THE CLOCK

By leaving this one piece of information out of all weight loss diets, you are sure to lose/regain/lose/regain and keep the “weight loss industry” coffers filled to the brim.

The human body is a machine, a top of the line, expertly designed machine...like a Lamborghini.

When healthy, it works in a very precise and methodical way.  When the body is studied, it is possible to see the intricate connections between its systems.  Cells, organs, glands, hormones, enzymes, muscles, bones: all connected and backing each other up.  There are survival mechanisms that immediately activate when the top tier mechanisms and actions don't work properly.  The mission of the entire body is to stay alive...at all costs.

With that said, there is an optimal fuel source for the body: blood sugar.  Blood sugar is normally derived from carbohydrate intake or glycogen stored in the liver and muscles.  Blood sugar can, if necessary, also be derived from the breakdown of protein and fat.  But...in the course of a normal day, blood glucose is derived from carbohydrate in foods and glycogen release from the liver and muscle.

The human body runs on a 5 hour clock.  Not just while you are awake, but around the clock.  Under normal circumstances, the carbohydrate you ingest has a life span of about 5 hours.  If you don't replace carbs in a meal or snack after the 5 hour mark, the brain sends a signal to the liver to release glycogen stores.  So...your blood sugar will stay in the normal range either from the carb you ingest or self feeding by the liver.  Most people are not aware of the 5 hour clock and the fact that after 5 hours pass without eating, the liver will self feed (survival mechanism).  The liver does not release a miniscule amount of glycogen...this is a survival mechanism and it releases a hefty dose.

Keep in mind the following:  Over 55% of the population over-responds to a rise in blood sugar with an excess release of the fat gain hormone, insulin.  Normally, when blood sugar rises from carb or liver release, the pancreas releases the precise correct amount of insulin to transport the glucose to the muscles and stores excess blood sugar as fat. The circulating blood sugar is left in the normal range. 

But, if you are in the majority of people, your pancreas will over-respond to a rise in blood sugar with EXCESS fat gain hormone.  Instead of the correct amount of insulin, you open excess fat cells and overprocess blood sugar into fat. This leaves the sugar in your blood stream lower than normal and the sugar stored in your fat cells higher than normal.  (fat stores around the middle, belly fat, back fat, muffin top and high cholesterol/triglycerides).

This resultant lower than normal blood sugar causes the brain to signal for you to "find and eat more carb."  If you do eat carb to answer the brain's plea, the excess insulin release,  excess sugar stored as fat, and resultant low blood sugar happens again.

If you ignore the brain, the liver will automatically release glycogen that will cause blood sugar to rise, excess release of insulin, and also result in excess sugar stored as fat, lower than normal blood sugar, and more cravings.

Now...what does this have to do with breakfast being the most important meal?

If the last meal you eat begins at 6PM and you force yourself not to snack in an effort to lose weight....you don't realize it, but every 5 hours after 6PM ...until you eat again....your liver will self feed meal after meal and trigger excess insulin release and excess fat storage.  So, you eat dinner at 6PM, but you are also quietly fed at 11PM, 4AM, 9AM without even knowing it. 

If you skip breakfast and don't eat until 1PM, you have no idea that you actually ate 4 times in the past 24 hours from self feeding by the liver.   So...you are eating at 6:00 PM (dinner), 11:00 PM (liver), 4:00 AM (liver),  9:00AM (liver), 12:00 lunch, 5:00 liver, 6:00 dinner...and the cycle continues.

In this study, when they talk about 2 meals/day...they are  not taking into account the other side of the coin...if a person does not eat, the liver will step up to the plate, and the majority of people struggling with weight, diabetes, hypertension, elevated cholesterol (those with metabolic syndrome) will forever be trapped in the cycle of obesity.

What does breakfast do?  It puts YOU in charge.  YOU can control what you eat at the meal instead of being at the survival mode mercy of the liver.  Then, make sure that no more than 5 hours pass during the day without eating.  If you ate like this:

8:00AM breakfast

1:00PM lunch

4:00PM snack

11:00PM snack

3:00 AM snack

You would have 3 meals (all under your control) and 3 snacks (all under your control)

If you skipped breakfast and didn't snack (had lunch and dinner only), you would THINK you ate 2 meals, but you actually consumed 6 meals (4 of which were out of your control)

So there you have it.  For the majority of people struggling with weight, hypertension,  elevated cholesterol, blood sugar issues, the answer is NOT calories in – calories out.  The answer to weight loss and overall body health is in understanding the way your body (your Lamborghini) works and living in a way that matches the mechanics of your machine.

Learn more at www.themetabolismmiracle.com.