I'm a tad controversial at the best of times, diets and gym sessions are where my controversial nature strikes with vengeance the most though. This post isn't meant to offend (although it surely will for some), its intended to open your eyes and make you question the diet and exercise world a little more before succumbing to a diet or exercise plan. In my early days of researching what works and what doesn't I stuck to the commonly believed theories such as one which I saw posted on twitter just this morning.
"For effective weight loss reduce kcal intake by 15-20%. This will help minimize the drop in metabolism whilst encouraging max fat loss."
Is that really the case? I tested this theory on myself as far back as 2oo2-2003. I always use myself when testing the various ideas suggested in mainstream nutrition as I know I'll stick to the plan (mainly out of a desire to see the results rather than actually enjoying it).
For a start what does a 15-20% reduction mean? Are we using a formula to work out what the person should be eating? Are we testing their actual metabolism?, which is pretty pricey. Or are we, as is usually the case going for the typical method of using daily recommended allowances? I think these are still currently 2000 for women and 2500 for men, although it is confusing for to know what they recommend. Check out this BBC article about how maybe the figures are wrong.
The other thing that worries me about the figures is that it doesn't take into account where the calories come from (remember calories are just a made up measurement term, they don't exist and you certainly can't eat them, you need this thing called food). Is it really that simple that we can eat our 2000 or 2500 kcal minus 15 or 20% from cake and get weight loss? I guess to a degree we could but then comes the plateau that is every nutritionist or PT dreads. Their client (or maybe even their own) weight just stops or even creeps back up. The quote is eluding to this fact by saying that we need to "minimize the drop in metabolism." Is it really that simple though?Metabolism is a massive topic, and its something I've covered previously, and as I'm in the midst of some pretty serious endocrinology study, its something you'll hear about again.
I've always been fascinated by metabolism. In 2004 I started my overfeeding diet to see what effects it had upon my body? I was exercising (I had spin classes to teach), but my exercise levels stayed pretty much the same as I trained the same amount, taught roughly the same amount, and competed as usual. The only difference was my intake of food. My original intention was to prove that the overweight woman at our local diet club was an idiot. She sold the story that people needed a calorie deficit to achieve weight-loss.
So, after having worked out a rough figure for the daily calorie consumption for someone of my weight and activity levels, I set upon eating 3500 calories a day, ignoring the rational to drop the figure by 15-20% or 200 kcals. My ideas stemmed from the understanding that the thyroid controlled metabolism (the rate at which we produce energy), by producing thyroid hormones. So, it made sense that the thyroid would prefer a stable, reliable amount of energy which would allow it function fully. Weight rapidly fell from me and I went more extreme with my research. For the final 6 months I ate 6000 kcals a day and ended up at 10st. I'd made my thyroid hyperactive and it was burning energy at a rapid rate.
Being in this position may seem enviable to all those with weight to loose, but at either end of the metabolism come health risks, as such its ideal to be in balance in the middle. To eat so many kcals I required packaged processed foods to make it easy to count up my totals. This is a general concern with any calorie based diet. Dieters often rely on packets which handily give them all the information they need. Another aspect is that they frequently go for lower calorie, lower fat options so that they can increase quantity. A real food meal might be quite small on a low calorie diet, whilst you'll probably manage a massive pile of rice cakes or salads. This means you consume a high sugar diet which plays havoc with the bodies endocrine system. During my self inflicted high calorie diet I looked and felt ill due to the highly processed nature of my diet. It proved a point though. CALORIE RESTRICTION DOES NOT WORK. If it did we'd have a lot of slim, toned people because I see no end of people eating next to nothing.
Theirs lots of evidence debunking calorie restriction online, my personal favorite is one that Matt Stone from 180 Degree Health pointed me to XI page 64 onwards Food Rationing of Prisoners In German POW camps. Check it out as its a scary read.As Matt states, "Many health authorities actually recommend eating far less than Auschwitz prisoners received. As offended as you might be that I say that, know that it is the truth. We modern, educated humans of the world, in the name of health, are eating concentration camp rations."
If you want to loose your health, follow the Auschwitz diet, exercise more and eat less. Chances are, if your having PT, training at a gym, going running, are a member of a slimming club, doing no carbs before marbs, or any of the other crazy diet and exercise regimes out there, your probably already on it. It won't kill you as quickly as it did them, mainly due to your PT or diet club leader not having as much control over you as the Third Reich (some PT's I've see have come close though, have you seen biggest looser in which that woman shouts as much as possible to cover up her lack of knowledge).
The report states:
"Whereas according to the standards of the Physiological Committee of the Section of Hygiene of the League of Nations a hardworking man ought to receive in 24 hours about 4,800 calories and an average working man more than 3,600 calories, the prisoners at Auschwitz were getting at most from 1302 up to 1744 calories for 24 hours! 1744 calories daily represent a little less than the basic conversion of food into energy of a grown man, or in other words a little less than the amount needed by a man resting in a lying position, covered and motionless. A man who works, nourished in such a way is burning up his own tissues in order to cover the amount of energy expended. This inevitably results in the wasting away of his organism in a manner dangerous to life. The diet of the prisoners working very hard outside the camp possessed such a calorific value. The prisoners who were working in the camp and whose work was also undoubtedly hard were getting at most 1302 calories for 24 hours, which was much below the amount necessary for the preservation of life when lying in bed. The above given data explains in full why the prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp were dying in masses after a short period of time, and only those who had the chance of getting stolen food, or were getting parcels of food from their families at home, could preserve their life. All the other prisoners were doomed to destruction”.
What shocks me the most is the 1744 kcals mentioned in the report is that its remarkably close to the 1800 kcals suggested for me during a module on nutrition at University. Its also remarkably close to the figures I often hear being suggested for weight loss amongst diet and exercise groups. Now you get why I kept leaving degrees, I just can't put up with being taught stupidity and then being expected to re-teach it to you lot. Its no secret I hated University, in particular the Sports Science and Dietetics Degrees appalled me (along with Physiotherapy but thats a whole different topic). It wasn't quite a concentration camp, but looking at what they suggested I lived on, it wasn't far off. Maybe they just wanted to weaken me and stop me asking the complicated questions that I just dropped in when ever I felt like disrupting the brainwashing. How we can put someone through 4 years of expensive education at MSc level and let them come out with such a backward view of health is beyond my comprehension.
Other notable diet tweets of late are the fantastically backward,
"Don't eat carbohydrate and Fat together"
and the one which must of escaped from the 1980's,
"Don't eat carbohydrate after 4pm".
I think they are touched on adequately in the above with regard to the effect of my own experiences of living mainly on carbohydrate and the fact that the POW's received very low amounts of protein and fat. Eat carbohydrate alone and it will cause massive endocrine disruption, followed by problems with blood sugar. The important things to understand when eating are to eat a full balanced meal based on fat and protein but also include adequate carbohydrate. Try to avoid eating either fat, carbohydrate or protein on its own and always attempt to combine the three together to provide your body with what it needs to remain stable. Its not rocket science but the tricky bit is understanding how much of each you need. That is where professional coaching comes in. It doesn't need to be me, just make sure that whomever it is hasn't been trained by the Third Reich. Question everything your told.
My next favorite tweet is probably the ultimate and I know it will enrage my friend Ali from Milly & Pip,
"Cereal provided a nutritious low fat meal at anytime of the day".
Their are hundreds of daft diet out there and its all down to people just wanting to market products and convince you its essential for you. Its the nature of consumerism I guess but its sad that we fall for it quite so easily. I'm not sure if this tweeter is on the books at Kellogg's, but its scary that a health professional (I use the term loosely), has been conned by marketing, or maybe they just can't be bothered to think for themselves.
The Kellogg's diet is new in many peoples eyes. In recent years we've been told to "eat a bowl for breakfast and a bowl for lunch, for 2 weeks". Kellogg isn't new to the diet world though. John Harvey Kellogg was a well respected man in his day and very influential on the subject of health. However, that doesn't mean he knew what he was talking about.
Kellogg had remedies for the sin of masturbation (enjoy that one while you eat your cornflakes), which involved circumcision without anesthetic for boys, and mutilation of the clitoris with carbolic acid for girls. You really are wondering what them cornflakes are made of now aren't you. Constipation was the cause of “nymphomania” in women and lust in men, due to impacted stools stimulating the prostate gland or vagina into sexual excitement. Remember that next time your watching Loose Women or The Only Way is Essex, yep thats right they really are full of ****!! On the topic of TV, this maybe the future for the Jeremy Kyle show to curb all need for DNA tests.
Mad old Kellogg believed a vegetarian diet, made up of bran, and paraffin oil with every meal was good for you. This no doubt worked for his goals, as the chronic lack of protein and fat would lead to a decline of libido, impotence, and infertility. This is still seen to this day in the many low fat, low protein, processed food or vegan eating individuals that require IVF treatment or just simply can't get it to rise to the occasion. Its interesting to note that various religions used vegan diets to ensure low libido for their followers, the monks and nuns. It isn’t as radical a solution as clitoral mutilation or un-anethesised circumcision, but it’s just as effective. Putting Catholic Priests on veggies diets might not be as extreme as Kellogg's original remedy but it may just stop the News of the World headlines that shame the religious leaders so often.
The paraffin oil was used due to the fiber rich diet causing large stools and hemorrhoids. The oil had laxative and lubricant effects. Despite anal leakage (remember I've consulted with fire breathers who technically consume paraffin) seemingly being the worst effect, it also has the added effect of ridding the body of vitamins A, D, E and K causing a variety of problems from infertility and birth defects to diabetes and cancer.
Kellogg did live till 91, largely due to the fact that he was a hyprocrite that didn't follow his own diets (how often is that the case), but he isn't responsible for the company we know today. His company was the Sanitas Food Company, named after his Sanitarium in which he attempted to reform people to the ideals set out by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Along with his brother Will, they sold their whole gain libido killing cereals to whomever would buy them. Will was the real business brain though, he realised that with sugar added they would sell to the masses. This led to a family feud as John insisted the flakes remain bland and refused to add sugar. Will to set up his own company called The Battle Creek Cornflake company in which he added sugar to the recipe and this company eventually became the Kellogg’s brand that we know today. The company makes billions per year selling their nutritionally devoid products, so its no wonder they want you to eat it for every meal. John Harvey Kellogg is long gone but his ludicrous ideas still continue to permeate through society. Next time your in the supermarket and worried about your excessive libido or uncontrollable urges to masturbate in ASDA, be sure to put some Cornflakes in your trolley.
So, from concentration camp calorie control diets through to libido killing, masturbation prevention flakes its truly a weird world in which we will do anything but eat real natural foods. Think before you eat people.
"For effective weight loss reduce kcal intake by 15-20%. This will help minimize the drop in metabolism whilst encouraging max fat loss."
Is that really the case? I tested this theory on myself as far back as 2oo2-2003. I always use myself when testing the various ideas suggested in mainstream nutrition as I know I'll stick to the plan (mainly out of a desire to see the results rather than actually enjoying it).
For a start what does a 15-20% reduction mean? Are we using a formula to work out what the person should be eating? Are we testing their actual metabolism?, which is pretty pricey. Or are we, as is usually the case going for the typical method of using daily recommended allowances? I think these are still currently 2000 for women and 2500 for men, although it is confusing for to know what they recommend. Check out this BBC article about how maybe the figures are wrong.
The other thing that worries me about the figures is that it doesn't take into account where the calories come from (remember calories are just a made up measurement term, they don't exist and you certainly can't eat them, you need this thing called food). Is it really that simple that we can eat our 2000 or 2500 kcal minus 15 or 20% from cake and get weight loss? I guess to a degree we could but then comes the plateau that is every nutritionist or PT dreads. Their client (or maybe even their own) weight just stops or even creeps back up. The quote is eluding to this fact by saying that we need to "minimize the drop in metabolism." Is it really that simple though?Metabolism is a massive topic, and its something I've covered previously, and as I'm in the midst of some pretty serious endocrinology study, its something you'll hear about again.
I've always been fascinated by metabolism. In 2004 I started my overfeeding diet to see what effects it had upon my body? I was exercising (I had spin classes to teach), but my exercise levels stayed pretty much the same as I trained the same amount, taught roughly the same amount, and competed as usual. The only difference was my intake of food. My original intention was to prove that the overweight woman at our local diet club was an idiot. She sold the story that people needed a calorie deficit to achieve weight-loss.
So, after having worked out a rough figure for the daily calorie consumption for someone of my weight and activity levels, I set upon eating 3500 calories a day, ignoring the rational to drop the figure by 15-20% or 200 kcals. My ideas stemmed from the understanding that the thyroid controlled metabolism (the rate at which we produce energy), by producing thyroid hormones. So, it made sense that the thyroid would prefer a stable, reliable amount of energy which would allow it function fully. Weight rapidly fell from me and I went more extreme with my research. For the final 6 months I ate 6000 kcals a day and ended up at 10st. I'd made my thyroid hyperactive and it was burning energy at a rapid rate.
Being in this position may seem enviable to all those with weight to loose, but at either end of the metabolism come health risks, as such its ideal to be in balance in the middle. To eat so many kcals I required packaged processed foods to make it easy to count up my totals. This is a general concern with any calorie based diet. Dieters often rely on packets which handily give them all the information they need. Another aspect is that they frequently go for lower calorie, lower fat options so that they can increase quantity. A real food meal might be quite small on a low calorie diet, whilst you'll probably manage a massive pile of rice cakes or salads. This means you consume a high sugar diet which plays havoc with the bodies endocrine system. During my self inflicted high calorie diet I looked and felt ill due to the highly processed nature of my diet. It proved a point though. CALORIE RESTRICTION DOES NOT WORK. If it did we'd have a lot of slim, toned people because I see no end of people eating next to nothing.
Theirs lots of evidence debunking calorie restriction online, my personal favorite is one that Matt Stone from 180 Degree Health pointed me to XI page 64 onwards Food Rationing of Prisoners In German POW camps. Check it out as its a scary read.As Matt states, "Many health authorities actually recommend eating far less than Auschwitz prisoners received. As offended as you might be that I say that, know that it is the truth. We modern, educated humans of the world, in the name of health, are eating concentration camp rations."
If you want to loose your health, follow the Auschwitz diet, exercise more and eat less. Chances are, if your having PT, training at a gym, going running, are a member of a slimming club, doing no carbs before marbs, or any of the other crazy diet and exercise regimes out there, your probably already on it. It won't kill you as quickly as it did them, mainly due to your PT or diet club leader not having as much control over you as the Third Reich (some PT's I've see have come close though, have you seen biggest looser in which that woman shouts as much as possible to cover up her lack of knowledge).
The report states:
"Whereas according to the standards of the Physiological Committee of the Section of Hygiene of the League of Nations a hardworking man ought to receive in 24 hours about 4,800 calories and an average working man more than 3,600 calories, the prisoners at Auschwitz were getting at most from 1302 up to 1744 calories for 24 hours! 1744 calories daily represent a little less than the basic conversion of food into energy of a grown man, or in other words a little less than the amount needed by a man resting in a lying position, covered and motionless. A man who works, nourished in such a way is burning up his own tissues in order to cover the amount of energy expended. This inevitably results in the wasting away of his organism in a manner dangerous to life. The diet of the prisoners working very hard outside the camp possessed such a calorific value. The prisoners who were working in the camp and whose work was also undoubtedly hard were getting at most 1302 calories for 24 hours, which was much below the amount necessary for the preservation of life when lying in bed. The above given data explains in full why the prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp were dying in masses after a short period of time, and only those who had the chance of getting stolen food, or were getting parcels of food from their families at home, could preserve their life. All the other prisoners were doomed to destruction”.
What shocks me the most is the 1744 kcals mentioned in the report is that its remarkably close to the 1800 kcals suggested for me during a module on nutrition at University. Its also remarkably close to the figures I often hear being suggested for weight loss amongst diet and exercise groups. Now you get why I kept leaving degrees, I just can't put up with being taught stupidity and then being expected to re-teach it to you lot. Its no secret I hated University, in particular the Sports Science and Dietetics Degrees appalled me (along with Physiotherapy but thats a whole different topic). It wasn't quite a concentration camp, but looking at what they suggested I lived on, it wasn't far off. Maybe they just wanted to weaken me and stop me asking the complicated questions that I just dropped in when ever I felt like disrupting the brainwashing. How we can put someone through 4 years of expensive education at MSc level and let them come out with such a backward view of health is beyond my comprehension.
Other notable diet tweets of late are the fantastically backward,
"Don't eat carbohydrate and Fat together"
and the one which must of escaped from the 1980's,
"Don't eat carbohydrate after 4pm".
I think they are touched on adequately in the above with regard to the effect of my own experiences of living mainly on carbohydrate and the fact that the POW's received very low amounts of protein and fat. Eat carbohydrate alone and it will cause massive endocrine disruption, followed by problems with blood sugar. The important things to understand when eating are to eat a full balanced meal based on fat and protein but also include adequate carbohydrate. Try to avoid eating either fat, carbohydrate or protein on its own and always attempt to combine the three together to provide your body with what it needs to remain stable. Its not rocket science but the tricky bit is understanding how much of each you need. That is where professional coaching comes in. It doesn't need to be me, just make sure that whomever it is hasn't been trained by the Third Reich. Question everything your told.
My next favorite tweet is probably the ultimate and I know it will enrage my friend Ali from Milly & Pip,
"Cereal provided a nutritious low fat meal at anytime of the day".
Their are hundreds of daft diet out there and its all down to people just wanting to market products and convince you its essential for you. Its the nature of consumerism I guess but its sad that we fall for it quite so easily. I'm not sure if this tweeter is on the books at Kellogg's, but its scary that a health professional (I use the term loosely), has been conned by marketing, or maybe they just can't be bothered to think for themselves.
The Kellogg's diet is new in many peoples eyes. In recent years we've been told to "eat a bowl for breakfast and a bowl for lunch, for 2 weeks". Kellogg isn't new to the diet world though. John Harvey Kellogg was a well respected man in his day and very influential on the subject of health. However, that doesn't mean he knew what he was talking about.
Kellogg had remedies for the sin of masturbation (enjoy that one while you eat your cornflakes), which involved circumcision without anesthetic for boys, and mutilation of the clitoris with carbolic acid for girls. You really are wondering what them cornflakes are made of now aren't you. Constipation was the cause of “nymphomania” in women and lust in men, due to impacted stools stimulating the prostate gland or vagina into sexual excitement. Remember that next time your watching Loose Women or The Only Way is Essex, yep thats right they really are full of ****!! On the topic of TV, this maybe the future for the Jeremy Kyle show to curb all need for DNA tests.
Mad old Kellogg believed a vegetarian diet, made up of bran, and paraffin oil with every meal was good for you. This no doubt worked for his goals, as the chronic lack of protein and fat would lead to a decline of libido, impotence, and infertility. This is still seen to this day in the many low fat, low protein, processed food or vegan eating individuals that require IVF treatment or just simply can't get it to rise to the occasion. Its interesting to note that various religions used vegan diets to ensure low libido for their followers, the monks and nuns. It isn’t as radical a solution as clitoral mutilation or un-anethesised circumcision, but it’s just as effective. Putting Catholic Priests on veggies diets might not be as extreme as Kellogg's original remedy but it may just stop the News of the World headlines that shame the religious leaders so often.
The paraffin oil was used due to the fiber rich diet causing large stools and hemorrhoids. The oil had laxative and lubricant effects. Despite anal leakage (remember I've consulted with fire breathers who technically consume paraffin) seemingly being the worst effect, it also has the added effect of ridding the body of vitamins A, D, E and K causing a variety of problems from infertility and birth defects to diabetes and cancer.
Kellogg did live till 91, largely due to the fact that he was a hyprocrite that didn't follow his own diets (how often is that the case), but he isn't responsible for the company we know today. His company was the Sanitas Food Company, named after his Sanitarium in which he attempted to reform people to the ideals set out by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Along with his brother Will, they sold their whole gain libido killing cereals to whomever would buy them. Will was the real business brain though, he realised that with sugar added they would sell to the masses. This led to a family feud as John insisted the flakes remain bland and refused to add sugar. Will to set up his own company called The Battle Creek Cornflake company in which he added sugar to the recipe and this company eventually became the Kellogg’s brand that we know today. The company makes billions per year selling their nutritionally devoid products, so its no wonder they want you to eat it for every meal. John Harvey Kellogg is long gone but his ludicrous ideas still continue to permeate through society. Next time your in the supermarket and worried about your excessive libido or uncontrollable urges to masturbate in ASDA, be sure to put some Cornflakes in your trolley.
So, from concentration camp calorie control diets through to libido killing, masturbation prevention flakes its truly a weird world in which we will do anything but eat real natural foods. Think before you eat people.
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