The following conversation happened at my recent routine checkup.
DOC – “You need to eat little to no carbohydrates”, said my Doctor.
ME – “Um, no” I replied.
DOC – “But there are numerous studies that show carbohydrates cause diabetes & weight gain!”, said my Doctor.
ME – “I don’t have diabetes or even blood sugar problems, I’m 5′ 6 and I weigh 125. Even if I did have diabetes or was overweight, I’d still eat carbs. Yeah, I think I’ll pass on that advice Doc” I replied.
DOC – “Well, hopefully you are at least eating a low-fat diet.”
ME– ” **hand palm to forehead** “
In my opinion, there are NINE crappy weight loss rules that we all need to chuck out of our lives. Today, I debunk THREE of the NINE weight loss rules. The rest can be found in my book, Have Your Cake & Lose Weight Too!
Let’s start crackin’ at these crappy weight loss rules, shall we?
Crappy Weight Loss Rule #1 – “Eat Low-Carb”
When we reduce our carb intake our body is all, “Wha???” and then it shrugs its shoulders and decides to do whatever it can to make glucose. First, it uses our fat cells to try to create some glucose, also known as lipolysis. When that doesn’t work, the body gets creative and starts using any tissue from the body to create its precious energy source. This is referred to as gluconeogenesis. Now things start to get really juicy…
The human body is AMAZING at compensation. The problem is, compensation is a lot like telling a white lie. Eventually it leads to another white lie…and another white lie…and another, until the whole thing goes kaput.
Prolonged restriction of carbohydrates produces a “stressed” situation in our bodies. As a result, adrenaline & cortisol (the stress hormones) are released. This is why at first you feel amazing and lose weight on a low carb diet! You’re all, “Woo-hoo! I’m rockin’ this new diet!” and your body’s all, “Wow, I am burnt out. Where’s my fuel? Oh well, let’s just make our own – bring out the adrenaline & cortisol again.”
When you finally give in and eat carbs again (because trust me, you will), unfortunately, your body is not doin’ so well. By now, you will notice you are getting sick a lot, experiencing digestive issues, low libido, & generally just feeling crappy. Congratulations! You’ve successfully screwed up your metabolism and all of its functions! Get ready to pack on even more pounds! The key is to not believe the low-carb myth. It just ain’t what it’s cracked up to be.
Crappy Weight Loss Rule #2 – “Eat Low-Fat”
Cholesterol has many important jobs in your body. It helps regulate hormones & stress, thereby reducing one’s risk of cancer & heart disease. Also, because the brain is largely composed of fat, higher cholesterol levels also increase serotonin function. Serotonin is the body’s “feel good” chemical and plays an important role in our mental health. Fat also helps maintain the wall of the intestines, preventing a leaky gut syndrome. The liver also needs cholesterol to create bile, which is vital for digestion & the assimilation of fat.
A recent study found that over half of patients admitted for heart attacks have perfectly normal levels of cholesterol! Isn’t it interesting how the countries of Japan, Austria & Greece – all tied for longevity, eat high fat diets? The Japanese eat high amounts of beef, chicken, pork, fish & eggs – all of which have significant amounts of saturated fat. The French, who also consume a high-fat diet, have a lower rate of heart disease than Americans. Why? It’s because contrary to popular Western belief, fat does a body good! In the well-known Lyon Diet Heart study performed by French Researchers in the 1990s, they found that levels of cholesterol didn’t change between those eating a high-fat diet and a low-fat diet, and in fact, they saw a 76% reduction in heart-related deaths in the high-fat group!
“As the French maintain their trim physiques while consuming triple cream brie, steak au poivre, and béarnaise sauce, most American adults would barely dare to drink a glass of whole-fat milk.”
– Mary Enig, PhD Eat Fat, Lose Fat.
Believe me when I say that fat, yes even saturated fat, is an amazing, wonderful thing that every single body needs.
Crappy Weight Loss Rule #3 – “Count your Calories”
The calorie theory, also known as the “eat less, move more” theory, is eternally flawed because it ignores the importance of nutrients – the very reason why we eat food in the first place! When you focus on calorie restriction, you lose out on vital nutrients, vitamins, & minerals.
Everybody seems to forget is that food is SO much more than calories! When you ingest a food, whether it is a hamburger, a popsicle, or a whole-wheat brownie – each has many possible uses for the body. Depending on the food you eat (and the quality of it), your body may use it to build & repair tissues, make enzymes, make hormones, produce bile or stomach acid, store it for future energy such as glycogen or fat, or it may fail to be digested and become only partially absorbed, harming your delicate gut bacteria.
“What you eat makes quite a difference. Just counting calories won’t matter much unless you look at the kinds of calories you’re eating.”
-Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian
What you need to understand is when you reduce your calorie intake, your body interprets it as starvation – a highly stressful situation. And what do our bodies produce when we are stressed? The hormone cortisol. Chronic high levels of cortisol in the blood leads to immune suppression, fatigue, reduced thyroid & metabolism function and last but not least – fat storage. Counting and reducing calories is a one way ticket to an inefficient metabolism and ultimate weight gain.
Sources:
-Williams, Ph.D, Paul T. The National Walkers Health Study, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Life Science Division. 2013
-Sinatra, Stephen. Bowden, Jonny The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won’t Prevent Heart Disease-and the Statin-Free Plan That Will 2012
-Enig, Mary. Fallon, Sally. Eat Fat, Lose Fat: The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats. 2006
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Do you have any advice on someone who is trying to beat type 2 diabetes? My boyfriend is working out and we’re trying to eat healthy, but the sugars/carbs are a tough one to figure out. Especially when it comes to satisfying his sweet tooth. We’ve tried coconut sugar, which is fine for baking, but does not taste good “straight” (in coffee or tea), and he really doesn’t like the taste of Stevia (neither do I, but I can still just eat cane sugar). I already nipped the ADA “low fat diet” recommendations in the bud, but these damned carbs…
Yes, that can definitely be hard. I like sucanat and raw honey.
the “low fat” fad is so sad, we need good unprocessed fats for all kinds of functions in our body one of which is proper brain development.
Thank you for sharing. It’s disappointing that physicians are in a position to provide advice about nutrition yet have little to no training about what is appropriate. I, too, am trying to change the way people think about carbs, fats and calories.
What’s your take on carb cycling?
I’m not totally against it because I like how you still get to incorporate carbs, but I would just avoid anything that felt to “hard” or restrictive. If you are feeling deprived, chances are, you are depriving yourself some nutrients. But other than that, it seems fine:)
I don’t agree with your no-carb rule. I think smarter advice is to avoid grains (particularly wheat). Check out Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis, and it may change how you look at modern-day wheat. I do agree that low-carb is not necessary or good for a lot of people, but eating healthy sources of carbs from veggies and fruit is the way to go. My family has given up most forms of wheat and we’re all healthier as a result.
Yes, I have read Wheat Belly. I actually disagree with Dr. Davis, and I believe grains, (including wheat) are an important part of the diet. Our family is extremely healthy and never get sick or have any issues at all, even with including wheat in our diet. I understand that some people notice huge benefits avoiding it and I’m truly happy for them!
Beth refers to, “a slow carb” and “a fast carb” what does that mean? Can you give me an example of a slow and fast carb, and where can I get more information about this?
A fast carb is a simple carb, which means the glucose is in a form that is readily available to body. And truthfully, sometimes we need this. Fruit would be a good example of this. A slow carb would be a more complex glucose, and an example of that would be grains.
But carbs from natural sources like fruits and vegetables are a-okay and shouldn’t be eliminated. 🙂
By “low-carb” are you referring to NO carb? Because grains are NOT healthy or good for most everybody and limiting/eliminating grain is a good healthy choice (so long as you aren’t replacing it with processed garbage, naturally). Paleo works.
When I say “low-carb”, I am referring to avoiding grains. I don’t believe you need to avoid grains to lose weight. I recommend people don’t avoid grains unless they have an intolerance, but I do understand that many people love Paleo as well. To each his own!
Lots of people are giving up grains because they are gluten intolerant too– the only problem is, they forget to substitute a source of B-complex vitamins that is abundant in whole grains and this leads to a decline in energy (and mood). That happened to me, and now after eating a “slow carb”, a “fast carb” and a protein at my meals, I have more energy than I had in a long time when I was on primarily a high protein, healthy fat diet (like Paleo). Listening to your own body and recognizing its energy levels is a good way to tell if you are eating the right foods for you!
Hi Danelle,
Just curious as to which food groups that contain carbs you are talking about as there are foods which are not grains that contain carbs as well as processed carbs like pasta. I unfortunantly cannot digest grains and for years I could not understand why I was constantly constipated and bloated with fatigue from eating even healthy wholegrains. After going to many specialists who told me to eat more grains because of the high fibre I started to give up and just thought that I would have to live this way forever. It wasn’t until a naturopath recommended that I take out all grains, even fermented and whole grains out of my diet that I finally found some releif and for 4 years now I have not had a problem unless I ocassionally have grains as a treat and then I am in pain straight away. I eat lots of vegies that have carbs and cashews etc that also contain carbs but not grains. To be honest I havn’t lost a lot of weight but I am no longer in pain and suffer from bloating and gas. I also notice that I don’t crave sugar anymore. Just curious as to which carbs you do and do not recommend. Thanks!
I recommend properly prepared grains, as well as potatoes, unrefined sweeteners, and fruit. Of course, if you can’t digest them, you could try to heal your sensitivity. Check out my old post here…https://www.weedemandreap.com/2013/07/3-surprising-ways-to-heal-food-allergies.html
The best way to reduce your fat is to plan your meal which do not contains fatty and heavy food because according to research it is found that most of the persons who are suffering from the obesity is just due to heavy and improper good habits. Health experts also advised that our daily meal should contain green fresh fruits and vegetable because these contains natural source of essential nutrition and vitamins.
Hi Annie,
I actually disagree with reducing fat. I believe in traditional fats, ones our ancestors have lived on for thousands of years. We didn’t start becoming obese until the industrialization of food and the increase of factory made trans fats. Over here, we encourage all foods, and especially encourage good ‘ol fashioned fats:)
Hi DaNelle, I just found your site today and I LOVE IT. I’m on the beginning stages of researching and developing a business plan for a future homestead/agribusiness/farm stay operation. Goats are on my list! Question on this particular post – I just read your Traditional diet vs whole foods diet post before this one and would love to hear more of your thoughts on how to “safely” consume carbs while avoiding flours…. I’m gluten intolerant but still love my bread! How do you fit carbs in (and I mean starch carbs, not plant carbs). Thanks for your blog!
Hi Paola,
I include starch carbs, but try my best to prepare them properly. You can read all about that here. https://www.weedemandreap.com/2013/07/you-arent-cool-until-you-prepare-your-grains-properly.html
Hi DaNelle, after going over and reading some of what you said about “preparing properly”, I can’t help but think, it shouldn’t be this complicated to get what we need. I feel that way about cooking in general. So much time of life invested in prep and clean-up. Are we really supposed to be eating grain. The research I’ve done says that grain crops started for the value of fermenting/alcohol. Evolved from there. ??? https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Food-Good-Life-Quotations/dp/1890132292 Helen Nearing. Check out the expanded synopsis for this book if you like.
I understand that sometimes preparing grains properly can seem complicated, but when I really think about it, all the food groups are, in a way, complicated. Fruits & vegetables must be planted, watered & cared for, then harvested & preserved. Meat must be bred, birthed, raised & cared-for, then butchered & preserved. Dairy must be raised, bred, birthed, them milked twice a day. Even a simple thing like fats must be obtained through hard work. Lard & tallow must be rendered, coconut oil & olive oil must be pressed.
The only simple diet would be if we could eat just stick our faces in the ground & eat grass like my goats. Sometimes I wish our diets could be that easy, haha. When preparing grains properly, sprouting is the most labor intensive, while soaking & sour leavening are easy peasy. My soaked bread recipe takes me 30 minutes total.
In my opinion, I believe we do need grains as part of a healthy diet, but I understand that some people choose to avoid, which is okay. Thanks for commenting, I love to hear all differing opinions!
I don’t think our food has to be complicated. We just have a history of making everything complicated. There was a time we didn’t plant our crops or raised our meat. We hunted an ate what was available. We probably ate some grains but not in the amount we eat today, and certainly not the manipulated kind we eat today.
I agree!
SO SO SO true!! I think its about time someone wrote about this. People forget that food is meant to have calories and fat and that’s the reason we eat it. I think it’s all about balance and making sure we get the right amounts of each food and don’t overdo anything. Thank you for writing this, though it will be awhile before people are going to believe it.
I had to laugh at the conversation with your doctor. I recently had a similar conversation with my doctor. He handed me a packet of printed pages that contained a diet he wanted me to start. I had already come to the conclusion that I needed to improve my diet to correct some health problems and lose weight. However, after a look at the doctor’s proposed diet, I knew it wasn’t for me.
First it was full of chemicals. Sugar substitute and egg substitute. Everything was fat-free and I’m smart enough to know that when you process out the fat you have to put in other chemicals to replace it. Next I noticed there was no meat listed on this diet. That was my breaking point. No offense intended to anyone who is vegetarian/vegan but I have to have meat in my diet.
I took the doctor’s diet, but had no plans to follow it. Instead, I went online searching for healthy eating lifestyles that included meat and fewer chemicals. That’s when I found your site and other sites promoting ditching processed foods. In the past 2 months I’ve started getting rid of all processed food from our diet and already we are starting to feel better. We are eating meat. We are eating healthy fats. And we are eating all natural sugars. Best of all, I’ve lost 5 pounds. When my doctor said he was happy his diet plan was working I just kept my mouth shut and smiled.
Congratulations on improving your diet! But I suggest telling your doc the truth. Mainstream medical doctors need to hear from patients over and over and over again that low-fat, chemically altered, processed food-like substances is NOT what’s healing us. Maybe if they hear it enough (“I eat REAL food and now I’m REALLY healthy!), it’ll start to sink in. But I know it is so hard to disagree with a doctor!
I totally agree. Tell your doctor! They have to stop accepting the Big Ag food industry’s misinformation and really educate themselves on nutrition, most of them are so clueless…..