BryantheRyan.com Challenging conventional wisdom about nutrition, fitness and overall health

Food is the answer, not Men’s Health

Through out this post I am going to again reiterate the fact that if we want to lose weight, food is the answer. Even though we are often led to believe otherwise.

I came across a couple of  articles written by Stephan Guyenet Ph.D. He runs a blog called Whole Health Source.

First, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention does a survey every few years called the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Dr. Guyenet pointed out that from 1976-2006 the percentage of people who were inactive fell from 50%- 24%! (See the article here) Although these surveys are based on self reporting accounts, the numbers are still compelling; considering that the rate of overweight and obese individuals has increased.

Second, the British Heart Foundation has a website that gives all the statistics  gathered on weight, exercise and all other aspects of health within the British population. Dr. Guyenet found some rather interesting parallels while digging through the data.

From 1992 to 2006 the percentage of male obese British went from 14% to 25%. During that same time, the amount of men exercising, at recommended activity levels, increased from 31% to 40%. (Check out his article here)

While the length of time spent exercising in the UK increased, the percentage of obese Brits increased as well.

Hmm More exercise and an increase in overall rates of obesity....

If exercise does not help our populations, as a whole, lose weight, then what will?

Well if exercise doesn't, then the only logical solution would be the food we eat!!

I understand that I am forcing the nutrition idea down your throats. I believe it to be important enough that I am going to continue to do so!

If nutrition is so important then why are we told to exercise in order to  lose weight?

Considering that the majority of our health information comes from the newspaper, magazines or the television it is no wonder that we have all been led astray.

SELF, Men's Health, Women's Health, Shape, Cosmo and countless other mass media magazines fill our brains with false hopes and broken promises. Magazines have one goal: to get us to buy them. They do not give a shit about whether you or I are healthy, they only want to make money. How are they going to get us to buy their magazine? By promising in each new issue that the head of the bicep muscle will become Arnold like if we change the grip on our pull up by 1 inch or that our waste will shrink 3 sizes in 3 weeks by doing these 3 breakthrough yoga moves! BS!

I used to hold Men's Health on the wellness pedestal. Everything that was written turned to gold right before my eyes. I soon realized that their exercise programs and routines did not deliver on their promises of bigger arms and flatter stomachs. I had these huge expectations after reading each new issue. "Mathew McCaunghey does this work out and he looks that good? I have to try this!" actually went through my head. I know it goes through the heads of everybody who reads these kinds of publications as well. That's the reason why models and sports figures plaster the covers.

Magazines and pretty much all mass media that try to deliver information on health and wellness piss me off (obviously). Their motives are not to make us healthier people. They are only in existence to make money.

I must say this. Although food is the main player in attaining weight loss, the genetics that our parents  passed down to us play a very large role in how our bodies react to food and exercise.

Some of us are very sensitive to insulin (sugar and carbs) and immediately turn that blood sugar into fat. Others can eat only 1500 calories a day and still gain weight. While some can gorge themselves all day every day and still be skinny.

Some of us can go to the weight room, do a set of curls, leave and some how gain muscle. Others (like me*) can work out every day (used to) and see little our no improvement.

*When I was in high school I used to lift weights 3-4 times a week for an hour and a half at a time. The gains that I saw were minimal and heart breaking.

I know overweight individuals who decided to walk every day and lost lots of weight. There are others who can run marathons (my lovely mother) and actually gain weight!

No single lifestyle change is universal. Yes the food we eat is much much more important than how much we exercise, but one diet is not going to be the right answer to an  entire populations weight loss needs.

Take your health into your own hands. Stop taking advice from sources that only want what's in your wallet. Find your own diet and don't be afraid to experiment a little.

When I became a vegan I told myself that I would try it and see how it went. I was not hand-cuffed to that lifestyle.  I allowed myself to break away anytime. Knowing that gave me the reassurance that I needed to get through initial transition period*. And 10 months later I did break away. Aided by the knowledge of a new kind of food system.

*Switching from the Standard American Diet to a Vegan diet pretty much over night, was the hardest thing I have ever done.

I love to experiment on myself. Changing the way I eat and exercise brings about new hopes of results and change. My willingness to experiment led me to try a Vegan diet. And I lost lots of weight even though that was not even my intention. I am currently on a hybrid diet. Low-carb with a mix of vegetarian.

Knowing where my food actually comes from is very important to me (no, food does not come from the grocery store). Therefore, I will not eat any meat from fast food restaurants or grocery stores. How meat was grown, slaughtered and packaged sickens me beyond description.

If my new hybrid diet results in weight gain (which it won't...hopefully) then I know that I can go back to eating vegan. Experimentation is a good thing. It allows us to personally try new diets and workouts and make our own assessments based the needs of our bodies.

If you enjoyed this article, and would like to join me on my wild and crazy ride to uncover the truth behind food and physical fitness, subscribe to me via the RSS Feed button at the top of the screen!

Also, if you would like to contact me personally, feel free to email me at bryantheryan@gmail.com