Diet discussion

You mentioned being fat, but not whether this was a health issue. Losing weight, in my experience, is not primarily a matter of exercise, but a matter of eating so much carbohydrate that our metabolism is in glycolysis. You might want to do some research into ketogenic diets, which are extremely low in carbs and higher in fats and oils. They take a couple of months to switch your metabolism to ketosis, but once this happens the weight falls off quickly to a normal level, and your body is protected against type 2 diabetes and a couple of other diseases. I have found that there are sweet foods that satisfy sweetness cravings without interfering with ketosis, so transition to a ketogenic diet need not be traumatic.

Best of luck, and love your photographs.

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I did some reading on ketogenic diets a while back, when suddenly all recipe sites I use online started featuring ā€œketoā€ variants of normal dishes, and I think you forgot to mention the negative side effects of a keto diet.

I donā€™t believe that it is medically recommended as a weight-loss treatment. Although weight loss is one result of ketogenic diets, it is also quite harmful for your kidneys, potentially leading to kidney stones, and it generally leads to increased cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart or vascular diseases significantly. It is used medically as a treatment against epilepsy only when alternative less harmful treatments have little effect.

The loss of weight comes primarily and only from the low amount of calories in keto diets, but there is no reason to cut carbs completely and replace them with fat. Just reducing the amount of calories in your diet is all it takes, and the manner in which you do so does not really affect how much weight you lose. Making sure you eat balanced and varied meals (so you stay healthy) while simultaneously eating less calories than your body needs on a day, will result in weight loss.

If the point is that itā€™s too uncomfortable to feel hungry, then a keto diet is not necessarily better. It requires a lot of effort to actually eat keto and being constipated and tired for the couple of months that your body needs to switch isnā€™t really ā€œfunā€ either.


Always be careful with these fad diets, remember that thereā€™s a whole industry of people making money of writing about diets.

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FWIW Iā€™ve seen people have stunning results with keto that I have not observed with any other diet.

This isnā€™t scientific data, but it is ā€œsomethingā€.

It might be because the nature of keto diet is easier (psychologically) to maintain?

I think itā€™s because it feels like you can eat normal amounts of food that feel satisfying due to their high fat content. Eating few calories is hard in general, but perhaps with a keto diet it feels less like hunger.

But if the underlying reason of losing weight is to be more healthy, then a keto diet does not seem to be recommended by the majority of professional medical health advisors that I can find online.

Remember that the stunning effect is the weight loss thatā€™s visible on the outside, but the harm thatā€™s done on the inside wonā€™t be visible until you have to go for kidney dialysis twice per month and die from heart failure at 65.


But there is certainly psychology involved in all of this. Deep down, everyone wishes that there is a secret ā€œthis one trick will help you lose 20kg in a weekā€ method of losing weight that simultaneously costs no effort, isnā€™t harmful to your body and easy to continue. But thereā€™s no easy road with only positive benefits.

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Iā€™ve done 16/8 fasting for a year, twice. Eat whatever you want, as much of it as you want, but only water for 16 hours after your last meal. Worked for me - brought me down to and kept me at my dream weight. Nowadays I have a pouch again. Live a little :slight_smile:

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This sequence of posts is way off topic. Perhaps they should be moved to a ā€œdietā€ thread.

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I feel very bad, as almost all your statements are not true. I just donā€™t have the time to give all the details, and can only hope that you research this a bit more thoroughly.

Doctors are understandably conservative, and ketogenic diets, while confirmed safe and effective in several small studies, doesnā€™t offer the intrinsic monetization that drugs have, so it is not possible to fund the mammoth studies that are needed by the medical profession, and rightly so, to provide the reliable evidence indicating that ketogenic diets provide the claimed benefits without danger.

I can only say that my own experience of several years shows no increase in bad lipid levels or any other blood test. My kidneys were damaged 50% by cancer chemotherapy, and they have actually increased in functioning as indicated by blood tests, since I started being in ketosis. I have type 2 diabetes and it is managed by the ketosis with no diabetic medicine. Before I started my ketogenic diet, I was taking the maximum amount of metformin, and my blood glucose was still way too high. It is now normal and I test it only rarely.

Unlike some people who are not aware of the potential dangers, I take additional supplementation (vitamins, amino acids) to keep myself healthy. I weigh 138 pounds, and my weight stays steady. I workout in a gym every other day, without fail. Reducing calories is not likely to induce ketosis; it really does require eating almost no carbohydrates.

You have my best wishes for a long and healthy life, even if you and I disagree on what are facts and what are opinions in this matter.

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I think it is irresponsible to blanketly claim that ketogenic diets are completely safe and to imply that they are a good idea for many people. There are some medical conditions where it does seem to be indicated, but a ketogenic diet and inducing ketosis does carry significant risks, and they are contraindicated in some cases.

Ultimately, I donā€™t think a web forum like this is a good place to dispense medical advice. I hope that people would consult with a doctor to figure out what diet and exercise plans would be most effective and safe for them, in order to achieve their health goals.

What might be effective for one person is not necessarily ideal for others.

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Can people stop prescribing tsumego for my DDKitis, thank you!!! 111!1!!

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I mean, feel free to tell me what is false about what I wrote.

Youā€™re contradicting yourself: it seems you admit that there isnā€™t enough research to prove that keto isnā€™t harmless, but there does seem to be enough for you to be sure that it is. But indeed, as you say, there is not enough long term research, and it seems that these are especially hard to do, due to the vast majority of participants of long-term studies dropping out prematurely, because itā€™s such a hard diet.

There are plenty of small studies and short-term studies that do show a correlation with raised cholesterol levels and kidney problems. However, I can also find specific cases in which research implies that the benefits outweigh the potential risks, e.g. for your case of type 2 diabetes it seems to indeed be worthwhile. Bottom line: it can be risky, but also worth it, depending on who you are, so seeing a medical professional is probably the best idea before starting this diet.

However, about doctors being conservative in recommending keto due to the impossibility to monetise it, that is arguably nonsense. Thereā€™s no reason a doctor should recommend daily exercise or state that lowering calorie intake results in weight loss either, then. Doctors are being conservative, because there are potential health risks, and itā€™s irresponsible for them to claim those donā€™t exist, especially when not enough research has been done to be conclusive.

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I donā€™t want to derail the thread too much, but Iā€™d like to add that the keto diet is not unique. Types and amounts of fat (saturated/monounsaturated/polyunsaturatedā€¦), of protein, of vegetables and low carb fruits may vary a lot from one person to another.

That title sounds like a clear request :sweat_smile:
Iā€™ll do it.

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I found your posting again. Somehow, the OGS notification email had the wrong link in it.

I really donā€™t have the time to locate each of your points and respond to each, then respond to the next set, etc.

I know a lot about ketosis, even though Iā€™m not a doctor, and Iā€™m willing to meet with you on Zoom. Give me a couple of dates and times and Iā€™ll give you a zoom link. Other readers are welcome to attend, too.

Is that acceptable?

My background includes a keen appreciation for the scientific method, as I am a physics graduate, as well as some understanding of medicine, as my father was a doctor. In my many postings on the Web, I make it clear that I never give medical advice. I give pointers, but it is the responsibility of the recipient to DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH, and that especially applies to ketogenic diets, where there is so much muddled and wrong information around. There are some wonderful and inspiring YouTube videos by doctors about the benefits of ketogenic diets, but even these usually leave out important points.

Some ketogenic diets are safe; some are unsafe. Some are easy to stay on; some are difficult. The term ā€œketogenic dietā€ only means very low in carbohydrates and high in fats and oils. This is not a sufficient definition to ensure safety. I learned about the diet from a cardiologist who had studied the subject in depth, and so should anyone. Lacking that opportunity, at least do the research to find out as much as you can before you arrive at opinions or conclusions.

Correct. The basic requirements are: enough nutrition, and total carbohydrate ingestion low enough to switch the metabolism from glycolysis to ketosis. And, yes, a keto diet is counterindicated in some people. Find a rare doctor who knows about ketosis and consult with them.

This one trick will make you lose 10kg of ugly flesh in an instant :

Decapitation!

Perhaps a good time to remind users of the ā€˜Mute topicā€™ option, of which I am now availing myself.

And, after having said that itā€™s very unlikely that you would lose 10 kgs in the way @Uberdude suggested I follow @Kosh :wink:

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If your head is 10kg, you might want to get that checked out!

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It seems you donā€™t have time to even mention a single pointā€¦

Iā€™m sorry, but then I donā€™t have time to hold a zoom conference either. As someone with a keen appreciation for the scientific method, you should know better than to fall back on an argument from authority.

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