남(m)/46/171cm/98kg/221231/
5 rounds for time of:
400-m run
15 ring rows
Share your at-home modifications and times in comments./
23분39초/
토요일 저녁와드

CFWUx2
18:41

The Obesity Code by Jason Fung was a very eye-opening read. I have been lucky enough to be involved with CrossFit since 2007, so I have had a good understanding of a healthy lifestyle for over a decade. Although I have not challenged myself lately to go deeper. I’ve been very committed to the value of the basic principles CrossFit has outlined and preached since the start. Essentially, the Paleo approach (quality) along with the Zone principles (quantity), make perfect sense to me and have been my view of a healthy diet for most if not all people. When I get asked for nutrition advice these tenets are my base of support. I actually had no idea what conclusion Dr. Fung was going to come to because I hadn’t looked into at all before reading this book. I over-confidently assumed it would be what I already knew, or close to. I was wrong. I learned a lot.

It was very interesting to go through such an in-depth background on the hormones involved in fat storage. I felt like I knew the basics, but I realized I had only scratched the surface. There was so much information it was almost overwhelming, but in a good way. A way that made me more confident he knew exactly what he was talking about. Which helps me be more confident in educating others on what I learned. Although, so much information was covered it was hard to retain all of the helpful facts.

The fact that his answer to obesity is so incredibly simple is illustrated by the table of contents. After reading 18 chapters I found myself eager to get to the final two. The Solution. I appreciate the simplicity of it. No extra money. No extra time. Just don’t eat for certain periods of your day. How much more clear cut can you get? He needed 18 chapters to cover what is going on with obesity, why it is happening and why many approaches don’t work. That is the majority of the book. Because his solution needs little explanation.

Considering how much I’ve stood by Paleo diet approaches, thinking of the lifestyle of a caveman is a good way to support your body nutritionally. OF COURSE a caveman did not eat three square meals a day, plus snacks. It makes complete sense. Beyond the way the body was created to take in nutrients that have unfortunately changed drastically in a short amount of time compared to the span of human life, the same applies to the availability of food. Genius. One of those times you think, why didn’t I see it before. 

Humans are designed to eat whole, real, natural food. Not machine-made, genetically-modified, chemical-added crap. Humans are designed to go for periods of time without food. That is the way our body was made to operate. We are designed to fuel ourselves. Amazing really. If we alter that, we are creating an environment where we disrupt our beautifully designed systems. No wonder the list of health problems is so long. So very much of our lifestyle today in modern life has strayed very far from our roots. And it shows. 

It was a new angle to also think of the “grazing” approach to eat every few hours. Another “aha” moment to realize, then insulin is never given a break. It is not allowed to drop. What an information packed book. I wish I could retain all of it. I appreciated his humor and honesty with how sad it is that the solution to obesity is unfortunately covered up with all the other popular (well-funded) methods. If only getting people to understand and value such a simple solution was simple.

Having gone through the journey of fat to somewhat fit,and having lived with a constant fear of indulging in anything off the normal & healthy and putting that weight back on again, this book comes to me as a 1:1 conversation/dialogue in a way that it has precisely in stage by stage manner debunked many statements or concepts which till date I encounter on different platforms. 
 
I have done my nutrition certifications with couple of very successful organisations and both have beautifully covered the basics of good nutrition and guidelines to building a simple yet efficient model to follow which caters to our health/dietary goals. 

As I sit with a client to discuss the goals and obstacles being challenged with on a daily basis, i was at times even able to give them remotely, easy numbers to target and let them choose the right ingredients for their intake - flexible dieting or one could even say flexible coaching. 

But after reading this book or actually during the course of reading, i was challenged to rethink many guidelines which i have incorporated on myself for almost half a decade and even to clients. My overall view on protein requirements and to be more specific , frequency of consuming these necessary macro nutrients to fit into my daily meals has changed drastically!

Dr. Jason Fung has beautifully put forward with all scientific research details and even for a layman, the reality of what processed food is and what it really does on the hormonal/ insulin levels. 
Enough time has been devoted for each and every aspect of nutrition and lifestyle which become a major factor in our weight loss/obesity journey or better put hindrance! 

Different nutritionists have picked and chosen bits and pieces and tried implementing on me and for years i could not grasp the idea yet i believed in them and i saw them work as i myself have gone through keto diet for over six months. 

Willing to take the body to extreme measures of exercising twice to thrice a day by pushing aside work n family time (essential) , but the word “diet” may become a big challenge specially when as certified nutritionist, we get to numbers/percentages of macros in our daily diet. 
But using this book as a guide ,clients can gain complete freedom to decide on their own the very essential component of dieting- choosing the right food and taking control of their meal timings. 

I cannot be done here without having shared a testimony of my own mother who has been on Medication for type 2 DM for over 15 years and one of them being Metformin. 
I had to immediately after reading this book make changes in her diet and lifestyle of which the former has been more successful. She’s 67 years old now and for past 6 years , she was denied of a medical insurance because of her diabetes. 
Few small changes in her not so important first meal of the day and a couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and physical activity which was never a problem with her or sleep, and it’s been 6 months now that she was allowed a medical insurance from the same company who denied her for the past 6 years. Her HbA1c levels were found well within normal range!
I remember how confident she was to not getting it approved this time as well and I was having her sugar levels monitored periodically for the past 6-7 months and we had to give it a try.

The system works. 

The Obesity Code by Dr Fung talks about obesity on a level that is not talked about or looked at conventionally. 
He argues that obesity is not a matter of calories or fat consumption but is instead a hormone issue. He identifies the main hormone that plays this role, which is insulin, and how when led to become resistant can ultimately lead to weight gain and obesity. 
Interestingly, even if your weight is normal, you can still have insulin resistance, putting you at risk for serious health problems down the road such as Diabetes Type 2. 
He provides comprehensive strategies on how we can lose weight or avoid weight gain. 

I like how he goes deep into how the body works at a hormonal level to fully explain the why someone would eventually be obese or struggle with obesity and losing weight. 
While most conventional advise and approach today still looks at obesity as an excess calorie issue and just plain laziness or lack of discipline on the client's side, it is far from the truth. 
As a trainer/coach, often we are dealt with questions such as:
1. How do I lose an x amount of weight?
2. Why do I gain weight easily?
3. I exercise hard and consistently yet still struggle to lose weight. Why?
4. My family has a history of type 2 diabetes or I am diabetic, what can I do?
5. I don't know what to eat. 
 
This book provides sufficient in depth understanding of how the body works at a hormonal level, and all the questions (above) starts to make sense.
The fact is, there are people out there who have done it all to try to control their weight but failed, and people who ate whatever they wanted or did zero exercise yet maintained a healthy weight and not end up overweight. 
Understanding that this is in fact a hormonal issue is key to knowing how best we can make the needed changes to feel and look better. 
The truth is, there are a whole lot of confusion about diet and weight loss, and this is why up till today we are still not clear on exactly which diets or methods work in attempts to lose weight.
Dr. Fung provides solid research on why obesity is a hormonal disorder of persistently high insulin levels and insulin resistance, caused by eating the wrong foods too often. If your insulin levels are too high, no matter what diet you are following, and no matter how much you exercise, you will gain weight.

In this book, he not only tackles what you eat, but when you eat.
In terms of food, he emphasises the importance of eating real, whole foods.
In terms of when to eat, he advocates intermittently fasting several times per week. 

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand the role of insulin and weight better, and this book is such a useful tool for any trainers/coaches working with clients who want to lose weight, and keep the weight off.

I thought I had a pretty good understanding of how to lose weight before reading this book. To simplify - eat whole foods, reduce calories, and basically, suffer to some degree. And I've practiced several of the diets mentioned in the book so that I could provide first hand knowledge to my members, and they all worked (weight was lost, body fat was reduced). However, I never realized how they all fail over time since my practicing durations were always short. I never really understood what was happening to my body during periods of reduced caloric intake.  I never understood how the body would slow down certain processes in order to conserve energy instead of burning stored fat. And I definitely never thought that insulin was the culprit behind all the failures. I assumed that losing weight was as easy as calories in < calories out, assuming the food was whole. 

This book really opened my eyes as to the importance of not only what to eat, but when to eat. I generally understood that snacking wasn't good, but I couldn't explain why. Knowing how to explain it, and knowing the benefits of fasting has really changed my outlook. This book was a great read, and I'm excited to take my newfound knowledge into practice. 

The Obesity code!
Dr Jason Fung does a great job of piecing together the issues and causes of the ever-growing obesity epidemic! He clearly outlines where the shifts in history started for obesity and other health diseases caused by the epidemic! 
Fung then goes on to explain why calorie in and out diets don’t work! One that would have many in the fitness community up in arms… Especially Layne Norton (haha). I can’t help but agree with Dr Fung as the evidence is overwhelming. The problem we constantly see both in and out of the fitness realm is 2 fold for why people get and stay fat! 
Insulin… And insulin resistance! 

The fix given is simple but not an easy one for people to introduce. Sugar is addictive and cheap in most of the modern world. It’s like it was all planned out since the 70s!
 
I believe it is our obligation as CF coaches to provide this information to our members. They’re not fat simply because of “carbs” or eating “too much”. But instead, it is a mixture of causes that can be fixed through:
Reducing sugars and processed foods
Getting carbs from mainly whole foods
cycling carbs 
Cycling fasting
Increases good dietary fats
Ensuring that we’re partnering carbs with proteins and fats to dampen the insulin output

Most likely there will be resistance from members to start with but encouraging them to try it for a 30-day block to see how they feel and re-assess from there! 

I really liked the layout of this book. I like that everything is related back to the findings from the scientific world… Or the unravelling of false findings/reports from scientific work!

Can and will be highly recommending this book!

With any problem in life, the only way to solve it is by ascertaining its primary cause. This is no different when trying to understand and solve the obesity problem. Dr Fung refers to this as the immediate cause, which is a means of understanding what he calls the final cause.

With any novel issue, academics scramble at the opportunity to be the first to discover a solution. This is easier said than done, and with the current rate of obesity prevalent in many of today’s societies, it is more important than ever to find effective management solutions.

Everybody has a different theory or belief on what causes weight gain, ranging from consuming too many calories, to pre-disposed genetic conditions, to ‘never skipping breakfast’. However, no matter what way one tries to lose weight, the inability to do so is almost always blamed on lack of will power – which is not entirely true.

Due to lack of self-education, many people hang on to the advice given to them by their doctor with respect to their weight loss journey. This doctor is usually a general practitioner who people believe is a well-informed individual, and in many respects he/she is, only to be left despondent when they have not lost the weight the doctor told them they would if they followed a certain diet, or did certain exercises. This is not an attack on doctors, but merely an observation noted amongst personal experiences from family members and friends.

Dr Fung debunks the myth that constant exercise, dieting and ‘snacking’ causes weight-loss. Although it assists in weight loss, as mentioned earlier, it will only assist in addressing the final cause of this problem, which is obesity. The immediate cause, which Dr Fung identifies as hormonal imbalances, will need to be dealt with first. Furthermore, he also states that the idea of eating many meals per day is simply unhealthy – and does not aid in weight loss or insulin stability. The majority of the population’s body’s regulate insulin themselves, unaided, if they do not have Type 2 Diabetes.

It is clear that obesity is a multifaceted, perplexing hormonal disorder of fat regulation, with insulin being the main driver for weight gain. Due to this conclusion drawn by Dr Fung, he provides his readers with a comprehensive list of ways in which insulin levels could be lowered, ultimately addressing the immediate cause of obesity. This list includes reducing one’s consumption of added sugars, refined grains, moderating protein consumption, increasing one’s consumption of natural fat, and increasing consumption of protective factors such as fibre. The Obesity Code should be a prerequisite to read for anybody who embarks on a weight loss journey.

The Obesity Code was another fantastic book. I'm grateful it was added to the book club. I've been a fan of Jason Fung's writing and lectures for some time now and this book didn't disappoint.

A couple of key takeaways for myself:

The energy balance equation is correct in accordance with the laws of thermodynamics; however, this is an overly simplified equation (energy in - energy out = weight loss/gain) and does little to define the ULTIMATE cause of obesity. It may be the PROXIMATE cause but we need to discover the ULTIMATE cause when considering efforts to combat the disease.
I love the fact that Jason continuously recognizes obesity as multifactorial. There is no single cause of obesity, just like there is no single cause of heart disease. I’ve long believed in this. Lifestyle choices, hormones, genetics, prescription drugs, stress, nutrient timing, macronutrients, and of course, calories, all play a significant role in causing obesity. An integrated approach is needed when considering methods of curing the disease.
Calorie intake and expenditure are intimately dependent on each other. In other words, increase one, increase the other, decrease one, decrease the other. (A simple observation in this regard comes from watching a woman gain fat through pregnancy. If a woman was malnourished due to poverty and had no choice but to consume a very low calorie diet during pregnancy, she would still gain body fat. What does that say about energy balance being the sole factor in fat accumulation? Clearly hormones are more powerful). 
Learning about the incretin effect and the cephalic phase were important understandings. I was under the impression that insulin release was predominately triggered by dietary carbohydrates. All foods, not just carbs, stimulate insulin. Learning that the incretin hormones could account for an increase of up to 50-70% of insulin secretion was eye opening for me. Even dietary fat can cause insulin secretion, although it's a diminished effect. Artificial sweeteners with zero calories can cause insulin spikes through the cephalic phase. Sucralose swished in the mouth alone raises insulin levels 22 percent higher (pg  191). This has huge implications. (It's important to note that the incretin effect is a double edged sword, where it increases insulin secretion and simultaneously delays stomach emptying, which slows down glucose absorption).

My favourite quote from the book: 

“There are no intrinsically "good" or "bad" foods, only processed ones. The further you stray from real food, the more danger you are in.”  

My final thoughts:    

All diets work for a while because they address certain aspects of obesity. None of them work for long because they don’t address the totality of the disease. As coaches, we must let go of biases and opinions. Forget about low fat vs high fat. Forget about calories vs macros. We must recognize the multifactorial nature of obesity. We must recognize the truth, there are multiple overlapping factors to obesity. Further, we must recognize that hyper-insulinimea is the common, united theme. We must inspire consistent action within our clients, aiming to improve insulin sensitivity and decrease secretion. Triaging our program design, focusing on interventions that will have the biggest impact, improving one habit at a time. Once one habit is established, stack on the next complimentary habit. As the client proves themselves capable, help them attack obesity from multiple angles, providing a long-term cure.  

A rant for those that are still reading:  

“Everything in moderation” is not appropriate for everyone. Sometimes moderation is still too much. Not always of course, context is everything. Often though, we excuse our habits with moderation. In reality they are far from moderate. If you regularly had cocaine with breakfast, during lunch, and a little after dinner for “dessert”, you’d be considered a drug addict. Regularly have a bowl of sugary cereal for breakfast, a sugar- laced coffee for lunch, and a chocolate bar for dessert, and we socially accept it as “moderation”. Both will likely have long-term health consequences. Processed food may not be as damaging as hard drugs of course, so please don’t criticize me for comparing them, but they are just as addictive (if not more so) and toxic none the less. Let’s recognize them as such. 

The sad truth is that daily consumption of processed food is an addiction, one that most don’t even recognize. Unfortunately, obesity and its correlated diseases are time-dependent. Many aren’t aware of the damage that’s being done while it’s being done.     

I’m not saying processed foods should never be eaten. Ideally they are consumed in minimal amounts, limited to special occasions and social events. (I obviously enjoy my ice cream! Just like I enjoy a couple of glasses of red wine when I have company for dinner). And occasionally they should be removed completely, just as an alcoholic should likely never drink ever again. As always, context is everything. 

For progress to be made we must recognize processed foods for what they are. They are akin to drugs and alcohol,  just as addictive too. When treated with the same respect as drugs and alcohol, they can be a healthy component of our social lives. When abused they will lead to increased biological aging, chronic disease, dependence, and an early death. If possible, ditch the “everything in moderation” excuse. In its place, determine consumption amounts that aren’t detrimental to your long-term health and stay within those limits. If you struggle with this, set aside time to consider your deeper values. Let them inspire your actions. If you're still struggling, consider going cold turkey for a given period of time to kick the habit. If you continue to struggle, you may want to consider giving them up for longer periods. Perhaps even for life.  

I thought I would not be a fan when it comes to these kinds of books. Only because from what I have seen and read previously, there seems to always be a way to make any point you are trying to prove correct. (Just like the internet, you can always find something to prove that is in your favour.) In saying that, I really enjoyed reading the Obesity code as Dr. Fung asks the difficult questions and makes people see different points of perspectives to really think. 

I really enjoyed that Dr. Fung took the time to really understand the issues with obesity first. He understood that some diseases are because of obesity, so instead of treating them, rather treat obesity. I enjoyed reading that he took the time to look at the diets out there that people are using (low fat vs high fat, paleo etc.). It is good to read about doctors wanting to reverse the causes of obesity without just wanting to operate or hand out medication. Dr. Fung looks at reversing obesity from the dietary needs of people. 

I loved reading about how obesity developed over the years and the studies they did in families with separating twins, taking children away from obese parents and placing them into ‘thin’ homes to test their results of where obesity could stem from. As well as the many studies they looked at between all the diets through the ages. They break down how the glycemic index in food is not the only factor that people should be looking at in food, with regard to what causes high insulin levels. This research is relevant today and allows people to see exactly what they could be doing wrong. 

It was great to read about Dr. Fung declaring issues like “Caloric reduction doesn’t cause lasting weight loss”. (p. 49) - these are issues people are still dealing with today. I really enjoy the part about intermittent fasting. I often recommend some kind of fasting to members at the box. After reading this book I have more arguments and information regarding fasting and its benefits. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and Dr. Fung say, “Obesity is a hormonal, not a caloric imbalance.” (p. 90) It makes complete sense that there is more to obesity than just overeating and it was great to read about what really goes on to understand the causes of obesity. It’s insulin, not calories, that causes weight gain. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the approach to obesity discussed in this book. I enjoyed reading about Dr. Fung explains the functions of hormones involved in digestion and how people can utilize fasting to reset our insulin sensitivity without getting stuck in the high insulin and insulin resistance whirlpool.  

Ill be the first to admit that I'm not a huge reader when it comes to these types of books.  Mostly because, as with most studies, there always seems to be a way to make any situation work towards the point you are trying to prove.  For example, being told that fat intake in your diet directly determines the risk of heart disease.  There were countless reports, studies, and experiments to tell us these "truths".  But I was happy to see that Dr. Fung didn't take this direction in this box.  He started at the very beginning of what "causes" obesity and diabetes in the world, and goes backwards through all the different diets and things that were apparently supposed to work but haven't.  He systematically strips down each and every "fact" to see what actually is real and what is a temporary reaction.  And then from this is able to bring about real conclusions.

I have been a long believer in the idea of needing to "fuel the fire" and make sure you are eating throughout the day so that your metabolism stays hot and your body won't think it's in any sort of famine situation.  I now see the flaws in that.  The grazing lifestyle is something that changed from, as he put it, "eating the way your grandparents told you to eat: breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Done." to eating all day.  Basically forcing your body to have an insulin response the entire time you are awake.  Break down the ideas of not just understanding that high glycemic foods have an affect on your system, but that ALL foods have some sort of response with your insulin.  Even medications can make you have an insulin response.  This is obviously one of the major keys when it comes to issues today. But it didn't stop there.

The idea of how caloric restricted diets in the beginning will decrease weight but also then reduce the energy output for not just exercise but for everyday metabolic activity.  Understanding that exercise isn't even close to the overall daily output and burning of calories in the day but rather everyday body functional activity taking the larger loads.  He continued to show that caloric restriction, high carb, high fat, high protein, low fat, low carb, and everything in between all will get you to lose weight initially but wont keep the weight off.  That your body will have a natural set point weight that even if it isn't healthy, is where your body wants to stay.   Something drastic needs to happen to make it switch.

I have always heard of Intermittent Fasting, but thought it was more of a joke diet.  Just waiting longer to eat and then trying to shove 12 hours of eating into 8 hours (doing the 16/8 style), just seems like a weak version of trying to do something.  Its like when your doctor tells you to take 1 fish oil pill a day.  Love the thought but it really doesn't do all that much.  But more importantly the idea of longer fasts past 24 hours.  How at hose times, your body switches from burning your carbs first, and trying to conserve and ration your calories, to realizing you have no calories so it now needs to rev up your metabolism, increase your own Human Growth Hormone and begin to autophage your old, dying and inefficient cells for newer ones so that you are a better machine to go hunt, kill, and pick your food.  Ramping up your survival process so that you wont die; making you a better you.  This was very intriguing to me.

As a longtime wrestler, I cut weight for years. I swore I never would do it again.  But while finishing up this book, I instantly decided to test out 36 hour fasts.  I read the book 10 weeks ago.  I have done two 36 hours fasts a week for 10 weeks so far.  I haven't lost any real weight (this was a massive concern of mine and not something I wanted to have happen), although i have noticed some leaning out and trimming around my middle, I have been able to go through my regular days doing my regular things, including working out, and I even went through the Open while fasting, and I have seen no negative side effects.  I have decided to stay on this plan until I notice any negative aspects.  I have seen any yet.

This is a very good book and is presented very well.  It gives the coach or trainer much NEEDED information to use when talking to clients about prospective diets plans, ways of eating, effects of possible medications and just some real understanding and facts to use to help clients cut through all the crap the media feeds them.  This NEEDS to be read by everyone in our field.   

Jason has opened the door to understanding Diabetes and Obesity unlike any other person I know. His analogies assisted me in understanding the cause and effect of the phenomenon of excess sugar in the body.

The first book I read of him was the complete guide to fasting that acts as a great precursor to the diabetes code.

In his book The complete guide to fasting Jason refers to the Warrior Diet written by Ori Hofmeckler in the year 2000. It amazes me how much knowledge Ori had 21 years ago of diet and the natural laws of fasting and nutrition. It is a must read and definitely my favorite lifestyle book of all time.

It is shocking that portion control diets have a failure rate of 99.5% (1/210 men 1/124 women) and yet still so many Nutritionist and Nutrition plans still follow this strategy.

With all the new research and real health advocates coming to light in the last 5 years it is clear that a natural whole subtle foods together with natural fasting habits assist in hormonal control that is the key to health.

CrossFit affiliates around the globe hold the key to educate people first hand on the importance of natural unrefined and unprocessed nutrition. 

The Obesity Code
By Jason Fung

“TOC” examines the causes and solutions to the global obesity crisis we are currently living through. The book begins by analyzing how obesity became an epidemic and the concept of inherited obesity, where families living in the same environment will eat similar foods and share the same attitudes toward eating. The book shifts gears and delves into the caloric consumption myth, exposing the false concept of calories in / calories out. Dr. Fung then exposes the key player and true culprit of weight gain: Insulin Resistance. The book takes a look at the social and economic impacts of obesity, as well as the abomination of childhood obesity. Lastly we look at the problems with our modern day diet and the solution...What to eat and when to eat.  

Main Takeaways:
The Calorie-Reduction Error:
TOC covers multiple aspects of why we get fat. One of the major concepts of the book is the fundamentally flawed system of controlling weight:  “Calories-In / Calories-Out’ (CICO). Instead of going into a caloric deficit, Dr. Fung prescribes reducing insulin levels and implementing a mixture of intermittent and long-term fasting in order to reach a natural weight. 

The mainstream bombards unknowing dieters with the notion that CICO will help them lose weight. When in all actuality said dieter is down-regulating their activity level to match the caloric deficit. Once activity levels increase, caloric intake goes up and the weight comes back on. Thus leading to ‘yo-yo’ dieting.

Insulin Resistance:
Weight gain is a byproduct of chronically elevated insulin levels. Dr. Fung states: “Insulin resistance is Lex Luthor. It is the hidden force behind most of modern medicine’s archenemies, including obesity, diabetes, fatty liver, Alzhemer’s disease, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and cholesterol. But while Lex Luthor is fictional, the insulin resistance syndrome, also metabolic syndrome, is not.”
Insulin resistance is primarily caused by a diet high in carbohydrates, consistent snacking between meals, and eating upon waking up till going to bed.

What to eat and when to eat:
Dr. Fung states, “It’s not only what you eat, but when you eat”.
He takes the following approach on “What to Eat”:
Reduce consumption of added sugars and refined grains
Moderate Protein consumption
Increase natural fat consumption
Increase consumption of protective factors, such as fiber and vinegar to blunt the insulin response 

“When to Eat” is done by fasting. Fasting is rooted deep in our ancestry, and is one of the most therapeutic things you can do.
Dr. Fung elaborates on two styles of fasting 
Intermittent Fasting (as an example, a 14-hour fast with a 10-hour eating window).
And Durational Fasting (longer stretches of fasting such as a 36-hour fast).
Fasting is an ancient remedy and has many benefits, such as: insulin control, cellular autophagy, increased HGH, increased adrenalin, and utilizing fat for energy (ketosis).
 

Personal thoughts on the book:
Dr. Jason Fung presents a strong case for insulin resistance being the culprit of weight gain and fasting as the remedy. I believe he nails it and really gets his message across.
His arguments are solid and are backed by years of his own research and interventional studies.
I’d highly recommend The Obesity Code for anybody looking to permanently reclaim their health. If you are in the fitness industry and helping others on their fitness journey, read this book and talk with your clients about the dangers of elevated insulin levels.
 
On a personal note, I adopted intermittent fasting in late 2019. It has been an absolute game changer for me in regards to composition, recovery, mitigating inflammation, and maintaining high energy levels.

The obesity code

90% people who seeks and needs nutrition coaching or advice are people that want weight loss. Comparing and explaining why different approaches fail in long term, this book can really save a lot of people a lot of time. Book is understandable pretty good and I believe you do not need any previous nutritional education or knowledge to understand it. 


Dr. Jason Fung breaks the premise of “calories in calories out” theory and makes huge evidence based statement on how the obesity is built on hormonal base. Explaining that calorie deficit or calorie surplus is not at all the only reason why we can get leaner or fatter, this book offers the look into something that could be called “hormonal based diet”. Meaning manipulating macronutrients based on different hormonal response to each of them. It was really nice to refresh the knowledge, it reminded Level 1 nutrition lecture I took in 2013. (insulin vs. glucagon theme mainly). Of course in the book there were much more layers and in depth information supported with scientific evidence. I recommended this book to my former University professor, to support my 6 year old discussions and confrontations we often had. Hopefully she can relate to scientific approach in this evidence based book and accept new ideas when it is strongly supported by science.

Everybody who wants to ever give any nutrition advice should read this book. 

What really warms my soul is part about intermittent fasting. I often recommend some kind of fasting to my clients. After reading this book I have more arguments and even few more ideas how and what to do regarding the fasts. As a practitioner of IF myself, and IF 20/4 challenge leader(just few well theoretically prepared, dedicated individuals), I would recommend this part to every non believer and everybody who still thinks eating 5 times a day is necessary to reach every possible fitness related goal. 


I also really liked the chapter about set point weight. First time I came into contact with this concept in book “The hungry brain” by  dr. Stephan Guyenet.  Since reading “the hungry brain” I had not heard about it till I started this book. It really makes sense and is very helpful and easy way to explain clients what is happening with their bodies and what steps are needed and how to work around it. Comparing lipostat to thermostat is easy way how to make people understand what is going on and how hack the system to do what we need not the other way around.

  
There are few points I loved about credibility of the book from the regular tired of-fitness-media-content preple point of view- 
no specificity of exact meal plans,
no exact makro ratios
no exact food amounts
just providing general guidelines,
lot of room to accomodate rules and make them work for individual individually
option to try what really works for individual

In other words- just constraints, no rules.

The Obesity Code
	Jason Fung offers some very insightful knowledge into how insulin resistance is the main culprit for excessive weight gain in his book, “The Obesity Code.” The book is divided into 6 parts which explain how obesity became the epidemic it is today all the way to finding a realistic solution to this problem. The final part, The Solution, puts everything together and offers suggestions at breaking the code. 
	The first part exposes how the “Eat Less, Move More” campaign was encompassed with fallacy. Dr. Fung does and excellent, and humorous, job explaining in detail how refined carbohydrates play a major role in the development of insulin resistance. He also offered some very compelling arguments based on scientific studies that debunked the recommended servings put out by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Citing studies and publications by Jean Anthelm Brillat-Savarin, William Banting, and Dr. Robert Rose, add validity to his arguments. I found the first part helpful in providing evidence to use with my clients who may be hesitant about accepting that proper nutrition is the foundation to achieve the best results from CrossFit.
	Part two, “The Calorie Deception” outlines three major topics: The Calorie-Reduction Error, The Exercise Myth, and The Overfeeding Paradox. The first topic, The Calorie-Reduction Error, outlines 5 assumptions. Dr. Fung then uses an analogy to point out the faults in these assumptions by comparing the body to a coal powered plant. I thought that this was a very well-thought-out analogy and plan on using it with my clients while educating them on proper nutrition and why “obesity is a
hormonal, not caloric, disorder” (p.30). 
	The part about overfeeding was interesting to me as well. Dr. Fung described a study where participants were
given excessive amounts of food to eat, and according to the study the weight gain was not as much as expected due to the body burning more calories as it gains weight by increasing blood pressure, body temperature, and heart rate. I thought that was very interesting and will allow me to explain to new clients what to expect from gaining control of their nutrition to gradually decrease their insulin resistance through proper dietary selections. This section also provided me with a lot of information to share with clients about the science behind why calorie restriction diets and various fad diets will not yield long-term results. Also, I learned about how leptin is one of the hormones responsible for weight control and that “obesity is a state of leptin resistance” (p.66). This will allow for some very informative dialogue with clients to best assist them in taking control of their weight and health. 
	Part three, A New Model of Obesity, started off with a chuckle. I saw his usage of “A New Hope” and immediately though of Star Wars, then I saw the title on page 98 titled, “The Empire Strikes Back.” Aside from the Star Wars references, this section went into detail about how the hormonal processes associated with obesity work and the false claims that the diet industry makes about keeping weight under control. It was a new perspective for me reading Dr. Fungs justification on how the human body has a set weight and the hormonal responses to keeping the body at that weight. I was very interested in reading how insulin and cortisol worked to regulate body weight. The wording used throughout this part was in a way that someone who was well read in human body systems would understand, but not so detailed that an amateur researcher would have difficulty with the points he was trying to make. 
	Part four was probably one of my favorite sections of the book. The chapter on the food industry connects to a class I teach at school, AP Human Geography, and I teach about this very topic when we cover our unit on agriculture and food production. With my extensive background knowledge in this area it was very comforting to read all of the issues Dr. Fung points out with the big food industry, how poverty contributes to obesity, as well as childhood obesity. I agree with this section and the statements made about the problems caused when the food industry pays for studies that justify the use of their product. One part that I plan to use with clients is how snacking was something created by the food industry to encourage the purchase and consumption of their product, paving the way for heightened insulin production and eventually, resistance. Among other topics in this section, the “food reward” concept discussed on page 137 that leads to the argument of why hyper-palatable food is readily available in food deserts was quite interesting and very easy to understand and allows for a smooth transition in reading to part five. 
	Part five, “What’s Wrong with out Diet?” dives into each macronutrient as well as uncovering the reasons behind why so many diet foods may be having an adverse effect on the people who consume them. This part begins with a look at the sugar-sweetened soft drink and shows how many of the foods that are consumed, such as potatoes and rice, are not as safe as once thought. The argument against Coca-Cola was one that I have read many CrossFit journal articles about. And that one time when Coca-Cola tried to come after CrossFit. 
	Dr.Fung mentions a lot of scientific studies in this section that justify his argument for the dangers of excess fructose (sugar) consumption. I found it interesting that “insulin resistance leads to higher insulin levels” (p.165). But the solution seems simple: “remove all added sugars from your diet” (p. 167). But this statement is easier said than done based on the previous chapter. One major thing that I did learn from this part which I plan on trying myself as well as sharing with clients is the effect vinegar has on carbohydrate absorption. The comparisons made about various foods that are consumed with vinegar (British fish and chips, high carb but served with malt vinegar) was something very interesting that I noticed before but never made the connection. 
	Part six was the section which I felt will be most useful for me when helping clients establish nutritional
goals and the creation of a healthier lifestyle. Many times I have clients who have tried several diets and saw success while on them and then gained back all the weight they had lost. Being able to offer them suggestions on what to eat and when to eat it, the exact topics of part six, as well as being able to provide some of the examples Dr. Fung mentioned in this part of the book, I believe, will help me to better serve my clients in achieving their long-term fitness goals. 
	 The first part, “What to Eat”, starts with a very catching quote: “First: all diets work. Second: all diets fail” (p. 215). Dr. Fung uses a good analogy with cancer treatment and cardiovascular disease. His explanation really points out how there is not one simple fix to either of these multi-tired illnesses, many types of chemo for cancer and many areas contributing to cardiovascular disease. This same logic of not only having a single target point can be applied to “address the multidimensional problem of obesity” (p. 219). The five steps he mentioned seem simple enough to follow: Reduce your consumption of added sugars, Reduce your consumption of refined grains, moderate your protein consumption, Increase your consumption of natural fats, and Increase your consumption of protective factors (fiber and vinegar). These five steps seem to align with the CrossFit dietary prescription taught in all the Level 1 courses as well as the various nutrition seminars. These five steps
will be a great starting point that I intend on using with not only new clients, but current ones as well. 
	The second part of part six, “When to Eat” opens with a harsh fact that I have seen in clients and experienced myself as well, “Long-term dieting is futile” (p. 235). Addressing the high level of insulin, which seems to be the main culprit throughout the book, is the code which we must unlock to achieve lasting weight loss success. Dr. Fung then addresses several ways of addressing this, the first is fasting. 
	I have always been told that fasting in the morning would lead to a slower metabolism throughout the day, but Dr. Fung makes a very convincing discussion on how fasting is used to “break insulin resistance and lose weight” (p. 236). He discusses the history of fasting as well as the body’s response to it physiologically as well as hormonal. Dr. Fungs also debunks a lot of the myths about fasting which he discusses in full on page 242 of his book. The final portion of this last chapter show how intermittent fasting has been a part of huma culture for thousands of years and how there is “almost one-third of the population of the entire world is supposed to routinely fast throughout their entire lives” (p. 248). This last statement is one that I will use when helping clients with nutrition coaching. Setting small goals of skipping breakfast a few times a week, to skipping breakfast and lunch maybe one or two times a week. 
	Finally, the Appendixes A, B and C at the back of the book make for some quick reference material and very motivational reading. I plan to use the fasting suggestions in Appendix A to help myself and clients workout a fasting regiment which can be easily incorporated into their existing routines. Appendix B is a very informative and short reading about fasting which I plan on sharing with clients (I’ll probably recommend this book to them) since it is so concise and informative. Appendix C
was probably the section of the book which I reread the most. Even though it’s only about three pages, it helps to address life stresses and as Fung pointed out earlier in the book, stress is one of the puzzle pieces to weight gain and, like cancer or cardiovascular disease, we must address as many components as it takes for long-term success. Stress seems to be an often-overlooked component. 
	Overall, I really enjoyed the approach to obesity discusses in this book. For me, it made many connections to Dr. Sears “Enter the Zone”, Rob Wolfes “Paleo Solution”, and countless lectures and journal articles published by CrossFit. Some of the items in discussed in this book really helped to reinforce the idea of a lifestyle change but also not to have to feel like certain items are permanently restricted for life. 

The challenge for folks is being able to sustain weight loss over the longterm. Dr. Fung does a great job of walking through the flaws and challenges with many weight loss approaches that invariably fail in the long term. As both a CrossFit Coach and affiliate owner for more than 13 years and as a chiropractor for 25 years I deal with folks on a daily basis who are battling with their weight, for the most part unsuccessfully long term. You see the initial loss of weight but despite eating well and exercising they cannot make a long term change. Clearly demonstrating how it’s the impact of insulin that is driving the weight gain and then its persistence even when life style and diet improve makes sense when the insulin resistance component is not being tackled. 

Dr. Fung does a very good job walking through the functions of the hormonal world of digestion and how we can utilize fasting to reset our insulin sensitivity. The ease of incorporating days of fasting into one's life are not as overwhelming as the idea is for people to give it a try. 

As the first delve into the CF Book Club for myself it has been great experience not just in being exposed to Dr. Fung's book but also in seeing the comments of so many great folks of the CF community, some that it has been far too long since been able to connect with in person. 

The challenge for folks both at the gym and in the office is being able to sustain weight loss over the longterm. Dr. Fung does a great job of walking through the flaws and challenges with many weight loss approaches that invariably fail in the long term. As both a CrossFit Coach and affiliate owner for more than 13 years and as a chiropractor for 25 years I deal with folks on a daily basis who are battling with their weight, for the most part unsuccessfully long term. You see the initial loss of weight but despite eating well and exercising they cannot make a long term change. Clearly demonstrating how it’s the impact of insulin that is driving the weight gain, and not calories, Dr. Fung paints a validate explanation of where we need to change or focus.  The struggle of those overweight to shed pounds longer even with a persistence of life style and diet improvements does not always seem to work. It makes sense when the insulin resistance component is not being tackled!

Dr. Fung does a very good job walking through the functions of the hormonal world of digestion and creates  compelling case for utilizing Fasting when possible. Having dabbled with Intermittent Fasting in the past extending to 24 hr fasts has not been difficult and does create a sense of mental clarity.

I was very pleased that at the end of the book Dr. Fung addressed the topics of cortisol, stress and poor sleep as significant factors in persistent weight problems that all too often must be addressed or efforts will be futile. 

This is my first venture in the CF Book Club and not only was the book a great suggestion but its been great to read the comments of folks whom I've know for years through the CF Community. 

Having read The Diabetes Code a couple of months before tackling The Obesity Code, I felt like I had a good grasp on Dr. Fung’s arguments on the detriments of refined carbohydrates, hyperinsulinemia, obesity as a hormonal disease, and how to break from obesity with intermittent fasting. So, I made it a point to look for other important takeaways from this read, and found the reminder that not all calories are equal, and why that matters, to be rather poignant. 

Dr. Fung spends all of Part 4 of his book detailing how and why obesity is often closely correlated to poverty and remains a nearly insurmountable problem for those dealing with financial instability. 

He details how the government prioritizes the subsidization of food additives and crops like corn and wheat over that of, say, apples or lettuce. This, consequently, encourages mass production of those items and drives down the costs of the highly processed foods and refined carbs that make us fat. He states, “for those dealing with poverty, food needs to be affordable … if refined carbohydrates are significantly cheaper than other sources of food, then those living in poverty will eat refined carbohydrates” (p. 188). Simply put, poor families across the country do not have reliable, affordable access to the types of food that can alleviate obesity, hyperinsulinemia and their other accompanying illnesses. Rather, they are forced to choose the wheat, corn and sugar filled items with long shelf lives and low price tags just to keep food on their tables.

Putting socioeconomics aside, Dr. Fung’s details on childhood obesity are similarly worrisome and also point toward obesity being a very strongly cyclical issue, with overweight moms bearing insulin resistant children, whose now genetic disposition toward obesity is only exasperated by school systems teaching and serving the government-standard of a low-fat, high-carb dietary plan.

While The Obesity Code is first and foremost a fantastic resource for learning and understanding the science behind how and why we get fat, I thought its broader critique on the roles that our culture and food choice/availability play into and perpetuate the obesity cycle to be more energizing. 

As a coach, it’s a read that without a doubt strengthens my understanding, resolve and ability to help my clients get physically fit. But, as a member of a community whose obesity rates are soaring over 35%, it’s also raised a lot of questions and inspired action to support local organizations that aim to alleviate food inequality and increase early-childhood nutrition education so that we can begin to proactively address the root causes of obesity.

This is an awesome book, full of science based facts but easy to read. I got hooked on introduction and the part about animal vs. human experiments: "We are not rats. We are not chimpanzees or spider monkeys. We are human beings, and therefore we should consider only human studies." After Good Calories Bad Calories and all the rats experiments I read about this was a refreshment and motivation to read this book in big chunks. And you can because chapters are condensed and direct with few but worthy references and an easy to understand conclusion.

If you are in to health, diet and exercise most of the stuff in this book is known. But it is explained so good, simple and understandable and backed up with relevant human studies. We all know that we can`t outtrain or outrun bad diet but why is it so its so well explained in chapter 4. Best quote ever: "Diet is Batman and exercise is Robin." 

But where it gets interesting is in later chapters, in part 3 where hormonal balance is explained so well. Insulin, cortisol and insulin resistance, the hormonal balance and homeostasis or how dr. Fung named it "weight thermostat" just explained so much stuff we kind of already knew but maybe didn`t really understand. It changed my point of view for sure. And the best comes at the end of the book where you will find explained the ancient, forgotten, and now again kind of popular diet method, intermittent fasting. It seems that is the missing link in fight with obesity, and it is well explained how and why. 

The thing about this book is that it is focused on the sources of obesity and methods of weight loss (as the title states) and not so much on people with normal weight, or active individuals that are trying to tweak their diet to get even beter as athletes or a bit leaner. But still you can take a lot from this book as a start, as a good foundation to do more research, especially on intermittent fasting. I wish dr. Fung got deeper in to that as well, because I kind of hoped for more from that chapter. Any obese person trying to loose weight will get results by following advices found in this book, but what if you already do and are a fit individual? How can we use that science based approach to tweak our diets to get even fitter? Would love to read his take on that.

Adaptation and Homeostasis.

After reading Dr. Fung's "The Complete Guide to Fasting",  "The Obesity code" was a great follow up, not only because of the relationship between fasting and insulin levels, but as a resource to dive deeper in to the reasons why popular diets don't work over the long run.

As a trainer  "The Obesity code" shed light on a common challenge many of us face when working with clients looking to lose weight, "What should I eat or what diet should I be on to lose weight".

After training for 12+ years the epidemic of 30 day challenges surrounding fad diets like lower calorie more exercise has not only caused long term damage (emotionally, and physically) to clients, but it has also created a higher churn rate for my CF gyms that would focus on weight loss around these plays.

The overwhelming evidence presented in this book around what the root cause of obesity is (insulin and cortisol hormones) was insightful and simple enough to explain to current and future clients, when it comes to the nutrition talks.

The fact that many of the pushed protocols and diets of the past were based on a year or less of clinical studies is astonishing when we know that obesity is a long term issue (obese parents -> obese kids -> obese adults).  The biggest proponent to stepping away from calorie counting/lowering calorie intake and exercise more is the Women's health initiative  trial (7.5 years of eat less, move more, lead to regaining the weight back by the second year).

As a trainer we need to steer our clients away from the quick fix and work with our clients on lifestyle changes around sleep, nutrition timing, and eating quality foods, which this book supports in order to better control insulin and cortisol levels.

I loved the examples against why weight gain isn't the lack of will power and determination, because many of our clients who fail with weight loss using outdated tools, will start to self doubt and create negative habits around food. (Why are there fat doctors example).  The explanation of insulin resistance using antibiotic resistance was a great example that I know use with clients.

Once you understand what the body is capable of when it comes to homeostasis (calorie in/out, metabolic rate, hormones, hypothalamus, insulin, and cortisol) and its relationship to the hormonal set weight, the easier it is to understand why there is weight gain and weight loss (and how to influence it).

As a CrossFit Trainer you will get 100's of questions, but one of the top three will be around nutrition and what to eat.  This is a great book to recommend to clients, and/or new trainers as a foundation on what causes you to gain/lose weight.

     "The Obesity Code" is a solid resource for any health and fitness professional, CrossFit coach, or citizen subject to the one of the greatest lies ever perpetrated on the American public (all Americans should read this book). The calorie reduction lie is so comprehensive and and so engrained in the average American that, in my experience, it takes repeated exposures to counter-arguments/truth and repeated attempts at changing behavior to overcome the entrenchment of "The Big Fat Lie;" that said, Fung's "The Obesity Code" is a powerful  tool in that undermines the The Lie in three important ways 1) the calorie myth, 2) explaining insulin and insulin resistance, 3) explaining the effects of carbohydrates, and 4) proposing what and when to eat. 
     Fung's debunking of the calorie myth is a highlight of the book. The body set weight explanation illustrates how the our bodies' tendency towards homeostasis results in a bias for not changing weight when we eat more or eat less. And still the eat less, move more theme dominates public perception, pushed by those who honestly don't know and by those on the $ take, like the NFL.
     Increased insulin causes obesity; constant and high levels of insulin cause insulin resistance. Fung does a fine job of explaining the details and the studies while also keeping it simple. Treating type II diabetes with insulin is the norm, but it is also a crime - an example of our "healthcare" system setting up patients for more drugs, more treatment, more procedures, and then even more drugs. But drug and "healthcare" companies wouldn't make much money off of people quitting processed foods, sugar, and fasting.
     As CrossFitters know, carbohydrates are the problem. They raise insulin levels and constant, high levels of insulin result in insulin resistance, high-blood sugar, and type II.  Fake sugar also raises insulin. Eating all the time raises insulin. 
    Fung's prescription aligns with many of the traditional CF approaches - avoid processed food, avoid sugar, avoid high-intake of fructose, eat real food with protein and fat. Not too far from, "Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar." The fasting discussion is also convincing. I'd previously done lots of 14+ hour intermittent fasting, but since reading this have been doing 18ish hours during the week. 
    I'd recommend this book to any CrossFitter, CF coach, or health and fitness professional. I'd also recommend this book to any non-CrossFitter, as I think it communicates well outside of the community.

The Obesity Code chronicles Dr. Fung's experience with treating obesity by controlling patients' insulin levels. The book progressively explained the problems with the standard American diet and dieting, then explained a more effective solution. 

Chapter 3 - The Calorie Reduction Error
Key takeaway: Decreasing calories slows metabolism and triggers hunger, leading to ineffective dieting

Chapter 4 - The Exercise Myth
Key takeaway: Exercise leads to increased consumption or decreased activity, leading to minor weight loss

Chapter 5 - The Overfeeding Paradox 
Key takeaway: Our bodies have a "set point" weight. Our bodies try to return to this weight after weight loss or gain via compensatory metabolism. Effective weight loss requires lowering the set point. 

Chapter 6 - A New Hope
Key takeaway: Obesity is caused by a body set weight that is too high because of a hormonal imbalance. Two hormones cause weight gain: Insulin & cortisol. High insulin causes fat storage. 

Chapter 7 - Insulin
Key takeaway: Increased insulin causes weight gain

Chapter 8 - Cortisol
Key takeaway: Cortisol production is triggered by stress (fight or flight response) or sleep deprivation

Chapter 9 - The Atkins Onslaught
Key takeaway: The low-carb Atkins diet caused short term weight loss but was not effective in the long term.

Chapter 10 - Insulin Resistance
Key takeaway: Insulin resistance via metabolic syndrome causes obesity, diabetes, cancer, and high cholesterol. Raised insulin levels lead to insulin resistance, similar to drugs, antibiotics, and exposure to viruses. What we eat and when we eat affects insulin. More snacking and frequent meals leads to insulin resistance.

Chapter 12 - Poverty & Obesity
Key takeaway: Government subsidizes corn production, making processed carbs cheaper than whole foods

Chapter 13 - Childhood Obesity
Key takeaway: Hormonal imbalance in the mother is passed to children since mother and baby share a blood supply

Chapter 14 - The Deadly Effects of Fructose
Key takeaway: Overconsumption of fructose leads directly to insulin resistance

Chapter 15 - Diet Soda Solution
Key takeaway: Artificial sweeteners cause more insulin production than sugar

Chapter 16 - Carbohydrates
Key takeaway: High Glycemic Index + Low Fiber Carbs have the worst hormonal response

Chapter 17 - Protein
Key takeaway: Protein also affects insulin, but also causes increased satiety, which limits overconsumption

Chapter 18 - Fat Phobia
Key takeaway: There is no link between dietary fat and cholesterol levels

Chapter 19 - What To Eat
Reduce consumption of added sugar
Reduce refined grains
Moderate protein
Increase natural fats
Increase Fiber & Vinegar

Chapter 20 - When to Eat
Occasional fasting leads to a reset in insulin levels, increased adrenaline, and increased growth hormone production.

The majority of the narrative was spent laying out the problem with current dieting and nutrition. The data was compelling, but long-winded. On the contrary, the final two chapters on what What to Eat and When to Eat, were concise and felt a little rushed. It would have been nice if these two chapters included more data or studies. Regardless, this book motivated me to try occasional fasting. Thank you!

As rx’d, 16:22.

Ankle feels good enough to run again – was a little tender, but okay.  Did ring rows 10-5, with feel elevated on 12” box.  First round in 3 min, subsequent rounds about 3:20.

47m/5'10"/185

This is really an excellent book. It was very easy to read, and packed with important information.

I liked the part about insulin resistance the most. Especially the explanation, why its important how often we eat, not just how much. That simply reducing your calories will not lead to weight loss. I never looked on the hormone levels vs. obesity that way.
In this chapter there are two different curves of insulin release in our body. Basically if you eat 5 times per day, you have constantly high insulin through the day, vs. when you eat proper 3 meals per day, your body spends more time in „low insulin“ state. And that helps to fight insulin resistance. This simple explanation alone stuck out to me the most. It will help me to better explain to my members WHY we shouldn't be eating and snacking constantly.

I really liked the fact how simply the author explained such complicated, hormone related information. I always had difficulties to put the info into words, my clients would understand. I will use many of the examples and metaphors  (like the one with coal)

The part about the fact that simply moving more isn’t the answer for fat loss was kinda sad I think. Imagine all the obese kids, we just tell them- go play soccer and everything will be good. This is simply not true, because their bodies are flooded with insulin. I do not understand why all these facts and failed studies still aren’t enough to really make change.

I believe in education, more than prescription. This book helped me with numerous easy to explain examples, that I can use with my clients. Our main goal is not just to loose weight, but to be healthier. And not healthier tomorrow, but also in 10 years. I think that when we educate our clients, even in something as complex as hormones, and they truly understand the issues, it is far more likely, that we will succeed.

The Obesity Code

After reading Dr. Fung’s other book, “The Diabetes Code”, I become intrigued with his writing, so I opted to read this book as well. They way he describes obesity as more of a hormone issue than a calorie issue made me think a lot; Have we had this whole issue wrong the whole time? Is there a quicker way to solving this nightmare of an issue than what we have been seeing recently? Obesity rates have been moving in the wrong direction in the United States, and it seems that there is no end in sight. That is, until you read The Obesity Code.

Dr. Fung continually goes back to the statement “eat less, move more”, something that I feel has been around for a long time, and yet we never see any results. Countless people and studies have tried this, with no positive results. If we think about it from a numbers standpoint, consuming less calories and expending more through exercise is a recipe for disaster. I say this, because it at some point, the body will shut down due to no energy left to do it’s job. 

The way he explains how calories do not matter as much as we thought was thought provoking. When he states that fat calories do not have the same hormonal response as sugar or carbohydrates do, it made me wonder if calories counting is that needed. His example of someone eating 5700 calories, predominantly fat calories, versus eating 5700 calories, but mostly carbohydrates (refined too), was mind blowing. The fact that the person who ate fat calories only gained about 3 pounds, but lost inches, versus the other scenario where 15 pounds were put on, made me rethink my own diet. 

If this whole obesity issue is a hormonal one, then why are doctors prescribing hormones attempting to “try” to solve this? This makes no sense to me. 

When I think of how CrossFit prescribes eating, they state “no sugar”, yet almost every American will eat sugar without thinking about it. Fung goes on and explains how sugar is secretly put in to products without us knowing, because it simply doesn’t say sugar on the label. But also….I find it interesting that CrossFit has a secret way of increasing fats. Let’s dive deeper. They say to start with 40/30/30 carb/pro/fat. When you reach a certain point, double your fat intake. Your macros will change. Reach another point, triple your fat intake. Without even thinking about it, our fat macros go up significantly, and we go back to simply a high fat diet, which helps regulate insulin. I’ve never truly thought about this until I read Fung’s books. 

With the rest of the dieting part, avoid snacking. I do this a lot, mostly because I am in and out quite a bit. It is something I need to work on, and I feel like it will make a difference for me. 

Fasting is something I will try. I’ve never done it (will admit slightly worried I won’t follow it to a T). His prescription of 36 hour fasts makes me wonder if that would help my own body out. It is something I will try to do 1x/week to start.

Fung simply states that obesity is a hormonal issue, not a calorie issue. I love the way he writes, because he simplifies everything and gives easy examples. I highly recommend this to anyone who is struggling with obesity, or knows someone struggling with obesity. 

Two things that interested me the most in this book is the information about insulin index and blueprint protocols for fasting.

The information is similar to the books of Gary Taubes but much easier to follow and easy to read so I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic.

I now have more resources to better explain my members why and how the "calories in calories out" premise is flawed and it should not be accepted as the only truth.

Insulin index is something that I was unfamiliar with and researching it online after reading the book showed me it is not something that is widely covered and I need to look into studies to find more information.
Glycemic index and Glycemic load was the only factors I was taking into consideration. I am eager to learn more about Insulin Index and how a certain high GI food will cause a blood spike but does not have a high insulin index? That is something that I would like to see explained better and an area where I need to look in more deeply. 
Also the information about protein at the end of the book could have been dug in deeper. The advice is to limit the protein intake, while everything else I have ever learned about protein was advices to get closer to 2g/kg of bodyweight for CrossFitters and other athletes. Obviously Dr. Fung is talking from health and longevity perspective but would like to see this topic discussed into more detail from performance and "CrossFit" side of things. Should we eat more protein to fuel our CrossFit training or is the eating more protein going to be detrimental to our health which is (hopefully) the main reason why we are doing CrossFit anyway? Would love to see a comment from fellow trainers reading this...

Fasting protocols for 24h and 36h look very useful and doable. I've been practicing IF with a 16/8 protocol but was always interested in something more. I did not consider a bone broth to be an option during fasting, and I have immediately contacted local farmers in my area to get domestic bones for bone broth that I can use while testing out first the 24h, then if all goes well, 36h fasting protocol after. I am curious to see the results first on myself before possibly advising this to any of my members. 

Not to skip the probably most important part of dietary advice - Avoid processed foods! This is the main advice I am giving to my members and the book just helped me strengthen my view about this topic. All the diseases started to develop just about the same time we stopped eating real food and started eating "food" from the box. Obviously this is not easy and it is necessary to formulate a plan to help members bring this advice into their life as a part of their new lifestyle. Certainly a lot of things need to change to have someone move from mostly processed foods to eating organic food at least 80% of the time.
Dr. Fung advices helped me to notice that sometimes we must "cut a cord" and be strict about certain things. There is no workaround certain non nutritious health detrimental foods, you just shouldn't be eating them. Period. I liked the way that was portrayed and will try to follow that advice. 

I enjoyed this book, it was a quick read but packed with information and fuelling motivation to actually do something about it.

	Since getting into CrossFit and more specifically health and fitness, almost 8 years ago, I've heard a lot of different ideas on how to lose weight. Many of which have some validity and success in the short term but as a trainer the big goal is creating lasting change and adherence to a successful(healthy) program. Dr. Fung lays out simple principles to try and eliminate the obesity epidemic. Most importantly he starts with explaining the root cause of obesity as a hormonal problem and the numerous factors that lead to the obesity disfunction. After reading this book it has shown me there is a deeper issue that many of the mainstream diets only touch on. 

	There are a number of different points that Dr. Fung has shared in this book that has encouraged me to evolve my approach and thought process towards nutrition. As a long time "Macro" counter this book has shed light on looking at food and its hormonal(particularly insulin) effect on the body rather than just the energy in... energy out equation. Insulin is being shown as a key component in body set weight. Without influencing body set weight it's likely you will continue the pattern of losing and regaining the weight. When insulin levels remain high for extended periods of time this leads to stagnant and/or raising body set weight. This is a symptom of teaching that eating 3 meals a day plus 'healthy' snacking to increase metabolism will help you burn more calories and lose more weight. With every thing you eat causing some level of insulin spike Dr. Fung shares how this is a disastrous approach if the main goal is to lower insulin levels. To add to this disaster, the American diet is plagued with enormous amounts of processed food that can be advertised as 'healthy'. When looking at labels of processed food we will find that many of them have some sort of added sugar... many times being hidden with different phrases or terms other than sugar. 

	There are 2 other factors that stood out to me, cortisol's influence on insulin and daily fiber intake. I've had a low level of understanding how stress(cortisol) plays a factor making it difficult to lose weight; but I learned how it can increase insulin levels. And as I've shared high insulin levels cause nothing but disfunction for your body and ultimately leads to obesity. Finally, without fiber our body's will have a difficult time eliminating and moving waste out of the body. Unfortunately much of the processed food we see today takes out a lot of the good fiber that our bodies need to remove waste.

	I loved reading this book and the deep level of knowledge shared behind each of Dr. Fung's points but none of this learning does much if there is not some call to action. My focus points going forward are minimizing snacking; focusing on 2-3  meals a day with limited processed food options. Next, is doing some fasting of 24-36 hours each month; this is a great way to keep my insulin in check and gain all the health benefits that fasting has to offer. As a fitness professional these are the first 2 big steps that I will work towards with clients. While they take time and adjustment to current lifestyle patterns they allow for a long lasting, realistic approach to healthy eating and living!

Once you’ve been teaching fitness for 12 years you start to become a knowledge snob. Sometimes you question the validity of the information you are being fed. I was pleasantly surprised to report that the obesity code did not disappoint.

There are many books out there that focus on a different approach than the classic calorie in calorie out model. However, what I found makes the obesity code different is the culmination of a variety of different factors that Dr Jason fung brings to light. While calories are important, it is far from being the only singular factor that we should be focused on. A variety of other factors are brought to light such as  hormones, insulin management, nutrition, fasting, and ideal sleep for recovery.

I especially enjoyed the topic of basal metabolic rate. We have to take the time to get to know where our basal metabolic rate is. Yes, we can do things to change our metabolism but generally some of us burn warmer or cooler than others. 

This book has helped me reflect on the reality that human beings are complex. As human beings we want to simplify the equation by making it all about a simple equation. If you burn more calories than you take in you will loose weight. While this can be true the base of support is incredible important that sets you up for success or failure. For example, what is the dominant macronutrient in your daily nutrition? Over time I have realized that we can be described as intricate webs that incorporate many different factors.

1645

1645

1645
Inverted rows

CrossFit has done a lot of  great work to highlight the issues with obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes. This book does a good job of explaining why common weight loss tactics doesn't work and that it is an hormonal issue.
I personally found the chapters about insulin and cortisol the most enlightening , and in a way that I, as a trainer, can explain for a basic understanding of this to my clients.
I am not an expert in diet but the main takeaways were:
It is not just about calories, its also stress related and what type of foods that are consumed, and when.
The book also factors in socio/economic, environmental and childhood patterns for nutrition and also serve as a good reminder that obesity is a multi factor issue but you can take action to improve your overall well being and fat loss is possible.
There are some hands on clear advice in the last chapters about fasting and mindfulness techniques.
Overall , I enjoyed getting back to reading more about these topics , and I agree now is as important as ever to adress obesity with the Covid-19 pandemic.
I am looking forwards to more reads in this book club, good idea CF!

13:09. 400m on m/c @3%, 15 ring rows@45o. M/c run feels better on my knees partly I think because the incline pushes weight into hips. Not sure. I've always felt that track and certainly road running was damaging my bad knees. I've managed to strengthen them with yoga recently also.

The Obesity Code

Solving obesity isn’t easy. Americans have been lead to believe it’s not what we eat that is the problem, it’s our lack of activity. Oh, and if you need help finding what is “healthy” you can follow the USDA dietary guidelines (from 60s-90s). Those guidelines and trusted health sources also say eat less and workout more. So why is America getting fatter year after year? 
 
I really enjoyed reading this because mainly the way Dr Fung uses research and science to debunk diet myths that were highly recognized by health experts. I was interested in hearing his take on eating less calories & exercising more to lose body fat. This is easy to follow because Fung uses simple analogies to dumb down the sciency language for example, when explaining that not all calories are the same Fung says,  "A calorie of olive oil does not cause the same metabolic or hormonal response as sugar."

The biggest takeaway for me from this book is that obesity is a hormonal issue not an a caloric reduction issue or lack of exercise issue. The question is not about how to balance calories, but how to balance hormones. When we eat, insulin levels increase and when we fast insulin levels decrease, this natural process can be interrupted many ways with certain hormonal responses. One example of hormones interacting with insulin is chronically elevated levels of Cortisol that raises insulin levels which in turn leads to obesity.

As we all know lot of diets (low carb diet, low calorie diet, paleo) are successful in the short term because they regulate insulin. But, they do not help with keeping off the weight in the long term. So what is the solution? 

Know what to eat and know when to eat.

As the CrossFit L1 nutrition guideline states, reduce the use sugar and avoid processed foods. 

Fung explains his nutrition guidelines by avoid snacking and beverages with added sugar, reduce consumption of fine grains, moderate protein consumption (20-30% of total cals), increase consumption of natural fats (dietary fats are least likely to stimulate insulin), increase consumption of protective factor ie fiber & vinegar. 

But to keep the weight off for long term the missing piece is the timing of our meals in order to break the insulin resistance cycle ie fasting. Diets must be intermittent not steady, follow feasting with fasting. Fasting can be done with any diet imaginable and increases metabolism, energy increases and blood sugars decrease. 

The book actually reveals a hidden truth in my opinion, besides his technical support it shows a massive attempt of sugar industry making a its products seem heathy and becoming healthy foods (non profitable products) seems like  bad choices.
The High sugar added products and food are the worse choice that a person can take.
They spike the insulin production and in a long term make people insulin blinded, it's a vicious cycle that bring all the patologias and obesity.
Sadly nowadays most nutritionists still believing on Calories counting method which is not supported by any academic study and even worst lead their clients to eat any sort of food based only in an amount of calories.
It's proven that whole food and the absence of sugar are the most important adjuvant on obesity treatment and health increment as well.
A questionable subject is the writer mention about no benefit on training and sport routine against obesity and even if it's true he just forgot to mention that sports and fitness has many health benefits that could make people prepared to fight against obesity.
The Fat benefits and the misconception about colesterol was totally explained and supported by many technical explanations, its hard to believe that Doctors were so blind and still being wrong about this basic concept about physiology and body knowledge. 
Lastly his suggestion about fasting in terrific and match with all fasting content that I read.
Our focus should be only in two main actions
What to read (Whole Foods and no sugar added)
When to Eat ( Eat less and more)
This book should be a must to read for all parents.

I believe this is one of the most important books written in the "diet" world. For years, we've been told time and time again that weight loss is as simple as "calories in calories out". I so appreciate the clear and direct ways that Dr. Fung proves that many failures and oversimplification of that methodology. I appreciated his approach and means of sharing his perspective and research so much, that I have actually listened to 4 podcasts interviews with Dr. Jung since and plan to continue to seek more. He's brilliant and approachable all at once.

I work primarily with women, many of whom first seek out fitness and dietary shifts with a primary focus on weight loss. Almost all of them come to me with hormonal and insulin damage as a result of years of starving themselves and sticking to low fat, high sugar processed foods that some diet coach or trainer recommended in the past. On top of the physical ramifications of these kinds of diets, comes a whole host of mental and emotional issues as a result of the constant feeling of failure from doing everything "right" and continuing to gain weight and feel unwell, not to mention the emotional toll that this kind of diet can have simply from the hormonal impacts alone.

I hope that this book gets into the hands and minds of as many health professionals as possible. The impacts will be more important than I think we can even realize at this time: both changing and saving lives. 

16:12 Rx'd. 

This was one of my favorite books on nutrition to date. It was jammed packed with text-book worthy science, yet was still a very engaging read.

I have read a lot of books that cover insulin control but never one that went into such depth or without dogma. It not only addresses the pitfalls in the low fat high carb diet, but also several all other diets, which I found refreshing. As someone that has had experience helping many people (clients) with their diet and trying to lose weight--sometimes with success and sometimes not--I enjoyed the multifaceted "whole picture" approach Dr. Fung takes. His empathetic approach to understanding why a person cannot lose weight do to biological rather than personal reasons is another highlight of the book that is valuable, and added to my scope of understanding on this topic.

I especially liked the part on fasting. I have always been very hesitant with fasting and thought of it as more of a fad or shortcut that doesn't really work. To read some science on it and get an understanding of why and how it can work has added another tool in my arsenal to help clients lose weight. I have even started a protocol of fasting myself just to give it a trial run and to help gain some insight for what its like for those who try it themselves.

I also enjoyed Dr. Fung's breakdown of different types of sugars and carbohydrates. Once again, avoiding dogma and using strictly science to explain why certain carbohydrates have a negative effect on your insulin and blood glucose levels was clear and refreshing.

Overall, I loved the multifaceted approach that Dr. Fung brought to the table in this book. It has given me options to explore where some of my methods might have been failing or stalling out. It also has provided me with a lot of research to methods I already use. With this research I can show clients why it can be both beneficial and safe for them to try.

Aside from my own personal use for the knowledge of this book, I hope that many people will read this book, medical practitioners and the politicians that have influence over the information that reaches the masses included. I'm glad this was a recommended book. Well worth the read!

My eyes have been well and truly opened to the obvious con played on us by the leaders and physicians we shouldv'e trusted the most. 

Not only with what foods we should've been eating but also at what frequency we should've been eating it at.

The detail around the differences between blood glucose and insulin levels and how they differ in relation to how they make us fat was so easily understood with the simple and fun style of writing Dr Fung has. 

 highly recommend this book to those who are on the fence in relation to intermittent fasting, the benefits are comprehensively explained throughout the journey Dr Fung takes us on. It's benefits are near impossible to doubt.

The one area I did have have issue with was the lack of detail around how increased muscle mass can alter basal metabolic rate in relation to how exercise offered little in relation to the regulation of a healthy body weight.
It lead me on a research path that lead me to reading "How we get Fat" by Gary Taubes. The facts stated in Dr Taubes' book gave me more confidence in Dr Fung's argument.

It lead me to conclude that when we eat our meals is as important as what we eat, stress in an understated contributor to gaining fat and a good quality of sleep is as valuable to us as any rigid training programme.

M/178/52/5'8''

400M Run
15 pull-ups
14:53

17:52, runs were around 2m each, but after the first round ring rows were broken into 3 then 4 then 5 then like 7 sets. Round 2 ring rows took like 90 seconds! Rings at navel height and feet on 19” box. Thumbs in contact with body at the top of each rep. 

187/41/69”

I have been practicing intermittent fasting for a number of years now, and because of this, had a few clients and friends recommend looking into Dr. Jason Fung - author of The Obesity Code. The fact that CrossFit has promoted this book was even more incentive for me to pick up a copy.

Many of the practices Jason writes about in his book are ones that I encourage and teach my clients. I am not a doctor, so at times, encouraging clients to swim upstream, so to speak, and go against "conventional wisdom" by restricting grains and carbs, as well as practicing intermittent fasting can be a bit of an arduous task. I know for a fact that I will be recommending this book to many of my clients wishing to find more information on the topics discussed in this book.

I really enjoyed the way Dr. Fung explained the importance of insulin control rather than calories in/calories out. Getting control over the hormones that control the way we process and metabolize nutrients is far more manageable and convincing than just telling someone to starve themselves. Through timing of our nutrients, as well as focusing on foods that have as little impact on our insulin as possible is the most direct and effective path to consistent weight management.

I especially enjoyed the sections of the book dedicated towards children and the backwards world we are heading towards. I have 3 young kids, 2 in school, and the notion that they are snacking constantly throughout the day has always seemed so backwards to me. My kids' school district no longer has one dedicated lunch break any more, they instead have several snack breaks. Sure, this may be more manageable for kids to sit and have a short snack rather than a longer drawn out lunch break, but we are grooming our kids into a constant drip of glucose and therefore insulin response even from a young age...

As stated above, I will be recommending this book to many of my clients, and will probably go back and give this book a second read after my wife reads through it.

Thanks,

15:08

subbed burpees for row

18:57

Towel tree rows
13:37

12:18

14:57 with feet on 12” box. Had to break rows into 3 sets of 5. 

13:11 RX

The Obesity code, what an excellent book! No prior knowledge or experience required in this field. 
Jason Fung does a great job of explaining mechanisms that occur when we eat and specifically what we eat. 

Much of the same content and references appears in Gary Taubes "Good Calories, bad calories", however Dr Fung somehow manages to describe what is going on in our bodies and why in such a simple way, that even the untrained eye can understand what causes people to become overweight and why the epidemic of Obesity and diabetes exists as well as offering some practical guidance on how to change one's lifestyle for the better.
I agree with Philip Imbusch, this is the most enjoyable book so far for me in the book club. I particularly enjoyed learning more about the history and science behind fasting, I have not seen or read anything more thorough on the topic. The final chapters on "what to eat" and "when to eat" give people the tools they need to make the next step in reversing obesity and for trainers to feel more confident in recommending a certain diet strategy or lifestyle change based on sound scientific evidence. 

Once again, I found myself thinking "how do I not know this?" after working in the health and fitness industry for a decade. An genuinely enjoyable, humbling and insightful book.

The Obesity Code / Club

Dr. Jason Fung’s book refreshed for me many of the why’s hormone regulation and obesity are tightly interwoven.  I found myself writing more bullet point style notes in this read as the why usually intrigues me more than just the answer. We know that our bodies are complex machines with multiple systems and not one human is created identical but the underlying “mechanics” are similar. As our body is in a constant battle for homeostasis, our daily lives and nutrition should mimic it as well. We need balance.

Caloric intake or diet is responsible for 95% of weight loss, but not just any calorie.  Different types of calories invokes different hormonal responses. A calorie from an almond will be processed differently than a calorie of table sugar.  Dr. Fung made a statement in his book that eating more doesn’t make us fat being fat makes us eat more. I enjoyed digging into the carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis, that eating highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates, & sugar cause insulin spikes & its tie to these type of foods not triggering our satiation hormone. The feeling of being full/satisfied is tied to Leptin. Our body can become Leptin resistant just like insulin resonance which compounds the problem of obesity.

I would like to dig dipper into the statements about coffee and tea having “protective agents again type 2 diabetes”. hmmmm, I probably should use that as an excuse to go overboard…Everything in balance right? This leads into my first statement, we are a complex system a chemistry set. External stimuli has a direct effect on what’s happening inside; it can be food or even sleep. The lack of sleep raises cortisol levels leading to increased insulin levels…hmmm…balance. I need more sleep. Finally, his talk about Fasting  made me realize that in the last 10 years of being exposed to Coach Glassman nutritional guidance of Eat Meat & Vegetables Some Fruit, little start and no sugar that I have never tried Intermittent Fasting as a means of healthy “balance” on the inside. Based on my personal habits, I can see fasting as a great way to increase insulin sensitivity as long as coming off the fast I don’t gorge myself as what I would expect myself to do. The only thing to do experiment, try it and make sure to do it for a long enough period that your body has a chance to adapt.

M/34/6’/175#

13:03 RX

16:10 - Rx
With the rings set and feet on a plate so my body was parallel to the floor. 

  Jason Fung does an excellent job explaining why obesity isn’t a one cause disease but rather multifactorial. You can’t outwork it, you can’t eat less but rather it’s a hormonal inbalance and in order to solve it you need to look at the issue from multiple angles.  He sums it up by saying to focus on what you eat and when you eat. Start with cutting out excess sugar and refined carbohydrates, balancing your protein. As far as when you should eat, he makes a strong case for intermittent fasting in order to bring me your insulin levels down.  
  The nutritional advice and research was very informative in The Obesity Code but the part that stuck out to me the most was how the mis-information and guidelines from national agencies will support diets that have been proven to be unhealthy. It is disturbing to know that money and policy will win over fact.  A whole generation was taught that Fat is bad, really bad! And refined carbs were necessary. Hoping that changes as we become more educated as a nation. 

15:36
simple, effective 

21:13

Good Read

20’17” 
400 m rum (esteira) 

Rx 14:43

16:54 rx


M/47/5'9”/194

 5r of 250m and bar inverted rows 25:52

This quartet is real alright, but since the article was written we've learnt more. So overeating (both of calories but particularly of carbohydrates) will drive up insulin secretion, which will drive obesity, which will drive the deposition of fat in the liver (causing insulin resistance and abnormal blood lipids), while insulin resistance in the blood vessels will inhibit the release of nitric oxide-dependent mechanisms of vasodilation.  Moreover, fat deposition around the islets of Langerhans will disrupt insulin release.
Ingesting fewer calories and fewer carbohydrates, and taking more exercise, will reverse all this.     

18:45, RX.  outdoor runs with elevation change and TRX rows as close to horizontal start as i could.

This book will definitely be one to put in our affiliate library. As many new members come in with the idea of "outworking a bad diet" this book not only dispels that myth but also looks at the whole body when discussing obesity. 
Furthermore, this book as lead me to begin to investigate how mental health, correlates with obesity and insulin levels. As a former child therapist, we know this greatly increases the chance of chronic disease, substance abuse, and mental health issues in adulthood (when looking at ACES Studies, Adverse Childhood Experiences Study). I recently enrolled in a course for my CEUS as a mental health professional that looks at nutrition for mental health professionals, I'm looking forward to seeing how the Mental Health profession looks at the whole body model and links how stress (physical or emotional) leads to inflammation which leads to depression, which leads to self medicating with substances or food.
I like how each one of our books carries over several of the same studies and findings and further validates the eloquence of the Nutrition Lecture taught each weekend at the Level 1.

'The Obesity Code' was another great read from the Crossfit Book Club. I had a few 'light bulb' moments when going through the book. I particularly enjoyed the way the author explained some large concepts, using analogies from outside of nutrition. 

Firstly, by reducing your caloric intake, you blunt your BMR. The concept of 'if your earned less money, you would spend less money' is easy to understand and obvious. It is a great way of explaining this concept to people as to why and how limiting your caloric intake may not be effective in the long run. 

Secondly, the need to look beyond the 'symptom' and to find the 'cause'. The common misconception would be to reduce caloric intake if someone wanted to reduce weight. This is putting a plaster over the hole on a sinking ship. It does not look at food quality, macro-nutrient balance and other lifestyle factors. Our aim as coaches should always be to find the cause, and fix that, not fix the symptom. 

Moving through the book club has so far increased my knowledge around deeper nutrition principals, I loved the take-aways from this book, ways in which I can communicate difficult principals with people more clearly.       

14:32

slightly elevated rows 

M/39/6’2”/210

18:46. 
400M Run
Elevated Ring Rows. Wanted to challenge the ring rows a bit more. 

16:57

19:32 RX

400m Row
15 Ring Rows
15:22

Rx 16:49.
Feet on 18” box with pronated grip and completely horizontal body for ring rows - much harder for me than feet on the ground ring rows. Fun! 

Friday’s workout.  
rowed 400m. 
db row 15lbs ea
15:42

#powerseeker

16:12

Rx’d 
14:30
Used homemade ring set up (Resitance band handles tied to pull up bar with para-cord)

15 minute AMRAP 
400m run
15 squats
15 leg lifts

This book was one of the best readings for me. Through very well explained concepts and theories, the author talks about one of the big “problems”: obesity. Placing weight gain and obesity as a problem not just about what or how much you eat, but about a number of factors, including hormonal problems, is essential to understanding how to work to improve an athlete's physical condition.
So, it is important that we are aware that obesity goes beyond “lack of effort” and accommodation, it can always mean something more.

In addition, very clearly, Fung makes clear the influence of insulin on obesity, requiring actions that we have already learned and are dedicated to disseminating in our community: making good choices about what goes into your body, reducing sugar consumption and mainly processed foods, as well as regular exercise.

In my opinion, this book can serve as a guide not only for us, students and professionals in the field, but also for people who are interested in health and well-being.

5 rounds

20 bur pees
15 ring rows

15m48s (selfie with toddler on the rower included in time)

thanks CrossFit

16:35 RX
43/1.78m/77kg

The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss by Dr. Jason Fung is a great book and my favorite one out of our discussions thus far.

For me personally it was easy to read, follow and stay engaged throughout in order to digest all the information provided. 
This should be a must read for anyone interested in the topic of nutrition and weight loss — but then providing even more information than expected. 
Dr.Fung showcases historical evidence and research, as well as drawing on some of the most modern data available, dispelling many of the myths and concepts often found in general state/country guidelines, as well as the "common knowledge" established by many nutritional "experts". 
Looking into the causality of weight gain, highlighting the essential role of insulin and its levels in a person's body, goes hand in hand with the CrossFit nutritional guidelines and many of the topics coach Greg Glassman has expressed over many years as well as it has been taught in our CrossFit courses.
The author highlights through historic, anecdotal and current findings how carbohydrates and highly refined foods drive high insulin levels, obesity and sickness. But Dr Fung goes even further and showcases his thorough understanding of the topic by not leaving carbohydrate consumption and insulin as the simple "bad guys" - he highlights how there are other factors like stress, genetic disposition and especially insulin resistance that drive obesity and the obesity epidemic. 
Similar to what we provide in the CrossFit methodology, Dr Fung highlights that a balanced approach of macro nutrient consumption, elimination of refined sugars, avoidance of refined foods and reduction of stress as ways to stay away from obesity and it's health consequences. 
Especially interesting was his case around stress and cortisol, something that we in our society driven by fast results, little rest and continuous performance might overlook. He highlights how constant, long term stress, with limited recovery (sleep) and thus elevated cortisol levels ultimately still lead to weight gain, chronically elevated insulin levels and thus obesity. 

Again — this book is a recommendation to anyone really who wants to understand more about nutrition, obesity factors and learn about tools to stay away from obesity. The great thing here is the reader doesn't need a PhD themselves to understand the book, it is so well written that you will want to read every chapter front too back. 
As a trainer you will gain additional knowledge and tools, in order to fight an epidemic that is flooding the globe. As Michael put it in his comments, especially now, in which we see the implications of underlying health conditions such as obesity being confronted with a virus pandemic, this book is even more relevant than ever - demanding a change in the way that we understand the factors of obesity and proactively use the tools highlighted in the book  - or utilizing the solution that Coach Greg Glassman has put out years ago: Constantly Varied Functional Movements executed at a High Intensity, paired with the CrossFit nutritional approach - wether it is the zone, IF or Keto - will lead to fitness and health. 

This is another great book debunking myths surrounding weight loss. The Obesity code does a great job at explaining the true cause of obesity. Fung describes how high insulin levels are the real cause of obesity. “A recent study suggests that 75 percent of the weight-loss response in obesity is predicted by insulin levels. Not willpower. Not caloric intake. Not peer support or peer pressure. Not exercise. Just insulin." - Jason Fung.  I find this passage to be very impactful, it gives individuals that are struggling with weight loss an explaination and some guidance on where they should be focusing.   

To think that 30 years ago the dietary guidelines were to eat low fat high carb is crazy and that the bottom of the pyramid consisted of refined carbohydrates. I now understand why people my parents age have had such a difficult time with weight loss. They have been flooded with information telling them that refined carbohydrates were good and fats were bad and the answer is to restrict calories. Everyone should read this book. 

Subed 15 Push-ups 

17:48

Modification

My girlfriend's knee was hurt, so we used our OLD airdyne fan bike.  

4 Rounds
Hard bike
15 ring rows

Bike until your partner finishes rows.

Love couplets.  

Lectura muy interesante para entender mejor cómo las hormonas y su desregulación pueden afectar a nuestra salud y nuestro % de grasa acumulada.

En El Código de la Obesidad, que se encuentra también en español, el autor (Jason Fung) deja clara la importancia de que en medicina y, en este caso, en lo que afecta a la nutrición dejen de centrarse en dar solución temporal al problema para centrarse en encontrar y combatir la causa. Tratar de mitigar aquello que nos hace llegar a la obesidad, en lugar de dar algo que ayude a "sobrellevar" la obesidad/diabetes durante un tiempo.

Insiste mucho, en varios puntos:

La obesidad como una enfermedad multifactorial.
Aclara que el problema, NO es la vagancia o falta de fuerza de voluntad (consumir menos calorías y gastar más), eso es sólo una consecuencia de cómo nuestro organismo funciona. La clave está en mantener un equilibrio hormonal ya que son las responsables de:regular el hambre, la saciedad, activar y/o frenar el gasto energético, etc
INSULINA, como la hormona clave. Mantenerla lo más estable posible, a través de métodos como:

Ayunar (cuándo comer) y reducir el número de comidas al día para evitar gran cantidad de horas con niveles de insulina más elevados. Algo así como, darle a tu organismo un descanso de la producción de hormona insulina. "Si no tienes hambre, no comas".
Consumir alimentos poco refinados, para evitar ingerir azúcares que eleven la insulina (qué comer). "Cuanto más nos desviamos de la comida real, más peligros corremos". Perder el miedo a comer grasa natural, aumentando el consumo de este vs. proteína (max 20-30% de la ingesta total diaria).
Descansar/dormir bien y evitar el estrés (bajos niveles de cortisol, ayuda a mantener la insulina baja).


Acabo con una frase que define muy bien este libro:
" La obesidad se debe a una desregulación hormonal de acumulación de grasa. La obesidad es fruto de un desequilibrio hormonal, no calórico".

RX 14:15

The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss by Dr. Jason Fung, in an echo of what other have said, is definitely an engaging read and a book I would highly recommend to everyone. There are three major reasons I would encourage others to read this book (especially right now): its accessible, well written explanation of certain hormonal processes and how they dictate obesity, its scientific clarification of why people commonly fail to lose weight which incites empathy, and its pertinence to our daily lives especially in the time of COVID-19. 
 

First and foremost, this book makes the science really digestible. It delivers on making a sound, supported argument for obesity being a condition of hormonal imbalance rather than a question of calories in versus calories out. It does this in accessible language that would allow comprehension for the vast majority of readers. If you’ve felt like nutrition books are either 1) not rigorous enough or 2) highly convoluted or both, read this. 
 

Second, Fung makes a great choice to begin the book with explaining why people are set up to and do fail frequently with regard to loosing weight. On page 12 he writes about a person being obese that “It has nothing to do with personal choices. It is not a character defect.” I struggled with the first sentence and very much embraced the second. I very much identified with the spirit of Max Shippe’s comment of not wanting people to place blame everywhere except themselves for their obesity, however, I believe that someone’s weight has no bearing on the quality of their character. There needed to be some aligning between these two points. Fung does well, moving on in the book, to detail pragmatically what happens internally in common diet protocols, how that creates vicious cycle, and how that makes a very uphill battle trying to deal with obesity. In this, I think, it helps develop better understanding and therefore better empathy in those interacting with someone who is obese to create a better environment for improvement. It also, I think, helps someone who is obese to practice a bit more self love and reinvigorate them to proceed down a road that it better for them. Even though he says it has nothing to with personal choices and that “67% of the cause of insulin is unknown” (p.198) The book focus largely on the known 33% and provides a plan of
something to do moving forward which can reverse obesity. It still makes each person an active participant. This flows over into why I think this book incredibly apt reading fright now.
 

Lastly, we currently find ourselves it the throws of COVID-19. Most people people’s daily lives have taken on a radically different form and this book offers a really great way to practice health in this time. For CrossFitters and active lifestyle people, I know they’re adjusting to changes in their fitness regimes. To start. some people may be getting less activity in and it is important to remember the cause obesity is not the modern lifestyle as Fung discusses on page 143. This change alone won’t make you obese (P.S. enjoy the challenge of having other variance that is most likely excluded form your normal routine). Additionally, as Mac put forth in his comment, its hard to be at home right now and not each garbage or snack or indulge in other things that Fung has pointed out as drivers of obesity. However, through Fung’s recommendations on what to eat and when to eat everyone has the opportunity to practice a really healthy relationship with food. Separate fasting from starving and hit the reset button. 
 

This book is about how to not be obese, moving from sickness towards wellness. However, Fung has also managed to easily build the bridge from eating for wellness to eating for fitness. If you start the walking at one end you will be very please with where you end up on the other side. 

The Obesity Code

I first learned of Dr. Jason Fung and his research on fasting via good friends Nicole and Kurtis, and subsequently read his tome on the aforementioned subject: The Complete Guide to Fasting, which I highly recommend to anyone interested in diving further into the subject. Thanks to this months’ book club read I was overjoyed to learn more from Dr. Fung, and was again pleased by his simple, logical, and well written prose…I think The Obesity Code should be mandatory reading in high schools and secondary schools across the globe.

The focus must be on the problem, and the problem is INSULIN. As Dr. Fung maps out on page 215, “all diets work…all diets fail.” So we need to focus on the problem: the insidious hormone creating obesity and type 2 diabetes…which are both shown in this book to be an insulin issue (along with the issue for a host of other maladies wrecking people the world over), and the regulation/control of said hormone is the antidote. Eat (or don’t eat at all) in such a way as to reduce the release of insulin (while beautifully and simultaneously increasing insulin sensitivity) and you have a positive feedback loop.

A simple, beautiful, even elegant answer to our health scourge is given in this book, I recommend it to anyone serious about the impact food upon humans. Thank you for the read Coach.

RX 13'09
37m/5'10"/205

Bent over rows (Army PRT, with 30 lbs dumbbells)

14:45

12:01

I have read both Obesity Code as well as Diabetes Code by Jason Fung, multiple times.  Every time I pick these books up there is something new I learn from them.
Obesity Code should be REQUIRED reading for anyone who really wishes to understand the adaptation to the "calories in, calories out" roller coaster our society has been on for decades.
"The defining characteristic of the human body is homeostasis, or the adaptation to change".   Most of us have heard the common complaints of people around us that try to lose weight by restricting calories, only to be met with little or no results in the end.  Jason Fung does an amazingly good job of breaking down, in very simple and clear terms exactly WHY this happens.  It is not HOW MUCH we eat...but rather the WHAT we eat that is the crux of this problem.  The more we restrict, the more the body will adapt to that restriction and get back to homeostasis.  Pretty simple when you think about it that way!!
"You cannot make up for dietary indiscretions by increasing exercise.  You can't outrun a poor diet".   Sound familiar????  We stand in front of groups of participants each weekend during the Nutrition lecture at the L1 and offer exactly the same message.  It is refreshing to have the medical community (or at least one from the medical community) offering exactly the same message.  
I appreciate the effortless and easy way in which Jason Fung takes a sensitive and potentially complex subject matter, and makes it easy and understandable reading for anyone.  This book would truly be a gift to give to anyone who is struggling to understand why everything they have been told in regards to caloric intake is not eliciting the results they expected.  
Definitely on my MUST READ list!!!!

So can I do this tomorrow or must it be done today?  Thank you 

18:27 Rx 

F/34/5’7”/145#
15:30 scaled
2:00 assault bike
15 ring rows

Rx 12:22

17:42 Rx

Used the strap on my rogue duffel bag to throw around an angled tree branch for ring rows. I’m in a hilly neighborhood hood so those runs felt like hell. What a day. What a life. 

M/45/6'2"/185#

Rx'd 
14:17

I have this cued up for GRIT Adaptive classes on Tuesday, and the forecast is showing 77 F and sunny! Can't wait! 

Resident classes will do:

5 rounds:
400m erg (If I have some folks in manual chairs, we might do a lap or two around the lake here - I should have a couple newbies next week!)
15 ring rows

Teleclasses will do:

5 rounds:
2:00ish walk, wheel, or arm cycle
15 inverted rows / bent over DB rows

I'll be putting together a little video of different at-home inverted row options this weekend so they have time to experiment and get themselves set up. 

M/42/6’3”/215
13:04... nice and steady on runs. 

This is hands down one of the most engaging, easy to read, and enjoyable books about nutrition and the mechanisms of metabolism that I have read; I will highly encourage this book to anyone I talk to about nutrition going forward. Dr. Fung's explanation of how insulin and insulin resistance causes obesity is something that I will continually reference. His long-term lifestyle steps to avoid obesity are simple, straightforward, and easily understood for anyone reading. 

Most importantly, Dr. Fung's use of only scientifically rigorous studies conducted on large human population to support his work and peel back the layers of this problem represent what all professionals in the medical and biology fields should be doing. 

Lastly, "The Obesity Code" highlights the underlying problem that seems to be the theme so far in all of the books we have read : the lack of scientific rigor and resulting consensus science that decided nutritional guidelines in the 21st Century has blinded the US (and much of the Western world) to the actual root cause of chronic disease. Page 140-142  sums this deadly process up perfectly: The 1977 Dietary Goals for the US convened by George McGovern's tribunal adopted Key's Diet-Heart Hypothesis with no scientifically-rigorous evidence to support it. This in turn led to fat becoming the nutritional villain and the government deciding to subsidizing corn and wheat. Thus, with the creation of the infamous USDA Food Pyramid, the government became the deciding authority on what we should be eating - a diet based on highly refined, cheap carbohydrates. This opened the door for Big Food to profit off of these grave mistakes at the expense of public health and perpetuate the obesity epidemic by suppressing any evidence that came out contrary to the government guidelines.

11:43 as rx

Jackie: 17:16 as rx

2.5 mile jog/walk with my 10 yr old
then

with 20# vest
5 rnds
400m rn
15 ring rows
19:59
m/50/175
Good start for Murph training.....

Rx’ed 
15:29

Ran laps in my complexes garage (snowing outside) then came upstairs for ring rows...time has a little back-and-forth travel in there. 

12:06

Runs on treadmill - 1% incline/10.5 mph

RX
5 Rounds
400m Run
15 Ring Rows on Floor
2:30
5:34
7:42
10:18
12:29

Sub 25 burpees for 400m run
13:35
m/51/5'11"/200#

18 ish mins getting on and off the treadmill....ugh

14:59 RX 
Running on assault runner... seems to turn out that I am always significantly slower on an air runner than running outdoors. 

Ring rows were way harder than expected!!

Ahh. This reminds me of the old CrossFit main site. 

600m ish?
25 sumodeadlift high pulls with 20kg Kettlebell

3 rounds in 15 minutes. 

Subbed 0.5mile bike level 8 for run
16:59

15:38
Subbed bike & Inverted rows

Then:
Zottman curls- 15/15(10# DBs ) 12(15#)
Max reps seated Shoulder Press(45#)- 10-6-4
DB rows(25# DBs)- 12-12-12

5 rounds
for time of:
Run 400m 25 Burpees
15 Ring rows
 
As modified, 14:16.  Ian (15yo) did it with me as well, with scaled ring rows in 13:28.  Ring rows always surprise me - they're harder than (kipping) pull-ups.

47m/5'10"/180

Portuguese Comment

Muito aprendizado neste livro.  A primeira coisa que chamou minha atenção foi como as informações eram de fácil entendimento.  Jason Fung escreveu em um idioma que é acessível a qualquer pessoa, mesmo que alguém não seja das ciências da saúde.


 O que eu mais gostei de aprender neste livro foi o papel da leptina no controle do peso corporal, reduzindo o apetite e retornando o armazenamento de gordura ao normal, evitando o excesso de peso como conseqüência.  Se algo impede a leptina de funcionar bem, sentimos fome quando não estamos precisando.  Portanto, a obesidade pode ser um estado de resistência à leptina.  Assim, as pessoas comem mais porque estão gordas e não o contrário (engordam porque comem mais).


 Ao longo do livro, Fung mostra que altos níveis de insulina podem levar a uma resistência à leptina.  Além disso, o peso de todos é pré ajustado e talvez a insulina seja o fator que controla esse ajuste.  Consequentemente, se nossos níveis de insulina forem altos, nosso peso será elevado e o corpo fará todos os ajustes para manter o corpo nesse peso.  Por exemplo, se alguns comem menos alimentos, o corpo se ajusta diminuindo o metabolismo, portanto, comer menos calorias não funciona.


 Nesse sentido, tudo o que facilitar o estado de altos níveis insulínicos (como privação do sono, estresse, altos níveis de ingestão de açúcar) guiará o corpo a um nível de resistência à insulina e a obesidade como conseqüência.


 A melhor maneira de evitar a obesidade é controlar a resistência à insulina e fazemos isso escolhendo o que comer e quando comer.  Já é sabido em nossa comunidade o que comer e o que não comer, então não vou delongar nisso.


 Quando se trata de quando comer, adorei aprender sobre como o jejum pode ser eficaz e os mitos que existem sobre o jejum (o jejum faz você perder músculos, por exemplo).  O jejum tem um papel muito importante na prevenção da obesidade.


 Senri falta que o autor mencionasse os efeitos do exercício sobre a resistência à insulina.  É comprovado que o exercício melhora a resistência à insulina por um mecanismo de regulação positiva e, portanto, é uma ferramenta muito eficaz para combater a obesidade, não por causa das calorias, como mencionei, mas por causa do controle da insulina.


 Finalmente, me senti muito bem edudado ao ler este livro e espero aplicar esses conceitos comigo e com meus clientes.

A lots of Learning in this book. First thing that called my attention was how the informations were of easy understanding. Jason Fung wrote in a language that it is accessible to anybody even if someone is not from the health sciences.


What I most liked learning in this book was the role of Leptin in the control of the body weight by reducing the appetite and returning the fat storage back to normal, preventing overweight as a consequence. If something prevents Leptin from working well, We feel hungry when we are not. Therefore obesity could be a state of Leptin resistance. Thus people eat more because they are fat and not the other way arround (get fat because eat more).


Throughout the book Fung shows that High Levels of Insulin can lead to a Leptin resistance. Also everybody’s weight is set and maybe Insulin is the factor that control this set. Consequently if our levels of insulin are high our weight will be set up high and the body will make all adjustments to keep the body in that weight. For instance If some eat less food the body will adjust by lowering the metabolism, so, eating less calories doesn’t work.


In this sense everything that facilitate the state of high insulinic levels (like sleep deprivation, stress, high levels of sugar intake) will guide the body to a insulin resistance level and obesity as a consequence.


The best way to avoid obesity then is to control the insulin resistance and we do that choosing what to eat and when to eat. It’s already known in our community what to eat and not to eat, so I am not going to dwell on that.


When it comes to when to eat I loved learning about how fasting can be effective and the myths that exist about fasting (fasting makes you lose muscle masS for instance). Fasting has a very important role in prevent obesity.


I missed the author to mention the effects of exercise on insulin resistance. Exercise is proven to improve insulin resistance by an upregulation mechanism and thus is a very effective tool to fight obesity, not because of the calories as I mentioned, but because of the Insulin control.


Finally I felt very well educated reading this book and I look forward to applying this concepts with myself and my clients.

"The decision to eat or not is principally hormonal" (Fung, J. 2016).  What role will and does this play in our current situation, where stress levels are high, food choices are poor.  I personally don't normally struggle with this but since being on lockdown for over 3 weeks and having a Teenage son at home, I have caught myself eating things i.e. Snacks that I would not normally eat.  I eat pretty "clean" most of the time and it is amazing the difference in how I feel and react either after sharing some "junk food" with my kid or even having more then usual intake of alcohol.  Working from home or being forced to work for home will put more than a few people in the same situation, what is different for them is...they might not notice these differences, that I do when eating these foods.  And I am sure most will want to start a diet while they are forced to be home and what I learned here was Caloric restriction does not work and snacking does not seem to the be thing to do either.  What will really be a huge issues for most people during this time if left unchecked will be here then usual level of Insulin levels.  As stated in the book, and here above by Matheau, Insulin is the bad guy...and what I see being stocked up on during this crisis are foods that promote high insulin levels. I hope we can get books like this in the mainstream and in the hands of people who need to hear this, more so now than ever!  
Mac 

Used green resistance band instead of ring rows

12:15 subbed 30cal Airdyne for runs

15:25

400m run on treadmill
12 ring rows 45 degree incline

15:52 option 2 ( 300 meter assault air runner.

16:40

18:06

trx rows instead of ring rows

The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung is a well written book simplifying a topic that can otherwise be very complex. 

Th idea that the way we eat is much more important to regulate weight gain or loss than exercise is clearly demonstrated. I love the analogy he uses to describe the importance between exercise and nutrition for weight love. “Diet is Batman and exercise is Robin. Diet does 95 percent of the work and deserves all the attention; so, logically, it would be sensible to focus on diet. Exercise is still healthy and important—just not equally important. It has many benefits, but weight loss is not among them.” p. 53 

I feel like CrossFit is not given enough credit for its focus on nutrition as it should. Too many times members overtrain thinking that this will lead them to better results for losing weight and maintaining weight los for a long period of time. 

I believe as a CrossFit trainer we should encourage the athletes to focus on their nutrition just as much as their attendance in the class and educate them with the resources that we have. 

I learned about the body set weight and how it explains why short term weight loss is possible by restricting cals and/or increase energy expenditure but for long term benefits this isn’t possible without lowering the body set weight. 

My simplified summary is obesity is a hormonal imbalance, not a caloric imbalance and insulin is the main culprit of this imbalance. What you eat and when your eat are the two major factors for controlling your hormones and therefor weight control.

Strava tracked my distance since I didnt have a pre-defined 1/4mi track. So wound up doing all 5 rounds w/ the total run distance being 1.56 miles or .31 miles/rd. Ring Rows as Rx.

16:09

Scaled 
400 M Run
15/15 Renegade Row (12#)
12:36

16:51

disappointing - expected <16

I am trying to integrate the various percentage quotes from the book. They were offered as truisms:
70% of the variance in obesity (the tendency to gain weight) is genetic (30% environment).
Affect on weight: 95% diet & 5% exercise.
75% of obesity is predicted by insulin levels.
67% of the [cause of the] insulin response is unknown.
Interpreted very optimistically:
“Well, at least I can control 30%!”
“I have to be more diligent about what/how much/when I am eating than increasing exercise volume.”
“My food choices should take into account the resulting insulin response.”
“Great, I will work off the knowledge of that 23%.”
Interpreted very cynically:
“How hard should I try if 70% is out of my control?”
“Are my dietary food choices genetic too? If so, I only have control over 34% of what I eat (30% of 95%).”
“Do I have to measure my daily insulin? Is my insulin level at all controlled by my genetics? Then, I only have 23% control of that (30% of 75%).”
“WTF!?”
It is because of the presence of personalities that tend toward the latter scenario that I appreciate the new CrossFit L2 Certificate Course, Nutrition Lecture. Behavioral methods to help people accomplish their goals (i.e. starting and maintaining “it") rather than not try or be defeated because of obstacles (e.g. real, imaginary, self-imposed, or externally created).

It has always been fascinating to me that my career in academic and biotech research has consistently been concerned with the “why” (on an excruciating level of detail), but when it comes to a method to achieve a healthier lifestyle I just want to use what works regardless of the reasons or reasoning. All the reading, pontificating, and arguing won’t convince someone faster than getting them to just try “it” and experience the benefits for themselves. To me, that’s the underlying secret to the L1 & L2 kernel - learning to lower barriers of entry for others.

500m run, 15 ring rows feet elevated on a 20” box 14:03

As an affiliate owner, I am excited to recommend this read to my clients.  It is science based, but the read is easy.  
It immediately addresses the dogma belief that cutting calories is a sustainable solution to weight loss.  Immediately that hit home for me, as it may be one of the most common conversations I have with new gym members.  His simple explanation of our bodies adjusting to a new homeostasis in these situations is very practical advice to start to changing the lens that most people view weight loss with.  
If we can get our clients attention with this practical advice, we can then start to educate them about how the body really works.  Dr. Fung's simplistic breakdown of hormonal balance is in alignment with the information contained within the L1 Kernel.  I really appreciate that the book only peels back "the layers of the onion" to a point that most people can grasp the concept of hormonal balance and how to achieve it.  
Right when most reads might go into hammering away at the science of hormonal control, Dr. Fung switches gears again and moves into practical advice about how to change one's lifestyle.  The organization of the topics brings the reader to the edge of their seat, eager to implement change and armed with the way to do it.  

HOME EDITION

25 BURPEES
15 RING ROWS
TIME: 14.56

Este libro nos enseña como la creencia popular acerca de como perder peso esta errada.
La obesidad es un padecimiento multifactorial. Necesitamos una teoría coherente para entender como encajan juntos todos sus factores. La mayor parte de los programas “Come Menos, Muévete Más” han fracasado en lograr una pérdida de peso a largo plazo debido a que “calorías que entran versus calorías que salen” no es el único factor causante de obesidad.

El Dr. Jason Fung establece que la causa fundamental de la obesidad y la diabetes es la hiperinsulinemia y la resistencia a la insulina. Provee con tres pasos para controlar el peso, mejorar la salud y controlar los niveles de insulina.

•Cuando comer—práctica del ayuno intermitente.
•Que comer—Alimentos integrales en vez de alimentos procesados.
•Evitar alimentos que producen picos de insulina, tales como azúcares/carbohidratos procesados.

Muy recomendable este libro especialmente en estos tiempos en los que incrementar la salud es fundamental.

Este libro me ha resultado - por fin - fácil de leer, y creo que es un buen libro para recomendar a gente no familiarizada con esta temática.
En cierto modo, me ha recordado múltiples veces a los mensajes que damos en el level 1, pudiendo sacar conclusiones sencillas, y fáciles de transmitir a todos aquellos que viven bajo mitos nutricionales que la sociedad nos ha hecho creer sin fundamento alguno.

“Tiritas” como ingerir menos calorías, dejar de comer pan o abandonar el alcohol, consiguen frenar alguna de las causas de la obesidad, pero se necesita un plan de acción conjunto para no entrar en el típico ciclo de hacer dieta y adelgazar para volver a engordar y volver a hacer dieta: el círculo vicioso del que mucha gente con problemas de peso es incapaz de salir. Como dice Fung; “Tu abultada barriga también puede ser causada por un número de diferentes factores: el estrés, la genética, los aperitivos constantes, los turnos de noche, la adicción a la comida, los refrescos, el consumo excesivo de alcohol o una microbiota desequilibrada, por ejemplo”.

Como explica Fung, en la línea de lo que piensan muchos de sus compañeros como Michael Mosley, Aseem Malhotra o Gary Taubes, la obesidad es un complejo problema hormonal, en el que la insulina juega un papel fundamental. Es esta hormona la que inunda nuestro torrente sanguíneo tras cada comida, almacenando el exceso de azúcar en forma de grasa en el hígado y en diferentes zonas de todo el cuerpo.

Claves del libro
No huyas de la grasa
Come fibra
Ayuna de 12 a 16 horas
Nada de refrescos
No te estreses
Ayuna durmiendo
Toma vinagre antes de comer
Desayuna o no
Deja de picotear

This book has been - finaly - easy to read, and I think it is a good book to recommend to people unfamiliar with this topic.
In a way, it has reminded me multiple times the level 1 material that we spread, being able to draw simple conclusions, and easy to transmit to all those who live under nutritional myths that society has made us believe without any foundation.

"Band-Aid solutions" like eating fewer calories, stop eating bread or giving up alcohol, maybe stop some of the causes of obesity, but an action plan is needed to avoid falling in to the typical cycle of "dieting and losing weight  to return to put on weight and go back to dieting": the vicious circle from which many people with weight problems are unable to escape. As Fung says; "Your big belly can also be caused by a number of different factors: stress, genetics, constant snacks, night shifts, food addiction, soft drinks, excessive alcohol consumption, or an unbalanced microbiota, for example".

As Fung explains, in line with what many of his colleagues like Michael Mosley, Aseem Malhotra or Gary Taubes think, obesity is a complex hormonal problem, in which insulin plays a fundamental role. It is this hormone that floods our bloodstream after each meal, storing excess sugar in the form of fat in the liver and in different areas of the body.

*Keys to the book
Do not avoid fat
Eat fiber
Fast from 12 to 16 hours
No soft drinks
Do not stress
Fast while sleep
Take vinegar before eating
Have breakfast or not
Stop snacking all the time

This workout is very simple, but don’t think that means it is easy! This workout allows opportunity to really push the pace on the runs and is easy to modify at home. Here are some scaling and at-home workout thoughts:

Run: Most can do this as prescribed. Consider scaling the distance, or reduce rounds, if the initial run will take longer than 2:30 to complete. If you cannot get outside, but have a rower, row 400-m each round and expect the ring rows to be very difficult due to the redundancy. If you cannot run outside and have an air bike, consider distances of 1k/.8k each round. If you are limited on equipment, consider performing 200 single unders with a jump rope or complete 2:00 of running in place each round. 

Ring Rows: This movement seems easy but it is deceiving due to the strict nature of the movement. Athletes can modify their foot and body position to increase/decrease the difficulty of the movement. If the volume is too demanding, reduce the reps each round. If limited on equipment attempt to maintain the gymnastics pulling function. The trend is to perform rows from a stable table or from the back of a truck and this a great option today. 

Scaled to:
5 rounds for time
400m run
15/15 dumbbell renegade row 20lb DB

13:19

Performed at an outdoor gym with an estimated 400m run. No rings available so opted for strict Pull-ups. 18m30s.
To be closer to the stimulus intended, I would consider reducing the repetitions when scaling ring rows to Pull-ups (e.g. 10 instead of 15).

12:07
400meter run
15 Hand release  push ups 

400m run
15 pullups

11:53

It’s so crazy to think, that we grow up and we are told one thing by the mainstream media and the world, we are told calories in vs calories out is what matters and it sounds great when you hear that, it makes sense in your head. Eating less calories, working out more this is the solution to losing weight... Dr. Fung hits it on the nose very early in the book though saying, if that was the solution why are there so many overweight Drs. Wouldn’t these people who are committed, and have gone through years of school, and are devoted to health, and have had to go through years of studies to get where they are, shouldn’t they be motivated, committed, and able to stay on track to do something as simple as limit the amount of calories and move more.

If that was the trick to staying healthy and losing weight, Then it seems we should not have the huge problem that we have today. But then you start learning about insulin resistance, and the problem with excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates, and we see that there is so much more to this problem. 

Once again like so many of the books that we have been reading, you start to see, that the truth is not new information, its been out there, and people have known about it, but mainstream has not pushed that because its not what people want to hear, and its not marketable enough. I am really excited to be continuing my educational journey, and books like this help to give me a toolset from which to make changes in myself, and also bring those changes to my clients, friends, and family to help them understand that we have essentially been fed mis-information for so long.

After the first read of “The Obesity Code” by Dr. Jason Fung as part of our book club, I am sure that I will re-read to dig deeper:

Besides presenting a compelling theory (visual on p. 270, Figure 17.2. The hormonal obesity theory) on the basis of which he explains general recommendations “five steps in weight loss:” (p.312), the book is a treasure trove of related information, as Fung presents evidence from science, history, politics and medicine that lead to the obesity theory.

Overall, I found it an easy read with entertaining examples culminating in hands-on advice. It helps me deal with common questions about the topic in the L1 Nutrition lecture and is a book I recommend for anyone interested in this topic. Some of my personal favorite parts and quotes:

“Dealing” with “The Calorie reduction error” (p. 40) in clear terms and explaining why it is not as simple as “Eat less, move more”. 
The importance and the factors of the basal metabolic rate (p.74) explained.
“Eating more does not make us fat. Getting fat makes us eat more” (p. 89) [on p. 121 referencing Gary Taubes “We do not get fat because we overeat. We overeat because we get fat.” (Why we get fat: And What To Do About it”)]
“Human obesity is a disease of leptin resistance, not leptin deficiency.” (p. 93)
“Glycogen is like your wallet. Money goes in and out constantly. The wallet is easily accessible, but can only hold a limited amount of money. Fat, however, is like the money in your bank account….” (p. 104).

In addition, the final chapter may lead me to explore fasting further.

11:09min Rx 

I could not wait for Code to be published. Educated me more than any other book on health I have ever read. At 76, I have read my share.

I thoroughly enjoyed this great book.
The whole chapter about energy balance is amazingly well written full of eye-opening examples. Especially important to understand is that "Energy In" and "Energy Out" are dependent variables and that a focus on calorie restriction, will lead to a restriction of the energy that you expand throughout the day. His review and interpretation of the starvation diets highlights these points.

The other always controversial topic with people only arguing for energy balance is the argument that most things happening inner body are under hormonal control have feedback loops to keep things in check. Our body uses them to maintain homeostasis. These concepts are very well explained in this book and a lot of intervention strategies are given that focus on the key hormones insulin and cortisol.

Great book - read it! 

"An entire nation, and soon the entire world, would now follow nutritional advice from a politician." (17)

A seemingly absurd yet entirely true statement. In The Obesity Code, Dr. Fung points out the problem and provides solutions to the obesity epidemic. As Michael stated, this book is accessible and a great resource to share with individuals looking to understand the why behind yo-yo dieting and how simply cutting calories has repeatedly proven to be ineffective for long-term weight control. 

I was particularly interested in a couple aspects of the book. First, has to do with the experiments performed on elementary students. These struck me as both heartbreaking and very important in order to better understand how nutrition at an early age can set up individuals for health throughout their life. What is clear, from the explanation of these experiments, is that there is a dire need to educate not just children but also adults that products that are marketed as "healthy", "heart-healthy", "sugar-free" etc. does not mean they are ideal choices and that you cannot exercise your way out of a poor diet.

Second, has to do with intermittent fasting. I am wondering if anyone has read more recent data specific to studies that compare the response of different genders to intermittent fasting. I would also like to know if there have been any studies that look at infants or children and how meal timing impacts their health. I assume these do not exist, but maybe one of you can shed some light on the matter. I am by no means an expert on this topic, but I would like to know more. The studies that Dr. Fung cites, stating that women's levels of plasma glucose fall more quickly than men's while fasting and that this difference seems to become less marked with increased body weight is based on a study from 1974 (246). The other studies on this topic as references are from 1962 and 1970. If anyone has any studies that also look at this topic, I would be grateful if you could share them.

Thank you HQ for a great read, I am looking forward to reading Waterlogged by Dr. Noakes this month.

RX:13'49''.
https://youtu.be/OrlW7E38yGQ

Here is a book that I can very easily recommend to family and friends. Dr. Fung is a really engaging writer. He breaks things down clearly and uses good analogies, but doesn’t abstract away the science entirely. The diet proposed here is one that I think most people will find easy to follow. It’s not overly restrictive and it doesn’t pretend that fasting is a miracle that allows you to eat crap.

Hunger is obviously an important concept in relation to obesity. This book covers leptin, a hormone produced by fat tissue. When it reaches our brain, it reduces hunger. The problem is that when you accumulate excessive amounts of body fat, you produce too much leptin and the outcome is leptin resistance. Sound familiar? Obesity and leptin resistance go hand in hand, but unfortunately dosing people with leptin didn’t result in weight loss.

Unlike leptin, cortisol and insulin do cause weight gain when injected. This means they are causal agents in weight gain. Insulin is a storage hormone. When it’s high, your glycogen stores fill up with a small amount of energy and the rest goes to fat. Fung has a good analogy of a wallet (glycogen stores) vs a bank (fat stores). Fasting drives down our insulin and depletes our glycogen stores. As a result, we finally dip into fat stores. He mentions a recent study that predicts 75% of obesity can be predicted by insulin levels alone.

The other hormone that drives obesity, cortisol, is created during periods of stress. When Dr. Fung talks about stress reduction, he doesn’t do it in a feel-good, new-agey sort of way. He presents a very rational case, which oddly enough, makes me feel good. Anything new age makes me angry. I’d look like the Michelin man if my only option to reduce stress was with crystals and that kind of woo-woo.

There are full chapters in here on fructose, fiber, protein and they’re all very good. This is where most books stop: On what to eat, but not when. This is where the Obesity Code really shines. It has powerful advice on when to eat and a solid rationale to back it up.

The case for fasting presented here is compelling. Most important is that it improves your insulin regulation. This is the ultimate driver of obesity, not calories consumed or activity. And the most effective way to drive down your insulin is to not eat at all. After about 24 hours, adrenaline levels increase, which help with energy, fat burning and focus. And surprisingly, growth hormone is also stimulated by fasting. As a side note, many of these benefits of fasting overlap with exercise.

I’m a natural time-restricted feeder, but I haven’t ever done a multi-day fast. Dr. Fung’s vast clinical experience using different fasting protocols was enlightening. He’s tried the whole gamut of fasting protocols from time restricted feeding to alternate day fasts to extremely long fasts. I’m now tempted to give longer fasts a try. Nothing crazy, but maybe a few days.

Dr. Fung makes a clear distinction between starvation via prolonged caloric reduction and fasting. When you feed people a reduced calorie diet, they end up experiencing greater hunger than if they eat nothing at all. Furthermore, they downregulate their metabolism. The reason proposed is that fasting unlocks our fat stores to be utilized as energy. Hunger is ultimately driven at the cellular level. When cells are deprived of energy, they send signals to increase hunger.

Some of what I have read about the starvation studies done by Ancel Keys is pretty horrifying. Subjects grew so hungry that all they could think about was food. Their hair fell out, nails got brittle and psychologically, some of them snapped- to the point of causing self-harm. And they all felt cold to the bone. Fasting should not do this. During a fast, you will experience waves of hunger, and Dr. Fung has advice on dealing with that, but ultimately you will be fed by your fat stores.

The take home message for me is that sometimes the healthiest thing you can eat is…yourself. (Autophagy, of course. Don’t bite off a thumb!)

Rx'd
16.07  min 👍😅

Tatsächlich mal ein Buch, welches ich sehr empfehlen kann. Interessante Thesen, verständlich geschrieben. Man hat das Bedürfnis, das Buch von vorne bis hinten zu lesen!

RX 14:39.7 :)))
1 2:42
2 2:53
3 2:59
4 3:00
5 3:04

Really enjoyed this book! Easy to read, accessible, and applicable.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic victimizing individuals of chronic disease (which was highlighted in Coach Glassman's discussion on CrossFit's 28 March post), Dr. Jason Fung’s The Obesity Code carries not only relevance, but a demand for change. The Obesity Code is an accessible and insightful read for those seeking the key aspects, methods, and science behind sustainable weight loss. As it relates to coaching and the CrossFit methodology, I found The Obesity Code to be immediately applicable to our profession. As a proponent and ambassador of CrossFit’s methodologies, Dr. Fung’s thesis rang true to heart, but the book provided much more than a merely insightful analysis of the dangers of refined carbohydrates and added sugars and their subsequent effects on increased insulin serum levels, hyperinsulinemia, and obesity. Chief among these are Dr. Fung’s illustration of the dependence of caloric intake and caloric expenditure, the limitations of the “eat less, move more” campaign, and the principle of body set weight. Altogether, these factors help shape Dr. Fung’s hormonal theory of obesity. Like CrossFit’s long echoed warnings about chronic overeating of processed carbohydrates, Dr. Fung identifies that sustained levels of excessive insulin, most often stimulated by the consumption of refined carbohydrates, increase fat storage. The imbalance between the feeding and fasting leads to increased insulin, which causes increased fat, and eventually, to obesity.

However, Dr. Fung’s findings do not simply stop at the dangers of refined carbohydrate consumption. Rather, he admits that although high carbohydrate intake is a primary cause of high insulin levels, and thus obesity, it is not the only driver. The missing link, as he says, is insulin resistance. By and large this is the fundamental takeaway for the laymen and laywomen. Insulin resistance is the theory behind why the “carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis,” and the diets correlated with that hypothesis, such as the Atkins diet, fall short. Where Dr. Fung’s The Obesity Code hits home is through his analysis of insulin resistance, the time dependent and diet independent force behind “most of modern medicine’s archenemies.” Insulin resistance is a vicious cycle by which resistance, or tolerance, to insulin forces the body to increase insulin levels, which further drives high, persistent levels of insulin itself. In sum, insulin causes insulin resistance, insulin resistance causes high insulin, and the higher the insulin levels, the greater the insulin resistance. The longer the cycle continues, the worse it becomes, and so too develops obesity.

Fortunately, Dr. Fung’s The Obesity Code provides some key methods and diet protocols to facilitate the mitigation of insulin resistance and obesity. In addition to the commonly known methods associated with CrossFit’s nutritional prescription, such as consuming natural fats, moderating protein consumption, and reducing refined grains, The Obesity Code offered some additional, perhaps lesser known insights for our clients, for which I would like to highlight one in particular: stress, which we, ourselves experience, but also our clients and athletes, particularly in struggling to balance family, work, health, fitness, and in this current climate, a pandemic. Most people understand that long-term “stress” can lead to weight gain, but why? Dr. Fung identifies how “stress” is intimately associated with the hormonal theory of obesity through the stress hormone, cortisol. Simply put, cortisol mobilizes glucose stores so they are available for our flight or fight actions. However, under conditions of chronic stress, that glucose is not used for an type of fight or flight response, and instead, glucose levels remain high and there is no resolution to the stressor. As chronic stress elevates blood glucose over weeks and months, it triggers the release of insulin, which promotes fat accumulation and storage. Over time, chronic levels of stress even lead to insulin resistance. As a result, chronically high levels of cortisol raise insulin levels further, which in turn leads to obesity. To make matters worse, individuals suffering from sleep deprivation - a major cause of chronic stress - face the same risks of obesity, as sleep deprivation is a major stressor and thus stimulates cortisol.

With all that said, The Obesity Code, like CrossFit, offers some pretty potent solutions to hedge obesity. Be it a diet protocol that enhances insulin sensitivity, such as Zone or keto, or a constantly varied, functional movement program executed at high intensity, or increased practice with meditation and sleep hygiene, the tools exist for you, or your clients, to improve your health today for a better tomorrow.

Este libro es uno de los mejores que han publicado hasta el momento. El libro no sólo compara contundentemente información y hallazgos reales contra estudios fallidos o mal conducidos o falsos por completo los cuales se han llevado de generación en generación, arraigándose en las costumbres de todos, y creando paradigmas, que a su vez nos han llevado a esta gran pandemia de enfermedades crónico degenerativas, en muchos países del mundo, sobre todo occidental.

"No estamos gordos porque comemos demasiado, comemos demasiado porque estamos gordos!"

Los 3 aspectos más grandes que me llevo son los siguientes:
1) No es la glucosa, ni la insulina en sangre en exceso (hiperinsulinemia) la causante de la obesidad, en tema de la alimentación, sino la RESISTENCIA A LA INSULINA. Esta es causada por distintos aspectos. Por lo pronto el hecho de cambiar de paradigma, tomando como base este hallazgo es esencial para hacer cambios reales y duraderos en una persona con obesidad (y todos en general). El exceso de glucosa detona la liberación de insulina, al estar constantemente consumiendo carbohidratos procesados rompemos ese equilibrio hormonal, y constantemente mantenemos niveles elevados de insulina en sangre. Al tener de manera crónica altos niveles de insulina, nuestro cuerpo cada vez necesita más y más insulina pues se vuelve menos sensible a ella, desarrollando así la resistencia a ella. Entre más resistencia, más insulina se mantiene flotando en nuestra sangre (mayo hiperinsulinemia), y esto a su vez genera una mayor resistencia. un círculo vicioso. Y no sólo eso, la fructosa a través de endulzantes artificiales (y naturales también) aportan a ese estado de Resistencia a la Insulina a través de forzar al hígado, generando que este desarrolle grasa en su interior, ocasionando un hígado graso. El hígado graso al no estar apto para procesar más fructosa, interviene en el proceso de insulina,  por ende bloquea caminos causando así un aumento en la resistencia, por el proceso arriba mencionado.

2) La mejor manera de revertir este estado de resistencia a la insulina, es disminuyendo lo que comes, no sólo en cantidad sino cuidando la calidad de los alimentos, combinado con un momento apto para consumirlos. El autor promueve el ayuno intermitente con el simple motivo de dar tiempo al organismo de disminuir los niveles de insulina, y darle el tiempo suficiente antes de otra comida, para, por un lado, no forzarlo con tanta insulina. Esto debido a que todo lo que consumes detona de alguna manera la insulina, considerando de mayor efecto a menor: carbohidratos,  proteínas y por último las grasas. Entonces si disminuimos la cantidad de veces que comemos al día, y al momento de comer consumimos baja cantidad de carbohidratos, mayor cantidad de fibra de lo actual, cantidad moderada de proteína y mayor cantidad de grasas, estaremos ayudando a no tener un pico de insulina grande. Esto por ende, ayudará a que los niveles de insulina bajen más pronto, ayudando a no detonar resistencia. Con el paso del tiempo, y entre más prolongado sea el ayuno, nuestro cuerpo volverá a tener la debida sensibilidad a la insulina, ayudando a utilizar más eficientemente la energía almacenada en el tejido graso y así bajar de peso, reseteando nuestro calibrador natural de peso. Este calibrador, lo comenta muy a detalle en todo le libro, argumentando que este es la causa de todos los programas de alimentación que sólo bajan unos meses de peso y luego un estancamiento, y seguido de un inevitable rebote de vuelta al peso original. Estamos descalibrados por la constante resistencia a la insulina que le generamos a nuestro cuerpo.

3) No solamente de alimentos nos debemos basar para atacar el problema de la obesidad, pues si bien sabemos no somos procesos aislados, sino un sistema único, con muchísimos participantes (hormonas) con distintas misiones para mantener el estado de homeostasis. Temas como el cuanto, de que manera, y cómo dormir, para reducir niveles de cortisol, ayudar a niveles óptimos de melatonina, recudir los niveles de estrés, entre otros factores los cuales son contundentes en el desarrollo de la obesidad. Debemos monitorear y arreglar los desajustes en todos los aspectos para encontrar la causa raíz en particular de cada individuo, y así poder ayudarle de la mejor manera a resolver su problema de salud.

Nadie nadie nadie se arrepentirá de leer esto, y por el contrario ayudarán a ayudar de manera REAL a la gente que ha perdido la esperanza en la nutrición. Y solamente es pensar, en no comer procesados, comer solamente cuando tengas hambre y si no no comas y cuando lo hagas que sea lo más natural posible para aumentar la fibra y llegar a la saciedad oportunamente gracias a moderar la proteína y aumentar las grasas consumibles, y dormir las horas que tienes que dormir manteniendo los niveles de estrés al mínimo. Simple, no fácil!

Thank you for continuing to recommend these books, especially during this time! Our members have enjoyed the books the monthly coffee meetings to discuss them. I feel this will be especially important this month as we are coping with stay-at-home orders, though our meeting will be virtual this time. 

I appreciate all of the support and education you provide to the affiliate owners, trainers and the CrossFit community at large!!

FOR THOSE AT HOME

RUN OPTION
20 seconds single unders, 20 seconds jumping jacks, 20 seconds wall drill run

RING ROW OPTION
15 Table rows 
15 Bed-sheet rows
15/15 Dumbbell renegade rows 

▶ INTENDED STIMULUS
.
Oof! Never forget difficulty is relative to effort. A 5K can be a gentle jog or the most intense twenty minutes of your week. It all depends on how you attack it. This workout is exactly like that. It is a variation of the classic benchmark Nancy. Today the movements don't interfere with each other, which means you can push them both, and you should. This is a 12-15 minutes effort that should feel intense right from the second round. Everything today should be manageable. We want to put you in a position so that you don't pace down, but up. Choose a distance in the run that you feel comfortable with and that you can speed up. For the ring rows, choose a number of reps and a height for the rings that allow you to go unbroken, and that works on your stamina some --the last three reps of the last three sets should burn a little. Today we push! GO FAST!


▶ OPTION 1 (scale up)
5 rounds for time of:
400-m run
15 supine ring rows 

▶ OPTION 2
5 rounds for time of:
300-m run
12 ring rows 

▶ WOD'S YOUTUBE PLAYLIST (Includes relevant videos for this workout)

Globo/Home scale:  If you don't have rings, sub either TRX bodyweight rows,  bar in rack inverted bodyweight rows, rows on a railing or low pullup bar like in a park, or inverted rows with  moderate weight dumbbells/kettlebells/barbell, or bands, or hang a towel on something and do rows that way (doorknobs work well for this!)  For runs, sub 20-25 burpees, 50 double unders, 500m row, or 25 calorie assault/echo bike.

Really enjoyed this read! I’ve recommended this book to several people now.

Here’s my simplified take a away:

The Obesity Code Run Down!!

There’s no magic food amounts or restriction. More getting back to hormonal balance aka reducing and managing insulin and cortisol. 

When to eat:
Listen to your body’s hunger and satiety cues more often. Don’t eat when you aren’t actually hungry and don’t keep eating when you are full. 
Stop snacking. If you snack reach for full fat without the processed or sugar laden options. Examples: olives, nuts and Whole fat dairy like cheese or heavy cream
Add in fasting to your ability, this means reducing insulin in your body and combating insulin resistance. Play with how often and how long. Ideally balance time window of fasting with time of eating and drinking anything that contains caloric value. Full fat dairy has the least amount of insulin response so if you have to add heavy cream to tea or coffee that is ok. You will have times of hunger which is generally a wave and passes, if you can try to stick to at least 12-16 hrs of fasting that is a good goal but again start somewhere and feel it out. I started at minimum of 8 and worked up to 16-18 hrs daily. 

What to eat:
Eliminate sweetners and sugars from diet. The very occasional dessert or splurge is acceptable, however your day to day should not include sweetners in it. So added things like; table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, Sucralose, aspartame, stevia, agave, honey cane sugar, erythiol, sugar alcohols, coconut sugar etc etc! Do not consume beverages that contain these which is probably the most common. Check anything packaged for these ingredients and avoid using them as much as possible. 
Avoid processed and packaged foods. These typically are full of the above sugars which cause high doses of insulin and contribute to insulin resistance, but these foods have also been through processing that changes the make up of the food. Our bodies have a different response to these unnatural foods and they are linked to many increases in chronic disease. Example: Flour is produced with modifications now to increase its production, then ground very thin and absorbed differently in our bodies than say 200 years ago when it was stone ground and course and had not had genetic modification made to it. Now this modern day flour has a significant impact on our health. Consider the more processed a food is from its whole natural state, the higher the insulin response is in your body.
Moderate protein. Eating protein has an insulin response, and significant at that, although not necessarily as high as the 2 above items. Over consuming protein is easily done and often promoted for lean muscle. Eventually this can lead you down the same path and over consuming processed foods, insulin resistance or promotion of fat storage. Your body will not start to burn muscle mass unless you are literally completely out of fat on your body! So only eat moderate protein. Eat a variety of meat sources and cuts and as much grass fed products as you can. Do not limit yourself to muscle only, try to incorporate bone broth and marrow, organs skin etc. No more protein shakes needed and infact if you tie this back to the first 2 point they are sweetened and processed!
Eat plenty of fiber. Eat as much organic as you can afford and find. Eat in season when you can. Lots of fruit and vegetables are key for fiber. Again when food is processed valuable vitamins and minerals are lost. Fiber is often lost in processing then added back in with additional processing! Fiber helps your body with fullness, absorption and digestion.
Drink water…. We knew that one lol!

Acceptable daily options in moderation: 70% or higher dark chocolate, red wines (1-2 glasses) excluding dessert wines. I typically have both of these daily. But I have been trying to avoid processed foods other than an occasional treat like once every week or 2.

Cortisol levels:
Daily movement. It doesn’t always need to be vigorous exercise. Walks, cycling etc.
Stress management, stress greatly affects this hormonal response. So learning to deal with stress through physical exertion, meditation, journaling etc.
Quality sleep. Vital for hormonal balance. If you are having issues with sleep those must be addressed to improve your over all health.

Champions Club Scaling Notes

RANT
Isn't it weird how much a sunny, high-50s day will change your mood? I will never understand exactly why that is a thing, but it's such a cool thing. This might be the first sunburn I've ever got in April.

PURPOSE
Just a Workout almost everyone can do.

MAIN DECISION
How much do you want this one to hurt after - it's up to you on the running

WHAT ABOUT THE REP SCHEME
Set up to where you should be able to do all ring rows unbroken and the run without too much deviation in pace.

WHAT ABOUT THE MOVEMENTS
Both are evil in this workout because you can make them as easy or difficult as you want

LEARNING HOW TO COOK
Decide how miserable you want this one to be then adjust the reps/distance accordingly.

I DON'T WANT TO COOK, JUST GIVE ME FOOD
They gave us food here. As is

GENERAL FEAR LEVEL: 7

What a great book.  This book is both : simple to understand but scientific enough that it makes you think. 

Like expected the book explains why the insulin is the bad guy.  How it is linked to chronic diseases.  What I really enjoyed and will use in my daily coaching is the multi factor approach to control insulin.  We know that sugar and refined carbohydrates have a big effect on insulin but, stress, sleep and meal timing are all pieces of the puzzle too. This is a great news as it puts in perceptive our recommendations as trainers.  Maybe just cutting sugar didn’t have as much of an effect on our client as we would have liked and it is probably because we forgot one other piece of the puzzle.  Or it had a big effect and six months later they reached a plateau because we didn’t address an other cause of the high insulin or insulin resistance.  

The second point I really liked is the fact that because most diets don’t act on insulin resistance all diets will work for up to 1 year and then will gradually fail.  It is not the fault of the individual not following the diet but the fact that our body adapted to the diet and lowered it’s metabolism.  

This resonates well with the CrossFit methodology where we need to bring variance to our diet just like in our trainings.  One solution could be the timing of our meals.  Introducing fasting is easy as we can do it with any diets already used.  

The book got me curious and I read an other book from Dr Janson Fung : The complet guide to fasting where he gives a lot of practical application of how to fit fasting in our life.  

The author as a great message of hope that we can naturally cure type 2 diabetes and obesity with diet and exercices as tools to enhance insuline sensitivity and fight insuline resistance.  Of the couch of the carbs!  Let’s go.  

GENERAL WARM-UP

2 rounds of:
200-m jog
15 air squats
20 mountain climbers
10 thoracic rotations in the bottom of a squat
10 push-ups to downward dog
20 shoulder rotations

SPECIFIC WARM-UP

Ring row
5 sets of 2 ring rows, lowering feet each set
2 sets of 5 ring rows with feet on a box (raise height on box for set 2)
2 sets of 5 ring rows in arch hold (hips extended, with feet on box)

Practice
2 rounds of:
100-m run
5 ring rows (perform more challenging variation in the second round)