>> ^CaptainPlanet:

um, he didn;t say anything wrong. what he said, he said politely. i guess obese has become a 'mean' word? well she's obese, and people should keep calling her obese until she breaks her denial and decides its a problem worth fixing


This.

The email was carefully constructed to avoid insult. He never called her fat. She was the one to bring that up. He implied she was obese. Is suddenly it wrong to classify someone under a medical term when it's true?

For all we know, the guy was a doctor, nutritionist, personal trainer, nurse, or some other healthcare professional. Does that change the tone of the whole discussion? If it does for you, then there is a double standard at work here.

I think she has some brass balls to spin this around and bring kids into the discussion which makes this a "feel sorry for me" rant. She clearly took his email personally and offensively but didn't stop to think if it was meant to be.

The only way she is truly a "victim" is if she has a medical condition that prevents her from losing weight. She never mentions that, so I assume she's simply not working hard enough on losing the weight and isn't viewing it as an issue for her health.

Stop acting like a victim, lady. I'm feel terrible that you might've been tormented as a child and the wounds keep opening, but you're an adult now and can do something about it in a more productive way than this.

They smoke to lose weight in France.

I guess that is because they look at it as a temporary diet (Yoyo dieting) and not a change in their diet for the rest of their lives... I'm a (self-described) "carbaholic" and as such when I "fall of the wagon" I eat carbs like nobodies business (as in 4 doughnuts, a pound of chocolate, about a gallon of soda and energy drinks, 3-6 candy bars and ~2 pounds of assorted pick-and-mix candy every single day). As it is now I will never return to a carb heavy diet because I cannot handle it, in the same way that an alcoholic can't handle drinking just one beer. And not to go all Ad-Hominem on you but as an MD you are specialised on disease and not health.

I recommend that you look at this page as it has 17 links to 17 RCT studies on the effects of LCHF diets.

Also from the mayo clinic which I assume is a pretty good source: "There have been a number of studies comparing weight loss with these two types of diets [LCHF/HCLF - My clarification]. In general, low-carb diets may result in a little more weight loss in the first 3 to 6 months. However, after 1 to 2 years there isn't much difference. What's interesting is that the amount of weight loss varies widely among people following either diet. So which type of diet you choose may matter less than whether you stick to it."
On an LCHF diet where you are full all and have a stable blood sugar level all the time it is a lot easier to stay on the diet and not splurge... (Kind of an anecdote... see my previous post in this thread)

Also some more science posts here
1 LCHF vs. HCLF diet (I recommend reading all of it)
2 (A full text from 2002 that might not be available for all [I logged on my Uni resources to search databases for the it] and it is a decade old but still a bit interesting. Name of the study is: Very-low-carbohydrate weight-loss diets revisited. Authors: Volek JS; Westman EC in case you need to search for it on Google scholar or the like)
3 Long term (1 year +) effects

I'm drunk right now so can't be arsed to find more sources.. it is Friday Damn it!!


>> ^DocDarm:

>> ^pyloricvalve:
In "Why we get fat", Gary Taubes argues very persuasively that the above is almost entirely wrong. Increasing exercise will have have the effect of increasing hunger or reducing your activity at other times through tiredness. Eating less will likewise reduce your activity level or lead to levels of hunger that are intolerable in the long term. The way to lose weight according to him is the Atkins, South Beach, Primal method of reducing sugar and carb intake to something very low. Personally I found it very convincing and I strongly recommend the book.

As a medical doctor, I call bullshit on this guy. Look at Atkins/South Beach's effect on peoples weight 1 year AFTER the diet. I see people go on diets all the time. They almost universally fail after 1 year. (Remember, we're talking about LONG-TERM weight loss, not SHORT-TERM weight loss...Atkins/South Beach perform very well in the short term!) My patients that go to the gym to lose weight do much, much better....but only if they KEEP going to the gym.

You seem like a really reasonable person. Gary Taubes is probably the best authority on weightloss and health right now. Regardless of what the MD's say.

In reply to this comment by pyloricvalve:
That's interesting. When you say people fail, do they start to eat sugar and carbs again and get fat or do they stay not eating sugar and carbs and even so start to get fat again. If it is the former it doesn't mean it's not the correct way to lose weight, it just means people need more determination not to eat sugar and carbs. My impression is that the usual prescription of eat less exercise more is also very hard to maintain in the long run.

Again I strongly recommend the book. It's not so much a diet book as a book about the evolution of the dietary science.

>> ^DocDarm:

>> ^pyloricvalve:
In "Why we get fat", Gary Taubes argues very persuasively that the above is almost entirely wrong. Increasing exercise will have have the effect of increasing hunger or reducing your activity at other times through tiredness. Eating less will likewise reduce your activity level or lead to levels of hunger that are intolerable in the long term. The way to lose weight according to him is the Atkins, South Beach, Primal method of reducing sugar and carb intake to something very low. Personally I found it very convincing and I strongly recommend the book.

As a medical doctor, I call bullshit on this guy. Look at Atkins/South Beach's effect on peoples weight 1 year AFTER the diet. I see people go on diets all the time. They almost universally fail after 1 year. (Remember, we're talking about LONG-TERM weight loss, not SHORT-TERM weight loss...Atkins/South Beach perform very well in the short term!) My patients that go to the gym to lose weight do much, much better....but only if they KEEP going to the gym.

Everytime I hear about all these efforts people have to undergo to lose weight, I'm quite relieved that 30 minutes on an exercise bike every morning was sufficient to get rid of the surplus weight I accumulated during my years at university. Took 4-5 months to drop down from 91kg to 68kg, but at least I didn't have to change my eating habbits.

Two years later and I'm still eating enough for two.

That's interesting. When you say people fail, do they start to eat sugar and carbs again and get fat or do they stay not eating sugar and carbs and even so start to get fat again. If it is the former it doesn't mean it's not the correct way to lose weight, it just means people need more determination not to eat sugar and carbs. My impression is that the usual prescription of eat less exercise more is also very hard to maintain in the long run.

Again I strongly recommend the book. It's not so much a diet book as a book about the evolution of the dietary science.

>> ^DocDarm:

>> ^pyloricvalve:
In "Why we get fat", Gary Taubes argues very persuasively that the above is almost entirely wrong. Increasing exercise will have have the effect of increasing hunger or reducing your activity at other times through tiredness. Eating less will likewise reduce your activity level or lead to levels of hunger that are intolerable in the long term. The way to lose weight according to him is the Atkins, South Beach, Primal method of reducing sugar and carb intake to something very low. Personally I found it very convincing and I strongly recommend the book.

As a medical doctor, I call bullshit on this guy. Look at Atkins/South Beach's effect on peoples weight 1 year AFTER the diet. I see people go on diets all the time. They almost universally fail after 1 year. (Remember, we're talking about LONG-TERM weight loss, not SHORT-TERM weight loss...Atkins/South Beach perform very well in the short term!) My patients that go to the gym to lose weight do much, much better....but only if they KEEP going to the gym.

>> ^pyloricvalve:

In "Why we get fat", Gary Taubes argues very persuasively that the above is almost entirely wrong. Increasing exercise will have have the effect of increasing hunger or reducing your activity at other times through tiredness. Eating less will likewise reduce your activity level or lead to levels of hunger that are intolerable in the long term. The way to lose weight according to him is the Atkins, South Beach, Primal method of reducing sugar and carb intake to something very low. Personally I found it very convincing and I strongly recommend the book.


As a medical doctor, I call bullshit on this guy. Look at Atkins/South Beach's effect on peoples weight 1 year AFTER the diet. I see people go on diets all the time. They almost universally fail after 1 year. (Remember, we're talking about LONG-TERM weight loss, not SHORT-TERM weight loss...Atkins/South Beach perform very well in the short term!) My patients that go to the gym to lose weight do much, much better....but only if they KEEP going to the gym.

>> ^pyloricvalve:

In "Why we get fat", Gary Taubes argues very persuasively that the above is almost entirely wrong. Increasing exercise will have have the effect of increasing hunger or reducing your activity at other times through tiredness. Eating less will likewise reduce your activity level or lead to levels of hunger that are intolerable in the long term. The way to lose weight according to him is the Atkins, South Beach, Primal method of reducing sugar and carb intake to something very low. Personally I found it very convincing and I strongly recommend the book.


Yup, I've done Keto combined with Intermittent Fasting (I usually eat one meal a day after I get home from work, sometimes I eat lunch too if we go out and eat at my workplace) and I've lost ~30 kg (~66 pounds) in 5-6 months and I have not been hungry once since I entered ketosis. No exercise involved at all either. (Yes yes... 1 data point does not a fact make, especially when they are subjective feelings)

So instead of eating sugar with more sugar and fat-free foods with added sugar in it to make it palatable... eat natural full-fat products and protein and be full all day... or you could eat sugar and have an insulin spike 30 mins later and end up with a lower blood sugar than you started with... unless you eat again. Ergo the "You should 5 meals a day" thing.

Some linky things
Scientific sources about the effects of Ketogenic Diet
1 Cancer
2 Alzheimers
3 Diabetes (Type 2)
4 Cardiovascular health and Dietary saturated fat
5 Review of LC diet and health markers

Blog
6 Cholesterol (Blog by a doctor so iffy source but interesting stuff anyway; I recommend reading all parts really)
7 How we came to believe cholesterol and fat is bad for us (From the same blog. 1 hour talk on the subject)

Video series/lectures
8 Cancer again (Video lecture)
9 The role of fat in weight loss (Video series, 3 parts)
10 Why we get fat (Video series, 3 parts)
11 2011 Public Forum in San Francisco at Nutrition and Health Conference (Video series, 4 part playlist)

You can also look into some of the videos on the sift such as:
12 The Food Revolution (Video/lecture sifted on VS)
13 Sugar the bitter truth.

(Seems they are both sifted by me... Oh my... self promotion galore!)

In "Why we get fat", Gary Taubes argues very persuasively that the above is almost entirely wrong. Increasing exercise will have have the effect of increasing hunger or reducing your activity at other times through tiredness. Eating less will likewise reduce your activity level or lead to levels of hunger that are intolerable in the long term. The way to lose weight according to him is the Atkins, South Beach, Primal method of reducing sugar and carb intake to something very low. Personally I found it very convincing and I strongly recommend the book.

The more fat cells you make the harder it is to lose weight and keep it off. Fat cells stay fat cells in your body even when they are not loaded with fat. Takes just as much discipline to get fat as it does to get un-fat.

Yoga can affect changes that seem miraculous (and they are) but anything one does to clear chi as a practice can do the same. Ever see what Pilates can do?? Volleyball? Swimming?

Oh hey, Rottenseed?? You are most likely already hermitized. You should simply stop watching TV with a view to actually getting any real information. News rhymes with lose and like this feel-good journal pimped-out to yoga-man it includes an over-abundance of adverts.

Incredibly cool story. More power to the man who blew out his knees and compacted his lumbar hopping out of transport planes for the empire! Reminds me of that scene from Starship Troopers where the mobile infantry recruiter without legs exclaimed with enthusiasm, "The mobile infantry made me the man I am today!"

>> ^Trancecoach:

heart rate does not necessarily mean attraction/arousal. It could mean, these stimulants are kicking in, or this dance club is really bumping, or that was a long flight of stairs


Wrong. Only arousal. That's how gyms work. Gay men gather and stare at other gay men in tight, sweaty spandex. Then they lose weight.

>> ^snoozedoctor:

Trust me, you folks across the pond are light-years ahead of Americans when it comes to reasonable expectations from the health-care system. A mistake many people make when dieting is losing weight too quickly. It's very easy to relapse because the change in eating habits has not been established. I find the apps for calorie counting very helpful. You can scan bar codes and import all the nutritional info. It's definitely more work entering home cooked meals though. Don't pay attention to all the fad diets, low carb, etc. Calorie counting is the most effective and sustainable way to lose weight and keep it off. Good luck. Never underestimate the power of your own mind.


I've been looking for a valid reason to justify getting a smartphone, thanks

Trust me, you folks across the pond are light-years ahead of Americans when it comes to reasonable expectations from the health-care system. A mistake many people make when dieting is losing weight too quickly. It's very easy to relapse because the change in eating habits has not been established. I find the apps for calorie counting very helpful. You can scan bar codes and import all the nutritional info. It's definitely more work entering home cooked meals though. Don't pay attention to all the fad diets, low carb, etc. Calorie counting is the most effective and sustainable way to lose weight and keep it off. Good luck. Never underestimate the power of your own mind.

>> ^snoozedoctor:

I completely understand that it's tough once you get there. Like you say, strenuous exercise can be very difficult and you can easily injure yourself pushing it too hard. Walking is still good though, it doesn't take a lot to ramp up the metabolism a bit.
I disagree, willpower is something you can switch on. No one quits smoking until they decide to. If you truly want to lose weight, count calories. Set a limit at whatever, say 2,000 cal/day. Then stop when you get there. Anyone CAN do it, if they want to bad enough. I just don't buy fatalistic attitudes. It's hard, it's not easy, it's not comfortable, but anyone CAN do it.


Yeah, like the only times I've succeeded in dropping loads of weight is when there has been a good reason for it, for instance I'll be getting married in the next couple of years and I have zero intention of being a fat bride so I'm not even worried about it because I know it's possible and much easier with the right motivation. The problem is for most of us who lose weight is once you get to where you want to be, it's SO easy to fall off the wagon and it's almost like every time you do it, you lose some respect for yourself and you just make it harder the next time, because you're fully aware of how difficult it was to achieve in the first place. Sigh... all I'm saying is it's not as simple as people seem quick to make it out to be. But anyone who says they can't is just lying to themselves and I find it just as pathetic as you clearly do.

I completely understand that it's tough once you get there. Like you say, strenuous exercise can be very difficult and you can easily injure yourself pushing it too hard. Walking is still good though, it doesn't take a lot to ramp up the metabolism a bit.
I disagree, willpower is something you can switch on. No one quits smoking until they decide to. If you truly want to lose weight, count calories. Set a limit at whatever, say 2,000 cal/day. Then stop when you get there. Anyone CAN do it, if they want to bad enough. I just don't buy fatalistic attitudes. It's hard, it's not easy, it's not comfortable, but anyone CAN do it.