That's right, "The Fat Chance Challenge"! Are you game enough to try it?? Or are you just an ordinary sucky person who won't challenge their (probably false) beliefs?
Ultimately, theories and some scientific articles probably won’t convince you that higher fat, lower carbohydrate eating can be healthy. After all, theories are just good reasoning, not necessary perfect explanations, and statistical results from scientific experiments can be bias, misinterpreted, subject to false correlation or only statistically significant and maybe not so significant TO YOU!
As a result, I propose a challenge. This challenge is aptly named: “the fat chance challenge”:
The challenge involves taking some objective measurements for comparison (which we will come in a second) and then altering your diet to raise the fat (read: so called “good fats”, more on this later in the DIET COMPONENT LINK) and protein percentage while lowering the carbohydrate percentages (particularly through the elimination of grain based products in the diet). The dietary requirements are more fully explained in DIET COMPONENT LINK. Then after a month, or 31 days if you like, you reassess those original markers and see whether you have, for example, gained or lost body fat, reduced or increased cholesterol levels etc...
Indeed, whether you are game or not, a small elite have already been propositioned and will start the “fat chance challenge” on August the 22nd 2011 and go through to the 22nd of September. They are a prototype, but irrespective of them, I suggest you throw down whatever you are doing and scream to the heavens “It’s time to finally do something!”. Think of the “Fat Chance Challenge” as a call to arms, a call to take action. Meanwhile, we’ll measure it, and see if that very action was useful for your health or not, and make plans from there!
The objective markers worth obtaining before and at the end of your “Fat chance challenge” are the following.
· Triglyceride levels
· Total Cholesterol and Cholesterol ratio between HDL and LDL
· Blood Sugar levels
· A body fat percentage (and by extension bodyweight)
The first three can easily be obtain from a simple blood test. HOWEVER, I can't stress enough how important it is to do all of these tests UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS while FASTING (approx. 8 hours before the test).The last one can be obtained through various methods such as body fat percentage measuring scales, body fat callipers (my least favoured way!), or arguably the most expensive but probably the most accurate way, DEXA scans. They can also, akin to a witch hunt, dunk you in water, but for most that's just a pain in the arse. Also, for anyone who knows me and is interested in starting I have a relatively shite bodyfat scale that will overestimate your bodyfat levels, BUT, most importantly, do so consistently. While it won't tell you HOW fat you are accurately, it should show a CHANGE in fat levels over time decently enough for our purposes. So, if you're fortunate enough to have my number, give me a call and you can come and test yourself out.
Other measurements such as the girth of your waist, arms, whatever, blood pressure, and photos can also be useful motivational tools and markers of change. Just remember to compare them under the same parameters!
Why? Well imagine if you got your initial body fat percentage measured on scales, and then at the end of the study got them done on callipers? You’re body fat might vary dramatically! Does it mean you’ve changed? Probably not much in a month, let me tell you that. Consistency is key to comparing scientific results, so what you measure at the beginning of a test must be measured in as similar manner as possible afterwards. Similarly, the reason to be fasted is that if you eat (usually within 8 hours), before the blood test it can greatly distort the readings such that they are rendered basically useless for comparison.
So, without further adieu, welcome aboard to the adventurous, next stop Recipes for success.
