Support NeoGAF

[Piecake]

Man, thanks for all the advice - I really appreciate it. One last question: can you suggest any books that you've found helpful and knowledgable? One of the reasons why, in the past, I've struggled to get into weight loss was because of how dizzying all the different opinions are about certain diets and regimens. If you could recommend something - even one that's not wholly perfect, but a good start - that'd be great.

Well, that blogger that l inked has a book out. I havent read it since all the information is on his site (just not organized all that well so you gotta do some searching).

His message is pretty simple though so i really dont think you need a book.

Eat real food, eat mostly meats and veggies. Fruit and dairy can be eaten in moderation. Grain is bad, but if you have it once a month, well, whatever. Sugar is Bad

That is what you eat. As for how much, you eat until you are full. The reason why this works is that Fat (you will turn your body into a fat burning machine, not a carb burning machine) is that fat is much more satiating than carbs so youll feel full quicker and longer. After a decent size meal, i can easily go 14 hours without having to eat again.

Youll also likely have more energy and feel better too since you wont get those energy spikes/crashes like you do on carbs/sugars. Fat is a constant source of energy. I also used to always get colds. Once i switched to primal, that stopped. The reason being is insulin. Carb/sugar eating is a constant insulin rush where your body is pumping out a ton of that crap to deal with all that excess sugar in your blood, and deal with evil shit like HFCS that go straight to the liver (Something that only can be broken down by the liver sounds liike a poison to me). Fat doesnt increase insulin levels.

 

[Admiral Bone to Pick]

As for what foods are healthy, is pretty simple

Meat, fish and veggies are perfectly healthy. If all you eat is meat and veggies youll be golden (green leafy veggies seem to be the best)

Fruit is fine, some are better than others (berries), but if you really want to lose weight quickly, you should not eat them. (I eat a ton of fruit)

Dairy is fine, but like fruit, cut it if you want to lose the weight fast. (I eat a ton of dairy)

Nuts are fine, but have an issue with high omega 6 ratios

Grain is bad, avoid grain or at least attempt to reduce the amount that you eat

Sugar is evil, it kills puppies and kittens

Start popping omega 3 pills. Everyone should do this since everyone's omega 6 to omega 3 ratio is all out of whack

As for the yogurt, 9 grams is actually not too bad. Dairy will always have some sugar in it due to lactose. You just want to avoid the crap that adds a shit ton of fructose/HFCS to that product to jack up the sugar content to like 40 grams a serving

Have you noticed any changes personally from taking Omega 3 supplements? I was looking at these:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004O2I9JO/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[g.r.e.]

[...]I also used to always get colds. Once i switched to primal, that stopped. The reason being is insulin. Carb/sugar eating is a constant insulin rush where your body is pumping out a ton of that crap to deal with all that excess sugar in your blood, and deal with evil shit like HFCS that go straight to the liver (Something that only can be broken down by the liver sounds liike a poison to me). Fat doesnt increase insulin levels.

Oh, so that's why it's been almost a year since I had a cold. I used to finish packages of tissues a day like nothing. :lol

 

[Piecake]

Have you noticed any changes personally from taking Omega 3 supplements? I was looking at these:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004O2I9JO/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Well, since I started taking those pills regularly, I have continued my weight loss. Of course, I have no idea if that is due to the pills or my diet (im guessing my diet).

The reason why im taking those pills isnt about weight loss though, its more about health. A bad omega 6 to omega 3 ratio increases your chances of heart attack, inflamation, etc

I really can't gauge that, so im basically taking it on faith (science) that it is making me more healthy

 

[Piecake]

Oh, so that's why it's been almost a year since I had a cold. I used to finish packages of tissues a day like nothing. :lol

Yup, before, I bet my body's immune system was continuously working to get rid of all that excess blood sugar and deal with all of that evil fructose, that it let a bunch of relatively minor colds through since it was over-worked and the other shit was more important to deal with

 

[starchild excalibur]

Eat real food, eat mostly meats and veggies. Fruit and dairy can be eaten in moderation. Grain is bad, but if you have it once a month, well, whatever. Sugar is Bad

I guess this is where I get/got confused. I've always known fast food is bad, but is it bad more so due to the bread/chemicals/sodium and not as much because of the two patties that are in the burger?

 

[SeanR1221]

I guess this is where I get/got confused. I've always known fast food is bad, but is it bad more so due to the bread/chemicals/sodium and not as much because of the two patties that are in the burger?

Fast food patties are still kind of shitty (I think most have HFCS in them).

First day of my cut. Eating 1700 calories wasn't as bad as I thought.

 

[Piecake]

I guess this is where I get/got confused. I've always known fast food is bad, but is it bad more so due to the bread/chemicals/sodium and not as much because of the two patties that are in the burger?

sodium is actually fine. The problem comes from what is in their burgers. I know most fast food contains trans fat, and that shit is just plain bad. Besides that, the ketchup, special sauce, and american 'cheese' are not good for you. I have no idea what they cook the burger in, but im guessing its some sort of veggie oil, and that is also bad.

I just am not confident about the quality of the meat, if they douse it in canola oil, etc. Id rather just cook a burger on my own and eat that since it will be cheaper and a whole lot tastier.

Of course, if you get a hamburger from some fast food place once in a while, youll be fine so long as you know what you are eating is bad, you eat healthy foods all the rest of the time, and it isnt a regular occurrence. Definitely take the occasional fast food burger over pizza though.

also, you should immediately throw out all of your margarine and stock butter instead. Margarine is the devil. Its basically 100% hydrogenated vegetable oil of some sort which is just fucking horrendous for you. Butter is infinitely better, and you should be cooking all of your meat in butter or at least olive oil (or better yet, bacon grease)

 

[starchild excalibur]

Of course, if you get a hamburger from some fast food place once in a while, youll be fine so long as you know what you are eating is bad, you eat healthy foods all the rest of the time, and it isnt a regular occurrence. Definitely take the occasional fast food burger over pizza though.

I've been reading up more on transfats and the Mayo Clinic lists canola oil as a healthier option. Is it not, really?

And yeah, between the website you referred me to and this post, I've realized that I won't be able to indulge in pizza (my favorite food) anymore due to the wheat and (I guess) the transfats.

 

[Piecake]

I've been reading up more on transfats and the Mayo Clinic lists canola oil as a healthier option. Is it not, really?

And yeah, between the website you referred me to and this post, I've realized that I won't be able to indulge in pizza (my favorite food) anymore due to the wheat and (I guess) the transfats.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-canola-oil/#axzz1vYohahTt

Id just stick with olive oil or butter

Eh, lot of hospitals and the like still cling to the notion that a low fat/high carb diet with sweets and sugars eaten in moderation is perfectly healthy. And that calories in, calories out is the be all end all. I think thats crap

A calorie isnt just a calorie since certain calories impact our bodies in vastly different ways. HFCS, for example, fucks with your leptin system. That system controls your hunger, which means that that is the reason why you can drink a ton of juice/soda or pound out 5 bowls of cereal, since those HFCS are messing with your leptin system, telling you you are still not full.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

Cross post from the fitness thread. I think I'm doing okay so far, but more opinions wouldn't hurt.

Need advice, fellers.

Got a new job (retail, standing around), so my problem isn't really fitting in workouts, but more to figure out what I want my caloric intake to be.

I'm trying to cut for the summer, so muscle growth + fat loss. I'm 6'1" and 230 lbs, and I've been eating about 2k consistently since the start of the month (give or take a few; I go off MyFitnessPal's calculated suggestions).

Since I'm going to be burning more calories by being on my feet most of the days, I'm just wondering if 2200-2500 sounds good for a cut deficit. In fact, I worry that I undereat. I try to do half an hour of intense cardio every morning right after I wake up, and then weight train in the afternoon or evening (work out 6 days a week).

My daily spread is about 215g protein/110g carbohydrates/70g fat.

 

[Hackbert]

small update, since the whole train of shedding weight lost speed (just as expected)

• 01.01 : 121 kilograms = 266.759337 pounds
• 05.22.12 80 kilograms = 176.36981 pounds

I´m still enjoying my diet routine of every two days of a 3 mile jog and every other 2 days a cardio workout with weights in my university´s gym.

But the summer heat has started and so my appetite is quite low. lowfat quark with fruits are my go to meal or salad with chicken for the moment. any other refreshing recipes?

 

[sophora]

So weightloss GAF...how does one deal with loose skin? Been using cocoa butter and such for a while and it helps but still a bit of sag. Summer is almost here

 

[Bealost]

So weightloss GAF...how does one deal with loose skin? Been using cocoa butter and such for a while and it helps but still a bit of sag. Summer is almost here

I wear my shorts just barely below my belly button, problem solved, for now.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

So here is my eating from yesterday. Most weekdays mirror this with the only change being dinner will be eggs/veggies/turkey sausage sometimes.

I know I'm a bit low in calories, but does it look alright otherwise? Just not sure what to add.

 

[dralla]

It's nice to find a real full fat greek yogurt. and the best part is, it's the cheapest variety they have. only 2.50 for a pound.

look at dis nutrition info

 

[LosDaddie]

I enjoy the Costco brand of greek yogurt, with a dash of low-sugar fruit preserves. That and an apple make for a solid breakfast.

 

[Hackbert]

mhh my breakfast mostly contains two hardboiled eggs, 1-2 pieces of Knäckebrot slim with cheese and a cup of coffee (black)

 

[SeanR1221]

I wear my shorts just barely below my belly button, problem solved, for now.

Same. It's better than nothing, considering how expensive or risky surgery is.

Plus I'll take loose skin over fat any day.

 

[big_z]

So weightloss GAF...how does one deal with loose skin? Been using cocoa butter and such for a while and it helps but still a bit of sag. Summer is almost here

Not much you can do. You can build muscle to fill in a bit but otherwise you have wait it out. It can take two years to see the end result and there's no guarantee it will tighten back up completely, especially if you were super fat.

 

[g.r.e.]

Not much you can do. You can build muscle to fill in a bit but otherwise you have wait it out. It can take two years to see the end result and there's no guarantee it will tighten back up completely, especially if you were super fat.

Fuck. Is the surgery costly?

 

[Hackbert]

Fuck. Is the surgery costly?

As German, i don´t think these prices are a useful orientation for me, and if i ever would opt for such an operation i think my healthcare would help.

Still hoping, that it will fix itself over time.

nevertheless, google found me http://www.locateadoc.com/surgery-guide.cfm/basics/cosmetic-surgery

 

[Dany]

It's nice to find a real full fat greek yogurt. and the best part is, it's the cheapest variety they have. only 2.50 for a pound.

look at dis nutrition info

Isn't hte point of greek yogurt is that its strained all the fat and whey out?

 

[entremet]

Isn't hte point of greek yogurt is that its strained all the fat and whey out?

That fat is the good part! What's strained is the liquid.

 

[Jamesways]

Isn't hte point of greek yogurt is that its strained all the fat and whey out?

The point of greek yogurt is that it gives you 9-18 grams of protein depending on the brand.

 

[Struct09]

I've tried many different brands, and have concluded that Trader Joe's makes the best Greek yogurt.

 

[sophora]

Same. It's better than nothing, considering how expensive or risky surgery is.

Plus I'll take loose skin over fat any day.

Same here, just a bit bothersome to be flabby somewhat. Though the cocoa butter I've been using does wonders, at least I think so.

Not much you can do. You can build muscle to fill in a bit but otherwise you have wait it out. It can take two years to see the end result and there's no guarantee it will tighten back up completely, especially if you were super fat.

Aw man, I'm practically almost half of what I used to be (245 lbs max down to 145 lbs), wasn't terribly big but yeah I was the fat kid of my group of friends. I guess I'll see what happens.

 

[starchild excalibur]

I've been reading "Why We Get Fat" - a book that I bought last year when someone recommended it in this thread, I think but hadn't started reading til today - and it's very interesting. A lot of the ideas it proposes - that calories don't really matter, that exercise promotes eating more, thus negating the minor benefits of exercise - are really radical to someone like myself who had always heard that weight loss just comes down to burning more calories than you gain.

In a way, I wonder why it explains some of my own personal issues with weight loss to date. I've been someone who's eaten two meals a day for the past few years (in part due to not wanting to gain more weight, in part due to schedule) yet has seen no weight loss. In the past week, as I stated earlier, I've also been eating even less than normal yet have seen not just a plateau, but a 10 pound gain in my weight despite cutting out almost all sugary drinks.

Has anyone read this book? Does anyone have opinions about it?

 

[dralla]

I've been reading "Why We Get Fat" - a book that I bought last year when someone recommended it in this thread, I think but hadn't started reading til today - and it's very interesting. A lot of the ideas it proposes - that calories don't really matter, that exercise promotes eating more, thus negating the minor benefits of exercise - are really radical to someone like myself who had always heard that weight loss just comes down to burning more calories than you gain.

In a way, I wonder why it explains some of my own personal issues with weight loss to date. I've been someone who's eaten two meals a day for the past few years (in part due to not wanting to gain more weight, in part due to schedule) yet has seen no weight loss. In the past week, as I stated earlier, I've also been eating even less than normal yet have seen not just a plateau, but a 10 pound gain in my weight despite cutting out almost all sugary drinks.

Has anyone read this book? Does anyone have opinions about it?

A lot of people in here have read it. For me personally it changed the way I eat. I've been Primal for about 4-5 months now and it's been great. My doctors don't like it, too much saturated fat, but all my tests came back great, so they were just kinda confused.

Regardless if you agree with the book it's a good read, it brings up a lot of good points and it makes you at least think about nutrition in a different way, which is something we definitely need considering the low fat/high grain advice we've been getting has only made us fatter and sicker.

 

[starchild excalibur]

A lot of people in here have read it. For me personally it changed the way I eat. I've been Primal for about 4-5 months now and it's been great. My doctors don't like it, too much saturated fat, but all my tests came back great, so they were just kinda confused.

Regardless if you agree with the book it's a good read, it brings up a lot of good points and it makes you at least think about nutrition in a different way, which is something we definitely need considering the low fat/high grain advice we've been getting has only made us fatter and sicker.

I'll have to look more into Primal - I've just heard about it a little. I used to be of the mindset that the obesity problem wasn't that people didn't know what to do, but that it was just difficult to do it. Between this thread, Mark's Daily Apple website and the book I'm realizing how wrong I may have been. All the foods I thought at one point were healthy - cereal, breads, rice - obviously aren't the case. All the foods I thought made people fat - beef, meats, etc - are apparently really good for you (if prepared right).

It's kind of comforting to know that semi-starving myself may very well put me at a disadvantage for weight loss.

 

[OG Kush]

I've been reading "Why We Get Fat" - a book that I bought last year when someone recommended it in this thread, I think but hadn't started reading til today - and it's very interesting. A lot of the ideas it proposes - that calories don't really matter, that exercise promotes eating more, thus negating the minor benefits of exercise - are really radical to someone like myself who had always heard that weight loss just comes down to burning more calories than you gain.

Exercise may promote eating more, but it also increases your metabolic rate so the food you do eat is actually utilized more efficiently by your body.

 

[Pein]

Exercise may promote eating more, but it also increases your metabolic rate so the food you do eat is actually utilized more efficiently by your body.

does it ever, my metabolism has picked up so much it only takes a few hours to burn through food for me.

 

[dralla]

Exercise may promote eating more, but it also increases your metabolic rate so the food you do eat is actually utilized more efficiently by your body.

It's definitely one of the touchier subjects in the book. I think it makes a mistake of generalizing exercise. Just because you exercise doesn't mean you spend hours in the gym lifting weights, playing a game of basketball or walking around in the park is also exercise. Exercise is also good for you, regardless if you're trying to lose weight or not. I know from experience when I do heavy lifting at work I come home fiending for food. Just like the food, it's something you need to play around with and see how it works for you.

And I've been out a lot lately, not having the option of making my own meals, Quest Bars have been a god send. I've gotten a few people I know hooked on them as well.

 

[starchild excalibur]

Exercise may promote eating more, but it also increases your metabolic rate so the food you do eat is actually utilized more efficiently by your body.

True. I also know that building muscle is another good way to burn fat. I signed up for a gym membership yesterday so I can at least start walking/cycling as a start.

 

[Piecake]

True. I also know that building muscle is another good way to burn fat. I signed up for a gym membership yesterday so I can at least start walking/cycling as a start.

I'd recommend going at an easy pace and then sprinting full blast periodically. Doing cardio to get your heart rate up and doing that for an hour is not really beneficial to weight loss or overall health. Mark has a pretty interesting article about chronic cardio tat you should check out (just google it)

Lifting is much more effective since it helps you lose weight, build more muscle and get stronger bones

 

[Gruco]

Has anyone read this book? Does anyone have opinions about it?

It's a very popular book on this thread. I think just about everyone who posts here regularly has probably read it.

I give it a lot of credit for it's deconstruction of calories in / calories out as a useful framework. It really demonstrates how both of the variables are interrelated and how simply plugging them into a calculator can lead to problems. From that standpoint, the book does a huge public service.

I have two main problems with it. One is that the hypothesis of weight gain that is pushes is almost certainly wrong and Taubes is almost clownish in his continued defense of it. For example, he dug into the recent HBO doc on obesity for not aping his points, even though it had guys like Lustig consult and very explicitly called out sugar sweetened beverages as enemy number one of public health obesity.

The second is what has already been mentioned - that he's a bit to casually dismissive of the health benefits of exercise. There one part where he suggests that marathoners are skinny because they have a genetic predisposition to burn calories, and thus they inherently need to run marathons to do this. My jaw almost hit the floor when I read that.

Overall it's a good book, and the advice is helpful - though not necessarily for the reasons Taubes describes. I got more from books like Primal Blueprint (Sisson) Perfect Health Diet (Jaminet) and Deep Nutrition (Shanahan), even though they all buy into anti-carbness to varying degrees. I still eat tubers and rice regularly and sourdough bread on occasion without issue.

 

[GatorBait]

My family history of Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure keeps me away from Keto.

Then why are you still drinking Pepsi Throwback?

This is how much sugar is in one can of that stuff:

 

[ZackieChan]

Then why are you still drinking Pepsi Throwback?

This is how much sugar is in one can of that stuff:

Obviously it's better to kill himself a little bit more than to just throw it out.

 

[starchild excalibur]

It's a very popular book on this thread. I think just about everyone who posts here regularly has probably read it.

I give it a lot of credit for it's deconstruction of calories in / calories out as a useful framework. It really demonstrates how both of the variables are interrelated and how simply plugging them into a calculator can lead to problems. From that standpoint, the book does a huge public service.

I have two main problems with it. One is that the hypothesis of weight gain that is pushes is almost certainly wrong and Taubes is almost clownish in his continued defense of it. For example, he dug into the recent HBO doc on obesity for not aping his points, even though it had guys like Lustig consult and very explicitly called out sugar sweetened beverages as enemy number of of public health obesity.

The second is what has already been mentioned - that he's a bit to casually dismissive of the health benefits of exercise. There one part where he suggests that marathoners are skinny because they have a genetic predisposition to burn calories, and thus they inherently need to run marathons to do this. My jaw almost hit the floor when I read that.

Overall it's a good book, and the advice is helpful - though not necessarily for the reasons Taubes describes. I got more from books like Primal Blueprint (Sisson) Perfect Health Diet (Jaminet) and Deep Nutrition (Shanahan), even though they all buy into anti-carbness to varying degrees. I still eat tubers and rice regularly and sourdough bread on occasion without issue.

It's an interesting article and I think the lack of consensus is kind of what has turned me off research in the past. Hearing from one source to do [x], hearing from another source to do [y] and not knowing whether one is credible or more accurate than the other. I know that it's normal in the scientific community to have theories revised and changed, but when it comes to trying to change your whole lifestyle it can be dizzying.

At the very least, it's good to hear the book is still a good roadmap.

 

[Blondie]

I have two main problems with it. One is that the hypothesis of weight gain that is pushes is almost certainly wrong and Taubes is almost clownish in his continued defense of it.

I'm sorry but Guyenet is just pushing CICO 2.0, plain and simple. He wants to supplant CIH with his FRT as the real cause but, if it plays a role at all, it's a second or third order issue at best. The supposed death of CIH is greatly exaggerated. This new rise in the Paleo community of drifting back to CICO and pushing out arguments based in bro science/nutrition is quite disheartening to say the least IMO.

As for help in looking where to go for good info, starchild, Mark's Daily Apple is a good one as previously stated but I also highly suggest Dr. Attia's WarOnInsulin, as well as Jimmy Moore's new podcast: Ask the Low Carb Experts, as a good sources for Keto/Low Carbing diet/lifestyle sources.

 

[Gruco]

I'm sorry but Guyenet is just pushing CICO 2.0, plain and simple. He wants to supplant CIH with his FRT as the real cause but, if it plays a role at all, it's a second or third order issue at best. The supposed death of CIH is greatly exaggerated. This new rise in the Paleo community of drifting back to CICO and pushing out arguments based in bro science/nutrition is quite disheartening to say the least IMO.

Geez. I am not sure how you justify food response being the same thing as Calories in calories out. Anyway, Guyenet responded to the Taubes critiques you linked above. Let me know if Taubes has posted anything more recent on the subject but I find it hard to take most of those responses seriously, given how one-dimensional Taubes is in most of them.

Food reward is hardly the only direction from which shots are being fired anyway. We can throw food reward out the window and just as easily argue about paleo working because of no gluten or fructose or vegetables oils (or whatever), which do not have anything to do with carbs per se. Jaminet argues for benefits of periodic insulin presence and that carbs are beneficial in and of them selves, for example.

Honestly in some sense this is kind of academic because the competing theories have enough overlap that belong to one "school" or another shouldn't kill you as long as you are doing the big things. Hell, Taubes may even be right. But his monolithic obstinance and refusal to hear out critiques definitely does a disservice to a complex issue.

 

[Jamesways]

I'd recommend going at an easy pace and then sprinting full blast periodically. Doing cardio to get your heart rate up and doing that for an hour is not really beneficial to weight loss or overall health. Mark has a pretty interesting article about chronic cardio tat you should check out (just google it)

Lifting is much more effective since it helps you lose weight, build more muscle and get stronger bones

You aren't kidding about the interval training for cardio. I used to slog on the eliptical or treadmil or running outside for 40-70 min quite a bit. Weight didn't really drop that much and my joint soreness got plenty worse (I'm 38, got a bum ankle from sports and martial arts when I was younger).
I've switched to high intensity intervals and holy crap, 15-30 min on the bike, or eliptical/treadmil and I feel like my lungs are going to explode and I'm going to die. Never got that from a steady 50-60 min of slogging along. I'm still adjusting because I really enjoy distance running, or thought I did, but the joints just can't take it anymore, and intervals give me so much better results only after a few weeks. Not to mention better for my body. I've heard about this for a while (my brother-in-law is a huge crossfit fanatic) but I just didn't believe it could work better than more time, more distance, etc.
People think when it comes to cardio, more is the way. It's not necessarily the case at all. I really like Mark's article and that documentary someone posted early, The Truth About Excercise. They sure do drive the point home.

So, adding in consistent lifting and switching to a primal diet 5 weeks ago, and the weight is just dropping off. I'm down 19 pounds in just over a month.

So thanks Weight Loss Gaf. I love this thread, it's great for ideas, conversation, and motivation to get me back into shape and in better health.

 

[Blondie]

Geez. I am not sure how you justify food response being the same thing as Calories in calories out.

Because FRT doesn't explain how I can overeat on yummy fat (I literally consume over a stick of butter a day) and not only do I not gain back fat weight, but I consistently lose fat weight, while being so thin. I'm 6'3", I weighed as much as 284 lbs 2 years ago (315 lbs 5 years before that). I now weigh 166 lbs with a BMI of 21 and BF% of 12%. I did CICO for a year and it dropped my LBM down to 148 lbs while still having a good bit of BF% @ 184 lbs, i.e. skinny-fat. I was miserable and was seeing diminishing returns eating low cal bland foods while exercising 45-60min/pd 5-6 times/pw.

I've since been doing low carb/keto for roughly 6 months now, fine tuning it as I've gone along, and have not lost anymore LBM, I'm seeing my BF% keep dropping, all the while consuming 85-90% of my daily intake in fat for roughly 3,000 kcal/pd. My body/appetite craves fat and it takes a shitton of fat to satiate me. I can eat a meal and get tired of the pieces of meat in my plate, but I can keep eating/drinking the fat no prob. That's food reward, right? Yet if I eat less fat I end up stalling in my weight loss, if I introduce carbs I stall or gain fat weight, yet if I keep carbs out I consistently lose weight while eating delicious foods everyday. I also drink diet/zero cal sodas everyday. Yet FRT says I should be gaining weight because of the palpability of what I eat/drink and the amount that I eat, but I'm losing fat weight and at such a low weight too!

I've got my GF & my family eating keto/low carb and they're all losing weight, improving their blood work/heart health, and eating better than ever while not having to "eat less/exercise more" or eat less palpable foods. Tell me then how does food reward theory handle this conundrum? Because, I eat very delicious very fatty meals several times a day, and the only exercise I do is a casual/relaxed walk, for roughly 30-45 min. 2-4 times a week at most, with the occasional game of basketball every other weekend. I track my intake everyday, so I know it's not just "eat less/exercise more" in the end with CIH as the means to that end as most people assume. I went from 1,000 kcal/pd diet consisting mainly of 1 ham & cheese sandwich on white bread & 1 bowl of white rice topped with some form of meat & veggies almost everyday to 3,000 kcal/pd diet consisting mainly of fatty meats (prime rib, bacon, sausage, leg of lamb, pork belly, chicken thighs, salmon, etc.) and not much else. I went from a weight loss stall/fighting regain and having to exercise almost everyday to keep off the weight to consistent weight loss with not much exercise. How does FRT explain this?

I'm sorry but it's clear to me after reading GCBC, WWGF, Mark's Daily Apple, WarOnInsulin, and listening to the Low Carb Experts (doctors that have successfully treated morbidly obese patients for decades on low carb diets like Dr. Eades, Dr. Rosedale, Dr. Davis, Dr. Westman, etc.) that FRT is junk. It's CICO 2.0 at the end of the day: eat less (palpable foods), exercise more. I do neither, I'm losing weight, and I'm thin as hell while eating delicious foods that I crave and feeling better than ever while in nutritional ketosis. What I control is the amount of food that gets converted into glucose in my system: carbs & excess protein. It's clear to me and those around me that CIH works and not because we're eating less or eating less palpable foods. It's the insulin.

 

[Domino Theory]

Because FRT doesn't explain how I can overeat on yummy fat (I literally consume over a stick of butter a day) and not only do I not gain back fat weight, but I consistently lose fat weight, while being so thin. I'm 6'3", I weighed as much as 284 lbs 2 years ago (315 lbs 5 years before that). I now weigh 166 lbs with a BMI of 21 and BF% of 12%. I did CICO for a year and it dropped my LBM down to 148 lbs while still having a good bit of BF% @ 184 lbs, i.e. skinny-fat. I was miserable and was seeing diminishing returns eating low cal bland foods while exercising 45-60min/pd 5-6 times/pw.

I've since been doing low carb/keto for roughly 6 months now, fine tuning it as I've gone along, and have not lost anymore LBM, I'm seeing my BF% keep dropping, all the while consuming 85-90% of my daily intake in fat for roughly 3,000 kcal/pd. My body/appetite craves fat and it takes a shitton of fat to satiate me. I can eat a meal and get tired of the pieces of meat in my plate, but I can keep eating/drinking the fat no prob. That's food reward, right? Yet if I eat less fat I end up stalling in my weight loss, if I introduce carbs I stall or gain fat weight, yet if I keep carbs out I consistently lose weight while eating delicious foods everyday. I also drink diet/zero cal sodas everyday. Yet FRT says I should be gaining weight because of the palpability of what I eat/drink and the amount that I eat, but I'm losing fat weight and at such a low weight too!

I've got my GF & my family eating keto/low carb and they're all losing weight, improving their blood work/heart health, and eating better than ever while not having to "eat less/exercise more" or eat less palpable foods. Tell me then how does food reward theory handle this conundrum? Because, I eat very delicious very fatty meals several times a day, and the only exercise I do is a casual/relaxed walk, for roughly 30-45 min. 2-4 times a week at most, with the occasional game of basketball every other weekend. I track my intake everyday, so I know it's not just "eat less/exercise more" in the end with CIH as the means to that end as most people assume. I went from 1,000 kcal/pd diet consisting mainly of 1 ham & cheese sandwich on white bread & 1 bowl of white rice topped with some form of meat & veggies almost everyday to 3,000 kcal/pd diet consisting mainly of fatty meats (prime rib, bacon, sausage, leg of lamb, pork belly, chicken thighs, salmon, etc.) and not much else. I went from a weight loss stall/fighting regain and having to exercise almost everyday to keep off the weight to consistent weight loss with not much exercise. How does FRT explain this?

I'm sorry but it's clear to me after reading GCBC, WWGF, Mark's Daily Apple, WarOnInsulin, and listening to the Low Carb Experts (doctors that have successfully treated morbidly obese patients for decades on low carb diets like Dr. Eades, Dr. Rosedale, Dr. Davis, Dr. Westman, etc.) that FRT is junk. It's CICO 2.0 at the end of the day: eat less (palpable foods), exercise more. I do neither, I'm losing weight, and I'm thin as hell while eating delicious foods that I crave and feeling better than ever while in nutritional ketosis. What I control is the amount of food that gets converted into glucose in my system: carbs & excess protein. It's clear to me and those around me that CIH works and not because we're eating less or eating less palpable foods. It's the insulin.

Amen.

I'm doing a diet break per Lyle's suggestion before I head back into the calorie deficit, but I've decided (for the second time, actually) that I won't be doing high carb Leangains. I never thought this would happen because of the way I grew up, but wow, even when I have the most delicious carbs PWO to replenish glycogen, my mind just says "you know you badly want to have the fattiest steak with eggs right now, stop fighting me and giving me this junk just so you can follow Leangains like a sheep".

I did the high carb Leangains method back in November of last year and ended up going Primal again until April of this year when I decided to switch to high carb Leangains AGAIN. Now I'm switching back to Primal for good this time, just with less calories so I can get to low bf.

I still believe in high carb PWO and I'm glad that Mark Sisson's approach to eating Primal allows for safe consumption of carbs up to 150g, but not Leangains level where it's 300-500g with almost no fat. I'll be having 100-150g of carbs PWO, just enough to spike insulin and stop muscle catabolism.

I love Leangains for its fasting approach with meal timing and fasted training for its myriad of benefits and will continue to follow those, but the rest of its protocol (calorie cycling, high carb/low fat training days) isn't for me.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

Yea, if I dip below 80g carbs I just tank out... no energy for workouts by the evening.

 

[Wiktor]

Yea, if I dip below 80g carbs I just tank out... no energy for workouts by the evening.

Did you try going below 80g cards for few weeks? I also felt like crap initially, but now I have lot of energy even in the evening.

 

[Blondie]

Did you try going below 80g cards for few weeks? I also felt like crap initially, but now I have lot of energy even in the evening.

I was going to comment on this as well. It might not be but, upon initial impression, it looks like the classic case of keto-flu that scares so many people out of doing keto/VLC. Once you get past it, and make sure to stay in keto, you don't get the irritable bowel, hypoglycemia/faint spells, bad breath/body odor, or weakness when exercising. It's takes a bit for the body/brain to break the carb addiction and consistently burn ketones/FFA for fuel.

Switching gears somewhat, have any of you read the cookbook The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating? I need to check it out as I'm interested, since I'm pretty much practicing human carnivorism, in expanding my offal consumption, yum!

 

[Keylime]

Pretty bummed out.

Went to get my second BodPod done yesterday morning to see how I'd done on lowering my bodyfat...in January I was at 19.6%...now, 18.7%. UGH!

Progress, but nowhere near what I expected. I thought I was being safe with an estimate of 16% going in.

I'm finally into a good rythym with this LeanGains style timing and ratio and supplementation...so I plan to keep doing this for the foreseeable future. I beat my previous max on overhand pullups this morning to 12. I'd been frozen at 10-11 for the longest time. I'll take that with a grain of salt for now, but that was a nice confidence booster that I'm on the right path after seeing my shitty 18.7% yesterday.

The good news is that seeing shit like that only motivates me more. Having abs by beach season is not looking good...but by God if I don't have them by the end of this year I'm going to have to seriously reconsider my plan of attack.

 

[RoryDropkick]

So after a couple of weeks of no weight loss, I weighed in yesterday and I went from 243 to 240. This week is the recovery week for Insanity, and then hard mode starts. I'm excited. I started introducing some small amounts of fruit and nuts into my diet again also in accordance with how the Atkins diet recommends it which has been nice. I hope this wont stall my weight loss but we shall see.

 

[Piecake]

Pretty bummed out.

Went to get my second BodPod done yesterday morning to see how I'd done on lowering my bodyfat...in January I was at 19.6%...now, 18.7%. UGH!

Progress, but nowhere near what I expected. I thought I was being safe with an estimate of 16% going in.

I'm finally into a good rythym with this LeanGains style timing and ratio and supplementation...so I plan to keep doing this for the foreseeable future. I beat my previous max on overhand pullups this morning to 12. I'd been frozen at 10-11 for the longest time. I'll take that with a grain of salt for now, but that was a nice confidence booster that I'm on the right path after seeing my shitty 18.7% yesterday.

The good news is that seeing shit like that only motivates me more. Having abs by beach season is not looking good...but by God if I don't have them by the end of this year I'm going to have to seriously reconsider my plan of attack.

losing 1% of your body fat seems pretty good to me in four months. I mean, i imagine that is more difficult to do that losing weight

Personally, The motivating factor in me losing weight/eating better is health. I think that is a good way to approach things since you dont get bummed out if you dont lose the weight or body fat you were expecting. All that stuff if just an awesome bonus. The real difference for me is how much better I feel on the primal diet, and how terrible i feel if i eat a carb loaded meal (done that once or twice, urghhh)