Which Diet Is Right For You?

Trying to lose weight? If you’re a more-meat-than-potatoes kind of person, two new studies should encourage you.

Before you read on, I want you to know that any diet you can stick to for the long term might be the right one for you. Also, any diet that gives you nutrition and cuts your calories by 20% or more should show results. But you shouldn't expect miracles, it can take 90 days to see results. Results mean losing inches and losing fat  [not pounds].

That’s because both concluded that a low-carbohydrate diet appears to be at least as effective as a low-fat diet, challenging the long-held notion that eating fat is what makes you fat.

I’ll explain, low-carb diets have always been high protein like meats and low-carbs like potatoes or rice. Which meant we should eat more meat and less of the other stuff. But the low-fat diet is the opposite, low-fat means less animal fat and more carbs like potatoes and vegetables.

In the Annals of Internal Medicine, one study randomly assigned 148 men and women to follow either a low-carb or low-fat diet. After a year, the people on the low-carb diet had, on average, lost nearly 8 pounds more than those on the low-fat diet. The low-carb dieters also saw more improvement in their blood cholesterol levels than the low-fat dieters.

The other study, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, pooled the results of 48 randomized trials, involving nearly 7,300 people, of brand-name diet programs, such as Atkins, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and the Ornish diet. It found that all of the diets, whether low-carb, low-fat, or somewhere in between, led to weight loss, and the differences between them were small.

Writer Rita Rubin asked obesity expert Ken Fujioka, MD, who was not involved with either study, to help sort out the low-carb vs. low-fat research. Fujioka, an internist, treats people with weight problems at the Scripps Clinic in California.

Q: Were you surprised by what these new studies found?

A: I wasn’t surprised at all. Believe me, I was on the low-fat bandwagon for eons. You get twice as many calories from a gram of fat vs. a gram of carbs or a gram of protein. But it’s clearly more complicated than that. The type of fat also is an issue. I would agree a lot of saturated fat may not be a good thing. But if you look at olive oil and canola oil, these are clearly not bad things and, if anything, can be very good.

Q: Besides what kinds of foods they prefer, are there other factors people should consider when trying to decide what kind of diet will help them lose weight?

A: There are certain groups of people who clearly do better on a low-carb diet. They’re pre-diabetic, they’re patients with polycystic ovary syndrome — what we call insulin-resistant diseases. Patients with insulin resistance do better on a low-carb diet and will lose more weight on a low-carb 1,300 calories [diet] versus a low-fat or balanced 1,300 calories diet. But not everybody can follow a low-carb diet.

We really want to find what diet that patient can follow. (If they say) ‘You know, I really will do well on Weight Watchers,’ we tell them, ‘Okay, enroll in Weight Watchers.’ Admittedly, we may tweak it a little bit, but in general, we’re looking at what’s going to work.

Q: Do certain people tend to prefer low-carb over low-fat, and vice versa?

A: As a group, men really seem to find a low-carb diet relatively easy to do and actually relatively easy to do long-term. They’re fine eating steak one night, a lot of chicken the next night, and pork loin the next. They’re really happy. A lot of women don’t gravitate toward a low-carb diet. It’s not a diet that they find interesting or fun or something they can adhere to. As a group, they’re more comfortable with a balanced diet.

Q: After people slim down on a low-carb diet, can they stick with it to maintain their weight loss?

A: Typically, just like anyone else, they really would like to have some carbs and pasta and bread. In our practice, I will have them see a dietitian who will teach them how to follow a more balanced diet after they’ve lost the initial weight. There’s one study, it’s called the National Weight-Loss Registry, and they noticed that people who kept off the weight for a long period of time do in fact have low-fat diets.

I actually follow a low-carb diet. I find it more manageable. I can eat more protein and feel satiated, and then I don’t have to have all those carbs. A typical lunch for me is a salad with chicken on top. For dinner, I typically will have at least one starch and meat. I’m very fortunate — I’m married to a dietitian. When I come home, I have freshly cut-up vegetables waiting for me. 

Q: What does the future hold as far as helping people pick the diet that’s best for them?

A: We’re not there yet, but eventually we’ll be taking somebody’s genetics and we’ll be looking at markers for what’s the best diet to do. It sounds sci-fi: In the next 5 to 10 years we’ll be able to use someone’s genomic information, with just a mouth swab or spitting into a tube, and give them a good idea of the best diet for their genetic makeup.

Like the Doctor said, “We’re not there yet”, but soon your doctor can tell you the best type of diet for you. Today, we can still do it the old-school way. If low-carb diets don’t work for you, try a low-fat diet, just don’t give up just because your diet doesn’t work. Low-calorie diets always work, but most of us won't stay on the diet all enough to shrink their stomach. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Foods That Burn Fat

 If you’re watching your weight, the promise you made to yourself probably has something to do with losing excess fat. No one wants to go to the gym looking like they need to go to the gym, if you know what I mean. Yes, I can say it, I gained a couple pounds over the past couple weeks stuck in the house, but I know that I can lose that extra fat just by changing what I eat.

Most people don’t realize it but you don’t have to exercise to lose weight. If you limit your calorie intake and eat there right foods you will drop the weight. Now I want to be honest, if you had the extra weight for a long time it will take longer to lose it, but if you just added on a few pounds this winter and want to lose it before the warm weather, then just change your diet and the extra pounds will disappear.

I found an article about foods that can burn fat, read below and try it, but remember you have to cut the calories besides just eating these vegetables.

Did you know that there is a particular family of vegetables that has more fat-fighting and health-boosting benefits than ANY other?  It’s true!  We’re talking about cruciferous vegetables, and there are a wide variety to choose from…just take a look at all these options!

Kale
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Rutabaga
Cabbage
Bok Choy
Swiss Chard
Turnips
Arugula
Collard Greens
Watercress
Radishes

And here are just some of their benefits:

#1 – Improved digestion, satiety, and weightloss!  Cruciferous vegetables are high in fiber — fiber that promotes a healthier digestive tract while keeping you feeling fuller, longer.  In fact, many studies have shown that increased fiber intake leads to lower weight levels and even weightloss.

#2 – Lower levels of belly fat!  One unique benefit of cruciferous vegetables is their ability to fight off dietary and environmental estrogens that we may be exposed to through soy, plastics, and pesticides through a special phytonutrient called indole-3-carbinol (I3C).  Environmental estrogens have also been linked to high levels of belly fat, so by consuming more cruciferous vegetables you’ll be fighting off belly fat stores at the same time!

#3 – Increased Gut & Immune Health!  Even beyond the above two benefits a recent study published in the renown journal Nature Immunology discovered that specific proteins in cruciferous vegetables may play an essential role in gut health by boosting immune cell production and ultimately combating bacterial infections, chronic inflammation and potentially even bowel cancer.

#4 – Anti-aging!  Cruciferous vegetables have also been shown through research to boast antioxidant and anti-aging properties.  In fact, one study showed that participants who consumed 1 – 2 cups of cruciferous vegetables a day reduced their oxidative stress by 22% in just 3 weeks!

The list actually goes on and on with regard to what cruciferous vegetables can do for your body, fat loss results, and your health, so be sure to eat more of these “miracle” vegetables starting today.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Nuts, Your Go - To Snack Food

I found a great article about my favorite snack food.

Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
Sept. 10, 2014 — Once viewed by some as a food too high in calories to enjoy on a regular basis, nuts are getting new respect.

Two recent studies have touted the benefits of nuts for blood sugar control. One, published in Diabetes Care, found that eating pistachio nuts daily may help people at risk of getting diabetes control their blood sugar. A second, published in PLOS One, found that tree nuts — including almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, and pecans, among others — may improve blood sugar control in people with type 2diabetes.

These are only a couple of many recent studies that point to the health benefits of eating nuts in moderation.

What are some of the top health benefits of nuts, as found in recent research?

Aside from helping with blood sugar, nuts have been linked with improving heart health and helping with weight control. A study from last year even suggested that eating nuts of any type may help you live longer.

Doctors have known about the heart-health benefits for a while, says Christine Rosenbloom, PhD, RDN. She’s a professor emerita of nutrition at Georgia State University and a nutrition consultant. The value of nuts to lower cholesterol has also been acknowledged, says Jessica Crandall, RDN. She’s the director for outpatient nutritional counseling at Sodexo Denver Wellness and Nutrition.

What’s more, researchers from Purdue University found that nuts are not linked with weight gain, despite their relatively high calorie count. An ounce of nuts has 160-200 calories, depending on the type.

What are the “good things” in nuts, and how do these substances work in our bodies?

The protein in nuts can help keep blood sugar stable, Crandall says. The fiber helps with weight control, partly by helping us feel full. Some say the ”crunch” value also adds to a feeling of fullness.

Nuts are about 80% fat, but mostly ”good” unsaturated fats. Other good stuff in nuts includes magnesium (which helps maintain the calcium-potassium balance in your body), folate (critical for a healthy brain), and vitamin E (to maintain a healthy circulatory system). They also have arginine, an amino acid that’s needed to make nitric oxide, which relaxes the blood vessels.

Plus, nuts can improve insulin sensitivity, which lowers diabetes risk, research has shown.

Are some nuts better or healthier than others?

“I think they are all healthy,” Rosenbloom says. “All are similar in protein, fiber, and fat [content].”

Still, she says, some nuts are higher in certain nutrients than others. For instance, almonds are the best source of vitamin E, she says. Cashews are a good source of magnesium, and pistachios are rich in the phytonutrients important to eye health, she says. “Eating a variety of the different kinds will give you all those [benefits].”

While peanuts are considered a legume by the peanut industry, since they’re grown in the ground, nutritionists consider them as healthy as other nuts because of their similar nutritional properties, Crandall says.

Nuts can be high in calories. Should you avoid them if you’re trying to lose weight?

Decades ago, Rosenbloom used to tell her clients trying to lose weight to avoid nuts. She doesn’t these days, though. Many people are surprised when she tells them to have nuts in moderation.

“What the research shows is, when you are consuming nuts — 1 or 2 ounces a day — your total calorie count does not go up,” Crandall says. It makes sense, she says, because nuts might often take the place of other snacks, like potato chips, that are less filling. Nuts’ protein and fiber, on the other hand, helps you feel full.

Pay attention to how many you eat, though, Rosenbloom says.
What is a serving of nuts?

In the studies, researchers often use 1 to 2 ounces as a serving, Rosenbloom says. She generally recommends an ounce as a serving size, with maybe 2 ounces for a very active man.

How many nuts do you get for an ounce? It depends on the nut, Crandall says. You can have roughly 25 almonds for an ounce-worth, but only 17 macadamia nuts.

An ounce of pistachios is about 49 nuts.

“I usually recommend people get unsalted,” Rosenbloom says. If those unsalted nuts are too bland, Crandall tells her patients to sprinkle on cinnamon and broil them, or add rosemary and garlic.

Rosenbloom warns clients to keep nuts in their proper place in the diet. “If you are taking a half-cup of walnuts and putting it over a hot fudge sundae, that’s not the healthy way to eat nuts.” I other words, she’s tell you that there’s no way to add anything to a hot fudge sundae and make it healthy to eat.

Rather, she says, add nuts to a tossed salad or a stir-fry dish.

People who like to buy the large, economy-size bags of nuts should portion them out at home, using small bags or containers for a 1-ounce serving, Rosenbloom says.

Fruits and nuts are all natural, grown but man and if you believe that organic is better than buy organic, but eaten in moderation any of these are healthy, they’ll help you with your diet and give you vitamins and minerals you might otherwise be missing.

Salads in restaurants use to be uninteresting and needed creamy salad dressings to interest customers, but today fruits and nuts are being introduced into salads with a spicy oil and vinegar dressing for a healthier choice. Watch the new menus, there are some healthy choices in restaurants.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Change Your Diet To Avoid Cancer

February is Cancer month, and the internet is full of articles about Cancer. I found this one the other day and it was worht a re-blog.

 Living longer, healthier and happier lives is a priority for millions of people — and avoiding cancer is a big part of the deal.

As millions of Americans observe National Cancer Month in February, it's important to stay up-to-date with the latest information on how to avoid the deadly disease. 

Cancer affects tens of millions of people and families around the world, especially in impoverished nations and communities that do not have funds for treatment.

In 2022, more than 1.9 million people in the United States were diagnosed with cancer, and over 600,000 people died of the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute.

HOW SMALL CHANGES IN YOUR DIET CAN RESULT IN REALLY BIG HEALTH PAYOFFS

The deadliest form of the disease in 2022 was lung and bronchus cancer, which killed an estimated 130,000 individuals in the U.S. 

The second most deadly diagnosis was colorectal cancer, killing approximately 52,000 Americans in 2022. 

Prostate cancer was the leading diagnosis for men — while breast cancer was the most common form of cancer for women.

In an April 2022 interview with Fox News Digital, California-based nutritionist and health expert Susan Smith Jones, PhD, shared a few pointers about the foods we should add to our diets for the highest chance of dodging cancer. 

Here are a few cancer-preventing food options. 

Sprouts, Green vegetables, Tomatoes, Green tea, Nut

A cup and a half of broccoli sprouts per day can reduce the chances of cancer by 50%, advises Jones.

THIS DELICIOUS AND (EASY!) BRUSSEL SPROUTS RECIPE COULD ROCK YOUR WORLD

While growing a significant amount of sprouts takes a matter of mere days, growing an actual head of broccoli with less nutritional value takes about 77 days.

"There’s hardly a better food on earth than freshly harvested sprouts that cost pennies a batch and take two minutes a day to grow," Jones said.

2. Green vegetables 

All types of greens, such as spinach, kale, romaine, broccoli, turnips and collard greens, offer a bit of extra protection against cancer. 

Consuming more green also replaces sugar and other unhealthy items in a diet, and leads to beneficial results beyond cancer, including a lower risk of developing heart disease or obesity.

In lab experiments, substances released during either cutting or chewing cruciferous vegetables produced a cancer-killing effect. 

Swallowing them whole won’t do, by the way. 

The protective effect of cruciferous vegetables seems to occur when they are cut or chewed. They’re great in stir-fry, as side dishes or tossed into salads raw. Experiment with flavors like lemon or garlic.

THE BEST VEGETABLES FOR YOUR HEALTH, ACCORDING TO NUTRITIONISTS

A 2022 epidemiological study comprised of 206 other studies on humans revealed that the most cancer-protective, heart-healthy and obesity-preventative foods are greens, Jones told Fox News Digital.

"And yet [only] one in five Americans eats enough greens to get the benefits," she added.

3. Tomatoes

There’s no better fruit for men to eat than tomatoes in terms of preventing prostate cancer. 

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of the deadly disease, especially for millions of older men in the United States. A healthy diet that encompasses tomatoes may help individuals reduce the risk of developing the diagnosis later in life. en better option since much of the nutritional value is found in the skin.  

The nutrition lies in the tomato’s lycopene, which gives the fruit its red shade. For some individuals, fitting tomatoes into a daily diet can be difficult, but a variety of salads and soups makes it possible. 

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You can also eat the plant by itself after slicing and adding some light seasoning and baking it in the oven. 

4. Green tea

Try changing out your morning cup of coffee for green tea for extra health benefits.

Your palate for tea may vary by season: Hot tea can be warming in the winter; ice tea offers cool refreshments in the summer. So enjoy tea year-round to boost cancer prevention.

Green Tea may not only help prevent cancer, but it also has antiviral and antibacterial properties, said Jones. 

It's also great for weight loss and immunity. Similar to many plant-based foods, tea contains flavonoids, known for their antioxidant effects. One flavonoid in particular, kaempferol, has shown protective effects against cancer. 

5. Nuts and seeds

Almonds are a great source of protein, fiber and vitamin E. 

Try soaking almonds in a bowl of water overnight to plump them up, soften their chew and boost their bio-availability, advised Jones.

Throw some soaked almonds in a blender with four cups of water for homemade almond milk. 

Flax seeds provide a plethora of nutrients to help prevent cancer, such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.

A few tablespoons of flaxseed at two meals per day can also promote glowing skin and high energy, boost the immune system, reduce inflammation and aid in digestion.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Will Fruits And Vegetables Help Me Lost Weight?

 If you don’t reduce your calorie intake, you won’t slim down, researcher warns.

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is often recommended as a way to lose weight, but doing so may not help you shed excess pounds, according to researchers.

They reviewed data from more than seven studies that examined how increased fruit and vegetable consumption affected weight loss.

“Across the board, all studies we reviewed showed a near-zero effect on weight loss,” Kathryn Kaiser, an instructor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said in a university news release.

“I don’t think eating more [fruits and vegetables] alone is necessarily an effective approach for weight loss because just adding them on top of whatever foods a person may be eating is not likely to cause weight change,” she added.

“Overly simplified messages don’t seem to be very effective,” she added.
However, Kaiser and her colleagues also found that eating more fruit does not increase the risk of weight gain.

“It appears that an increase in servings does not increase weight, which is a good thing for getting more vitamins and fiber in one’s diet,” she said. The study, which involved 1,200 people in all, was published June 25 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Fruits and vegetables provide many health benefits, but people shouldn’t expect these foods to help them slim down, Kaiser said.

“In the overall context of a healthy diet, energy reduction is the way to help lose weight, so to reduce weight you have to reduce caloric intake,” she said.

“People make the assumption that higher-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables will displace the less healthy foods, and that’s a mechanism to lose weight; but our findings from the best available evidence show that effect doesn’t seem to be present among people simply instructed to increase fruit and vegetable intake,” Kaiser concluded.

Yes, the author has a point, if you continue to eat the same foods and then add fruits and vegetables, you’re adding calories and you won’t lose weight. But you’re supposed to substitute fruits and vegetables for the unhealthy foods you were eating and therefore eating fewer calories and you will lose weight. Stop eating processed foods and substitute with fruit and vegetables. Stop eating cakes, cookies, ice cream, and candy. Stop eating dessert and substitute with fruit. 

The mistake some of us make is the fruit or vegetable we are buying. Buy the fresh produce in the open bins at your grocer! Stay away from canned foods of any kind. Frozen can be okay but read the additives the company uses. Chemicals in food will not help you lose weight, even salt and sugar should be avoided. 

About half your daily intake should be good carbs like grains, fruits and vegetables. one quarter meat like poultry and seafood and one quarter good fats like olive oil, avocados, and the fats in seafood. Good fats are for your brain and your heart.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

About Beer And Weight Loss

 I'll tell you the story in case you haven’t been following. A reader sent me a note asking if you can drink beer and still lose weight. And my response was “yes” with a but connected. Beer in itself doesn’t add fat to your body. Too Many calories add fat to your body.

When a heavy person in a restaurant or bar is sitting near you drinking beer you might immediately think that they must drink a lot of beer to have a beer belly like that. Not so. Calories are calories and many people overindulge which will cause a beer belly but it’s not always from drinking beer. I used to work with a guy who would drink 6 or 8 cokes every day. I never saw him drink water; he always drank coke.

You might not know it but the average American will drink half their daily calories. They might eat 1800 calories a day and think their cutting calories, but they consume another 1800 or so calories in drinks every day. Cokes, sweet tea, coffee with cream and sugar, and all those designer drinks at the coffee shop all adds up and then if you drink alcohol, you can double those drink calories. It’s no secret that most of us consume more calories per day from beverages than from food. Beer, wine, and soft drinks add the most calories.

Any trainer or weight consultant will always encourage a client to stop drinking calories and drink more water. That some of the best advice I can give anyone trying to lose weight.

I saw someone today running through the park for a workout, but he was seriously overweight. I thought to myself if I could stop the car and talk to him, I’d tell him not to run. First, you can’t run off fat when your too heavy to run. Yes, you can be too heavy to run. Being overweight puts stress on your hips and knees and running will only increase the pressure on those joints and can cause damage.

Walking is a better choice. One hour of extra walking every day will help you lose weight and make you a healthier person. Walking more will lower blood pressure, lower your resting heart rate, and help strengthen your joints.

But if you really want to get in shape you have to change your diet. Start counting calories and count carbs. Depending on your size, 1500 to 1800 calories a day is all you need and only half those calories should be from carbs and those carbs should be from fruits and vegetables and grains. The other half of your daily calories should be from protein and fats from plants. No calories from drinks or processed foods.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans.

Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

What Really Makes Us Fat?

Have you ever noticed that no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you exercise, or no matter how many calories you cut, you still can’t get rid of the extra fat? There could be another reason for your size.

My friend has a twin born at the same time but one guy’s bigger and still is 40 years later. The bigger brother is overweight and the smaller one is thin and fit. The overweight brother can’t seem to lose the extra fat. At a family gathering, they always eat the same amount of food but the smaller one never gains weight. So what’s going on is pretty normal for siblings. I’ve read a lot about families with some overweight members and some thin members. 

Research shows that we are all different even when we’re twins. So even if we look the same, we all process our food differently. It’s your DNA that’s different. DNA is in every gene you were born with, and siblings from the same parents won’t have the same DNA. So in that respect, we are all different. Science is working on this right now. If everyone at the family table eats exactly the same thing, for some of them, it’s too much and for some, it might not be enough, but it’s not just the quantity, because of different DNA each person processes that food differently. Maybe some people can’t eat starchy foods, for example, their system can’t process the starch and the body turns it into fat and stores it. 

That can happen with any food group, my wife can’t eat beef. She can’t digest it. Some people can’t eat dairy products, everyone’s different even though we all look the same or come from the same family. You can still overcome these differences by listening to your body and understanding your limitations. It will take some work on your part, but if you really want to slim down and get back to a healthy weight You must take your weight problem seriously and do the work, investigate your behavior, and find out what foods are causing your weight problem. I know guys that are seriously overweight and know that bread and other bakery goods are their problems, but they won’t stop. They won’t change, they are in denial.

 Guys are harder to convince that “they need to make the tough choices”. Generally, they won’t change until their Doctor has the big “come to Jesus” talk about their health. Personally, I think the overweight problem is mostly genetic. Because of your DNA maybe you who are African shouldn’t be eating Chinese or even Italian. Because of your ancestry, you should be eating more like Africans. Maybe the overweight problem in China is because of the recent prosperity and the introduction of food from different parts of the world. Even American fast food is becoming popular in China. Because of the DNA of different people and the relatively new craze of eating out and eating a big variety of different foods from different cultures, this may be causing the overweight problem. 

There’s another possibility, and this one your doctor can help you with. If you seriously want to stop the cravings you have to stop eating food or drinks that spike your blood sugar. Your blood sugar will normally increase when you eat, but you want the increase to be slow and gradual. We know that sweet foods or sweet drinks will spike your blood sugar, but now science says that wheat flour also will spike your sugar levels. And what’s so bad about that, you might ask. I’ll explain as if you’re looking at a graph. If normal blood sugar is below 5.6 and you eat ice cream and your blood sugar spike to 8, and your body is working normally, your blood sugar will drop rapidly to say 4 because the effects of the sugar won’t last very long, but now you are below your normal level and your body will trigger another craving to get you back up to your normal level of 5.6. Now, these numbers are just numbers, and if you are concerned about your level you want to see your doctor and get a blood test.

 When you're overweight it’s important to have regular checkups that include blood tests. High blood sugar levels are a serious problem. But let’s get back to cravings, people who snack a lot often don’t understand why, and snacks put on weight. It can be caused by your blood sugar or glucose levels spiking and dropping so that you keep creating cravings for more food. So we know sugary foods will spike glucose levels and now science thinks that wheat flour can do the same.

 Wheat flour is in almost any bakery goods. Bread, cakes, donuts anything that comes from a bakery. Now you might think because you don’t eat wheat bread that you're safe. All processed flour is made from wheat flour or partial wheat flour. It's the gluten in the wheat that makes the flour stick together. You want to start reading the labels and avoid foods with processed flour. Ever wonder why gluten-free is so popular now. Gluten-free means there’s no wheat flour or any wheat in that food. Read the label on gluten-free bread and you find it’s made of rice flour. Gluten-free products will help you control the spike in your blood sugar. You can buy gluten-free bagels, pasta, and bread at any of the major grocery chains. So gluten-free will help you control your weight and avoiding sugary foods and drinks will also help cut your calories.

To sum this up; What really makes us fat is consuming the wrong foods and drinks. Cutting calories is important but for example, if I eat one large pizza every day and decide to lose weight so from now on I'm buying a medium pizza every day will I lose weight? Probably not. You can't stop food cravings by cutting back on the same food. You have to eat healthier. Try chicken breast and vegetables twice a day. Eat a piece of fruit between meals and only drink water, tea, or coffee. Don't drink calories.

This is a low-carb, low-fat diet. Stay on this diet for two weeks and no cheating. No calories to count just stay with the plan. It will take your body a few days to adjust to your new diet. So be patient. To help you lose the fat quicker try walking more. An extra mile a day at first and then build up to 3 miles a day. If you see any results after 2 weeks stay on the diet. Talk to your doctor about your new eating plan if your taking prescription drugs, you might have to adjust the dosage or change medications. After a couple months, the belly will start to shrink.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.