Good Calories, Bad Calories took the author five years to write, and it contains some groundbreaking information that will undoubtedly be the cause of much controversy. Whether or not you agree with Taubes assertions, the book is certainly well worth the read and it is obvious that he did put a lot of research into it as well as time.
The main assertion of the book is that we become fat due in a large part to the types of calories that we eat. By focusing on good calories and cutting out the bad calories in our lives, Taubes insists that it is much easier to lose weight and stay healthy. He is against, for an example, carbohydrates, stating that due to the fact they raise insulin levels, they make it impossible to lose weight. There is a lot of strong science to back that up, and to the author’s credit, he does mention good carbs.
Our main issue with the book was the author’s stance on exercise. He maintains that exercise can actually help you gain weight instead of losing it. The basic premise here is that because you are doing more, you are hungrier and will eat more. Again, it sounds good on paper, but there are many other reasons and scientific assertions that back up the fact that exercise is vital. Granted, it can make you hungrier, but if you are eating the right foods and making sure to fuel up before and after exercise, this can be prevented.
It’s difficult to wholeheartedly recommend a book that is so anti-exercise. While there is a lot of truth to what Taubes says, at the end of the day, there is no substitute for adding a healthy workout plan to your diet. With care, you can avoid falling into the trap of eating too much after exercising, and it just makes sense that burning calories will help you lose weight.
That said, the book is still a fascinating read, if for no other reason than it discusses the different types of foods that can actually promote weight loss, while bringing up the foods that you should avoid. Beginning dieters may be thrown off track by some of the advice however, but those interested in learning more about nutrition, or those that are well versed in dieting would be able to get quite a lot out of this book.
It has some flaws, but it is still an interesting take on the whole diet equation. If for no other reason, the book has value in that it exposes a lot of the diet industry foibles and poor research that is rampant in the industry. Read it if you’re looking for more information on health in general, or how to eat right, but don’t take it as gospel when it comes to finding an effective way to lose weight. If for nothing else, you’ll be able to learn a lot about the food you eat.
Originally posted 2008-10-03 05:22:35. Republished by Old Post Promoter
Related Posts -
How to Fuel Your Body For Exercise When you are trying to lose weight, it is very common to go on a strict diet and add in exercise on top of that. There is a problem with this however and you can end up feeling too exhausted to keep going. This usually leads to quitting your...... - Book Review: Eating on the Run by Evelyn Tribole Is your job making you fat? Our current society puts so many demands on our time that eating healthy is one of the first things to fly out the window. It’s just easier and more efficient to grab something quickly, but before you know it, you’ve packed on the pounds......
-
Weight Lost: 48 pounds in 8 weeks... 1.8 Pounds This Week So I am very pleased with my weight loss this week... With my ruptured tendon I was unable to exercise much, but I still managed 1.8 pounds of weight loss... In addition to my ankle, I was finding myself stress eating (the injury and the prospect of surgery was stressing me out),...... - The Rice Diet Solution This is one of the oldest diets that is still followed today, and thousands of people swear by it. There is a clinic in North Carolina for those that really want to take this diet to the next level, but the rest of it can get almost the same benefit......
- The Gold Coast Cure The main focus of this book is getting healthy over the long term, so right off the bat it moved to the front of our book shelves. Too many diet books promise readers the moon and deliver only yet another fad diet that doesn't work or leaves the reader open......
Related Websites -
The Best Secrets of Colon Cleanses to Lose Weight: Do They Really Work? - Informative Article Are you looking to lose weight? If you are, you may have used the internet to research weight loss products. When many of us think of weight loss product, diet pill are often the first thing that comes to mind. While diet pills may be able to help you...... - The Art of Learning By Josh Waitzkin Although this is a book by a chess expert, don’t let that fool you. There is some hard hitting advice here that can help you in many different areas of your life. If you are trying to learn more about managing your money and becoming a success, this book is......
-
Between the Sheets with Olivia Roland, Narrator of Land of Falling Stars Welcome to the second article under Between the Sheets. Here we get to focus on going beyond the printed page to learn more about the industry, the parts usually forgotten by the time the product hits the shelves. Today’s special guest is Olivia Roland, narrator of Land of Falling...... -
Book Review: Romeo, Romeo by Robin Kaye I picked up Romeo, Romeo by Robin Kaye on Monday. This was a mistake because as soon as I started reading I couldn’t put the book down. I didn’t want to and I literally tried to multitask while reading and that didn’t work out so well so I just...... - California Wilderness Areas Volume 1 If you are planning a trip to one of the many coastal areas or mountain ranges in California, there are a few books that will help you learn all that you can about these amazing wilderness areas. One of the best we’ve ever found is this book by George Wuerthner.......
- Snacks, Treats Foods, Bars Snacks Weight Management
- Discount Low Carb Products Cheap Weight Loss Journal Low Carb Store
- Foods, Bars Snacks Weight Management
- Supplements Diet Exercise Fitness
- Foods, Meals Foods, Bars Snacks Weight Management
Time the change your life? No longer content to live a sedentary lifestyle and revel in couch potatoism? Click here to download the 31 page the 100% FREE eBook "How to Lose Weight and Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle."
Categories:
Book Review, calories, carbohydrates
Tags:
3 comments ↓
Good review. I reviewed Taubes’s book a couple of days after it was published, and I , like you, was pretty impressed with his research. That is, until I ran into nutritional research nerds like Lyle McDonald, Anthony Colpo, Greg Ellis, and Alan Aragon which have all called Taubes on the carpet for his use of “old” research when there’s a body of “recent” research that he seems to have overlooked. Also, his whole argument against exercise is a joke! The studies that he quotes showing that exercise doesn’t significantly help with weight loss didn’t create a significant enough calorie deficit to lose appreciable weight in the first place. Oh, and I won’t even start on the whole carbs and insulin spikes make us fat malarkey …..
I am working my way through this book as well.
I find him a little hypocritical in that he exposes the bias of the AMA (fat is bad / excess calories = fat loss / low carb is dangerous) and yet he also makes a number of assumptions about various studies that help to bolster his argument.
I am a personal trainer. So when I am faced with a health problem, my first inclination is to determine how exercise could help fix the problem.
I think we all have this bias and Mr. Taubes is no different.
It’s still a good read that should not be ignored by the mainstream obesity industry
When I read GCBC I didn’t really get the sense that Taubes was against exercise per-se, just that it will not do the job of weight loss on it’s own. Exercise is great for health, muscle mass is important, but burning calories does increase appetite. I think that is all he meant.
I went back and read some of the original research papers that he referenced. I highly recommend “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration” by Weston Price, DDS. Don’t let the wordy title scare you off. He didn’t have Taubes’ marketing skills, but it is a fascinating read.
Leave a Comment