{"id":2143,"date":"2020-12-23T05:49:34","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T05:49:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/?p=2143"},"modified":"2023-02-06T18:16:18","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T18:16:18","slug":"want-to-lose-weight-burn-fat-not-sugar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/want-to-lose-weight-burn-fat-not-sugar\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to lose weight? Burn fat, not sugar."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Weight loss fads come and go. Be it the latest craze diet made of nothing but leaves, or the hottest new workout regimen claiming to sculpt you in three weeks, the get-fit-quick bandwagon is a hard one to resist. And the sad thing is, these schemes rarely work or are simply too over-the-top to stick with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What if there was a way to lose weight, get in shape, and stay fit that didn\u2019t involve a brand-new fad? A method of cutting down the kilos that relied on nothing but the fundamental processes of the human body? What if you simply maintained your body the way evolution meant it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enter Dr. Ted Naiman and his \u201cBurn Fat Not Sugar\u201d program. We say program, but it\u2019s not really a regimen or workout or even a particular diet. As he says in his book The P:E Diet<\/em>, it\u2019s simply a way to \u201cleverage your biology to achieve optimal health\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, we\u2019ll be breaking down the core lessons, tips and tricks from Dr. Naiman\u2019s work, including how your body processes calories, what to eat, what not to eat, and how to work out so that you can trigger your body\u2019s natural fitness mechanisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a well-known fact that, when it comes to fitness and weight loss, 90% of the work is done in the kitchen (i.e. with your diet) and only 10% through working out. The Burn Fat Not Sugar<\/em> system works the same way. In a nutshell, here is the two-step golden recipe:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Maximize nutrient density by eating food that\u2019s high in nutrition and has a low glycemic index (we\u2019ll get to that in a second); and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Exercise regularly, in short, high-intensity bursts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s really all there is to it. If you\u2019re confident you know how to do both of those, get out there and start working on your dream physique! But if you\u2019d like to figure out the \u201cwhy\u201d behind the formula, and how exactly to follow the steps, read on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About the glycemic index.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Just a few paragraphs back, we mentioned something called the glycemic index. This is important to understand why we recommend certain dietary choices and will help you evaluate your own meals going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The glycemic index (GI) is a measurement of how much your blood sugar increases when you eat a certain food. It\u2019s useful to promote blood sugar management. The GI value of a food will be determined by a host of factors, including the food item itself, how it was prepared, ripeness (where applicable), and the amount of processing it has undergone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How your body manages energy.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your body gets energy from food. The way that works is not what we\u2019ll be covering in this article. Our focus is on how your body handles said energy once it has been produced. The reason we\u2019re talking about this process is that one of the functions of your body\u2019s energy management is storing energy as fat, and yes: we\u2019re on a mission to shed away that fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Very simply, this is how your body manages energy gained from food:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
You eat food, which gets converted into energy in the form of glucose.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Glucose enters your bloodstream (FYI: the amount of glucose in the bloodstream is your blood sugar level.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Your cells start to absorb the glucose<\/li>\n\n\n\n
If there\u2019s surplus energy, your body secretes the insulin hormone (insulin is the energy management hormone, and drives fat storage)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Insulin converts calories into triglycerides and stores them as fat.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
The reason your body secretes insulin is that it prefers homeostasis, i.e. the body prefers all vitals in the body (heart rate, temperature, hormone levels, etc.) to remain at or return to a constant level. When glucose is produced and dumped in the bloodstream, the pancreas pumps out insulin to return blood glucose levels to normal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remember the glycemic index? Here\u2019s where it plays a big role. If your food has a high GI, your blood sugar level goes up a lot, and it goes up fast. This makes your homeostasis go into emergency mode. Detecting a sudden spike in blood sugar, the bloodstream is flooded by a large amount of insulin. This insulin rushes to store all the glucose into fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is bad for a couple of reasons. First, you obviously start fattening up because your fat cells are being crammed with calories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second, your cells don\u2019t have time to absorb the necessary energy they need to function. Long story short, you get hungry faster. That means you eat sooner and the whole process starts over again. It\u2019s a vicious cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Burning sugar vs. burning fat.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your body is a machine, and all machines run on fuel. There are two types of fuel when it comes to generating energy for your body: sugar and fat. Both of these processes happen in your body. But based on your lifestyle, your body will be highly efficient at one of these at a time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Burning sugar<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
If you are a sugar burner, your body is efficient at burning glucose. The downside is that you\u2019re not great at burning the fat stored in your system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, when you wake up in the morning, you\u2019re starving because your body isn\u2019t that great at using its stored fat reserves to keep you going. You have your breakfast cereal and drink your sweet tea and your blood sugar spikes. You won\u2019t burn fat because there\u2019s enough energy coursing through your blood, and the resulting insulin is actually storing surplus calories as fat. Later, when the insulin does its job and cleans up your blood\u2019s stray glucose, you\u2019re hungry within a few hours. You\u2019re craving carbs again because that\u2019s what you\u2019re used to. Over the day, you\u2019ll need to eat multiple meals and have snacks in between, and your blood sugar levels go up and down constantly. That\u2019s the life of a sugar burner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Burning sugar is bad for you on multiple levels. First, you\u2019re eating an exorbitant number of calories. Second, the constant presence of insulin in your system is devastating; tissue damage from glycation will seriously affect your health. Thirdly, you\u2019re starving on a cellular level because all the energy got crammed into your fat tissue. And finally, you won\u2019t ever actually lose fat because your fat is constantly either being stored or depleted; when you\u2019re a sugar burner you\u2019ll always be storing fat on your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Burning fat<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Fat burners have adapted their bodies to efficiently burn stored fat. The great thing about this arrangement is that a fat-adapted body can seamlessly go from burning dietary fat to burning stored body fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re a fat burner, you can effortlessly go back and forth between these two fat sources. You can even skip entire meals without feeling low on energy because your body knows how to use its stored energy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a bonus, fat burners have less difficulty losing weight. You would feel hungry less often, and you eat less overall. As a fat burner, you would also be able to work out for longer, because you don\u2019t depend on blood glucose for energy. Fasting is easier too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fat burning leads to a cycle of eating less and exercising more that will help you smash your fitness goals. All things considered, burning fat is the simplest biologically proven way to lose weight and stay in shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What to eat, and what not to.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve arrived at the million-dollar question. Now that you know how your body processes, stores and uses the food you eat, it\u2019s time to see what those foods are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First things first. Let\u2019s talk about macronutrients. Macronutrients are essential elements required by your body in different amounts. There are three macronutrients: carbohydrates, fat, and protein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The way your body handles each macronutrient is slightly different, and depending on the macronutrient this can be positive or negative. And it all has to do with each element\u2019s glycemic index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ll be talking about each macronutrient, going from the most beneficial to the least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Fat \u2013 eat a lot!<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Fat is bad, right? Wrong! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea that fat equals weight gain is a modern scientific myth that has long since been debunked many times over. On the contrary, fatty foods are your best friend when it comes to weight loss. We even have real-world proof that eating mostly fat keeps you from getting fat, which we\u2019ll discuss in a later section. For now, here\u2019s why the major portion of your diet should be fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fat has a glycemic index of zero. That means when you eat fatty food, your blood sugar level doesn\u2019t go up at all. The absence of blood sugar spikes means there won\u2019t be a flood of insulin in your system. The glucose in your bloodstream has ample time to get absorbed by cells that will put the energy to use. The energy won\u2019t get pointlessly diverted to your fat cells. As an added bonus, you won\u2019t get hungry for a good while!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only thing to remember is that you can\u2019t overdo it. Excess calories are still going into your fat deposits. As long as you don\u2019t eat more than the appropriate amount of calories, you can put your fat-gaining worries to rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Proteins \u2013 eat a bit.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Proteins are incredibly important for your body. It\u2019s recommended that each meal contain at least 20 to 30 grams of protein, with good reason. Proteins are the building blocks of your organs, skin, and even hormones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s the thing about protein: they have a glycemic index of zero. That\u2019s great news, but there\u2019s a catch. Your body doesn\u2019t have a way to directly store excess protein you get from food. The excess is converted to glucose in your liver. And that glucose can unfortunately still trigger insulin and all the fat-gain that comes with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The solution is simple. While having fat as the main component of your food by percentage, eat a moderate amount of protein. Balance this with your recommended caloric intake and keeping in shape should be a breeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Naiman, the author of Burn Fat Not Sugar<\/em>, says, \u201ccarbs are evil!\u201d This macronutrient has an incredibly high glycemic index, causes insulin spikes, and in a sinister twist, can even cause you to get addicted! That\u2019s right, eating carbs releases opioids. If you\u2019ve ever found yourself devouring multiple servings of pasta or mac and cheese, now you know why. Carbs really are the villains of the nutrition world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s talk about the glycemic index of carbs. Grains have a GI of around 50 to 70. Starches, like potatoes, have a GI of around 80. One shocking statistic quoted by Dr. Naiman is that eating just two slices of white bread raises your blood sugar level more than a snickers bar!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only real solution is to cut carbs out of your life entirely. That\u2019s easier said than done. Here\u2019s what we recommend: when you\u2019re starting out, don\u2019t try to give up carbs as a whole. That just won\u2019t work. Instead, give up one type of carbs. For example, start by saying, \u201cI won\u2019t eat bread\u201d. That way, it\u2019s easier to compartmentalize and stay away from the temptation to stuff your face with carbs. Good luck!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why sugar makes you fat<\/strong>?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ve seen what we had to say about carbs. But why are they so bad for us? Why can\u2019t the body handle carbs as effortlessly as fat and protein? Turns out, the answer is evolution<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Humans as we know ourselves today have been on this planet for about 5 million years. But we\u2019ve only had the knowledge to produce food in unimaginably large amounts for around 10,000 years, thanks to the agricultural revolution. This means that the evolutionary traits that we picked up over those millions of years have not changed yet. 10,000 years isn\u2019t nearly long enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are these evolutionary traits? For starters, our biology was designed to eat food with a low glycemic index. For 99.9% of our species\u2019 history, we ate meat, eggs, green leaves, nuts, and small fruits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news: you can survive on a no-carb diet. We\u2019ve done it for millions of years.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
We also abided by a seasonal cycle. In the summer, when plants and carbs were abundant, our ancestors loaded up on calories for the winter. When we eat carbs, our bodies are programmed to store those calories as fat in anticipation of a winter season with almost no food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bad news: these days, when you eat carbs, your body still stores the calories as fat. But the thing is, we no longer have winters where we go hungry for days. You keep eating, and your body keeps storing it in your fat cells.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
We mentioned in a previous section that we have real-life examples of how carbs ruin health. You only have to look at certain indigenous peoples for proof. Native American Indians, Pima Indians, Australian Aborigines, and many more tribes have been documented to go from fit to fat post-contact with the outside world. They used to be lean, strong physical specimens surviving on a diet mostly of meat. With the introduction of agricultural practices and fast food, many such groups are facing what can only be called a health crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While we\u2019re on the topic of what our ancestors ate, we have to talk about fruits. Everyone agrees that fruits are good. They\u2019re said to be low in calories and delicious to boot. Except that\u2019s not the complete picture. See, the fruits we eat today have been genetically modified over centuries to be as fat, juicy, and sweet as possible. That\u2019s not really what humans ate all those millennia ago. Fruits were rare, and even what fruits we found were tiny in size. So remember: when you scarf down fruit from the supermarket, you\u2019re eating food that your body wasn\u2019t designed to process effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In summary, the lesson here is that you just shouldn\u2019t eat carbs. It\u2019s that simple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nutrient density: eat a lot while eating less<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We don\u2019t eat food just for a quick calorie boost. There are many essential micronutrients our bodies can\u2019t produce. Here we run into a problem. How do we get all the nutrients we need, while still eating as few calories as possible?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The answer lies in nutrient density. Nutrient density refers to the amount of beneficial nutrients in a food product in proportion to its energy content. Here\u2019s why that matters:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Humans eat to a tightly regulated protein and micronutrient satiety drive. When you eat food with a high nutrition density, i.e. food that\u2019s filled with the brim with good nutrients, you feel full faster. You\u2019ll have consumed all the nutrients you need while having eaten fewer calories overall. On the other hand, when you eat empty calorie carbs and fats (foods with a low nutrient density) you overeat to compensate for the nutrients and proteins you aren\u2019t getting in adequate amounts. (And like we talked about in the previous section, this combo of carbs and fats signals our biology to start fattening up.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fruits like strawberries and pomegranates <\/li>\n\n\n\n
Nuts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Avoid low nutrient density foods like these:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Grains (rice, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Starches (potatoes and other yams)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Sugar<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Lentils and legumes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In short, when your food has a high nutrient density, you fill up fast because your body gets what it needs. When your food has a low nutrient density, you have to eat more to meet your nutritional needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Workouts that burn fat, not sugar.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Even though it\u2019s the most important part of the equation, your diet is just one part of the weight loss process. Once you have your fat burning diet set up and going smoothly, you might want to consider adding some exercise to the mix to speed up your journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some general tips for the optimal workout:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Aim for the highest level of exertion, regardless of how brief that is.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
For example, sprinting at your maximum pace for a few minutes is better for your body in every way than jogging for an hour. That\u2019s why just walking isn\u2019t exactly great exercise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t waste an hour on a treadmill. Instead, try something high exertion like skipping, jumping jacks, or cycling even if it\u2019s just for five minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Resistance training, or weight training, would be invaluable for you in the long run. This is because weight training builds muscle mass. And by building muscle mass you will speed up your metabolism and burn more calories, even passively. For example, if you gain just five pounds of muscle mass, you\u2019ll burn an extra 300 calories a night, doing nothing but sleeping!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same advice as before applies: go for maximum exertion. Try not to hit a fixed number of reps. Instead, do as many reps as you can, and then do three more. Then do two more. Keep going till you are spent, and you can rest knowing you had a great workout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You don\u2019t have to go to the gym to have a killer workout. You can burn fat right at home with a few bodyweight exercises. Here are some bodyweight exercises that you can add to your home workout:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Vertical pull<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Vertical push<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Horizontal pull<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Horizontal push<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Dip<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Squat<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Calf raise<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The reason why so many people are overweight is that our modern diet is not what we\u2019re biologically programmed to eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to easily lose weight, eat more fats and protein, and try to cut carbs out entirely. Add some exercise into the mix and you\u2019ll have achieved your dream fitness level in no time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are your experiences with weight loss? Have any personal tips to share? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Weight loss fads come and go. Be it the latest craze diet made of nothing but leaves, or the hottest new workout regimen claiming to sculpt you in three weeks, the get-fit-quick bandwagon is a hard one to resist. And the sad thing is, these schemes rarely work or are simply too over-the-top to stick<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2146,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[321,257],"tags":[378,384,383,382,385,389,386,380,381,379,388,390],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2143"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2143\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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