Jun 20, 2022

 by Mike Bevard

How would you like to just eat Twinkies and junk food…and still lose weight? 

Well that’s exactly what one nutrition professor from Kansas State University did back in 2010, and he lost 27 pounds in the process! 

Mark Haub wanted to prove that when it comes to weight loss, caloric intake is what matters most, not the nutritional value of the food. 

He also wanted to disprove that eating sugary junk foods will “make you fat”. So he followed a basic principle of weight loss: He consumed fewer calories than he burned. 

For 10 weeks, he would eat one Twinkie every 3 hours.

He also consumed Doritos, a variety of sugary cereals, Oreos and other snacks from Hostess & Little Debbie such as Nutty Bars, cupcakes, powdered donuts, etc. 

He took a multivitamin, drank a protein shake daily and ate vegetables, typically a can of green beans or 3-4 celery sticks. 

He kept his caloric intake to around 1800 calories/day.

The Results After 10 Weeks: 

• Body weight dropped from 207 lbs. to 174 lbs. 
• LDL (bad) cholesterol dropped by 20%
• HDL (good) cholesterol increased by 20%
• Triglycerides dropped by 39%
• Body fat dropped from 33.4% to 24.9%

Am I saying you should jump on the junk food diet to lose a bunch of weight? Of course not! 

The quality of your food does matter for things like overall health, energy, vitality, mental sharpness, immune health, endurance, etc. 

But it does point to the fact that energy balance DOES matter when it comes to weight loss. 

If you’re in a caloric surplus (too many calories)... and even if those calories are healthy, you’ll gain weight. 

If you’re in a caloric deficit (eating less calories than you burn), you’ll lose weight. 

So how can you apply this? 

Focus on food QUANTITY for weight loss and food QUALITY for overall health and vitality. 

Get After It!
Coach Mike