17 Feb Look Hot in Time for the Naked Bike Ride
So you aspire to draw gasps of delight, rather than horror, as you pedal through Portland in the nude. Or, perhaps you just want to look good in a thong by summer. Well, you’re reading the right article. Your friends won’t tell you this, so I will–nobody wants to see a guy in a thong. Please, don’t leave the house in that. Now let’s address your body. If you’ve tried eating less and exercising more and that hasn’t worked, these tips will make the difference.
First, let’s just get this out of the way. Are you actually eating less? Rather than thinking of overeating as consuming more calories over the course of a day than you burn, start thinking of it as consuming more calories in a sitting than your body can readily utilize.
For instance, your friend Botswana consumes only 1500 calories a day—all in one meal—and she can’t understand why she’s not losing weight. Your other friend Mozambique eats five meals of 400 calories each, and keeps losing weight, even though he’s totaling 500 more calories per day than Botswana. Here’s the deal: Botswana is going so long without eating that her metabolism slows down. Even when she eats both lunch and dinner, her body still goes 17 hours from dinner to lunch the next day. So her body says to itself, “I’m gonna run on 1200 calories per day”—which she exceeds by 300 calories. But more importantly, she eats 1500 calories at once. There’s no way she’s going to utilize all that anytime soon.
Be like Mozambique. Eat frequently. Don’t go more than about four hours between meals (except from dinner to breakfast). Eat a protein-rich breakfast—egg whites, lean meat, beans, nonfat Greek yogurt, etc. Keep dinner light. Your metabolism will speed up. Stop snacking—don’t eat anything between your meals. Let your stomach empty out completely. You’ll get to eat again in just a few hours, so stop yourself before you get full. Didn’t your mom ever tell you not to pack the washing machine with clothes? They won’t circulate at all. They’ll come out dirty and moist. Well, the same goes for your stomach. The goal is not to fill your stomach to capacity; it’s to eat just enough to not be hungry anymore.
Now, if you’re thinking, “But Peter, the food I eat is so damn good, I can’t stop eating until my body will simply not accept any more!” then we need to have a different conversation. It’s called the Stop Going Unconscious While You’re Eating conversation. Wake up. You’re tuning out your body while you’re eating. It’s the only possible way to ignore your body’s cries of protest. Tune in instead.
If your food is so good, why not do everything possible to enjoy the experience? That means putting away your reading material and your cell phone, turning off the TV, placing a piece of duct tape over the mouth of your dining company, letting go of whatever you’re stressing about, pulling over if you’re driving, sitting down if you’re standing, and then savoring the hell out of that food. Always keep part of your attention on how your body feels, and as soon as you’re not hungry anymore—usually with an amount of food about one-and-a-half times the size of your closed fist—stop. Bonus: you won’t be in a food coma after lunch.
You’ll also have more leeway with meals if you limit yourself to only non-caloric drinks. Instead of soda or juice (which have a ton of sugar in them), or a latte (basically a huge glass of milk), just stick to water, unsweetened tea, or—if you must—coffee with just a dash of milk. If you want a calorie-free sweetener, try stevia leaf extract instead of the chemical stuff.
Meanwhile, make sure you’re getting enough deep, restful sleep—at least seven hours. Studies show sleep deprivation is associated with weight gain. Next, ditch the plastics. Most plastics contain chemicals known as exogenous endocrine disruptors that can throw off our hormones and contribute to weight gain. Never microwave anything in plastic, and stop buying water in plastic bottles. Haven’t you heard of that swirling island of plastic in the middle of the Pacific that’s half the size of the US? While you’re at it, stop eating food from cans, since they’re all lined with plastic containing bisphenol-A (BPA), a known endocrine disruptor.
Finally, remember this: In the whole history of the human species, we’ve only consumed large amounts of grains and sugars in the tiniest, most recent slice of time. Our bodies just can’t handle it—we get diabetic, fat, and hypertensive. Even in the last few decades, we’ve gone low-fat due to overly simplistic thinking about how we form body fat. In the meantime, our sugar consumption has ballooned, and so have our waistbands. If you want to lose weight, the single biggest change you can make to your diet is to cut way down on sweeteners and flour.
If you take my advice, you should be in good shape for the naked bike ride. Might want to get your suspension tuned up before then, too.
(Originally appeared in About Face Magazine, Issue 06)
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Cheryl
Posted at 00:09h, 28 NovemberHello Dr. Peter and darling family, I’ve been(forced) relaxing this afternoon due to a slip and fall last evening that through an already very serious cervical spine disease (coupled with 3 surgeries) out of line. It’s been the best thing that could have happened. What? The BEST thing that could have happened? Yes, indeed, it was. otherwise I would not have taken the time to spend the day with you all on your website, when my intention was to purchase 1 item and done.
I’m very excited I have found you and your wife, Briana. I will not take any more of your time just yet, however, thank you for offering this class that is very much needed by me. I am a pancreatic and duodenal cancer survivor. 10 years this past April 16. I’m in need of some serious help as my gastric doctor and now currently 7 additional Drs I’ve been sent to. I’ve had CT, MRI, pet scans and many more tests not to want to mention the # of blood labs. So far it seems I have “autoimmune” everything! Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sojgens, it has been a year since I’ve been able to eat more than 500 calories a day as I have gastroparesis. ive gained 67 pounds and my Dr.s have no idea why. After reading this article I think I do now!!! I look forward to hearing more. Off to shop now. Wish I lived closer, the spa is so much more inviting than any one of my westernized Dr offices.
Peace
Cheryl
Peter Borten
Posted at 03:37h, 30 NovemberHi Cheryl,
Thanks for the kind words. Sorry about your neck – I hope it feels better soon. It sounds like you’ve been through quite a few health challenges and done admirably. As for the autoimmune issue, it’s probably also worth looking into Leaky Gut Syndrome and working with a naturally-oriented physician who can help restore your GI tract. Not sure what your pancreas & duodenum function are like post-cancer, but supplemental pancreatic enzymes might be worthwhile. Finally, I believe there’s great potential in herbal bitters to restore gastric tone. The right combination of bitter and aromatic herbs (maybe something like gentian, tangerine peel, and fennel?) might help you overcome the gastroparesis and digest food more efficiently. Of course, without seeing you these suggestions could be totally off the mark, but they might be worth discussing with a practitioner you trust.
Be well,
Peter
Marianne
Posted at 05:47h, 06 AugustAfter 2 bone density test I am in high risk osteoporosis stage. They are recommended for Prolira a twice a year injection. I do not want to take the injections. I am 65 years old in great shape except for my spine. I have started lifting weights and walking and trying to find a nutritional diet for myself as well. Any suggestions would be a blessing thank you.
Peter Borten
Posted at 23:34h, 08 AugustHi Marianne,
I can’t speak to your personal case, so I’d suggest running this past a healthcare practitioner who knows you, but some of my patients have reported good results with a product called Bone Up made by Jarrow. This and some other similar factors attempt to stimulate bone production by supplying a synergistic formula of nutrients that all have a role in the process, rather than the more simplistic approach of just administering calcium. Second, as we age, our production of stomach acid tends to decline, and low stomach acid may make it more difficult for your body to absorb certain minerals. So, a test of stomach acid (a naturopathic physician can do this) might be worthwhile, and if it’s low, taking betaine hcl with meals may help also. Also, there is some evidence that high consumption of sugar and animal protein may contribute to accelerated bone loss – perhaps by acidifying your body. The jury’s out on that one, but another one to consider.