Dropping 20 lbs. may seem like an enormous task, but thanks to Gary Taubes, author of "Good Calories, Bad Calories," your weight loss goal is closer than ever before. Taubes painstakingly shows how several diet and exercises are based on beliefs rather than science. The research is clear, says Taubes, that you will lose weight faster simply by changing your diet to include more saturated fat and less carbohydrates. This conclusion is also recommended by doctors Michael R. Eades and Mary Dan Eades, authors of "Protein Power."
Step 1
Reduce your weekly exercise. In a 2007 article in "New York Magazine," Taubes explored the shortcoming of exercise versus diet change, finding that while exercise could help a person maintain body weight, it rarely was an effective as a single means of weight loss. The problem, says Taubes, is the more you exercise, the hungrier you get and the more you eat to compensate.
Step 2
Drop the carbs. Michael and Mary Eades consider highly processed foods, such as carbohydrates and trans fats, to be the source of body fat. Their solution is to reduce calories from carbohydrates and increase saturated fat intake. This can be done by exchanging bread, cereal and candy for meat, nuts and eggs.
Step 3
Don't drink calories. Sodas, milk and other beverages have a surprising amount of calories. Worse, these liquids are loaded with processed sugars, which have been proven to increase insulin response and trigger the body to store calories as fat. Taubes recommends avoiding these types of drinks in favor of water, black coffee or diet soda, which have zero calories.
Step 4
Eat carbs, but only once you have lost that 20 lbs. When you have reached your weight goal, begin experimenting with how many carbohydrates you can eat each day without regaining weight. According to Michael and Mary Eades, carbs like bread, pasta and cereal should be avoided until you reach your ideal weight, after which maintaining a balanced diet is most satisfying.
Tips and Warnings
- Persevere. All-meat diets can get boring. The craving for sugar will sabotage your fat loss if you give it the chance. The majority of failed diets occurs because dieters are unable or unwilling to see the diet through. Don't make the same mistake.
- Avoid trans saturated fats at all costs, but don't worry about saturated fat. According to Michael R. Eades and Mary Dan Eades, there is plenty of data in favor of eating saturated fat. However, they strongly recommend avoiding trans fats, due to the heavy processing.
References
- "Good Calories, Bad Calories"; Gary Taubes; 2008
- "The 6-Week Cure for the Middle-Aged Middle"; Michael R. Eades and Mary Dan Eades; 2009
- "Protein Power"; Michael R. Eades and Mary Dan Eades; 1999
- New York Magazine: Does Exercise Really Make Us Thinner?
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