Russell Nagami's Blog

If you want to decrease fat, carbs, cholesterol, or anything in your diet, why not eat foods that are already low in it, instead of buying a more expensive frankenfood?

I have a hypothesis:  if they take something out, they have to put something else in, and I bet that it’s worse for you than whatever they took out.

I find low-fat to be a particularly clever scam, seeing as how I believe fat in your food isn’t the main contributor to obesity.  Just for a moment think, what if Atkins was right and sugar is the problem.  Low fat ice cream, but with just as much sugar means they’re taking out the delicious fat and leaving the insulin spiking sugar.

Side note: I just checked Dreyer’s website and noticed no “low fat” versions of their slow churned ice cream, interesting.

Just an FYI, cutting calories/eating less used to be known by a different name: “semi starvation diet.”  It was changed for obvious reasons, but the name is no less true.  I have recently started a new self experiment with intermittent fasting to help me cut fat added during a recent muscle building phase.  This is not the same as cutting calories because I still eat as much calories as I like, but I can only eat between noon and 8pm.  Although I am still eating plenty, I still experience a good amount of hunger at night before I go to sleep and in the morning before noon.

I have only been experimenting with IMF for a week and I can already tell that I’d be going INSANE if I was trying to lose weight by cutting calories.  When hungry it’s almost impossible to not think about food.  My stomach is constantly growling and calling for my attention.  Based on my experience with minor hunger for only the past week, I can’t believe:

• A, that anyone tries to lose weight by cutting back calories
• B, that (stupid) people and the mass media still tell overweight people to lose weight by eating less
• C, how hungry I am just on intermittent fasting

If not cutting calories, what should be doing?

In my experience, eating the right food means you don’t have to count calories and your body will maintain a good weight.  Throw in strength training and you’ll be unstoppable.  To find out about both, read Stronglifts.com and Four Hour Body, which will tell you everything you need to know.

In the past month I’ve lost about 6 pounds without counting any calories.  Of course, this is after I stopped drinking a gallon of milk a day, so take it with a grain of salt.  At my current rate of weight loss, about one pound per week, I will be where I want to be in a month or two.  Pics/video to come.

-Russell

PS Remember you can follow along with my workouts/weight measurements here.