Sunday, September 9, 2012

actually, they ARE doing it wrong

I hesitated about writing the above, because it smacks of that arrogance that we all hate in some of the bloggers out there.  [aa-aa-aah-stephACHOOOOO!]  ;-)

I read a number of Jimmy Moore's posts on his n=1 experiments yesterday, and came to the sad conclusion that, no matter how much experience you have at low-carbing, it's EASY to do it wrong.  Wrong, like Jimmy did while he was regaining some of the weight he lost, and couldn't figure out how to get rid of again.

If i were going to coach a first-time low-carber, i would stress how "low-carb treats" are traps for the unwary.  I would tell them that weighing and measuring is the only safe way to know, as best anyone can, how many grams one is eating.  I would recommend eating large enough meals that snacks wouldn't be desired.  I'd make a point of the fact that "eating as much as you want" ONLY means you CAN find satiation on the right foods, but it does NOT mean "eating as much as you want as long as it's low-carb" will allow you to lose weight at that level.

The first time each of us started Atkins (or whatever it was), we were coming from a mixed-food diet in which we were burning a lot of glucose.  And we TRIED to be perfect -- it was new, and we had to pay attention to what we were doing.  Under these circumstances we lose weight very quickly and easily.  At the end of the first two weeks, a lot of us loosened up a little on our food choices as Dr. A allowed:  MISTAKE.

Because we started eating nuts and more processed meats and cheeses, those yummy low-carb snacks that are ALLOWED because compared to other snacks they're ... low in carbs.  We started using heavy cream to make desserts, and baking with alternative flours, both ideas that simply encourage us to eat more food in general AND increasing carbohydrates in particular.  Did we measure how much almond flour we were actually consuming, or did we just say "three net carbs -- i can afford that."

Jimmy was surprised when he first started using his blood ketone meter, because he thought he was in ketosis already and he found he wasn't really there.  This is a seasoned low-carber, folks!  A successful one, though he had regained some of the weight he originally lost.

I read somewhere (and i'm convinced it's true) that as we continue with a controlled-carb lifestyle, we get more adept at USING the ketones our bodies produce, and much less energy is spilled down the toilet.  My ketostix have very rarely turned a dark pink, and even these days when i'm eating a VERY low carbohydrate diet, they're pretty pale.  I HAVE to be making and burning ketones because my body has no alternative, but i'm obviously wasting a lot less, too.

Another thing that Jimmy found was that when he was in the range of 0.5-3.0 mmol, his appetite was suddenly tamed.  Dare i suggest that if one is eating low-carb and yet still slave to one's food-seeking urges, one is not properly in ketosis...?

His experiences with his meter makes me rather want one, but i'm too scotch to spring for the $6/strip price tag -- i can buy a day's worth of grassfed ground beef for that!  I guess i'll have to be content with my pale ketostix and a curbed appetite.

6 comments:

  1. I think you're right. And you know, the Atkins diet isn't what it was in 1972. I read the latest book out of morbid curiosity and I thought it was a bit of a joke. Too permissive and politically correct IMO. These modern concepts of eating tons of vegetables, counting so-called net carbs, diet soda and artificial sweeteners and other VLC compliant junk food like the bars, shakes and almond flour lemon squares and all that shit ensure one will never lose all the weight they want. Let's face it, eggs, bacon and beef for every meal is very appetite suppressing and boring / unpalatable. A lot of people don't like that (even though it works) because they want to eat. We have no idea what Jimmy Moore ate before the ketone meter.

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  2. the more i think about it, the more i feel the need to get a copy of Atkins' original book. i have the version from 2002 (i think it is), and the induction-level carbs are 20, compared with what i understand was much lower before. ...yeah, i'm gonna go order the previous book!

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  3. Nuts, processed meats and cheeses are insulinogenic, as is some butter. Be wary of those.

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    1. right! a lot of foods people consider "safe" are anything but!

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  4. Beautifully put.

    I remember how my first attempts at Atkins inevitably crashed and burned as I left induction and started introducing more and more variety, color and carbs back into my diet. I know it's a powerful way of eating and helps out a great many people, but I think I need something more restrictive than all the carbs Atkins allows after induction.

    > I read somewhere (and i'm convinced it's true)
    > that as we continue with a controlled-carb lifestyle,
    > we get more adept at USING the ketones our bodies
    > produce, and much less energy is spilled down the
    > toilet. My ketostix have very rarely turned a dark
    > pink, and even these days when i'm eating a VERY low
    > carbohydrate diet, they're pretty pale.

    I heard this too, but last night I decided to try to get to the bottom of it. It turns out that over time, your body stops producing (in the same quantity) the one type of ketone that is actually measured by ketostix. Also, over time your kidneys do indeed stop shunting off ketones into your urine. Phinney and Volek have the best explanation of this process that I've seen, but they are still speculating in regards to the WHY your kidneys downregulate pushing ketones to your urine after you become ketoadapted.

    I wrote a little more about this on my blog (http://ketopia.com/why-you-need-to-stop-worrying-about-the-color-of-your-ketostix/), if interested. Or if you have The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living, just refer to pages 164-5. :)

    -Michael

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    1. thanks, Michael! i haven't bought the Phinney/Volek book yet, so i'll go check out your blog. ;-)

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