Fitness Link Blog

Eating more calories makes you fat..?  Why is it, when it comes to nutrition that we tend to think backwards?

Gary Taubes, a science researcher and journalist, and author of Good Calories, Bad Calories, stated in a recent interview that “causality always comes before the effect”.

We have been trained to think backwards about weight, and Taubes says that this is due to poorly done science.

For example, consider this statement made by early researchers studying calories and weight gain:  We’re fat because we eat too much.  This is based off the first law of thermodynamics called the law of energy conservation.  The law basically says that as a system becomes more massive, it must take in more energy than it expends – because energy can’t be created from nothing.

The problem is that medical researchers and nutritionists take this law and pervert it.  They say that as we get bigger (or fatter) we require more energy than we expend – according the law of energy conservation.  And as we take in more energy, we get bigger.  Therefore this intake of energy (or calories) is the reason we get fat.

This line of thinking is backwards.  The cause always comes before the effect.  Take a growing child, for example.  As a child grows his appetite increases and he begins to eat more food.  The child is not getting bigger because he’s eating more food; he’s eating more food because he’s getting bigger.  Growing is the cause – eating is the effect.

Prior to World War II, German and Austrian researches also looked into what made us fat.  But instead of focusing on calories, they directed their studies to the systems that regulated fat tissue.  Being the ones who pioneered such fields as endocrinology and genetics, their research led them to examine the hormonal pathways including sex hormones, growth hormones and insulin.

We’re not fat because we eat too much; we eat too much because we’re fat.

Since 1965 it has been well known that insulin is the hormone that, among many other functions, stores fat.  Insulin is secreted in response to carbohydrates you eat.  The more carbs you eat (especially refined carbs such as bread and pasta), the more insulin your body will secrete.  If insulin levels are consistently high due to constant high carb intake, then your body will slowly become insulin-resistant.  This means that your body will have to secrete even more insulin just to do its normal job.  It’s like trying to fill up a pool with water that has a leak – you’ll need to pour more water in than is flowing out.

When you have insulin resistance not only will you be storing more fat tissue, you’ll also feel tired as the energy can’t get into your cells because insulin stores it as fat so fast.  This will leave you tired and hungry.  You’ll crave foods, especially junk foods.

At this point the law of thermodynamics will take over and you will have to consume more energy (food) just to sustain you because you’re bigger from so much fat storing.

Most people will try to go on a low calorie diet by this time in an attempt to lose weight.  What they don’t realize is that their approach is already backwards.  They are fat and overweight NOT because they’re eating too much; it’s because their bodies are starving.  When a body goes into starvation mode, it rapidly stores fat in an attempt to survive.  The thyroid will slow down metabolism to conserve energy.  And hormonal levels will drop discouraging you from any form of activity.

How to reverse fat gain – be a fat burner not a sugar burner

Many people, through low calorie dieting and lots of cardio exercise, have become very efficient sugar burners.  But unfortunately, fat burning is what their goal is.  So they they harder to restrict calories, yet their body keeps storing fat.  Then when they are fed up with their lack of results, they come to me just to hear that what they were told to do was wrong.

Here are several steps on how to teach your body to be a fat burning machine:

1)  Lower your insulin levels. Avoid any foods that spike your insulin levels such as sugar, pasteurized milk  and refined grains or flours.  These foods are the most detrimental to your fat loss goals.  They convert to sugar in your body very quickly.  And although they give you energy, they will also store fat as well as leave you feeling sluggish and tired.

2)  Eat lots of high quality foods. Load up your diet with vegetables, whole fruits, raw nuts and seeds, as well as grass-fed meats, pastured eggs and limited whole grains such as rice and quinoa.  Also be sure to include plenty of healthy fats such as Omega-3s, CLA, pastured butter, coconut oil and avocados etc…  You gotta eat fat to burn fat!

3)  NO LOW CALORIE DIETS! Remember we’re not talking about simply watching your portions here.  Obviously, you don’t need to keep eating if your full.  But do not restrict your daily caloric intake in an attempt to lose weight.  Even if it works temporarily, the weight will most likely come back.

Instead, focus on high quality foods.  Listen to your body when it is hungry, and feed it the fuel that it needs to function.  A healthy body will give your the lean look you want.  So focus on getting healthy, and let the body shed the weight – it’s much better at doing it than we are.

4) Exercise! This is another fantastic way to lower your insulin levels.  If fat loss is your goal, skip the cardio and focus on strength training and interval training.  These forms of exercises promote greater fat loss.  They also stimulate hormonal responses in the body – telling it to repair and build muscle tissue.  Exercise also helps to stimulate the thyroid and adrenal glands which helps to balance your metabolism.

Are you struggling with weight loss and overall health?  Have you tried exercising and eating right, but nothing seems to work?  I want to encourage you to change your perspective.

Don’t get caught up in conventional thinking – it’s all backwards.  If everything were true, we would be a much healthier nation.  Instead, ignore the flashy marketing and  listen to your body.  It will tell you what it needs to be healthy.

Need help?  We are here to give you the tools to be successful.  It first starts with knowledge.  Education is key!  We also offer in-home personal training, nutrition consulting, Metabolic Typing services and Wellness Coaching.

To get started or for more information contact Jonathan Martin:  Jmartin@tnfitnesslink.com  Or call (615) 477-6502  Or visit the website at http://tnfitnesslink.com/

Jonathan Martin

American Lung Association Lung Walk theme this year is Fight For Air! Often times we are bombarded by messages in the health and wellness community that muddy the quest for quality food, exercise, environmental factors and more.  We are excited to participate as a sponsor for the May 1st, 2010 Walk at Nashville Zoo at Grassmere!

We will be leading the warm-ups prior to the walk and have a booth available with goodies and contests!

NASHVILLE, TN
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
8:30 a.m. Registration, 9:30 a.m. Walk Starts

For those of you wanting to donate to the cause, please visit the Lung Walk page where you can register as a “virtual walker” or purchase a Marker for $15.00.

Details for joining in the walk are here.

We look forward to seeing you on May 1st.

Few things unite couples more than a common goal.

• Better health = A happier relationship
• Share your time with each other
• Common goals with personal achievements

Let this year be a time when you and your Valentine can share in building your health together.  Through February 15th, Fitness Link is offering a very special Partner’s Package:  2 for the price of 1

The Valentine’s Partner’s Package includes:

• A fitness evaluation and assessment
• 3 months personally designed exercise program
• Your personal Metabolic Typing diet programs for both
• 3 months Wellness Coaching

A value of over $1,250……….Now, until the 15th, is only $600.

Give yourselves the gift of health this Valentine’s day.  And experience the many benefits that come with your combined commitment to each other and to a healthier, happier life!

For more information on this special offer, give us a call at (615) 477-6502!