If someone knowledgeable in nutrition says to you, “You have a lot of potential”, be sure to ask that person exactly what is meant. That statement may not be a compliment!
If you studied physics, you are familiar with the terms Potential Energy. Potential energy is STORED energy.
When we eat food or drink beverages containing calories, the body jacks up insulin to convert those calories into glucose to replace the glucose in the liver that the body needs and consumes each day. If you eat or drink too much, that extra energy is stored in the rest of the body, and especially in your liver.
In other words, YOUR stored fat, is sitting there as POTENTIAL ENERGY waiting for a call to action. The more fat you have on your body the greater is your long-term stored energy, your potential energy.
So, if someone says to you, “You have lots of potential!”, ask for a clarification.
In the following video, at about the 2:50 mark there is a great explanation by Dr. Jason Fung, co-author of the book, The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss.
