I think stretch marks don't really go away, and their appearance is somewhat dependent on the rate at which you gained the weight (and completely independent of the rate at which you lose weight). Ultimately, I don't think that rate of weight loss has much to do with what your stretch marks will look like, or on whether you will have "mudflaps" after going down from 500 pounds (you WILL have them).
People actually get big flaps of skin surgically removed, and donate that skin, so you can actually help somebody with burns:
Rapid weight loss can be dangerous to your health (especially if its starvation based, and not exercise based), and you really need to directly consult a health care professional before embarking on anything aggressive.
Thank you for being the first person to actually get it, pop and fruit are the same thing at a macro level, and when trying to lose weight macros are all that matter.
Sort of. They're both carbs and both contain 4 (kilo)calories/gram. But the Glycemic Index is a very real thing. Controlling your body's insulin production is a key component to getting and staying lean.
It's also true that not all fruits are created equal. Pineapples will spike your insulin more than Apples will, for instance.
I have heard vague rumors of a moustache-dispensing vending machine in a distant laundromat, across the street from a tattoo parlor. However, this information is shaky, and time is of the essence.
Sort of. They're both carbs and both contain 4 (kilo)calories/gram. But the Glycemic Index is a very real thing. Controlling your body's insulin production is a key component to getting and staying lean.
It's also true that not all fruits are created equal. Pineapples will spike your insulin more than Apples will, for instance.
Bingo. For more information, there's a big discussion about this between me (arguing Adam's point) and dcartist / Valarin (arguing against it) in the other weight loss thread.
Sort of. They're both carbs and both contain 4 (kilo)calories/gram. But the Glycemic Index is a very real thing. Controlling your body's insulin production is a key component to getting and staying lean.
It's also true that not all fruits are created equal. Pineapples will spike your insulin more than Apples will, for instance.
There is a reason to that though. Fiber.
All carbs are not created equal. Oatmeal may have 25 carbs per serving, but 10 of them may be fiber. Your body cant really use it as energy, so it goes through your system pretty much whole picking things up. You know what, lets list what fiber does. Before that, lets define the 2 types. (this is from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033
Insoluble fiber.
This type of fiber promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools. Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts and many vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber.
Soluble fiber.
This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium.
Normalizes bowel movements.
Dietary fiber increases the weight and size of your stool and softens it. A bulky stool is easier to pass, decreasing your chance of constipation. If you have loose, watery stools, fiber may also help to solidify the stool because it absorbs water and adds bulk to stool. For some, fiber may provide relief from irritable bowel syndrome.
Helps maintain bowel integrity and health. A high-fiber diet may lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids, and small pouches in your colon (diverticular disease). Some fiber is fermented in the colon. Researchers are looking at how this may play a role in preventing diseases of the colon.
Lowers blood cholesterol levels.
Soluble fiber found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol levels. Epidemiologic studies have shown that increased fiber in the diet can reduce blood pressure and inflammation, which is also protective to heart health.
Helps control blood sugar levels.
Fiber, particularly soluble fiber, can slow the absorption of sugar, which for people with diabetes can help improve blood sugar levels. A diet that includes insoluble fiber has been associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Aids in weight loss.
High-fiber foods generally require more chewing time, which gives your body time to register when you're no longer hungry, so you're less likely to overeat. Also, a high-fiber diet tends to make a meal feel larger and linger longer, so you stay full for a greater amount of time. And high-fiber diets also tend to be less "energy dense," which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food.
Uncertain effect on colorectal cancer.
Evidence that dietary fiber reduces colorectal cancer is mixed — some studies show benefit, some show nothing and some suggest increased risk. If you're concerned about preventing colorectal cancer, adopt or stick with a colon cancer screening regimen. Regular testing for and removal of colon polyps can prevent colon cancer.
And about the last point, im in the camp of "it does reduce it". Think about it, Fiber removes all the nasties that can linger in your bowels. Those nasties can cause cancer.
I have heard vague rumors of a moustache-dispensing vending machine in a distant laundromat, across the street from a tattoo parlor. However, this information is shaky, and time is of the essence.
are juices good? orange juice, apple juice, etc.... my GM at work scared me away from orange juice when she told me the allowed amount of GRUB juice to orange juice ratio ): but things like kool-aid so i can get a break from water, are those decent choices?
Juice is not really good for you and definitely not something you want when trying to lose. It's basically just empty calories. It won't make you full and a lot of juices have just as many calories as soda. Eat fruit instead.
Kool-aid is definitely bad for you since all it is is sugar-water. Make yourself some tea. It's delicious and can satisfy your caffeine addiction. If you're in the mood for something cold and refreshing, go with iced tea. Tea is great because it is one of those things that you can pretty much drink as much as you want of.
Juice is not really good for you and definitely not something you want when trying to lose. It's basically just empty calories. It won't make you full and a lot of juices have just as many calories as soda. Eat fruit instead.
Kool-aid is definitely bad for you since all it is is sugar-water. Make yourself some tea. It's delicious and can satisfy your caffeine addiction. If you're in the mood for something cold and refreshing, go with iced tea. Tea is great because it is one of those things that you can pretty much drink as much as you want of.
Im going to throw 2 things at you as a sort of spanner in a sense.
1. What if the juice is replacing soda? Yes there is a ton of sugar still, but there is vitamins and minerals. Juice isn't empty calories per se in that regard, there are things about it that make it better than soda
2. What if I were to juice vegitable? They aren't high in sugar (screw sugar beets), with a 8 oz. glass of carrot juice coming in at about 12g. of sugar. And with those 12 grams, you get an even richer assortment of minerals and vitamins.
The reason why Im not advocating massive change at once is, I did that......and I went to the Hospital with a massive intestinal issue. When you switch from very unhealthy to very healthy, you can get extremely ill from the sudden influx. People wonder why I advocated the Egg Mcmuffin earlier. I didnt really as a matter of fact. All I was saying was, if you had to eat there for your first meal, the Mcmuffin would not be a bad choice. A good choice....maybe its in the grey area, but you could do worse, much worse.
But as a whole, I have a question I'd like to pose. Is it overweight people's fault 100% or that way, or does some blame fall on the food industry? When you walk into a sub shop and get a vegetarian sub, do you expect it to be over 700 calories and 40 grams of fat? I don't. My main point is this.
1. Eating at home=/= healthier, but you at least know what is in your food.
2. Fast Food=/= Unhealthy all the time. Subway is good for a reason. Also, from an oft repeated study. Avg. FF entree= 556 calories Sit-down Rest.= 879 calories
Also, as a final thing..... I eat a diet of 1850 calories of food found at convinience stores such as Twinkies, Doritos and Oreos. Will I:
A. Gain Weight
B. Lose Weight
C. Turn into a Gerbil that shoots lightning out of my furry gerbil bum
For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of these sugary cakelets every three hours, instead of meals. To add variety in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks, Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos, too.
His premise: That in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most- not the nutritional value of the food.
The premise held up: On his "convenience store diet," he shed 27 pounds in two months.
For a class project, Haub limited himself to less than 1,800 calories a day. A man of Haub's pre-dieting size usually consumes about 2,600 calories daily. So he followed a basic principle of weight loss: He consumed significantly fewer calories than he burned. His body mass index went from 28.8, considered overweight, to 24.9, which is normal. He now weighs 174 pounds.
But you might expect other indicators of health would have suffered. Not so.
Haub's "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, dropped 20 percent and his "good" cholesterol, or HDL, increased by 20 percent. He reduced the level of triglycerides, which are a form of fat, by 39 percent.
"That's where the head scratching comes," Haub said. "What does that mean? Does that mean I'm healthier? Or does it mean how we define health from a biology standpoint, that we're missing something?"
Haub's sample day
Espresso, Double: 6 calories; 0 grams of fat
Hostess Twinkies Golden Sponge Cake: 150 calories; 5 grams of fat
Centrum Advanced Formula From A To Zinc: 0 calories; 0 grams of fat
Little Debbie Star Crunch: 150 calories; 6 grams of fat
Hostess Twinkies Golden Sponge Cake: 150 calories; 5 grams of fat
Diet Mountain Dew: 0 calories; 0 grams of fat
Doritos Cool Ranch: 75 calories; 4 grams of fat
Kellogg's Corn Pops: 220 calories; 0 grams of fat
whole milk: 150 calories; 8 grams of fat
baby carrots: 18 calories; 0 grams of fat
Duncan Hines Family Style Brownie Chewy Fudge: 270 calories; 14 grams of fat
Little Debbie Zebra Cake: 160 calories; 8 grams of fat
Muscle Milk Protein Shake: 240 calories; 9 grams of fat
Totals: 1,589 calories and 59 grams of fat
Despite his temporary success, Haub does not recommend replicating his snack-centric diet. "I'm not geared to say this is a good thing to do," he said. "I'm stuck in the middle. I guess that's the frustrating part. I can't give a concrete answer. There's not enough information to do that." Two-thirds of his total intake came from junk food. He also took a multivitamin pill and drank a protein shake daily. And he ate vegetables, typically a can of green beans or three to four celery stalks.
Families who live in food deserts have limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables, so they often rely on the kind of food Haub was eating.
"These foods are consumed by lots of people," he said. "It may be an issue of portion size and moderation rather than total removal. I just think it's unrealistic to expect people to totally drop these foods for vegetables and fruits. It may be healthy, but not realistic."
Haub's body fat dropped from 33.4 to 24.9 percent. This posed the question: What matters more for weight loss, the quantity or quality of calories?
His success is probably a result of caloric reduction, said Dawn Jackson Blatner, a dietitian in Chicago, Illinois.
"It's a great reminder for weight loss that calories count," she said. "Is that the bottom line to being healthy? That's another story."
Blatner, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said she's not surprised to hear Haub's health markers improved even when he loaded up on processed snack cakes.
Being overweight is the central problem that leads to complications like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, she said.
How well are you managing your diabetes?
"When you lose weight, regardless of how you're doing it -- even if it's with packaged foods, generally you will see these markers improve when weight loss has improved," she said.
Before jumping on the Ding Dong bandwagon, Blatner warned of health concerns.
"There are things we can't measure," said Blatner, questioning how the lack of fruits and vegetables could affect long-term health. "How much does that affect the risk for cancer? We can't measure how diet changes affect our health."I was eating healthier, but I wasn't healthy. I was eating too much.
On August 25, Haub, 41, started his cake diet focusing on portion control.
"I'm eating to the point of need and pushing the plate or wrapper away," he said.
He intended the trial to last a month as a teaching tool for his class. As he lost weight, Haub continued the diet until he reached a normal body mass index. Before his Twinkie diet, he tried to eat a healthy diet that included whole grains, dietary fiber, berries and bananas, vegetables and occasional treats like pizza.
"There seems to be a disconnect between eating healthy and being healthy," Haub said. "It may not be the same. I was eating healthier, but I wasn't healthy. I was eating too much." He maintained the same level of moderate physical activity as before going on the diet. (Haub does not have any ties to the snack cake companies.)
To avoid setting a bad example for his kids, Haub ate vegetables in front of his family. Away from the dinner table, he usually unwrapped his meals. Haub monitored his body composition, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose, and updated his progress on his Facebook page, Professor Haub's diet experiment. To curb calories, he avoided meat, whole grains and fruits. Once he started adding meat into the diet four weeks ago, his cholesterol level increased.
Haub plans to add about 300 calories to his daily intake now that he's done with the diet. But he's not ditching snack cakes altogether. Despite his weight loss, Haub feels ambivalence.
"I wish I could say the outcomes are unhealthy. I wish I could say it's healthy. I'm not confident enough in doing that. That frustrates a lot of people. One side says it's irresponsible. It is unhealthy, but the data doesn't say that."
My point by showing this is that you can never just say, since its unhealthy, you cant have it. You can have "unhealthy food" .....just in moderation.
I would blame the food industry exactly zero. McDonald's is on every corner BECAUSE THE CONSUMERS CHOSE to go into McDonald's more than the other food places, BASED ON THE FOOD. Additionally, nobody said you can't share food, save some for later, or just give some to a homeless guy. These places offer healthier options but very few people buy them.
Food places have legitimate right to offer what th consumer wants. Even all-you-can-eat buffets offer VALUE to the budget minded, and humans have the option, after going in, to eat "all-you-SHOULD eat" .
For home use, Mayo comes in giant 16 ounce jars, that contain 3000 calories and have a VERY WIDE opening. Should we restrict the bottle and the opening sizes just in case the consumer takes it home and eats too much at a time?
[quote]Also, as a final thing..... I eat a diet of 1850 calories of food found at convinience stores such as Twinkies, Doritos and Oreos. Will I:
I predicted "lose weight" of course, and I had concerns only for not enough protein, and need for vitamins.
Halfway through the spoilered article, it notes he drank a protein shake a day, and took a multivitamin, which is exactly what I'd do on an otherwise "pure junk food" diet.
They should make a big deal out of THOSE results. But nobody will. Far easier to demonize McDonald's.
-
I think what the Haub experiment emphasizes more than anything, is the principle of calories=calories (after covering minimum protein, fat, vitamin&mineral needs, all of which are quite small minimums).
Every diet is about food restriction, i.e. Portion control.
Given that you have to restrict total calories to some setpoint, choosing JUICE over WATER means you have to eat LESS food (or you can look at it as choosing WATER over JUICE means you get to eat MORE food). If you love juice, then drink juice. But if you're watching portion sizes & intake you have to cut somewhere else (budget analogy again - you splurge in one area, you have to restrict spending in some other area)
Every diet is about food restriction, i.e. Portion control.
Even Atkins, and South Beach work (when they work) based food restriction & portion control.
When they work, the MAIN reason they work is because the consumer feels like eating less. When they fail, they usually fail because the consumer simply eats too much. Diets that let you eat "as much as you want" of some subgroups of food, offer you a false freedom, which allows some people to self- regulate portions.
I think it's far better to actually be aware of what you eat and how much, rather than rely on some nebulous internal set point that makes you reduce portion sizes by estricting carb intake to the point of making you lose your appetite. Because that internal set point may move on you later as you get older or your activity level changes, and you'll gain it all back.
Better to be fully aware of your actual portion sizes and choices, which is nobody's job but your own (certainly not the food industry's - they gonna put a scale at the counter and it reads a number and the cashier says "sorry lardass, you only get a half Big Mac!" who is ever goin to go into THAT McDonald's again? ). Drinking juice every meal is a reasonable choice, but only in the context of habit established your daily caloric intake plan, meaning you get to eat less solid food than your buddy who's drinking water or diet drinks.
DC, while it appears as though were on different viewpoints in a regard of the food industry (my big issue is with resturants refusing to list calories and nutrition and then having healthy sounding items that are unhealthier than the burgers and such that look unhealthy), I do agree with what you posted. Saying the food industry has zero blame is very harsh on people who may of not been as "investigative as they should be." Should food companies be using crushed up bugs to color food or use a petrol additives to perserve food? Thats where the blame for me comes, when the food industry cut corners for the bottom line at the cost of people's health
TL: DR. I blame to food industry for a couple of reasons, but its still mostly up to people.
Also, as a final thing..... I eat a diet of 1850 calories of food found at convinience stores such as Twinkies, Doritos and Oreos. Will I:
A. Gain Weight
B. Lose Weight
C. Turn into a Gerbil that shoots lightning out of my furry gerbil bum
I think it's important to note that the professor started at 33% body fat. That fits the medical definition of "obese" and is bordering on "morbidly obese". Also, he imposed a two-month time limit on the study. I don't think you can extrapolate the same results to people that don't fit that profile or to people who attempt to carry on that diet for years at a time.
I have heard vague rumors of a moustache-dispensing vending machine in a distant laundromat, across the street from a tattoo parlor. However, this information is shaky, and time is of the essence.
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People actually get big flaps of skin surgically removed, and donate that skin, so you can actually help somebody with burns:
http://www.barnabashealth.org/contact/skin.html
Rapid weight loss can be dangerous to your health (especially if its starvation based, and not exercise based), and you really need to directly consult a health care professional before embarking on anything aggressive.
Sort of. They're both carbs and both contain 4 (kilo)calories/gram. But the Glycemic Index is a very real thing. Controlling your body's insulin production is a key component to getting and staying lean.
It's also true that not all fruits are created equal. Pineapples will spike your insulin more than Apples will, for instance.
Sitting around watching tv? On commercial breaks, max out on pushups and get some crunches in.
Sales Thread!
Bingo. For more information, there's a big discussion about this between me (arguing Adam's point) and dcartist / Valarin (arguing against it) in the other weight loss thread.
There is a reason to that though. Fiber.
All carbs are not created equal. Oatmeal may have 25 carbs per serving, but 10 of them may be fiber. Your body cant really use it as energy, so it goes through your system pretty much whole picking things up. You know what, lets list what fiber does. Before that, lets define the 2 types. (this is from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033
Insoluble fiber.
This type of fiber promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools. Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts and many vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber.
Soluble fiber.
This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium.
Normalizes bowel movements.
Dietary fiber increases the weight and size of your stool and softens it. A bulky stool is easier to pass, decreasing your chance of constipation. If you have loose, watery stools, fiber may also help to solidify the stool because it absorbs water and adds bulk to stool. For some, fiber may provide relief from irritable bowel syndrome.
Helps maintain bowel integrity and health. A high-fiber diet may lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids, and small pouches in your colon (diverticular disease). Some fiber is fermented in the colon. Researchers are looking at how this may play a role in preventing diseases of the colon.
Lowers blood cholesterol levels.
Soluble fiber found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol levels. Epidemiologic studies have shown that increased fiber in the diet can reduce blood pressure and inflammation, which is also protective to heart health.
Helps control blood sugar levels.
Fiber, particularly soluble fiber, can slow the absorption of sugar, which for people with diabetes can help improve blood sugar levels. A diet that includes insoluble fiber has been associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Aids in weight loss.
High-fiber foods generally require more chewing time, which gives your body time to register when you're no longer hungry, so you're less likely to overeat. Also, a high-fiber diet tends to make a meal feel larger and linger longer, so you stay full for a greater amount of time. And high-fiber diets also tend to be less "energy dense," which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food.
Uncertain effect on colorectal cancer.
Evidence that dietary fiber reduces colorectal cancer is mixed — some studies show benefit, some show nothing and some suggest increased risk. If you're concerned about preventing colorectal cancer, adopt or stick with a colon cancer screening regimen. Regular testing for and removal of colon polyps can prevent colon cancer.
And about the last point, im in the camp of "it does reduce it". Think about it, Fiber removes all the nasties that can linger in your bowels. Those nasties can cause cancer.
540 Peasant cube- Gold EditionSomething SpicyJuice is not really good for you and definitely not something you want when trying to lose. It's basically just empty calories. It won't make you full and a lot of juices have just as many calories as soda. Eat fruit instead.
Kool-aid is definitely bad for you since all it is is sugar-water. Make yourself some tea. It's delicious and can satisfy your caffeine addiction. If you're in the mood for something cold and refreshing, go with iced tea. Tea is great because it is one of those things that you can pretty much drink as much as you want of.
Im going to throw 2 things at you as a sort of spanner in a sense.
1. What if the juice is replacing soda? Yes there is a ton of sugar still, but there is vitamins and minerals. Juice isn't empty calories per se in that regard, there are things about it that make it better than soda
2. What if I were to juice vegitable? They aren't high in sugar (screw sugar beets), with a 8 oz. glass of carrot juice coming in at about 12g. of sugar. And with those 12 grams, you get an even richer assortment of minerals and vitamins.
The reason why Im not advocating massive change at once is, I did that......and I went to the Hospital with a massive intestinal issue. When you switch from very unhealthy to very healthy, you can get extremely ill from the sudden influx. People wonder why I advocated the Egg Mcmuffin earlier. I didnt really as a matter of fact. All I was saying was, if you had to eat there for your first meal, the Mcmuffin would not be a bad choice. A good choice....maybe its in the grey area, but you could do worse, much worse.
But as a whole, I have a question I'd like to pose. Is it overweight people's fault 100% or that way, or does some blame fall on the food industry? When you walk into a sub shop and get a vegetarian sub, do you expect it to be over 700 calories and 40 grams of fat? I don't. My main point is this.
1. Eating at home=/= healthier, but you at least know what is in your food.
2. Fast Food=/= Unhealthy all the time. Subway is good for a reason. Also, from an oft repeated study. Avg. FF entree= 556 calories Sit-down Rest.= 879 calories
Also, as a final thing..... I eat a diet of 1850 calories of food found at convinience stores such as Twinkies, Doritos and Oreos. Will I:
A. Gain Weight
B. Lose Weight
C. Turn into a Gerbil that shoots lightning out of my furry gerbil bum
Answer:
For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of these sugary cakelets every three hours, instead of meals. To add variety in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks, Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos, too.
His premise: That in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most- not the nutritional value of the food.
The premise held up: On his "convenience store diet," he shed 27 pounds in two months.
For a class project, Haub limited himself to less than 1,800 calories a day. A man of Haub's pre-dieting size usually consumes about 2,600 calories daily. So he followed a basic principle of weight loss: He consumed significantly fewer calories than he burned. His body mass index went from 28.8, considered overweight, to 24.9, which is normal. He now weighs 174 pounds.
But you might expect other indicators of health would have suffered. Not so.
Haub's "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, dropped 20 percent and his "good" cholesterol, or HDL, increased by 20 percent. He reduced the level of triglycerides, which are a form of fat, by 39 percent.
"That's where the head scratching comes," Haub said. "What does that mean? Does that mean I'm healthier? Or does it mean how we define health from a biology standpoint, that we're missing something?"
Haub's sample day
Espresso, Double: 6 calories; 0 grams of fat
Hostess Twinkies Golden Sponge Cake: 150 calories; 5 grams of fat
Centrum Advanced Formula From A To Zinc: 0 calories; 0 grams of fat
Little Debbie Star Crunch: 150 calories; 6 grams of fat
Hostess Twinkies Golden Sponge Cake: 150 calories; 5 grams of fat
Diet Mountain Dew: 0 calories; 0 grams of fat
Doritos Cool Ranch: 75 calories; 4 grams of fat
Kellogg's Corn Pops: 220 calories; 0 grams of fat
whole milk: 150 calories; 8 grams of fat
baby carrots: 18 calories; 0 grams of fat
Duncan Hines Family Style Brownie Chewy Fudge: 270 calories; 14 grams of fat
Little Debbie Zebra Cake: 160 calories; 8 grams of fat
Muscle Milk Protein Shake: 240 calories; 9 grams of fat
Totals: 1,589 calories and 59 grams of fat
Despite his temporary success, Haub does not recommend replicating his snack-centric diet. "I'm not geared to say this is a good thing to do," he said. "I'm stuck in the middle. I guess that's the frustrating part. I can't give a concrete answer. There's not enough information to do that." Two-thirds of his total intake came from junk food. He also took a multivitamin pill and drank a protein shake daily. And he ate vegetables, typically a can of green beans or three to four celery stalks.
Families who live in food deserts have limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables, so they often rely on the kind of food Haub was eating.
"These foods are consumed by lots of people," he said. "It may be an issue of portion size and moderation rather than total removal. I just think it's unrealistic to expect people to totally drop these foods for vegetables and fruits. It may be healthy, but not realistic."
Haub's body fat dropped from 33.4 to 24.9 percent. This posed the question: What matters more for weight loss, the quantity or quality of calories?
His success is probably a result of caloric reduction, said Dawn Jackson Blatner, a dietitian in Chicago, Illinois.
"It's a great reminder for weight loss that calories count," she said. "Is that the bottom line to being healthy? That's another story."
Blatner, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said she's not surprised to hear Haub's health markers improved even when he loaded up on processed snack cakes.
Being overweight is the central problem that leads to complications like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, she said.
How well are you managing your diabetes?
"When you lose weight, regardless of how you're doing it -- even if it's with packaged foods, generally you will see these markers improve when weight loss has improved," she said.
Before jumping on the Ding Dong bandwagon, Blatner warned of health concerns.
"There are things we can't measure," said Blatner, questioning how the lack of fruits and vegetables could affect long-term health. "How much does that affect the risk for cancer? We can't measure how diet changes affect our health."I was eating healthier, but I wasn't healthy. I was eating too much.
On August 25, Haub, 41, started his cake diet focusing on portion control.
"I'm eating to the point of need and pushing the plate or wrapper away," he said.
He intended the trial to last a month as a teaching tool for his class. As he lost weight, Haub continued the diet until he reached a normal body mass index. Before his Twinkie diet, he tried to eat a healthy diet that included whole grains, dietary fiber, berries and bananas, vegetables and occasional treats like pizza.
"There seems to be a disconnect between eating healthy and being healthy," Haub said. "It may not be the same. I was eating healthier, but I wasn't healthy. I was eating too much." He maintained the same level of moderate physical activity as before going on the diet. (Haub does not have any ties to the snack cake companies.)
To avoid setting a bad example for his kids, Haub ate vegetables in front of his family. Away from the dinner table, he usually unwrapped his meals. Haub monitored his body composition, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose, and updated his progress on his Facebook page, Professor Haub's diet experiment. To curb calories, he avoided meat, whole grains and fruits. Once he started adding meat into the diet four weeks ago, his cholesterol level increased.
Haub plans to add about 300 calories to his daily intake now that he's done with the diet. But he's not ditching snack cakes altogether. Despite his weight loss, Haub feels ambivalence.
"I wish I could say the outcomes are unhealthy. I wish I could say it's healthy. I'm not confident enough in doing that. That frustrates a lot of people. One side says it's irresponsible. It is unhealthy, but the data doesn't say that."
My point by showing this is that you can never just say, since its unhealthy, you cant have it. You can have "unhealthy food" .....just in moderation.
540 Peasant cube- Gold EditionSomething SpicyHalfway through the spoilered article, it notes he drank a protein shake a day, and took a multivitamin, which is exactly what I'd do on an otherwise "pure junk food" diet.
They should make a big deal out of THOSE results. But nobody will. Far easier to demonize McDonald's.
-
I think what the Haub experiment emphasizes more than anything, is the principle of calories=calories (after covering minimum protein, fat, vitamin&mineral needs, all of which are quite small minimums).
Every diet is about food restriction, i.e. Portion control.
Given that you have to restrict total calories to some setpoint, choosing JUICE over WATER means you have to eat LESS food (or you can look at it as choosing WATER over JUICE means you get to eat MORE food). If you love juice, then drink juice. But if you're watching portion sizes & intake you have to cut somewhere else (budget analogy again - you splurge in one area, you have to restrict spending in some other area)
Every diet is about food restriction, i.e. Portion control.
Even Atkins, and South Beach work (when they work) based food restriction & portion control.
When they work, the MAIN reason they work is because the consumer feels like eating less. When they fail, they usually fail because the consumer simply eats too much. Diets that let you eat "as much as you want" of some subgroups of food, offer you a false freedom, which allows some people to self- regulate portions.
I think it's far better to actually be aware of what you eat and how much, rather than rely on some nebulous internal set point that makes you reduce portion sizes by estricting carb intake to the point of making you lose your appetite. Because that internal set point may move on you later as you get older or your activity level changes, and you'll gain it all back.
Better to be fully aware of your actual portion sizes and choices, which is nobody's job but your own (certainly not the food industry's - they gonna put a scale at the counter and it reads a number and the cashier says "sorry lardass, you only get a half Big Mac!" who is ever goin to go into THAT McDonald's again? ). Drinking juice every meal is a reasonable choice, but only in the context of habit established your daily caloric intake plan, meaning you get to eat less solid food than your buddy who's drinking water or diet drinks.
TL: DR. I blame to food industry for a couple of reasons, but its still mostly up to people.
540 Peasant cube- Gold EditionSomething SpicyI think it's important to note that the professor started at 33% body fat. That fits the medical definition of "obese" and is bordering on "morbidly obese". Also, he imposed a two-month time limit on the study. I don't think you can extrapolate the same results to people that don't fit that profile or to people who attempt to carry on that diet for years at a time.