One Sick Vet

[Here’s another guest post from Dave Banko on healthy diet and lifestyle.]

This may sound counter intuitive, but the worst thing you can do to lose weight, particularly to burn fat, is to starve yourself.

Your body has a primitive defense mechanism for self-preservation to protect fat reserves in the event of actual starvation, going back to days when the availability of food was cyclical. When no calories are coming in, your body slows the metabolism down to conserve energy (making you feel lethargic and moody) and consumes muscle and organ tissue along with the fat to protect reserves and supply the brain and red blood cells.

You will lose weight, but not all of it will be fat, and this method can have serious negative effects on your overall health.  As soon as you start eating again, most of the weight comes back on as your body rebuilds.

Consuming calories, even a small amount, stimulates the metabolism and releases fat reserves.  This is also another reason breakfast is so important, as you haven’t been consuming calories for 8-12 hours overnight.

In ‘What’s the Right Diet for You?‘ scientists stress 80% of successful dieters start with breakfast.

A good breakfast including protein (eggs, fish, poultry, other lean meat or high protein legume) and complex carbohydrates in fruit and whole grains, and, of course, one or more glasses of water, is the perfect way to kick-start your metabolism and fat burning for the day.

Adding a cup of tea or coffee isn’t the end of world, unless you are also cutting down on caffeine. 🙂 I would avoid fruit juice as it has a high concentration of sugar without the fiber naturally found in whole fruit to slow down its hit to your blood stream.  Also be careful of hidden sugar in spreads, commercial cereals and even muesli.

However, you don’t need a lot of calories to trigger the fat burn which is why the 5 and 2 diet can keep the calorie content on the fasting days to 500-600 total calories. But even the 5 and 2 diet encourages breakfast on fast days to get you going, and regular eating on non-fast days.

Be sure not to fast on consecutive days, and eat properly on the days in between fasts.

According to the National Institute of Health, women should consume a minimum of 1200 calories per day and men should consume a minimum of 1500 calories per day for a healthy metabolism, appropriate balance of protein, fat, fiber and carbohydrates, and avoidance of malnutrition.

If intermittently fasting (this should only be for 2, at the most 3, non-consecutive days per week and for no longer than 12 weeks) the minimum should be 500-600 calories per day on fasting days, and 1500-1800 calories on the non-fasting days.

When aiming to lose weight, average women should aim for a weekly total of 8,400 to 10,500 calories per week and men, 10,500 to 12,600.  If you are heavier or very active, this target should be higher.

When I started this new healthy eating lifestyle (I prefer not to call it a diet, because I will be eating this way for the rest of my life), I weighed 351 lbs (having peaked at 365 lbs) and consumed around 5,000 calories per day.

I tried and failed with numerous starvation and detox diets.

Eating to lose weight made absolutely no sense to me, but I tried it anyway, and my successful weight loss convinced me.

Eating the right foods, in the right combination and at the right time of the day made me feel better, gave me plenty of energy, and made it easier for me to eat less (you may not feel ‘full’ but you will feel ‘satisfied’ and for longer), and the weight melted off.

At the time of this writing (17 months after starting to change the way I ate), I’m down to 218 lbs and working to lose the last 8 lbs to get down to my military weight of 210 lbs.

Every now and then, I still have bad days where I blow the diet, and it shows on the scale the next morning. My natural inclination is still to stop eating to counter my binge from the day before, but I remind myself how my body works, and then go cook my 2 whole egg cheese & veg omelette to have with my morning fruit, full fat natural yogurt, whole grain toast, lemon water, and tea (no sugar), and I’m right back on the program. The weight keeps coming off.

For more information on eating to lose weight, here’s a good blog post from My Fitness Pal.

Feel free to contact me at daveb.uk@hotmail.com with any questions or comments.  [Crew Dog: Or comment below.]

[Here’s the next in the guest post series on healthy diet and lifestyle from Dave Banko.]

One of the main debates in our Facebook weight loss group was whether we should focus on reducing carbs or fat. When focused on weight loss alone, studies have repeatedly shown a ‘low fat’ diet loses more body fat over the same period than a ‘low carb’ diet.

Having said that, there is more to consider for a healthy lifestyle than weight loss alone.

Let’s first separate carbs into complex carbohydrates, which tend to have a low glycemic index (GI), and simple carbohydrates like sugar, fructose and processed grains (skin, husks and other fiber removed), which have a higher glycemic index.

Take an apple for example. An average-sized apple is about 65 kcal and 14g of carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are complex because the natural sugars are locked with the cell structure. This naturally provides fiber so, when you eat an apple, it takes time for your digestive system to break down the cell walls and release the sugar. The cell walls also provide fiber and other nutrients to the body even after releasing the sugar.

When you drink apple juice, the sugar has been squeezed out of the cells of the apple.  There is no fiber to slow down the processing, so the apple sugars are immediately digested and hit the blood stream causing a spike in sugar levels and the need for insulin similar to drinking a commercial cola or other syrup-based drink. As a result, while I eat lots of whole fruits, I no longer drink fruit juice or syrupy drinks. Click on this link to read an excellent article illustrating the difference.

Fat, on the other hand, is dense and energy packed. It takes a lot longer to digest, so eating fat will not cause a spike in blood sugar. Dietary fat becomes an energy source in the blood stream, and any excess energy (no matter the source – whether fat, sugar, carbs or protein) will be converted and stored as body fat to use as an energy reserve for another time when you need it.

For me, I found fat in foods more satisfying in taste and the feeling of fullness than low or no-fat foods. I was satisfied with 1 150g pot of full fat natural yogurt where 2 150g pots of no-fat yogurt still left me longing for more.

In investigating low or no-fat products, I found that because removing the fat leaves the food tasting less satisfying, many manufacturers have compensated by increasing sugar or chemicals to fool your body.  The increase in sugar again leads to the blood sugar spikes which can lead to diabetes.

Since I have a family history of diabetes, I steer clear of anything that can serve as a precursor to becoming diabetic myself.

The negative to fat, of course, is the amount of calories it packs in a small amount of food. If you are satisfied and stay within your calorie targets, it’s fine – remember the French high fat diet is the 7th best in the world; but overeat a little, and it adds a lot of calories.

My personal diet includes a balance of protein, complex carbohydrates (low GI) and full fat items. I’ve gone to more natural foods and avoid processed foods and chemicals wherever possible.

I am not a doctor, and you may have a medical history or condition which requires you to go a different direction with your diet. This is fine, because I’ve hopefully shown that while there are general principles to follow, there is not one diet that works for everyone. Please seek medical advice when putting together any program.

In an article by the BBC on Low Carb vs Low Fat debate, Prof Susan Jebb of Oxford University (and one of the ‘What’s the Right Diet for You?’ team) sums it up like this:

“The investigators rightly conclude that the best diet for weight loss is the diet you can stick to. All diets ‘work’ if you stick to an eating plan that cuts calories, whether from fat or carbohydrate, but sticking to a diet is easier said than done, especially given the prolonged time it takes to lose weight.”

As always, feel free to contact me at daveb.uk@hotmail.com if you have any questions or comments, and good luck!  [Crew Dog: Or comment below.]

[This is the next in a series of guest posts about healthy diet and lifestyle from Dave Banko.]

Counting calories was the subject of a major debate in my Facebook weight-loss support group, and the short answer is: there is no correct answer.  A lot depends on you and how much you need to lose.

When I started losing weight and weighed over 360 lbs, I didn’t need to count calories.  The idea of a food diary and researching calorie content for everything I ate was too extreme for me, and the changes I was already making to my eating lifestyle resulted in dropping the weight relatively easily.

When I got down to around 250 lbs, it was becoming more difficult. With a much smaller percentage of body fat left to lose, and so many cuts already made, the margins were smaller, and I found I had to start counting calories to work off the last pounds.

If you want to start counting calories, smart phone apps make the process much easier. I researched 3 different ones and settled on My Fitness Pal.  I only use the free version, and haven’t seen a need yet for the premium services.

This app has a huge database of foods to search and automatically load, including many restaurant menu items which makes going out to eat easier.  You can also pre-load and copy items.  And it interfaces with a number of activity/step trackers like Fitbit so you can automatically include the calories burned from exercise.

Two of the most interesting functions I found are 1) the ability to track what I ate against my weight the next day, and 2) the ability to pre-plan meals.

• The 1st thing I did was track my normal usage for 1 week, then started experimenting with diet and exercise over a 2 week period.  While the average male stat is 2500 calories per day, I found for me the break-even point was 2200.  If I ate more than 2200 calories, I generally gained weight, and if I ate less than 2200 calories, I generally lost weight.  I say ‘generally’ because it isn’t an exact formula.  Calorie counting is only a tool, but not the only tool you should use to lose weight as there are many other factors too.
• The 2nd is the ability to pre-plan.  If I know what I am planning to eat for the day, or what restaurant I’m going to, I can look up the items I plan to eat and the calorie content and see how it fits so I know how much I can consume and stay within my daily allowance.  Also, if I’d like a glass of wine, some chocolate or ice cream, I can add this in and know where I need to cut back in other areas to have my treat and stay within the limits.

Someone asked me about cheating, by not entering everything.  This tool is for me, to help me with eating healthy.  The only person I’m cheating by not using the tool properly is myself.

One final point, as referenced above, your body is very complex, and simply counting calories will not do it.  If you are staying within your calorie limits, but the majority of the food you consume is unhealthy or out of proportion, it will have negative effects on your health and you may still gain weight. One calorie is not like every other calorie!

So, if you decide to count calories or use something like the Weight Watchers point system, your first step should be to adjust to healthier foods in the correct ratios.  Then you can use a calorie counting tool to help control the portion sizes.

As always, feel free to contact me at daveb.uk@hotmail.com with any comments or questions not covered.  [Crew Dog: Or comment below.]

[This is the next post in the guest series from Dave Banko on healthy diet and lifestyle.]

I remember being scolded as a boy for ‘inhaling‘ my food and not chewing it.

In basic training, the instructors would count our chews and slow down our caloric intake in other ways, but, when you only had 15 minutes to eat and it was taking too long, that changed to “Down as much as you can in the last 5 minutes!”  Needless to say, I ate too fast and this didn’t help my weight.

Having lived and traveled extensively in Europe, I’ve noticed this is a major difference between the European and the American culture.  The American culture is very “results-oriented” and this seems to apply to nearly every aspect of life, not just business.

I remember going to a restaurant in London for the first time.  What stood out for me was the space between tables (the owners weren’t trying to maximize how many people fit in the room) and no one pressured us to leave after we’d been there a few hours (not worried about increasing turnover).  I came back to the US and went to dinner at a restaurant where we took our time and noticed the table next to us turned over 3 times while we were there and the waitress was pressuring us to pay the bill and leave.

Slowing down your eating is a major recommendation of the ‘What’s the Right Diet for You?’ program.  

Experiment

Day 1: The researchers gave each participant a hamburger for lunch then secretly timed them.  All of them ate their hamburgers in less than 5 minutes, some in less than 2 minutes.  The researchers then asked for feedback and nearly all participants were still hungry.  Some said it was like a snack and they could easily eat another.  Then the researchers took blood samples, which showed that the hormone telling the participants’ brains they were full was low.

Day 2: The researchers gave each participant another hamburger of the same size and calorie content, but required them to take 30 minutes to eat it.  To help, the researchers had the participants sit down and use a knife and fork.  At the end of the 30 minutes, they again asked for feedback.  All of the participants felt full!  While some said they could eat more, they no longer felt hungry and were able to stop after one hamburger.  The blood samples supported this as the hormone levels were doubled!

After changing *what* I ate, the next big challenge was *how much* I eat and this information alone was very helpful.  I put this to the test myself and couldn’t believe the difference.

In my 2nd blog post, I spoke about the French Paradox.  How can the French (and I’ve seen this in other European countries like Spain, Italy and Germany) eat rich fatty foods and still stay thin with low cholesterol and heart disease?  They eat small portions over extended periods of time, so their bodies can process it properly.

To them, food isn’t something to conquer, ‘Man vs Food,‘ but part of an event to be enjoyed with friends.

Here are a few of the techniques I use to slow down when I eat:

• Sit down to eat. If you are standing, or are in an uncomfortable position, you will be more inclined to rush eating.
• Take a sip of water or other drink in-between bites. If alcohol, alternate alcohol and water, as alcohol adds calories too.
• Have your meal with someone and engage in conversation during the course of your meal.
• Cut your food into small pieces.
• Chew your food thoroughly before swallowing. As your mouth includes digestive enzymes, this also helps digestion and fully processing the nutrients in your food.
• Try to spread out your meal. When I’m at home, instead of having my meal all at once, I’ll spread it out over an hour or two.  For example, for breakfast, I’ll start with a large glass of water with lemon, then have a 150g container of full fat natural yogurt.  About 15 to 30 minutes later I’ll have some fruit, usually some berries like blueberries or strawberries.  Another 30 to 45 minutes later, I’ll have my 2 eggs.  I’ll have also had another full glass of water with lemon, and tea without sugar during my meal.  I’ve now had about a 450 calorie breakfast over 90 minutes and don’t feel hungry at all.

Unfortunately, we can’t always take the time to slow down.  In those times, you will need to use your will power to remind yourself you have consumed enough food and your body doesn’t need more, even if you still feel hungry.

As always, feel free to contact me at daveb.uk@hotmail.com if you have any comments or questions not already covered.  [Crew Dog: Or comment right here! 🙂 ]

[The next post in Dave Banko’s guest series on healthy diet and lifestyle.]

Setting challenging but achievable goals is important in all aspects of our life, and weight loss is no different.  

When I started, I set the goal for myself to lose 100 lbs in a year. Even though I had never lost more than 15 lbs on any previous diet, I set this goal based on several factors:

1. I wanted to give the new program a full year and, based on a weekly goal of losing 2 lbs a week, 100 lbs in a year seemed reasonable.
2. I saw several middle-aged celebrity men who lost 100 or more lbs with diet and exercise (not with surgery).
3. I also had 2 colleagues at work who recently lost a significant amount of weight, one of whom lost 100 lbs.

The example of friends and public figures achieving this gave me hope!  Although I haven’t been successful before, it has been done, and so I should be able to do it.

I hope sharing my story will inspire you that you can do it too!

100 lbs is daunting, especially having never lost more than 15 lbs before.  After initially setting this end target, I went back to set short and intermediate goals.

Rather than focusing on the end target, I knew if I focused on the short-term goals, the intermediate and end goals would come.

My friend’s Facebook group agreed we would do a weekly virtual weigh-in on Friday or Saturday.  To avoid embarrassment, we wouldn’t report actual weight, but just how many lbs up or down from the previous week.

Even though this was voluntary, it did apply a level of peer pressure to want to be able to report a positive result.  (You could lie of course because no one actually observed your weigh in, but the only one you’d be hurting is yourself.)

I found this combination of reasonable short-term goals, support, & accountability to both my family and a group of others on a similar journey very helpful.

There were some who opted not to do this, and none of them reached their goals.  Not everyone who set goals and reported regularly achieved their goals as quickly as they wanted, but it did help them keep going in the right direction.  The group also offered nothing but encouragement, celebrating our achievements with us and lifting us up when we were struggling.

Although group support is the primary strategy of ‘Emotional Eaters,’ I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to make a significant long-lasting lifestyle change.

I tracked my weight weekly and celebrated my intermediate successes.  Every time I reach a 0 (350 lbs, then 340, then 330 and so on) it felt like crossing a minor milestone.

Then crossing the BMI index: I started at 45, and going below 40, from very obese to obese was huge for me.  Then again, when I went below 30 from obese to overweight.

Finally, I also celebrated loss by body weight %, starting at 10% of my starting body weight lost, 20%, 25% and so on.

This may sound like a lot of celebrating, but for those of you who, like me, struggled for so long, seeing real progress is something to celebrate!

The ‘What’s the Right Diet for You?’ program succeeded so well, I decided to extend my end goal from 100 lbs in a year to 150 lbs total taking me back to what I weighed on active duty.

I reached the 100 lbs lost mark after 7 months.  I’m currently about 10 lbs from the end goal.

These last few lbs have been much harder.  I set weekly targets at just 1/2 lb per week and don’t meet this target every week, but I keep working towards it.  I am thrilled with what I achieved and how I feel, so I won’t let missing the short-term targets get me down.  Having the target, though, helps me stay focused until the day comes when this new eating lifestyle is so ingrained I no longer have to think about it.

Finally, I realized each day is a new day. It hasn’t all been success. I have had days when I over-ate and even binged. I’ve missed targets. But I know the plan works. When I stick to it, I see the results. So when I have a bad day, I don’t beat myself up about it. I start fresh the next morning; it’s a new day! 🙂

As always, please contact me at daveb.uk@hotmail.com with any questions or comments.  [From Crew Dog: Or comment right here at One Sick Vet 🙂 ]