[@TheDiaryOfACEO] Fat Burning Expert: The Real Reason You Can’t Lose Weight! PCOS, Menopause & Stubborn Belly Fat

Link: https://youtu.be/3C185Gkgg0U

Short Summary

Number One Action Item/Takeaway:

Prioritize total daily protein intake above all else when trying to lose fat or gain muscle.

Executive Summary:

According to Alan Aragon, total daily protein intake is the most crucial factor for improving body composition; meal timing and protein distribution are secondary. Aim for 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of target body weight. For general weight loss, focus on creating a calorie deficit, high protein intake, resistance training, and limiting weight loss to 1% of total body weight per week to retain muscle.

Key Quotes

Okay, here are 5 quotes extracted from the YouTube video transcript, aiming for valuable insights, interesting data points, or strong opinions:

1. "The biggest myth is that they have the hierarchy of importance all screwed up. Like everybody's worried about how much protein per meal you need to have for this or that goal...The main thing they need to be focused on is how much protein do they need to eat by the end of the day? Because when you hit that goal, you've basically won the whole game. The the relative placement, the distribution, and the doses of the protein, the timing of it, oh man, it rarely matters."

2. "During the menopausal transition...there are changes physiologically and hormonally that can challenge a fitness program...So we would go for about half of that" [compared to the typical 1 pound/week fat loss].

3. "What I do is if I get kind of a craving or a nagging or a feeling like, 'Oh my god, I got to have some alcohol.' Then I just sit back and I think through the scenario in my mind of me drinking to my degree of satisfaction, degree of, you know, s-facedness and then I kind of picture that and then I picture how it might last for an hour or two...and then feel like hell the next morning...And then where did that get me? And so I just go through that scenario in my mind. And then when I'm done going through that scenario, it takes like a minute and I'm right back at uh where I need to be"

4. "There's something about the ketogenic diet that the majority of people who engage it just can't stick to. It's too restrictive for people...Even in uh vulnerable populations who would stand to benefit from from that level of restriction...at the 12 month point in the diet and sometimes at the six-month point, the keto group is now consuming about two to three times more carbohydrates than the original 50 gram assignment."

5. "So, if we look at the things people care about that don't freaking matter in terms of diet, they fixate on weird buzzwords like they fixate on not even they don't have to be weird words but like sugar for example.... But beyond all that, for forget about all the reasoning and stuff, let's look at the literature. Does fruit cause negative health consequences? Does it cause things like impaired blood glucose control? Does it cause obesity? Does it cause weight gain? Uh, it does the opposite of all those things."

Detailed Summary

Here's a detailed summary of the YouTube video transcript, focusing on the key topics, arguments, and information discussed:

• Introduction:

  • The video addresses popular, unanswered questions about fat loss and muscle gain.
  • Alan Aragon, a nutrition expert with over 30 years of experience, provides evidence-based advice.

• Alan Aragon's Background and Expertise:

  • 30+ years in the field: personal training, nutritional counseling, and research.
  • Contributed to 30+ publications including reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized control trials.
  • Worked with triple-digit individual clients and potentially quadruple-digit group clients.
  • Notable clients include Stone Cold Steve Austin, Derek Fisher, and Pete Sampras.

• Myth Busting Protein:

  • Myth: The timing of protein intake is crucial for muscle gain.
  • Reality: The most important factor is total daily protein intake. Meeting the daily protein goal is the "cake."
  • Distribution throughout the day is of secondary importance (the "icing").
  • Specific timing around workouts is of least importance compared to daily total.
  • Research supports that the total protein intake matters more than the timing of doses. Optimal protein intake is about 1.6 g per kilogram of body weight, which translates to .7 g per pound of body weight.

• Protein Intake Recommendations:

  • For muscle gain/fat loss (intermediate to advanced trainers): 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of target body weight.
  • Leaner individuals aiming to reduce body fat should lean toward the higher end of the range.
  • For women: Start at the lower end (1.6 g/kg) due to a higher proportion of body fat. Can increase if needed.

• Very High Protein Intake:

  • Studies show that very high protein intakes (3.3 to 4.4 g/kg of body weight) can help reduce body fat.
  • This line of research gave people the assignment to increase their their protein intake by 50% and add 80 to 100 grams of protein on top of their existing habitual dietary intakes.
  • High protein intake can lead to eating less carbohydrates

• Harms of Too Much Protein:

  • Rare in healthy individuals. Only a concern for those with pre-existing chronic kidney disease.
  • The human organism is perfectly well equipped to metabolize and handle high protein amounts.

• Animal vs. Plant Protein:

  • Animal proteins are generally more "anabolic" (stimulate muscle protein synthesis more potently) than plant proteins.
  • Once total daily protein is optimized, the source (animal vs. plant) seems to matter less for muscle size and strength gains.
  • One exception is mop protein, a fungus-based protein which actually outperformed milk protein for stimulating muscle protein synthesis.

• Protein Intake Strategy:

  • Easy ways to reach protein goals: whole foods and protein smoothies.
  • For most people in the general population, it is theoretically fine to consume all your protein in one meal.
  • For elite physique competitors or people aiming for maximal muscle protein synthesis, aim for 3-4 protein feedings per day for a better outcome.

• Top Unanswered Questions About Weight Loss (Answered by Alan):

  • How to lose weight fast: Aggressive calorie deficit (20-40% below maintenance), high protein, regular training. This defaults to relatively low carbohydrate, relatively low fat.
  • Why regain weight after stopping weight loss drugs (Ozempic, Wegovy): Appetite returns, lack of sustainable habits. Solution: Wean off the drug while reinforcing good habits and coping with hunger.
  • Is my metabolism damaged after dieting (adaptive thermogenesis): Metabolic adaptation is complex. Dieting decreases non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) and adaptive thermo reduction.
  • Best diet for long-term weight loss: The diet with enough protein, enough total calories, comprised predominantly of healthy food choices that fits the individual's personal preferences and tolerances.
  • How to lose belly fat specifically: Targeting total body fat is key. Diets lower in saturated fat may help reduce visceral fat (fat around the organs).
  • Menopause, why is fat loss harder and what actually works?: Physiological and hormonal changes make fitness programs more challenging to adhere to. The solution is lowering the expectation of progress.
  • PCOS: Share's similar metabolic characteristics to type 2 diabetes. There is insulin resistance and impaired glycemic control. Cautious with total carbohydrates intake. Prioritize total body fat reduction.

• Menopause and HRT:

  • HRT can help those who need it and should be looked at on an individual basis.
  • Need to have a symptomologic reason to get on it.

• Menstrual Cycles:

• If you have an irregular menstrual cycle:

• See a doctor.

• Consider whether or not you are overtraining and undereating.

• Muscle Memory:

  • Real phenomenon. Training creates new myonuclei, and you retain the motor and neurological components of training.

• Gut Microbiome's Role in Weight Loss:

  • Not a major factor. Plays a role, but not the "main puppeteer." Certain supplements can help, but the absolute impact is not usually practically significant.

• Eating Many Eggs:

  • Alan eats 20 eggs per week because he loves them, they are a great source of protein and fat, and his health checks out well.

• Alan's Supplement Stack:

  • Multivitamin (x2), fish oil, magnesium, vitamin D3, vitamin C, collagen, creatine.
  • If forced to choose only three: multivitamin, omega-3s, vitamin D3

• Creatine:

  • Considered the "king" of non-pharmacological supplements.
  • Strong evidence base for enhancing strength gains and size gains from resistance training.
  • Has a musculoskeletal benefits.
  • Also has benefits for joint health, improved glucose control, improved memory and cognition.

• Diet Breaks:

  • Used to overcome progress plateaus.
  • Plateaus happen when the body gets to homeostasis and is just the body doing its job.
  • Plateaus are opportunity to practice maintenance.
  • Definition: "Non-YOLO maintenance" - relax diet restrictions but don't eat with abandon.
  • Take a week off every 4-8 weeks or after every 5-10 lbs lost.

• Maintenance:

  • Maintaining lean body mass (muscle) during weight loss is crucial to avoid "collateral fattening" and rebound weight gain. Muscle is the "metabolic engine" of the body.
  • Preserve muscle by controlling weight loss rate (0.5-1% body weight per week), resistance training, and consuming enough protein.

• Fasting:

  • Legitimate for calorie control. But that's the reason its effective.
  • Intermittent fasting variants: time-restricted eating, every-other-day fasting, twice-weekly fasting.
  • Autophagy (body getting rid of damaged cells) happens in a caloric deficit regardless of fasting.
  • Exercise (both resistance and endurance) also increases autophagy with less downside.
  • Fasting may be double-edged sword for already lean individuals. One study showed every-other-day fasting resulted in more lean body mass lost than a regular diet with a calorie deficit.
  • Water fasts and juice fasts are not recommended as the best way to secure and reinforce the right habits for the entirety of the year.

• Ketogenic Diet:

  • Effective for weight loss because it cuts out processed junk food and often increases protein intake.
  • Big negative: Most people can't stick to it long-term and rebound in carb intake.
  • Keto quality matters: high saturated fat (land animal meats) vs. healthy fats (nuts, avocados) have different cardiovascular effects.
  • Gaining muscle is more difficult on keto due to carb restriction, but still possible to gain muscle.

• Carnivore Diet:

  • Silly and extreme, but potentially better than the standard Western diet because it spontaneously reduces calorie intake.
  • Can be optimized with a variety of animal-based foods (fish, poultry, beef, eggs, dairy).

• Vegans and Vegetarians:

  • Typically struggle to gain muscle because they don't eat enough total calories and protein. Can still gain muscle if they structure their diet correctly.

• Hard Gainers:

  • Struggle to gain weight due to a spontaneous increase in non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT).
  • Advice: Eat more in a way that is convenient (liquid meals, shakes) and stop moving.

• Motivation and Discipline:

  • People succeed when their physical goals become priority number one.
  • Reviewing reasons why you want to achieve the goal and identifying barriers can help.

• Alan's Drinking Story:

  • Drank heavily from 40-46 due to stress. Bottle and a half of wine a night.
  • Recognized a need to stop completely. No more moderation.
  • Knew he needed to stop when his professional and personal life imploded due to his own actions.
  • Redirected his ritualistic tendencies towards training and good nutrition.
  • Maintains abstinence by visualizing the negative consequences of drinking.

• Artificial Sweeteners:

  • Generally safe. Saccharine (pink packet) has a bad track record for glucose control and weight gain, but is not as commercially popular.
  • Other sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame, stevia) are innocuous.

• Things People Misunderstand About Diet:

  • Vilifying sugar without differentiating between added sugars and naturally occurring sugars in fruits and milk.
  • Fruit: Has been shown to improve glycemic control, body weight, body composition, and protection against diseases, even though fruits have sugar in them.
  • Added Sugar: Adds excess calories to the diet and causes micronutrient dilution. Packaged with highly processed and engineered refined carbohydrate and fat combination foods.

• Workout Frequency:

  • Alan goes to the gym 4-5 days per week.

• Muscle Loss:

  • Muscle loss happens very rapidly in bedridden individuals.
  • You could probably go a couple weeks without working out before you start noticing material drops in in strength and fitness.

• Training to Failure:

  • Training to failure is dependent on the goal.
  • For single joint isolation exercises and even machine exercises and lighter loads where it's safe, take it to failure.
  • For deadlifting, benching, squatting, and free weight barbell multi-jint types of movements, leave one to two reps in the tank.

• Nature's Impact on Life:

  • Alan sees nature as having a big impact.
  • Marine communities tend to be the longevity champs because all that omega-3 they're eating from the fish.
  • The almost the metaphysical effect of going to the beach makes nature beneficial.

• Closing:

  • Call to action to follow Alan on his website and Instagram.
  • Praise of the comprehensiveness and demystifying nature of Alan's book.