I was going to post on rocket science or Greek mythology today, but thought a short video of me cutting a mango would be better for showcasing my vast knowledge about all things. Hopefully I can bust out another good cooking video this week – maybe making some of the absurdly delicious and easy-to-make meatballs I’ve been eating lately. Hope this video puts an end to Gazelle’s mangled mangoes.
There's a much easier way. With the skin still on, you cut it in half as you did, following as closely to the stone as possible. Then you scoop the mango out of each half with a spoon, never having to cut off the skin. It's easy, try it.
Or you make a mango hedgehog (that would be the direct translation of the German phrase, dunno if that exists in English too)
Like this:
http://www.echt-bio.de/cm/eb/rezepte/img/Mangoigel.jpg
Much easier and it also looks much more awesome.
What timely advice! I've been buying mangoes by the case and making lassi drinks for the fam. I put about 2 cups fresh mango, a cup or so of whole milk yogurt, 2 Tbsp lime juice and 2 Tbsp honey in da blender. Voila!
Sometimes if we're feeling sick of eggs (which is a risk if you've been on Atkins), I'll throw 6 egg yolks in and mix it a bit. You know, to get some choline so we can tolerate the occasional PUFA we might get when we're out of the house.
Oops, I forgot to say that I also fill to 5 or 6 cups with whole milk. A key point.
And many times I'll bump it up with some cream. I'm all about disguising ice cream as other food.
Haven't been able to load the video yet (boondock internet) but I have to second both the 'alternative' methods mentioned as being so easy.
MadMUHHH–I know that method, but never knew it as a 'mangoigel'–but from that name I instantly knew what you meant–so cool.
And what's wrong with Mangled Mangos anyway? I thought they were nicknamed the 'eat naked' fruit!
PS–wow, I love your knife! Yes, sharp is key…
Matt, workin on the weekend?
Hmmm, I'm suddenly feelin like a mango!
madMUHHH, that does look awesome. I'm gonna try that. Thanks! Hope it's as easy at it looks lol!
Ooooh, and I'm really really looking forward to the "absurdly delicious and easy-to-make meatballs" video!!
Just be sure to watch out for allergic response to mango skin. Most mainland Drs will go HUH? at the symptoms – itchy rash around mouth, feels like cold sores. My daughter has this problem and it took forever and pure luck to figure out. As long as I cut off the skin and cube it small, so she can pop right into her mouth without touching her lips (or face… you know kids…), she has no problem. Mango is in the same family as poison ivy.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mango is the kinf of fruit !!!
just be careful the skin has the same chemical as poison ivy. found that out the hard way
fruit alone or with meal to aid digestion?
This story needs 180 attention-
She used 4 easy tips to lose weight
This woman (I'm guessing about 50 years old, but the story doesn't say) lost 232 lbs over 2 years; a real Jon Gabriel story. Here are the weight loss rules that her Doctor gave her:
1. Eat 8 ounces of food every 3 hours
2. No sugary drinks
3. Do not skip meals
4. Do not tell anyone what you're doing
That's it. Seriously. Avoiding sugary drinks cuts a lot of HFCS out of the SAD diet. Rule #3 is standard anti-diet advice from Matt, Gabriel, Schwarzbein, etc. And Rule #4 is about motivation, not nutrition.
So really I think we need to look at the power of rule #1. I recall Matt has mentioned off-handedly that spaced meals improves insulin sensitivity, but I haven't see any evidence before of how powerful this technique is. Consider the following quotes from the new story:
"I've always walked, no matter how hard it was," says Mills. "Then I used Richard Simmons' 'Sweating to the Oldies' because it's low-impact. Now I Zumba, which is like Richard Simmons on speed."
Stress inducing cardio? Check.
"My guilty pleasure for the last 8 months [has been] Breyers fat free ice cream — half cup a night."
Bizarre fake foods? Check.
When she goes out to eat, she orders a meal — anything she wants — and asks for a to-go box. It helps with eating healthy food portions, even if she's noshing on her favorite meal: fried chicken fingers and deep fried potato chips.
Lots of PUFA? Check.
And despite all that – sustainable weight loss without starvation or feelings of hunger. And this despite always being heavy-
Mills has been overweight for as long as she can remember. She recalls "plumping up" at 5 years old and weighing 200 pounds in junior high.
Not a recovering thin person.
I first heard about small, spaced meals over 10 years ago in an interview with Kevin Sorbo about how he stayed in shape for his Hercules TV show. (Fun fact – his braides leather pants in that show weighed 50 lbs) But I hadn't see the technique used so powerfully before. This definitely seems worth looking into.
With all the support groups and whatnot out there, often the value of doing the opposite – #4 – goes unnoticed. Yes, my husband knew what I was up to. But I announced it to nobody else. Later when folks noticed I shared what I did, but in a way I think part of the beauty of not telling anyone is that the obsessions over progress become far less.
Matt,
is your knife a W’sthof Grand Prix II ?
Brock, you do know small meals spaced 3 hours apart has been a dogma in fitness communities for ages, and that the enormous popularity of Leangains (intermittent fasting) in those circles has a lot to do with breaking free from that dogma, because for a lot of people the "eat every 3 hours" thing really didn't work that well at all.
And I'm not sure theres any evidence that small frequent meals improve insulin sensitivity, there are a whole bunch of myths about supposed advantages of small frequent meals that just aren't well supported at all by the literature.
To me that news story sounds like someone who consciously started eating less and exercising more and lost weight, it happens every day really. The real mystery isn't if you can lose weight (or even keep it off, that just requires discipline and sacrifice), the mystery is if you can lose weight without triggering a famine response and become "naturally" lean, most people who lose weight with small frequent meals don't.
Colld?n, who, exactly, did this not work for? Were these people looking to go from 12% to 8% body fat, or looking to lose a lot of "excess" body fat? There might be a relevant difference there.
the mystery is if you can lose weight without triggering a famine response and become "naturally" lean
No kidding. That's the $6 million question.
Collden is right, the frequent evenly spaced meals is probably the most common advice given in the fitness and weight loss industry. Brock is right in pointin this out again, because it does seem to work best for the majority. Almost all people who improve their physique do this. Points 1,2&3 are almost always given by everyone who works in the industry.
Lorelei,
That is interesting about the mango being in the same class as poison ivy. I am extremely allergic to poison ivy, and mangoes give me extreme stomach pain. I did t know there was a connection. They are definitely not for everyone.
JT–not just mango: cashews are in that family too. Do you have any trouble with them (other than the 2g PUFA per ounce)? ;)
I'm glad Lorelei mentioned it: lots of people have that trouble.
Ela,
thanks for the tip, no I didn't know they were related. But, yes I do have problems with cashews, they make my mouth itch and hurt my stomach. Walnuts and bananas too.
Brock
I think the truly fit who want to get even more shredded are a minority in fitness communities, most are probably average, relatively unfit people looking to get into decent shape (like 15% BF for men or some such). Most of these people have been fed the "eat every 3 hours" dogma, but I doubt most of them managed to lose weight without repercussions.
I mean, the idea that you should eat small frequent meals has been around and dominating the theory on dieting for so long that you'd think we shouldn't have so many failed dieters if it was really key to losing weight without triggering a famine response.
Yeah, I'm the Queen of small meals spaced out throughout the day because my surgically altered (an unfortunate gastric bypass) stomach, I cannot tolerate more than 8 oz of food at a time. I haven't had sugary drinks (no fruit juice or soda) in years. My meals are pretty balanced too.
Glad you pointed out that your magic formula there might work for "the majority" because it sure ain't working for me.
I'm gaining.
Must be metabolic or hormonal or something, right??
Glad I called in an expert to help me. Generalizations have failed me for far too long.
Lisa,
Have you ever had full hormonal profile done? Did they detect any irregularities, especially with thyroid, cortisol, and estrogen?
You have stated that only eat 800 calories a day. What body weight can you maintain eating only this amount everyday?
JT, I won't get too specific with you on what I eat or weigh. What I will say is that I'm seeing a functional medicine specialist who will order all the necessary tests to figure out what my next step should be.
I'm sure any imbalances in hormones and systems will be addressed.
My point in posting what I did was to emphasize that generalizations don't work for people in situations like mine (multiple weight loss surgeries, long history of dieting, long history of nutritionally poor food, long history of taking advice from "fitness" people) and for many who have come to this blog looking for answers.
By the way my favorite one on that list is: Do not tell anyone what you're doing.
The minute we do, we get all kinds of advice, contradicting suggestions, generalizations, pet theories, etc. thrown at us.
I do appreciate your interest and concern.
Lisa,
Hope you find the cause. Whoever you consult with make sure they have real experience and use valid labs to back up their theories. There are way too many self proclaimed experts out there that are just making stuff up.
Hormones are key in my experience. My mother started gaining lots of fat and then I checked to see how much estrogen she had and found it was way too high. Dropped the levels and the weight came right off. Some people have issues with extremely high cortisol levels that cause them to gain fat. I just saw a documentary on a lady who gained weight even though she said she ate very low calories. Nobody believed her until a doctor found a tumor in her pituitary causing high cortisol. They took the tumor out and she lost all the weight without trying. No diet trick woul have worked here. We all know how important thyroid is too.
JT, how did your mother "drop" her estrogen levels? Did she add progesterone or do something else?
Gazelle,
She is in hormone therapy.'I had her change up the ratio of hormones so that the amount estrogen was much lower. Hormone therapy has been a miracle for her all around.
I know plenty of guys that take estrogen blockers when they are taking lots of testosterone. High dose testosterone will aromatize into estrogen, so they will take an anti estrogen drug like arimidex to drop it.' the estrogen drop will quickly drop the bloat and fat gain. Adding progesterone will not drop it, if anything I think it would probably increase.
To be clear,'I don't reccomend that anybody try to manipulate hormones on their own, and I'm not giving medical advice. You should definitely consult with an experienced medical practitioner who specializes in this area'if you want to do anything with your hormones.
What would you recommend to someone who is absolutely fed up with weight gain? I'm afraid it will not stop; I'm in "recovery" from bulimia but I am still gradually gaining weight (I think) and CANNOT take it anymore!!!!! I am not overweight. I just have a small frame and the extra weight is uncomfortable and unattractive. PLEASE give me advice, I feel I have no options left for getting back a physique I'm somewhat confident in. Is that so terrible? I'm only 20!!! Sorry if this comes off as terribly immature and disordered, but I am just asking for help.
Help, if you are recovering from bulimia you WILL gain weight. There's no way around it. It's part of the recovery. Your metabolism is damaged. The best thing you can do is go with it and not restrict, anything you do will just set you back. The weight will come off again. It takes awhile. I went through this (I suffered from an eating disorder, an anorexic/exercise bulimia combo) and my nutritionist told me it would take a year for my metabolism to recover. It took longer for me because I had relapses. Worrying about your weight will harm your recovery. I know weight gain feels like the worst thing on earth when you're so sensitive about weight already. The best thing you can do is work with a therapist and nutritionist, and eat a balanced, whole foods diet and learn intuitive eating. It takes time. I recovered and lost the weight I gained (I'm now my high school/college weight, which I was before the eating disorder, so heavier than when I had the eating disorder). You have to go through the process as hard as it is. You probably look a lot better than you think, but puffiness is normal (I looked puffy and had midsection weight gain). Just trust it will come off – you're young and your metabolism can absolutely recover once you heal your body. Buy new clothes that you feel good in and try to focus on healing your emotional state rather than weight. A good therapist is critical for this.
"I am not overweight. I just have a small frame and the extra weight is uncomfortable and unattractive. PLEASE give me advice, I feel I have no options left for getting back a physique I'm somewhat confident in."
Hi Help,
as a Counsellor who consults on various self-acceptance issues, including your situation, I echo Amy's comments regarding professional help.
It is important to address underlying limiting beliefs and allow expression of associated emotions.
Once some work is done on this front one can start to see onself in a whole new light.
Otherwise, the scenario can – and regularly does -become a recurring sitaution with a constant inner battle becoming ever more distressing.
Asking for help is a wonderful start.
Kind wishes, J
Hi help:
I don't have bulimia, but have also struggled with dealing with the weight gain, having previously maintained a slim weight through weight watchers points. I've put on about 30lbs and I think my weight has just stabilised and I now weigh the heaviest I have been in the past.
To keep myself goning mentally, I keep visualising myself building back the lost muscle mass as part of the process.
I agree about buying some clothes that suit your new shape and that you can feel good in.
Jane
Follow-up on meal frequency (I think 'help?' is getting the help she needs)-
I found one study that suggests that less frequent, large meals (LSLM) lower cortisol. That doesn't make sense to me, but those are the results. However this study was of limited value to me because it focused on a ?metabolic ward? where calories were strictly controlled between the small, frequent meals (SFM) group and the LSLM group.
Another study looked at meal frequency in an ab libitum environment. What they found was that 1 meal/day caused chronic hunger that caused greater caloric intake. Subjects who ate only 1 meal/day ate 25% more calories than subjects that ate 6 meals/day.
A third study actually measured leptin levels in horses on various meal frequencies. Not the best study (people aren't horses), but it did confirm large swings in leptin in the LSLM group. That would be the mechanism for the hunger and calorie consumption. The horses were also calorie controlled.
Also, fun fact, traffic accidents increase substantially in the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan (fasting during the day). LSLM is also associate with mood swings and irritability.
SFM is looking like a winner to control hunger and mood.
I will look into the results from bariatric surgery later.
Hey Brock, If you want a nutshell primer on bariatric surgery go here:
http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/01/junkfood-science-weekend-special.html
About halfway through she talks about nutritional deficiencies.
I'm not convinced about smaller more frequent meals, for the average person or for those trying to get to super low bodyfat percentages. Leangains makes sense to me in princple, both because it seems plausible and congruent with what we know of foragers' reduced meal frequency (sorry traditional diet bashers), and because frequent smaller meals seems at least as likely to cultivate orthorexia. I practiced a good bit of grazing and small frequent meal eating at times, and I didn't notice any substantial improvements, and at least one decline- continued stress about where to get my next bit of appropriately sized food.
Not that it's bad necessarily, or that reduced meal frequency or periodic fasting is the shit. Eat when it seems right and the quantity that seems right. Echo Amy's endorsement again of intuitive eating. Cultivate some stillness and listen to what the feedback actually is that you get, and honor it. No one really wants to eat shittty junk food all day- we eat it to meet other needs, like autonomy from the voices telling us not to, or comfort, or relxation, or whatever. But I think if we listen closely, those needs are met with a pretty high cost, and once we're not having to fight back against those voices that don't approve of us, doing the right and compassionate and gentle and healthy thing comes naturally.
Lisa,
Thanks for the link. Mostly it tells me that studying bariatric surgery patients would not be fruitful for the researcher interested in health. I'm certainly not looking to cut calories to 1,000/day (or by any amount, really). That sounds like a recipe for major metabolic harm.
Also, I just checked out your profile and see that you're in Clifton. If only I'd know that six months ago we could have met for lunch, but after 32 years in Essex County I moved to Florida last August. Do you teach at MSU? I love their campus. And Lordy but do I ever miss Elevation Burgers in Montclair …
I agree with Rob (no surprise there lol!) with regard to meal frequency. And I could not agree more with this…
"Not that it's bad necessarily, or that reduced meal frequency or periodic fasting is the shit. Eat when it seems right and the quantity that seems right. Echo Amy's endorsement again of intuitive eating. Cultivate some stillness and listen to what the feedback actually is that you get, and honor it."
That's what I do. And it serves me well. I also don't stick to a rigid eating schedule or mealtimes. Each day is different for me. Some days I eat more food and more (or less) often than others – but ALWAYS obeying my hunger and cravings.
BTW, Ela, I will elaborate (in a separate post) on that for you, in response to your related question to me elsewhere about eating to appetite :-)
Anyway, I know people like to say that "listening to your body" is tricky. And I agree, for those who struggle with "voices" whatever (and for whatever reasons) a persons voices say, CAN "trick" them – especially when using food to comfort or coddle. But, like Rob said, for the average person, and for those who breakthrough the "tricky" voices, "cultivating some stillness" is a great tool for learning to listen and getting in tune with your body's biofeedback. It takes time and some tweaking.
A good bit of Martin Berkhan's stuff makes sense to me too, in my personal experimentations. And most of Chief's insights rang true for me as well. BTW, Chief, hurry back! :-)
Roba,
You just need to look to 99% of people out there who have made successful transformations. They embraced the frequent meal approach. Some people may do better on the lean gains approach which is just skipping breakfast. But, we need to remember that most unhealthy and overweight people already do this.
"…just skipping breakfast. But, we need to remember that most unhealthy and overweight people already do this."
Most??
In my experience, that is not true. Many unhealthy and/or overweight people I know, not only eat breakfast, but they eat junk for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
Come on, JT- I can't see how you can possibly substantiate that percentage. Possibly a majority, or even most- but 99% seems pulled out of nowhere at all.
Berkhan has some retorts to the other point though- skipping breakfast is associated with other lifestyle factors that may contribute to ill health, but isn't necessarily the cause of it. Like how the WAPF points out that skim milks is associated with better health, but is also more likely to appear alongside other co-factors that actually contribute to health more than the lack of fat in their milk.
Also, LG is a fairly new system, and has some fairly specific couplings of factors that may contribute to it's success- calorie restriction but loading on high satiety foods that seem not to trigger a famine response. Carb cycling depending on the sort of movement pattern that day that's intended to optimize fat loss and muscle retention or growth. Etc. The fact that it's not widely practiced is not irrelevant- I grant you that. As much as conventional widom may be inaccurate at times, there are obviously some reasons why it becomes so predominant, so I hesitate to toss it all aside. But its uncommonness and nvelty is also not an indication of it's inherent shortcoming.
Again, I'm no huge LG proponent, but I'm not convinced that small frequent meals is the preferred path to health or body recomposition, and certainly the stress that it generates for some (and the ease of a reduced feeding window for others) are also important. I'm surprised your emphasis on an individualized take on things doesn't come through here, man.
99% seems high to me, too. I think it's really individual. I have no interest in eating frequent meals, and I think for some people it makes them need to think about food more often than they really want to and is healthy for them to. I also think it can encourage eating out of boredom or just for the sake of eating. If you have time and inclination to be thinking about packing snacks for work, etc. then ok (I don't personally). The French eat 3 meals a day (and maybe an afternoon snack sometimes) and stay thin. This meal pattern works perfectly well for me, too. I'm thin, and recovered my metabolism eating this way. Sometimes I would have an afternoon snack, mainly because my nutritionist encouraged it, but I never really got on board with the idea. At the end of the day, she said it really wasn't a big deal if I didn't want a snack.
During the weekend, I'm much more likely to have a snack because I'm home or out with friends, etc. But at work it's way too much of a pain. And here I am at 4:30pm and not at all hungry for a snack. I'll probably get hungry in time for a good dinner at 7.
AS, Amy et al,
Thanks for your thoughts about meal frequency. I feel that the fact that I'm even curious about it at this point is a good sign (last couple years, my blood sugar was so crash prone and I could only eat so little at a sitting that I had to eat small and frequent: socially inconvenient at times).
I guess I'm noticing that I'm feeling drawn to eating slightly more at a meal and being slightly less hungry for snacks (only a slight tendency so far) and am curious how frequency can cue and promote hunger that might otherwise be absent.
What I don't want to go back to is my (incidentally 80-10-10) days, when I was pathologically afraid of snacking between meals and couldn't even taste-test food that I was preparing.
thanks,
Ela
I think the thing with meal frequency depends on the type of diet and the natural appetite of the person.
In the animal kingdom, we see that the vegan animals will often eat all day long (like cattle) whereas many meat eaters (large cats for example) will eat and then not eat again for a few days. I don't think anyone eating an Atkins type of diet should be eating lots of meat 6x a day, from a health standpoint.
Also, I have a naturally large appetite…I used to eat A LOT. So when I eat fewer meals, I tend to eat very large meals each time. I went away for work about a month ago and I ate a large buffet breakfast every morning and I was so stuffed that I didn't eat again until dinner. When I came home after a week of this, my wife told me that I looked like I was pregnant.
My wife on the other hand hates to eat and she is naturally thin (I get a kick out of people asking her for diet advice when she naturally looks that way). When she eats frequently, she loses weight that she can't afford to lose, so she would probably be better off from a larger meal standpoint.
BTW, I'm looking at this from a health standpoint rather than from a weightloss standpoint.
he uses "its individual" only when it works to 'his' arguments or when he is trying to wiggle out of an argument.
99%
That sort of number needs a citation. Seriously, any reference at all?
I tried small, frequent meals today and I found it to be easy and convenient. I just made a really big breakfast and then broke it down into four portions. That's a meal at 7 am, 11 am, 1 pm and 4 pm. And I'll have dinner with my family as normal at 7 pm. Unsurprisingly, I haven't lost any weight yet. ;) But I did notice that hunger was easy to control and unnoticable.
@ Amy:
You mention puffiness regarding disorder eating, as an ED in recover my face puffiness makes me think im still fat (althought very thin body), did you ever suffer from this?
best
Alex
@Alex, Yes, my face looked puffy. I noticed it more when I looked at photos of myself. My body looked somewhat puffy, too, but my face was most noticeable.
Will(on-the-Real)…
"I think the thing with meal frequency depends on the type of diet and the natural appetite of the person."
Will, I agree!
Also, just to clarify (to all): with my comment that it takes time and some tweaking, I was referring to learning to interpret your own biofeedback accurately.
LOL! There's an oops in my post above. Oh well, everybody knows Will(the Real one) said it :-)
And…
Ela, dang it, my comments to you disappeared into cyberspace lol! Well, Amy and the others did a better job "splainin" it anyway :-)
To what you said though, don't force anything – like holding out until your next meal time. Eat when you feel genuinely hungry. I don't do conventional mealtimes. And I don't "snack" per se. But it's because I rarely feel the urge to snack between my meals. But when I'm hungry, I eat. And when I eat, it's usually a full meal until I'm satisfied. But I have nothing against snacking. I just rarely feel the need to personally :-)
My other comments that went poof were better, I promise lol! Wish I woulda saved them. That's what happens when you let your guard down. Blogger has been behaving so well (for me) lately. But it got me lol!
AS–thanks for your thoughts. Sorry about your disappearing comments: frustrating when that happens, and I don't know how to guard against it.
I like your distinction between needing to snack and just eating when inclined to do so. It sounds like you've come to a really balanced place.
Come on guys, nobody who has been around the fitness industry for long would deny this. The most common advice given to people who are looking to get in shape is to eat small frequent meals.' go to any gym or nutritionist and ask them and they will almost always give this advice. I didnt
mean 99% to be taken literally, I just mean the vast majority, I thought this was obvious, but maybe not.
Why do you think all the bodybuilder and fit ess girls carry their coolers and cans of tuna with them everywhere they go?
Intermittent fasting is not new. I did the Warrior diet over ten years ago, when hoffmekler started the fad. I have discussed my experiences with it quite a bit on this blog. It is getting more popular with the low carb paleonstuff too.
I am talking about real physique transformations where you lose a lot of fat and gain lots of muscle. I'm not just talking
about what the average skinny/fat person eats. Average skinny people all over the world eat just 3'times a day. Pretty much all the physique athletes eat 6 times a day. This is common knowledge.
I doubt there is any major fat burning benefits to eatin more frequently. But, it controls appetite and prevents binging on junk.'this is probably the real reason it works for most. IF will work better for some, but nit most. It sucks for me personally and I did it for quite a long time.
Don't forget the sumo diet. Skip breakfast and eat 2
Meals a day when you are really hungry and ready to binge!
"I doubt there is any major fat burning benefits to eatin more frequently. But, it controls appetite and prevents binging on junk."
Trying to "control" appetite (and restricting calories) works AGAINST your body's natural processes — and thus CAUSES the urge to "binge" on junk = your body's rebellion.
I've seen *many* people consistently eliminate the second problem by ceasing doing the first.
Sorry AS, but if you want to make real changes you will need to be self disciplined.
AS said…
Trying to "control" appetite (and restricting calories) works AGAINST your body's natural processes — and thus CAUSES the urge to "binge" on junk = your body's rebellion.
You misunderstood JT's point. Small, frequent meals "control" appetite by altering your hormone regulation. Leptin stays low, which lowers your body's perceived needs for calories while not triggering feelings of privation. I've only done it for one frickin' day and I can confirm that my appetite was a lot lower.
Remember, there's no "bright red line" for caloric consumption and famine mode. You MUST get your daily calorie count under your basal burn in order to lose weight, and the challenge we all face is managing to do that without triggering famine mode. Some people have managed to do it (such as Jon Gabriel), and I'm trying to figure out how. Small, frequent meals might be part of the puzzle.
I don't think they necessarily work for bariatric patients though because the bariatric patient isn't able to eat to appetite when they really need to, thus starting a leptin cascade towards wanting more calories and always being hungry. Being able to occasionally have a big meal when you think you need one is probably part of the solution too.
JT, I already HAVE made *real* changes — and it happened only after I stopped being so "self disciplined" :-)
And the same is true for the *many* others I mentioned before.
Brock, I know you are just trying to be helpful, and I appreciate that. But I do understand JT's main strategies he promotes (most of the time). I get how you could think that I misunderstood JT's point about "controlling" appetite. Perhaps the use of the word "suppress" fits better. But his whole point in "controlling" appetite is to restrict calories, either way. And the point I was making still stands in that regard. Controlling, manipulating, fighting your natural body chemistry with willpower and self-discipline will backfire, cause binging, rebound, etc. And only a select few with iron will can stick to it long term. But *most* cannot. It goes against human-nature. It's not supposed to be (and it's not) that hard.
You said…
"Some people have managed to do it (such as Jon Gabriel), and I'm trying to figure out how."
Like I already said to JT, I've already figured it out — like Jon Gabriel did. And in his book, he tells you how. By turning off, what he calls your FAT programs. What JT does and recommends to others — calorie restriction and self discipline is one sure way to turn ON your FAT programs. So as soon as you can't fight your body anymore… shit ton!
But feel free to try JT's strategy if you want to. Me? I'm good.
I forgot this part…
I do understand, Brock, that you think trying the frequent meal strategy, that *maybe* you can achieve a calorie deficit, without your body *noticing* and "triggering famine mode."
Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Your body WILL *notice* and respond accordingly. You have to remove the reason(s) your body thinks it needs to store/hold onto fat = turn off your FAT programs. Only using Jon Gabriel example because you referred to him. Not endorsing him one way or the other.
Then your body will *automatically* suppress appetite, to achieve a calorie deficit, to shed the extra fat – naturally. But it doesn't work the other way around. You can't consciously make your body do this with a deliberate calorie deficit. And you can't *trick* it into thinking that, even though actual total calories are below maintenance level, it's getting plenty of calories, because you're eating frequent meals.
JT, the slimmest western population has always been the french and they traditionally eat a very tiny breakfast usually consisting of nothing but coffee and a pastry or piece of fruit. Many of my coworkers and housemates typically don't eat breakfast at all, instead they have a big lunch and an even bigger dinner. You can also look at the kitavans who eat just 2 meals a day yet have no problems maintaining 8% BF on an ad libitum diet.
And yes, "small frequent meals" has always dominated the fitness scene, but so has the attitude that if you want to lose a significant amount of weight you're going to have to battle constant hunger. What most people going over to intermittent fasting notice is rather vastly improved appetite control. This not controversial, even Matt has acknowledged that and its the reason he thinks IF like Leangains is dangerous, because the benefits are mostly fueled by catecholamines and thus not sustainable. I agree that IF can be dangerous if coupled with too many other stressors, but unlike low-carb I doubt its inherently unsustainable as long as you dont restrict calories or macronutrients.
Collden,
I have spent quite a bit of time in France, and the majority of the people there do not have great physiques. They are skinny fat instead of obese like Americans. This is because they walk much more and don't eat near as much junk food.
The point of the small frequent meals is so that you don't have to battle constant hunger. I'm not talking about snacking, but actual meals. The strategy works, and you are less likely to binge at night on lots of junk which is what most of the people I know with weight problems do.
AS,
John Gabriel eats an extremely controlled and strict diet. I listened to an interview with him lately and I was shocked at how obsessively strict he is. Much more than me. He pretty much just eats lean meats and veggies. He is a hardcore extremely self disciplined dieter.
JT,
Where can I find this interview of Jon Gabriel you've mentioned a few times?
RobA,
It was on coast to coast am a few months back. Go to their website and search for John Gabriel, it should pull up the interview.
JT, I hesitated to use Gabriel as an example (only cause Brock did), because I had a feeling someone might go there. But that's why I added that I was not endorsing him one way or the other. I don't believe he or anyone else has all the answers either. But I was speaking about CALORIES before – not food phobias and such. But that is another sure way to turn ON the FAT lol!
BTW, food phobias or not, Jon eats to appetite = enough calories. That was my point.
But you have your views and I have mine. Mine worked for me. Do what works for you :-)
I did the 5-6 small meals a day thing for several years. I lost weight but the stress of having to make all those little meals and figure out how to fit it into my life made me chuck it out. It's a good strategy for going low calorie without feeling too hungry. Not that I'm advocating that. Anymore.
Meatballs! Get the video done, yo!