014 and believe it or not, put on 27# of what I'd lost. Well, in March 2015, I changed my workout routine with my workout bud and lost 30#. Turning Point #2 . . . I felt good about it but I really didn't have the skills to maintain it and put on about 7# which weighed me in at 223 (I was eating the same foods practically everyday--ick). Anyway, I could feel the clothes getting tighter and the gut getting bigger and I was on a slippery slope towards being sorely overweight again. I felt guilty, frustrated, and like a failure honestly. I could NOT keep eating the same old stuff and the gym was wearing me out with no results.

I found this thread earlier in the year and the information within it kept haunting me as the weight crept up and I was struggling to understand its concepts. Turning point #3 . . . I can now say that following the principles contained in this thread (fruits, veggies, water, and COMPLETE calorie tracking+increased physical activity) I have lost 4# in 14 days. I am eating some fantastic fruits, plenty of vegetables, still eat meat, and found that I actually crave water. I've never ever been a water drinker but by focusing on it, I'm able to appreciate its value for my health. I drink about 40 oz. in the gym and when I get to the office I put out several bottles on my desk and get it in. I pee like a race horse but it's worth it. :) Almost forgot, the 4# is exactly what I'm tracking for through MyFitnessPal. Very, very excited to see that it's working according to predictions.

Here's the most liberating part of all this . . . I'm eating some great foods and a much bigger variety with this new approach actually. The best thing is, I'm starting to realize what was said in earlier posts that the tortoise wins the race. I'm losing weight but I don't feel like I'm giving up on things I enjoy in life to do it. And with that in mind, I can eat well and continue losing weight. That said, it doesn't mean I'm eating biscuits and gravy and frozen custard. On the contrary, I'm very health conscious and want to spend my calories on food that is filling (very little hunger that makes you think 'screw this, I'm getting ice cream') and will have a positive impact on my blood-work here in another month or so.

Robby connected me with a trainer who encourages me, holds me accountable, and has individualized my workout for maximum benefit. I do not want anyone to think my post here is a sales pitch for Robby and his crew but I want to say a big enthusiastic big THANK YOU to him. I feel as though I'm learning the skills to have control over this part of my life again and it's the best part of this journey yet bar none.
 

switchback270

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Drew a deer tag for this fall and naturally pulled out Robby’s book to read again. I saw this thread was referenced so I looked it up and began counting calories last week and down 5lb already. Figured I’d bring it up to the top in hopes it will help someone else like it did for me.


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Drew a deer tag for this fall and naturally pulled out Robby’s book to read again. I saw this thread was referenced so I looked it up and began counting calories last week and down 5lb already. Figured I’d bring it up to the top in hopes it will help someone else like it did for me.


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Congrats, man! I appreciate you resurrecting an old thread! I wasn't aware this one existed, so it's been cool to thumb through.

Congrats again on your success and good luck on the deer tag!
 

switchback270

Lil-Rokslider
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Apr 4, 2013
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Congrats, man! I appreciate you resurrecting an old thread! I wasn't aware this one existed, so it's been cool to thumb through.

Congrats again on your success and good luck on the deer tag!

Thanks buddy. Glad to know someone found a bit of enjoyment from this thread! I’ll have to update it with my progress moving forward.


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