From the link "17 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight", I am guilty of #2,3,4,5,7,11,15,16. Hmmm... as for right now, I think the biggest ones are Not giving it enough time and that my body is at a Homeostasis/Weight Plateau. My body likes to stay around 140 pounds. Any time I have really double-clutched to lose the weight, it's been an uphill battle and it came back. Any time I have gained weight, eventually my numbers found their way back down to around 140.
Well, Body, times are a-changing. You aren't in control any more; I am. I have learned that my body is so used to an abundance of food, fattening food especially, that it continues to store it as it would in primal preparation for famine and procreation: on the stomach, hips, tush... It's called the "body-fat set point". Our excess has created a higher percentage as the norm. Since I have no famine and no babies, I need to trick my body into thinking it must use those stores now. It's a mind game, and I'm gonna win!
The more I look into this Paleo eating, the more interesting and confusing it is! I'm not sure if anyone can even answer, but here are some of my confusions:
1) the Zone books tell me that for optimal burning the protein:carb ratio is 77:99 grams a day, but then I was reading a couple of articles that said to get better results mandates an even more restrictive 50-80 grams of carbs a day. So if we can use ketosis (normal-eaters, this means that basically your body runs out of food to use up so it goes for the stores. since eating away muscle is a last resort for our bodies, it goes for the gut) so effectively, then why does the Zone preach balance over deficit? Which is better?
2)Is "Primal" different from "Paleo"? Some articles, recipes, suggestions (Mark's Daily Apple, for example) refers to nut butters and cheeses... aren't those forbidden?
3) Can I get a final ruling on saturated fat? Focused avoidance or casual reduction?
4) Is eating too much fruit really cheating in disguise? Will it curb my body-changes?
5) Is honey allowed as a natural sweetener or will it just perpetuate the sugar withdrawals?
6) Does my fish oil intake count against my daily grams of fat?
7) Is whey protein allowed on Paleo? I know a lot of people are big fans of it, but the books say that dairy is an inefficient source of protein.
Most of the people who read this (family and friends) are normal-eaters. I realize you can't answer most of my questions, but these are good questions for us all. Fellow CFers, anybody have some insights??
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1. Ketosis refers to the body tapping into its fat stores for fuel. Happens when carb intake is restricted. Body likes to burn fat as fuel but modern humans stuff so much carb down their throats that the body just burns that for fuel and never gets to the body fat stores.
ReplyDeleteThe zone diet is essentially macronutrient balancing. It works. Problem is that YOU WILL go hungry. Have u tried zoning 1 or 2 block meals? Its a very small amount of food. 1 fat block is 3 alomnds., 1 carb block is half an apple. You will prob be a 10-12 blocker. Again not alot of food and you will need to weigh, measure and track all the food you consume. Works for some not for most.
3. Primal and paleo are one and the same. Nut butters dont contain any butter. They are just nuts that have been ground down. Think peanut butter. But peanuts are not paleo bc they are a legume not a nut.
Dairy is in the grey area for alot of primal eaters. Some say it is others say it is not. One thing is certain however. If your goal is to lose weight than LOSE the dairy. Dairy products WILL make you gain/retain weight. What about the calcium though i hear you asking. There is tons of calcium in leafy green vegetables as well as fish and many fruits. I personally drink whole fat milk bc I WANT to gain weight.
4. Saturated fat has gotten a bad rap for too long. This is the part conventional “wisdom” doesn’t get: saturated fat in the diet doesn’t directly translate to saturated fats in the blood. It’s all how it’s metabolized. Saturated fat levels in the blood are influenced by the prevalence of carbs in the diet and the subsequent carb-generated lipogenesis process. Mark sisson writes on this topic here. Basically your enemy are the grains and starches. Cut them out and dont sweat the fat your getting from your steak.
5. Yes eating too much fruit will curb your weight loss potential. Lots of sugar in fruit. Yes its natural sugar but spikes the blood sugar nonetheless which causes fat storage. Look at the food pyramid that i posted on the blog a couple of days ago to know whats a priority.
6. What do you need honey for?
7. No. Why do you have daily alloted grams of fat?
8. Post workout only I do and recomend whey protein. There is about an hour window in which the bodys blood sugar levels are very stable and do not rise regardless of what you eat. This is a good time to get some quailty protein in. Whey is good and quick. Chicken breast would be better but does that sound doable after doing Fran? Just keep it to post wod only. Then have a regular meal an hour after you drank your whey. ex. wod, 30 grams whey, 10 carbs. Then 1 hr. later a meal. This is money.
Justin has already given some solid answers to your questions. I'm going to expand on a couple of points:
ReplyDeleteLet's be clear, you are nowhere near ketosis. Ketosis is an extreme state in which the body literally runs out of glycogen (and running out of glycogen doesn't mean running out of "food" or expendable calories). The body then begins producing and consuming ketones (which come from fat in your diet or on your belly) in lieu of glycogen.
Zone's "balancing" of macronutrients is inappropriate for your current activity level and body-fat reduction goals. Zone proportions should be treated as a point of departure for experimentation, but I don't know of any regular CF-er who has found the 30/30/40 protein/fat/carb ratio to be optimal. Zone is most useful as an accounting system for macronutrient intake. At the level of daily budgeting, and in every meal, I would recommend gradually lowering the percentage of carbohydrates and upping the percentage of fat. You need Zone as an accounting tool so that you can make a gradual adjustment, hold the new ratio for a week, feel the results, then make additional adjustments as needed.
You have been raised and socialized to think of food as 1) a source of entertainment, and 2) a source of nutrients. It's time to re-educate yourself and to re-prioritize: food is 1) a source of nutrients, 2) a "drug", and 3) a source of entertainment.
Food is a drug in the sense that it is capable of inducing hormonal changes that are as significant as the changes produced by over-the-counter drugs and even some prescription medications. You are a sugar addict. You have historically self-medicated for stress/depression by eating high-glycemic carbs that help you produce serotonin. KICK THE HABIT. THROW OUT THE HONEY. TONE DOWN THE FRUIT. When you feel like you need some "entertainment", buy a steak, and wrap it in bacon; or, cook up some turkey sausages and dip them in mayo. This is waaay "better" for you than the cookie-dough ice-cream that you think you've been craving.
Finally, to disagree with Justin: dairy and weight-loss are not inimical. I don't know of any reason why dairy will stick to your gut more than any other source of nutrients. The problem with dairy is lactose, which produces a significant insulin response. That's why, in Zone accounting, 1 cup of milk = 1 block protein and 1 block carb. Failure to take insulin response into account can lead to poor macronutrient budgeting and insulin spiking. Also, there is nothing wrong with high quality whey any time of day, but stick to "real" foods whenever time and appetite permit.
Eat fat (whether solid or liquid at room temp).
Eat to live.
Eat to train.
Eat to be a clear-headed, even-tempered, kick-ass teacher.