Day 25

I am part of a wonderful, and helpful Facebook group (Banting for Healthy Living), and some of the advice I've seen a few times is telling people to eat more saturated fat than they already do when they reach a plateau in their weight loss. This seems counter-active, does it not? I mean, we are training our bodies to use fat for energy again (like it was evolved to do), so if we eat a bit less fat, should our bodies not burn more body fat for energy? Unfortunately, it is not so easy.

The June issue of Time magazine had a huge article about saturated fats vs carbs in the diet, and from there we can find the answer to the conundrum above:

(Those) sugars stimulate the production of insulin, which causes fat cells to go into storage overdrive, leading to weight gain. Since fewer calories are left to fuel the body, we begin to feel hungry, and metabolism begins to slow in an effort to save energy. We eat more and gain more weight, never feeling full. “Hunger is the death knell of a weight-loss program,” says Duke’s Westman. “A low-fat, low-calorie diet doesn’t work.” Because as this process repeats, our cells become more resistant to insulin, which causes us to gain more weight, which only increases insulin resistance in a vicious circle. Obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high triglycerides and low HDL can all follow—and fat intake is barely involved.
All calories, it turns out, are not created equal. “When we focus on fat, carbohydrates inevitably increase,” says Ludwig, who co-wrote a recent JAMA commentary on the subject. “You wouldn’t give lactose to people who are lactose intolerant, yet we give carbs to people who are carb intolerant.”

If you don't consume enough fat (now your prime fuel), your metabolism slows down, as your body realize it does not receive enough nutrients. So, if you hit a plateau, don't be afraid to have a fat bomb or two for a few days. Your metabolism probably just slowed down a bit and needs a kick-start again!

Finally, Prof Tim Noakes have been ridiculed by some for his statements regarding "carb intolerant" people. I am still waiting for those same people to ridicule the Time magazine!