Takes Fat to Make Fat (the T-Factor Diet)

"The T-Factor Diet" written by Martin Katahn, Ph.D., came out in 1989. It is still very relevant to understanding how to lose weight. T-Factor means "Thin Factor" and Katahn urges us to reduce our intake of fat, rather than obsessing on total caloric intake.

I got this quote from page 3 in the Introduction:

A hundred calories of baked potatoes and 100 calories of french fries are not equal, except in the laboratory. They have a very different impact on the human body.

The human body extracts and accumulates much more usable energy from fat than from any other nutrient. In addition, the body sees far, FAR more efficient at converting dietary fat into body fat than it is at converting carbohydrate or protein into body fat. Indeed, the differences in the way your body metabolizes fat compared with protein and carbohydrate are so great that except for a small percentage of persons who suffer from some metabolic abnormality, YOU CAN'T GET FAT EXCEPT BY EATING FAT.

In Chapter 3, page 28- 29, Katahn states:

A gram of fat contains approximately 9 calories, compared with approximately 4 contained in a gram of carbohydrate. 

Our studies show that the average overweight woman is eating between 80 and 100 grams of fat each day.That, translated to calories, is between 720 and 900 calories in fat. The average man is taking in about 20 grams more, or  between 900 and 1080 calories in fat.

The T-Factor formula for weight loss is:

20 to 40 grams of fat per day for women
30 to 60 grams of fat per day for men

Dr. Katahn is on to something. The heir to Katahn's ideas  for reducing fat include firefighter Rip Esselstyn with his vegan E-2 diet. Not sure I am comfortable with the purist aspect of E-S. The Macrobiotic diet also encourages a low fat program. Check them out-- your health and wellbeing cannot help but take a big step forward.

What's in a blog? ... 7 soul-enhancing benefits of working out

Started to write a blog entry concerning my personal preferences for a healthy lifestyle. I sounded bitter, angry, self-righteous and a regular Mr. Know-it-all." So I deleted the post. Felt better immediately after deleting.

So how does one share their beliefs on health and exercise-- which is what I do on this particular blog-- without sounding preachy? Maybe get more positive.... I'll try it.

Four Things I Like to do--- 100% success rate
1) I always feel a sense of relaxation when I get outside.
2) Relaxation hits as soon as you breath the fresh air. You breath better. You think better.
3) Muscles feel good when I swim at Deep Eddy pool. (Austin, Texas)
4) Enter the water and you've entered a different medium.

Things I've tried to improve-- 50% success rate
5) I'm trying to develop some muscle in my skinny, underdeveloped calf muscles. My left calf, the not-dominant side, is really bad. Don't know if this is possible. Okay to fail.
6) I've become more comfortable in the water this summer and feel more buoyant!

Post-exercise 

7) I enjoy the sense of accomplishment when I get home after exerting myself.

Roving yourself... to good health

Merriman-Webster defines roving (adj)-- going to many different places

That dictionary adds the following definitions for roving -- a: not restricted as to location or area of concern. b: capable of being shifted from place to place: mobile. 2. inclined to ramble or stray <a roving fancy>

Roving is also a term used in a book entitled "Live Longer Now" co-authored by Nathan Pritikin, John Leonard, and J.L. Homer in 1974. The following ideas are taken from pages 181-197 of the book.

Roving for these authors is an exercise, a combination of running and walking.... "that gives you the most return for your investment."

"Roving is a combination of walking and running with you in the pilot's seat."

Think of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico and los viejos of Vilcabamba, Ecuador who remain vigorous in old age thanks to the long walking regimen inherent to their lifestyle. Cholesterol levels remain low and their heart health exceeds the artery-clogging lifestyle of modern man. We have chosen four wheels and an internal combustion engine over the use of our two legs. We pay a physical price and suffer a spiritual loss-- missing out on the sense of relaxation that comes with extended walking.

Pritikin and his fellow authors point out that man is "the only animal that travels, both slow and fast, on two legs." They continue "He has a graceful striding, gait that will carry him equally well at a snail's pace or a sprinters."

And that is the key... I had a gym coach in my freshman year at college. He suggested that we run or job a lap around the track and alternate with a walking lap. This seemed a bit uncool to a macho college student. Soon I noticed how altering the pace increased my ability to spend more time on the track and cover greater distances. And therein lies the answer... "The central principle in roving is to cover a lot of ground, but do it in your own good time."

Select a roving distance for yourself, anywhere from a few blocks to 6-10 miles, based on your level of conditioning. "Rove that distance four to five times each week."

"One of the most important (benefits) is to increase the efficiency by which your body delivers oxygen to its various tissues. Oxygen delivery is improved in a number of ways.. Brand new circulation is actually developed due to roving, with the growth of new capillaries to carry more blood to the body's muscles. This new circulation, called collateral circulation, enable the heart to deliver more blood to the muscles with each beat of the heart."

You will be amazed at the results!