Most people I speak to have one of two philosophies regarding weight 1) I have no will power or 2) It’s all about calories in/calories out and if people just stick to that, they will lose weight. I would say on both accounts, they are wrong. It’s simply not that easy!
Let’s tackle the “I have no will power” first. This is crazy! Sure there is something about having a bit of self control if we were working with a level playing field. Sadly, we aren’t! Think about it – why do big food companies employ Chemical Engineers? What do you think these people do most of the day? I doubt they are dreaming of ways to make you crave raw broccoli? There is a reason “you can’t eat just one”. Designer Food is big business, though “frankenfood” is a much better name. Look at the ingredients of your favorite “I can’t live without it food” – can you even pronounce them? How many are there? Can you give it up for 30 days? If you have an inappropriate, “I can’t live without it” reaction, then I’m pretty sure it is frankenfood. Food that has been specifically created to over-stimulate your palate leading you to believe you are the problem when actually your brain has been chemically highjacked by the food industry.
The second comment is usual spoken by people who either have never really tried to count calories/points, or are so obsessed with their food scale they have created an equally unhealthy relationship with food. I don’t know about you but I just want to eat food, feel great and not be a slave to my food. I will give you that at a basic level it is about energy consumed vs. energy expended, but if you just stop there you are missing more than one 1/2 of the puzzle.
Most importantly food is about nutrition. It’s about satiation. And, it’s about NOT being hungry all the time! Did you know when you put whole food into your body – including good fats – cravings disappear? No really! I’ve experienced myself. Whole real food with good fats – who knew? Sadly, most of us are still attached to the greatest lie we Americans have ever been told “carbs are good and all fat is bad”. For the last 50 years, the US has been part of a failed experiment that has been so engrained in our culture, people are scared to death to eat fat. If you are interested in all the gory details, I highly recommend reading or listening to Nina Teicholz’s Book, “The Big Fat Surprise“. Mind blown!
So can you eat your body weight in butter and lose weight? No, but you also can’t only each carbs and lose weight either. It’s about ensuring your body as the core nutrients it needs – Protein and Fat – then supplementing with a wide range of fruits and veggies to ensure you are getting all the micronutrients your body needs.
It’s also about systemic inflammation, mostly from that frankenfood. I’m talking specifically to those of you who follow the most pristine calorie in/calorie out regimen for weeks on end and you don’t lose a pound, but you look at a piece of cake wrong and gain 10. That my friends is most likely inflammation. Here’s the deal, when your body thinks it is under attack, there is no way it is going to let go of any body fat. That fat is being kept around for times like these, and it is going to be the most difficult battle of your life! If you want the weight to fall off, you’ve got to figure out what is causing the inflammation – and most likely, it is something you are putting in your mouth. It’s almost guaranteed if that fat is around your midsection. And if you are serious about feeling better, it is probably time to look into an elimination diet.
Next up where to start? How do you know if you need to try an elimination diet? Which one is the best? All topics I will cover in my upcoming posts. For now, simply step away from the frankenfood.