Why do we get fat?

[dixonge]

But starting 5 years ago, we've switched to a more restrictive nutrition diet because he was feeling tired. He is now no longer feeling tired. I checked out almost 10 books on diabetes so that's why I know more about eating to avoid the low and the high. He also eliminated tea and coffee in the afternoon. Only drink them in the morning.
You have to adjust as you age.

I don't run, but we power-walk four miles on weekends. We also typically have oatmeal for breakfast. Most mornings we walk before we eat. Been doing this for years. Recently I started experiencing some sort of energy loss/dizziness about halfway through the walk. I would literally have to sit down for ten minutes until my head cleared. It only happened now and then, seemed random. I started testing some ideas and finally determined that it only happens if we eat *before* we walk, never when we walk first. So, aging, I guess?

 

[Amethyst]

I think you should see your Dr. if you haven't already. Things that pop-up like that, and don't go away and become memories after a few weeks, always ping my "Dr." radar. I don't blame anything on aging until I know what's what.

I I started testing some ideas and finally determined that it only happens if we eat *before* we walk, never when we walk first. So, aging, I guess?

 

[NW-Bound]

I do not have breakfast. For lunch, I would have something like a ham and cheese sandwich, a 5oz yogurt, plus an avocado or a banana. For dinner, I would have plenty of carb like bread, pasta, or rice along with meat and vegetable.

I do not count calories, so I do not know what my daily intake is. But my diet cannot be called low carb. In between the two meals, I just try not to snack on carby food like crackers, and I have no soft drink. BMI has been between 23 and 24, though it once got as high as 25 when I had 2 beers a day and ate more. Now, I rarely drink beer and usually have a glass of wine at dinner.

I move about a lot during the day, doing gardening or projects around the house, or go on a 2-mile walk. I never go to the gym, or run. I also do not exercise regularly each day.

 

[Ronstar]

.....

And for the runners, what happened to carbohydrate loading? That used to be all the rage, as I recall. Is it bad now?

My doc told me that extreme amounts of carbs were bad for me, and to cut back significantly. I was getting too many carbs for someone running 25 miles a week. Runners like Nash require more carbs to keep themselves going at 35-40 miles a week.

I've done a lot of research about running and carbs over the last few weeks. Like most online info, the advice runs the gamut - recommending extreme low carb diets to the carbo loading plans of the past. But the articles agreed on one thing - the harder and longer one runs, the more carbs that they require.

Here's one of the articles dealing with running on a low carb diet. The Paleo Proposal | Runner's World

I've gone paleo, and after 2 weeks feel sluggish sometimes after a 5-10 mile run. I'll have to increase carbs as the mileage increases.

 

[nash031]

See, this is the thing I don't get. Breaking one piece of bread in half, and that's all the bread a grown man eats in a day? Now, I have grokked that food/eating seems to be a sensitive topic and my wording may sound harsh, but it's just that I am so mystified by some of what I am reading.

Some of what I read on this thread is so restrictive it's unbelievable, unless it's strictly for weight loss or diabetes control, or unless the person eats other carbohydrates (bowl of oatmeal? Serving of potatoes? Bottles of beer?) in the same day, or unless a lot of other, unmentioned food (bacon?) is being eaten. I also wonder if people are drinking any alcohol? That is one carbohydrate that I consciously limit, though not for weight control (alcohol gives me a headache).

And for the runners, what happened to carbohydrate loading? That used to be all the rage, as I recall. Is it bad now?

I still carb load before races, but I don't overdo it. Your body can only absorb so much glycogen in muscles and liver. Eventually, you're topped out and for most average people, a reasonable portion-sized plate of spaghetti will do it. Typically, I "carb load" over a couple of days before a long event so I don't overeat the night before. No need to do it in training.

I eat at least five servings of fruit every day and the fat content of my diet is probably higher than most. I typically have rice or a potato or a yam with dinner. I top my greek yogurt concoction in the morning with granola. Before long runs, I eat oatmeal. I'd guess my carb content is closer to "average" than you think, I just don't get it from bread or refined carbs.

But bread? I don't see the point. It's an empty vehicle to carry meat and veggies... I can eat those without the bread! (And I eat panini-sized bread usually, so one slice halved is plenty for a small sandwich).

 

[eytonxav]

Aside from watching your caloric intake and getting balanced real food, it is obvious to me, that maintaining optimum nutrition means making adjustments as we age, as exercise levels, hormones and other system functions decline.

 

[donheff]

See, this is the thing I don't get. Breaking one piece of bread in half, and that's all the bread a grown man eats in a day? Now, I have grokked that food/eating seems to be a sensitive topic and my wording may sound harsh, but it's just that I am so mystified by some of what I am reading.

Some of what I read on this thread is so restrictive it's unbelievable, unless it's strictly for weight loss or diabetes control, or unless the person eats other carbohydrates (bowl of oatmeal? Serving of potatoes? Bottles of beer?) in the same day, or unless a lot of other, unmentioned food (bacon?) is being eaten. I also wonder if people are drinking any alcohol? That is one carbohydrate that I consciously limit, though not for weight control (alcohol gives me a headache).

Ha. This is why it is so individual. What is restrictive for some is a pig out for others. LCHF was very easy for me because I love all the junk you can eat on it - for me it wasn't restrictive at all. Bacon and eggs for breakfast, steaks, roast chicken, cheeses of all sorts, nuts out the yin yang. All the veggies you can eat (which, in my case, was close to zero). Heck, when I was lazy about cooking dinner I just popped a handful of chicken wings in the oven (note, you have to read the labels - packaged wings and other things vary dramatically in carbs). Wine -- no carbs, no problem. All of this unrestricted pigging out allowed me to drop like a rock - I assume that means I was actually eating way less than it seemed. During my many years of maintenance, I have moved back into rice and potatoes (moderate amounts), burgers with buns and the like (although I still tear off half the bun out of habit). I even occasionally venture back into my addictions - when I was at the beach a couple of weeks ago I bought a pound of milk chocolate nonpareils and ate the entire box before the end of the day. But those transgressions can't go on for more than a day or two or the scale begins to creep up.

Will this work for others? Heck no. But for those who enjoy hi fat hi protein foods it is a pleasure.

 

[eytonxav]

Regarding my wife, she's one of many who have experienced complete regression of Type II. Follow the link I provided earlier and you can read about the ongoing studies and the underlying Twin Cycle hypothesis. It all started when a lot of gastric bypass patients experienced normalized blood sugar within 2 weeks of their surgeries. Quite fascinating, actually.

I read through some of the information on this approach and agree its very interesting, so thanks for sharing. I noted the following quote from that info which implied that various diets to achieve weight loss can be utilized.

It is a simple fact that the fat stored in the wrong parts of the body (inside the liver and pancreas) is used up first when the body has to rely upon its own stores of fat to burn. Any pattern of eating which brings about substantial weight loss over a period of time will be effective. Different approaches suit different individuals best.
 It is also very important to emphasise that sustainability of weight loss is the most important thing to ensure that diabetes stays away after the initial weight loss. Previous research has shown that steady weight loss over a 5 – 6 month period is more likely to be successful in keeping weight down in the long term. For this reason, ordinary steady weight loss may be preferable. However, if you are not able to lose around 21⁄2 stone over, say, six months by this approach, then the very low calorie diet may be best for you.

It seems that there is also a recommendation to use Optifast for achieving this if you can't do it via an alternate diet, but this contains a fair amount of carbs. I did see a thread whereby an individual could not get his BG down using Optifast, so he opted to modify the diet to a more low carb approach.

It was also noted that no one should go on this diet without being under Dr or nutritionist's care. It is rather extreme, and I would guess the biggest issue would be sustainability to ensure type 2 doesn't return. For me, overly strict diets are easier over the short term, but I doubt I could stick to something like this over time.

 

[mpeirce]

Ha. This is why it is so individual. What is restrictive for some is a pig out for others. LCHF was very easy for me because I love all the junk you can eat on it - for me it wasn't restrictive at all.

Exactly, people need to find what works for them. My wife can treat herself by eating a single See's candy every day. Me? No way, that's not how I work.

I've been eating HFLC for roughly 5 years now. I started at 250 lbs ("hey, I seem to be getting fat!") and came down to about 215 and have been to keep at this weight ± 5 lbs for the last three years. At 6'6" that's reasonable for me.

I like eating this way. Lots of delicious foods all the time. Eggs and sausage for breakfast everyday. A serving of meat and a veg/salad for dinner. Various things for lunch (low carb yogurt and berries is my favorite lately). We grill meat almost every day during the summer.

I don't track calories or serving size. But eating this way lets me eat satisfying amounts of food all the time.

There are a whole lot of foods I do avoid (anything breaded, on bread, or mixed with wheat cuts out over half the things at the grocery store!). My wife was diagnosed with Celiac, so we don't keep any of that stuff in the house anyway. It really really helps that we eat mostly the same things.

And we exercise a reasonable amount. We go to the Y three days a week (the folks there get worried if we ever miss it) and take long walks most other days when the weather permits. ER sure helps with this, since we always have the time.

So figure out what works for you - experiment until you find it!

 

[brett]

You don't have to look very far to understand it.

It stems from the proliferation of fast food outlets, the rows and rows of prepared processed and snack foods in the grocery stores, the restaurant plates that are full to overflowing, often with fries and or/fried foods, not to mention the all you can eat buffets. Plus the coke and pepsi. Every fast food outlet seems to be pushing a supersize option. Yuk.

Just read a stat that shows obesity in SE Asia is growing with the increase in fast food junk outlets.

We cut out the junk, the processed foods, cut down on red meat, increased fruit and salad intake. Did not give up my red wine. Dropped 50 and 15 LBS respectively and holding to our ideal weights. Our eating habits have changed. We feel so much better now. We travel often. Don't know how some people who have to shoe horn themselves into airline seats survive an eight or ten hour flight.

We can well understand why diabetes is increasing so much and is moving down the age scale. It used to be the parents who were obese. Now it seems common to see the problem make it's way down to children. It is not unusual for us to see entire families of obese people. I think it stems from laziness. Easier to eat and shop for junk than it is to shop for good food and to take the time to prep it.

 

[Lsbcal]

Interesting thread. I do have a small tummy bump that has developed over the last few years. I'd like to get a flatter stomach but maybe that is too much to push for at 68? If I cannot incorporate good habits into my diet, I won't do it for a short time period i.e. no diets for me.

I run every other day (20 mi/week) and walk alternate days. Eat a good bran cereal based breakfast which I started in 2013, hence some weight gain after that. Went to half sandwiches for lunch.

Here is my chart which I update monthly:

 

[rgarling]

...

So after her amazing display of determination it was obvious to me that calorie-counting worked. Her 8-week diet was around 50% carbs, maybe higher. Obviously caloric reduction worked and didn't care about carbohydrates...


So I have found that 1200 works for me. ... my target is still 1200. My only exercise is power-walking twice a week, 4 miles in 1 hour, plus my job entails about 20-30 flights of stairs per day.

...

Point being - it's the calories, not the carbs.

End of story.

For your consideration:

Your low calorie diet is actually a low carb / high fat diet as far as your metabolism is concerned. Using numbers from a couple of your posts:

Your requirement/goal: 2000 calorie per day energy balance with 800 calorie per day deficit

1200 calories consumed per day
50% carb diet = 600 calories
protein (estimated) (you should make sure you get at least this much) = 100g or 400 calories
this leaves 200 calories as dietary fat.

PLUS

800 calories body fat consumed to meet energy balance requirements


Totals
Carbs: 600
Protein: 400
fat: 1000

So: effectively your diet is 50% fat, 30% carbohydrate, and 20% protein. For me, that is a little high in carb intake but is in line with the Jaminet's "Perfect Health Diet". It should be healthy for most people. Good luck with your program, but when you get to your maintenance phase be aware of what you are actually doing here.

 

[ivinsfan]

When you say "low carb" yogurt what do you mean. We are big yogurt fans for a lot of different reasons. Do you eat plain whole milk greek style...that's what we have most of the time. If you have another option ..please share it. You could come and eat the meals at our house anytime.. except we like bacon with our eggs.

 

[haha]

Just read a stat that shows obesity in SE Asia is growing with the increase in fast food junk outlets.

You don't suppose that anything else might correlate with obesity or the growth in fast food outlets? Like perhaps something as fundamental as GNP?

Ha

 

[mpeirce]

When you say "low carb" yogurt what do you mean. We are big yogurt fans for a lot of different reasons. Do you eat plain whole milk greek style...that's what we have most of the time. If you have another option ..please share it. You could come and eat the meals at our house anytime.. except we like bacon with our eggs.

Our local Kroger store carries "Carb Smart Yogurt". Other Kroger stores like Ralph's also have it. Not sure what else is out there that's similar.

This has 4 g carbs per serving (vs roughly 14 g for regular yogurt) . It also has splenda.

I occasional have the carb smart ice cream too. Some people like these, some don't. It works for me.

Maybe once a week I have whole milk greek yogurt. They vary in carbs so read the label. I usually eat the plain greek yogurt and add my own berrys (frozen or fresh if I can get them).

Don't get me started on how hard it is to find whole milk yogurt - or "yogurt" as I know it vs the low fat version!

 

[Options]

The ramifications of obesity in retirement from a financial perspective:

Boomers Will Have More Diabetes And Obesity As They Age : Shots - Health News : NPR

There will be about 55 percent more senior citizens who have diabetes than there are today, and about 25 percent more who are obese. Overall, the report says that the next generation of seniors will be 9 percent less likely to say they have good or excellent overall health.

That's bad news for baby boomers. Health care costs for people with diabetes are about 2.5 times higher than for those without, according to the study.

Emphasis added

 

[Fedup]

I don't run, but we power-walk four miles on weekends. We also typically have oatmeal for breakfast. Most mornings we walk before we eat. Been doing this for years. Recently I started experiencing some sort of energy loss/dizziness about halfway through the walk. I would literally have to sit down for ten minutes until my head cleared. It only happened now and then, seemed random. I started testing some ideas and finally determined that it only happens if we eat *before* we walk, never when we walk first. So, aging, I guess?

Agree, my husband now doesn't run on an empty stomach. He used to run first thing in the morning before eating.

 

[ivinsfan]

I've never seen the "carb Smart" in my smaller town I'll have to look for sometime when I'm in the "big city" Aldis has started carrying organic whole milk yogurt which is 6 carbs per 1/2 cup at 2.99 for a 32 oz container..excellent value

 

[aja8888]

The ramifications of obesity in retirement from a financial perspective:

Boomers Will Have More Diabetes And Obesity As They Age : Shots - Health News : NPR

Emphasis added

From the article (emphasis added):

The study also ranked states on the health of their current senior populations. Massachusetts topped the list, jumping to No. 1 from the No. 6 ranking it had the last time the rankings were calculated. Vermont slipped to No. 2.

Louisiana is the least healthy state for older adults.

Louisiana?

 

[haha]

From the article (emphasis added):


Louisiana?

These health stats have more to do with demographics and per capita income than anything else.

Ha

 

[Katsmeow]

I've read and studied a lot about all this. I personally eat a lowish carb diet. I've successfully lost 65 pounds and spend a lot of time writing a weight loss blog.

I am by no means hostile to low carb. Some people do very, very well on low carb and I do well on a lowish carb (about 100g of carbs a day on everage, net carbs around 70 or 80).

But, there is no author that irritates me more than Taubes. He cherry picks his data. He isn't a scientist trying to find where the science takes him. He has a position that he wants to assert and cites only the data to support his position and ignores, minimizes or can be misleading about the data that goes the other way.

The causes of obesity are many. This is a complex issue. Lots of people have difficulty with complex issues. They want easy answers that are nice and simple. This subject isn't like this. For every person who reads a Taubes book or article (I've read several of his books), I would suggest doing a Google search for those who critique him paying particular attention to those who are actual scientists not trying to hype a particular viewpoint.

For example, this particular writer is an obesity researcher with a PhD in neurobiology and I have found him pretty level headed on the complexities of obesity.

Whole Health Source: The Carbohydrate Hypothesis of Obesity: a Critical Examination

 

[haha]

I've read and studied a lot about all this. I personally eat a lowish carb diet. I've successfully lost 65 pounds and spend a lot of time writing a weight loss blog.

I am by no means hostile to low carb. Some people do very, very well on low carb and I do well on a lowish carb (about 100g of carbs a day on everage, net carbs around 70 or 80).

But, there is no author that irritates me more than Taubes. He cherry picks his data. He isn't a scientist trying to find where the science takes him. He has a position that he wants to assert and cites only the data to support his position and ignores, minimizes or can be misleading about the data that goes the other way.

The causes of obesity are many. This is a complex issue. Lots of people have difficulty with complex issues. They want easy answers that are nice and simple. This subject isn't like this. For every person who reads a Taubes book or article (I've read several of his books), I would suggest doing a Google search for those who critique him paying particular attention to those who are actual scientists not trying to hype a particular viewpoint.

For example, this particular writer is an obesity researcher with a PhD in neurobiology and I have found him pretty level headed on the complexities of obesity.

Whole Health Source: The Carbohydrate Hypothesis of Obesity: a Critical Examination

Guyanet seems to have good arguments, and like Taubes he is himself slim. ( i've talked to him a number of times.)

I follow a strict low carb diet for several reasons. One, I was told i had pre-diabetes. Everyone else in my family save my mother either has diabetes or had it when they were alive. My great-great grandfather had diabetes, which I think was pretty rare almost 200 years ago. I don't have it, and in over 20 years I have gotten no closer to having this supposedly relentlessly progressive disease. Many people here seem able to just shut off their appetites, regardless of what they eat. This is extremely admirable. This would be very hard for me. As young kid, I always wanted a Baby Ruth bar in my pocket when I went out to play after school, and in early middle age I was a cookie monster.

I have never known anyone in non-ER.org real life who has the self control to limit calories, and to be hungry and just go on going on. People here can do it, and do it very successfully. I do know slim men and women who eat close to anything, or perhaps anything since I do not take notes. Mostly the women white knuckle it because to them a slim stylish body is an important social attribute, and the men exercise prodigiously. I also know a group of demographically average US church goers. Over half the men and essentially all the women are fat, by any definition. When I eat with them, I fast because there is usually nothing to eat other than sweets. My slim GF calls these meals/buffets lady food.

If a woman is heterosexual, single and over 45, she has a strong reason to try to stay slim, because dates are much easier to get for slim women (and men too I suspect.)

Anyway, like I posted earlier, this discussion will not conclude, because most of us are involved and have personal reasons to support our beliefs. (Which BTW is also true of researchers.)

Ha

 

[6miths]

'An ounce of prevention...'

 

[Amethyst]

Ha ha, that's called being a woman! Just kidding, since I know you are a MAN, but taking half the bun (or more) off the burger used to be a chick thing. I remember being teased in college for doing that.

Somebody else mentioned that bread is only a vehicle for other things, and when it comes to commercial buns, I wholly agree. When it comes to homemade yeast bread, though...that is ambrosia meant to be consumed for its own sake. Unless one wants to enhance it with slices of home-grown tomato.

burgers with buns and the like (although I still tear off half the bun out of habit). .

 

[eytonxav]

but taking half the bun (or more) off the burger used to be a chick thing.

Body builders like to eat their burgers without any bun and have been doing it for years, so not just a chick thing.