"[When insulin is high because of refined carbohydrates in the diet,] fat synthesis and storage exceed the mobilization of fat and its subsequent oxidation. ... By driving fat accumulation, carbohydrates also increase hunger and decrease the amount of energy we expend in physical activity. When insulin levels fall, we release fat from our fat tissue and use it for fuel." - Gary Taubes, Good Calories, Bad Calories, Anchor Books, p. 454
Ever since Robb Wolf's nutrition seminar last March, I've been reading everything I can find on lower-carb / "paleo" ways of eating, and I've been talking about food choices with anyone who will listen. Today I met a friend (let's call him Steve) of a friend when a few of us met up for lunch. He exactly described the conscious-experience aspect of the above process and I was thrilled by this. This is the gist of what Steve said. I'm paraphrasing:
"Some people seem to want to exercise and look forward to it. I've hardly ever felt that way. Fat people find exercise a big chore and want to know exactly how much they have to do. When I was at, say, fifteen percent body fat, I knew I should eat less and exercise more, but I didn't want to. When I managed to get down to maybe eleven percent body fat, I finally got a taste of what it was like to look forward to exercising."
High insulin had probably been driving excess fat storage at the expense of his ability to feel energetic, but then he broke the cycle. When his diet allowed his body to release stored fat, he was conscious of being more willing to exercise (or wanting to). His body suddenly had energy to burn because his metabolism wasn't hoarding it any more.
Release fat by eating more of it, and protein, and give up the manufactured, refined-carb food and sugar. That's the upshot.
Ever since Robb Wolf's nutrition seminar last March, I've been reading everything I can find on lower-carb / "paleo" ways of eating, and I've been talking about food choices with anyone who will listen. Today I met a friend (let's call him Steve) of a friend when a few of us met up for lunch. He exactly described the conscious-experience aspect of the above process and I was thrilled by this. This is the gist of what Steve said. I'm paraphrasing:
"Some people seem to want to exercise and look forward to it. I've hardly ever felt that way. Fat people find exercise a big chore and want to know exactly how much they have to do. When I was at, say, fifteen percent body fat, I knew I should eat less and exercise more, but I didn't want to. When I managed to get down to maybe eleven percent body fat, I finally got a taste of what it was like to look forward to exercising."
High insulin had probably been driving excess fat storage at the expense of his ability to feel energetic, but then he broke the cycle. When his diet allowed his body to release stored fat, he was conscious of being more willing to exercise (or wanting to). His body suddenly had energy to burn because his metabolism wasn't hoarding it any more.
Release fat by eating more of it, and protein, and give up the manufactured, refined-carb food and sugar. That's the upshot.
