New Study Confirms That Carbs Make You Fat

[El OchoCinco]

Caloric restriction doesn't work for several reasons.

First, it isn't sustainable. The individual is essentially starving themselves and the constant hunger, constant restriction of calories is only a temporary fix. the individual will return to this as soon as the diet is over.

Second, restricting calories without changing the composition of these calories will actually serve to leave the individual with less energy without as much weight loss. Allow me to explain.

If insulin is spiked because of the types of calories consumed, then insulin is determining where those sugars and fatty acids are going. There is a marker called LPL (Lipoprotein Lipase) that is attached to fat cells or muscle cells and it is this marker that determines where fatty acids and sugars (in the form of glycerol) go once they are in the bloodstream.

Think of this gauge as a metric for judging insulin levels. I just picked a random image.

View attachment 241465

When insulin levels are high, fat and sugars are diverted to the fat cells for storage. Once inside, the fat cells use two fat molecules and one glycerin to create a Triglyceride. These are stored and cannot be removed from the fat cells without first being broken down.

When insulin levels are low, these fats and sugars go to muscle cells (via the LPL marker) for energy. You burn them.

If someone simply cuts calories but keeps the same amount of carbs and sugars, all that means is the muscle cells are getting less energy from the already small partition of fats and sugars they got before. The patient gets more sedentary. Weight loss is extremely challenging.

Instead, understand how to keep the insulin level low by changing the calories you put in your body and then the fats and (hopefully minimal) sugars are used for energy in muscle cells. Remove sugars and refined flours and bad carbs from the diet completely and for long enough and the body has to tap into fat cells and break down triglycerides for use. This makes the individual leaner, lowers triglycerides and is overly beneficial to the patient.

I've skipped a lot of the technical stuff to try to keep it simple.

You do not lose weight without some type of calorie restriction.

 

[Tsing Tao]

No, we were not discussing that. We were discussing Taubes's misrepresentative zealotry. Just because simple carbs are unhealthy does not mean that complex carbs, with fiber, are not. Simple carbs spike insulin levels, which in turn encourage calories to be stored as fat. Complex carbs (i.e., with fiber) in moderation don't cause that kind of deleterious spike. Taubes is throwing out the baby with the bath water. And he thinks you should bathe in saturated fat.

Did you watch the 2 Dean Ornish videos I posted in the other thread? I'm guessing you didn't.

Where did Taubes say that complex carbs with fiber were unhealthy? You said you never read the book.

You're asking me to watch a video but perfectly willing to discuss a book you haven't read?

 

[Tsing Tao]

You do not lose weight without some type of calorie restriction.

You absolutely do.

Go watch season 6 of Alone. Takes place in the Arctic. If you're not familiar with the series, about 8-10 people compete for 500 grand. They take 10 items up into the artic and they have to build shelters, hunt, etc...and survive. Last man standing (or woman) wins.

They're eating squirrels, mice, rabbits, etc. One guy manages to take down a moose. Figures he's a sure thing now because he has all that meat. Carefully separates the fat and the meat, puts the fat in the tree to keep from predators. A wolverine decides to take it and gets all the fat.

Guy figures he's still OK, has tons of moose meat. Is eating 5 to 6 thousand calories of extremely lean moose meat a day, and still losing weight. During a medical check, they tell him he's lost 30% of his body weight and they're going to pull him if he can't stop the loss.

Right then and there he understands the point of the calories and fat discussion.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Where did Taubes say that complex carbs with fiber were unhealthy? You said you never read the book.

You're asking me to watch a video but perfectly willing to discuss a book you haven't read?

One of the videos is a couple of minutes long, the TED talk is the usual 15 minutes or so. That's a smaller investment than reading a book (soundly criticized by smarter people that we are.) Both videos talk about Atkins and the keto diet. The TED talk shows what arteries look like as a result.

Taubes is generally against dietary carbs. As I understand it, he tolerates complex carbs but loves saturated fats. I have no interest in that nonsense.

 

[Tsing Tao]

One of the videos is a couple of minutes long, the TED talk is the usual 15 minutes or so. That's a smaller investment than reading a book (soundly criticized by smarter people that we are.) Both videos talk about Atkins and the keto diet. The TED talk shows what arteries look like as a result.

Taubes is generally against dietary carbs. As I understand it, he tolerates complex carbs but loves saturated fats. I have no interest in that nonsense.

Just another example of you wanting me to read all your sources and consider your side of the story, but never wanting to consider anything I say as anything but nonsense. This is how our conversations tend to go, whether they are about health or politics (the two subjects we have discussed with one another).

As I mentioned in the other thread, the Atkins diet is not what Taubes talks about outside of 2 or 3 pages in the entire book. He mentions it as one of the examples of diets he reviews, including many high carb, low fat diets that were peer reviewed as well.

This whole "plug my ears" the moment something is outside of my accepted paradigm isn't the best solution, in my opinion, but I'm not here to fight you. You don't want interest in this "nonsense", then don't partake in it. But I'll post the information as I understand it. You are welcome to challenge any of the science I've posted thus far (about insulin, LPL and triglycerides) or caloric intake.

Incidentally, many times in the book Taubes talks about complementing a high protein and fat diet with green leafy vegetables. Doesn't sound like someone against complex carbs to me.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Guy figures he's still OK, has tons of moose meat. Is eating 5 to 6 thousand calories of extremely lean moose meat a day, and still losing weight.

At that calorie intake on meat alone, assuming normal activity levels, he might be losing water, but I doubt he was losing fat.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

As I mentioned in the other thread, the Atkins diet is not what Taubes talks about outside of 2 or 3 pages in the entire book. He mentions it as one of the examples of diets he reviews, including many high carb, low fat diets that were peer reviewed as well.

How do his recommendations differ from an Atkins diet? Serious question.

 

[Tsing Tao]

At that calorie intake on meat alone, assuming normal activity levels, he might be losing water, but I doubt he was losing fat.

You're welcome to watch it and listen to the doctor's assessment. Even if the doctor is wrong, I can't imagine he lost 33% of his weight in water.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Incidentally, many times in the book Taubes talks about complementing a high protein and fat diet with green leafy vegetables. Doesn't sound like someone against complex carbs to me.

Yeah, it kinda does, if he suggests you limit your carbs to leafy greens.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

You're welcome to watch it and listen to the doctor's assessment. Even if the doctor is wrong, I can't imagine he lost 33% of his weight in water.

Groovy. And so, are you going to adopt this moose & squirrel (Bullwinkle & Rocky) diet?