In other words, the science itself makes clear that hormones, enzymes, and growth factors regulate our fat tissue, just as they do everything else in the human body, and that we do not get fat because we overeat; we get fat because the carbohydrates in our diet make us fat. The science tells us that obesity is ultimately the result of a hormonal imbalance, not a caloric one—specifically, the stimulation of insulin secretion caused by eating easily digestible, carbohydrate-rich foods: refined carbohydrates, including flour and cereal grains, starchy vegetables such as potatoes, and sugars, like sucrose (table sugar) and high-fructose corn syrup. These carbohydrates literally make us fat, and by driving us to accumulate fat, they make us hungrier and they make us sedentary.
This is the fundamental reality of why we fatten, and if we’re to get lean and stay lean we’ll have to understand and accept it, and, perhaps more important, our doctors are going to have to understand and acknowledge it, too.
― Gary Taubes, Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It
It’s working. This thing we’re doing is working. I can see it in the numbers. They are falling. I have never struggled with my weight. My dysfunctions are otherwise. The demons I wrestle with run a different course. But she struggles. With a monster made of heavy.
Fat. It’s a small word that does so much damage in this shallow ocean we inhabit. I’ve never been fat. But I care about someone who struggles, has struggled, will struggle with the three heaviest letters in the English language.
So much of what they tell us is wrong. The do-gooders operate around the perimeter. Feeding little lies and big ones that shape our daily decisions in manifold ways. So much of the stuff we learn is just made up. Miracles are only things we have not yet been able to explain.
Fat. I think I’ve begun to understand it. Because of this book. Because of a man named Gary Taubes. We followed his advice. My partner and I. We’re following a ketogenic diet. Sounds complicated. Not so much.
The basic premise is to eat lots of fat, moderate amounts of protein and minimal carbohydrates. Cut out the grains and eat as much bacon and dairy as you can handle. It’s working. We’re kicking that heavy three letter word in the ass.
Ten pounds this month. That’s significant. We aren’t starving ourselves. Lean muscle mass is staying consistent but the fat is melting off. Consistently. This flies in the face of what the government of my adopted nation tells me about what to eat.
If the people in charge can’t even figure out what we should be eating, what else are they getting wrong? It boggles the mind. I don’t need a fancy executive summary to know that the official recommendations weren’t working for her.
Life is an experiment. We’ve found something that works for us in this partnership. Whatever currents brought you to this place, if you struggle with “fat” I hope you’ll pick up the book and read. Thank you, Gary Taubes.