Road Warrior U 101 | Lesson 1 : Obesity — “Why we get fat?”
Road Warrior U’s 101 Series
- It’s about WHAT you eat!
- It’s about WHEN you eat!
“It is impossible to adequately treat any disease without having some understanding of the cause.” — Dr. Jason Fung
Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is more important to anyone starting any health and weight loss program without the understanding of “Why We Get Fat”, because unless you understand the true cause of obesity (and why we gain weight), you most likely will remain in this on-going, lifelong cycle of yo-yo dieting (hard earned weight-loss with the ultimate weight regain). You will continue to make unnecessary investments and sacrifices to make personal gains, only to find yourself back where you started. That was the story of my life, and as I continued to regain weight that I worked so hard to lose, I ultimately became so jaded, I was about to throw in the towel.
My “aha” moment came once I learned that weight gain is more of a hormonal imbalance vs. a caloric imbalance. In other words, the # of calories I consume was less important than the source of my calories or “what I ate”. It was that understanding that different foods create different hormonal responses within our bodies which made me aware of why I continued to lose and regain weight. And the main hormone we need to know about is INSULIN.
KETO: THE LOW CARB — HIGH FAT DIET
The basic premise for a nutritional ketogenic diet is to consume foods that are very low in carbohydrates and high in dietary fats (with only a ‘moderate’ consumption of proteins). Why? The 3 most important macronutrients (or macros, for short) we consume are Fats, Proteins, and Carbohydrates, and each one of these macronutrients create a unique insulin response in our body. Thus, the familiar “Keto Macronutrient Ratio” of LCHF (Low Carb, High Fat) is based on the scientifically proven research that the ratio is ideal not only for managing our production of insulin, but also providing the body with enough essential nutrients for survival and peak performance.
THE CARBOHYDRATE — INSULIN HYPOTHESIS
The popularity of Keto is really driven by the incredible growth in support by many physicians and scholars who have adapted the belief in the Carbohydrate-Insulin Hypothesis of Obesity (CIH). CIH states that the main contributor to weight gain and obesity is less about “calories” and more about the role the hormone INSULIN plays in our body. (FYI — CORTISOL also plays a minor role but we will hold off on that discussion for a later date). I’ve became aware of this hypothesis by the great Dr. Jason Fung, a Toronto based kidney specialist, founder of the Intensive Dietary Management clinic, and author of the bestsellers ‘The Obesity Code’. Many years ago, while treating diabetic patients, he made a very simplistic & obvious conclusion: if you inject someone with insulin, they gain weight, and when they stop insulin injections, they typically lose weight. Hmmmmm…..maybe insulin is a fat storage hormone? 🤔🤔🤔🤔
WHAT IS INSULIN?
Sugar (Glucose) is extremely toxic to our body and humans can only handle a very small amount of it within our blood. When we eat, we are providing energy for our body, and that food energy gets delivered throughout the body from insulin. The level of insulin produced is dependent on “what we eat”. Specifically, when we eat carbohydrates (specifically fattening carbohydrates, such as highly refined grains and sugar that raise our blood sugars the most), our blood-glucose/ sugar levels increase significantly, which spike our insulin levels quickly.
Insulin regulates energy usage and circulating glucose levels. In other words, insulin’s roll is to deliver the glucose in our blood to our cells throughout our body as fuel/ energy, and when we have excess glucose in our body, insulin stores the excess sugar as body fat. (Body fat is stored energy, to be used for moments when food energy is scarce). Also, along with being a “fat-storage hormone”, the presence of high levels of insulin within the body blocks the ability to access that stored energy or “body fat” as a potential fuel/ energy source.
The key lesson here is we want to regulate insulin production. The two main ways our pancreas produces insulin are:
- We eat more foods that stimulate insulin (carbohydrates)
- We eat the same insulin-stimulates foods, but more frequently (snacking)
SUMMARY
- Insulin is produced every time we eat.
- The level of insulin produced. is driven by “what we eat”.
- Fatty carbohydrates produce the most significant insulin response. [carbs spike our blood sugar, thus spiking our insulin]
- Insulin stores extra sugar not used by cells as body fat.
- Elevated insulin levels prevent the ability for the body to metabolize your body fat as a fuel.
- Bottom line: Weight loss success starts with CONTROLLING YOUR INSULIN LEVELS!
WHY IS THIS LESSON SO IMPORTANT?
Once we accept the fact that insulin causes obesity, then we will want to know what caused the increased insulin levels that caused obesity in the first place. Hopefully you can see the beginnings for why we recommend these therapies:
- Insulin is the reason why we keep carbs low
- Insulin is the reason why a Keto Diet is so high in dietary fats (b/c it produces the lowest insulin response)
- Insulin is why we promote intermittent fasting and the discourage snacking
- And so on…
I’ve tried to keep this extremely basic and simple b/c understanding this concept is critical for grasping the importance of a Low Carb, Keto and Fasting lifestyle. Many more lessons on the way but appreciate your feedback.
Good luck!
Joseph Tramazzo (“Keto Joe”) — Creator of Road Warrior U On-The-Go Support & Peak Performance Coach [Private 1-on-1 Keto & Fasting Coach]
Link to join FB Group — Road Warrior U: Keto, Fasting “On-The-Go” Support
ABOUT AUTHOR:
After an extremely successful 22-year career working as a traveling professional for a Fortune Top 50 firm in the Financial Service Industry, Joseph Tramazzo left his Managing Director position to follow his passion to help others similar to him live their best life. Joe runs a Peak Performance coaching program for fellow road warriors, business execs & wholesalers who struggled establishing work-life balance. He provides accountability, knowledge & motivation. His clients have been able to boost their energy, increase their productivity and grow their income while improving their health, fitness and overall well-being. Joseph also is CEO & Founder of Road Warrior U: Keto & Fasting “On-The-Go” Support. Here’s his personal story:
