Everybody poops, and we’ve always been told that it’s a great workout — but does pooping help you lose weight?
What the heck is a Ketogenic diet?
The ketogenic diet is a high-fiber, low carbohydrate diet that’s high in protein and fat. It has been known to cause weight loss and improve blood sugar levels.
This is the kind of diet that makes people fat! A 2007 study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that rats on a high-fat, low-carb diet lost 60% of their body weight, while those on a low-fat diet lost less than 10%.
Furthermore, the rats on the high-fat diet also had less fatty tissue, less cholesterol, and more lean body mass than those on the low-fat diet.
The study also found that the rats on the high-fat diet were 40% less likely to develop diabetes and better regulated their blood sugar.
Based on this research, the researchers concluded that a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet is “the most efficacious” for weight loss.
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But why?
Fat and glucose, the basic building blocks of body fat, are metabolized differently.
Fats are broken down in the liver and converted into ketone bodies, chemicals that the body can use for energy.
Glucose, on the other hand, is metabolized by the body’s muscles.
When the body doesn’t have enough glucose for its usual metabolic needs, it breaks down fat and uses it as fuel instead.
The byproduct of this fat-burning process, ketones, provides the body with an alternative fuel source, which helps to reduce cravings and hunger.
A high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet can therefore reduce your body’s need for glucose, which lowers your blood sugar levels.
Because ketones provide an alternative fuel source, the body doesn’t have to use as much glucose — which lowers your blood sugar levels even more.
The science of weight loss
Weight loss is a science, not a mystery. There’s a lot of misinformation and myths about weight loss floating around out there. Unfortunately, these misconceptions end up confusing and deterring people from making smart choices about their health.
Here are five myths about weight loss that are just myths — and five truths you can implement into your diet and exercise plans.
MYTH: Diets don’t work.
TRUTH: Diets work. People who lose weight and keep it off do it by following a diet plan.
MYTH: You’re what you eat.
TRUTH: You’re what you digest. Your diet dictates the digestion process, and that’s where weight loss happens. The food and digestion process are closely linked.
MYTH: The best way to lose weight is to exercise.
TRUTH: Exercise is important, but it doesn’t have to happen every day. Sometimes, it’s better to rest than work out, especially when weight loss.
MYTH: Diets make you feel hungry.
TRUTH: Diets don’t make you hungry. Many people mistake hunger with being hungry, but eating when you are hungry makes you feel hungry. When you’re hungry, your body signals you with a growling stomach, which usually means food. When you’re not hungry, your body signals you with a different feeling, which usually means something else.
MYTH: Weight loss is just a matter of willpower.
TRUTH: Weight loss requires a strategy that’s based on science and your biology.
Does pooping help you lose weight?
For years now, the weight loss industry has been promoting the idea of pooping to lose weight. At first glance, this doesn’t seem to make much sense.
After all, pooping is an activity that almost everyone does, and since eating and pooping are closely related, wouldn’t pooping affect your weight as well?
It turns out, pooping can help you lose weight, but it’s more complicated than that.
Does Pooping Help You Lose Weight?
Pooping does play an important role in your body’s waste removal system, and when you don’t poop, it can affect your weight.
Without regular bowel movements, your body can’t get rid of waste efficiently. As a result, waste can build up in your gut, and your digestive system can become swollen and inflamed. This affects the cells lining your intestines, which can become damaged and cause a bowel obstruction. If you have an untreated bowel blockage, it can be dangerous and even life-threatening.
Pooping is particularly important for people who have diabetes because diabetes can make it hard for the body to control blood sugar. When blood sugar is elevated for long periods, your cells can become damaged, and your digestive tract is no exception.
Since diabetes can lead to a bowel blockage, people with this medical condition should talk to their doctor about keeping regular bowel movements. High-fiber foods, probiotics, and regular exercise can all help.
While it’s true that pooping matters for diabetes, it can have other effects on your weight as well.
When you poop, your body burns calories because pooping involves moving around. At the same time, the fiber in poop can help with weight loss because it keeps you feeling full and satisfied.
However, pooping isn’t enough on its own.
