That was quite a drop. 4.2 lbs in a day. That's water weight people. My experiment in eating crud on Sunday gave me exactly the results I expected and that's a good thing. I am now wondering how close I can get to 190 this week. It's only Tuesday and I have progressed at a much faster pace than I did last week. Since my low weight was 191.6 lbs last week, I should be very very close this week unless something surprises me significantly.
I haven't done this in awhile but today I will share with you some tidbits from studies on health and weight loss from around the web. First off, we have a study about video gaming and weight gain. Really, I didn't need a study to tell me that people who play video games are fatter than their more active counterparts. Anecdotal evidence is all around us. I remember watching a documentary on gaming addiction not too long ago and one of the gamers dropped weight like crazy after quitting video games. His skinny cousin, who was just beginning, packed it on like nobody's business and was quite obese by the end of the documentary. But what I didn't realize was that it was not only the sedentary behavior, it was the fact that video games actually triggered a response to eat more. Here is the study.
Once I thought about the study and put it through my lame layman's filter, it made perfect sense. Your brain needs sugar. It's like your mind is a zombie in reverse that does not want brains, heck it already has that, but it wants sugar to feed the brain. Mental exertion triggers us to eat more sugary crap so that we can fire off synapses. It also gives a quick boost of energy. If anyone doubts that sugar is a drug, they only need to look at the study - they are the same physical responses the brain in an addict creates to get more drugs. Damn. It's also why you feel like crap for a day or two when you ween yourself off of it for the most part.
Now on to the next article. This one talks about a new diet called the Dukan diet. To be honest, I thought it sounded rather sensible. It's freaking simple and I have very little problem with any of it. For some odd reason, some dietitians do and that is what shocks me. I wonder if people spout shit without thinking most of the time or to get their names out there. Here is the article.
Hmmm so why I vehemently disagree with some of the people they talked to for this article because they say things that are dead wrong and I think they should have really stopped and looked at the diet before they spoke. I actually think if you are going to do an article on a a diet program or medical science you should not talk to someone who has a vested interest in an opposing viewpoint like Dr. Congro. She throws off a few comments about salt and fat content and restricted calories and tries to undermine it with scare tactics. Restricted calories have been proven to be one of the few paths to longevity and unless you are talking trans fats, most fats are good for you. I only agree with her on salt intake because there is no need to add extra salt to your food which is nothing the diet recommends. Her counterpart, Dr. Connie Diekman had the following to say:
Diekman said the limits on carbohydrates aren't supported by science.
Uh, yes they are. The more articles I read, the more I have come to the conclusion that restricting carbohydrates is exactly what you want to do to lose weight - carbs are calorically dense and on the most part empty calories. Her quote is pure bullshit. Here is another rather vapid quote about the upcoming Royal Wedding:
"As a registered dietitian, and as a recent mother-of-the-bride, I would caution the royal bride-to-be's mom that she is going to need all the energy she can to thoroughly enjoy this very special day. Carbohydrates are the food that provide us with that energy."
I think this says, to a lot of people, "Go ahead and and eat as much crap as you want." Now I am sure her words were cherry picked for the article because that is what writers sometimes do but I am a little weary when scientists start throwing out quotes about the Royal Wedding.
Now I will go on to say that I do not endorse any diet whatsoever but the Dukan diet sounds viable and sensible since it shows you how to come off the diet and how not to pack the weight back on. That is something that other diets rarely do. Who wants to be on a diet the rest of their lives? What Dukan recommends at a certain point is a simple lifestyle change and from my personal experience that is something I can support fully. I also support Congro's efforts as well since she has been helping people to lose weight and be healthy through her own program. What I can't support is a scientific knowledge base that seems to stop somewhere around 1998. There have been so many studies and so much information to come out the past ten years alone, that it is breathtaking and warrants some rediscovery. I am also more aware that sedentary behavior and the over consumption of carbohydrates (often paired with trans fats) is a sure recipe for disaster and heart disease. Your weight is the key. Her recipe and the scientific recipe tend to differ greatly from what I can take from this article. All in all, interesting stuff as the battle over the bulge continues. Just remember to eat your lean proteins, slow carbs and dark greens and you'll be just fine.
I haven't done this in awhile but today I will share with you some tidbits from studies on health and weight loss from around the web. First off, we have a study about video gaming and weight gain. Really, I didn't need a study to tell me that people who play video games are fatter than their more active counterparts. Anecdotal evidence is all around us. I remember watching a documentary on gaming addiction not too long ago and one of the gamers dropped weight like crazy after quitting video games. His skinny cousin, who was just beginning, packed it on like nobody's business and was quite obese by the end of the documentary. But what I didn't realize was that it was not only the sedentary behavior, it was the fact that video games actually triggered a response to eat more. Here is the study.
Once I thought about the study and put it through my lame layman's filter, it made perfect sense. Your brain needs sugar. It's like your mind is a zombie in reverse that does not want brains, heck it already has that, but it wants sugar to feed the brain. Mental exertion triggers us to eat more sugary crap so that we can fire off synapses. It also gives a quick boost of energy. If anyone doubts that sugar is a drug, they only need to look at the study - they are the same physical responses the brain in an addict creates to get more drugs. Damn. It's also why you feel like crap for a day or two when you ween yourself off of it for the most part.
Now on to the next article. This one talks about a new diet called the Dukan diet. To be honest, I thought it sounded rather sensible. It's freaking simple and I have very little problem with any of it. For some odd reason, some dietitians do and that is what shocks me. I wonder if people spout shit without thinking most of the time or to get their names out there. Here is the article.
Hmmm so why I vehemently disagree with some of the people they talked to for this article because they say things that are dead wrong and I think they should have really stopped and looked at the diet before they spoke. I actually think if you are going to do an article on a a diet program or medical science you should not talk to someone who has a vested interest in an opposing viewpoint like Dr. Congro. She throws off a few comments about salt and fat content and restricted calories and tries to undermine it with scare tactics. Restricted calories have been proven to be one of the few paths to longevity and unless you are talking trans fats, most fats are good for you. I only agree with her on salt intake because there is no need to add extra salt to your food which is nothing the diet recommends. Her counterpart, Dr. Connie Diekman had the following to say:
Diekman said the limits on carbohydrates aren't supported by science.
Uh, yes they are. The more articles I read, the more I have come to the conclusion that restricting carbohydrates is exactly what you want to do to lose weight - carbs are calorically dense and on the most part empty calories. Her quote is pure bullshit. Here is another rather vapid quote about the upcoming Royal Wedding:
"As a registered dietitian, and as a recent mother-of-the-bride, I would caution the royal bride-to-be's mom that she is going to need all the energy she can to thoroughly enjoy this very special day. Carbohydrates are the food that provide us with that energy."
I think this says, to a lot of people, "Go ahead and and eat as much crap as you want." Now I am sure her words were cherry picked for the article because that is what writers sometimes do but I am a little weary when scientists start throwing out quotes about the Royal Wedding.
Now I will go on to say that I do not endorse any diet whatsoever but the Dukan diet sounds viable and sensible since it shows you how to come off the diet and how not to pack the weight back on. That is something that other diets rarely do. Who wants to be on a diet the rest of their lives? What Dukan recommends at a certain point is a simple lifestyle change and from my personal experience that is something I can support fully. I also support Congro's efforts as well since she has been helping people to lose weight and be healthy through her own program. What I can't support is a scientific knowledge base that seems to stop somewhere around 1998. There have been so many studies and so much information to come out the past ten years alone, that it is breathtaking and warrants some rediscovery. I am also more aware that sedentary behavior and the over consumption of carbohydrates (often paired with trans fats) is a sure recipe for disaster and heart disease. Your weight is the key. Her recipe and the scientific recipe tend to differ greatly from what I can take from this article. All in all, interesting stuff as the battle over the bulge continues. Just remember to eat your lean proteins, slow carbs and dark greens and you'll be just fine.
Couple of thoughts:
ReplyDeleteThe reason why most Americans balk at any sort of diet is that they do not want to be told what they cannot have. I like the Dukan plan because it comes from "a place of yes." (I can't believe I just used that phrase.) Don't tell me what I can't have...tell me all the wonderful yummy things I CAN eat.
I have to wonder if a lot of the "objections" these so-called experts have about the Dukan Diet are born from some bullshit bias against it because it's French.
I've got bigger things to worry about right now than my weight, but I can tell you this: every girl knows that if you want to drop a dress size (or two) before a big event, eat nothing but protein and non-starchy vegetables for at least a week or so. It works every time. Gets rid of the bloat and the extra pudge.
Not to belittle those who ARE concerned about their weight...God, I can be such a bitch without even trying...sorry about that.
ReplyDelete