Safe and Permanent Weight Loss Cannot Be Achieved in the Fed State – Weight-Loss
Safe and Permanent Weight Loss Cannot Be Achieved in the Fed State
Weight Loss Axiom Number ThreeInsulin and GlucagonThese are the two major hormones that control energy
metabolism in the human. They are much like yin and
yang, hot and cold or happy and sad. In order to really
enjoy the good days, we all have bad days. Extremes of either
too hot or too cold and soon everyone complains about the
weather. Too much yin or too much yang and according to
traditional Chinese Medicine, you are sick. Too much insulin
and you are sick, hypertension, overweight, cancer, heart
disease and stroke. Too much glucagon and you are too
thin, emaciated and weak.As we have mentioned previously, when man evolved there would
be times of famine, between times of feast. The biochemistry
of this evolution allowed man to survive the periods of famine
by using insulin to "store" energy. Some typical "fuel"
reserves in a 70 kilogram man:Organ ***************** Available energy (kcal)
************ glucose/glycogen ***** fat ***** protein
blood *********** 60 ************** 45 ********* 0
liver *********** 400 ************* 450 ******** 400
brain *********** 8 *************** 0 ********** 0
muscle ********** 1200 ************ 450 ******** 24000
adipose(fat) **** 80 ************** 135,000 **** 40from Stryer Biochemistry 4th Edition page 771Look at the chart and find the biggest number. The largest
amount of available energy in an average 70 kilogram
human is overwhelmingly stored in -fat. For the purpose of
this discussion let's think of each of these numbers above
as fuel tanks, for our energy needs. When we fill up our
cars with gasoline (our old Mercedes B100 biodiesel) we have
to have a fuel hose to get the fuel into our gas tank. In
order to use that fuel in our gas tanks, we have to have a
fuel line leading from the gas tank to the motor in our
car. Without these fuel lines, we could not utilize our
engine / car.Enzymatic InductionHuman biochemistry is composed of many different enzyme systems.
One such enzyme is phosphofructokinase that catalyzes the
reaction of fructose 6-phosphate to fructose 1,6-bisphosphate.
As with any biochemical reaction that is dependant on an
enzyme system, the more it is used, the more developed it
becomes. If there is no need for an enzyme, then the levels
in the body will be very low. If there is much demand for
an enzyme, then the body will synthesize more of it to meet
the demands.Filling your tank with gasThe fuel line for the human body to fill its energy storage
tanks, especially the largest energy storage tank fat, is
insulin. Insulin is the hose that energy (gasoline, biodiesel)
flows from the storage tank (breakdown products of your
recently ingested meals) into your gas tank for future use.
Without this fuel line insulin, you will eventually go into
a coma (hyperosmolar) that if not treated, can result in less
than optimal outcomes.Using the gas in your tankWhen we drive our cars, we use the energy stored in the fuel
tanks. In order for us to use that fuel, it must get from
the storage tank to the motor. In the human, that fuel line
is glucagon. Remember, insulin stores energy, glucagon
utilizes that stored energy. Just as insulin stimulates
energy storage and the necessary enzyme systems, glucagon
stimulates energy utilization and the necessary enzyme
systems required to accomplish this.Life in the Fed StateThe problem today is that we have evolved from creatures that
did not have consistent daily feedings to our "modern" fast
food insanity and the notion that now we need three "square"
meals a day plus snacks. What happens to our energy metabolism
when we start out putting insulin stimulating foods in our
stomach three times a day? When we eat, our biochemistry
reacts by secreting insulin, so that we can store all this
energy for future needs -most of it going into fat. Long
before we have used any of this energy, we are having another
meal -lunch. More gas in our tanks, -none used yet. Then
comes dinner -more gas into our tank. Snacks -more gas in.
We spend our whole day and most of the night in a "fed" or
insulin state.Huge fuel tanks full of fat -everywhereBecause we never allow our body's insulin level to drop enough
so that the glucagon level will rise, we never get into a
"glucagon" state. Our whole car is now filled mostly with
gas. There is hardly any room for a driver in the front seat.
Huge fuel tanks full of fat are everywhere we look. Your
car is loaded with gas, but you can't drive around the block
because you haven't developed the enzymes of energy utilization
to establish a fuel line between all these gas tanks full
of fat and our motor, which is now also encased in fat.
While insulin is the fuel line to fill our energy stores,
glucagon is the fuel line to use this stored energy. Without
proper stimulation of the glucagon system, our tanks just
keep filling up with fat. We never develop the necessary
enzymes to use all this energy. You don't have to travel too
far to see people totally encased in their stored energy.Livin' la vida de glucagonTo break this cycle, we need to stop eating for at least a
portion of the day, or at least every other day. I don't know
how many of you have ever fasted for 24 hours or more, but
the feeling is incredible. You get a lot more work done,
you don't get lethargic after eating and you start to actually
feel thin. I don't recommend fasting more than 24 hours
and I am not actually recommending a 24 hour fast. What I
am recommending is that during some portion of every day or
at least every other day, you refrain from eating anything
so that you can get into a glucagon state and begin to induce
the necessary enzymes to use all the energy the human body
can store.SummaryLike it or not, three meals a day plus snacks is just
not healthy.Copyright
A Clean Diet For Permanent Weight Loss – Weight-Loss
A Clean Diet For Permanent Weight Loss
Getting Started on The Clean DietIf you want to lose some weight then following a healthy eating plan is a good start, but allowing someone else to dictate exactly what, when and how much you can eat is crazy making. Guidance is good but ultimately you must learn to make better choices in your eating which leads to your gaining the ability to maintain your new shape after the weight has been lost. The Clean Diet is the answer.What is the Clean Diet?The Clean Diet means different things to different people. My version is less strict than some because frankly I'm not a competitive body builder and I don't have a modeling contract. Unless you must maintain a specific body weight (as actors sometimes do for instance), you probably are of the same mind as I; that being, I want to lead a basically normal life. Eating out sometimes, enjoying parties sometimes, and generally not feeling like I have to "watch what I eat" or suffer the consequences. The way I eat is sometimes called the non-dieting approach because I don't diet, but I do pay attention. That's what the Clean Diet means: paying attention to what you're eating.What Can I Eat on The Clean Diet?Vegetables: Enjoy unlimited raw, steam, baked. Go for it. I don't know anyone who got fat because they ate too many vegetables and that includes carrots, beans, corn and potatoes. Unless you are allergic, there is no reason to shun fresh vegetables. Yes they contain carbohydrates. Get over it. Wean yourself from sauces, and learn to like them without added butter or salt. Vegetables like carrots and beets for instance are very high in natural sugars (that's the point -- nature intended to give you sweet things whereby you'd WANT to eat them and would consequently get adequate Vitamin C among other things).Fruit: Try to eat at least one or two pieces a day. More is fine. There is no reason to restrict yourself to one-quarter of a cantaloupe or 1 small apple. Who comes up with these rules anyway? An apple contains less than 100 calories. That's not exactly going to break the diet bank, is it? Eat all the fresh fruit you like, especially late at night if you're working on learning to give up your chips or cookies habit. Apples are great for snacking, as are grapes, bananas, kiwi or anything else you like. Try to eat mostly fresh fruit, and saved canned fruits for once in awhile.Dried fruits such as raisins are a super concentrated food source and should be treated with respect. A few thrown on your morning cereal or in your trail mix is fine, but remember super concentrated food is also high calorie food. You don't need a lot to get the nutrients. Learn the difference between densely packed nutrients and loosely packed nutrients. Fresh fruit is loosely packed, high in water content, and dried fruit is dense with little or no water. Corn-on-the-cob is loose, corn syrup is dense (and processed too).An ounce of raisins contains 85 calories and 201 mg of Potassium, while an ounce of fresh grapes is a mere 20 calories. You'd need four times the fresh grapes to equal the dried.Clean foods are as close to their natural state as possible without being fanatical about it. There is a world of difference between a baked potato and a bowlful of potato chips. One is a good source of nutrients and one is a highly refined, richly saturated fat, greasy, salty, modified source of nothing but smears on your napkin. One is satisfying and one leaves you wanting more. Betcha can't eat just one was more than a catch phrase for Lay's Potato Chips. It's a truism.Grains & Beans: Whole grains like whole wheat, rice, millet, barley, and others. Drop the habit to eat chips and crackers out of a box. Once in awhile is okay, but if you eat them regularly, then you need to make a modification. Cakes, crackers and the like are simply not good for everyday fare, if you want to reach a healthy bodyweight. Once in awhile, or special occasions is fine, just not every day. Not even every other day. Once a week is plenty, and if you can't commit to weaning yourself off those foods, then you need to adjust to living with a higher body weight. It's not a character flaw, but it is a fact you must face. What you eat, dictates how healthy you will be, both mind and body.Whole grain means whole grain. Bread that lists whole wheat is not 100% whole grain. Watch out. Seeing Whole Wheat on the package means nothing. You want to see either 100% Whole Wheat or 100% Whole Grain. Brown bread is not always whole grain, but it may be brown because some molasses was added to color it brown. Whole grain breads are heavier, more dense, chewier. I think they are better. You might not share that belief, especially if you're used to the light and fluffy white bread. When I was a teenager I could easily eat 10 slices of white bread french toast and still not feel satisfied. How ridiculous is that? I could, on the other hand, eat about three pieces of whole grain bread french toast and that was enough.Isn't Brown Bread Better for You?Many people think if it is brown it is healthier, but it is not true. If it is whole grain it is better than refined, but that isn't licence to eat lots of bread. A sandwich now and then is just fine, thank you. The best breads are heavy. Think of being a peasant sitting around a fire cooking a thick soup. What kind of bread would be best to sop it up? Some lame white bread that would disintegrate if liquid touched it, or a thick, hearty brown bread that could serve as a staple if need be? I'll take the second.My favorite thing to eat is brown rice with stuff. "Stuff" means any vegetable concoction, or sauce, or just something to sort of mix in there. Use a little oil, preferably olive or sesame for flavor. My favorite quick vegetable is steamed sliced carrots and onions. Both onions and carrots are naturally sweet and ultra delicious all by themselves. Once you learn to simply eat foods the way nature presents them, you'll find your appetite stays more in line with better health.I didn't intend to create a food rule book. My intention is to point out that you need not live on a skimpy portion of grains like 1/2 cup of oatmeal with 1/4 cup skimmed milk and a half a slice of dry toast for breakfast. Eat hearty. I'm an example of how hearty eating will enhance your health, and bring your weight into line, not the opposite. I'll have one or two cups of oatmeal with raisins and a sprinkle of brown sugar (it won't kill you) or if you've grown used to it, no sweetener at all. Use milk if you like, or soy milk.Lean Meats, Chicken, Fish: Support your local butcher and farmer. When you buy your meat from a local butcher you can be assured you are getting the best available. Okay, it costs more than the grocery store brand. If you want the best, buy the best. Avoid farm bred fish at all costs. Simply ask your meat counter to stock fresh fish.Desserts, Treats & Snacks: It's okay to eat these things, but practice moderation. If you can't do that, and think you'll eat the whole bag, then don't get them when you're alone. Share some with someone else. Buy the smaller size package. Do whatever it takes, but don't tell yourself you can never eat any certain food again, because that just makes it all the more difficult to handle it when the time comes.The Clean Diet is More a Way of Life than a Strict Set of Eating RulesMost people will allow themselves one or more "cheat days" every week. The best plan is simply to choose eating clean as your primary eating style, and when you don't you don't but every meal stands alone. If you over ate at breakfast, you just eat your usual lunch. You don't try to "make up for it" by skimping on lunch. That's an equation that will never work. Just eat normally, and when you occasionally overeat, so be it. That way, rather than always thinking in terms of, "I'll start my diet again next Monday," you just get right back on your plan. While no foods are forbidden on a clean eating plan, common sense rules the day.See if eating a Clean Diet might work for you. Start by adding more fresh fruit, and a few vegetables. Buy frozen vegetables and add them to your other foods, such as when you eat a frozen meal for instance. If you want chips with your sandwich, take a handful (and a half, if you want) and put it on your plate, rather than bringing the whole bag of chips to the table. Decide in advance how many cookies you'll have. Will four be enough, how about five? It's still better than half a bag. Take it one day at a time, one meal at a time, and you'll find things happening in no time.By Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, author of Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com
5-Step Weight Loss Program for Permanent Weight Loss – Weight-Loss
5-Step Weight Loss Program for Permanent Weight Loss
Every Journey Worth Taking Begins with a Single StepHere are five easy steps to gain control of your weight loss efforts. Start at the beginning, then take small steps, each and every day and you'll climb that mountain.STEP 1: State What You Want Now"I want to lose 50 pounds."Is that achievable in the next month? If not, break it down into smaller mini-goals. "I want to lose 5 pounds this month."What other ways can you say what you want, besides wanting to lose some weight?"I want to step on the scale and see (state a number) pounds (remember, keep it something you can achieve in one month)."I want to feel my pants getting looser.""I want to see myself in the mirror wearing last year's bathing suit and it fits.""I want to notice my clothes are getting too big for me.""I want to easily bend over and touch my toes.""I want to get up from a seated position, easily and gracefully."Those are positive goals. Focus on what you want. How you want to feel, what you want to experience.STEP 2: Make A PlanGet out your weekly calendar and start with eating less (portion control), eating more (healthier foods), or eating differently in some way.STEP 3: Consider ExerciseAdding regular exercise helps more than anything else because the more active you become the more calories you burn, and if you build muscle, the more calories you'll burn at rest. What, when, how often? Do you need equipment, books, tapes or can you just get started and gather the other ingredients as you go?Write it all out. Your plan should include which days of the week and at what time. Don't make the mistake of trying to decide you'll exercise every day. You're not likely to stick to a plan that doesn't have build-in off days. Make it easy at first. You can always add more later.STEP 4: Decide Whether Your Plan Is Workable For YouTake a look at your plan and decide whether it's possible. If not, make changes until it is.Start by listing each item, and then asking yourself how will you achieve this?1. I want to eat less quantity. I'll achieve this by having half or three-quarters of the amount I usually have. See if that is sufficient. Keep a food diary for one week, religiously writing down everything that goes in your mouth.2. I want to eat more healthier foods. I'll achieve this by adding more fruits and vegetables for snacks, so when I'm hungry, or think I'm hungry an apple or some carrots might be my snack of choice. This has the added benefit of more nutrition.3. I want to eat differently. I'll achieve this by paying more attention while eating. Turn off distractions. Think of each bite as a separate event. Write down what I'm tasting and see what I notice now that I never noticed before? Different smells, sights, textures, and subtle tastes. I'll make an effort to really chew each bite at least 10 times.4. I want to add some exercise. I'll achieve this by getting a book either at the library or a store, get a free pass to my closest gym, talk to friends, borrow exercise tapes. Find exercises I can do in front of the TV at first, or on the floor in my bedroom when I first get up or whatever works. No matter if others see me, I don't care. Start slowly, after the first few weeks, add more if I'm ready.Close your eyes and imagine your plan.If you chose getting up an hour earlier, can you see yourself doing it? Does it fit? Are you a night person? If so, an early morning workout probably won't pan out - stick to midday or evening workouts. Find what fits for you.STEP 5: Set Up Plan A And Determine What You Need To Get StartedPlan A: I need a small notebook I can carry with me for keeping track of daily foods (this is only needed for a week or two to get an idea of what I'm eating).Need monthly calendar to track my exercise minutes, even if it's only 10 minutes this month and 20 next, that's progress. You are after progress, not perfection. There is no such thing as perfection.Visit library or order book online for using bodyweight for exercises. Pushups, crunches, etc., can be done without any extra equipment.Buy healthy foods to have on hand such as fruits, cut up vegetables. Make dinner at least twice a week and freeze leftovers into ready-to-eat frozen meals.Purchase or order supplements, protein powders, etc., if I want them.Putting It All TogetherStart working your plan. Don't wait for the next full-moon or some other arbitrary starting date. Just get started. The sooner you start, the sooner you begin to see results.If you use EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), do it at least three times a day. It only takes a couple of minutes and you can do it while you do other things, so get it done. Check in with your list of behaviors you'd like to change, and then work on one issue each week or until it becomes a non-issue, then move to the next.You might start with frustration that things aren't happening fast enough:Example EFT statements:"Even though I'm frustrated by all these instructions, I deeply and completely accept myself.""Even though I don't want it to take so much effort, I deeply and completely accept myself""Even though I hate all this and just want to wake up skinny, I deeply and completely accept myself."No matter what, if you are putting attention on this process, then you are making progress. It doesn't matter if you keep to your plan exactly. What does matter is that you make a plan at all.If you make a small effort every day you'll find that some days will be better than others, and that's okay. It's easy to forget, and fall back into our usual patterns which is why keeping a notebook handy helps keep you on track. So does scheduling your workout time just like you would any appointment, and then keeping it.The point is not to be perfect--the point is to take action.You can use a grading system, such as one point for achieving each item on your list, and tallying the points at the end of the week. You could also color in the squares on the calendar, so when you achieve what you planned, you color it in, but if you didn't achieve what you planned, you don't color it in. That way you can see at a glance how often the calendar is colored, how many squares are missing, etc. You can also see as months go by how you are improving. Having a visual display of your progress can help keep you on track. Remember, expect to be less than perfect in the beginning.If the idea that you won't be perfect is all it takes to keep you on a really strict path at first, that's fine, but be aware you'll likely slip a time or two in the following weeks. Think of it as nothing more than a learning experience, and go ahead to see if you can prove me wrong. That would be great. Just no matter what, no matter if it's been a week since you did anything on your list, it does not matter; just pick up where you left off and start again.Small Changes Equal Big ResultsThere are 365 days in a year. If you achieved your goals on 200 of them this year, wouldn't that be an improvement over last year? As you improve, your weight will fall. That's how it works. That's why people who achieve their best weight and maintain it have learned how to stay "on plan" than "off plan." Eventually you don't really think of it as a plan at all but just how you are. It becomes your new way of life.I don't diet, and I never have yet I maintain my weight. I don't restrict myself but my choices are what makes the difference. I can eat candy, cookies and cake any time I want, but usually I don't want to. That's the difference. When someone says they can eat what they want, they mean they usually want to eat foods they know will support their health goals.Use these five steps to get started on a plan, right now. Start by getting a small notebook, then starting writing down th days of the week, thinking about your schedule and how you'll make some changes to your routine. After all, it's your present routine that isn't working, so you must make some changes. Make them fit, and then you'll fit into those smaller jeans in no time and this time it will be a permanent weight loss.By Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, author of Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com