Always Hungry? summary

Most people assume that consuming fat is “fattening.” If that were the case, you could lose weight just by replacing your favorite foods with low-fat alternatives.

Such a diet would probably make you gain weight, however, because of the effects of insulin.

When you cut yourself, your body’s immune system immediately goes into action. The wounded tissue sends a chemical signal, alerting white blood cells to kill any harmful bacteria. The body’s immune response subsides once the tissue begins to heal.

Yet if you are obese, your immune response doesn’t function properly. The fat cells of obese people are constantly stressed, which keeps your immune system in perpetual attack mode. This loop triggers chronic inflammation in your body.

If you want to lose weight, forget about low-fat or low-calorie diets, as they’re just unhealthy. Follow these tips instead.

The first thing you need to do is make sure your body gets the correct nutrients. Nutrients are essential! If you don’t eat enough of them, your body keeps telling you to eat until you do.

So how do you develop the self-discipline to stick to your new, healthier lifestyle?

The first thing you need to do is learn to trust your body. Let it guide you and tell you when to eat.

Your new, healthier lifestyle starts with lowering your body’s insulin levels.

For two weeks, cut out any foods that might trigger cravings, those items that cause your body to produce too much insulin. These things typically include grain-based products, potatoes and processed foods with added sugar.

The second stage of your new, healthier lifestyle will last longer than the first. It could last a month, six months or even more, depending on your weight and how well your body responds to your diet.

Habituate your cells to healthy carbs by gradually introducing carbohydrates back into your diet and seeing how your body responds. Your cells at this point should be a bit more responsive to insulin after your diet’s first phase, so train them further by reintroducing unprocessed carbs, which will increase your body’s blood sugar levels a bit. The ratio of nutrients you should be aiming for at this stage is 40 percent fats, 25 percent protein and 35 percent carbohydrate.

Congratulations, you’re at the last stage! During this final stage, you’ll be able to mindfully choose healthy foods for yourself and apply the lessons you’ve learned to your daily life.

This means you can slowly reintroduce some processed carbohydrates and sweets into your diet. Pay careful attention to how your body reacts, however. Reintroduce one food item at a time, and don’t eat more than two modest portions of carbohydrates a day.