Fat Loss Scientist Reveals What Makes us Gain Fat Easier Than Anything Else (and how to lose it)
26 Aug 2024 (23 days ago)
Intro
- A question is posed regarding the combination of fats and carbohydrates in a meal and its potential impact on fat storage.
- The question references the Randle cycle, a metabolic process where consuming high amounts of both fats and carbohydrates simultaneously may hinder the mitochondria's ability to utilize fuel efficiently.
- The question seeks to understand the practical implications of the Randle cycle for individuals aiming to lose fat.
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Metabolic Gridlock
- Individuals with excess fat mass often exhibit poor metabolic flexibility, struggling to efficiently switch between different energy sources like fats and carbohydrates.
- Restricting one major macronutrient, such as adhering to a low-carb or low-fat diet, can aid in fat loss primarily due to an overall decrease in calorie intake.
- While combining refined carbohydrates and fats in a meal doesn't inherently hinder metabolic processes, the human body might not be well-adapted to the high level of refinement and readily available calories found in modern diets, potentially contributing to overeating.
Constant Grazing
- Combining fats and carbohydrates in a meal leads the body to utilize glucose first, storing the fat.
- Frequently consuming food without significant breaks between meals can lead to a constant influx of glucose and fat, potentially contributing to fat storage.
- Ultra-processed foods, characterized by refined carbohydrates and fats, can cause rapid blood sugar spikes and disrupt the body's expected physiological responses, potentially leading to increased hunger and calorie intake.
Eating & Circadian Cues
- Time-restricted feeding, as it relates to circadian rhythm, has not been shown to be significantly more effective for fat loss than non-time-restricted feeding.
- Maintaining consistent meal times can help offset the negative metabolic effects of shift work and social jet lag, which disrupt the circadian rhythm.
- When individuals have strong circadian cues from other aspects of their lifestyle, such as consistent sleep schedules and light exposure, the timing of food becomes less important for fat loss.
Viewing Calorie Intake Over the Course of Weeks for Fat Loss
- Calories are integrated over long periods, likely a week or two, and the total balance over that time determines fat loss or gain.
- Appetite regulation systems, if functioning correctly, naturally adjust food intake following days of high calorie consumption, leading to a balance over a week.
- While a week or two is the likely timeframe for calorie integration, women, especially athletes, may integrate calories over shorter periods, impacting menstrual cycle function. [1998]
How Quickly Do You Store Fat
- It is possible to gain a significant amount of body fat, several pounds, over a period of two to four weeks if a surplus of 1,000 calories is consumed daily.
- While it is theoretically possible to gain a few pounds of fat in a single day by consuming a large calorie surplus, it would be challenging due to factors like absorption and gastrointestinal distress.
- Humans do not necessarily absorb all the calories consumed, as absorption can vary based on food preparation, the state of the food, and individual factors. [2201]
Constrained Energy Model
- The constrained energy model suggests that as physical activity increases, basal metabolic rate decreases to maintain a theoretical energy expenditure threshold.
- While the doubly labeled water (DLW) method is considered the gold standard for measuring energy expenditure in free-living individuals, some argue that it may not be accurate for highly active individuals or athletes.
- Discrepancies between actual caloric intake and DLW measurements have been observed in lean, highly active individuals, suggesting potential adaptations to high energy expenditure levels that are not accounted for in the model.
Eat as Much as Possible Until You Start to Gain Fat
- Individuals who are very active and experience symptoms potentially related to an energy deficit, but are not losing weight, may benefit from increasing their caloric intake by 10%, or 200-300 calories.
- Unless there is a significant and sudden decrease in caloric intake, individuals should not experience negative metabolic effects from being in a calorie deficit.
- Increasing energy expenditure through activities like walking 20,000-30,000 steps per day can provide a buffer for consuming more calories, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight and improve metabolic health.
Where to Find More of Dr. Wood's Content
- The speaker's Instagram account is Dr Tommy Wood, where they post publications, podcasts, and pictures of their dogs.
- The speaker hosts a podcast titled "The Better Brain Fitness" with neurologist Dr. Josh Turket.
- The speaker and Dr. Turket also have a Substack titled "Better Brain. Fitness".