Huberman lab podcast - Effects of fasting and time restricted eating on fat loss and health.

I recently stumbled across Huberman Lab podcasts. It was recommended by a good friend who never lets me down. I listened to the first episode recorded a couple of years ago. I was impressed. Dr Huberman clearly knows his stuff and is passionate about sharing his knowledge. Sure, he’s got sponsors, but he himself isn’t selling anything. He passed my high cynical barrier. There’ was good evidence based science. Today I listened to his latest podcast and here’s the link to a page describing it and how to listen:

Podcast page and link

I normally listen to podcasts when I’m out walking or doing a mundane task that doesn’t require much thinking. This one was different. I had to stop, sit down and do nothing but listen. The information was rich, extremely informative and so full of nuggets, I didn’t want to miss anything. I also connected with much of what he had to say. It’s two hours long but worth listening to, especially if like me, you’ve struggled with weight loss.

I’m a foodie and overweight. I’ve been overweight since I was 25. I’m now 51. Occasionally, for a week or two, I get down to the top end of the acceptable bracket for my age, gender and height. Regardless of what I think of BMI and acceptable weight, I know I’m chubby. I’m borderline diabetic. This weekend I swapped all my summer clothes for winter cloths and discovered at least half I couldn’t get into, including cloths I love. This made me sad. I decided I wanted to do something about it. I have tried the following:

1) Atkins - back in early 2000’s when everyone was doing it. It worked. I lost lots of weight. I haven’t been able to eat over sugary foods since without getting a head rush and feeling a bit sick, except ice-cream. I didn’t feel good on it.
2) Slow carb - lots of beans, small amounts of high GI foods. Not sustainable
3) 5-2 diet - not sustainable
4) Low carb / Keto - updated Atkins, lots of veg. Disaster if you stray, which is what I’d do almost every w/e
5) Paleo . . . Too much hard work
6) Vegan for five months - didn’t put any weight on, but didn’t loose any
7) Running - I couldn’t out run my stomach
8) 20,000 steps a day, walking 10km+ - this worked. Lost 10kg. Moved to NJ . . . Barrier to walking 10km too high.
9) Fasting - not eating for three days . . . I can do it - horrible to be around. Life was miserable

I’m sure you get the picture . . .

The podcast isn’t suggesting a diet. I could try and explain, but he’s already done that on his website:

In this episode, Dr. Huberman discusses the science and practice of fasting, also called time-restricted feeding. He reviews the data on how limiting food intake to specific portions of every 24-hour cycle (or fasting longer) impacts weight loss, fat loss specifically, liver health, mental focus, muscle, longevity and more.

Anyhoo . . . have a listen if you want and make your own mind up.

Edward Norton wrote:

Regardless of what I think of BMI and acceptable weight, I know I’m chubby. I’m borderline diabetic.

I was *not* overweight in my 20's and I got tested for BMI and it tried to tell me I needed to loose weight, so I agree it's too simplistic. I have a sister who's struggled with weight all her life and most diets made things worse instead of better - social and emotional needs are a big part of food, so most of us need to feel connected and food is part of that.

That said, the scare of being "borderline" or actually having a condition that makes a special diet the only safe way to go, has motivated some of my friends, but not all. I do know that the niece of a good friend of mine is doing the "dinner only" form of fasting (coffee with cream in the morning is the only exception) and has been doing well on that option.

I myself am not allowed to loose weight - my doctor cheered when I gained 10 lbs with menopause and when I was in my 30's and got pregnant with #2 Son, my obstetrician greeted me with, "Eat more, gain weight". However, for mental wellness, I try to follow the "don't eat after 7 pm", or if I fail, "don't eat for 12 hours", rule and I can do that without gaining or loosing.  

So much of all these options is looking at the real social reasons people eat, coupled with a serious lack of nutritionally dense foods. There are just too many empty calories out there that hit all our primitive buttons, but none of our truly real food needs. Good luck with finding something that works for you.

Dieting is such a personal thing, what works for one person may very well do the opposite for another person.

I'm an outlier on the metabolic bell curve. I have to keep my calorie intake in the 800-1000 per day range, just to slow the rate at which I gain. Fortunately, I also have a very tiny appetite to go with that. I've met one other person who was at a similar spot in the bell curve, but she has a normal appetite. She pretty much had to resign herself to feeling hungry all the time, because it's just too hard to keep her weight stable otherwise.

I've given up on actually losing weight, but several family members have had success with the keto diet, so I'm trying that right now. Not because I expect to lose weight on it, but because the family members with autoimmune or other chronic medical conditions, have ALL reported feeling so much better on this diet. I figure that the chance of feeling better is worth a shot. Every other diet I've tried made me feel worse.

It takes a lot of trial-and-error to find the right match.

I also watched this video last night: https://youtu.be/7kGnfXXIKZM
From this post: https://permies.com/t/40/152187/kitchen/Canola-oil#1322940

This is not the first time I've heard that many people think processed food and particularly the vegetable oils they contain, are a really bad idea. It's hard to be surrounded by  "quick food" and not partake, but watching that video has encouraged me to try harder, not for the weight issue, but for the auto-immune trouble it may be causing.

That said, the video dumps the whole issue on one factor, and he may be correct and that factor is key, but I also feel that even supposedly "healthy" foods genetically chosen to grow bigger and faster, grown in overworked fields full of a single variety of a single plant, usually with toxic gick, aren't likely to give us the nutrition our bodies want and need. I suspect that the human examples Dr. Knobbe quoted were growing and processing the foods they eat based on the same methods for centuries. North America's not doing that. People into permaculture are working on that!

I hope this routine works for you Edward.

I think it's really hard to eat sane portion sizes in the states. Everything is sold in bulk. If you go to a restaurant one meal is enough to feed a family of five.

I totally empathize about unsustainable diets. The only time in my life I went from slightly overweight to in damn good shape was when I was doing something like paleo/slow carb and swimming and lifting regularly. I was in the best shape of my life. But the social repercussions were pretty harsh. Saying no to every offer and invitation was not fun.

I ended up reverting to slightly overweight. In my case I'm otherwise fairly fit, so I don't worry too much about it.

Another recommendation for you if you're interested: I used to be a member of Nerdfitness forums. I highly recommend that place. Great community for getting in shape.

My first reply here and not so confident with English.

I am 50, I have always struggled with diets. Until I found out Dr Mozzi diet, based on blood type. He's italian, just like I am. You can find his diet on the internet, but you have to translate it someway. In short, there are some foods that are probably good for you, some that are not and some that you must try. He has lists for these, based on your blood type, but you have to work on them to find your best way.

I haven't listened to the podcast yet, but if the thing is intermittent fasting, I can tell you that it works a lot, especially for type 0 and type A.

Hope this can help you in some way.

Corrado

Jay Angler wrote:. I do know that the niece of a good friend of mine is doing the "dinner only" form of fasting (coffee with cream in the morning is the only exception) and has been doing well on that option.

This is most popularly known as OMAD (one meal a day) pronounced O-mad.  I am trying to get back to this.  I NEED to loose at least 40 pounds!

@Edward Norton do you want to start an "accountability" thread here?  I'm looking for support.  For some reason, I tend to do better with this sort of thing when I know that I have to "report" back to someone or the group.  

L. Johnson wrote:I hope this routine works for you Edward.

Thank you!

My strategy for coping in the US is to cook all my own food. You’re right about buying in bulk. In the UK you can buy a 30g bag of crisps and the equivalent US it’s a 200g of chips! It might say 8 portions, but there’s no way, once open, that the bag is going to go back in the cupboard.

Having lived in Asia, I developed a taste for food with a lot more flavour. I haven’t eaten out much here and when I have, I’m mostly disappointed. The food is made for a different palate to mine, so it’s not just portion size, it’s lack of flavour. And it’s expensive, but I’m comparing with Asian street food where you can get something healthy and tasty for under five bucks. I think I would struggle with my weight in Japan - the food is sooo good. The first time I had a bowl of ramen in Tokyo, I thought ‘Now that’s how it’s supposed to taste!’. I have family there and was fortunate to visit many times.

I can relate to being slightly over weight and fit - that was where I was until a couple of years ago. Thanks for the link to nerdfitness - I’ll check it out.

As for my progress, I’m a little hesitant to post an update because I’m only ten days in. The real test is if I can continue for thirty days and beyond. So please take that into consideration when I say, it’s a massive success. I eat during an eight hour window and then fast for sixteen.

I was 87.7 kg / 193 lbs / 13 st 11lbs. Today I’m 84.6kg / 186 lbs / 13 st 4lbs. So 3kg / 7lbs in ten days which doesn’t feel right. It’s too fast. However, unlike diets in the past where I can loose 2kg in 2 days due to water lose as I burn up the glucose in my liver, my weight lose has been a straight line, loosing between 200g and 400g a day without a single flatline or uptick.

I eat breakfast between 10am and noon and then a huge lunch between 2pm and 4pm, typically what ever I cooked for the family the night before. I cook for them between five and six, and I thought I would be tempted to eat the food with them, but I’m not. They sit at the kitchen bar and I clear up and chat, which is a good way to avoid the social pressure of sitting down with them.

I used to snack in the evening  and even though I knew I shouldn’t, my will power was weak. Now I’m not interested. I’ve also noticed a big difference in my energy levels. I more motivated in the morning. I don’t have an afternoon dip when I often felt lethargic and would sometimes eat out of boredom.

Anyhoo . . . It’s early days. I’m strongly motivated to continue - I feel great and I can wear most of my winter clothes.

Jay Angler wrote:
I myself am not allowed to loose weight - my doctor cheered when I gained 10 lbs with menopause and when I was in my 30's and got pregnant with #2 Son, my obstetrician greeted me with, "Eat more, gain weight". However, for mental wellness, I try to follow the "don't eat after 7 pm", or if I fail, "don't eat for 12 hours", rule and I can do that without gaining or loosing.  

I've spent years assuming "Jay" was a guys name! Head slapping myself for silly assumptions.

corrado de cesare wrote:My first reply here and not so confident with English.

Hi Corrado - welcome to permies. You’re English is excellent and I really appreciate your contribution.

Yes, this is intermittent fasting and it is working for me. I am happy to hear you have found something that works for you.

T.J. Stewart wrote:I NEED to loose at least 40 pounds!

@Edward Norton do you want to start an "accountability" thread here?  I'm looking for support.  For some reason, I tend to do better with this sort of thing when I know that I have to "report" back to someone or the group.  

Absolutely - count me in! My goal is 16kg / 35lbs but I’ll settle for 40 lbs!

I don’t think I could do an O-mad diet. I have done three day fasts and I really struggle with hunger. It becomes the only voice in my head and I have a very noisy brain. My two meals in eight hours is working for me. The key is to find what works and then it is so much easier.

I have been on a "slow carb" diet for the past few months. I have lost 10kg and am feeling great on it. The book it is based on (Tim Ferris, 4 Hour Body) recommends beans/lentils with every meal. It is not based on reducing calorie intake as such (but it does inevitably happen), but is instead based on having large filling meals of "slow" carbs that your body can process without a massive spike in your blood sugar.

I have lost weight on it, and continue to lose weight on it. But the big advantage for me is better blood sugar stability through the day - I don't get sleepy after meals, or have big swings in mood.

I haven't reviewed the link in the original thread BUT I listened to a related podcast discussion this week that looked into diet and intermittent fasting strategies. The bottom line conclusion they made was that people lost weight on it because they ended up eating less. For many people it is easier to stick to a hard rule like "I only eat between 8am and 4pm" or whatever.

Edward Norton wrote:
1) Atkins - back in early 2000’s when everyone was doing it. It worked. I lost lots of weight. I haven’t been able to eat over sugary foods since without getting a head rush and feeling a bit sick, except ice-cream. I didn’t feel good on it.
2) Slow carb - lots of beans, small amounts of high GI foods. Not sustainable
3) 5-2 diet - not sustainable
4) Low carb / Keto - updated Atkins, lots of veg. Disaster if you stray, which is what I’d do almost every w/e
...

This sounds so familiar! I could have written almost exactly the same post. I've been *relatively* low-carb for most of the past 15 years (I'm 53) which has kept my weight within a 20 pound range, but I wanted to stay at the lower end of that range. 18 months ago I started skipping breakfast and minimizing fruit (~1 per day, usually fruit I grow myself) and alcohol (1 per week). Blueberries and strawberries are generally a net positive, so I sometimes buy those when I can't grow them. I limit my grains to a maximum equivalent of about one slice of bread per day. My exercise generally consists of a 45 minute walk and whatever I do around the yard. I eat lots of avocados, sardines, eggs, and dairy. I have maintained my weight goal (average 150 lbs at 5'9") this way for the past 12 months (I actually fluctuate weekly between 147 and 153.) I do occasionally have a binge, but it isn't so hard to get back on track with this routine - especially when I see the scale creeping up to 153. Plus, my appetite seems to have diminished substantially. I just can't stuff myself like I used to when I only eat between 12 and 8 PM.

I've read lots of fad diet books, but the fad book that finally cemented this routine for me was Genius Foods by Max Lugavere. It's not just about the body, it's also about the brain. I'm much more concerned about losing brain function than I am about staying slim. The combination of these two motivations keeps me on track more than just a little bulge around the middle. The same diet seems good for both.

Good luck!

Weight loss is 100% calories in vs out, you can lose and gain weight on pretty much any diet. This is why some overweight people can't lose weight no matter what diet they try, because they always end up overeating anyhow. There are so many different diets that all claim the same benefits regarding weight loss, that should tell people something about looking for an easy "quick fix", in reality there is none. Feeling a little bit hungry and having cravings at times is something you have to live with when you try to lose weight, but if you only maintain a small caloric deficit it usually won't be too bad. Appetite suppressant drugs can also help with the mental aspect but I don't think they are that easy to get ahold of these days..


If you still think you are doing everything right but still can't lose weight then it's time to get a scale and start weighing everything you eat and counting the calories. This way you will KNOW how much you are actually eating, a lot of people who struggle losing weight severely underestimate the amount of calories they are eating. It's physically impossible to not lose fat weight on a true caloric deficit, the first law of thermodynamics(physics) says so.

Edward Norton wrote:I recently stumbled across Huberman Lab podcasts.

Dr. Jason Fung and Gin Stephens were my intermittent fasting mentors. Plus I watched the BBC program, "Eat, Fast, Live Longer", which was eye-opening in that it proved that health is as much or more about enough fasting hours to induce autophagy than about eating right. The exception of course would be refined sugary sweets that trick out the satiation hormone.
Because of the satiation hormone, calorie counting is now dinosaur data, and I simply eat to satiation signals - no more, no less.   Besides extended dryfasting to resolve more serious health issues, intermittent fasting is a lifelong doable lifestyle.

Eat, Fast, Live Longer - BBC

I’ve been practicing time restricted eating (or intermittent fasting) for 3 years now and have lost 60 pounds. I did switch from SAD (standard American diet) to eating a whole food, plant based diet and restricting processed sugar and flour as well as vegetable oils at the same time. Once I had my weight and prediabetic numbers under control I started eating a more normal diet based around the meat and vegetables that I raise. I try to eat as organically as possible and seldom eat out. My sugars and a1c are now within normal limits and I feel better than I have in years. For someone living with a genetic connective tissue disorder that sometimes makes movement problematic, this has been the only way I’ve found to control my weight effectively. Another perk is that my ability to taste has developed greatly since I gave up sugar. Since almost all prepackaged foods have insane amounts of sugar and other nasties, I can my own jars of ready to eat foods like spaghetti and rice, chili, gumbo and so on.

The absolute best effect has been the healing of my immune system! I started making kombucha at the same time as the diet change and adding my own ferments and the effect has been remarkable. The early days were fairly difficult but, once I got past the sugar addiction, it is very easy and satisfying.

corrado de cesare wrote:Until I found out Dr Mozzi diet, based on blood type. He's italian, just like I am. You can find his diet on the internet, but you have to translate it someway.
Corrado

https://www.lifegate.com/blood-type-diet

Edward Norton wrote:

T.J. Stewart wrote:I NEED to loose at least 40 pounds!

@Edward Norton do you want to start an "accountability" thread here?  I'm looking for support.  For some reason, I tend to do better with this sort of thing when I know that I have to "report" back to someone or the group.  

Absolutely - count me in! My goal is 16kg / 35lbs but I’ll settle for 40 lbs!

My two meals in eight hours is working for me.

Sounds good!  Report back here are often as you want then.  I'll probably do daily at this point.  Anyone else needing to lose and weight and planning on doing some form of fasting... please join us.  The more the merrier!

Also, two meals a day is also often referred to a 2MAD, in case you are interested in looking it up on YouTube or something.

two short stories.  The first is I knew a woman who wanted to loose a couple of pounds for summer sim season.  She basically cut out all carbs from her diet and ended up gaining weight instead of loosing it.  She looked into it and it turned out that she was allergic to wheat, and as soon as she stopped eating wheat she started gaining weight.  I had a similar experience.  My weight was at the top of being underweight BMI, and no matter how much I eat or did I could not keep any weight on.  After I discovered I was also allergic to wheat I started slowly gaining gaining between 2 to 3 pounds a year.  After another 20 years I now could use to loose more than a few pounds.  So, if you are like me and learned to eat MASSIVE QUANTITIES of food to keep going, and then you drop something that you are allergic to in your diet, you might just be removing the one thing that blocked your body from absorbing all the nutrients into your system.  That is what caused me to start gaining weight, and yea, I need to go back to eating a fraction of what I do and just not eat until I am sated -- because that is just to much food.

corrado de cesare wrote:

I am 50, I have always struggled with diets. Until I found out Dr Mozzi diet, based on blood type. He's italian, just like I am.

Corrado

Thank you for this info! I follow the blood type (A for me, O for my Italian American husband) from Dr. D'Adamo's book which I see Dr. Mozzi quotes. Have just ordered English version of Dr. Mozzi's book as I believe the whole blood type style of eating/dieting works really well for me and I want to dig deeper and learn more.

Molly Gordon wrote:

Thank you for this info! I follow the blood type (A for me, O for my Italian American husband) from Dr. D'Adamo's book which I see Dr. Mozzi quotes. Have just ordered English version of Dr. Mozzi's book as I believe the whole blood type style of eating/dieting works really well for me and I want to dig deeper and learn more.

You're welcome! Dr. D'Adamo is probably the pioneer in this field. Dr Mozzi focuses more on health than on shape, I think (despite the two things being related).

We are both 0 here, so I use the list of "good" vegetables, fruit and legumes to choose what to seed. Looks like they go well together

I first heard about Huberman's podcast on Lex Friedman's podcast, he was a guest, and it was very interesting what they discussed.  I've been meaning to listen to him, so thanks for the link.

As a side note, I'm actually taking 2/3 of his "sleep cocktail" to sleep better.  Been doing it for a month or so.  It mixed with background brown noise from my Alexa speaker make me sleep (and have really interesting dreams) better than ever.  Here's the details on it.  I couldn't find the last ingredient when I ordered off of Amazon.     https://brainflow.co/index.php/2021/08/14/dr-andrew-hubermans-sleep-cocktail/

On the topic of fasting, I've done a one meal a day diet most of my life.  For no reason more than it's how I was raised.  No breakfast at home before school, I was a shy kid (social anxiety) so I didn't like to eat in front of other people at school, then the only meal I'd have was dinner when my family ate.  I generally ate three meals worth when I did sit down.  Of course there were exceptions.  Occasionally we'd have a big breakfast on the weekend or holidays, but most of the time it was just one meal a day, and that was dinner.  I was a chubby kid my entire life into my thirties.  

I still eat the same to this day, but it's by choice.  I don't feel the need to eat breakfast, and actually feel sluggish if I do have it.  I will often have a grapefruit and a banana for lunch (been doing that for over twenty years so it's kind of not really a one meal a day kind of thing, but those two things together don't account for a typical meal in regards to my normal caloric meal intake.....if that made any sense?).  
Logically, our ancestors engorged themselves when food was plentiful, and fasted for long periods of time (eating probably low calorie leafy greens that they could find easily, maybe bugs?, etc).  We are probably genetically designed for fasting.

I do believe everybody's body is different, and it's quite possible fasting isn't a solution for some people.

I have observed that a lot of people I work with go through mood/power swings throughout the day coinciding with their eating schedule.  
I do not have these "ups and downs" they seem to go through.

Edward, you are doing a great thing by making your eating window end well before bedtime.  I'm impressed with your ability to watch your family eat.

I had the best success when I made my eating window early in the day, but it just doesn't work well with my schedule.  

There should be some great information during this summit called the gut/brain axis. The focus is on treating various anxiety disorders through healing and nurturing the gut but looks like loads of good information on things like breaking addiction to sugars and lots of other cutting edge hacks. I am not affiliated with them and have not watched the presentations but I thought someone might benefit from the videos.

As someone else said, losing weight and gaining weight is easy.

Easy, in that it's like managing money. You want to gain weight, eat more than you need. You want to lose weight, eat less than you need.

However, maybe if you were to win a million dollar, you might still be able to handle it and not go nuts; but if you go from let's say 3000kcal a day to 1000kcal a day just like that, expect reality to come back raging at you.

I am not familiar with fasting, have not tried it, but my understanding is that one of its big point is to let your organism focus on "cleaning" itself: your digestive system is not constantly bombarded with food to process for a while, and so it can cleanse itself.

Using fasting to lose weight is in my opinion, a recipe for a disaster. You will struggle needlessly mentally speaking, and the sudden drop in calorie will shock your body, and cause it to enter "survival mode", were it will either not lose any weight, or, when you're back to eating like usual, it will gain all that weight back, and might even store some more just in case its deprived of food again.

Just like if you never did sport in your life, if you suddenly attempt a marathon, your body will force you to stop really soon.

It need to be progressive, so that you can adapt both mentally and physically. By gradually eating less and/or spending more calories, you will have far more chance of reaching your goal. However, for some people, it's not possible ot lose all their weight in one go. So they need at some to stop eating less than they need, eat just enough so their weight is stable, and so their body can also rest from the stress of calorie restriction. Eating less also mean less vitamins, minerals and other good stuffs, so it's important to allow some rest too.

A good weight loss program also allow you to unwind mentally speaking. Having a cheat meal once a week for instance. Obviously, it doesn't mean eating three days worth of groceries, just maybe going to a party, a bbq with friends or whatever.

Eating more proteins also helps with hunger. If you need to cut something in your diet, it's carbohydrates. Proteins are essentials (some amino-acids at least), some fats are essentials, but as far as I know, carbohydrates are not essentials.

In the end, losing weight is about dealing with a deep seated problem: it takes time, and there's no quick fix. But there are solutions.

Mike, I have heard the same thing about using fasting to lose weight and it makes sense along with the argument that the weight will just come back when you ease up on the fasting regimen. I guess it’s probably just as important to learn what to eat. I added foods and hours of feeding back very slowly and I continue to avoid processed foods 99% of the time but I have more energy and feel remarkably better when I fast and it seems to control my lifelong problem with my weight as well. There is a good book called Eat Stop Eat that discusses in great depth, intermittent fasting and how to use it to keep weight under control.

Obviously, when trying to lose weight, one of the first thing to do is to cut down on processed food, get rid of as much as possible of the toxic stuff in your diet.

As I said, I've not read much on fasting, and I might try it one day; but I wouldn't use it as a central strategy to lose weight. It seems to be popular with all the natural medicine stuff so it might be something worth trying.

Mike Lafay wrote:As someone else said, losing weight and gaining weight is easy.

Easy, in that it's like managing money. You want to gain weight, eat more than you need. You want to lose weight, eat less than you need.

Hello Mike. Our body loves complexity (just like nature does). Dollars have all the same effect, but calories and foods have not. Our bank accounts healthily receive dollars at any time of the day, our body does not the same with food.

Mike Lafay wrote:Using fasting to lose weight is in my opinion, a recipe for a disaster. You will struggle needlessly mentally speaking, and the sudden drop in calorie will shock your body, and cause it to enter "survival mode", were it will either not lose any weight, or, when you're back to eating like usual, it will gain all that weight back, and might even store some more just in case its deprived of food again.


It need to be progressive, so that you can adapt both mentally and physically. By gradually eating less and/or spending more calories, you will have far more chance of reaching your goal.

There is a difference between fasting and intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting is not, for what I know, about drastically reducing calories but is about eating in a window of eight hours every day. Or less, if it fits to you.
We send a message to our body whenever we eat something. This is why quality of our food is so important. The "diet" I follow is not restrictive in calories, I just intake foods that are beneficial to me and avoid those that are not. In a window of eight hours, let's say 12 a.m. to 8 p.m. because it's ok for my timetable.

If you gradually reduce your daily calories, your body will slowly enter "famine" mode and not let go a single gram of fat. It will strive on proteins, from your muscles.

Mike Lafay wrote:A good weight loss program also allow you to unwind mentally speaking. Having a cheat meal once a week for instance. Obviously, it doesn't mean eating three days worth of groceries, just maybe going to a party, a bbq with friends or whatever.

Eating more proteins also helps with hunger. If you need to cut something in your diet, it's carbohydrates. Proteins are essentials (some amino-acids at least), some fats are essentials, but as far as I know, carbohydrates are not essentials.

In the end, losing weight is about dealing with a deep seated problem: it takes time, and there's no quick fix. But there are solutions.

I do agree with these final phrases, I would just add that is mainly fats that give the sensation of satiety.

Corrado

Nutrition is a complex topic, and in the rest of my message I tried to add a bit of that complexity, by saying that brutally lowering calories would have a bad effect on the body, whereas if you were to gain suddenly a lot of money, it would not be as dangerous. It's not the best analogy, but it seemed to fit the initial message (get rich : earn more money than you spend; get slim: spend more calories than you earn)

For people who have a lot of weight to lose, they have to cycle. Lower their calorie intake below what they need daily, then at some point, they need to go back to the amount of calorie they need to eat daily. It's done over months, and it's important to get back to the level of calories you need to stay at the same weight at some point, so your body reserve (and not just energy reserve) are not depleted. Let's say you need 2500kcal daily and are eating about that everyday, but you find yourself too fat. You will lower by about 200-250kcal what you eat daily (so it may be eating less pasta, less cereals, less bread). You do that for a while, then at some point you don't lose any more weight. Well, you lower again your calorie intake by 200-250kcal, continue for a few weeks until you don't lose any more weight. You have to listen to the signals your body send you, because at some point you will start getting tired quicker, and have less energy. At this point, it's a good idea to start raising again the amount of calories, 200-250kcal at a time, up until you reach the new amount of calorie you would need daily to keep at the same weight. Once you're back at that "normal" level of calorie intake, you will have lost a good amount of weight, gained back just a little (as you will have eaten more as you were gradually getting back to your ideal calorie intake. Stay at that level for a few weeks, then start the process again: lower the calories, observe how your body react, etc. Eating a good amount of proteins, and practicing sports is essential to minimize the loss of muscle too. Obviously, be careful with the sport you practice, as when you reach the lower levels of calorie intake, you will get tired more quickly and will need more time to recover.

I did just that a few months ago, and when you are eating less than you need every day, at some point you start to be more tired, have less energy in general. So, I understood that it was the signal that I needed to get back to normal in term of calorie intake; I also took a few supplements (minerals mostly). Tthis is needed because as you say, at some point your body is "blocking" the loss of more weight. Hence the need to cycle. A good idea is to take vitamins and minerals supplement when you reach lower intake of calories. There are equations to have a good idea of how much calories you need daily: it depends on your sex, your age, height, weight, and the overall amount of physical activity you practice. The idea would be to get an idea of how much you need, and how much you consume each day; then gradually, over the courses of a few months, lower by 200-250kcal the amount of food you eat each day.

I tried to stay simple in my first message, because nutrition can get complex really quick. Calories have all the fame, but they're just one form of fuel we need; what about omega 3 and omega 6, what about the eight or nine amino-acid we need, what about the minerals, the vitamins, and probably all the other chemicals we need but don't really know about yet ?

About fat, I don't know; what I know for sure is that proteins do have an impact on feelings of hunger. I can easily eat a few eggs at once, but good luck trying to make me drink a bottle of oil.

Mike Lafay wrote:About fat, I don't know; what I know for sure is that proteins do have an impact on feelings of hunger. I can easily eat a few eggs at once, but good luck trying to make me drink a bottle of oil.

Eggs - Nature's original fast food!
One quick search gave me the figures that one large egg contains 4.8 grams of fat and 5.7 grams of protein. I suspect that both are affecting your feeling of being satiated and fat is known to slow digestion and help you feel full longer - the trick is to eat natural fats that are wrapped in other good things, like in eggs. The link below gives you all the other vitamins and minerals that eggs may contain - personally, I trust my home-grown eggs to contain many of those more than I trust industrially produced eggs for a bunch of reasons which belong over in the critters forum, so that I don't derail this one!

https://www.eggs.ca/nutrition/view/1/egg-nutrition

Well, I guess I didn't post like I thought I would. :/

I have been doing ok with OMAD.  Some days I have been doing 2MAD instead.  I am working my way to full time OMAD.