Quote:
Originally Posted by arkie6
Here is my input. Take it for what it is worth. People need to get over the idea that fat gain or loss is just a simple math problem (calories in vs. calories out). The human body is way more complex than many make it out to be. Hormones play a significant part in determining whether your body is in fat storing or fat burning modes, and the foods you eat and when you eat greatly affects your fat storing vs. burning hormones. High insulin levels promote fat storage and block fat burning. Sugars and starches which readily convert to glucose once consumed along with frequent eating and snacking will raise insulin levels unless you are very active. For many people, the way to lose fat is to greatly reduce your intake of sugars and starches and reduce the frequency of eating. This also reduces insulin levels which has many other health benefits.
I'm in my mid 50's and have been following a mostly ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting for the past ~16 months. I'm down ~50 pounds and have been holding my weight steady and gaining some muscle the past 4 months or so through increased workouts. I have corrected my elevated blood sugars and some digestive issues I was having. I'm on zero medications and my blood pressure and blood sugar levels are now normal. And I don't feel deprived. I eat lots of green vegetables and high quality meats and eggs. I generally go 18-22 hours between meals and either eat one meal a day (OMAD) or one small meal plus a regular meal. It works for me.
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I'm a fat bastard (like actual fat fat, not just want to lose a few pounds so I can get abs) and have tried all kinds of diets with lack luster results. There was only one time at my fatest almost 300 lbs I started counting calories and went down to like 240. This was probably like 7 years ago. I have slowly crept up averaging around 270lbs. I have tried counting calories again, but I just don't stick with it. It's very hard especially when we are traveling to calculate calories so it ends up being a pretty sloppy guesstimate and I'm usually hungry while on the diet.
With this whole stay at home restaurants closed and being bored out of my mind I decided to try eating low carb. This has been hard for me in the past because I'm a big pasta and rice eater. Pretty much every meal except breakfast involves pasta or rice or bread. Although rice is my biggest nemesis.
Anyways I have found recipes online for cauliflower rice, pasta from zucchini etc. Luckily my gf can cook very well and has made all kinds of crazy good stuff like some dumplings made with cabbage instead of dough. So far it's been maybe a month that I have been eating this way. I have lost 8-9lbs so far, however that is not the main thing.
I have been having a lot of issues with like pressure on my chest, pain on the right side. I have been to every doctor, primary, cardiologist, pulmonologist etc. Had all kinds of test done, one doctor gave up and said it was probably anxiety or something mental (since it started around the time my father died), inhalers, medications etc nothing helped.
Since I started eating low carb it has been like a miracle cure. All of those issues have gone away. Honestly I'm in shock and scared it's just some temporary thing, but that alone is reason enough to continue eating this way. I am also never hungry, in fact a lot of the time I'm not hungry even though I may have only had 1 meal that day. It really does seem too good to be true which scares me because I actually feel great!