We are not allowed to make fun of anyone in America today, it's not socially acceptable to mock or judge anyone based solely on their appearance...unless, they are fat. Why this exception?
Sadly the perception is that fat folks are lazy and immoral, given to gluttony and sloth, both sins by the way - nice. Even science seems to pile on - fat is simply an imbalance between calories in vs calories out - that's what Food Inc says every time we criticize soda pop or sugar coated cereals. It's your fault fat folks, show some restraint and maybe pry your ass off the couch and hit the gym tubby. Geez!
But wait just a minute...... have you ever tried their prescription? Losing weight by increasing exercise while cutting calories? It doesn't work! Clinically proven to fail most every time. It actually it triggers greater fat storage! It also comes with more shame and self blaming which equals stress which by the way makes things even worse.
So here's the big "secret" that Pepsi and Wonder Bread hope never gets out - it's not you or your moral compass, it's not simply how much you eat vs how much you spend - it's actually what you eat! Thats right, reaching and maintaining your healthy happy target BMI is a matter of focussing on what you eat which directly affects how much fat gets stored around your belly vs calories that are burned or expelled.
Gary Taubes! writes and researches this topic so well. He points out that adding sugar to a population gets you exponential increased rates of obesity and diabetes just like adding cigarettes drives lung cancer rates through the roof. Food Inc continues to push the "all calories are the same / calories in vs calories out" mantra but clearly thats off. They cause the body to act differently, to store or burn / expel. They also come with varying levels of nutrients.
This was once common knowledge, look at Harvard or Stanford obesity texts from the 40s - avoid breads, pasta, cakes, cereals - anything made of flour. Skip white potatoes, corn and rice. Avoid all added sugar - soda, sweets, etc. Instead focus on well sourced clean protein - grass fed meat, wild caught fish, pastured poultry and eggs. Veggies, lots of them and some fruit and certainly good fats. They knew this worked, they had no idea why though.
Now we know why - foods with high glycemic loads trigger a hormone cascade (insulin, leptin, on and on) that leads to fat accumulation. Here's worse news - if you are above your target BMI you will store more calories from high GL foods than you would if you were at your optimal BMI. Thats right, high GL foods are like the high school bully, picks on the fats kids, leaves the jocks alone. Gulp.
So what to do - eat low glycemic load foods, ie stuff that does not cause your body to freak out and store calories as belly fat. No expensive pills or potions required - it can be done with food, damn tasty and delicious food.
Start by eliminating added sugar and the quick carbs - ditch PBR - not the cheap beer but potatoes & pasta, bread & baked goods and rice. Don't panic, you can add some of this back later but for now - go Paleo and get your system working right again.
Lots of veggies, enough clean protein and some good fats too. 1 drink a day max. Take a walk everyday. Love yourself - positive affirmations each evening.
The foods on this very site are here to help you, as am I. if you get stuck or confused email me and we'll talk. Remember though - you can reach your goals. You have all you need today so get started - every step in the right direction is a win - for you!