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weighty matters


So yesterday I was watching explained on Netflix and they had this segment on why diets fail but we still keep doing it. In summary, the basic argument is that diets are frauds, generally. Or pseudo scientific, to use a more science-y term,

And for those who are lazy like yours truly, there is an article on why shouldn’t exercise to lose weight. I have tried it and I know it doesn’t work. Even when I was most active, I think I lost like one or utmost 2kgs and in case you are wondering, I reduced calorie in take. This is not to say you shouldn’t exercise, it has other benefits like maintaining weight once lost, etc.

If you are here trying to lose weight by hitting the gym and not doing anything to what you eat, you are wasting your money in gym subscription.

This Time Magazine article makes for a good read too.

Maybe nature wants us fat and we are busy fighting it, as we always do, always trying to subdue nature.

Have a weighty Monday, everyone

About makagutu

As Onyango Makagutu I am Kenyan, as far as I am a man, I am a citizen of the world

63 thoughts on “weighty matters”

  1. john zande says:
    February 4, 2019 at 13:14

    Lot’s of food, but small portions.

    Liked by 1 person

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  2. Swarn Gill says:
    February 4, 2019 at 14:44

    Personally I think we are all just too addicted to carbs. I know I am. They are so good though! lol

    Interesting read and not surprising. I’ve experienced big weight loss due to exercise, but I’ve also experienced almost no weight loss when exercising regularly. I also think that initially for the first 3 or 4 months when you start to exercise your appetite goes up, because your body sort of panics thinking it needs to keep refueling you for all the exercise you are doing…it takes some time for your metabolism to change and appetite to decrease. I think a lot of people expect weight to start to shed immediately and then give up before they experience the long term benefits of exercise. But yes I think that there is so much variation among humans in terms of physiology that no one size fits all plan is going to work. I think genetic testing as part of a regular medical understanding of a patient might help us know what diet plan would work best for us.

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    • makagutu says:
      February 4, 2019 at 14:48

      Carbs are so good. If I can lose weight and have carbs, I would be so happy.
      I didn’t lose so much weight. I know I looked trim but whenever I stepped on the scale, it always said one at a time. So I gave up being conscious about what the scale reads and concentrate on just feeling good. So I still exercise and check my portions, when I can.

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  3. jim- says:
    February 4, 2019 at 16:27

    Netflix “The history of us” episode 2 is pretty good. Since the industrial revolution our bodies have been unable keep up with rapid change. The 8 minute mark tells a great story.

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  4. judyt54 says:
    February 4, 2019 at 17:19

    Exercise is for muscle tone. It tightens up the gluteus whatevers, it gives your muscles definition, and as my old phys ed teacher said, muscle weighs more than fat. I’d be more inclined to rely on how your clothes fit than how much you weigh.

    Liked by 3 people

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  5. Arkenaten says:
    February 4, 2019 at 17:47

    When I was more serious about running I could not seem to eat enough to put on any noticeable weight.
    When I trained for Comrades – 90km – I would run between 60 mins and 120 mins 5 days a week, one rest day, and maybe a race on a Sunday.
    My weight would sit around 68kg and my metabolism turned over at ( for me ) an impressive rate.

    Back then, I would probably burn more calories watching the TV than the average person who did a minimum of exercise.

    Most people if they don’t exercise are eventually asking for trouble, with weight issues as well as their general health.

    Basically it is probably easiest to think of one’s body in terms of fuel in – energy expended.
    When there is an imbalance, wrong fuel, too much fuel, then at some point something is going to ”break down”.

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    • makagutu says:
      February 4, 2019 at 17:58

      I have tried running and gave it up. I don’t think I was made for it. The last time I weighed anything south of 70 was maybe 15 or so years ago since then I have been on a gaining trend.
      I think I suffer from a combination sometimes too much fuel and bad fuel without proper service.

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      • Arkenaten says:
        February 4, 2019 at 18:07

        I am in the same boat these days. However, I do walk almost every day and with a couple of tweak in my fuel intake I have dropped from 89 to 78 over the past 2 months – not by dieting but simply not pigging out ( as I was getting in the habit of doing) basically I just reduced my bread intake and tried not to go bonkers on puddings.
        We run a cake business so you know the temptation I’m sure!

        But I agree with Judy – it’s how clothes fit ( or don’t ) that are more important to me, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to spend money on new trousers etc when I have perfectly good gear hanging in my wardrobe. A couple more inches off the waist line and I’ll be smiling!
        No sweat really.

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        • makagutu says:
          February 4, 2019 at 18:14

          I should try something easy that can work for me and see the results

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          • Arkenaten says:
            February 4, 2019 at 18:28

            Well, I can tell you from experience that once I was running close to 2hrs every day I couldn’t put on weight no matter how much I ate.

            You know your own body better than anyone else.
            You cycle, so extend the time in the saddle by 10-20 minutes and see what happens?
            And try some exercises for your core – planking is effective.

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  6. Robert A. Vella says:
    February 4, 2019 at 18:02

    It’s really very simple. A person’s weight responds directly to the intake of calories (i.e. eating) versus the burning of calories (i.e. activity, exercise). If you consume more than you require, your weight will increase. Active people have higher metabolisms and to maintain a stable body weight they generally have higher caloric intakes than sedentary people. The worst thing you can do, IMO, is combine dieting with inactivity because your body may not get the nutrition necessary for good health.

    Other factors which can affect weight are disease other medical conditions, and stress and other psychological disorders.

    So, if you like to eat, then get off your lazy ass – lol!

    Liked by 2 people

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  7. renudepride says:
    February 4, 2019 at 18:22

    I have been trying for years to GAIN weight. My metabolism is high and I burn calories faster than I consume them. Naked hugs!

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. NeuroNotes says:
    February 4, 2019 at 19:12

    One thing is for certain, it’s not just about calories in – calories out. I used to be quite overweight. Major stress (cortisol causes visceral fat), and the SAD diet (Standard American Diet), which the FDA insists that we eat 6 to 11 servings of bread, pasta, cereal, and rice and 2 – 4 servings of fruit all of which raises insulin significantly and can keep it high for hours.

    Americans tend to eat all day, keeping their insulin levels up throughout the day. This can lead to insulin insensitivity so insulin gets stored as fat. I also have a slow metabolism and have since age 10, so I have always been calorie consious, but didn’t see the big picture. No amount of physical activity changed my metabulism. Americans started becoming overweight and obese after these FDA recommendations were implemented back in the ’70s. Before that obesity was rare and so was type 2 diabeties. Now it’s epidemic in the U.S.

    I ditched the SAD diet and started biohacking myself. I bought a blood glucose monitor and took readings after my meals. I found what foods have a negative impact on my insulin and which don’t. In the end, I basically turned the food pyramid upside down, and the weight fell off consistently, a total of 111 pounds. I also had and still have an eating window of 8 – 10 hours. Before the 70’s the average eating window was 10 – 12 hours. After the 70’s it went up to 16 – 18 hours. Doctors and dietitians recommended snacks in between and after meals.

    Even though I didn’t have a high caloric intact, I still gained weight. The key, IMO, is to ditch the SAD diet or at least test what foods spike your insulin. Btw, I am not a diabetic, nor have I ever been, but the Standard American Diet caused me to become insulin insensitive.

    SAD — https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default/files/archived_projects/FGPPamphlet.pdf

    After the weightloss, I had a complete blood workup including a lipid panel, and all my numbers were and still are in healthy ranges. I had this blood workup while on the SAD and they were not in healthy ranges.

    I agree, everybody is different and genes and environment (including FDA recommendations) are relavent.

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  9. inspiredbythedivine1 says:
    February 4, 2019 at 19:21

    Only way to truly lose weight is through prayer. Pray to Jesus. If he loves you, you’ll lose weight. If not, you’re screwed. OK?

    Liked by 1 person

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  10. The Pink Agendist says:
    February 4, 2019 at 20:52

    I hear the crystal meth diet works extremely well!!! The cholera diet too.

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. Nan says:
    February 4, 2019 at 21:49

    I recently read that exercise is more for general health than for losing weight. Besides, if a person is going to pig out and expect a daily walk to make a difference … well, need I say more?

    The one thing most of us have to accept is our genes. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what or how much we eat (or exercise), the body shape will only change minimally. Also … age plays a role. In most cases, physical activity slows considerably as you get old(er), plus gravity comes into play, so the image we see in the mirror is often not our ideal. 🙂

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    • NeuroNotes says:
      February 4, 2019 at 22:08

      Also, the older we get the greater chances of muscle loss, so those 50 and older need to increase their protein above what’s recommended for those who are under 50 if they don’t have kidney function impairment.

      “In a 2015 study, adults over the age of 50 who roughly doubled the RDA (eating 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram, or 0.68 grams per pound, of body weight) were better able to rebuild and retain muscle after only four days, compared with control groups eating the RDA.”.

      and

      “A 2016 study from researchers at the departments of Food Science and Geriatrics at the University of Arkansas found that this lack of responsiveness can be overcome with higher levels of protein consumption.”

      https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2018/protein-needs-fd.html

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    • makagutu says:
      February 5, 2019 at 13:56

      I know of people who would a whole elephant and still remain slim, something I wouldn’t dare.
      You are right on the exercise for general health and muscle tone & not losing weight

      Liked by 1 person

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  12. basenjibrian says:
    February 5, 2019 at 23:37

    After a bone dry fall/early winter, Northern California has entered a seriously wet and cold (for us. I left the Midwest/East for a reason Arctic blast sufferers!) period. There was actually snow on many of the Bay Area mountain tops! Which means…no bicycling. Plus, I went on a vacation for a week. We did do a little walking, but not enough, and too much eating.

    When relative lack of activity is combined with my serious carbs addiction, I am frankly feeling terrible right now. I did it (lost a ton of weight) five years ago. I CAN do it again, but I seem stuck on unhealthy eating patterns right now. Plus, I am afraid to lift weights because my wrist is sore and my ribs are sore due to a rather nasty little bicycling crash. So…I am in a whining mode right now.

    Weather says more rain this weekend. 😦 I hate indoor cardio…nothing is duller to me. 😦

    Liked by 1 person

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  13. transformativenourishment says:
    June 3, 2019 at 23:34

    I’ve found a healthy balance with Whole Foods and listening to my body! Ditch the diets!

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