The Two Approaches To Weight Loss
Written April 2024
Part of learning is admitting when you were wrong in the past, and then modifying your current knowledge base to accommodate your newly found understanding. Several years ago I lost 30 pounds in 30 weeks, and I wrote an article about how I did it. It worked really great. My method included the calories in/calories out approach. While this is a valid model I have found that it is incomplete, and it is not optimal for most people. This article will include a more comprehensive approach to weight loss with a more physiological and biochemical method. While calories in/calories out worked well for me I was sometimes left hungry and irritable. By combining this method with a better understanding of biochemistry we can achieve weight loss in a more healthful way. Calories in/ calories out is not wrong, but it lacks optimization.
Let's begin by briefly defining the two models of weight loss:
1.) The Energy Balance Model (EBM): This is the calories in/calories out model. This model says that if you consume fewer calories than you expend you will be in an energy deficit and you will lose weight.
2.) The Carbohydrate-Insulin Model (CIM): This model says that when you consume carbohydrates the beta cells of your pancreas are signaled to produce insulin which tells the cells of the body to store fat. When you keep insulin consistently low, however, then your body can release stored fat and thus you can lose weight.
Both models are true as defined above. More nuance is required to understand and achieve optimal weight loss.
1.) The Energy Balance Model (EBM): This is the calories in/calories out model. This model says that if you consume fewer calories than you expend you will be in an energy deficit and you will lose weight.
2.) The Carbohydrate-Insulin Model (CIM): This model says that when you consume carbohydrates the beta cells of your pancreas are signaled to produce insulin which tells the cells of the body to store fat. When you keep insulin consistently low, however, then your body can release stored fat and thus you can lose weight.
Both models are true as defined above. More nuance is required to understand and achieve optimal weight loss.
