So goes the headline. No, let's not hasten to call it an outright lie. Mere inaccuracy or imprecision is not a lie. Lies are deliberate. Bush lied, people died. Hope and Change. Yes We Can. That sort of thing -- you know, evil lies. Here, GL, it's just sloppiness. The study did not look at the long-term impact of glycemic load on weight loss. It studied the effect of calorie restriction on weight loss, comparing higher and lower glycemic load diets. There was a minor advantage at six months, for low GL diets. At 12 months, there was no difference -- both yielded about an 8% weight loss.
It was a good study. Well designed. Here's another report on it, with an equally sloppy headline. Too bad then that the study is not reported carefully. Headlines matter. One can find them in a google search, and the first thing to appear will be these disturbing headlines, and if one does not apply the incisive edge of one's diamond-faceted intellect to the question, one might never know about the misreporting.
Calorie restriction, you see, is a confounding factor. It requires that one get fewer calories than one needs. The theory is that you will release stored body fat to make up the deficit. Under restrictive stress, however, could it not be that insulin levels are raised at the influx of even a smaller number of calories, thus washing out the low-glycemic benefit? You cannot metabolize stored body fat in the presence of excess insulin. It stands guard and keeps fat locked up. This study shows, then, that calorie restriction -- supposedly 30% less, but actually, with measured cheating, about 16% or 17% less -- allows for only an 8% weight loss in one full year. That's weight, not fat. Muscle and bone? Could be a problem, on a calorie restricted -- read nutrient restricted -- diet. For overweight people, 8% may be 20 pounds or more. But overweight people are more than 8% overweight. See? Calorie restriction is the wrong modality.
Eat enough. Change your insulin. Low glycemic load seems to do that. Test it, since you Americans are 67% likely to be overweight. Of course you are. So weigh yourself now, and write it down, and from now on write down approximately everything you eat. By "approximately" is meant: write down what you eat, and approximate the serving size. Drinks too. Don't count calories. But write down the glycemic load of the carbs.
Give FW the data. Let's build a data base. Keep the total load below 100 every day, the lower the better. Just google "glycemic load" and you'll find sites that give you GL rankings.
Some before and after pictures would be good too. It will be very embarrassing for you, but shirtless. Don't worry, it will get better. Why, you'll be an Adonis -- or at least a Narcissus. That must be a good thing, if you deserve it.
Be excellent.
Here: CrossFitBurbank.com
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