This is by far one of the best videos I have seen on health and nutrition in a very long time. I am a physician who emphasizes fitness and nutrition for my patients. However, it is difficult to explain what we all really know which is that processed foods are damaging when compared to whole foods even if calories are equated. This video explains that nuance in a very eloquent, yet scientifically rigorous manner. Thank you very much for this, I appreciate all that you do and you give me hope for the future of medical practice.🙏🏾
Hearing you express your emphasis on nutrition and activity gives ME hope, as a caregiver to elderly parents, who both suffered life threatening illnesses, as well as myself, during the time of the worst of the pandemic... When we see a doctor, they are mostly concerned about if we are taking our statins and BP meds... Never a question about nutrition for sure... When I share with them how we are eating home cooked, real food, low carb, no sodas or fruit juices, minimal processed garbage, no seed oils, etc., they act amused, and mildly patronizing, as if I told them about a good movie that we saw...!!! But they never ever ask, what we are eating, what's your diet like, or what kind of activity levels we engage in... It's all about the meds.... And entering everything into the computer and seeing what the program (probably provided by the pharma folks) says to do...!!! They rarely even touch the patient, check ears nose mouth, listen to heart and breathing, check their extremities for abnormalities, etc... With eating real home cooked meals, as organic as possible, and engaging in targeted supplementation, after doing much exhaustive research, all of us have fantastic labs at this time, and I don't credit meds for it, whatsoever...!!! It is my belief that if we had continued with our previous Standard American Diet, and just did what the doctor said, we would all be sickly and unwell constantly As it is neither of us has had a substantial cold or illness for 2 years now, where previously we would all get some kind of cold or sickness every couple of months...!!! And additionally my dad's diabetes is probably 90% controlled by diet alone... Previously his diabetes was out of control...!!! So I urge you to continue in the good work that you're attempting to do...!!! 😇🙏👍
Patients need a target. Lowering ldl is a poor target. Lowering fasting glucose or a1c is a weak target because it is a downstream result of metabolic syndrome. An empowering target is HOMA-IR. There is no pill. There is one goal - do whatever it takes to minimize insulin response and that means minimizing carb intake. If you explain that to patients they can make an informed choice and understand what happens when they earn pizza or cup cakes.
I can't wait to hear Layne Norton's rambling response about this video. Nick is 100% correct. My metabolism was completely broken and the only way I could fix it was through fasting, low to near zero carbs, and walking. And, something that is seldom discussed is the need to "reduce food noise" through lowering carbs and reducing or removing sugar. It makes a massive difference.
I give 20:1 odds he won't respond. Last time he did, it went poorly for him. And after that he "swore" never to engage with me on any social media... surprise... he's kept that promise...
THIS unconventional video is a breath of fresh air! D.A.D.s (dumb-ass-doctors) did their level best to kill me with variations of low protein, low-fat diets. During the three decades that I complied with conventional main-stream dietary advice, my weight spiralled along with my diabetes. I was well over 350 pounds on my 5'3" frame. I layered long-acting and short-acting insulin, and still had an A1c of over 13. I was on oxygen 24/7, I had a CPAP so I wouldn't smother in my own fat during sleep, I was prescribed 9 different medications. After I was widowed, I decided that I was bound to meet up with my husband soon, so screw it; I would eat whatever I wanted. Avocado salad topped with crumbled bacon, eggs, pork chops, crispy chicken WITH the entire delectable skin. Against everything I had been led to believe, I lost weight. I was not on a classic ketogenic diet - I ate lots of protein. I down about 130 to 150 grams of protein a day. I realised very early on that eliminating all starches and starchy vegetables made me feel better (although giving up potatoes hurt my Irish heart, I'm really better off without them). My doctors were horrified. "You'll get gout eating that much meat!" My uric acid levels are low. "Your blood lipids will shoot sky-high!" I'm in the bottom 10% of the normal range for triglycerides and LDL; and middle of the range for HDL. "Oh my God, you shouldn't eat that much protein, you'll destroy your kidneys!" My kidney function is perfect. "Oh, no, you'll give yourself fatty liver disease and end up with a gall bladder attack!" My liver panel is perfect, no threat of impending gall bladder disease. My doctor (who is not yet 40) said, "Damn! I wish I had your numbers." Yet, at my first check-in with my new doctor (I just moved Prescott, AZ) I was advised to go pescatarian, because my high protein diet wasn't healthy for me. I'm searching for a new doctor. Bottom line: Never believe the D.A.D.s! N of 1 experimentation is the way to go!
I'm really sorry you have that experience with your medical team. I know not all doctors aren't like that. But I've heard enough stories like your to believe your experience is horrifyingly common. And a golden rule of medicine: always listen to the patient.
@@nicknorwitzPhD Thank you. What never fails to amaze me is that every clinician knows that there is a wide range of response to medication (substances we consume by the microgram) whilst simultaneously believing that there is one universal response to food restriction (substances we consume by the pound). And they continue to believe that nonsense in spite of evidence to the contrary (straight calorie restriction combined with increased exercise works long term less than 2% of the time). Any other therapy with that low of a cure rate would have been abandoned long ago, or dismissed as quackery. But mainstream R.D.s and doctors - INCLUDING endocrine specialists - continue to cling to the long-discredited calories-in-calories-out model. It's sad.
Thanks for this, Nick. I'm in my 50's and I've been obese most of my life. I've lost and gained hundreds of pounds over the years, and I am currently dangerously morbidly obese. What you are saying is what I have suspected is the truth for several years now. I'm hoping to implement a very low carb diet with intermittent fasting (to give my insulin plenty of time to come down between meals) so that I can spend my later years more comfortable and active. I'm following along and taking notes.
Thanks for your courage in sharing. I know how hard that can be… Although from different experiences. I’m wishing you luck on your journey and know you can do it! Also, you should follow Dave Danna if you don’t already
Thanks, Nick. I'll give Dave a follow. I've lost 3 more pounds since I wrote this comment, which puts me over 40 pounds of lost fat since the end of June. In the next week or two, I'm hoping to be under 500 pounds for the first time in 4 or 5 years.
Love the analogy of turning the "wind at your back" by shifting focus away from "calories in, calories out" toward the more complex (and accurate) physiology. The point about caloric balance being downstream of hormonal and metabolic drivers, rather than the primary factor, is exigent. Oh, and it was great being a fellow judge with you at the recent ekkolapto event, Nick.
I have been learning *so much* from your channel the last few weeks, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us and being Science and Evidence-Based. As someone who has struggled with issues lately, I have been rehab'ing myself and this Hormone focus has led me here.
He is 100% right. I’ve been on a five-year journey on keto and fasting, and after you get adapted, took me about a year, it is easy as sailing with the wind at your back just like he said. It’s all about the horror moans forget calories in calories out. I can’t calories for two years and didn’t keep a pound off. Good job Doc.
I don’t eat “cued by hunger” because I don’t get hungry! It’s amazing. Months of keto and IF, and i don’t get hungry, even after exercise. I eat two meals a day out of joy and pleasure and knowledge that my body needs nutrients, but not out of hunger.
I would also add eliminate preservatives. Foods with preservatives are extremely difficult to digest, since the preservatives are there to prevent breakdown (digestion). Since we don't get enough energy from the food, we have a tendency to overeat to compensate.
Nick, I am so appreciative that you are interacting with us, your viewers... 😎✨💫👍 It's not like we can ask our doctors these questions, lol🤔 I have learned so much just reading the comments and your responses on all your videos...!!! Thanx-a-million...!!!
I don't think this was an unconventional video for you at all. To me, it was a well thought out and articulated presentation of the information, that you always provide. Information that is well informed and interpreted by yourself, without ever saying yours is the be all end all, absolute truth that we all must acquiesce to.
A beautiful video. We know you as a clear & concise presenter of information, but here especially, your passion & commitment to encouraging people's wellbeing shines through. That task, to give people courage, when the informational environment is as overloaded & confusing as the grocery store, is no mean thing to embark upon. Thank you. 👌
Thanks for the video, sir! In this video, Nick challenges the traditional view of calories and metabolism, explaining why focusing solely on calories might be wrong. They provide practical advice to support metabolic health by looking at deeper processes in the body instead of just counting calories. --- The Calories Myth Nick explains that calories alone don’t cause obesity. Traditional wisdom says weight change is determined by calories in minus calories out, but they argue that hormones and body responses are actually more central. For example, some people can eat a lot without gaining weight, while others gain weight easily. This difference is due to how different bodies handle energy, not just the number of calories consumed. Misleading Studies on Diets Short-term diet studies can be misleading since they don’t allow time for full metabolic adaptation. For example, a 2021 study initially showed that low-fat diets led to more weight loss than low-carb diets, but later analysis revealed the true driver was how the body adjusted to each diet phase. Nick suggests that the body’s adaptation to diet changes-not calorie count alone-determines weight changes in the long run. --- Four Tips to Support Your Metabolism 1. Avoid Processed Foods Processed foods, including artificial sweeteners, can harm metabolism by causing insulin resistance and hormonal imbalances. These effects can hinder weight control over time, even if the products are low-calorie. 2. Reduce Sugar and Refined Carbs Cutting down on sugar and refined carbs helps avoid insulin spikes that create false hunger. The body can end up in an energy-deficit loop, pushing more energy into fat stores while signaling hunger, even when you don’t actually need more nutrients. 3. Exercise Regularly Exercise, including both cardio and strength training, improves the quality of muscle and fat tissue and helps regulate hormones that control hunger and mood. Beyond just fat loss, exercise can help stabilize energy levels and even reduce anxiety, making it easier to maintain a balanced diet and lifestyle. 4. Embrace Progressive Challenges Treating metabolic health as a journey can make it easier to challenge your body in a healthy way. This includes the disciplined use of fasting, variety in food choices, pushing physical limits, and viewing lifestyle changes as ongoing improvements instead of quick fixes. --- Key Takeaways - Calories alone don’t drive weight change. Hormones and energy-handling mechanisms in the body are key players. - Short-term diet studies can be misleading because they don’t reflect long-term metabolic adaptation to different diets. - Processed foods, even low-calorie ones, can create long-term metabolic issues due to hormonal disruption. - Sugar and refined carbs cause insulin-driven “hormonal hunger,” making it harder to identify true hunger signals. - Regular exercise improves hormone levels, body composition, and mental health, making weight management more sustainable. - Metabolic health depends on the body’s adaptations, meaning that no single diet is universally best without considering individual responses. - A long-term mindset shift can help with seeing diet and exercise as lifestyle changes rather than temporary efforts. --- Summary 1. Calories Don’t Directly Cause Obesity. Hormones and metabolic responses, rather than calories alone, are more significant in determining weight gain or loss. 2. Body’s Energy-Handling Varies. Differences in metabolism mean some people burn energy better than others, even with similar caloric intake. 3. Short-Term Studies Mislead. Research focusing only on short periods doesn’t account for the body’s long-term metabolic adaptations, which can lead to inaccurate conclusions about diets. 4. Processed Foods Affect Metabolism. Chemicals in processed foods and artificial sweeteners disrupt hormone levels, leading to long-term metabolic issues. 5. Refined Sugars Trigger Hormonal Hunger. High sugar intake causes insulin spikes, making the body crave food due to fat storage rather than real nutritional need. 6. Exercise Changes Hormones. Beyond calorie burn, exercise positively affects hormone levels and mental health, making weight control easier to maintain. 7. Metabolism Is About Adaptation. The body adjusts to different diets over time, meaning no single diet is universally effective without considering individual metabolic responses. 8. Mindset Shift Needed. A lasting metabolic health journey requires seeing health improvements as ongoing challenges rather than temporary efforts. #staycurious #chatgpt
I actually need this. I have a thyroid nodule classified as TIRADS 4, and I believe it's connected to a metabolism issue. I’ve already stopped consuming gluten and dairy, which has significantly helped; it completely resolved my migraines and daily headaches. I also lost 10 kg, but I’m still sedentary and dealing with high blood pressure and insulin resistance. I think that by addressing my metabolism, I can reverse these conditions.
You have the same inspiring, infectious enthusiasm for communicating this science to the masses as a young Spielberg had for movies when he sneaked inside that film studio!
Excellent video, as are essentially all of Nick’s videos. Not really teaching new concepts to followers of the channel, but good reinforcement, which is needed from time to time. Thanks.
Great video. You are one of the only online influencer that clearly communicates that the human metabolism is multifactorial and complex but calorie still form part of the complexity. I know people want easy one answer solution, be it just insulin, fructose, etc. and a lot of online influencers sell that idea but it's not that simple. Great work. My complexities are that I have had extreme food noise since early childhood. I never stop thinking about food and eating. I have been at my maintenance weight for many years now but it has been a long journey and the only thing that reduces the food noise is eating only one meal a day. I have tried every diet and nothing has helped with the food noise. Being at my maintenance weight or being obese doesn't change the food noise. The only time the food noise is reduced or gone for a short period is during a large food binge where I eat till I feel sickly full. I am happy that I have found a way to manage and accept the noise but understand that it may not be the case for many, but I would really love to understand the mechanisms behind my food noise.
I've always thought hunger is hormonal. The only times my appetite had a shut off valve was during pregnancies. Food noise has been in my thought pattern for over 50 years. Low carb and intermittent fasting helps. I have lost, regained, lost, regained 100+ pounds multiple times. Now discovering benefits of Allulose. I need to be careful with dosing due to getting adjusted to GI effects but my hunger switch is mostly turned off. Berberine, glucomannan, and other supplements did not have this effect.
@@carolcrawford5831 Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I have never tried allulose for the purpose of turning off food noise, will have to try.
I like listening to your theories and ideas ❤ The last one today made me think, that it's spoken by someone who already focus on the deeper mechanisms. Yes anybody can spend some time recalibrating their exercise etc... but eventually life takes over, obligations, people, work... life... and not everybody is or can stay this focused on themselves... unfortunately. Life happens 😊
Excellent video, one of your best for practicality and advice. So happy to see your subscription base growing so fast. One minor recommendation/concern. In your second point of advice, you said cutting sugar and "refined" carbs, but every piece of evidence you presented is for carbs (not just refined ones). I am a type 2 diabetic so I have to focus on all carbs that come without fiber (regardless if they are refined or not).
Great video!! We live in such a food obsessed society. If people saw a pie chart showing the amount of emotional energy, intellectual space and overall time sacrificed by them to the food theme in their lives they’d be horrified. It’s all unfortunately short sighted hedonism or cheap dopamine. Hard to drag addicts from their immediate high. That is new metabolic condition. A sugar coated brain disorder
Great video, very interesting. Over the last 10 months I’ve been on a journey and lost almost 100lbs. I’ve gone from a bmi of 46 to currently 30. For many years prior I tried to lose weight unsuccessfully and thought I was stuck with obesity. Then I started a carnivore diet. I lost a bit inconsistently and then added in fasting and the weight started to drop. I’ve done all four of the tips and the weight has dropped fast and consistently. However, in order for that to happen I had to keep calories low. If I even ate 1400 calories a day I would gain weight (even on strict carnivore) and even now I still have to keep calories low to lose weight and I feel like I’m not eating enough. I’ve had times where I’ve just eaten until full (protein and fat) but the weight piles on (I put 9lbs on in a week!) and it hasn’t done much if anything to fix the metabolism. My smart scales say my basal metabolic rate is 1500 calories which it states is low. I’m continuing to do what I’ve been doing to lose the rest of the weight but it is frustrating. My channel shares my journey and you can see a clear difference from my first video to now. Important to note a have mecfs, a mitochondrial disease so I’m not sure if that impacts my experience.
Just a personal anecdote. Currently still in short term/adjustment phase, but cutting all ultra processed foods out of my diet and focusing on protein and fat, HOWEVER not keto, I went from always hungry or craving eating maintenance calories in obesity, to only being hungry when necessary eating in a deficit. I was not tracking calories to restrict, only to be not go over previously and now to be aware of intake, I am not doing any intentional restriction. The only other change from upf is 20 minutes of movement after every meal (zone 1 - zone 2, nothing more). It feels so much better to trust and work with my body rather than feel like I'm fighting against it. If I eat and I'm still hungry after eating and moving around, I don't feel guilty to have a bit more because I trust it is necessary to function. Too early to note on weight loss or gain, but have noticed a stabilization in water weight, where as it used to swing 5 to 7lb any given day it hangs within 3 or 4lb differences now. I'm going to continue this experiment on myself, eating to hunger, for a few months or even a year before considering any other changes. If I remember this comment I'll report back every month or so. 😅
@@nicknorwitzPhD My favorite aspect of your channel is that while you believe in and endorse keto, you also give a spotlight to positive health outcomes of various strategies. It feels like a good place to share information on a variety of different dietary and lifestyle approaches striving towards better health. In short words, you aren't dogmatic which is a big draw rather than something that drives away. Good work 👍👍 two thumbs up
I really appreciate this. I met with a dietician for the first time this week because I wanted to make sure I was losing weight in a healthy manner and she encouraged me to go easy on the protein and drastically lower my fat intake. I crave fats even more than sugar and couldn't imagine avoiding avocados or only eating egg whites without their yolks. Carbs are really easy for me to reduce my consumption of.
Just a 2 quick questions... when you mention artificial sweeteners jacking insulin resistance ... does that include allulous? When fasting I put a tablespoon of RxSugar in my black coffee. What about stevia?... I take a scoop of EAAs post training and many of them include stevia or sucralose (I don't ingest sucralose).... great video Nick
@@AnneAlready He did a video on it a week or two ago and mentioned that RxSugar aka allulose actually drops blood glucose but I don't recall any mention if there was an effect on insulin
@@davidzaharik5408 I tested with a CGM and it definitely lowers my blood glucose a little. I do wonder if there might be some kind of insulin response due to the sweet taste though. I use 1 tsp glycine to sweeten my coffee....no blood glucose spike, but again I don't know for sure what insulin does. Ben Bikman says if your ketones stay high your insulin can't be raised so there's always the possibility of testing ketones I guess? (Assuming you're in ketosis). Hopefully Nick will chime in. :)
Allulose does not. Not an artificial sweetener. A Tbsp of Rx in black coffee during a fast is probably fine. In fact, the impact on IR will depend, in some cases, on whether carbs are also present. You can see the video I linked on the topic covering the 2020 Cell paper.
Great video. Additionally, I’d love to see a video on the impact of DNA on body composition and weight gain/loss as well. Just as many nutritional aspects need clarification, like you did here, I do miss a good summary of that aspect on the internet. And while anecdotally it feels like inheritance of certain traits seems a no brainer (parents body composition seems quite indicative to their kids’) I struggle to find anything scientific that sheds a light on that nature vs nurture discussion, especially in relation to the topics discussed here.
I love your videos! I hear what you are saying about artificial sweeteners, but coffee and tea are my two daily treasures. Please let us know if you have any tips on how to ditch the sweeteners or if any are safe. Allulose? Stevia?
Hi Nick, thank you for the exellent video (much needed)! You said no artificial sweeteners, what about the natural non- caloric sweeteners like allulose, stevia, or monkfruit (when unadulterated)?
Thanks. I think those are okay, and superior to Sucralose and Aspartame for the vast vast majority. For more on this see a recent video Thomas DeLauer just dropped with me on his channel
I've asked this before and you didn't think it was a contributor - but I'd like to broach deuterium again. Seems to me that the lower deuterium levels in fat (lowest) and protein (next lowest) as opposed to carbs and processed food (highest) could absolutely be contributing to this effect on metabolism. Could you also look into leptin resistance, and inverse relationship between vitamin D levels and circulating leptin?
@ thank you so much for the prompt response! We love to dehydrate bacon coated with allulose honey! You’re doing such a good job. We really appreciate your hard work, honesty and your being as objective as possible!
I feel like you talked slower and for that reason I really enjoyed it…I mean, I enjoy you anyways but usually i have to concentrate so so hard on what you’re saying but today it was very easy for me. Thank you
Nick, great video. Just want to mention that it's right there in your biochemistry textbook... gluconeogenesis is very energy wasteful. Something like 3x the energy is needed to produce glucose than is gotten back during its glycolosis. That's the obvious reason that we can eat a lot more calories when doing zero carb. If the brain needs , say, 300 kcal of glucose, we need 900 kcal of fat+protein to produce it via gluconeogenesis, right? Dg. Ps.. now isn't it obvious why peoples in cold climates can survive well on fat+protein... the extra energy goes into making heat. The laws of thermodynamics are beautiful!
Excellent video! Can you make some videos on some typical bad combinations of carb + other stuff. For example, I have noticed that if I eat a full slice of bread with butter and peanut butter, my glucose level is not going too high. But, if I eat just a small amount of fried fish with breaded crust, the glucose level goes much higher, particularly considering the total amount of the carb content that is way less than the bread. Maybe it is the seed oil? Any scientific reports on this? Thank you in advance!
Congratulations, Nick, on an absolutely superb video. Based on my own low carb success, I've come to the conclusion -- though only after years of racking my brain --that both paradigms (CICO and hormone-based fat loss) are correct and are actually different parts of the same model. I think you're maybe implying that here. For me, theoretically speaking, the CO part has always been the mysterious variable in the equation. Many, like Andrew Huberman for one, have referred to studies in which individuals of very similar metrics (sex, height, weight, average daily activity, etc.) have significantly different COs. In everyday life this is "my friend who eats whatever they want and never gains weight." A somewhat crude and hyperbolic example for illustrative purposes of the both-models -are-actually-the-same idea would be this. Take someone who is metabolically deranged and has eaten a SAD, or at least very high carb diet, for decades. And say their BMR is 2200. If they calorie restrict but keep carbs high, their BMR will not change (except maybe actually going slightly lower to account for the reduced energy input) and the body adapts and nothing much changes. Now that same person goes zero carb and their BMR shoots up by a thousand calories and they lose fat easily despite "eating more." Of course, the calorie delta is what ultimately matters not how much you eat. This example respects both theories and keeps everyone happy. This concept also rebuts the criticism of those taking issue with hormonal theories who point to fasting. They say, see what happens when you don't eat, you lose weight. But when you fast you are also zero carb, which tweaks those hormonal levers. I've also come to believe that the more metabolically healthy you are the more the simple CICO model applies. Naturally lean people simply don't "need" low carb or carnivore interventions -- at least for the purpose of fat loss.
Here's an anecdote that may help explain why many doctors/experts don't understand the complex energy pathways: I was perusing an MD's biochem textbook from college, and noticed all the yellow highlighter on the key points. However there was no highlighting in the entire chapter called Gluconeogenesis! I asked about that, and she said "i think we skipped that chapter" !!!. Because it's "unusual" and "glucose is the primary fuel"... nothing else needs to be studied...
I've made this argument for over 10 years and not a single person has understood that this is the case. I said its all about percentage of utilization. How much is going to fat storage, how much is going to muscle building, how much is going to generating inflammation, etc. If the proportioning changes (governed by hormones) then CICO is woefully incomplete in determining results.
Insulin resistance doesn’t mean something is broken? Does that mean it’s always reversible (temporarily out of order)? I’ve heard that ghrelin doesn’t normalize in people who’ve lost 100+ pounds, even a year after the weight loss had been maintained. Does that mean it’s broken?
Learning about how the body works is far more important than counting calories. Imagine if everyone understood the impacts of insulin, glucagon, epinephrine, cortisol, irisin, cholesin, ghrelin, leptin, etc! There is absolutely no reason for the average person to be obese and unwell.
Great analyis of the metabolic switches that control energy absorption. I don't experience a BG or ketone response from artifical sweetners. I may get a dopamine hit, but is that from the caffiene or a fake sugar blast. In any case, I am not seeing a metabolic feedback from that hit.
very early today cause it's a regional holiday in my state :) I am greatly interested in your content and as a biochemistrystudent I'll encounter most topics in any case so it's also a form of prestudy haha
I have since switched from a calorie-mindful to a hormone-mindful approach to my lifestyle. I’m not tall and according to the calorie model I should be eating not more than 2000 calories to not gain weight (fat). But I was eating (animal-based) almost twice that value everyday and my waistline stayed at size 27. 😂
Lesser than two evils in many cases. Not as good as fresh whole food. But I'm not going to say "good" or "bad" in just blatant terms. If you do eat canned foods, ideally try to get without BPA lining.
Probably good advice, yet taking it for five years still left me, personally, overweight. I was able to do 190 pound lat pulldowns and leg press 755, which was fun, and in weekends i did 12 miles in mountain terrain. Begged doctors for help, and they kept calling me a liar. Even suggested to one we continue the convo while running a 8- minute mile with me. He refused. Finally paid out if pocket for a BMR test. 900 calories burned at rest. It's a mystery to me, and again, no MD has ever shown curiosity. Used to be "move more, eat less" now it's "take dangerous drugs." Not asking for a solution, as after decades of trying them all, doubt there us one. Maybe all this to say, if you see an overweight person, quit thinking they have no self control or are lazy. There are more metabolic realities than are dreamt of in the low carb universe, it seems.
I'm a bit confused here Nick. About a week or so ago you did a video comparing aspartame vs sucralose sweetened sodas and you seemed to favor the aspartame sweetener but didn't appear to really oppose theis consumption in moderate doses. I usually will have one diet pepsi a day now based on that video. Did I miss something or will ANY consumption of aspartame disrupt the metabolism? What about stevia?
My metabolism is very broken! I am a type 2 diabetic and have been on a strict carnivore diet for over 2 years, I have lost over 90 lbs but my glucose is still way to high, I have no idea what to do. I am in the uk and mr dr rejects what I am trying to do, I go to gym, sauna, time restricted etc, …….hopefully I can learn from being here,!
@watchingthis I'm keto for almost 2 years. I meet the definition of LMHR and my FBG hasn't changed since I started. I've worn a CGM. My BG doesn't vary with the foods I eat. My BG goes up with lifting and down with cardio (EIH). But me FBG is upper 90s.
If you are strict as you say, I have no reason to doubt you, I suspect you might be eating to much protein. If you eat to much protein, the excess can turn to glucose using gluconeogenesis. Try 70%ish fat, 30%ish protein. If you're not on metformin, you can try and get that prescribed. I prefer barberine over metformin myself. Also, niacin(b3) flushing with tmg is good, in my opinion. I don't know your exercise level either. If it's low, try walking following meals and build up slowly. Good luck to you.
@@Santa-ny1yp I've wondered the same. I average over 13hrs of exercise every 30days and target 115g protein/day. If anything, I thought I might be too low.
What are your Hba1c doing since you started carnivore? Fasting insuline and HOMA-IR? The longer you were diabetic, the longer it will take to fix your body. You might benefit from supplements (potassium, magnesium, vit D3) and also make sure that you don't over do it on protein, get enough animal fat. Maybe ask your question during the live session with Dr berg (in 3 hours).
Hormetically stress your body through food, fasting, and exercise? What do you mean stress your body with food? Twinkies everyday? Could you elaborate?
So then I have a question for you: I have Hashimoto’s that swings between hyper and hypo (very recent development), and during a hyper phase gained 6 pounds. Feel hungry all the time. Is this a downstream hormonal result? And dang how do I kick it? I am about 95% ketogenic carnivore.
Yet another eggcellent discussion, Dr. Nick. Thanks for debunking that whole CICO | move-more-eat-less nonsense that a lot of these so-called influencers eggspouse.
He didn't debunk CICO, the first law stands untouched. He (and others) argue that calorie composition effects the NEAT, satiety response and waste energy such that calories in effects calories out. Thus the productive strategy is to eat foods that will naturally lead a person toward a healthy energy balance. Calories in is far from the whole story so simply counting them isn't enough.
Something that allways surprised me about those who preah CICO is that they never take into account in the equation calories from poop, so "calories out" is usually understimated
Each of these tips can be helpful for many people but are not achievable for all people. For example, some people have an underlying physiology that makes them more susceptible to addiction (including relapse after long periods of abstinence) to highly processed foods, sugar, and refined carbohydrates. The weight-reduced state in a person with obesity (where physiology is defending a high body fat level) can affect both overall appetitive drive as well as the reward system. For such individuals, tips 1 and 2 are a step better than telling them to lose weight by eating less calories but are not an approach will be sufficient or sustainable for everyone. Just as a person’s physiology can cause a failure of calorie counting, a person’s physiology can cause a failure of a lifestyle approach to altering physiology. There are people who benefit from additional treatments, beyond lifestyle, including medication and/or surgical therapies. I have no doubt that you are well meaning, but your conclusion is typical of a person who has naturally lean physiology, no personal experience with obesity, and a lack of a deep understanding of the science of obesity. It is not all or even primarily about mindset and decisions.
I do have more energy since I went low carb but funny enough I now poop very little. The fact that excess fat calories are pooped makes me think I might simply not be eating enough? Or at least not in a surplus
I spent decades starving myself fat and sick on 1200 low fat, high fibre calories a day. Had an active job and went to the gym daily. Could get 80,000 steps a day easily just at work. Barely fit a size 18. Have not counted calories in over 14 years now. Retired, so not near as active. No longer fat or sick. I removed seed oils and follow the old 1950s British diet in the prologue of Good Calories, Bad Calories.
@@andrejg3086As Jason Fung says, the body is a logical thing: why would it store fat to use in times of famine and then when that famine occurs, burn muscle instead of the fat it stored for that very purpose?
@@jackiedelvalle The body constantly needs protein for vital functions like repairing tissues and supporting the immune system. When protein intake from food is low the body has to find another source to meet these demands.
So as long as I’m doing all these things and exercising and eating well, does this mean once a week or so I can just have a big cheat meal and not track it in terms of the calorie balance for the week? Or am I pushing too far
Start swimming 30 minutes Biking 30 minutes Weight training 30 minutes And doing yoga for 30 minutes Every day. What could go wrong? You don't even have to edit your diet at first. You will start to crave a healthy life... And become a healthier person.
So legit is Erythritol bad for you then? I have been using it for years tho I have lost 40lbs over 6 month between keto and carnivore diet, but if it must go, then it will go.
This is by far one of the best videos I have seen on health and nutrition in a very long time. I am a physician who emphasizes fitness and nutrition for my patients. However, it is difficult to explain what we all really know which is that processed foods are damaging when compared to whole foods even if calories are equated. This video explains that nuance in a very eloquent, yet scientifically rigorous manner. Thank you very much for this, I appreciate all that you do and you give me hope for the future of medical practice.🙏🏾
Also* plant meats were no bueno shortly after
Hearing you express your emphasis on nutrition and activity gives ME hope, as a caregiver to elderly parents, who both suffered life threatening illnesses, as well as myself, during the time of the worst of the pandemic...
When we see a doctor, they are mostly concerned about if we are taking our statins and BP meds... Never a question about nutrition for sure...
When I share with them how we are eating home cooked, real food, low carb, no sodas or fruit juices, minimal processed garbage, no seed oils, etc., they act amused, and mildly patronizing, as if I told them about a good movie that we saw...!!! But they never ever ask, what we are eating, what's your diet like, or what kind of activity levels we engage in...
It's all about the meds....
And entering everything into the computer and seeing what the program (probably provided by the pharma folks) says to do...!!!
They rarely even touch the patient, check ears nose mouth, listen to heart and breathing, check their extremities for abnormalities, etc...
With eating real home cooked meals, as organic as possible, and engaging in targeted supplementation, after doing much exhaustive research, all of us have fantastic labs at this time, and I don't credit meds for it, whatsoever...!!!
It is my belief that if we had continued with our previous Standard American Diet, and just did what the doctor said, we would all be sickly and unwell constantly
As it is neither of us has had a substantial cold or illness for 2 years now, where previously we would all get some kind of cold or sickness every couple of months...!!! And additionally my dad's diabetes is probably 90% controlled by diet alone... Previously his diabetes was out of control...!!!
So I urge you to continue in the good work that you're attempting to do...!!! 😇🙏👍
Patients need a target. Lowering ldl is a poor target. Lowering fasting glucose or a1c is a weak target because it is a downstream result of metabolic syndrome.
An empowering target is HOMA-IR. There is no pill. There is one goal - do whatever it takes to minimize insulin response and that means minimizing carb intake. If you explain that to patients they can make an informed choice and understand what happens when they earn pizza or cup cakes.
I can't wait to hear Layne Norton's rambling response about this video. Nick is 100% correct. My metabolism was completely broken and the only way I could fix it was through fasting, low to near zero carbs, and walking. And, something that is seldom discussed is the need to "reduce food noise" through lowering carbs and reducing or removing sugar. It makes a massive difference.
I give 20:1 odds he won't respond. Last time he did, it went poorly for him. And after that he "swore" never to engage with me on any social media... surprise... he's kept that promise...
Lame Norton 😂
Good on you. No need to be snippy, though.
Rambling? You mean screaming...
@@helenahandkart1857 Me? Snippy? Never ;) ... snark and snip are spices ... don't overuse them ... but in the right dish ...
1. eliminate processed foods and artificial sweeteners.
2. reduce sugar and refined carbohydrate intake
3. Cardio and resistance training
4. exert hormetic stress
*hormetic
Yep good takeaways
@@JemyM Definitely not nonsense, follow #1 and your body will thank you.
@@JemyMWho cares ?
Thanks
Never apologize for "getting sentimental". Real emotion is a sign of real authenticity. This is what makes for real communication.
😍😍
This is one of your best and most important videos. Spread the heck out of this one everywhere
Thanks 🙏🏻
It is basically a call to unwind the 20th Century and boycott Berkshire Hathaway.
THIS unconventional video is a breath of fresh air! D.A.D.s (dumb-ass-doctors) did their level best to kill me with variations of low protein, low-fat diets. During the three decades that I complied with conventional main-stream dietary advice, my weight spiralled along with my diabetes. I was well over 350 pounds on my 5'3" frame. I layered long-acting and short-acting insulin, and still had an A1c of over 13. I was on oxygen 24/7, I had a CPAP so I wouldn't smother in my own fat during sleep, I was prescribed 9 different medications. After I was widowed, I decided that I was bound to meet up with my husband soon, so screw it; I would eat whatever I wanted. Avocado salad topped with crumbled bacon, eggs, pork chops, crispy chicken WITH the entire delectable skin. Against everything I had been led to believe, I lost weight. I was not on a classic ketogenic diet - I ate lots of protein. I down about 130 to 150 grams of protein a day. I realised very early on that eliminating all starches and starchy vegetables made me feel better (although giving up potatoes hurt my Irish heart, I'm really better off without them). My doctors were horrified. "You'll get gout eating that much meat!" My uric acid levels are low. "Your blood lipids will shoot sky-high!" I'm in the bottom 10% of the normal range for triglycerides and LDL; and middle of the range for HDL. "Oh my God, you shouldn't eat that much protein, you'll destroy your kidneys!" My kidney function is perfect. "Oh, no, you'll give yourself fatty liver disease and end up with a gall bladder attack!" My liver panel is perfect, no threat of impending gall bladder disease. My doctor (who is not yet 40) said, "Damn! I wish I had your numbers." Yet, at my first check-in with my new doctor (I just moved Prescott, AZ) I was advised to go pescatarian, because my high protein diet wasn't healthy for me. I'm searching for a new doctor. Bottom line: Never believe the D.A.D.s! N of 1 experimentation is the way to go!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing your story! Well done!
I'm really sorry you have that experience with your medical team. I know not all doctors aren't like that. But I've heard enough stories like your to believe your experience is horrifyingly common. And a golden rule of medicine: always listen to the patient.
@@nicknorwitzPhD Thank you. What never fails to amaze me is that every clinician knows that there is a wide range of response to medication (substances we consume by the microgram) whilst simultaneously believing that there is one universal response to food restriction (substances we consume by the pound). And they continue to believe that nonsense in spite of evidence to the contrary (straight calorie restriction combined with increased exercise works long term less than 2% of the time). Any other therapy with that low of a cure rate would have been abandoned long ago, or dismissed as quackery. But mainstream R.D.s and doctors - INCLUDING endocrine specialists - continue to cling to the long-discredited calories-in-calories-out model. It's sad.
Way to go ... 👍😎💯
@@bobwilkerson9760 Thanks! 🙂
Thanks for this, Nick. I'm in my 50's and I've been obese most of my life. I've lost and gained hundreds of pounds over the years, and I am currently dangerously morbidly obese. What you are saying is what I have suspected is the truth for several years now. I'm hoping to implement a very low carb diet with intermittent fasting (to give my insulin plenty of time to come down between meals) so that I can spend my later years more comfortable and active. I'm following along and taking notes.
Thanks for your courage in sharing. I know how hard that can be… Although from different experiences. I’m wishing you luck on your journey and know you can do it! Also, you should follow Dave Danna if you don’t already
Thanks, Nick. I'll give Dave a follow. I've lost 3 more pounds since I wrote this comment, which puts me over 40 pounds of lost fat since the end of June. In the next week or two, I'm hoping to be under 500 pounds for the first time in 4 or 5 years.
Love the analogy of turning the "wind at your back" by shifting focus away from "calories in, calories out" toward the more complex (and accurate) physiology. The point about caloric balance being downstream of hormonal and metabolic drivers, rather than the primary factor, is exigent. Oh, and it was great being a fellow judge with you at the recent ekkolapto event, Nick.
Thank you very much. And it was likewise a pleasure to meet you :).
Without a doubt, your best video yet. Delivery, format, etc. Well done.
Glad you think so!
I have been learning *so much* from your channel the last few weeks, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us and being Science and Evidence-Based. As someone who has struggled with issues lately, I have been rehab'ing myself and this Hormone focus has led me here.
Welcome welcome!
He is 100% right. I’ve been on a five-year journey on keto and fasting, and after you get adapted, took me about a year, it is easy as sailing with the wind at your back just like he said. It’s all about the horror moans forget calories in calories out. I can’t calories for two years and didn’t keep a pound off. Good job Doc.
Thanks Bill. Happy to hear about your successes
I don’t eat “cued by hunger” because I don’t get hungry! It’s amazing. Months of keto and IF, and i don’t get hungry, even after exercise. I eat two meals a day out of joy and pleasure and knowledge that my body needs nutrients, but not out of hunger.
I don't count calories. I do eat in a 6 hr window, and I do only eat beef, bacon,eggs with animal fats.
Sounds clean and simple. Effective?
@nicknorwitzPhD very
I do the same. Works very well.
Finally, at 0:44, someone is making metabolic issues a soar point instead of a sore point.
One of my favorite creators on this platform, Thank you Nick! I sincerely appreciate all you do. Keep it up man 💪
*Another Friday, another banger video from Nick Norwitz*
You know it!
Great video, Nick. Your videos are so full of the kind of truths we need about our bodies and how they function. Please not stop teaching us!
I’m not going anywhere!
I would also add eliminate preservatives. Foods with preservatives are extremely difficult to digest, since the preservatives are there to prevent breakdown (digestion). Since we don't get enough energy from the food, we have a tendency to overeat to compensate.
Preservatives = ultra-processed
Thank you for sharing this valuable information and making it understanable for the part of the population which did not study medicine. 😊
Glad it was helpful!
“[C]alories are the tires, not the steering wheel…they do not direct.”
Always enjoy Prof.Nick’s take on these highly controversial dietary issues.
Thank you 🙏🏻
Nick, I am so appreciative that you are interacting with us, your viewers... 😎✨💫👍
It's not like we can ask our doctors these questions, lol🤔
I have learned so much just reading the comments and your responses on all your videos...!!!
Thanx-a-million...!!!
Happy to bob!
Good to see your subscriber base growing fast. Well deserved. 20% a month growth from here and you’ll have a million subs by the holidays 2025!
Haha... love it! On to the gold play button... we will get there :)
I don't think this was an unconventional video for you at all. To me, it was a well thought out and articulated presentation of the information, that you always provide. Information that is well informed and interpreted by yourself, without ever saying yours is the be all end all, absolute truth that we all must acquiesce to.
Well stated. Thanks
A beautiful video. We know you as a clear & concise presenter of information, but here especially, your passion & commitment to encouraging people's wellbeing shines through. That task, to give people courage, when the informational environment is as overloaded & confusing as the grocery store, is no mean thing to embark upon. Thank you. 👌
So nice of you
Thanks for the video, sir!
In this video, Nick challenges the traditional view of calories and metabolism, explaining why focusing solely on calories might be wrong. They provide practical advice to support metabolic health by looking at deeper processes in the body instead of just counting calories.
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The Calories Myth
Nick explains that calories alone don’t cause obesity. Traditional wisdom says weight change is determined by calories in minus calories out, but they argue that hormones and body responses are actually more central. For example, some people can eat a lot without gaining weight, while others gain weight easily. This difference is due to how different bodies handle energy, not just the number of calories consumed.
Misleading Studies on Diets
Short-term diet studies can be misleading since they don’t allow time for full metabolic adaptation. For example, a 2021 study initially showed that low-fat diets led to more weight loss than low-carb diets, but later analysis revealed the true driver was how the body adjusted to each diet phase. Nick suggests that the body’s adaptation to diet changes-not calorie count alone-determines weight changes in the long run.
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Four Tips to Support Your Metabolism
1. Avoid Processed Foods
Processed foods, including artificial sweeteners, can harm metabolism by causing insulin resistance and hormonal imbalances. These effects can hinder weight control over time, even if the products are low-calorie.
2. Reduce Sugar and Refined Carbs
Cutting down on sugar and refined carbs helps avoid insulin spikes that create false hunger. The body can end up in an energy-deficit loop, pushing more energy into fat stores while signaling hunger, even when you don’t actually need more nutrients.
3. Exercise Regularly
Exercise, including both cardio and strength training, improves the quality of muscle and fat tissue and helps regulate hormones that control hunger and mood. Beyond just fat loss, exercise can help stabilize energy levels and even reduce anxiety, making it easier to maintain a balanced diet and lifestyle.
4. Embrace Progressive Challenges
Treating metabolic health as a journey can make it easier to challenge your body in a healthy way. This includes the disciplined use of fasting, variety in food choices, pushing physical limits, and viewing lifestyle changes as ongoing improvements instead of quick fixes.
---
Key Takeaways
- Calories alone don’t drive weight change. Hormones and energy-handling mechanisms in the body are key players.
- Short-term diet studies can be misleading because they don’t reflect long-term metabolic adaptation to different diets.
- Processed foods, even low-calorie ones, can create long-term metabolic issues due to hormonal disruption.
- Sugar and refined carbs cause insulin-driven “hormonal hunger,” making it harder to identify true hunger signals.
- Regular exercise improves hormone levels, body composition, and mental health, making weight management more sustainable.
- Metabolic health depends on the body’s adaptations, meaning that no single diet is universally best without considering individual responses.
- A long-term mindset shift can help with seeing diet and exercise as lifestyle changes rather than temporary efforts.
---
Summary
1. Calories Don’t Directly Cause Obesity. Hormones and metabolic responses, rather than calories alone, are more significant in determining weight gain or loss.
2. Body’s Energy-Handling Varies. Differences in metabolism mean some people burn energy better than others, even with similar caloric intake.
3. Short-Term Studies Mislead. Research focusing only on short periods doesn’t account for the body’s long-term metabolic adaptations, which can lead to inaccurate conclusions about diets.
4. Processed Foods Affect Metabolism. Chemicals in processed foods and artificial sweeteners disrupt hormone levels, leading to long-term metabolic issues.
5. Refined Sugars Trigger Hormonal Hunger. High sugar intake causes insulin spikes, making the body crave food due to fat storage rather than real nutritional need.
6. Exercise Changes Hormones. Beyond calorie burn, exercise positively affects hormone levels and mental health, making weight control easier to maintain.
7. Metabolism Is About Adaptation. The body adjusts to different diets over time, meaning no single diet is universally effective without considering individual metabolic responses.
8. Mindset Shift Needed. A lasting metabolic health journey requires seeing health improvements as ongoing challenges rather than temporary efforts.
#staycurious #chatgpt
I really appreciate your efforts here to distill this into a cliff notes version, thank you 😎👍💫✨
I actually need this. I have a thyroid nodule classified as TIRADS 4, and I believe it's connected to a metabolism issue. I’ve already stopped consuming gluten and dairy, which has significantly helped; it completely resolved my migraines and daily headaches. I also lost 10 kg, but I’m still sedentary and dealing with high blood pressure and insulin resistance. I think that by addressing my metabolism, I can reverse these conditions.
Watched this twice, very good content and I absolutely enjoy the way you explain things. Thank you, keep rocking! ❤
Thank you Alexandra 😍
You have the same inspiring, infectious enthusiasm for communicating this science to the masses as a young Spielberg had for movies when he sneaked inside that film studio!
I read this in Indiana Jones music started playing in my head
Thanks for flushing out the information at 13:05.
I trust Nick any day of the week. Thank you.🎉❤ such fascinating info! Reinforces that i am on the right food path.
You rock!
Excellent video, as are essentially all of Nick’s videos. Not really teaching new concepts to followers of the channel, but good reinforcement, which is needed from time to time. Thanks.
Happy to help :). Consider this an eye opener or a litmus test if your eyes are open already
Great video. You are one of the only online influencer that clearly communicates that the human metabolism is multifactorial and complex but calorie still form part of the complexity. I know people want easy one answer solution, be it just insulin, fructose, etc. and a lot of online influencers sell that idea but it's not that simple. Great work.
My complexities are that I have had extreme food noise since early childhood. I never stop thinking about food and eating. I have been at my maintenance weight for many years now but it has been a long journey and the only thing that reduces the food noise is eating only one meal a day. I have tried every diet and nothing has helped with the food noise. Being at my maintenance weight or being obese doesn't change the food noise. The only time the food noise is reduced or gone for a short period is during a large food binge where I eat till I feel sickly full. I am happy that I have found a way to manage and accept the noise but understand that it may not be the case for many, but I would really love to understand the mechanisms behind my food noise.
I've always thought hunger is hormonal. The only times my appetite had a shut off valve was during pregnancies. Food noise has been in my thought pattern for over 50 years. Low carb and intermittent fasting helps. I have lost, regained, lost, regained 100+ pounds multiple times. Now discovering benefits of Allulose. I need to be careful with dosing due to getting adjusted to GI effects but my hunger switch is mostly turned off. Berberine, glucomannan, and other supplements did not have this effect.
@@carolcrawford5831 Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I have never tried allulose for the purpose of turning off food noise, will have to try.
Excellent video Nick..you knocked it out of the park! Super helpful summary of how to get there! Well done
Glad it was helpful!
I like listening to your theories and ideas ❤ The last one today made me think, that it's spoken by someone who already focus on the deeper mechanisms. Yes anybody can spend some time recalibrating their exercise etc... but eventually life takes over, obligations, people, work... life... and not everybody is or can stay this focused on themselves... unfortunately. Life happens 😊
Excellent video, one of your best for practicality and advice. So happy to see your subscription base growing so fast. One minor recommendation/concern. In your second point of advice, you said cutting sugar and "refined" carbs, but every piece of evidence you presented is for carbs (not just refined ones). I am a type 2 diabetic so I have to focus on all carbs that come without fiber (regardless if they are refined or not).
Thank you… and on your comment I can answer in one word: “Diplomacy” … or two “Trojan Horse”
@@nicknorwitzPhDIndeed.
Great video!!
We live in such a food obsessed society. If people saw a pie chart showing the amount of emotional energy, intellectual space and overall time sacrificed by them to the food theme in their lives they’d be horrified. It’s all unfortunately short sighted hedonism or cheap dopamine. Hard to drag addicts from their immediate high.
That is new metabolic condition. A sugar coated brain disorder
Most people would look at the pie chart and just think “Mmmm, pie!” Sorry, I had to. 😂
@ 😂
Ha. Did you see by brain goo vid?
@@nicknorwitzPhD I did Nick. Watch them all.
Great video, very interesting. Over the last 10 months I’ve been on a journey and lost almost 100lbs. I’ve gone from a bmi of 46 to currently 30. For many years prior I tried to lose weight unsuccessfully and thought I was stuck with obesity. Then I started a carnivore diet. I lost a bit inconsistently and then added in fasting and the weight started to drop. I’ve done all four of the tips and the weight has dropped fast and consistently. However, in order for that to happen I had to keep calories low. If I even ate 1400 calories a day I would gain weight (even on strict carnivore) and even now I still have to keep calories low to lose weight and I feel like I’m not eating enough. I’ve had times where I’ve just eaten until full (protein and fat) but the weight piles on (I put 9lbs on in a week!) and it hasn’t done much if anything to fix the metabolism. My smart scales say my basal metabolic rate is 1500 calories which it states is low. I’m continuing to do what I’ve been doing to lose the rest of the weight but it is frustrating. My channel shares my journey and you can see a clear difference from my first video to now. Important to note a have mecfs, a mitochondrial disease so I’m not sure if that impacts my experience.
Good going for the success you have achieved. You’ll figure it out by paying attention to what works for you. Keep going! Wishing you well.
@@bonnieschmidt5882 thank you
Just a personal anecdote.
Currently still in short term/adjustment phase, but cutting all ultra processed foods out of my diet and focusing on protein and fat, HOWEVER not keto, I went from always hungry or craving eating maintenance calories in obesity, to only being hungry when necessary eating in a deficit. I was not tracking calories to restrict, only to be not go over previously and now to be aware of intake, I am not doing any intentional restriction.
The only other change from upf is 20 minutes of movement after every meal (zone 1 - zone 2, nothing more).
It feels so much better to trust and work with my body rather than feel like I'm fighting against it. If I eat and I'm still hungry after eating and moving around, I don't feel guilty to have a bit more because I trust it is necessary to function.
Too early to note on weight loss or gain, but have noticed a stabilization in water weight, where as it used to swing 5 to 7lb any given day it hangs within 3 or 4lb differences now.
I'm going to continue this experiment on myself, eating to hunger, for a few months or even a year before considering any other changes.
If I remember this comment I'll report back every month or so. 😅
Happy to hear all this :).
@@nicknorwitzPhD My favorite aspect of your channel is that while you believe in and endorse keto, you also give a spotlight to positive health outcomes of various strategies.
It feels like a good place to share information on a variety of different dietary and lifestyle approaches striving towards better health.
In short words, you aren't dogmatic which is a big draw rather than something that drives away. Good work 👍👍 two thumbs up
@@BasedZoomer Thanks Based Zoomer! So kind!
It's crazy how many people believe that it's as simple as calories in - calories out, even to this day.
Indeed
Well since it's still pushed by every doctor, most influencers, and most dietitians, of course people believe it's only calories.
@@lnsuvasquez2466And govts and msm
@lnsuvasquez2466 and it's on the packaging in the UK in small print below the "healthy low fat" headline 😂
Thanks Nick, interesting and thought provoking. I really enjoy your work 👍🇬🇧
Many thanks!
I really appreciate this. I met with a dietician for the first time this week because I wanted to make sure I was losing weight in a healthy manner and she encouraged me to go easy on the protein and drastically lower my fat intake. I crave fats even more than sugar and couldn't imagine avoiding avocados or only eating egg whites without their yolks. Carbs are really easy for me to reduce my consumption of.
Too bad you had to pay for that S.A.D advice.
Going easy on the protein was ok advice. For the rest, ditch the carbs entirely would have been better advice.
Just a 2 quick questions... when you mention artificial sweeteners jacking insulin resistance ... does that include allulous? When fasting I put a tablespoon of RxSugar in my black coffee. What about stevia?... I take a scoop of EAAs post training and many of them include stevia or sucralose (I don't ingest sucralose).... great video Nick
I would like to know his opinion on allulose too.
@@AnneAlready He did a video on it a week or two ago and mentioned that RxSugar aka allulose actually drops blood glucose but I don't recall any mention if there was an effect on insulin
@@davidzaharik5408 I tested with a CGM and it definitely lowers my blood glucose a little. I do wonder if there might be some kind of insulin response due to the sweet taste though. I use 1 tsp glycine to sweeten my coffee....no blood glucose spike, but again I don't know for sure what insulin does. Ben Bikman says if your ketones stay high your insulin can't be raised so there's always the possibility of testing ketones I guess? (Assuming you're in ketosis).
Hopefully Nick will chime in. :)
@@AnneAlready Exactly my concern as well Anne.
Allulose does not. Not an artificial sweetener. A Tbsp of Rx in black coffee during a fast is probably fine. In fact, the impact on IR will depend, in some cases, on whether carbs are also present. You can see the video I linked on the topic covering the 2020 Cell paper.
Love this video. Specific actionable advice.
Thanks! 🙏🏻
Great video. Additionally, I’d love to see a video on the impact of DNA on body composition and weight gain/loss as well. Just as many nutritional aspects need clarification, like you did here, I do miss a good summary of that aspect on the internet. And while anecdotally it feels like inheritance of certain traits seems a no brainer (parents body composition seems quite indicative to their kids’) I struggle to find anything scientific that sheds a light on that nature vs nurture discussion, especially in relation to the topics discussed here.
I love your videos! I hear what you are saying about artificial sweeteners, but coffee and tea are my two daily treasures. Please let us know if you have any tips on how to ditch the sweeteners or if any are safe. Allulose? Stevia?
I think Allulose and Stevia and #1 and 2. Keep in mind neither are artificial sweeteners.
Can’t get enough of this guy!
Cheers :)
Class explanation as always. Buzzing for the light videos
Me too :)
Interesting username 👍
@bobwilkerson9760 part of a wide band of wilkie's
Hi Nick, thank you for the exellent video (much needed)!
You said no artificial sweeteners, what about the natural non- caloric sweeteners like allulose, stevia, or monkfruit (when unadulterated)?
Thanks. I think those are okay, and superior to Sucralose and Aspartame for the vast vast majority. For more on this see a recent video Thomas DeLauer just dropped with me on his channel
I've asked this before and you didn't think it was a contributor - but I'd like to broach deuterium again. Seems to me that the lower deuterium levels in fat (lowest) and protein (next lowest) as opposed to carbs and processed food (highest) could absolutely be contributing to this effect on metabolism. Could you also look into leptin resistance, and inverse relationship between vitamin D levels and circulating leptin?
Would also like this answer.,. Thanks in advance
Would you exclude allulose in order to stabilize metabolism?
Not necessarily. I see it as a potentially useful tool for many. ua-cam.com/video/pr93EsEV2bM/v-deo.html
@ thank you so much for the prompt response! We love to dehydrate bacon coated with allulose honey! You’re doing such a good job. We really appreciate your hard work, honesty and your being as objective as possible!
117K followers now Dr N! Great work. I remember when you were at 29k. Will be 1 million this time next year.
Hope so! Thanks for the continued support.
I feel like you talked slower and for that reason I really enjoyed it…I mean, I enjoy you anyways but usually i have to concentrate so so hard on what you’re saying but today it was very easy for me. Thank you
Nick, great video. Just want to mention that it's right there in your biochemistry textbook... gluconeogenesis is very energy wasteful. Something like 3x the energy is needed to produce glucose than is gotten back during its glycolosis. That's the obvious reason that we can eat a lot more calories when doing zero carb. If the brain needs , say, 300 kcal of glucose, we need 900 kcal of fat+protein to produce it via gluconeogenesis, right? Dg. Ps.. now isn't it obvious why peoples in cold climates can survive well on fat+protein... the extra energy goes into making heat. The laws of thermodynamics are beautiful!
Excellent video! Can you make some videos on some typical bad combinations of carb + other stuff. For example, I have noticed that if I eat a full slice of bread with butter and peanut butter, my glucose level is not going too high. But, if I eat just a small amount of fried fish with breaded crust, the glucose level goes much higher, particularly considering the total amount of the carb content that is way less than the bread. Maybe it is the seed oil? Any scientific reports on this? Thank you in advance!
Love the actionable tips!
Glad you like them!
How do we feel about dairy? Types and quantity.
Unconventional or not, it was brilliant. Thanks!!
Glad you liked it! Thanks for the super thanks!
Thank you so much. This was so helpful and encouraging
Is this the same premise as Jason Fung’s thoughts on CICO not being valid?
Congratulations, Nick, on an absolutely superb video. Based on my own low carb success, I've come to the conclusion -- though only after years of racking my brain --that both paradigms (CICO and hormone-based fat loss) are correct and are actually different parts of the same model. I think you're maybe implying that here.
For me, theoretically speaking, the CO part has always been the mysterious variable in the equation. Many, like Andrew Huberman for one, have referred to studies in which individuals of very similar metrics (sex, height, weight, average daily activity, etc.) have significantly different COs. In everyday life this is "my friend who eats whatever they want and never gains weight."
A somewhat crude and hyperbolic example for illustrative purposes of the both-models -are-actually-the-same idea would be this. Take someone who is metabolically deranged and has eaten a SAD, or at least very high carb diet, for decades. And say their BMR is 2200. If they calorie restrict but keep carbs high, their BMR will not change (except maybe actually going slightly lower to account for the reduced energy input) and the body adapts and nothing much changes. Now that same person goes zero carb and their BMR shoots up by a thousand calories and they lose fat easily despite "eating more." Of course, the calorie delta is what ultimately matters not how much you eat.
This example respects both theories and keeps everyone happy. This concept also rebuts the criticism of those taking issue with hormonal theories who point to fasting. They say, see what happens when you don't eat, you lose weight. But when you fast you are also zero carb, which tweaks those hormonal levers.
I've also come to believe that the more metabolically healthy you are the more the simple CICO model applies. Naturally lean people simply don't "need" low carb or carnivore interventions -- at least for the purpose of fat loss.
Thanks Nick. Good talk
Thanks!
Here's an anecdote that may help explain why many doctors/experts don't understand the complex energy pathways: I was perusing an MD's biochem textbook from college, and noticed all the yellow highlighter on the key points. However there was no highlighting in the entire chapter called Gluconeogenesis! I asked about that, and she said "i think we skipped that chapter" !!!. Because it's "unusual" and "glucose is the primary fuel"... nothing else needs to be studied...
Hi Nick, can you do a video on dry fasting? Dr. August Dunning is a good resource. Would love to hear from you 😊
I am doing the intense exercise, 5 days a week I am having a hard time getting my health anxiety under control, its sabotaging my fat loss.
Excellent content Nick, thanks a lot 🙏
Cheers :).
I've made this argument for over 10 years and not a single person has understood that this is the case. I said its all about percentage of utilization. How much is going to fat storage, how much is going to muscle building, how much is going to generating inflammation, etc. If the proportioning changes (governed by hormones) then CICO is woefully incomplete in determining results.
Thank you Nick!
My pleasure!
That's a great argument about CI/CO... shown to be false in mice, and so shown to be false.
In its classical sense - yes.
Insulin resistance doesn’t mean something is broken? Does that mean it’s always reversible (temporarily out of order)? I’ve heard that ghrelin doesn’t normalize in people who’ve lost 100+ pounds, even a year after the weight loss had been maintained. Does that mean it’s broken?
Learning about how the body works is far more important than counting calories. Imagine if everyone understood the impacts of insulin, glucagon, epinephrine, cortisol, irisin, cholesin, ghrelin, leptin, etc! There is absolutely no reason for the average person to be obese and unwell.
Great analyis of the metabolic switches that control energy absorption. I don't experience a BG or ketone response from artifical sweetners. I may get a dopamine hit, but is that from the caffiene or a fake sugar blast. In any case, I am not seeing a metabolic feedback from that hit.
In a future episode could you go more in depth about point #4 Hermetically stress. . . ?
very early today cause it's a regional holiday in my state :) I am greatly interested in your content and as a biochemistrystudent I'll encounter most topics in any case so it's also a form of prestudy haha
I have since switched from a calorie-mindful to a hormone-mindful approach to my lifestyle. I’m not tall and according to the calorie model I should be eating not more than 2000 calories to not gain weight (fat). But I was eating (animal-based) almost twice that value everyday and my waistline stayed at size 27. 😂
Funny how that works
What do you think about canned food like canned chicken breast? Is that processed food? Is it healthy?
Lesser than two evils in many cases. Not as good as fresh whole food. But I'm not going to say "good" or "bad" in just blatant terms. If you do eat canned foods, ideally try to get without BPA lining.
Lane Norton’s going to loose his shit with this video 🤣
Collateral 🤷🏽♂️… anytime he wants to have a serious it down, I’m happy to have a collegial discussion
Probably good advice, yet taking it for five years still left me, personally, overweight. I was able to do 190 pound lat pulldowns and leg press 755, which was fun, and in weekends i did 12 miles in mountain terrain. Begged doctors for help, and they kept calling me a liar. Even suggested to one we continue the convo while running a 8- minute mile with me. He refused.
Finally paid out if pocket for a BMR test. 900 calories burned at rest. It's a mystery to me, and again, no MD has ever shown curiosity. Used to be "move more, eat less" now it's "take dangerous drugs."
Not asking for a solution, as after decades of trying them all, doubt there us one. Maybe all this to say, if you see an overweight person, quit thinking they have no self control or are lazy.
There are more metabolic realities than are dreamt of in the low carb universe, it seems.
You did keto/low carb/fasting for 5y while exercising and stayed obese?
I'm a bit confused here Nick. About a week or so ago you did a video comparing aspartame vs sucralose sweetened sodas and you seemed to favor the aspartame sweetener but didn't appear to really oppose theis consumption in moderate doses. I usually will have one diet pepsi a day now based on that video. Did I miss something or will ANY consumption of aspartame disrupt the metabolism? What about stevia?
My metabolism is very broken! I am a type 2 diabetic and have been on a strict carnivore diet for over 2 years, I have lost over 90 lbs but my glucose is still way to high, I have no idea what to do. I am in the uk and mr dr rejects what I am trying to do, I go to gym, sauna, time restricted etc, …….hopefully I can learn from being here,!
Think of your stored fat as stored sugar...
Your glucose will be high until you empty your body
@watchingthis I'm keto for almost 2 years. I meet the definition of LMHR and my FBG hasn't changed since I started. I've worn a CGM. My BG doesn't vary with the foods I eat. My BG goes up with lifting and down with cardio (EIH). But me FBG is upper 90s.
If you are strict as you say, I have no reason to doubt you, I suspect you might be eating to much protein. If you eat to much protein, the excess can turn to glucose using gluconeogenesis. Try 70%ish fat, 30%ish protein. If you're not on metformin, you can try and get that prescribed. I prefer barberine over metformin myself. Also, niacin(b3) flushing with tmg is good, in my opinion. I don't know your exercise level either. If it's low, try walking following meals and build up slowly. Good luck to you.
@@Santa-ny1yp I've wondered the same. I average over 13hrs of exercise every 30days and target 115g protein/day. If anything, I thought I might be too low.
What are your Hba1c doing since you started carnivore? Fasting insuline and HOMA-IR? The longer you were diabetic, the longer it will take to fix your body. You might benefit from supplements (potassium, magnesium, vit D3) and also make sure that you don't over do it on protein, get enough animal fat. Maybe ask your question during the live session with Dr berg (in 3 hours).
Point 4 sums up the whole idea
Hormetically stress your body through food, fasting, and exercise? What do you mean stress your body with food? Twinkies everyday? Could you elaborate?
So then I have a question for you: I have Hashimoto’s that swings between hyper and hypo (very recent development), and during a hyper phase gained 6 pounds. Feel hungry all the time. Is this a downstream hormonal result? And dang how do I kick it? I am about 95% ketogenic carnivore.
Yet another eggcellent discussion, Dr. Nick. Thanks for debunking that whole CICO | move-more-eat-less nonsense that a lot of these so-called influencers eggspouse.
I know 😉
He didn't debunk CICO, the first law stands untouched. He (and others) argue that calorie composition effects the NEAT, satiety response and waste energy such that calories in effects calories out. Thus the productive strategy is to eat foods that will naturally lead a person toward a healthy energy balance. Calories in is far from the whole story so simply counting them isn't enough.
@@jaymckoskey25 The CICO model is way too simplistic and does not consider the hormonal effects of insulin, leptin, ghrelin, cortisol, et al.
Yes yes yes !!! I need a mind shift Nick !
Join us ;) ...
Something that allways surprised me about those who preah CICO is that they never take into account in the equation calories from poop, so "calories out" is usually understimated
CICO is surely a shitty way to view obesity ;)
Each of these tips can be helpful for many people but are not achievable for all people. For example, some people have an underlying physiology that makes them more susceptible to addiction (including relapse after long periods of abstinence) to highly processed foods, sugar, and refined carbohydrates. The weight-reduced state in a person with obesity (where physiology is defending a high body fat level) can affect both overall appetitive drive as well as the reward system. For such individuals, tips 1 and 2 are a step better than telling them to lose weight by eating less calories but are not an approach will be sufficient or sustainable for everyone. Just as a person’s physiology can cause a failure of calorie counting, a person’s physiology can cause a failure of a lifestyle approach to altering physiology. There are people who benefit from additional treatments, beyond lifestyle, including medication and/or surgical therapies. I have no doubt that you are well meaning, but your conclusion is typical of a person who has naturally lean physiology, no personal experience with obesity, and a lack of a deep understanding of the science of obesity. It is not all or even primarily about mindset and decisions.
I do have more energy since I went low carb but funny enough I now poop very little. The fact that excess fat calories are pooped makes me think I might simply not be eating enough? Or at least not in a surplus
Sounds nice, tbh... not having to poop at all would be a pretty awesome superpower... funny, but for real.
Preach it brother! I really liked the idea that the metabolic journey is a "privilege".
Indeed it is! Anyone who has ever been truely sick will understand this
Thanks Doc, well done, shared!
Much appreciated!
I spent decades starving myself fat and sick on 1200 low fat, high fibre calories a day. Had an active job and went to the gym daily. Could get 80,000 steps a day easily just at work. Barely fit a size 18.
Have not counted calories in over 14 years now. Retired, so not near as active. No longer fat or sick.
I removed seed oils and follow the old 1950s British diet in the prologue of Good Calories, Bad Calories.
What duration of fast would you recommend?
It really depends on what your goals are...
@@nicknorwitzPhD Do you have any videos about fasting? Doesn't prolonged fasting cause a decrease in muscle mass?
@@andrejg3086As Jason Fung says, the body is a logical thing: why would it store fat to use in times of famine and then when that famine occurs, burn muscle instead of the fat it stored for that very purpose?
@@jackiedelvalle The body constantly needs protein for vital functions like repairing tissues and supporting the immune system. When protein intake from food is low the body has to find another source to meet these demands.
So as long as I’m doing all these things and exercising and eating well, does this mean once a week or so I can just have a big cheat meal and not track it in terms of the calorie balance for the week? Or am I pushing too far
Thank you Mr.Norwitz
A Dr Evil quote is coming to mind 🙈😂
Start swimming 30 minutes
Biking 30 minutes
Weight training 30 minutes
And doing yoga for 30 minutes
Every day.
What could go wrong?
You don't even have to edit your diet at first.
You will start to crave a healthy life...
And become a healthier person.
So i guess Lane Norton will have to find a new line of work
Not too concerned about Layne. He's been staying out of the way. But if he wants to tango ... I'm here :)
@@nicknorwitzPhDYessir... 😎👍
Awesome!!
Thanks
💯👍, all things count, context matters
The CICO crowd make it sound so simple & easy but their premise is flawed.
So legit is Erythritol bad for you then? I have been using it for years tho I have lost 40lbs over 6 month between keto and carnivore diet, but if it must go, then it will go.
What about your promotion of allulose? Isn't it an artificial sweetener? Should it be avoided?
It is not, no.