Hi all,
I'm Alfred Larsen and I'm the presenter of Habits of Slim People, a science and research-based video series looking particularly at fat loss and fitness research.
A still from a recent episode
I actually don't have a science background. I started off as a computer engineer, and sitting around all day damaged my back, my eyesight, and made me overweight. I tried various diets over the years, and sure, I temporarily lost weight, but I seemed to just get fatter and fatter over the years.
Eventually I decided to look into fat loss scientifically by looking at published research. I was quite surprised at what I saw: according to science, weight-loss diets are nonsense.
A more natural pic of myself
Yup, decades of scientific studies scream out the truth: diets cause long-term weight gain, not weight loss, in most people. Yes, people generally lose weight in the first six months, but after that time they start to slowly regain weight. Most people end up fatter than they were at the start. A minority will lose weight and keep it off, but we're talking about a tiny percentage. The vast majority will end up in a worse situation.
I was particularly surprised to see the research into identical twins, which showed that twins who went on diets ended up fatter, long-term, than their identical siblings that never bothered to diet. Just think of that! Most people who diet would be better off if they had not bothered.
I quickly discovered that I was not the only one to come to this conclusion. A massive report by UCLA said just as much, that overweight people are better off not dieting at all.
The UCLA news report
I found this incredible – but you know what I found more incredible? That everyone ignores it. Diets are a multi-billion dollar business. The science is thrown under a bus and forgotten, because if people knew the truth, their businesses would go bankrupt.
So, I thought, "If diets aren't the answer, what really works?"
Well, after more digging in the scientific research, I found the answer. Excess body fat (or "metabolic syndrome") is best treated with an increase of the right kind of foods. Yes, by increasing our consumption of low-energy-density foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and greens, we can lose excess fat and (here is the key) stick to it in the long-term.
Several great studies have asked people to simply eat more of these foods, and they have, indeed, lost weight – even after a year or more – and without any calorie restriction! (I'll be writing articles about these, here on Steemit, in the future.)
Me, in an episode about energy density
Why don't people know this?
There's no money to be made in promoting fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, "diets", "meal plans", "weight loss milkshakes", and so on can be sold for $$$ and make millions.
So I decided to try to get the word out, in my own way.
I helped a friend of mine start a YouTube channel, and soon realised that I could probably start my own channel all about the science of fat loss. So I did.
I decided to call it Habits of Slim People because it's good habits – not fad diets – that work according to science.
My "studio" (half my bedroom)
I've produced over 80 episodes so far, all scripted and thoroughly researched, with professional camera, lighting, and editing. Yet the reaction on YouTube has been disappointing (only 40 subscribers). There's just too much garbage on YouTube about weight loss that science-based videos like my own are drowned out by gimmicks and fads. Even promoting my content on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook has largely got nowhere.
People just aren't interested in science.
Yet I found some great experiments, demonstrating the following:
- People watching TV while eating will eat more
- People watching TV while eating will also eat more later in the day
- Lack of sleep can increase a hunger hormone
- People who are "naturally slim" eat more carbs, not less
- People who chew more, eat less
- The chances of becoming slim using orthodox method is less than 1%
- Exercise won't help you lose weight if it's in small amounts
- Swimming may not help with weight loss
- Fat does not make people feel satiated (full) in experiments
- Monounsaturated fat is stored on the body more easily than other types
And so on...
It's hard work too. I write, record, and edit 28 episodes all in one go so I can have one episode a day. It's a shame if no-one watches them!
I had just recorded 17 videos in a row before I took this photo, yes, it's hard work!
Yet one day while browsing Reddit, I saw a post about Steemit. Visiting here I could see that most of the users appear to be in love with technology, science, and good, thoughtful writing. I'm hoping that the audience here will come to appreciate what I have to offer, and I hope that I've found a good audience. The cryptocurrency part is just a bonus.
I'll be posting on my Steemit blog articles written especially for Steemit, so please follow me. They'll be on specific weight loss questions and results of cool scientific experiments I've found.
An infographic showing the habits that "naturally" slim people, apparently, have more often than overweight people
I'll also post my YouTube videos here on Steemit as they are released (there's a new episode every day, with Sundays being for my patrons), but I'm going to do much more here than just post my videos.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll follow me and enjoy what I have to offer!
Many thanks,
Alfred Larsen
@habitsofslimppl
P.S. If you know of any Steemit bloggers who talk about weight-loss science, please let me know in the comments! I'm looking for people to follow :)