Rethinking Weight Loss
By
February 3, 2016
20 Min EMOM:
Even Minutes: 8 Power snatch (115/75lbs)
Odd Minutes: 16 DB/KB Step ups (45/25lbs)
Here's one from the New York Times. Dr. David Ludwig is an obesity expert and Professor of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In this article (and his new book, of course), he argues that weight gain begins when people eat the wrong types of food, which throws their hormones out of whack and sets off a cycle of cravings, hunger and bingeing. He recommends avoiding processed carbohydrates, eliminating sugar, and choosing fruits and vegetables as carbohydrate options. He talks about how processed carbs make you crave more processed carbs and how that leads to the cycle of weight gain and obesity. Rocket science, right?
The funny thing about this article is that, while I agree with most of it, he presents it as new science and talks about how it "sounds radical". Does it really sound radical? I am pretty sure that I had a discussion along those lines in the CrossFit community at least 7 years ago. Gary Taubes was writing books and NY Times articles about this at least 5 years ago. Am I so insulated from the rest of the world that the ideas of avoiding processed carbs and eliminating sugar as ways to lose weight sound radical?
CrossFit does not get everything right and this is not a rant to that effect. I am pleased to see esteemed scientists from Harvard embracing the idea that low fat and low calorie are not the answer and are in fact, part of the problem. It is my hope that their endorsement of these ideas will make them more widely understood and accepted so that more people struggling with their weight can be helped. I have less hope that the USDA or the old-school nutrition establishment will come on board any time soon, but that is a rant for another day.
Oh yeah, here's the article if you want to read it for yourself: Rethinking Weight Loss and the Reasons We are Always Hungry.
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