Quiet the Ghost in Your Genes – To Lose Weight Effectively

Quiet the Ghost in Your Genes – To Lose Weight Effectively

by Boyd Jentzsch

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Well, if you can’t blame your Mom for your surging appetite (not that you haven’t tried), how about blaming your Dad AND Mom for your fat genes? Or better yet, blame Grandma?

Weight Loss Motivation Ghost in your genesBlaming genes is a satisfying answer because it doesn’t blame anyone personally. Your parents – and Grandma – are no more responsible for their own genes than the ones they passed on to you.

So, let’s start there. Let’s accept the fact that, if you are overweight by more than a few pounds it’s probably the fault of your genes. That done, what do you want to do now? Stay overweight? Get bigger?

You have a perfectly good excuse – genes. Lean on it. Use it for all its worth. When you reach for that extra serving of mashed potatoes, say out loud, “GRANDMA, THIS SPUD’S FOR YOU!” There, you have peace in your war with food.

Weight Loss Motivation Ghost in your genesThat having been said, were you looking for an excuse? Or a solution?

Before we talk about potential solutions, let’s take a closer look at your genes. Because, as it turns out, your fat-building genes are actually great genes. In fact, if it weren’t for them you wouldn’t be here.

You have great fat-building genes.

Somewhere, far back in your ancestry, was a woman who got pregnant in the late Summer or Fall. Her genes made her able to accumulate fat during the “abundant food” time of Summer and Fall. During the “starvation” time of Winter and early Spring, she was able to supplement her meager diet (for both herself and her unborn child) from her fat reserves.

Fat in the Winter. Thin in the Spring.

Your grand-forebearers had exactly the right “fat building” genes to bring their

Weight Loss Motivation Ghost in your geneshealthy babies into this world – living off the fat of their mothers. And you are the recipient, the direct descendant of that happy “fat building” gene, passed on and made stronger by each successive generation of “Fat-in-the-Fall” women.

Women whose genes made it so they could NOT build fat reserves during the “abundant” time, were not as fortunate in bringing their babies to full term. In short, most “Skinny-in-the-Fall” women didn’t pass on their skinny genes.

Fat-in-the-Fall women passed on their genes more prolifically. Today, this accounts for about 80% of us. You are fortunate to be alive today because of Fat-in-the-Fall women, successive generations of them. IF YOU ARE OVERWEIGHT IN EVERY SEASON, CHANCES ARE, YOU ARE A FAT-IN-THE-FALL WOMAN, TOO. Or man.

Your family survived because of fat. So, say: “Thank you Mom, thank you Grandma, thank you Great Grandma. The fat ghost in your genes, that you bequeathed to me, made me what I am today. Alive. Just fatter than I should be. That being said, be quiet fat genes, quit talking my body into gaining weight so easily.”

So, how do you quiet the fat-ghosts in your genes?

The same way your great-great-grandmother did. SHE FEASTED IN THE SUMMER and FALL – put on all the fat she could. She did that because she knew she would be STARVING IN THE WINTER. FEAST – FAMINE. That’s the key.

Eat heartily all Summer long, gorge at Thanksgiving, then eat a pittance, (barely at all) in the Winter. It really is that easy. That’s what your Grandma’s Grandma did. On a year-long cycle, it really works. Are you up for that?

If not – if living off the “fat of the land” during Winter is not your style – WHICH INVOLVES YOU WILLINGLY GETTING FAT DURING SWIMSUIT SEASON (instead of skinny) – at least STOP eating and get skinny during the “put-on-a-coat-it’s-time-to-starve-season.” (I’m not talking about a Winter diet here, I’m talking about barely eating at all – ALL Winter). Are you ready for that? (Sorta the opposite of what you are used to, right?)

If you’re not into fasting for three Winter months, to pare down that bikini you deliberately over-stuffed during the Summer, what can you do?

You just have to do the reverse of what your grandma’s grandma did. WHAT GREAT GRANDMA DID, YOU SHOULD NOT DO. She awakened the get-fat-ghost hidden in her genes to get it talking to your body, making it an active part of her dietary life in the Fall. And she put the fat-ghost quietly back to sleep in the Winter.

So what should you do?
Here are two ghost quieting lessons for you.

Lesson 1: Don’t eat starchy foods (potato, rice, pasta, bread, cereals, refined grains, etc.) with protein foods (meat, fish, plus fatty foods, etc.) in the same meal.

What? What can that possibly have to do with your weight? As it turns out, quite a lot.

When great Grandma ate these foods TOGETHER, they doubled her fat formation from that meal. Did you get that? THEY DOUBLED HER FAT FORMATION. Unbelievable. Yet, absolutely true.

Plus, it ALSO made her much hungrier at her next meal, so she would repeat the fat-building step. To make sure it always happened every year, this eating style became a powerful part of the culture (and every culture has a similar one).

Think of Thanksgiving. The culture says eat lots of starchy foods (mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie), AND eat lots of meat (turkey, ham, roast beef anyone?). For Great Grandma, this type of meal led to the generous formation of fat that allowed Grandma to be born healthy. For you, it compels you to decide between Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig.

Weight Loss Motivation Ghost in your genesEvery culture has a tradition akin to America’s Thanksgiving – a Fall harvest celebration, with ripe-for-the-picking starchy foods, and abundant meat. It is a celebration that used to last for days, not just one meal. Your old progenitors may not have understood why, but it is what got the pregnant ones through the Winter, starvation season – with a fat baby in the Spring. You’ve got to love culture, it has a certain genius to it.

The GHOST QUIETING lesson for you?

Don’t eat starchy foods with protein or fatty foods in the same meal. When eaten together THEY MAKE YOU GAIN FAT. They also jump-start your hunger and appetite in your next meal. Repeat to gain weight. Simple, but true.

Chances are, combining starchy foods and protein foods in the same meal is exactly what you do now. You have been taught by your Mom, who was taught by Grandma, who was taught by Great-Grandma — (didn’t I tell you to blame it on Grandma?) – to serve a “BALANCED” MEAL.

This meant making a point of having starchy vegetables and protein in every meal (hamburger and a bun, meat and potatoes, fish and rice, pasta and sausage, spaghetti and meatballs, ham sandwich, or eggs and toast for breakfast).

“Balanced” meals of starchy vegetables and protein are automatically adding pounds to your body. Do that multiple times a week, and you have a weight problem.

You can blame it on your genes that this style of eating makes you fat, because it really does arouse the ghost in your genes, telling your body to make a lot of fat.

But you also need to understand that your family culture is also to blame — a tradition that insured fat babies for multitudes of generations, is making you fat today. “This spud’s because of you, Grandma.”

celebrate afternoon tea

How do you undo the weight gain?

Run great-grandma’s methods in reverse: Don’t eat starchy foods with protein or fatty foods in the same meal. Simple, but effective.

Lesson 2: Eat lots of raw fruit. But eat it alone.

(No, I don’t mean skulking off into a corner to hide while you eat a banana.)

You see, when your Great-Grandma started eating the first fruits of Spring and Summer, and coupled it with eating anything else available, she was able to quickly rebuild her depleted energy stores, after a long Winter of sparse eating. That’s how she successfully breast-fed Grandma in the Spring and Summer after she was born.

The “rebuild-depleted-fat-in-the-Spring” diet combines fruit with anything else you can get your hands on. This “fruit-plus-anything diet” quickly awakens the fat-ghost, who then talks your body into gaining fat. Is that what you want to do now?

The lesson for you? Eat fruit abundantly, but always by itself.

Quieting the Fat-Ghosts in Your Genes Means Less Weight.

Practicing these two lessons can go a long way toward quieting the fat-ghost in your genes – the noisy ghost that easily, automatically makes you fatter than you should be. These are not the only things you need to learn, but they are a great place to get started.

Unless you plan to get fatter, or go on a 120 day fast at the end of Summer, quit eating every day like it’s Grandma’s Fall Feast. While it made her babies thrive, it’s killing you with excess weight.

Are you ready to quiet the fat-ghost in your genes?

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HEART PLAN — WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS Begins in Your Heart
© 2014 Boyd Jentzsch. All rights reserved.

By special arrangement with the author, CHAPTERS from the book HEART PLAN are published here regularly. HEART PLAN is not about what you eat. It is all about how you FEEL – your sense of SELF – when you are trying to lose weight. Sign up to receive the new Chapters as they are published here.

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-by Boyd Jentzsch

View Boyd Jentzsch's profile on LinkedIn

Boyd, a recovering Attorney, turned to weight loss research 20 years ago when he lost his mother to the lifelong effects of obesity. He has spent the ensuing years searching the science, and formulating a comprehensive metabolic map of the body — the only complete map of its kind. The map reveals the causes and effects of obesity and related chronic lifestyle diseases. It shows the only proven pathways to preventing and losing excess weight. From that unique foundation, he and his team created a weight loss education program that has helped tens of thousands to lose weight and keep it off. Plus, they created innovative and fun fitness and nutrition education programs for elementary school children, proven to reduce the early bio-markers for childhood obesity. HEART PLAN is a collection of his observations over the years of the emotional impact and motivational challenges nearly everyone faces when trying to keep lost weight off permanently.

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Comments

  1. Rebecca Swenor says

    Very interesting information. I had to laugh at some of it though. Thanks for sharing.

  2. constance ralph says

    Very interesting info.

  3. wendy c g says

    Very interesting

  4. Jessica Parent says

    As much as Id like to blame my grandma …neither were fat in the fall type girls (I however always have been-I tell the kids its my “winter fat” to keep my muscles warm)Lol

  5. Well … I already which side I belong on! lol! But you’re right, we really shouldn’t blame the gene pool as it’s all us!

  6. I’m not fat, nor do I think my grandmothers were… BUT I do agree that we pair foods that don’t work together. I usually do meats and veggies- YUM! And save pastas mostly for nights when we have no food (we still have starvation periods here… a few days before payday. And rice is mainly for burritos! Time to get healthy, indeed!

  7. I blame my weight on poor eating habits of the past. Trying to break those bad habits though and I really think it is all about making good choices at the grocery store and then getting active. I plan to be in my pool a lot this summer.

  8. My mom always blames her mom’s side of the family for her big bottom. She keeps telling me I’m gonna get it. i hope she’s wrong. 🙂

  9. There’s a different between being fat, fit and skinny. Remembers guys that being skinny is as bad as being fat – it’s isn’t attractive, isn’t healthy, and isn’t good for you. Just aim to be fit – and fit comes in many shapes and sizes.

  10. Blaming is the best way to get stuck, while taking responsibility is the way to grow. What we do with the cards we are dealt is what matters.

  11. Interesting

  12. Does it count if your mother in law made you fat? I try all different kinds of diets, and the only real thing that works for me is working out.. And i need to get more consistent with that.

  13. I saw this picture somewhere recently (the one with the basketball). Funny. I don’t think in my family it was genetics as much as bad eating and cooking habits, that was the problem for some.

  14. Only person you can blame is yourself. Do I get to blame my grandparents for being broke? no, that would be my fault. The only thing I get from my mom is the lack of a bum, haha.

  15. Interesting idea. I’ve always thought that protein would help balance out starches.

  16. One of the thigs that worries me most is whether or not ill be healthy and active at 80 – I want a quality of life.

  17. What a great post! I have blamed my family for my weight issues for years when in fact it is all in my control.

  18. Well, I know I have a long line of fat-in-the-fall grandmothers and great-grandmothers and great-great…-grandmothers. A very Finnish genepool. Wonder if I could do that diet, fat in the summer part isn’t hart, don’t eat during the winter one is harder.

  19. Very informative this eating to survive thing. I was watching a news show, can’t remember which one, but it was about common traits that people who lived into their 90’s had. One of the traits was they all were slightly overweight. (by today’s standards) Skinny people seemed to live shorter lives. And yes very obese people lived very short lives too. I just found it interesting that what a lot of people think a healthy weight is maybe too small to sustain a longer life. I liked your post.

  20. I had to laugh at some of this! Eating now is definitely different than it was way back in the day. Interesting how weight and the perception of it has changed over the years.

  21. Quite the controversial subject matter, but great article about genes. Thanks for sharing.

  22. Ann Bacciaglia says

    I have the same figure as my mom. I need to start eating more fruit, Thanks for sharing, I will start eating more fruit on their own and cut back on the starch.

  23. I definitely find that starchy foods make it tougher to drop weight. I need to get better about eating fruits alone like you said too.

  24. This company seems to be very helpful for people who desire to lose weight. The tips you gave are also useful and important to keep in mind in order to live a healthy life.

  25. Hey, I learned some new things from your article. I do not like people who find excuses for their obesity.

  26. I was adopted so my Mom, Dad and Grandparents can not be blamed for my genes. One of those Gramdmas did ply me with lots and lots of food!! I never realized that eating meat and potatoes was a no no to weight loss or a protein and starch as the case may be. Thank you for the info!

  27. After I stopped chuckling at the cute Grandma pictures and read your post I had to say huh? I’ve thought that by adding a protein source with a carb at a meal it lowered the carb’s load. I think I’m going to let this digest to understand it. Thanks for the food for thought~ pun intended.

  28. I love the photos of the sporty grandmas! I hope I am in as good a shape as they when I am their age. 🙂

  29. A lot of people rely on genes as an excuse for their weight… Though it’s not a good one.

  30. I loved this post. You used humor to get your info across and I liked that. Now it is easier to read that then to follow it.

  31. Wow I learned a lot in this article. I am picking up more and more on “clean eating”. I think it really would help in the weight department if we weren’t adding a ton of things to food and just ate it the way it was made by God!

  32. Bonnie G says

    Very interesting read. I’m very overweight and don’t think I ever blamed it on my parents or grandparents. Maybe I should try that winter diet thing. =)

  33. Great information! I don’t blame my extra weight on my parents either. I have to be responsible for my actions.

  34. I’d love to blame my mom or either of my grandmothers, but they are all tiny. These are very interesting tips – I’ve never heard that you need to eat proteins and carbs separate or to eat fruit by itself…it make sense though.

  35. I have never blamed my genes on my weight. I know what I put in my mouth and how much activity I do.

  36. this is really interesting … I’m thinking that I will be trying this (especially since summer is here) to put it through its paces!

  37. Thanks for giving real tips for a solution to gaining weight. Interesting information!

  38. I keep my carbs low because that is what has been working for me and I used to be quite the carb addict. Because of this I can’t eat too much fruit. I have 1 serving of fruit a day because it’s so high in carbs, especially bananas. My diet revolves around high protein and non-starchy veggies. I just try to eat balanced all year round. I don’t think you can blame your weight on anyone although other things can influence it, in the end you have to make the healthy decisions.

  39. We have fatty genes, from both sides ( mom and dad) so as much as possible I limit my food intake and have a healthy lifestyle. I don’t want to blame genes, it there.

  40. Thanks for the information. I find it hard stay away from rice and pasta but I will have to do what I need to do to get rid of the winter weight. Good thing fruits are delicious.

  41. I can’t, I can’t quiet the ghost. They speak too loudly LOL

  42. Hmm.. interesting for someone like me who is trying to lose weight,.. but I usually skip dinner, hope that helps 🙂

  43. I always believed that you can’t fight genetics.. Maybe the fatness you can fight but the others not sure if you can beat it

  44. I do believe some is genetic however I do believe we can make smart choices too!

  45. I used to blame my gene pool when I was younger, haha. Not anymore. 🙂

  46. Yes, very good article and I do know about how to eat healthy but it all sounds like blah and then I gain and I’m like I know I shouldn’t eat those chips, or drink that pop but I really need to make more healthy decisions because right now both of those grandmas can kick my behind. lol

  47. I learned a lot reading this. Thank you! I’m going to save it for reference! Very helpful.

  48. Good thing I love lots of fresh fruit because I still have plenty of my winter fat.

  49. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole foods, is hard to go wrong with!

  50. great reminder why some diet regimen won’t work for everyone of us. The tips are useful and will follow instead

  51. Yea, I take my weight into my own hands, I am my own person. I know I have my mom and dads genes but control my weight and lifestyle. Great info because I hear ladies all the time blaming it on their “genes”

  52. Yes! Sometimes it’s in the genes. But I’m sure it’s nothing that regular exercise and a healthy diet can’t fix.

  53. balance meal indeed! and find the right exercise that hits your body problem

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