Let’s start with a pop quiz; which of the below answers is correct?
- fat has been used up as fuel for energy or heat
- fat is excreted through urine or feces
- fat has turned into muscle
Even though many doctors, dietitians, personal trainers and ordinary folk believe that one of the above answers is correct, THEY ARE ALL WRONG.
There is surprising ignorance and confusion about the metabolic process of weight loss.
The calculations, showing where the fat really goes when you lose weight, was recently published in the journal BMJ (British Medical Journal), and can be summarized as follows:
Excess dietary carbohydrates and protein are converted to a type of fat called triglycerides, which are comprised of three kinds of atoms, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Only unlocking these atoms, through a process known as oxidation, can the body break down triglyceride molecules. When, say, 10 kg of fat is thus oxidized, 8,4 kg are converted and excreted as carbon dioxide via the lungs, and 1,6 kg becomes water.
If one were able to convert fat stores directly into energy, one would literally explode. According to the calculations, one basically exhales 84 percent of their fat loss. The remaining 16 percent is metabolized into water, which is excreted through sweat and urine.
The authors of the above quoted study estimated that by substituting one hour of sedentary lounging with moderate exercise, to increase your respiratory rate, your metabolic rate is increased sevenfold. However, keep in mind that you can easily hamper any potential weight loss by eating too much food – and never forget, by eating the wrong kinds of food.
FOOD CHOICES
Let me remind you once more that most people who struggle with excess weight have some degree of insulin and leptin resistance. (I suggest you re-read the posts on Leptin and Insulin dated March 16, 2016 and March 30, 2016).
Leptin is a hormone that helps regulate your appetite. When your leptin levels rise, it signals your body that you are full, so you’ll stop eating.
As you become resistant to the effects of leptin, you end up overeating, as your body gradually loses its ability to “hear” the signals leptin sends out. Research conducted by Dr. Richard Johnson, clearly shows that refined sugar (particularly fructose) is very effective at causing leptin resistance. Fructose also effectively blocks the burning of fat.
Basically, if you are insulin or leptin resistant (they usually go hand-in-hand), as long as you keep eating fructose and grains, you are programming your body to create and store fat.
If you are overweight, you would be wise to restrict your fructose consumption, from all sources, to about 15 to 25 grams per day.
www.foodintolerances.org/fructose-food-tables.aspx
The above website will provide you with a comprehensive list of how much fructose there is in different foods.
Summing up:
- Switch from processed foods to whole foods
- Avoid all sweetened beverages, pure clean water is all you need
- No grains, dairy, legumes
- Incorporate intermittent fasting into your life
- Try to exercise in a fasted state
That’s it my friends; see you all next week.
