Hi all,
I just returned from my walk (in a fasted-state) with Pang Pang on Asbury Park’s Boardwalk. Here’s what we saw:
- AP Convention Hall’s holiday spirit. Very nice indeed.
Here’s a better look. PangPang snuck inside.
So what do I mean by spoil your kids and not your brain. The other day I watched some of “The Doctors” tv show and I listened to a very young, politcially correct doctor, Travis Stork (from the bachelor) explain (with an animation) why you MUST keep your blood sugars balanced all day long and never get too hungry or you will go into starvation mode and not lose weight, cause your metabolism will slow down or you’ll get so hungry, you’ll binge and over eat. I almost threw up trying to stomach this. Here we go again. The “Starvation Mode” fear that keeps everybody consuming food all day long. This is what I call a vampire myth. ‘Cause it just won’t die.
I’ll admit a young fit doctor, showing an animation, on the television is tough to ignore or question. But I just want you to think about what he’s saying (he and many others in the fitness and diet world too are saying):
That if you let your blood sugars drop and get hungry, your brain and body will not use fat for fuel, your metabolism will slow, your body will go into a starvation mode and want to “hold onto fat” and you’ll burn protein instead. Really? Then what is the fat there for? If your brain/body won’t burn fat for fuel when there is no food, but will burn muscle or protein instead…then the opposite should be true so when you eat, you should build muscle for fuel, without exercise. Now that just doesn’t make sense. Lap-band surgery wouldn’t work either, Dr. Travis Stork. Has common sense gone out the window?
I believe starvation-mode may happen when an obese person goes on long term calorie-restriction and doesn’t do anything to maintain or build their muscle. But even then, the metabolism slow down is minimal. For centuries your ancestors, my ancestors, ate sporadically and did resistance training (without calling it that). They were lean. They struggled to get fat. What changed? You spoiled your brain, that’s what changed.
Back in the day, when your blood sugars dropped and you had to move BEFORE you ate, your brain was forced to use other energy paths (natural) in your body to get the sugar it wanted. Today your brain is spoiled. All it has to do is send a little growl or mild headache signal and your screaming starvation. Haven’t you said it, “I’m starving. If I don’t get something to eat, I’m gonna die!” If you have belly fat, it’s highly unlikely. Of course, you don’t feel good. Because your spoiled brain is throwing a tantrum. You’ve been eating 5-6 mini meals loaded with carbohydrates (low-fat yogurts with fruit and whole grain products) all day long most of your life. Never using the natural fat-burning system, God gave you, that will give you the ‘nirvana’, the food freedom, that you so desire. Which is acheiving your body of your dreams, never to having to worry about your weight again.
Here’s natural fat burning in a nut shell:
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Growth Hormone (GH) is the most important hormone when it comes to losing fat and maintaining muscle.
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Increased insulin levels decrease GH. Increased insulin levels come from eating carbohydrate (particularly grains and simple sugars) all day long.
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Fasting for short periods increases GH.
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For lipolysis (fat breakdown) to occur you need depletion of your glycogen stores (stored sugar in your liver and your muscles). And you cannot have a continued, regular, steady supply of food (every 2.5 hours) for this to happen. You simply cannot burn fat with food in your stomach. Period.
To be successful in weightloss and more importantly weight maintenance (keeping it off) you need:
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To intermittedly fast (IF) This helps with emotional eating like you can’t believe, when done properly.
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To impose a calorie restriction (CR). We use a narrowing of stimulus with food. Variety is great. But research shows you tend to over eat with too many choices.
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To do some resistance training. Which could look like me lunging and pushing and pulling my 30-lb. PangPang on a rope for 8 minutes daily. Or it could be more formal. And walking for 35-40 minutes comfortably, as I did earlier, in a ‘fasted-state’. But
not 5-6 days exercising, pretty intensely (70-80% MHR), on a cardio machine for 45-60 or more minutes each time, (then you probably will eat more). This type of exercising is called ‘usage’ which breaks down muscle faster than any “fast” would. Are you going to exercise like that when you are 70 y.o.? Your joints say “NO!” They may be saying “no” right now.
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An occasional binge. This large surge in insulin once in a while (after CR) helps your muscles take in nutrients needed to grow.
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To supply your body with the needed nutrients it’s craving; not (sugar, trans fat, grains) you’re emotionally craving.
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To basically, do the WeightlossPRN program. I will have new videos of exercises for you for the next session, on Tuesdays, beginning January 24th, 7pm.
So why do doctors and other health and fitness experts continue to keep this ‘vampire myth’ of starvation mode going? My guess is firstly, it is politically correct, it’s the food industry-funded research that talks about starvation mode mostly. Secondly, that NO ONE makes any money on fasting. Voluntary intermitted fasting (IF) involves less consumption and indicates that you are in control. Can’t have that, right?
Most experts in diet, exercise and fitness want you to be ‘dependent’ on them. Yes, you may need to be at first, but you should begin to feel liberated in your journey of reducing your waist. You should be empowered and be able to share with others how you did it.
That’s what I want for you. I want you to free yourself of all the health and fitness mind clutter and learn what’s needed for you to do to keep your waist down and improve your vitality and confidence about making “common sense” decisions around food and exercise.
So, I say, stop spoiling your brain and start or keep spoiling your kids, as your waist shrinks, with your renewed energy, improved mood of you, when you are with them. If you need help during the fasted state, I’m here. But you have to show up. Show up for the group coaching calls and webinars and do the 60-90 sec. exercises and the walking, etc. That’s the only way I know that you are ready.
Talk to you Wednesday night!
Minky
minky@certifiedfitnessnurse.com
(732)620-2193
