The 4-Hour Body_ An Uncommon Guide to Ra - Timothy Ferriss [45]
Think you’ll just have one cookie or a couple of potato chips?
Not if there’s a bag of either in the kitchen. Self-discipline is overrated and undependable. Don’t eat anything that requires portion control. Get domino foods out of the house and out of reach.
MISTAKE #7: OVERCONSUMING ARTIFICIAL (OR “ALL-NATURAL”) SWEETENERS, INCLUDING AGAVE NECTAR
Even with no calories, most artificial and natural sugar substitutes provoke increased insulin release, though aspartame (Nutrasweet®) shows surprisingly little effect on insulin. Not that this is a free license to overconsume Nutrasweet®: it’s often paired with acesulfame-K, which has a host of negative health effects. Both low-calorie and no-calorie sweeteners have been associated with weight gain. I’ve seen just about all of them stall fat-loss.
Don’t think I’m preaching. I’m a total Diet Coke whore. Can’t help it.
Indulging my addiction up to 16 ounces a day doesn’t seem to interfere with loss. I’ve found, as have other slow-carbers, that more than 16 ounces interrupts the process at least 75% of the time.
“All-natural” sweeteners are, based on the role of fructose in metabolic disorders, arguably worse for you than even high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
So-called “sugar-free” health foods are full of sweeteners such as “concentrated apple and pear juices,” which are two-thirds fructose, and the latest and greatest saviors are even worse. Raw agave nectar, for example, is as high as 90% fructose and shows no better antioxidant content than refined sugar or HFCS.
Skip the sweeteners whenever possible. If it’s really sweet, it probably spikes insulin or screws up your metabolism. Experiment with spices and extracts like cinnamon and vanilla instead.
MISTAKE #7: HITTING THE GYM TOO OFTEN
One female slow-carber wrote:
I have been going to the gym 5x/week, 2 hours on the treadmill plus a one hour spin class 2x a week.… I have been doing this for almost three months. In the first 3 weeks I lost almost 20 pounds but since have regained about 7 pounds. I also complete a variety of exercises targeting various muscles groups (2x/week for my legs, hips, arms, etc)
The seven pounds could have been muscular gain, which is good, but she was spending more than 12 hours a week in the gym. I suspected her problem, which I’d seen in others, was unsustainable overtraining and related “reward” eating:
I suspect you are overtraining and actually losing muscle, given your description. This will lower your basal metabolic rate and then cause you [to] stall with fat loss. Try the diet with no more than 2–3 short weight training workouts per week [if you even choose to exercise; it’s not mandatory] and remember to track bodyfat % and not just weight.
Doing too much will not only not help, it will reverse your progress, as it also leads to overeating, sports drinks, and other assorted self- sabotage.
Remember the MED. Less is more.
End of Chapter Notes
3. Especially if consuming less than 30% of calories as fat.
4. Residual drugs and environmental toxins are often stored in fat, so you’ll want to buy the good stuff when consuming animal fat from higher up the food chain, like pork or beef. Eating larger animals from factory farms is asking for trouble.
5. I suggest avoiding curries, which can cause intestinal upset without rice.
DAMAGE CONTROL
Preventing Fat Gain
When You Binge
Life itself is the proper binge.
—Julia Child
Doughnuts are a normal part of a healthy, balanced diet.
—Brooke Smith, Krispy Kreme spokeswoman
I was on a first date at Samovar Tea House in San Francisco.
The incense, subdued global music, and meticulous track lighting made us feel like we were somewhere