Hope you are having a wonderful week. I am trying to keep up with my work and get used to some changes. Progress takes the ability to change quickly and sometimes it is a bit challenging, but I know I can do it! So, I am challenging myself and taking myself out of my comfort zone.
Thank you for your messages. Here are the questions I picked up this week, as well as, my answers. I’d be glad to read your opinion in the comments!
Ines, I feel confused. If it is true, as you say it, that the laws of thermodynamics, can not be neglected and that they are always working, this would mean that the amount of calories in, should be equal to the amount of calories out, if you’d like to keep your weight stable. Then why would it matter if these 200 calories are coming from donuts and hamburgers or from eggs and steaks?
As usual, I will remind you that the weight in numbers, has nothing to do with your appearance. I.e. even if you eat 2000 calories a day, and the food you eta is just donuts and hamburgers, and you still manage to keep your weight stable, I guarantee you that you probably do not look like a fitness model and you probably do not have the tight, athletic body you wish you had.
The food we eat elicits hormonal responses that determine how energy is stored in the body! Knowing that everything, which happens with our bodies, is a result of the chemical processes taking place, which on the other hand are a result of the hormones that have been released!
What kind of hormones will be released depends on a bunch of things, but mainly on the food we eat, the amount of sleep we get and the amount of stress.
Depending on the food we eat, the following happens in our bodies:
Insulin
Eating a diet rich in high GI(cookies,ice-cream,bread…) drives an enormous insulin response. Insulin is a “storage” hormone, causing the body to stop using fat as energy, and store it instead. That means that junk food and carb rich foods will rise your blood sugar, which will lead to an enormous insulin response and thus you will store fat!
Some time ago, I read the unique book of Dr. Ellis, where he talked a lot about calorie portioning. Behind his theory, was the fact that the calories we eat, once in our body has a different way of distribution- either for fuel or either for fat storage. In the presence of high levels of insulin, these calories can’t be used for present needs of fuel and they are being send for fat storage.
Glucagon
Low GI foods produce higher levels of glucagon. Glucagon promotes the use of fat for energy. What does that mean? Forget about bagels, oats, biscuits and stick to eating meat, nuts, veggies, fruits and seeds and you will have the perfect conditions for fat burning!
Hormones as a whole
The food we eat, determines the hormonal balances in our body, which affects all aspects of our being. Saying that it doesn’t matter if the carbs you are eating come from a twinkie or broccoli, is like saying that it doesn’t matter if the fuel you put in your car is diesel or gas, because it is still fuel!
Each food component, i.e. proteins, carbs or fat, leads to a different hormonal response. As you know the body is a complicated “machine” driven by chemical reactions. If you do not provide the body with the right fuel, the chemical processes could take the wrong turn, and that could result in a breakdown.
Enzymes
The human body can do nothing without enzymes. All metabolic functions require enzymes. If the body is deficient in even one kind of enzyme, your metabolism won’t work properly. In order to provide the body with enough nutrients and enzymes, you need to consume real food. Junk food only makes your body starve and robs it out of key nutrients. And as I already said that, damages your metabolism! Conclusion? Junk food, even in moderation, doesn’t give nutrients to your body and it is only harming you! So stay away from it!
Stress
As I mentioned junk food, robs your body from key nutrients. It makes you starve. Your body feels like it is always in a survivor mode. That makes things worse, because that activates your stress hormones, as cortisol, and chronically elevated cortisol doesn’t match good your goals of weight loss! When the body is in a survivor mode, it will do anything to keep the fat, in case it needs it!
So do I think that the laws of thermodynamic are true? Sure they are! But still, they might determine your body weight, but not the way you look or feel. And in order to get a tight, athletic body and in order to feel healthy and energetic, donuts and hamburgers, should be out of your menu, and you should substitute them with real food!
Hello, Ines. I have a question about water. I drink water whenever I go to bed. Whenever I wake up in the morning I go to the toilet and then I step on the scale, but I see that I’ve gained 400-500 grams and I am really disappointed. Why does it happen like this?
Probably you are wondering why I chose exactly this message and why I pay attention to it. The reason is that a lot of people are being deluded, that the quantity you eat or drink, will be immediately thrown away from your body and that if there is some kind of a difference in the weight, something is wrong.
Truth is that your body is not a tube, where you pour a cup of water and immediately on the other end of the tube, you get one cup of water. Everything you eat or drink, needs time to be processed through your body. Even water has its pathways and you can not expect that just because you drank a cup of water and you went to the bathroom, the weight from the water intake, and the water that was thrown away will neutralize each other.
This is true for your nutrition. And please stop being slaves to the scale and quit whining about each 300-400 grams difference. It is ridiculous. Your body varies and it is dependent on a lot of stuff. Even one night without enough sleeping, could influence your weight negatively. But I do not think that 300 grams are a big deal.
You need to worry, when your clothes do not fit anymore and when the centimeter shows bigger numbers. Then, you have an objective reason to worry about! Everything else is ridiculous!
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And some pictures from the last couple days 🙂
