Naturally Lean People Giving Weight Loss Advice To Those Obese Is Pathetic
I have been obese.
I spent my childhood in obesity.
My sister and I were sugar junkies.
We used to eat sugary foods like it was cocaine. (Although I was the only one who got fat with it).
I lost the extra pounds when puberty hit me and I started working out in college.
Then, I gained it all back when I was lost in the quest for career progression.
I mindlessly ate whatever came my way and never went to the gym.
244 pounds is what I scored on the weighing machine as a consequence.
On both occasions, the advice that I got from most around me has been consistent.
What is it?
“Eat less & Go To The Gym!”
I got out of the obesity trap by losing those extra pounds but let me tell you:
This advice, although very popular, is the biggest load of cr*p I’ve ever come across.
The Problem With ‘Eat Less & Workout More’ Advice
This advice seems like an extremely straightforward way to lose weight and might definitely work for some but when you toss it over the face of an obese person, this happens:
Naturally Lean Gym boi: “Eat less and go to the gym, bruh!”
Fat me at home: “I know that gym boi wants me to eat less but when I try to eat less, I feel more hungry and irritable. I use my willpower to not eat but end up failing every time.
The next time, I eat more food than I should have and then end up feeling guilty about doing that.
I also want to go to the gym but when I come back from work I am left with no energy.
I come home, eat something good to reward myself for the long day at work and get the post-meal slump, making it impossible to go to the gym.
On days when I go the gym or for a run, I get extremely hungry and eat more following it.”
Have you been in this state of mind before?
I have been in this state for years (twice).
And, I know how to fix this.
But, before going there, let’s discuss what makes one fat in the first place.
Most Of Us Don’t Understand Obesity & Metabolism
Most people feel that obese people are sinners of gluttony.
This is not always the case.
The core issue is that the hormones in someone obese are confused.
Also, there is chronic inflammation in the body as a consequence of obesity (and the other way around too).
Not to bore you with the nitty-gritty of the biochemical pathways, but these are the hormones that are messed up:
Leptin
A hormone produced by fat tissue that acts on the hypothalamus, a region of the brain responsible for controlling appetite and energy expenditure.
When fat stores increase, leptin levels rise, and this signals to the hypothalamus that the body has enough energy stores.
In response, the hypothalamus reduces appetite and increases energy expenditure, promoting weight loss.
This never happens in the obese. Obesity is associated with Leptin Resistance.
Ghrelin
A hormone mostly produced by cells in the stomach that stimulates appetite by acting on the hypothalamus.
Ghrelin regulation is impaired in obesity.
Insulin
This is the mother of all fattening hormones.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas.
Insulin promotes the storage of excess glucose in your food in the liver and muscles as glycogen.
It facilitates the storage of dietary fat in adipose (fat) tissue.
It also inhibits the breakdown of stored fat (lipolysis).
Obesity leads to insulin resistance, a condition in which the body’s cells become less responsive to insulin.
This makes the pancreas produce more insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Elevated insulin levels lead to weight gain by stimulating fat storage and inhibiting fat breakdown.
Cortisol
A hormone produced by the adrenal glands that is elevated in situations of stress (physical/mental).
Chronic stress leads to elevated cortisol levels.
This promotes fat storage, particularly in the abdominal area.
Sex hormones
Sex hormones like Testosterone influence weight gain and fat distribution in the body.
Men tend to have higher body fat and more accumulation of fat in the abdominal area, with a lower level of testosterone, a consequence of obesity.
Other Players
Some other hormones whose abnormalities contribute to obesity are:
- Peptide YY
- Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)
- Cholecystokinin (CCK)
- Adiponectin
- Thyroid hormones (TSH, T3, and T4)
- Estrogen
If you got bored out of reading those details, here’s a one-liner.
Obese people are screwed up biochemically (but not irreversibly).
What To Do Then?
Focus on these two:
- Reduce Inflammation in your body
- Work to get your hormones aligned
Do not work to lose weight.
You will gain it all back if you do not focus on these.
Check this out if you don’t believe me:
5 Step Plan For Fighting Obesity
Here’s a blueprint:
- Change your mindset
- Go Ketogenic
- Intermittent/ Prolonged Fast on Keto (quite easy, believe me)
- Don’t Focus On Exercise, To Begin With
- Shift your Focus away from Calorie Counting
To learn more, check out these articles that I have previously written:
I hope this helps!
Thanks a lot for reading!
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