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Nearly 2 years ago I posted an article called “Plower vs. Force,” a summary of the two paths to weight loss: starvation or metabolic enhancement. Anyway, here are a few excerpts that are perfectly aligned with the latest discussion that’s taken place at 180 and elsewhere…

“There are two distinct paths to proper weight management. One is to be a ?plower? who mows down large quantities of nutritious unprocessed food, never skipping meals or watching portion size. The other way is through force ? exercising extremely hard and eating so little that the body cannot slow down its metabolism enough to keep body weight from dropping. One of these routes is fully sustainable and keeps the physical/mental/emotional body balanced, strong, resistant to both chronic and infectious disease, etc. The other route is a one-way ticket to bone and hair loss, physical injury, a compromised immune system and the fun that comes along with it, erratic moods, and a damaged metabolism resulting in the eventual inability to eat normal amounts of food without blowing up like a balloon…”

“…If you are genuinely interested, not in looking hot by next Tuesday and screw the rest, but in finding a way to properly nourish yourself in a way that’s sustainable, effortless in the sense that you will no longer be at war with your body, and provides you with overall vitality and a healthy bodyweight, then consider doing these things:

-Eat a ginormous (that’s gigantic and enormous combined) breakfast. One of the best ways to gain weight eating normal amounts of food or not be able to lose an ounce eating nothing is to skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast will also help you pursue your goals of acquiring type II Diabetes and other degenerative diseases.

-Eat three meals per day, whether you are hungry at meal time or not. A bagel or Caesar salad is not a meal. Think of what grandma would have served: a starch, a vegetable cooked with a hunk of pork fat, meat, soup, bread and butter, and a huge glass of milk. And she would force every bite down your throat…”

“… It amazes me how ingrained it is in people’s minds that eating less is the way to health and weight loss.”

“…When you put your hand in boiling water, you feel that it is hot and know that it’s not good for your hand. Reducing calories or exercising fanatically; however, is different. When you suddenly exercise more and eat less, you lose weight. It seems simple. I just have to eat less and exercise more! The reason this happens is because your intake and exertion are not aligned with your metabolism. But the body works as hard as it can to align the metabolism with your intake and exertion, meanwhile decreasing energy levels and increasing appetite. It’s the body’s way of saying, ?Hey stupid, what are you doing? You are f?n killing me! Because this is how metabolism works, some people eat like horses and can’t gain weight and others eat very little and can’t lose weight. In almost all cases, it is not genetic, it is metabolic. And metabolism, when it comes to weight management, is everything.” (energy in/energy out equilibrium can be achieved at virtually any level of caloric intake).

“…This is why what I recommend for weight management (eat more, don’t exercise to exhaustion) is so counterintuitive for so many people, because they’ve experienced gaining weight when eating a lot and not exercising (and yes a diet of Coke, Cheese Nips, and Doughnuts, has a lot to do with it and please don’t eat more of these), and losing weight when exercising and eating very little. This feedback is just plain misunderstood, and many people, even though they may maintain a healthy bodyweight for most of their lives, go to war with their bodies every day to achieve that. That is ?force,? and it is harmful and totally unnecessary. Plus, it’s a just plain sucky way to live your life, and you miss out completely on the beauty of communion with food.”

Again, I thought this to be pertinent to the latest discussion. Once again, the goal is to be able to look and feel normal eating normal amounts of normal food. If you depend on restriction in any shape, form, or fashion to maintain a healthy weight, then you “have a damaged metabolism and need to heal.” People these days are all too quick to create villians out of foods and food groups – and when it comes to real, unadulterated foods – their friend or foe status is entirely dependent on your health status, not theirs.

In other news, I read an article posted today about how obese nations, through their increased caloric intake, are supplying massive amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere via methane. To that I say, “obese nations don’t eat more food than nations of thin people.” Just look at office workers in China vs. office workers in the United States that were posed against one another in T. Colin Campbell’s, The China Study. Thin, sedentary Chinese office workers were found to be eating significantly more calories than fat, sedentary Americans. Instead, look more closely at what the United States is the leading consumer of… High fructose corn syrup, crystalline fructose, vegetable oil, artificial sweeteners, diet food products, and caffeine – sucking up to 25% of the global supply. If anything, the U.S. is the dieting capital of the world, laced with rebound hyperphagia on refined carbohydrates, packaged food, lots of fat, and excessive protein while in a metabolically impaired state.

Yep, that pushed the U.S. to a 67% overweight rate. But you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet. The obesity epidemic is accelerating, not peaking.