Category: Weight Loss
The holiday season is notorious for unwanted weight gain. Although the average weight gain isn’t all that high—1 to 2 pounds—the real danger is that people rarely lose the weight they gain during the holiday season. So, if you go through ten holiday seasons, you’re looking at a very realistic and permanent gain of 20 pounds.
But it’s not just the weight you gain. Even if you manage to avoid gaining any weight, the onslaught of sugary foods you’re not used to consuming will play havoc with your blood sugar and insulin levels, leave you bloated and fatigued, and generally make what should be a joyous time a sluggish, low-energy one.
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Fasting, Primal Lifestyle, Weight Loss
For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m doing three quick topics. First, what are we to make of the studies in which replacing saturated fat and trans-fat with omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fat seems to reduce heart disease? Second, although red meat is nutrient dense and generally a more interesting option than plain chicken breast, some people have legit red meat allergies (tick-induced or otherwise). What do I think about that and the tick situation in general? And third, is HIIT an effective (and safe) option for middle-aged men?
Let’s go:
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Diet & Nutrition, Fats, Fitness, Weight Loss
For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’ll be discussing the role of exercise alone in weight and fat loss. If it seems like I’ve been harping on this same topic for a couple weeks now, it’s only because it’s so important to identify both the mainstream (“You must exercise ten minutes for each Oreo you eat.”) and alternative misconceptions (“Exercise has no effect on body composition.”) about exercise. Exercise—all by itself—actually can help you lose body fat, even if it has less to do with “burning calories” than other factors.
Let’s take a look:
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Fitness, Habits, Weight Loss
For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering one question from a reader. It concerns the effects of physical activity on obesity.
This is an evergreen topic, a constant in the queries I receive. Is exercise necessary for weight loss? Does physical activity improve body weight? Is exercise all about burning calories, or is there something else going on?
Let’s get to it:
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Fitness, Weight Loss
Metabolic flexibility is the capacity to match fuel oxidation to fuel availability—or switch between burning carbs and burning fat. Someone with great metabolic flexibility can burn carbs when they eat them. They can burn fat when they eat it (or when they don’t eat at all). They can switch between carbohydrate metabolism and fat metabolism with relative ease. All those people who can “eat whatever they want” most likely have excellent metabolic flexibility. So, why does it really matter, and how does it happen? Let’s get into the weeds today.
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Carbs, Diet & Nutrition, Fats, Low Carb Diet, Weight Loss
For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering three questions. First, what are some less expensive sources of marine fat high in omega-3s? Is canned salmon a good, safe, effective option? Second, a reader is training hard, eating low-carb/keto, doing IF, and feels pretty good despite not losing or gaining any weight? What should she do? What could she be doing wrong? And third, should you go keto while nursing?
Let’s go:
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Carbs, Diet & Nutrition, Fats, Low Carb Diet, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Plateau
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