Ultra Meital Reviews: The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss by Dr Jason Fung

You're probably wondering what THIS book is doing in my reading list considering I read, let's be real here, EXCLUSIVELY romance novels for the past few years.. Yet things have changed for me the past year health wise and I started a new journey which includes more reading, listening and researching Diet, Health and Longevity.

As I see it, this book is the BASICS. It's something ANYONE and EVERYONE who EVER had ANY issue with his/her weight should read. Also if you never actually HAD any weight issues yourself but find it easy to criticize people who are overweight this is also for you...

To sum it up in a sentence - Everything you thought you knew was a lie.

Though one thing we all subconsciously knew - Diets don't work. Surprisingly the matter have been researched and documented for a 100 years yet when you talk to the mainstream dietitian (or doctor) what you get is the same - Eat less, Move more. Good for them, yet it doesn't work and won't ever work the science have shown it repeatedly.

Dr. Jason Fung does a REMARKABLE job of explaining what is going on in our bodies in a relatable easy to understand way. Though he explains himself using "big words", reciting a lot of scientific data from past and current research, he also manages to simplify it enough for anyone to understand - making this book not just an engaging and interesting read but also a MUST READ for anyone wanting to understand more about how our body works (and why!).

I wish I could get this book "pocket size" so I can have a bunch in my bag giving it away to anyone who stupidly explains to me "what my problem is". No, you ignorant little (wo)man, this is NOT the way things work. You've been lied to. Yeah, I've been lied to as well - but I moved on to actual scientific truths. You can too if you only take the time to READ actual SCIENCE.

I sound a bit condescending.. I'm sorry.. I'm just SO over people looking down at me because I don't look like a (skinny) model. See, generally speaking I never quite cared about my weight. It is what it is. The general opinion was eat less move more, and while I COULD 'eat less' - 'move more' was beyond my ability due to health issues (I actually recently solved). I tried. I genuinely tried. But it never worked. But as I don't think my weight defines me in any way, shape or form I put this issue aside. Whatever. My only struggle being finding pants that actually fit.

Dr. Jason Fung have quite the question in the beginning - "How come doctors are fat?". Don't you think it's strange a person who is smart, hard working and determined wouldn't be able to follow his own advice and actually succeed in losing weight? Most people consider "fat people" to be lazy and gluttonous, having a "bad" or maybe "weak" character who DESERVE the state he or she are in. But consider again the question of why DOCTORS are unsuccessful at losing weight.. Maybe there's a bit more to it than what we were (mistakenly) taught...

You see, gaining weight has a lot to do with WHAT we eat but that's not the only factor. While the common person thinks eating (and gaining weight) is 100% in our control it's actually maintained by our bodies using a bunch of hormones - the most important of them all - Insulin. Though we can affect the way insulin behaves we first need to realize it's there, regulating our blood glucose as well as storing (and re-using stored) fat. The body regulated EVERYTHING. Weight is no different. Even if it mistakenly regulates it to a much higher weight than it should..

Let me spoiler a bit about this book. First, STOP eating refined products (sugar, starches, grains). You already knew it's bad for you so give yourself a break and remove it from your diet (as best as possible). Second, do your BODY a break from constant eating. There is NO NEED to eat all day long, from sunrise to well after sunset. Though maybe eating JUST from sunrise to sunset IS a good idea - meaning give your body at least 12 hours WITHOUT food. It's not difficult, ask mom and dad, they used to stop eating at 7 pm and have their breakfast at 7 am. Intermittent Fasting. That's the basics.

Sounds easy, right? well it's no wonder really. Think about the previous generation(s) and what and how they ate. They had FAR less over-weight and obesity percentages than our current generation has. Let me quote Jason on this one "Grandmother was right!"

Naturally there is MUCH more to this book than this short general summary. There is something so satisfying about TRULY understanding how the body works and WHY we got to the the place we are at today (personally but also as a society). I started reading this book on my kindle but somehow got distracted with my usual romance novels. Once I started LISTENING to the Audiobook it was impossible to stop.

HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Thank you Jason for this wonderful, easy to read and understand book that not only removes quite a lot of the blame we and others put upon ourselves but also gives us an actual explanation as well as an EASY solution to make us HEALTHY first and foremost.

Note - Though I've JUST finished this book I've being doing Intermittent Fasting for the past 3 months and I'm enjoying this way of life. I find it extremely easy to maintain and HIGHLY recommend you give it a try. But keep in mind there's a learning curve like with any new habit we acquire. Don't give up before a full month have past.