ATB BB Series 2: Why we get Fat

Thank you all for the heart warming response to the introductory post in the series.

Now whenever you talk to anyone you know for advice on weight loss, we’ll be instructed to exercise regularly, to diet, to eat less, as though the thought of doing so, the desire to do so, would never otherwise have crossed our minds.

Those of us who are overweight or obese will spend much of our lives trying to eat less, or at least eat not too much. We will struggle to avoid "fatty" foods. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we fail, but the fight goes on. For some, the battle begins in childhood. For others, it starts in college, while spending the first year away from home.

We are convinced we are fat because we are consuming more calories that we can burn. 

This way of thinking about our weight is so pervasive that it is virtually impossible nowadays not to believe it. Even if we have plenty of evidence to the contrary — no matter how much of our lives we’ve spent consciously trying to eat less and exercise more without success —  we’ll question our own judgment and our own willpower than we will this notion that our fatness is determined by how many calories we consume and expend.

What I'm trying to say here is that we don’t get fat because we eat too much and move too little, and that we can’t solve the problem or prevent it by consciously doing the opposite.

I don’t mean to imply that there is a magic recipe to losing weight, or at least not one that doesn't include sacrifice. The question is, what has to be sacrificed?

When I was a size 28 waist and my tops were mostly Small in my twenties. My diet was a typical Punjabi diet - eggs, milk & milk products everyday, and of course regular food - sabzi, dal, parathas -  I ate two parathas a day. One at lunch, another at dinner. I also ate ice-cream every single day. Yes, I was not concerned about the ghee / fat in my food at all. My attitude was bring it on. I never saw the inside of a gym, but walking up & down in college & lab activities I suppose was enough. I didn't put on any weight at all.

Once I began working / doing my MBA, the weight slowly started to pile on. I was eating outside - South Indian food - idlis & dosas, sandwiches, burgers. But even then I didn't get too concerned. It was just a couple of kilos. The real change happened after my marriage. Hubby disliked eggs, non-vegetarian food & milk. So I also moved to a all veg diet with him. Mornings I made Oats with low fat milk - no sugar, some daliya (wheat porridge) or poha once in a while, afternoons/evenings was regular roti - sabzi. I used whole grain / multi grain atta. The food was cooked at home, made using Zero-Oil techniques. I ate fruit everyday. I made salads a part of my diet. I had given up my indulgences like cheese & butter. Yet, I just got fatter! I was even going to the gym three times a week, yet there was just no difference. Was it possible that my body had turned vengeful for all the abuse, and now that I was leading a healthy lifestyle it had decided to revolt?

I got the thyroid / PCOS testing done. Nada. I couldn't blame my problem on an hormonal imbalance.

Or could I? Did I somehow cause an hormonal imbalance because of what I was eating?

It looks healthy, but it is full of fattening Carbs

On a lark, I googled the phase "Why do we get fat" and came across this article by Gary Taubes.

Insulin and glucagon are the primary hormones involved in the storage and release of energy within the body. When we eat, insulin drives our metabolism to store the excess food energy for use later. When later comes, glucagon drives the metabolism the other way, letting us burn our stored fat for the energy we need to swim or walk or sleep in the hours long after we’ve eaten.

When insulin levels are elevated, we accumulate fat in our fat tissue; when these levels fall, glucagon levels rise & we liberate fat from the fat tissue and burn it for fuel. This has been known, scientifically proven since the early 1960s and has never been controversial. Ask any doctor & they will tell you that this is correct.

Our insulin levels are effectively determined by the carbohydrates we eat—not entirely, but for all intents and purposes. The more carbohydrates we eat, and the easier they are to digest and the sweeter they are, the more insulin we will ultimately secrete, meaning that the level of it in our bloodstream is greater and so is the fat we retain in our fat cells.

“Carbohydrate is driving insulin is driving fat"

Now do you see the difference in my two diets. I eliminated almost all fat & protein and was eating a normal, Indian, vegetarian diet - one that is full of carbohydrates.

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 carbohydrate-rich foods: cereal whole grains (wheat, rice, corn et al) & flour, pulses & dals, legumes, starchy vegetables such as potatoes, and sugars, like sucrose (table sugar), honey, high sugar fruits and high-fructose corn syrup. It doesn't matter if the carbohydrate is simple (sugar) or complex (wheat). To the body it is a carbohydrate and it will secrete insulin to break it down. Insulin that will make you fat.

It was an eye opening moment for me when I realized it wasn't Butter & Eggs that was making me fat or lack of physical activity, it was my supposedly "healthy" whole grain based vegetarian diet.

I know, right now some of you will have a ton of questions. Aren't pulses supposed to be good protein sources? You mean my roti / dosa is making me put on weight? My best friend / colleague / neighbor is a pure vegetarian & is stick thin, why don't carbs make her fat? Aren't vegetarian / vegan diets are best for the environment / planet? How can fruits be making me fat, they are supposed to be fat free?

I will be dealing with all the questions in coming posts. In case you have any doubts or questions, please leave them in the comments below.

To summarize:

1. Insulin secretion, which means eating carbohydrates makes you fat.
2. Eating fat does not make you fat.

Further Reading: 

1. Why we get fat & what to do about it by Gary Taubes.

This was the first book I read in June last year. It is a pretty recent book, published in 2011. The author before this wrote Good Calories, Bad Calories, which is essentially the same book - but the science in it is too complex for me to understand. But "Why we get fat" is written very well & easy to read.

This was the book that first opened my eyes to the possibility that what I had been taught was all wrong. If you are serious about losing weight, and have tried everything & given up, are sick of starving & exercising till you drop dead, then please buy & read this book. It is a big book, but it is a must read according to me. It's also not very expensive. The paperback costs only 350 bucks.

Gary Taubes is an American Science Writer, a journalist. This was the only book out of the lot that I read that was not written by a doctor or a cardiologist or a medical expert. But just because Gary is not a medical professional, it is not reason enough to dismiss this book. He may not have done the research himself, but he is a science writer. He is able to read studies, and decipher them for people like you & me. 

At the end of the day I'm not an expert, but I know what it is like to be fat. Whether it is the emotional issues or the physical ones. Hence I'm going to suggest that if you are serious about losing weight, spend the time, money & effort to read the books suggested, and also Google them up for related articles & videos.

This is not intended to replace medical advice. This is just a honest recount of what worked for me. Please consult your doctor before any diet changes. Your health is your responsibility. 

Questions?? Please leave them in comments below! :-)