The rebound diet vs. OMAD

I just received a message from a man very close to me, with 52 years of age. After losing 33 lbs. on a calorie-restricted diet, he returned to his normal diet. Now, two years later, he weighs 4.5 lbs. over his original weight. This rebound in weight after a diet is all too common. If you are on a calorie-restricted diet, it is very likely that sooner or later you will abandon it too. In this video I will discuss the message I received and my recommendation in this case. So stick around, you don’t want to miss anything. Hello everyone, this is Juan Sarmiento. Let’s talk about why caloric restriction fails and what to do about it. But first, don’t forget to “like” this video, and subscribe to my channel. Also, activate the bell to be notified of future videos coming up in this channel.

The message I received

The text of the message says: Hi Juan, I have gained 20 lbs since last year. Right now I don’t have enough willpower to exercise. Although I sporadically take hour-long walks in the building’s courtyard, I don’t do it often enough. I get home tired from work at 5 or 6 in the afternoon and I don’t feel like walking. This week I heard a doctor say that insulin resistance prevents enough glucose from getting into the muscle cells. He also says that this is why we feel tired and without energy. On the other hand, if we exercise, the glucose demand of the muscle cells will be greater. This way we will be able to use the glucose we consume and we will have more energy. I started a calorie restricted diet when I weighed 225 lbs. Two years ago I weighed as low as 194 lbs on this diet. Now I weigh 230 lbs. What I have noticed lately is that I can go up to 8 or 9 hours without eating. But, I have to have a good breakfast with eggs, oatmeal, a large cup of coffee with milk and a banana.

The Rebound of Caloric Restriction

Here is my response: It should come as no surprise that you have gained the weight you lost by going off the diet. This is very common and can be easily explained. In the show “The biggest loser” participants entered a regimen of exercise for long hours, and a calorie-restricted diet. During the series, the participants lost a great deal of weight. But months or years after the series ended, they were back to their original weight. Scientific studies show that the metabolism of these individuals was reduced to a minimum. Therefore, to maintain their ideal weight, they would have to reduce their calories even more and / or exercise more. Little by little this became more and more difficult. The reason is that, due to insulin, the body tends to conserve energy in this regimen. This is a survival mechanism, without which we could starve. When you say that you come home tired and unwilling to exercise, it is an effect of insulin.

The functions of Insulin

Insulin is the energy storage hormone. One of its functions is to store glucose in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen. Excess glucose is transformed into fatty acids and deposited in body fat. When we repeatedly eat carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, insulin is secreted in excess (which is called hyperinsulinemia). Insulin pushes glucose into cells to their maximum capacity. Cells (muscular or not), are crammed with glucose, therefore it is not for lack of glucose that we refuse to exercise. This is another function of insulin, which we have in high amounts: conserving energy. Insulin prevents us from using energy and makes us store it. With high insulin, you won’t have any motivation to exercise. In my case, after eating, my desire is to rest to rebuild my muscles (anabolism), instead of using energy (catabolism). This is due to insulin.

Carbohydrate addiction

Doctors tell us to exercise and diet to cut down on excess calories and glucose. But if we focus on calories, we don’t solve the exercise problem, we complicate it. The calories in the fat we eat result greater satiety than the calories in carbohydrates. Additionally, insulin and glucose together have the effect of activating dopamine of the mesolimbic reward system. This keeps us addicted to carbohydrates. Judging from your breakfast, the oatmeal and banana, and even the sugar in your milk, keep your insulin high. This is probably why you don’t want to give up your daily breakfast routine. In poor countries, diets are abundant in carbohydrates for their low cost. In developed countries, junk food is rich in carbohydrates because that is what the public demands. Don’t miss my previous video on carbohydrate addiction by activating the link in the upper right corner of your screen.

Lack of Motivation for Exercise

Where then do we get the energy to exercise? Why are we so lazy if we eat carbohydrates in abundance? Insulin puts us in an anabolic state, that is, a state of rebuilding in which our bodies seek rest. How do you feel after a banquet like Christmas or Thanksgiving? Your body wants to integrate absorbed nutrients and conserve energy. If you are addicted to carbohydrates, you will have multiple meals, snacks, and cravings throughout the day. The effect is that your basal insulin is kept elevated. By the way, insulin also reduces the secretion of somatotropin (the growth hormone). This hormone would help you with physical performance and muscle hypertrophy. If you go to sleep with elevated insulin, you are unlikely to secrete Somatotropin which occurs during sleep. Laziness is the result of hyperinsulinemia and carbohydrate dependence.

Where do we get the Energy?

Diets that reduce the number of calories are not effective because they do not supply the energy we need. Three meals with fewer calories still keep insulin high, anyway. Another option is to reduce your carbohydrate intake and increase your fat intake. This is the popular ketogenic diet. Although it has advantages, such as satiety, it is going to be difficult if you are addicted to carbohydrates. Also, if the energy you need comes from glucose, is it possible to exercise without carbohydrates in the diet? There is another source of energy that your doctor has not considered. It’s a source that few of us know how to use that comes from body fat: ketones. This is the principle behind the ketogenic diet. The only downside is that if you eat 3 times a day, you still stimulate insulin, even if you eat protein and fat only. It also requires a very radical diet change.

What is the solution?

The secret is in the Metabolic Switch. This is the way to activate our body fat as an energy source. In this way we replace carbohydrates as the main source of energy, without eliminating them from the diet, at least initially. To achieve the Switch, simply make a transition to one meal a day (OMAD) as a new lifestyle. OMAD will lower your basal insulin levels, every day of your life, if you stay on this regimen for the rest of your life. With OMAD, the mobilization of body fat and the production of ketones, will make exercise much more pleasant. So much so that you will enjoy your exercises like never before. Simply because you are going to have more energy and less insulin in your body. You should also do your exercises on an empty stomach. Do your exercises early in the morning, before having breakfast. Your one meal should be early in the day too. Thus your Somatotropin will be secreted without the obstruction of insulin at bedtime. The storage and utilization capacity of glucose in muscles and liver is limited and depleted in the fasting state. Not so ketones, which are also a more efficient source of energy for the brain, muscles and heart. The result will be an increase in your physical and mental performance.

Your specific case

Your lack of motivation for exercise is due to your dependence on glucose and your high insulin levels. Once you flip the Metabolic Switch you will be amazed at your exercise performance. In addition, doing exercises on an empty stomach will stimulate autophagy that has many benefits, such as the recycling of organelles, microorganisms and cellular debris.Your mitochondria, which are the center of cellular energy production, will be renewed daily. Therefore they will operate at maximum capacity. Don’t miss my previous video on autophagy by activating the link in the upper right corner of your screen. If you manage to maintain the OMAD regimen for 21 consecutive days, your addiction to carbohydrates and insulin will gradually decrease. It is important that you see OMAD as a permanent change in your life. You will begin to enjoy the process of losing weight and gaining energy. It will get easier and easier as time goes on, until you make OMAD your new lifestyle. The motivation will come from your ketones and your mobilization of body fat. With the physiological changes you will see an increase in your endurance and physical but also mental performance. Your zest for life and will to overcome all obstacles will increase. From your difficulties a new joy for living will be born and you will see that “life is looking up!”.