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Gary Taubes: Why We Get Fat

Old 06-09-2012, 05:28 AM
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Default Gary Taubes: Why We Get Fat

Hi everyone,
I recently read Gary Taubes new book Why We Get Fat. I'm facinated by his paradigm of weight loss. It is in stark contrast to what I've learned over the years including the education I recieved as a personal trainer (12 years ago). I have been on his "diet" (although recommendations in the book are scarce) for about a week now and will weigh myself at the two week mark. I'm very curious to see how it works considering the lack of excersise and the focus on insulin as the driver of fat accumulation rather than calories. I know, I know, just eat healthy and excercise! But maybe, just maybe, when we diet (restrict calories) and spend an hour or hours excercising (expend additional calories to our basal) we're doing it the hard way! Maybe, its as easy as stopping the production of the hormone (insulin) that causes fat accumulation.
So far the plan is no where near as challegeing as programs I've been on in the past (or recommended to my clients). Yes its hard to restrict carbohydrates, but that's really the only challenge. With a traditional weight loss diet you face many challenges including hunger and intense excercise commitment and sometimes a dissatisfaction with the food choices.
Has anyone else read this book? If so, what is your experience and thoughts?
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Old 06-09-2012, 10:57 AM
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getfit,

you might want to pop on over to the paleo/primal thread. GCBC is a starting point for a lot of us over there but specifics on diet and exercise are more widely available in that community rather than in any of Taubes' books.
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Old 06-13-2012, 07:13 AM
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I also read and enjoyed that book. Just wanted to add, "Rethinking Thin" and "The Smarter Science of Slim" are both good follow-ups to Taubes' book. "Rethinking Thin" references Taubes and then adds case studies and clinical trials about obesity. "The Smarter Science of Slim" is heavily referenced and gives an eating/exercise plan from an insulin point of view.
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Old 06-15-2012, 07:13 AM
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Why don't people just start taking control of their lives and stop believing that it's some outside factor. We get fat because we eat to much food. Period. There might be variables that can help us lose fat but calories in/calories out. I eat at a 700 kcal deficit right now. Once I hit my goal body fat I will go to a 500 deficit and then 250 and so on until I maintain. I have 2-4 tbsp of peanut butter every night and enjoy a couple of chocolate chip cookies a week. Everthing I like to eat I can fit into my macros. I rarely post here but I've gotten tired of hearing, only low carb, no it's vegan, paleo, fruitarian... I did keto last year and lost weight( about 35lbs). This year I'm at 32 so far. It all works. I just make sure that I get in my protein and fat and the rest I go with how I feel. If I want more bacon or fruit or pizza I have it.
Find foods you enjoy but eat at a deficit.
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Old 06-15-2012, 08:49 AM
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That's all fine and well, 1dwing, but for different people different foods make sticking to that deficit much easier. For some it's low carb, for others it's low fat, for others they might have some interaction with a disease or some drugs they're taking. For that reason it's important to present as many viable options as possible. There's no one plan that works for everybody. So yes, it's calories in vs calories out in theory but saying it's only that grossly oversimplifies the situation.
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Old 06-15-2012, 09:45 AM
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I don't think it oversimplifies it at all. You need to eat less than you burn to lose weight. If you eat tons and tons of meat every day that's a sure fire way to set yourself up for high cholesterol and a heart attack or stroke.

Some of our Ice Age ancestors (if your ancestos were in Europe) didn't eat very much vegetation because it wasn't available in big quantities on the wind blown steppes. However eating the way they did will lead to an early death. It didn't matter so much for them. They had children at young ages and lived long enough to pass on their lifeways and wisdom to the next generation, but by today's standards their lives were very short.

Fatness was valued (look at the Venus figures) because it meant surviving through times when less food was available.

I think today when we are in a state of constant plenty, avoiding fatness (which goes against our instincts) is the key to survival. Taking advantage of the phytonutrients, fiber, and vitamins and minerals found in vegetables and fruits makes sense.

Every major civilization has a carb based diet, and most of these carbs are grains. Grains didn't pop out of nowhere. Even our remote ancestors ate grass seeds sometimes, just not in the quantities we do today, and since the ice age, European people and those in the Middle East in particular have eaten a LOT of grain, and mostly, it benefited society. Whole grains also have a lot of minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and fiber. To say we're not evolved to eat grain is taking a skewed view of evolution. Humans have always eaten seeds. Grass seeds are just another type of seed that was consumed in the distant past too. Refined grains aren't very good for you but whole grains are fine.

Legumes aren't some abomination. They're also healthy for people. I have no idea why paleo eaters are against legumes.
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Old 06-16-2012, 12:30 AM
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its true that insulin plays a huge role in fat accumulation but there is a point where your body cant get past a certain point with being really fit and healthy (in my opinion) without exercise. One problem is that people overdo cardio. I agree that you should look into primal lifestyle. I do primal mostly. I do eat a few things "off" the diet or a couple of things that are questionable and I find exercising the primal way to be much more fulfilling. As humans we need physical activity. It doesnt mean we need to suffer with diet and exercise but with consistency it works. I have been on every diet and a major yo yo deiter forever until now. I definitely believe in this stuff.
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Old 06-16-2012, 12:31 AM
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rubystars, I agree with you!! And I do think its individual, but like you said we might just eat waaaaaaay too much of those grains etc...and forget about veggies.
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Old 06-16-2012, 02:58 PM
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Originally Posted by tandoorichicken
That's all fine and well, 1dwing, but for different people different foods make sticking to that deficit much easier. For some it's low carb, for others it's low fat, for others they might have some interaction with a disease or some drugs they're taking. For that reason it's important to present as many viable options as possible. There's no one plan that works for everybody. So yes, it's calories in vs calories out in theory but saying it's only that grossly oversimplifies the situation.

Why don't people just start taking control of their lives and stop believing that it's some outside factor. We get fat because we eat to much food. Period. There might be variables that can help us lose fat but calories in/calories out. I eat at a 700 kcal deficit right now. Once I hit my goal body fat I will go to a 500 deficit and then 250 and so on until I maintain. I have 2-4 tbsp of peanut butter every night and enjoy a couple of chocolate chip cookies a week. Everthing I like to eat I can fit into my macros. I rarely post here but I've gotten tired of hearing, only low carb, no it's vegan, paleo, fruitarian... I did keto last year and lost weight( about 35lbs). This year I'm at 32 so far. It all works. I just make sure that I get in my protein and fat and the rest I go with how I feel. If I want more bacon or fruit or pizza I have it.
Find foods you enjoy but eat at a deficit.

I believe you missed my point. We all have seen people and have BEEN THOSE PEOPLE that sit around making excuses about why we don't lose fat. In the end the diet really does not matter that much. We all need the same nutrients to survive though the differences between us are slight variables of each. Anyone who has lost fat has done so only due to the fact that they have consumed less calories than they burn whether its through consumption or working out. Personally I enjoy paleo/keto. I love meat and veggies. I just make room for cookies whatever snack I might enjoy and don't feel guilty about it.
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Old 06-17-2012, 05:06 AM
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One thing I've never seen any pro-paleo person explain to me is which stone age culture they're trying to emulate. Ice Age Europe was not steady but fluctuated between warmer periods and colder periods over thousands of years. There were times with more forest and times with less forest and more grassland, etc. All of these would have changed the diets of the people living there.

I see paleos typing about "Grok's time" but they never define what that is, what the climate was like at that particular time, what the people were eating at that particular time, etc.

They don't even define which of the many subcultures of Cro Magnons they're trying to emulate. Was it Aurignacians? Gravettians? Which one did "Grok" supposedly belong to?
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