About the video
This video focuses on the argument people are making against insulin and fat loss. This argument is the basis for popular books right now like, “Good Calories, Bad Calories” or Jorge Cruise’s new release. This may seem like beating a dead horse but I still get questions all the time on this topic (two this week in my forums alone).
The video describes what insulin does and how fat loss works. These are two complicated processes put in a simple manner. This stuff can be a bit boring but it helps to know it. I also put in a picture of a stuffed squirrel.
About this series
This is the first part of the insulin series. It will look at the role insulin plays in fat loss and how you feel. Some of the topics include:
- Carbohydrate intake and your fat loss
- Answers regarding your dieting and refeed response
- Health and its role in your fat loss
- How to optimize carbohydrate intake during fat loss and maintenance
- What to say the next time someone says “Insulin blunts fat loss and carbs are teh devil.”
I hope you enjoy this series. Feel free to pass along the video whenever you see this dogma turning its ugly head. Sharing is caring.
Thanks Leigh, that cleared up gaps in my understanding as well as shoring up my resolve in the process; it’s all about the deficit.
Thanks
Great vid Leigh.
Even though I know calorie input/output is the path to weight loss I still follow a low carbish plan for a few reasons. 1st is that when I eat a fattier diet I’m full for a lot longer to the point where I can eat just 2 meals a day and not feel hungry, 2nd is that when I was eat mostly carbs (about 60%) (the highly refined stuff and the whole grain stuff) I would get terrbile hunger pangs, the ones where you feel like you’re about to faint if you don’t eat something then and there.
I’ve never had that sort of hunger with my current ratio of 50-60% fat, 30% protein and 10-20% carbs (mainly starchy veg and the occasional slice of toast)
The reason this way of eating is working for me is that I don’t feel like I’m depriving my body, I don’t get intense hunger pangs and I’m naturally eating in a deficit (most of the time). I’ve tried calorie counting but just can’t keep up with it after a while, this way I don’t need to.
I know this is just my anicdotal point of view but I’m interested in what you have to say about high fat as long as it’s in a deficit.
Thanks. Looking forward to the other videos.
I could have written this post exactly.
Low carb keeps me satiated, no question. I lost plenty of weight while counting calories. I was eating healthy, whole foods, with a moderate amount of fat and carbs. But I was just hungry all the time. Now, I am eating a very similar amount of calories, but very low carb (around 20-30 grams per day), and I am so much happier! I’m not hungry! And, when I am hungry, I can totally handle it. I don’t feel like attacking the fridge!
Secondly, I recently checked my sugar after eating a high-ish carb meal, and found that I had high blood sugar (pre-diabetic range). I would never have guessed. It is not good to have blood glucose readings of 167 mg/dl, even for a short time, postprandial. If I eat a low carb meal, I feel satiated, and my blood glucose readings stay at a nice low range of under 80 mg/dl. There is no reason why I would want to have my blood glucose go as high as 160 mg/dl several times per day. The best way to stop that is to lower the carbs.
There is no question that blood sugar control is an issue for people like me, even though I never been diagnosed as a diabetic, but I clearly have insulin resistance problems. I’m betting there are a lot of moderately overweight, like me, who have no idea that they are insulin resistant.
Low carb is a healthy and very reasonable style of eating for many many people. Many low carbers eat much less refined foods and much more healthy vegetables than the typical person on the standard American diet. There are many other factors that weigh in beyond the calories in vs. calories out idea. There is nothing unhealthy about low carb.
Additionally, once I get to my maintenance weight, I’m gonig to experiment a bit to see whether I can eat more calories of fat and protein without gaining weight. If that is the case, wouldn’t it mean that calories in vs. calories out is not nearly as clear cut as one would think?
IF you say calories don’t matter you don’t know what you are talking about. One Leigh was talking about the process. Are you arguing against the process of the human body? If so can you please provide how what she was saying is incorrect?
What makes you hungry or helps you with saiety has nothing to do with it. Thermic effect means fuck all and actually carbohydrates produce more anyway so there goes your metabolic advantage bs. Go back to reading your Eades, he is a joke too.
What satiates me matters tremendously. I can’t stay on a diet if I’m hungry all the time, and eventually, I gain weight and feel terrible. That matters a lot to me!
And, I never said that I knew anything. I only said that I was going to experiment with how my body responds to eating once I get to maintenance.
Kisses and hugs to you! MUAH!
Ketan and Laurie, how are you eating 20-30 g of carb only? Aren’t you eating any vegies or fruits? I also find that more protein/fat and less carb works for my fullness and calmness, and that when I eat higher carbs in a day my cravings and addiction returns. However, I once tried to get down to 20-30g carb and found that even broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, green beans, red or green pepper, cucumber, all have carb that can mount to 60-100 g carb, and I welcome these foods to help fill me and to add nutrients…. So are you eating vegies and fruit?
(off topic: I also have been finding that 1/5 avocado daily has been doing wonders for my digestion/constipation)
Hey Etana,
Yeah I eat vege’s and fruitss. I don’t count carbs from non-starchy vege’s too much because most of that is fibre (not all of it). For fruit I eat mainly berries because, again, the higher fiber. Will sometimes eat mango, oranges etc. They only carbs I’ve cut out are grain based products and reduced starch. I’m not anti-bread by any means but cutting these out is an automatic calorie reduction for me and i’ve replaced some of those calories with fat and some protien.
Like you said, more carbs = more cravings, I have the same problem. So I kill 2 birds this way which are feel full throughout the day and reduce calories.
Different people react to different carb structures and set up. Everything from insulin sensitivity to emotional preference affects the amount of carb set up which will make a deficit and maintenance easy for you.
I don’t really care what anyone eats, though I believe in optimization. For example, in a client who was dealing with above average inflammation issues I would focus on higher fat, more specific carbs and more spacing of meals or even a If’ing structure.
With a bodybuilding client looking to gain mass who was healthy, it would be a completely different scenario. I am believing assigning a diet for the needs, not to blanket people into a one fits all scenario because there is no such thing.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing this to light! I can’t wait for the next videos:)
Welcome
I am looking forward to your response to Ketan’s reply too, what sort fats was my question? Saturated, poly’s or mono’s? And apart from that where are the essential fibre and nutrients coming from??
Great vid Lepal Hill, straight down the line as usual
Hey Richie,
I think you were asking me that question.
For fats I eat mainly saturated (butter, cream, animal fat), I also eat olive oil nuts, avacados.
My fibre is mainly from fruit and veg (berries, cauliflours, brocolli, onions etc)
Nutirent’s wise I eat eggs and veges plus the nutrients in the meat and fish.
Hope that answers your question.
Hey Ketan,
Doesn’t eating a high amount of saturated animal fats give you cause for concern with your health?
High Richie,
I’m not convinced that saturated fat is bad for you, if anything it’s good for you but I realise this is a controversial topic.
As a species that evolved on a lot of sat fats and protien I think we’re fine eating it now (Don’t worry im not going all paleo on you). This is something I’m still researching but with what I’ve read so far I think sat fats are fine, in fact I think they are good for your health.
I know you need them for some essential bodily functions, but like everything in life, moderation is key…………
Completely agree.
Great video Leigh – I always appreciate how you keep it scientific yet simple!
What is it with “experts” who use anecdotal evidence taken from tiny samples of outliers (i.e. Inuit people)?! Anyone who looks at those studies more closely would also see that those same people suffered from problems with blood clotting (Omega 3 excess) and parasites (eating raw seal meat). Taking one aspect of a sample study and using it to promote a low-carb orthodoxy is exploits bad science in the worst way. Furthermore, there is no analysis that takes into account the adaptation of a lifestyle that is lived over hundreds, if not thousands of generations.
I guess some people aren’t content unless they over-complicate things. Then again, I’m sure it helps to sell all those books and fad diets
It sure does help. The thing is there isn’t really anything wrong with the outline or structures overall , it is the BS views and “science” they use to support it.
I am short on time and will make individual replies but I wanted to say I never said I was against low carb. This isn’t about high or low carbs. This is about the actual process that occurs in the body. I will be discussing carb choices for yourself in the future.
Leigh, I have questions for you about the insulin release for protein and why the insulin spikes differ for protein and carb and why that matters. (you may be getting to this when you discuss carb choices in the future).
From what I understand, yes, protein raises insulin levels indirectly because with protein, the body releases glucagon which stimulates gylogenolysis and newly formed glucose release from the liver which then releases insulin. (not sure exactly why the body needs this release of glucose from the liver for protein digestion, havent learned/figured that out yet). This moderate rise in insulin associated with a protein meal stimulates uptake of sugar formed in the liver by muscle and fat tissue.
So the glucose release is done by the body at a very mediated level. With carbs, the carbs are broken down to glucose and flood the blood at a much higher amount. The glucose in the blood is not regulated by the body but is regulated by the carbohydrate meal and therefore the insulin release is dependent on the meal as well. The higher the carbs, the higher the insulin peak and therefore the harder the crash and all those fun things that go along with it- increased appetite, decreased energy, etc.
Thank you
Both Atkins and the Eadeses (Protein Power) make it clear in their books that if you are not losing weight (while eating low carb), then you need to look at your total calories. They never claimed that you could overeat and still lose weight, even if you are low in carbs. They know that calories do matter when it comes to weight loss. In the absence of dietary carbs, they know that if you are not creating a deficit, then your body will simply burn dietary fat, rather than body fat, and weight loss will not occur.
I’ve read both of their books, and they don’t hide this information. It is there.
I suppose you would disagree with them when they say that you won’t gain weight from overeating fat and protein. I know for sure that the Eadeses contends that most people can eat as much fat and protein as they want, and as long as the carbs are low, they do not gain weight. Dr. Eades says that you should keep your calories at a deficit while losing weight and then once at maintenance, but then, you can loosen up and increase the fat and protein, and as long as the carbs are kept at a reasonable level, weight gain should not be a problem.
This is where I’m most interested in seeing my own personal physiological response. Once I’m at maintenance, I’ll play around with the numbers and see what happens. I could do an experiment now, by overeating tremendously while keeping the carbs low and see if I stall or gain, but I have no interest in stalling or gaining at the moment, lol. My focus is on losing weight!
You are stupid if you think you could eat all the protein and fat you want and not gain weight. By the way look at the pictures of the Inuit tribe Leigh posted. They look like they are capable of gaining weight to me and they eat no carbs at all.
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/images/Canada/factfile/Inuit_women_1907.jpg
http://www.heroines.ca/graphics/inuit2.jpg
They look like 17% body fat women to you?
You aren’t getting it etiher, I would stay on this blog and learn a few things. Eadeses is a joke.
Thank you for calling me stupid! That really adds a certain elegance to the conversation, and gives you quite the authoritative feel to your comments.
While James method of arguing leaves for a bit of patience, his points aren’t completely off.
If you think you can eat all the fat you want and not gain weight (which is what it appears you are saying via Eades work) then I have to say it is a incorrect statement and shows a complete misunderstanding and neglect towards a basic law of energy.
You are also neglecting the fact that dietary fat can store itself in absence of insulin.
You have no studies to show me I am wrong because they don’t exsist.
For your anecdotal evidence, unless you are monitoring every meal you eat by weight (which calories are given by estimates at best) and being monitored in every activity you do (which would only be close to accurate in a lab setting) then you have no argument.
You just LIKE that style of diet better and great for you. However, liking a diet and trying to prove a diet to be superior or dangerous are two different things.
Seriously, James is right. Leigh is right. Stick around here for awhile.
Yeah, the Paleo diet says nothing about limiting carbohydrate intake. It simply instructs that your carbs come from vegetables and fruit. You are permitted to eat as many of these carbs as you like. Literally. However, no bread, dairy, grains, legumes. This is to even out the acid-base ratio of your body, and to avoid the anti-nutrients that are so pervasive in dairy, grains and legumes. And to avoid insulin spikes and insulin resistance.
Of course satiety matters. If it really is all about calories in, calories out, then being full is very important.
Further, to gain and keep lean muscle, one must eat plenty of protein and fat. Lean muscle is one of the most important markers of health, and is a huge key to being able to use the toilet on your own when you turn 80.
Classic straw-man argument in this video. Calories in, calories out with a high carbohydrate diet (and no HEAVY resistance training) is a sure fire recipe for being either fat, or skinny-fat (which is just as bad).
“Yeah, the Paleo diet says nothing about limiting carbohydrate intake. It simply instructs that your carbs come from vegetables and fruit. You are permitted to eat as many of these carbs as you like. Literally. However, no bread, dairy, grains, legumes. “
So why do you limit those carbohydrates? You stated…
“This is to even out the acid-base ratio of your body, and to avoid the anti-nutrients that are so pervasive in dairy, grains and legumes. And to avoid insulin spikes and insulin resistance.”
The presence of anti-nutrients doesn’t mean bad. In excessive amounts anything can be bad and what is bad is not someone eating beans but someone eating a pot of beans in one sitting. This is the same with insulin resistance and spikes. High spikes are not bad themselves it is the after affect of what they do and what you do with them. Should you eat a balanced diet, yes. But you are missing the forest for the trees here.
“Of course satiety matters. If it really is all about calories in, calories out, then being full is very important.”
I never said it didn’t but without satiety you can still lose weight. Look at the “study” of thousands of people called “holocaust” and you will see what I am talking about. It is far more examples and cases than the small Indian tribe taubes like so much.
You are also assuming, again that I am against low carb diets and I have never said any such thing.
“Further, to gain and keep lean muscle, one must eat plenty of protein and fat.”
Very little fat (only essential) would need to be eaten for muscle gain. Protein intake also is highly overrated in the low carb crowd and usually underrated in the high carb crowd. One says, “OH NO MY KIDNEYS!” and the other says, “OH NO MY MUSCLE”! Both are operating under the less is more or more is better.
“Lean muscle is one of the most important markers of health, and is a huge key to being able to use the toilet on your own when you turn 80.”
Muscle isn’t as much of a marker as you think. In fact, if you look at the condition of those who live longest the majority of them have low body mass period both in lean and fat mass. Being able to sit on the toilet at 80 is mobility which is the action of moving ones muscle, not the presence of it.
“Classic straw-man argument in this video. Calories in, calories out with a high carbohydrate diet (and no HEAVY resistance training) is a sure fire recipe for being either fat, or skinny-fat (which is just as bad).”
Once, again, that isn’t what I recommend. You come over here and watch my video (probably from a paleo forum) and think you got me all figured out in one video? Talk about strawman.
Why not instead ask “Leigh, does this mean you don’t support a low carb diet?” and I will answer that I never said that. I do support and practice what is consider by government standards a low carb diet and by low carber standards a moderate carb diet. I am not an endurance athlete and I function best with a more balanced intake towards a little more fat.
Next time ask, don’t assume.
It doesn’t sound to me like James and Laurie’s points of view are mutually exclusive.
There needs to be a deficit.
Some people may find it easier to maintain that deficit eating fewer carbs because they find it helps them with appetite control.
Not everyone is necessarily going to be the same in that regard. We all need to work out how we personally best manage to stay in deficit and feel okay.
My way of coping with a deficit is making sure whatever foods I do eat are nutrient-rich. I am in deficit, I have to use the calories I do eat to get the most nutrition possible. I find if I eat my daily quota of calories in the form of processed foods, I am still hungry. If I eat e.g. vegetables, lean meats and get enough omega 3’s I can manage to eat less and feel okay. Helps with recovery from training too. Because I do this, almost all of the carbs I eat are in the form of fruit or vegetables. It’s not because I am carb-phobic. It’s because I am seeking out nutrient rich produce.
Yes I think that’s true. The high carbs days when I’m most hungry are the days I eat pasta and bread and tortillas, not the days I eat sweet or white potatoes, corn and squash. I’ll have to look at this more, but maybe it’s not the carb that triggers my cravings, but the processed and white carbs.
I read a study that said low carb diets produce greater mood swings. I don’t feel it is ever necessary to go on a low carb diet, unless you have diabetes or something. Its just all about calories in vs calories out.
Leigh:
Paleo eating emphasizes an ancestral diet of high quality meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, tubers, nuts/seeds. Period. This is not necessarily ‘low carb’ at all- fruits, tubers, veggies, nuts all contain carbs to varying amounts and may be eaten more or less depending on the season and the individual’s needs and metabolism.
What does tend to get cut out from the SAD (standard American diet) are an overabundance of sugars from refined carbohydrate sources (soda, bread, candy, pastries, white flour, white rice, etc) and omega-6 heavy fats (vegetable oils, ‘frankenoils’). The combination of a diet much higher in refined sugars that we are evolved to handle and an out of whack omega 3:omega 6 ratio combine to create metabolic syndrome, type 2 and 3 diabetes, CVD, etc.
When someone eats a diet very high in sugars, their insulin levels stay raised throughout the day instead of the normal pulsatile release. This causes insulin resistance to develop. Constant insulin creates hypothalamic cues for hunger/cravings. Refined sugars bind pleasure receptors for dopamine and serotonin becoming addictive. The cycle continues.
Paleo eating is NOT designed for people to lose fat. In fact, the goal of our ancestors was to stay alive and not starve to death! It is designed by evolution as the diet for which we are best adapted to look/feel/perform our best and remain healthy and disease-free. The fact that many people do lose massive mounts of weight when switching from a high sugar, high omega 6 fat diet to Paleo eating (lower sugar, better omega 3 fats, less omega 6) is just an inevitable side effect of eating healthier, getting insulin levels under control and re-establishing a better omega 3:6 ratio. It is NOT necessarily from just ‘cutting carbs’.
In addition, it is well established the insulin resistance and high cortisol levels combine to inhibit fat loss and increase deposition of fat at the abdomen and love-handles. This is why I see so many people who eat low calorie diets with high carbohydrate and vegetable oil content retain their poor body composition even as they lose weight from caloric deficit. And why those of us who eat plenty of calories and exercise in the right way have stunning body composition, very low bf percentage, and flat stomachs/no love handles.
Not all Paleo eaters and Taubes readers are expounding ‘low-carb’ just ‘lower carb relative to SAD’ and better fat than SAD. It’s pretty simple.
Paleo eating emphasizes an ancestral diet of high quality meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, tubers, nuts/seeds. Period. This is not necessarily ‘low carb’ at all- fruits, tubers, veggies, nuts all contain carbs to varying amounts and may be eaten more or less depending on the season and the individual’s needs and metabolism.
I am aware of what the paleo diet is. You should note in the video I also said a common theme but leave it to everyone to focus on the tiny part where I said “a common theme in these diets is…”
Regardless there is a carbohydrate restriction of processed grains and one of the reasons given in Paleo fat loss programs is because of the insulin blunting fat loss. Simple as that and the only reason I gave in the video. I didn’t once in the video say anything else about carbohydrates or my views of them.
What does tend to get cut out from the SAD (standard American diet) are an overabundance of sugars from refined carbohydrate sources (soda, bread, candy, pastries, white flour, white rice, etc) and omega-6 heavy fats (vegetable oils, ‘frankenoils’). The combination of a diet much higher in refined sugars that we are evolved to handle and an out of whack omega 3:omega 6 ratio combine to create metabolic syndrome, type 2 and 3 diabetes, CVD, etc.
When someone eats a diet very high in sugars, their insulin levels stay raised throughout the day instead of the normal pulsatile release. This causes insulin resistance to develop. Constant insulin creates hypothalamic cues for hunger/cravings. Refined sugars bind pleasure receptors for dopamine and serotonin becoming addictive. The cycle continues.
I am aware of insulin resistance and what it does but eating those foods does not mean it will happen. Eating those foods in EXCESS certainly can lead to it. The problem is people can’t understand the difference between the two.
I get the connect the dots effect and I don’t not agree. What I don’t agree with are people who state that if you eat these foods you will…
1) gain fat in the absence of a caloric surplus
2) Be forced without your own will to eat more
3) Will get sick by eating even small amounts of processed grains.
These are not correct statements. It is much like how driving drunk can cause you to kill someone with your car and then banning alcohol. It isn’t the alcohol’s fault someone is dead, it is the drivers. Bastardizing the substance leads to more problems because of avoidance of the real issue. That real issue is excess.
If people were discussing WHY the excess can occur and discussing how to help people and how to make better decisions and left it to that, I would have no problems. It is the twisting of information for scare tactics and just misunderstood chemistry which bothers me.
In addition, it is well established the insulin resistance and high cortisol levels combine to inhibit fat loss and increase deposition of fat at the abdomen and love-handles. This is why I see so many people who eat low calorie diets with high carbohydrate and vegetable oil content retain their poor body composition even as they lose weight from caloric deficit. And why those of us who eat plenty of calories and exercise in the right way have stunning body composition, very low bf percentage, and flat stomachs/no love handles.
Not all Paleo eaters and Taubes readers are expounding ‘low-carb’ just ‘lower carb relative to SAD’ and better fat than SAD. It’s pretty simple.
No, you are missing some very big puzzle pieces here. For one if you want to look at the stunning body angle check out almost every body builder in the 80’s who had a very full carbohydrate diet while training and cutting.
What you are talking about is eating a balanced diet, exercising and caloric partitioning. You can gain all the benefits you discussed on a balanced diet with the use of grains. If you don’t choose to do so that is fine.
Also bringing up the SAD is a moot point because I don’t support or promote SAD. If you put SAD diet against a vegetarian diet it loses everytime. This is because SAD is complete s**t. Almost anything wins against it.
Sounds to me like you have quite a straw man argument. I haven’t seen any supporters of paleo-based eating, including leading blogs like Arthur Devany’s, Robb Wolf’s, Hyperlipid, Whole Health Food Source, Panu, Free the Animal, etc. touting a carbs=devil argument. I don’t see this argument in Taubes’ book either.
So you seem to be getting overly defensive and creating a scenario which doesn’t really exist- that there are some dogmatic, religious paleo freaks who are telling people that all carbs are bad and that releasing any insulin at all will make you fat. You also still seem to be a bit off the mark in your understanding of physiology.
I looked on your ‘about’ page for info on your education background/credentials but didn’t find much. I worry about people who appoint themselves as qualified to give others nutrition advice.
Since I have been arguing this all week long and am running out of steam for it I will refer you to this article and call it a day in regards to alarmism over carbohydrates and insulin.
http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/
Congratulations on not responding to the statements I made and going for a direct ad hominem towards my credentials. It isn’t relevant at all to what we are discussing. Also, to claim Taubes doesn’t have an issues with carbohydrates is like saying the grass is blue. You obviously have a small scope or are hand fed your research. I recommend the next time you start arguing with someone about studies you actually read them.
Lastly, if you can read at all, I said “A common theme…” and labeled my case stating clearly there are different reasons and styles of the Paleo diet and that I didn’t have a problem with the diet.
Leigh is 100% correct. I don’t know why all these Paleo dieters are coming over here but you are making yourselves sound stupid. Ever hear of something called ASP guys? Ever seen people who are stuck being fat asses on low carb and paleo boards?
I say this cause I care. I was completely caught up in the LC lifestyle and Taubes. I did Protein Power and I ignored the balance of energy intake. I found Leigh, fought with Leigh and then Leigh changed my life. She also gave me the 8% I have been dying for my whole life.
This is common sense folks! Listen to the lady.
Leigh, I admire you and your dissent-crushing knowledge
Some excellent replies, Leigh.
I agree with Jedi, excellent replies Leigh!
Thank you Leigh for taking the time to respond to comments and ignore the ones that dont ask questions or create real rational and informative debate. It would be easy to make responses with negative statements about the person who made the comment (as some have done to you) but that does nothing to educate and rationally debate.
I’m so glad I don’t subscribe to any certain diet/nutrition protocol – so many better things in life to obsess over, other than food!
Freedom, baby. That’s where it’s at.
Leigh, You’ve got a racket going on. A whole career and following based on the simple concept (that you don’t exactly hide from anyone; in fact you give it away free)… that you just have to eat less than you burn. period.
All the measuring I’ve done, and the mathematical equations I’ve computed. “3500 cal deficit should result in 1 lb loss per week.” etc. What is my RMR, BMR etc. None of it matters if I’m not getting results it means I’m eating more than I’m burning, and need to eat less or burn (move) more. period.
It’s taken a year for what YOU say to sink in. It’s taken decades for it to sink in, really. I could say “I should lose at 1200 cal.” …”My Gowear Fit says”…. “my scale says”… If I’m not losing, I’m just eating more than I’m burning. period.
It’s been hard for me to grasp, because I seem to lose at 1100 or 1150 cal, yet at 1200 or 1250 cal I don’t seem to… I’m still not sure if/how this could be possible. It still seems my body has some extra resistance to losing fat. But when the calories are low enough and the activity is enough, I seem to be losing.
I’ve started really missing starchy carbs during the week (like acorn squash, and white or sweet potato), and watching this video will encourage me to bring these back into my daily diet, just keep the calories lower than the activity.
But Leigh, could you talk more about the little section you mentioned at the end of the video about what makes people more resistant to losing than other people? Because I don’t think 3500 cal deficit triggers a 1 pound loss for me. I think I need a deficit of double that to lose a pound (am I just coming back to math and should forget it)? I have accepted that it is harder for me to lose than for others. I have accepted that my daily burn while sedentary is low and even when I do an hour of cardio dance and 1-1/2 of good walking, I only hit 2500 cal burn in a day… I have accepted it all and am dieting with that in mind.
But why is it harder for some people to lose than others, if they are honest about their burn and cal eaten and are hitting a good deficit? (I’m not talking about the variation in foods and GWFs and measuring systems). Are some bodies more resistant to losing fat and what makes that happen?
But Leigh, could you talk more about the little section you mentioned at the end of the video about what makes people more resistant to losing than other people? Because I don’t think 3500 cal deficit triggers a 1 pound loss for me. I think I need a deficit of double that to lose a pound (am I just coming back to math and should forget it)?
You still aren’t getting that it is that energy balance is true HOWEVER and I have said this a million times, it doesn’t mean you are operating at a high figure. The number of calories it actually takes to achieve fat loss is an estimate at best but for figures sake we use the 3500 number. What you adaptive level is, BMR, TEF, etc are is relevant and changing all the time. It is your job to figure out what works best for you. I will be discussing this more in the future and in serious detail in the FLTS updates.
…the SAD (standard American diet) Didn’t the pyramid change a few years ago from one bad SAD to another bad SAD?
Leigh, this topic has been a great vehicle for different views, and your responses, which has brought some clarity to many issues, and I look forward to the rest of your articles on Insulin. I don’t have high cortisol (was tested), but am I insulin resistant? How would I know? Do you agree with what was said here by JP, that “an overabundance of sugars from refined carbohydrate sources (soda, bread, candy, pastries, white flour, white rice, etc) and omega-6 heavy fats (vegetable oils, ‘frankenoils’). The combination of a diet much higher in refined sugars that we are evolved to handle and an out of whack omega 3:omega 6 ratio combine to create metabolic syndrome, type 2 and 3 diabetes, CVD, etc.
When someone eats a diet very high in sugars, their insulin levels stay raised throughout the day instead of the normal pulsatile release. This causes insulin resistance to develop. Constant insulin creates hypothalamic cues for hunger/cravings.”
Does this mean that if I have cravings I have had too much refined sugar and heavy fats is what causes the cravings? (I don’t mean emotional cravings, I mean physical cravings). So what is an overabundance? I can go and have linguini in red clam sauce, one of the best of the refined starch restaurant meals I choose, and come home and want to eat more more more.
Thanks, Etana
…the SAD (standard American diet) Didn’t the pyramid change a few years ago from one bad SAD to another bad SAD?
Leigh, this topic has been a great vehicle for different views, and your responses, which has brought some clarity to many issues, and I look forward to the rest of your articles on Insulin. I don’t have high cortisol (was tested), but am I insulin resistant? How would I know? Do you agree with what was said here by JP, that “an overabundance of sugars from refined carbohydrate sources (soda, bread, candy, pastries, white flour, white rice, etc) and omega-6 heavy fats (vegetable oils, ‘frankenoils’). The combination of a diet much higher in refined sugars that we are evolved to handle and an out of whack omega 3:omega 6 ratio combine to create metabolic syndrome, type 2 and 3 diabetes, CVD, etc. When someone eats a diet very high in sugars, their insulin levels stay raised throughout the day instead of the normal pulsatile release. This causes insulin resistance to develop. Constant insulin creates hypothalamic cues for hunger/cravings.”
Does this mean that if I have cravings I have had too much refined sugar and heavy fats is what causes the cravings? (I don’t mean emotional cravings, I mean physical cravings). So what is an overabundance? I can go and have linguini in red clam sauce, one of the best of the refined starch restaurant meals I choose, and come home and want to eat more more more.
Thanks, Etana
Re the cravings question, I believe it is imossible to say something is not emotional but is physical because our emotions actually produce chemical reactions in the body. (see for e.g. the book molecules of emotion by candace pert).
High Carb foods seem to increase levels of serotonin in the brain making us feel good and want more of that same food which made it happen. It’s a chemical reaction. Eating more in that case only seems to reinforce the craving cycle. This might be what’s happening with the pasta. If so you may choos to avoid the linguini in the first place, or alternatively, try to ride out the craving because it’s probably not true hunger if this is happening.
Alternatively, sometimes if you are deficient in certain nutrients, you can crave certain foods. Those foods aren’t necessarily the ones that will rectify your deficiency so if you think it’s this, maybe look into it and take some supplements or eat some healthy foods rich in those nutrients. E.g. Magnesium is a common deficiency which has been linked to chocolate cravings. Chocolate doesn’t have enough magnesium to help much though. So it would be better to go in search of something really rich in magnesium than giving in to the craving.
Alterntively, if you’re in enough of a caloric deficit your body tends to want all sorts of foods more (esp high cal foods), possibly to the point of ‘craving’ because it’s trying to tell you to eat more. You may just have to live with these sorts of cravings whilst you’re trying to lose fat.
Anyway, I think it is good that you’ve identified what makes you get cravings and that if you can try to avoid those situations that’s probably the best bet.
Hope this helps.
[...] you didn’t catch my video on insulin and its relation to fat loss you can view it [...]
Thank you for linking the Alan Aragon post- not quite sure what your point to be made there is- I don’t think fructose is evil and it is certainly dose-dependent and quality-dependent, just like I don’t think carbs are evil and they are certainly dose-dependent and quality-dependent.
Fair enough about me not addressing your argument, I too run out of steam with the current contrarian crowd popping up to whine about paleo folks- Lyle McDonald seems like a real class act, I’m sure his mother is proud.
How is this:
LEIGH said:
“I am aware of insulin resistance and what it does but eating those foods does not mean it will happen. Eating those foods in EXCESS certainly can lead to it. The problem is people can’t understand the difference between the two.
I get the connect the dots effect and I don’t not agree. What I don’t agree with are people who state that if you eat these foods you will…
1) gain fat in the absence of a caloric surplus
2) Be forced without your own will to eat more
3) Will get sick by eating even small amounts of processed grains.
These are not correct statements. It is much like how driving drunk can cause you to kill someone with your car and then banning alcohol. It isn’t the alcohol’s fault someone is dead, it is the drivers. Bastardizing the substance leads to more problems because of avoidance of the real issue. That real issue is excess.”
I understand the difference between excess and non-excess just fine. But my question would be what is excess for someone who is gluten intolerant? What about the significant portion of the population who is gluten/wheat intolerant who are undiagnosed because of the insufficiency of current standard testing methods? What about the fact that even a small amount of gluten/wheat can irritate the gut lining, cause leaky gut, autoimmune reactions, and inhibit nutrient absorbtion?
Excess compared to what? Evolutionarily, a strong argument can be made that ‘normal’ carbohydrate intake in our society is already well in excess of what our ancestors ate and to that to which we are best adapted.
Your analogy to alcohol is actually a good one- we know how many people alcohol and alcohol related accidents kill every year- no it doesn’t mean alcohol is evil- yes it means our society has a HUGE problem with it. I would make the same argument about carbohydrates and PUFA’s in the diet. Not everyone eats them in excess, but many many people do and that is a major source of the obesity and diabetes epidemic we are facing. So the truth is- eating them in EXCESS has already become the NORM in our society.
LEIGH SAID: “No, you are missing some very big puzzle pieces here. For one if you want to look at the stunning body angle check out almost every body builder in the 80’s who had a very full carbohydrate diet while training and cutting.
What you are talking about is eating a balanced diet, exercising and caloric partitioning. You can gain all the benefits you discussed on a balanced diet with the use of grains. If you don’t choose to do so that is fine.
Also bringing up the SAD is a moot point because I don’t support or promote SAD. If you put SAD diet against a vegetarian diet it loses everytime. This is because SAD is complete s**t. Almost anything wins against it.”
And what puzzle pieces are those? I’ve looked at the carb-loading bodybuilders of the 80’s and noticed a very high incidence of cancer, post-retirement obesity, heart disease, and early death. Thank you for adding to my argument. There are many ways to skin a cat, I never said one couldn’t get ‘cut’ or lean eating high carb, I just don’t think it’s a healthy way to do it.
You bring up ‘balanced diet’ but don’t tell me what that balance is. I agree with you that one may do fine while including grains in his/her diet if they are well tolerated. I just don’t see any good reason to do so.
My reason for bringing up SAD was to address the context in which insulin and carbohydrates are discussed in Taubes’ book. The same book which you preface your post by saying I just don’t get it. I get it just fine.
Being concerned about not being able to find out complete information about a person’s educational background and credentials when she authoritatively dispenses opinions and advice about biochemistry, physiology, and nutrition does not constitute an ad hominem attack. It constitutes a legitimate question to be answered by the ‘expert’ who has the nutrition blog. Congratulations on evading the question.
You Stated – “I understand the difference between excess and non-excess just fine. But my question would be what is excess for someone who is gluten intolerant? What about the significant portion of the population who is gluten/wheat intolerant who are undiagnosed because of the insufficiency of current standard testing methods? What about the fact that even a small amount of gluten/wheat can irritate the gut lining, cause leaky gut, autoimmune reactions, and inhibit nutrient absorbtion?”
How much do you know about Celiac disease? Did you know it can only be diagnosed by surgery? Do you know what happens in the process and how rare what you are discussing is? Peanut allergies affect more people than Celiac disease. Shellfish is also a large issue. Yes, there are people who have an issue with the digestion of gluten, but not all carbohydrates have them. If it is a large fear you can avoid it but you fear and avoidance does not equal science. Do you know what happens when you overeat carbhydrates? You bloat and you feel like crap. So don’t ever eat them, it doesn’t mean they are dangerous. For the record I believe to eat a low gluten diet, I do not like fake carbohydrate foods. I like whole food overall. There is a difference between choosing foods that give your biggest bang for your buck and bastardizing foods when people are out of control with them or a select few have issues with them.
“Excess compared to what? Evolutionarily, a strong argument can be made that ‘normal’ carbohydrate intake in our society is already well in excess of what our ancestors ate and to that to which we are best adapted.”
Excess = More than daily caloric expendture. This is excess in all area by the way, fat and protein included. However it is hard to overeat protein. That doesn’t mean it is the golden god of food. Fat is insanely easy to over eat, just ask any bodybuilder with a peanut butter jar.
“Your analogy to alcohol is actually a good one- we know how many people alcohol and alcohol related accidents kill every year- no it doesn’t mean alcohol is evil- yes it means our society has a HUGE problem with it. I would make the same argument about carbohydrates and PUFA’s in the diet. Not everyone eats them in excess, but many many people do and that is a major source of the obesity and diabetes epidemic we are facing. So the truth is- eating them in EXCESS has already become the NORM in our society.”
I don’t think people aren’t eating in excess, I think they are. Doesn’t mean they are bad though. There are 1001 reasons we overeat, the product we choose is but one small factor.
“And what puzzle pieces are those? I’ve looked at the carb-loading bodybuilders of the 80’s and noticed a very high incidence of cancer, post-retirement obesity, heart disease, and early death. Thank you for adding to my argument.”
Looking forward to you posting these studies and our discussion of them JP.
“My reason for bringing up SAD was to address the context in which insulin and carbohydrates are discussed in Taubes’ book. The same book which you preface your post by saying I just don’t get it. I get it just fine.”
Just so you know, Taubes is not a research reference. Looking forward to you actually reading the studies and understanding how these things work.
“Being concerned about not being able to find out complete information about a person’s educational background and credentials when she authoritatively dispenses opinions and advice about biochemistry, physiology, and nutrition does not constitute an ad hominem attack. It constitutes a legitimate question to be answered by the ‘expert’ who has the nutrition blog. Congratulations on evading the question.”
I like how you stated I evaded the question when you already looked at my about me, as you stated. So I didn’t really see the need to re-read it back to you JP. SInce you can read studies I figured you could read my about me section.
For the record, since you think I am evading, I have s**t for education. No, seriously I don’t have any. I never had stated such either and you can listen to any interview, podcast, etc. I am just a trainer. I write this blog, usually with horrific grammar, and sadly I have more common sense than most of the people on your book shelf. I don’t claim to be an authority on anything other than helping people not be fat, get in shape and learn to self educate themselves.
Personally, I don’t care if a banjo playing hillbilly is giving information, if it is good, it is good. Gary isn’t wrong because he does or doesn’t have the right degree, he is wrong because he has an agenda or is just that misguided. Either way, wrong he is.
Leigh Said: “How much do you know about Celiac disease? Did you know it can only be diagnosed by surgery? Do you know what happens in the process and how rare what you are discussing is?”
Apparently I know much more than you about Celiac Disease. I know that the NIH has reported that it is grossly underdiagnosed and estimates that 1 in 133 Americans has Celiac- that’s about 3 million people. I also know that because the clinical threshold for diagnosis is so high (biopsy showing damage to duodenal brush border) that millions more people who test negative are still gluten intolerant and would great benefit from dropping the grains. Ulcerative colitis, a barrage of autoimmune reactions, liver damage, allergies, on and on- all of these can occur from gluten intolerance.
Furthermore, I just don’t see why calling gluten out as something to generally be avoided is something you would argue with? I have already stated several times that I don’t demonize carbohydrates and vegetables, tubers, and some fruits are just fine. Does this mean one can’t eat grains and do ok? Again, of course not- but I would argue that he/she is doing fine in SPITE of the grains, not because of them.
Leigh Said: “For the record I believe to eat a low gluten diet, I do not like fake carbohydrate foods. I like whole food overall. There is a difference between choosing foods that give your biggest bang for your buck and bastardizing foods when people are out of control with them or a select few have issues with them.”
Ok so we pretty much agree 100% because that is my position. I guess I would just argue that more than a select few have issues with gluten. And that it gives you little benefit by being included in your diet when there are other foods that will give you more ‘bang for your buck’ AND not irritate your gut.
Leigh said “Excess = More than daily caloric expendture. This is excess in all area by the way, fat and protein included. However it is hard to overeat protein. That doesn’t mean it is the golden god of food. Fat is insanely easy to over eat, just ask any bodybuilder with a peanut butter jar. ”
I wish I could view the human body as one large bomb calorimeter like you do, life would be so much simpler! Unfortunately, it’s a dynamic nonlinear system with a multitude of variables at work other than just ‘calories in’/'calories out’. It’s hard for me to understand that a person who claims to cling to ‘common sense’ as much you do wants to argue against the fact that the QUALITY of the calorie, not just its quantity, matters. I completely agree that overeating things other than carbohydrates can make you fat- again that is just common sense.
For the record, I have read what Lyle MacDonald and Alan Aragon have to say about nutrition and in general I am NOT a fan- I think they are out to lunch on a lot of things and are misinformed about some key points. Alan seems like an ok guy, but Lyle just seems miserable, grumpy, and completely closed to reason at times. Wonder what he’s eating
I’m wondering if you’ve broadened your horizons and taken a look at some other sources for your information (aside from Taubes’ book) – I would recommend Kurt Harris M.D.’s Panu Blog, Stefan Guyenet PhD’s Whole Health Source, Petro Dobromylskyj DVM’s Hyperlipid and Robb Wolf’s site if you haven’t looked at those yet. If you have others you think I’d be interested in, that would be great.
Leigh said: “I don’t think people aren’t eating in excess, I think they are. Doesn’t mean they are bad though. There are 1001 reasons we overeat, the product we choose is but one small factor.”
You completely lost me with this reasoning. I never said people who overeat are bad, but I do think that a high incidence of obesity and diabetes in our society IS bad as I’m sure you do. They don’t only affect those with the conditions, they affect all of us. I agree that there are many reasons why we overeat, I completely disagree that the product we choose is a small factor- rather it is a HUGE factor! Again- common sense.
Leigh said: “For the record I believe to eat a low gluten diet, I do not like fake carbohydrate foods. I like whole food overall. There is a difference between choosing foods that give your biggest bang for your buck and bastardizing foods when people are out of control with them or a select few have issues with them.”
It looks like we agree on much more than we disagree on. I have the same position. I was not bastardizing all carbohydrates so maybe you misunderstood my argument or I didn’t make that clear. If so, my apologies.
Leigh said: ”
Just so you know, Taubes is not a research reference. Looking forward to you actually reading the studies and understanding how these things work. ”
Thanks for clarifying that for me Leigh. I was referring to Taubes because it was YOU who prefaced your POST and your video by alluding to his BOOK. I was not citing him as a research reference. As for you telling ME to actually read studies and understand how things work- well…I’m going to leave that one alone and be nice
Leigh said: “For the record, since you think I am evading, I have s**t for education. No, seriously I don’t have any. I never had stated such either and you can listen to any interview, podcast, etc. I am just a trainer. I write this blog, usually with horrific grammar, and sadly I have more common sense than most of the people on your book shelf. I don’t claim to be an authority on anything other than helping people not be fat, get in shape and learn to self educate themselves.”
Thank you for answering the question honestly and sincerely, I respect that. I don’t doubt that you have helped and will continue to help many people lose weight. There is more than one way to skin a cat and you certainly don’t need a degree to do it. I’m not sure about you having more common sense than those on my bookshelf, as you haven’t seen my bookshelf, but I’ll chalk that up to you being a little defensive and hyperbolic.
Again, I suspect we agree on much more than we disagree and I didn’t mean to waste your time here or spin your wheels. I honestly like a good healthy thought-provoking debate about these things and I am open to having my positions challenged and conceding when someone makes a point. Contrary to what you may believe, I am not a ‘paleo-zombie’ here to defend eating low carb, or out to demonize a macronutrient (ha!). I couldn’t really care less what people eat if it works for them. I am more interested in using medical science, evolutionary biology, and empirical results for making health decisions and giving others advice.
Thanks for the discussion and good luck with your practice!
Outstanding response.
JP, I hold a Masters in a science field. I have learned more from blog like Leigh’s, Alan Aragon’s and Lyle McDonald than I ever did in from my professors.
Ry- Yikes! Where did you go to school? Remind me to scratch that one off the list when my cousins ask me for advice about grad school. I learned a tremendous amount from my professors while completing my Ph.D. and doing my postdoctoral fellowship- doesn’t mean I always agreed with them but the education and experience were outstanding. Sorry for your loss.
Me thinks people are just wanting to hear themselves spew stuff here. Leigh, stop wasting your time trying to explain the same thing over and over again because some folks here don’t want to hear what you are saying, They just continue to spew what they believe. It’s like talking to a drunk, although you make sense in what you’re saying to them, they can’t hear you because they’re too intoxicated and are stuck with the thoughts in their head. Move on to those who listen and want to hear what you have to say. You can beat a dead horse if you want to….but you’ll just come away frustrated!
Thanks for the video and all the info you put out.
Ok, so what I understood from this video is that you say you need to expend more energy than you consume to lose weight, yet Taubes etc deny this?
Because I don’t think that’s what Taubes was saying at all. As I understand it, he says that the body is self-regulating via its hormonal system, and fat gain or loss is controlled in this way. The problem is that the main hormone for fat storage is insulin, and insulin is produced when you eat carbohydrates. In some people, eating high levels of carbohydrates produces such a massive release of insulin that all the energy from that food gets tucked away as fat immediately – but at the expense of feeding the cells. So the person is still starving on a cellular level, and is hungry and / or lethargic. So they eat more.
I don’t think anyone is denying the first law of themodynamics. But you gotta look at what drives the calories in / calories out – it’s the hormones. And then you have to look at what drives the hormones.
I do know there is talk of ASP being a secondary hormone for storing fat, this guy says it far better than I ever could:
http://sparkofreason.blogspot.com/2008/06/swift-kick-in-asp.html
“Ok, so what I understood from this video is that you say you need to expend more energy than you consume to lose weight, yet Taubes etc deny this?”
Yes. He denies this.
“Because I don’t think that’s what Taubes was saying at all. As I understand it, he says that the body is self-regulating via its hormonal system, and fat gain or loss is controlled in this way. The problem is that the main hormone for fat storage is insulin, and insulin is produced when you eat carbohydrates. In some people, eating high levels of carbohydrates produces such a massive release of insulin that all the energy from that food gets tucked away as fat immediately – but at the expense of feeding the cells. So the person is still starving on a cellular level, and is hungry and / or lethargic. So they eat more.”
First, this doesn’t make sense. Not an insult to you but this isn’t correct. Aside from that, even it it were true, the point is they eat more. More than their daily needs. Eating the wrong kinds of foods make you eat more therefore blowing your daily expenditure. If that was all Gary was saying I would drop it and say “yeah I mean I get you buddy, I still don’t think you should blame it all on teh evil carbs but they do contribute to overeating.”
That isn’t what Gary is saying. He has stated, that you can eat more calories in other foods and not gain fat. He is saying a macro alters your storage state regardless of surplus. That is why he is wrong.
If you still don’t believe in his lack of intelligence I beg you to read this interview on t-muscle discussing growth hormone (must have been where fred hahn got it) in a relation to obesity, the fact that ALL of the biggest losers gained their weight back. All? “All,” he states. And that calories don’t matter, it is all about the homeostasis.
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_interviews/eat_your_lungs_out_while_getting_leaner
The take home point is…
Can you eat like crap, which is not what I or any sane person recommend, and get all sugar addicted and hopped up and become a fat ass? Yeah, no brainer.
Does it defy the laws of energy balance towards expenditure, for the last time, no it does not.
You would also be amazed the metabolic burn most obese people have before serious health problems come in. If they just move (like we see on the biggest loser) they drop weight like hot cakes. The problem is they don’t move and they overeat. They don’t just overeat because of carbs, again it is like saying all people are drunks because of booze. Sure, it can cause you to not think straight but do you really blame the alcohol on a person who kills someone with a car driving drunk? No, you blame the messed up stuff going on in their head that led them too that point. So, unless you are also for prohibition I think you need to look at your stance.
Great post Leigh. If this doesn’t clear it up, I’m not sure anything will.
Leigh,
I think you, me, and JP agree on a lot of points. We would all agree that eating the SAD is horrible. Humans have eaten a variety of diets over the last few million years. There is evidence of variations of macro intakes. And, most are healthier than the average American.
We are all in the same boat; we want to know more about nutrition to make the most informed decisions
about our health and performance. However, nutrition
is a very controversial and enormously comlicated
subject. As Michael Pollen states in Food Rules,
nutrition science is in it’s infancy! The food industry and
unfortunately researchers certainly have their biases.
However, unlike alcohol, we all need to eat something;).
As a trainer and a student of science, I am ashamed to
see every nutrition blog full of personal attacks. I am
hopeful to dig deeper than just simple calorimetry. We
have known the energy equivalent of fat, cho, and
protein for the last century. We also have known for
that time that creating and energy deficit causes weight
loss. However, we have made tremendous advances in neurobiology, genetics, and cell biochemistry to gain a deeper understanding of the extremely sophisticated cellular control of nutrition partitioning, appetite, and chronic disease pathology. I invite anyone to bring me a different hypothesis or study to help expand the picture. Even if these ideas seem to be in contrast to what you see in your line of work. The human body is extremely complex and no one has it all figured out. I work with clients with clients trying to lose fat everyday. But, I am always retesting my “knowledge.”
I equate telling someone to eat less and move more to a business consultant telling a business to increase revenue and decrease expenses! I wish it was so black and white. It is all much more complex than that. That is what I want to know: how does social-psycho-neuro-hormonal control of nutrient partitioning and energy balance work? Insulin is one of scores of cell-signalling molecules involved. It is infinitely more complicated than what we reduce it to be. Ironically, our ancestors probably didn’t have these arguements about carbohydrate content of our diets!
Yes Dan- I think the three of us are basically on the same page and I agree that it should all be about continuing to further our knowledge and test it against each other if appropriate.
The social-psycho-neuro-hormonal control you speak of is complex to say the least and certainly poorly understood so far. I do think always maintaining a perspective which includes evolution and is informed about the evolution of human nutrition and lifestyles is very important. By learning more about the foods and activity levels we are best adapted to perform with, we inform ourselves a lot about how to be healthiest as a species. Yes there is a wide range and a continuum and no one-size-fits-all approach, but there is certainly a framework that evolution provides us with and we can all take things from there and refine them individually.
I get the drift of what people like Leigh, Aragon, McDonald, and others are quibbling with in terms of paleo-based eating. They see many in the paleo community being overly dogmatic about low-carbohydrate intake and not allowing for more of a range depending upon the individual and his/her goals. They also see a lot of claims being made by the paleo ‘experts’ that are not backed up by solid peer-reviewed randomized trials. They find many faults in Taubes’ claims in GCBC and see many of the pro-Taubes folks as being spoon-fed information without questioning it and believe the book goes too far in ignoring the basics of energy intake vs. expenditure as well as demonizing carbohydrates as responsible for weight gain, when it is just as possible to get fat overeating other macronutrients. I actually think that all of those positions are good points and if there are people in the paleo camp who are that dogmatic and carb-obsessed then they should be called out! I’m just not one of them.
[...] You watched the video on how insulin and fat loss works. 2. You gained a basic understanding of the dietary importance of carbohydrates. 3. You received a [...]
I’d be interested in hearing your response to the glucagon question pointed upthread as well, as that was my similar to understanding I had. Also, I had read that the “meats” used in the study – of which there’s only been one, to my understanding – that determined the insulin index were of limited type and in the very lean, low fat style.
Also, the “chubby cheeks” thing was kind of a poor point – a more rounded face is typical amongst Asiatic peoples. It reminded me of waaaaaay back in the day when Margaret Cho lost so much weight she went into kidney failure, but what still being told by network execs that her face was too ’round.’
I fail at the internets – “..but was being told…”
[feel free to edit the post/delete the latter comments. apologies.]
[...] this week I’d like to draw your attention to this short video by Leigh Peele about insulin and fat [...]