Hey all, I’ve lost 50lbs in the past 8 ish months.
I started with keto, didn’t like it, then quickly switched to low carb with a focus on volume and variety of plants.
The real turning point in my weight loss journey was reading Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes.
It’s a whole book that leans heavily on scientific research and its main thesis is that obesity is in fact a form of malnutrition.
There is no moral failing associated with becoming fat. Sure, some people eat as a coping mechanism for dealing with trauma; which is a separate behavioural issue (and still not a moral failing.)
He approaches it very clinically. Fat is a tissue and is therefore highly regulated hormonally. Having larger fat stores is caused by your brain giving your body cues via hormones to eat more because it feels it is lacking something nutritionally. I’m not going to go through all the evidence; but definitely check out his book if you’re interested.
One of the most interesting things Taubes discusses is the consistent phenomenon that is found that in cultures adopting a Western Diet, there is a 20 year adjustment period, then suddenly after 20 years, the people begin to get fat and get sick with all the illnesses associated with the Western diet.
I also read Dr. Gundry’s Diet Evolution by Steven R. Gundry which is all about reprogramming the genes that make us fat. It was a good resource to begin with as it has well laid out diet guidelines.
The main thing is to initially cut out ANYTHING with simple carbs, sugar, or that tastes sweet. (Even artificial sweeteners spike insulin response and insulin literally makes fat cells grow.) Not even fruit.
This reprograms your genes; but also more tangibly, reprograms your tastebuds. Months later, I’ll now eat like bread and pasta if I feel like it; but for context: my go to sweet dessert is plain yogurt (5g carbs/cup) mixed with regular peanut butter (2g sugar/tablespoon.) This is what I now experience as sweet.
I also read an article that said that based on fossilized poop; pre agriculture, humans regularly ate over 200 plants. So my friend and I competed to see who would eat the most plants over the summer. She is vegetarian, so would obviously have more; but by the time we got bored of keeping track, I was at around 60 and she was around 80.
I also started reading about gut flora and health. I now prioritize including probiotic foods in my diet. ESPECIALLY plant sources.
Taubes says obesity is malnutrition; but doesn’t seem to explain how to nourish yourself and this strategy has definitely worked for me.
I have not counted calories. I use a LOT of healthy fats and a LOT of salt. No food is off limits (though I pay a lot of attention to added sugar when buying food.) I have done no additional exercise.
I eat what I want, when I want. Which sometimes makes other people uncomfortable; but I’m not eating for other people.
At the beginning, I had medicated hypothyroidism. I don’t anymore. I don’t have to take daily max doses of Advil and Tylenol anymore. All my inflammation markers are down. Weirdly, my giant tonsils are half the size.
I feel amazing!
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