Calories or Hormones?

https://thefastingmethod.com/the-ultimate-weight-loss-cause-hormones-vs-calories/?utm_source=The+Fasting+Method+Newsletter&utm_campaign=bf2d1f05a5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_10_05_03_06_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4a0ea3e617-bf2d1f05a5-123067223 

I found this recent brief vlog by Dr Jason Fung particularly useful in articulating why counting calories in (nutrition) and out (exercise) very often does not result in the fervently desired maintainable weight loss. He summarises the long-term research and explains the role of hormones: both in stimulating the overwhelming perception of hunger which without fasting can result in over-eating,  and in governing basic metabolic calorie burning.  The majority of calories we eat go to sustain these metabolic functions -- far more calories than we can burn by vigorous exercise, which taken to excess so often results in injury. 

Generally, I'm a fan of Dr. Jason Fung and the Fasting Method. And I practice moderate intermittent fasting ("IF") most days: allowing a window of 16 hours or so between supper and the first meal of the next day.  IF together with intuitive eating (eating the good stuff, only when I'm hungry, and stopping just before I'm full) works pretty well for me to maintain a comfortable body weight without a lot of efforting and tracking and overt discipline or restriction. 

Dr. Fung is a Canadian nephrologist who got interested in the use of fasting to help manage diabetes which affects so many of his kidney patients. And then he became interested in broader applications of fasting: there's lot of free info on his website:  https://www.dietdoctor.com/authors/dr-jason-fung-m-d  

It's intermittent fasting which can give our hormones a chance to do their work in governing hunger and metabolism. And in the long run hormones are more effective in managing weight with less effort than the calorie monitoring of diet restriction plus vigorous exercise.  Moderate exercise is certainly a good thing for cardio and flexibility and muscle toning but doesn't burn a lot of calories. For weight management, the calorie burning required by our basic metabolic needs will suffice if we just give our bodies a break through fasting so our hormones have time to do their part.  

Many of Dr. Fung's other Youtube resources delve into the science of fasting: something our ancient ancestors routinely experienced involuntarily between food gathering forays or successful mammoth hunts!  

And that's still how our bodies work: they haven't evolved a whole lot over the years.  Instead, the big change has been the 24/7 availability of cheap high calorie low nutrition food for continuous grazing!  

When we eat continuously, there's no respite for the digestive process -- no window of opportunity for our hormones to carry out their essential tasks simply and efficiently.  

And when we think we weight too much, too many of us experience a whole lotta moral anguish.  Dissatisfied with the results of our very best efforts to diet ourselves and to exercise ourselves into the bodies we want, we assume that we're just not trying hard enough.  So we restrict calories more.   We exercise more.  But even though initially some weight may come off under such a regime, it typically comes back on again . . . despite our very best efforts.

A little gentle fasting isn't difficult. For many of us, waiting until we're hungry to eat feels natural. Calm.  A real gift to our bodies. And many of us are content with the results. 

Good enough. 

Easy does it!