This is because some people are able to regain and sustain proper blood glucose regulation and others aren't. There can be genetic and epigenetic reasons for this. Of course, those cannot be controlled so we will only discuss what can be controlled here.
First, low carb only works when it is followed correctly and adhered to consistently. People generally do not do this. If you want to regain and sustain proper blood glucose regulation, you have to stop the habits and behaviors that contribute to it. Here are some of the mistakes people make when following low carb and every single one of these affects blood glucose homeostasis to varying degrees and through different pathways:
- Artificial sweeteners - This is not going to cut it, so cut it out. The taste of sweet is enough to continue dysregulating blood glucose.
- Snacking - Drop all the snack foods. Snacks have no place in a healthy diet. Eat real meals, at meal times only.
- Low carb recipes - Stay away from "recipes" and use meal ideas instead. Low carb is just different combinations of the same food items - meat and vegetables.
- Reduction/introduction of junk food - Stop replacing the Ritz crackers with chaffles. It doesn't work that way. The diet is about elimination not replacement.
- Taking the weekends off - You are either on low carb or you're not. Low carb is a full time commitment, not a Monday through Friday hobby.
- Bouncing from one protocol to another - Choose a protocol and stick with it. Stop jumping from protocol to protocol aimlessly. Stay focused and work on getting results, not on "following a diet".
- Introducing dumbassery to the mix, like "fasting" - Don't layer one protocol on top of the other. Jumping from fad to fad is not going to achieve anything in the long run and obesity is a long term problem that requires a long term solution. Every time some new BS appears on social media, people are clamoring for it. If you are doing this, then it's because you can't commit to any protocol.
- Lack of exercise - You can't eat yourself to health. You have to rise from the recliner and get active.
- Caffeine - As long as you continue caffeinated drinks, coffee or tea, you will not be able to control blood glucose and so the problem will never get better.
If none of the above is the issue, then you can focus on other factors that could be hindering progress such as:
- Length of obesity - The longer you have been obese, the more difficult it is to reverse this adaptation. This is especially true when you have a history of yo-yo and crash dieting.
- Level of metabolic dysfunction - Metabolic syndrome is time dependent. The longer you have it, the more difficult it is to reverse. The closer you are to diabetes, the worse the outcome as there are several pathologies going on at once that cause metabolism to spare fat mass rather than lose it.
- Age - There is a natural increase in insulin resistance as you age. There is also greater tendency to lose muscle mass and have difficulty rebuilding it. All of this contributes to excess body fat and the inability to lose it easily.
- Hormonal status - Decreases and imbalance in sex hormones, as you age, make the loss of body fat even more difficult.
- Cause of obesity - Obesity from sugar is much more difficult to reverse than obesity from starch. The taste of sweet causes changes in the hypothalamus that impact the ability for the brain to gauge its fat stores and burn it.
- Co-morbid conditions/medications - Auto immune conditions and other inflammatory diseases, along with the medications used to treat them, interfere in the treatment of obesity.
All of the above issues interfere with leptin expression and/or the stress response. No leptin expression = no fat loss. Greater stress response = more fat storage. You cannot control a lot of these but they can still be taken into consideration when choosing a treatment. For example, you may be getting older and this causes muscle mass loss, which can be reduced with the right supplementation of protein. You can also improve declining sex hormones with the help of a healthcare professional.
2. You have to eat liver and other organ meats on carnivore.
You don't have to do anything but breathe.
You can obtain a lot of nutrient density from eating organ meats but you don't have to. I know that we generally are not accustomed to these meats and forcing yourself to eat them can make meal times a nightmare. You don't want to discourage yourself further from low carb dieting by trying to down some pig kidneys. All you have to do is follow low carb period.
If you have doubts about your nutrient status, get tested for deficiencies and/or take a good quality supplement.
3. It is difficult to follow "keto" because "keto" products are expensive.
You don't need to buy anything to follow a ketogenic diet and you certainly don't have to support any "keto" advocate either. Let them find a real job. Put that money towards your own food. Buy fresh meat and vegetables and nothing else is needed.
4. Low carb advocates usually recommend to not use sunscreen.
Most quacks advocate for low carb. They run the gamut from thyroid quacks, anti vax quacks, cholesterol denying quacks, supplement selling quacks - you name it, they are out there. This is precisely why these diets are not taken seriously.
This blog isn't about skin care but since we advise on exercise, our recommendation has always been that you generally do not need to use sunscreen unless you are spending an excessive and prolonged amount of time in the sun.
Like all other animals, when the sun begins to bother us, we seek out shade but some people are unable to do this because they work construction or landscaping, play certain sports, or perform some other outdoor activity where they have no choice but to remain in the sun, regardless of the heat.
Any activity that forces the person to stay under the sun, with no shade, risks damage to the skin and these are the only people that should use sunscreen.
Even better than sunscreen is protective clothing. So if your work forces you to be out in the sun for long periods of time, make sure you wear adequate clothing to protect yourself and/or use sunscreen. If you are fishing or spending time on the beach, also wear appropriate clothing and/or sunscreen. Take an umbrella or some other equipment with you that can provide shade. Exercise early in the morning or in the evening after sunset.
Use common sense and avoid getting burned. Sun burns are not good. Not only are they very painful and uncomfortable, but all it takes is one third degree burn to damage the cells of that area of the skin for life, making them more susceptible to skin cancer in the future.
5. Many food manufacturers are now making items labeled "keto".
Food manufacturers are just that - food manufacturers. This means they are out to make money by selling you things. This is true of any company that manufactures things. There is no conspiracy theory behind it.
Food manufacturers go wherever their customers go. It's a supply and demand chain. When everyone wanted low fat alternatives, these food manufactures came out with the demanded products. When people wanted more natural/organic alternatives, they did the same. Every time a new fad diet comes out, the food manufactures oblige. It just so happens that there is a "keto" craze going on right now, which is thankfully on the decline, so many food manufactures are following suit and producing "keto" products.
This should not be of your concern. People have a right to eat as they wish and companies have a right to deliver what people want and make money off of it. It's called free market capitalism. Your concern is to stick to natural, non manufactured food - meat and vegetables. Your food should have no labels on it. You are only responsible for yourself.
6. There is no way you can follow a protein sparing modified fast (PSMF) for the long term.
Yes there is. Dr. Naiman's 'Low Energy Diet' takes the basic premise of a PSMF to create a protocol that can be followed long term. You can read about it here.
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