Is weight loss really ALL about calories?

[zand]

I’ve seen two pro low carb docs recently talk about CICO. Both talked about protein sparing modified fasts. Two takeaways, why the added fat, I.e. adding butter to coffee, when I have a tub around my mid section. And gluconeogenesis, either from fat or protein is “on demand”, and not as a result of overeating either macro.

The proof is, attempt to eat 6 lean chicken breasts, if all that protein were automatically turned into glucose, you’d spike. “Ted Naiman”

I have always added fat when I feel hungry. A coffee with cream stops me wanting to snack. It's the added fat that makes low carb sustainable and stops the need for willpower. I agree there's no need to pile it on but without carbs there's a limit to how much fat you can eat anyway

 

[pdmjoker]

I’ve seen two pro low carb docs recently talk about CICO. Both talked about protein sparing modified fasts. Two takeaways, why the added fat, I.e. adding butter to coffee, when I have a tub around my mid section. And gluconeogenesis, either from fat or protein is “on demand”, and not as a result of overeating either macro.

The proof is, attempt to eat 6 lean chicken breasts, if all that protein were automatically turned into glucose, you’d spike. “Ted Naiman”

I gather protein has almost half the effect on blood-glucose that carbs have, but the peak comes slower than the carbs peak. See graph below.
I suppose the body will use body fat when available, but some people wish to maintain weight or regulate the speed of weight loss so add dietary fat.

 

[Mr_Pot]

I gather protein has almost half the effect on blood-glucose that carbs have, but the peak comes slower than the carbs peak. See graph below.
I suppose the body will use body fat when available, but some people wish to maintain weight or regulate the speed of weight loss so add dietary fat.

I see the graph has protein as meat, cheese, fish and eggs, all of which contain fat.

 

[pdmjoker]

I see the graph has protein as meat, cheese, fish and eggs, all of which contain fat.

Well spotted. I had supposed they meant "Protein, such as found in meat, fish, cheese and eggs." but that isn't what they've said.
This graph is similar for carbs and protein and simply says that:

 

[TwoRivers]

I haven't posted here for about 18 months, but I am very interested in the question of long term weight loss after the first year. I am now in year four of a low carb/low calorie diet. Easy to maintain underlock down. But I seem to be trapped in a 2-3kg weight band which is about 10 kg higher than my lowest point---even though I now eat far less than I did then. Two meals, no snacks, and intake under 1500 calories and less than 50 carbs a day. Yes, I do lose weight on that but only within the band and if I give into temptation on shopping day, it goes straight up again. Yet when I lost most of my weight I was eating far more than this.
1. My weight goes sharply up if I even deviate a little from the diet. One Christmas it seemed to go up 5kg in two or thee days. Just a small snack on shopping day, e.g. cheese and biscuits, sends it shooting up, but then coming slowly down during the rest of the week.
2. My blood sugar (last measured in March, still seems to be fine, according both to health workers and a specialist.) So that is a permanent gain.
3) But my total weight loss is only about 22 kg lower than when I started (nearly a fifth of body weight) when I would like/need to lose vastly more than that. And I am now about 10 kg higher than at my lowest point.
I wondered about thyroid problems, muscle loss etc, but actually I don't think there is a problem. I walk up to five miles a day quite easily and am clearly healthier than I was three years ago. But my weight has been stuck in that 2 kg band for most of this year. Actually I thank lockdown and isolation, as it has made it so easy not to stray from the diet. But is this pattern of neglible weight loss on a strict diet going to last for ever? I can't find any decent medical research on the subject.
Advice very welcome.

 

[HSSS]

I haven't posted here for about 18 months, but I am very interested in the question of long term weight loss after the first year. I am now in year four of a low carb/low calorie diet. Easy to maintain underlock down. But I seem to be trapped in a 2-3kg weight band which is about 10 kg higher than my lowest point---even though I now eat far less than I did then. Two meals, no snacks, and intake under 1500 calories and less than 50 carbs a day. Yes, I do lose weight on that but only within the band and if I give into temptation on shopping day, it goes straight up again. Yet when I lost most of my weight I was eating far more than this.
1. My weight goes sharply up if I even deviate a little from the diet. One Christmas it seemed to go up 5kg in two or thee days. Just a small snack on shopping day, e.g. cheese and biscuits, sends it shooting up, but then coming slowly down during the rest of the week.
2. My blood sugar (last measured in March, still seems to be fine, according both to health workers and a specialist.) So that is a permanent gain.
3) But my total weight loss is only about 22 kg lower than when I started (nearly a fifth of body weight) when I would like/need to lose vastly more than that. And I am now about 10 kg higher than at my lowest point.
I wondered about thyroid problems, muscle loss etc, but actually I don't think there is a problem. I walk up to five miles a day quite easily and am clearly healthier than I was three years ago. But my weight has been stuck in that 2 kg band for most of this year. Actually I thank lockdown and isolation, as it has made it so easy not to stray from the diet. But is this pattern of neglible weight loss on a strict diet going to last for ever? I can't find any decent medical research on the subject.
Advice very welcome.

Sounds to me as if your metabolism has stalled from being constantly in deficit by means of long term low calories. Have you tried intermittent fasting or cutting carbs further but increasing calories?

a short term gain after eating more carbs than normal,is probably water weight held by those carbs rather than fat.

 

[Brunneria]

I haven't posted here for about 18 months, but I am very interested in the question of long term weight loss after the first year. I am now in year four of a low carb/low calorie diet. Easy to maintain underlock down. But I seem to be trapped in a 2-3kg weight band which is about 10 kg higher than my lowest point---even though I now eat far less than I did then. Two meals, no snacks, and intake under 1500 calories and less than 50 carbs a day. Yes, I do lose weight on that but only within the band and if I give into temptation on shopping day, it goes straight up again. Yet when I lost most of my weight I was eating far more than this.
1. My weight goes sharply up if I even deviate a little from the diet. One Christmas it seemed to go up 5kg in two or thee days. Just a small snack on shopping day, e.g. cheese and biscuits, sends it shooting up, but then coming slowly down during the rest of the week.
2. My blood sugar (last measured in March, still seems to be fine, according both to health workers and a specialist.) So that is a permanent gain.
3) But my total weight loss is only about 22 kg lower than when I started (nearly a fifth of body weight) when I would like/need to lose vastly more than that. And I am now about 10 kg higher than at my lowest point.
I wondered about thyroid problems, muscle loss etc, but actually I don't think there is a problem. I walk up to five miles a day quite easily and am clearly healthier than I was three years ago. But my weight has been stuck in that 2 kg band for most of this year. Actually I thank lockdown and isolation, as it has made it so easy not to stray from the diet. But is this pattern of neglible weight loss on a strict diet going to last for ever? I can't find any decent medical research on the subject.
Advice very welcome.

sounds like most of what you describe (rapid regain after a single indulgence) is fluid retention that dissipates after getting back on track.

I would agree with HSSS that you may well have slowed your metabolism with the calorie counting/calorie control.
But that doesn’t have to be permanent! : )

 

[MrsA2]

@TwoRivers
Coincidentally today I was listening to this podcast which mentions this subject
https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=a...yYWQyYWYtMzU2Ni00YTU4LWI1ZDAtZDAzMjg2NWU0Nzgy

I wasn't 100% convinced but like you, I do find any weight loses method I try stalls after a while, then creeps up then i have to try something else. I was hoping low carb would be it forever, and from a bg point of view it might be, but as for weight loss I'm not sure as still early days for me