Page 294: "For every calorie stored as fat or lean tissue, the body will require that an extra calorie either be consumed or conserved. As a result, anyone driven to put on fat by such a metabolic or hormonal defect would be driven to excessive eating, physical inactivity, or some combination. Hunger and indolence would be side effects of such a hormonal defect, merely facilitating the drive to fatten. They would not be the fundamental cause."

Page 295 "What may be the single most incomprehensible aspect of the last half-century of obesity research is the failure of those involved to grasp the fact that both hunger and sedentary behavior can be driven by a metabolic-hormonal disposition to grow fat, just as a lack of hunger and the impusle to engage in physical activity can be driven by a metabolic-hormonal disposition to burn calories rather than store them."

Page 295: "This notion that fattening is the cause and overeating the effect, and not vice versa, also explains why a century of researchers have made so little progress, and why they keep repeating the same experiments over and over again."

This whole chapter -- chapter 17 -- really changed the way I think about weight-gain, although I've been a believer in low-carb for a long time.

Another favorite, page 451: "institutionalized vigilance,'this unending exchange of critical judgment,' is nowhere to be found in the study of nutrition, chronic disease, and obesity, and it hasn't been for decades. For this reason, it is difficult to use the term 'scientist' to describe those individuals who work in these disciplines, and indeed, I have actively avoided doing so in this book. (take that, Ancel Keys!)

Think "nervous system":
"Since the late 1970s, investigators have demonstrated the existence of other hormonal mechanisms by which insulin raises blood pressure--in particular, by stimulating the nervous system and the same flight-or-fight response incited by adrenaline. This was first reported by Lewis Landsberg, an endocrinologist who was then at Harvard Medical School and would later become dean of the Northwestern University School of Medicine. Landsberg showed that, by stimulating the activity of the nervous system, insulin increases heart rate and constricts blood vessels, thereby raising blood pressure. The higher the insulin level, the greater the stimulation of the nervous system, Landsberg noted. If insulin levels remained high, so Landsberg's research suggested, then the sympathetic nervous system would be constantly working to raise blood pressure. "

Rightnow's comment about shopping struck me as particularly appropriate since I'm going grocery shopping this evening.

I also experience Rightnow's sense of self-consciousness when eating this way in public. I feel like I have to justify to others why a 230 pound man is eating a hunk of meat with butter, or buying meat, butter, cheese, sour cream and some veggies, but none of the "whole grains" or fruit that we're supposed to eat. You're buying a huge chuck roast but no granola?

Well, I'm tired of feeling guilty or furtive, like I'm doing something bad.

As of this moment, I don't give a flying $&#~ what anyone else thinks! This is about how I'm going to save my life!

As of this moment, I have no more room for shame. This is my body, my struggle, and my life.

If others want to stare and judge, good for them, it gives them a hobby. As for me, I'm going to eat the way my body works best. I'm going to spend the money to make myself healthy by eating good foods, even if they do cost a bit more.

Just imagine how much I'll save over the years in doctor bills when I don't get high blood pressure, when I don't get diabetes, and when I don't get heart disease? I'm worth it, and those who judge, can all go jump in a lake of dry, fat-free pasta.

As for me, pass the butter.

Plane

Go Plane!!!

I just went shopping yesterday. When people stare at my shopping cart, I know it's just because they are all so jealous

I also felt self conscious when shopping at first. But the last time I was in the check out line at Costco I noticed a few ppl looking into our cart and actually felt good about it. I knew there was no garbage in it, no sweets, no bread or bakedgoods, no canned or boxed items with lists of chemicals in them. Just lots of wholesome steaks, salmon, chicken, pork, butter, and eggs. It also bothers me less bc both the DH and myself are now a bit thinner

Good for you, Plane

Exactly. I think you might be surprised by what people are thinking when they look into a shopping cart filled with meat, eggs, cheese, butter, and veggies. Back in the day before I discovered this WOE, I would certainly look at carts filled with those items, and then look at mine (filled with granola and veggies, but also popcorn and ice cream and chips and frozen dinners) and think, "God, I really need to learn how to cook. That person's cart looks so wholesome."

That's really what it came down to for me: carts filled with whole foods never registered to me as "unhealthy." Quite the opposite, in fact. (That said, I would have been equally impressed, at the time, by a cart filled with granola, bananas, and whole-grain bread, so there you go: I had a lot left to learn back then!)

I just saw where you posted that the other day. I must have breezed past it the first time on this thread. Perfect explanation.

Yeah, eat those carbs, they're JUST so good for us.

I'm now up to 341 and I'm becoming a zealot. I can't stop reading.
page 340


If this book does not confirm you in this way of life, then you didn't understand it, or you're in denial. Especially for those of us here who know that we must do something, and nothing else has worked. If you are obese, read this book. If you care for someone who is obese, read this book. Of all of the books I've read or glanced at regarding carbohydrate restricted diets, none have been nearly as important as this. Even with all of my self-education about the importance of low-carb eating, this book has changed my life.

Now my only problem with Dr. Atkins is that he didn't go far enough.

Plane
Who thinks everyone should buy a copy for your doctor.

One thing... wonder if anyone else has picked up on this.

He talks about kids who are being born to Mom's on this high-insulin continuum that leads to diabetes. I wonder if perhaps this is the REAL source of the epidemic. Kids like that are probably already set up with a body ready to store fat. We've probably been edging our way to the point where nearly everyone will have been born from a Mom with too high insulin levels.

I wonder if perhaps this is the reason I can't lose weight without starving myself. My body is already wired and isn't going to change at this point. That passage about endomorphs getting skinny really hit home to me. They're emaciated fat people. That is exactly how I get when I drop below a certain weight. Still overly fat in many areas but skeletal in others.

I saw this as well. It made me give a mental "hooray" since my wife ate almost exclusively a low-carb diet when she was pregnant. Her "morning" sickness was so bad that she couldn't even stand water. She could only tolerate meat and veggies, but only if I cooked out doors. It IS possible to make just about anything, including meatloaf on a grill. I always got no-hormones meat, and grass-fed as often as I could. (we had a lot of steak)

That may help explain why our son has always been long and lean, no matter how much he eats. I'm hoping his genetics takes more after my wife than my side of the family. At least by the time he gets old enough for his system to not process carbs so well, I was about 28 when it happened to me, medical science will have moved on from this low-fat crap. If not, I will definitely let him know.

Plane

Actually, what amazing timing! I just saw most of the Nova special on Epigenetics and how what your Grandparents ate influence your genetics. Wow... So this stuff is cumulative. Since all our parents, grandparents,etc have had so many carbohydrates it could really snowball.

This is funny - because I sometimes actually get asked by the cashier what I'm making. They'll be scanning my purchase, and the abundance of meat, fish and produce is noticed. (um, this never happens at Wal-Mart by the way..)

When I say, "Oh, I'm making salmon with dill and maybe some roasted asparagus" I get this look...as if I'm doing something really unusual. Thing is, I'm in there every week - and they (the regular cashiers) see that I'm continually buying whole foods. "What are you making tonight?"...and I'll say, "Oh, tonight I'm making baked pork chops with oregano and some spinach sauteed with lemon and fresh garlic".

It's kinda fun actually.

I'm out of town right now, and don't have my "Good Calories, Bad Calories" book with me, so can't put in my favourite passages, but am certainly enjoying this thread ...looking forward to reading more about what people are finding and liking in the Taubes book. My copy is filled with these little hot-pink post-it flags...lol!

I liked the part in the book about obesity and overeating and the crazy circular reasoning involved.

He used this illustration. Lets say you have 2 guys, same age. One eats 3000 calories a day and is thin, the other eats 3000 calories day and is fat. Why would we only accuse the fat one of overeating?

He cites lots of studies that show that fat people quite commonly eat less than their thin counterparts, yet we attribute all sorts of terrible personality issues to the fat ones: Slothfulness, overeating, laziness, undisciplined, no willpower. When in fact, the reverse might be true. The overweight person might be exercising daily, and doing as much as they can to *try* to control their weight.

Anyway, this is something that obesity researchers keep rediscovering and forgetting about for the last 100 years or so.

Foot note, page 286

"That the toxic-environment hypothesis is deeply immersed in moral and class judgements is evidenced by the observation that few or none of the condemnations of fast-food restaurants include a coffee chain such as Starbucks, despite the copious excess calories it peddles. ...

The same judgements are made when discussing physical activity: If we sit around all day watching television, we're condemned as couch potatoes, and our obesity is only a matter of time. If we sit around studying or reading books, this same accusation is rarely voiced."

Nancy, you beat me to it!!

I read those sections over the weekend. The one that really resonates with me is the value judgement one about sedentary activities. Sitting is sitting no matter what you're doing otherwise.

My husband will sit and read half a novel in a day's time, but woof on me for spending an equal number of hours re-working my store site, ordering inventory, moderating forums, doing research, or answering my daily avalanche of Help Me Please! emails. (I run several online forums, 2 online businesses and I sculpt and reborn dolls). Not a lot of time to get up and away from it and out of the house, doing all that--not if I want to continue to be successful. But to others it looks like I'm wasting time and being too lazy to exercise.

I don't even HAVE time to watch TV most of the time. I have to write House and Grey's Anatomy on stickies by the computer so I at least can watch my 2 favorite shows

There is just ONE thing about Gary's comments about exercise that I have a personal issue with.

About 7 years ago, I took a job as Stocking Manager at a local petfood warehouse. My job entailed singlehandedly unloading bulk pet foods from the truck twice a week and making sure they were stacked in the steel racks. I estimated at the time that I moved approx. a ton of pet food each week, by myself.

When I began the job I weighed about 180. Within 2 months, I weighed 150. I ate pizza and all kinds of fast food and the weight FELL off me. That's the only time in my life anything like that has happened. So for me, I know that serious constant exercise will take the weight off with no dietary restrictions, but I will likely never again in this life ever have a job like that again. Oh, and yes, the weight came back after I moved into a management position.