Hello GaF. Really just reposting something I just put up on the Men's Health Fitness forums. I've been reading a lot on nutrition over the years and it's a pretty tough subject to get a grasp on. A lot of conflicting information, studies showing one thing or another, different interpretations of the results. Not to mention all the bad information out there from pseudo science and supplement marketing.
If anyone has any questions on the premise of the title feel free to ask here or PM me and I'll try and answer as best I can.
Anyway here's the post:
Posting this here because MH was the place I first started really looking into nutrition. I remember the threads talking about counting calories and WANE GAIN MAINTAIN calculations. BMR rates and Harris Benedict formula. I've used all of those and even had success doing so.
Now I'm starting to read more about calories not mattering much.
I'm reading Gary Taubes' book Why we get fat and what to do about it. Pretty compelling stuff. Here he is in an interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l59YyXpCT1M
The bullet points:
- We dont get fat because we eat more. We eat more because we get fat.
- Calories in and out is largely irrelevant.
- Insulin secretion makes us fat. Carbs make us secrete insulin.
- Remove carbs (sugars, grains etc) from your diet and replace it with fat.
Good 3 minute summary of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNYlIcXynwE
***EDIT***
FAQ:
If I ate a million calories of lean protein or whatever you want me to eat, wouldn't I'd get fat? So it does matter!
The argument is calories restriction may work, but not well. The weight is often regained quickly, difficult to maintain the restriction, other methods work better.
What about cultures that eat a lot of carbs? Like Asian cultures who eat a lot of rice?
28:15 into the video I posted he addresses this:
http://youtu.be/l59YyXpCT1M?t=28m15s
Basically he says the low sugar intake is the big distinguisher.
Aren't the studies on this incomplete, too short, and generally not 100% conclusive?
Around 39:15 into the video he talks about the need for more study. The whole point is to address what we do know and how it applies to what we eat:
http://youtu.be/l59YyXpCT1M?t=39m15s
How can you say no exercise and eating too much wont make you fat? If I ate too much... actually check that, I DO eat too much and dont exercise, I am indeed fat. OR I exercise and watch my portion size, which includes grains, and I have a six pack.
The point of the discussion is that our relatively recent issue with obesity is not about eating more and exercising less. In fact studies have shown those variables are less a factor than you'd imagine. We (generically) are getting fatter, in the US and elsewhere. Not by a little, and not over a long period of time. It's not that we are suddenly doing less, exercising less, or eating more calories. It's that what we are eating is making us fatter.
