Diet: Low Carb and Ultra Cycling

[The Brook]

It's now been a little over 4 weeks into the Keto way of life, and I'm down 14 lbs. My 40" waist jeans are so loose, that I will need to have them taken in, my 38 " waistline jeans that were snug when I started this are now quite loose. My girlfriend has also lost about 8 lbs in the same time frame, and likes the way we both look now. My goal is to lose approx another 20-25 lbs, and get to a waist size of 34", which on my 6"2" frame would be quite respectable.

I've also been able to train a lot this year, but specifically these last 4 weeks, I've been able to do 6 days out of 7 for 45 minutes to an hour, 4 of those days, I'm pushing hard, at a cardio rate of 125 to 145 bpm, the other 2 I go moderately hard. At 62, I'm in the best cardio shape I'be been in the last 15 years.

Added benefit to this work is that my tibial plateau that I fractured 2 1/2 years ago is now close to 100% recovered (my doctor says it will never be back to 100%, but I'm at approx 95%, just can't do squats), something that I would have doubted at this point last year, I just feel great.

Many thanks to the people that started this article, it's been a godsend for me and Shelley.

Thanks,
Denis

 

[Gary123]

Congrats. I dropped about 20 lbs and holding steady for past 20 mo. Not as strict now just try to keep bread and sugar intake low. Sounds like you're doing great on this.

 

[bazzawill]

Whenever I read this thread my skeptic sensors started to tingle, I did a little research and found Keto diets were used to treat other conditions but not specifically for weight loss until recently but I did not have definite evidence that it did not work well here it is .
That said any restrictive diet will help you lose weight as has been proven by the success above. However this may have nothing to do with a Keto diet and more to do with being conscience of what you eat. That said if it's working for you and not causing any negative side effects enjoy.

 

[DavidCH]

Well... for me it seems if I reduce my carb intake that any muscle inflammation seems to recover a lot quicker. Not sure why. Maybe because in order to eat the same amount of calories I have to eat more of the good things. Protein ... nuts ... etc

 

[The Brook]

I can't speak for any of the others that have been following the Keto way of life, but in my case, my girlfriend and I started this on Oct 12th this year, and I've lost 15 lbs so far, all the while eating as much as I needed of the proper things to satisfy my hunger. It is not restrictive in any way other that restricting Carbs. I occasionally might be hungry for a snack between meals, in which case, I grab a hand full of nuts, or seeds, that tides me over to the next meal. The Keto suggested meals are easy to prepare, are tasty and satisfying. I don't count calories, I just enjoy good food! It took me a while to stop craving sugar and bread and pasta, but I finally am at the point that I don't crave them any more. I also find that if I can't get something to eat when I'm hungry, I find it easier to wait until I can get some food, I.E: I don't feel like I MUST HAVE FOOD NOW!! I used to get that frenzied feeling a lot before.

Before I started Keto, I was only able to lose 3 pounds in the last 3 months, when I was finally able to increase my training to higher levels than before (recovering from a bad leg fracture made it difficult to push with anything resembling strength for many months), but I just couldn't seem to touch the belly fat that had accumulated over time. Now, I've lost 3 inches off the belly, and other parts of my body are starting to show fat loss also. My blood pressure has come down from early morning readings of 145/93, resting pulse rate of 66, before taking my medication, it is now down to the point that I no longer need medicine to control it (114/74 this morning, resting pulse rate of 51). My cholesterol levels are starting to look better, my doctor is happy, and encourages me to keep on it.

This will be the way I eat from now on, that why I call it a way of life.

Also, like David, I've noticed that I recover faster from muscle stiffness after hard workouts since I started this, I'm usually only a little sore the evening of the workout, then I'm fine the next morning.

For me and many others, this is something that has worked well, and will continue to work well, we are probably healthier than at any point in our lives ( I know I am).

I can understand some people's skepticism, as I was myself skeptical, but a story on Bentrideronline.com: Weight loss combined with health benefits that seems to be working! about a guy that lost 85 pounds in 8 months by cutting out carbs got me to doing a lot of research, it took about 3 months for my girlfriend Shelley and I to come to the decision to try this, and we've been VERY happy with the results so far.

Regards, Denis

 

[The Brook]

Also, after having read the article posted by bazzawill, my question is: who funded this research?

I remember the old low fat study done by one of the big universities (Oxford, Harvard, or Yale? Can't find the article right now) show that Low fat diets were healthier that higher fat diets. this was taken as Gospel by the medical community then. The important fact in that study, is that the study was financed by the SUGAR INDUSTRY! And seemed to promote sugar as a healthy thing! Seems to be pretty ironic, isn't it?

It seems like a lots of these studies are funded by special interest groups, and it makes it hard to identify the facts from fiction. I certainly was confused a lot early on when I did my personal research, and while I'm not a doctor, My doctor is, and after asking him his opinion about Keto, he said he was all for it.

That, and other articles I read made me come to the decision to try it.

Denis

 

[The Brook]

Found the article: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo...quietly-paid-scientists-to-point-blame-at-fat

 

[Emeljay]

Here are just a couple of links to articles/research summarys that may make one suspect the results of picking just a few articles that may support one's view. I read up on this, and based on my medical needs and advice then tried LCHF diet out for myself with great results. I also was involved in assisting (field hand and lab assistant in early '80s with my salary paid by a major sugar producer) in sugar research (how to grow crops to maximize sugar yield), so I have an interest in how this plays out.

My objective here is only to show how difficult it would be to "scientifically" prove what diet will work for any particular person, or especially all persons since we are all different, when researcher bias may, or rather quite likely is involved as at least some of these reviews of the research discusses. Also nutrition research is very complex because of inumerable variables some of which are not even known today or not taken into account, not reported or reported falsely by research subjects, or left out by the research team because of bias or conflict of interest...

"...minimized the link between sugar and heart health and cast aspersions on the role of saturated fat.":

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-industry-shifted-blame-to-fat.html

"...singled out fat and cholesterol as the dietary causes of CHD and downplayed evidence that sucrose consumption was also a risk factor...":

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2548255

"...Industry-sponsored nutrition research, like that of research sponsored by the tobacco, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries, almost invariably produces results that confirm the benefits or lack of harm of the sponsor’s products, even when independently sponsored research comes to opposite conclusions..":

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2548251

"...sugar industry funded animal research in the 1960s that looked into the effects of sugar consumption on cardiovascular health — and then buried the data when it suggested that sugar could be harmful...":

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/11/...long-downplayed-potential-harms-of-sugar.html

"...studies regularly delivered favorable conclusions for funders...":

https://apnews.com/f9483d554430445f...sive-how-candy-makers-shape-nutrition-science

...

 

[The Brook]

It's been almost 3 months into this Way Of Life for me and my girlfriend ( I say Way Of Life because we will keep eating this way when our bodies stabilize at whatever is the weight we should weigh).

I have finally attained Goal #1: getting under 200 lbs. I weighed 199 this morning, total weight loss 23 lbs, my girlfriend has also hit her goal #1 and is under 120 lbs (she didn't have as much excess weight than I did at the start, but wanted to lose her excess weight too) and I have faithfully gone to the gym, except on Christmas and New Year's day, as they were closed those days. I still alternate 1 day of HIIT with 1 day of weight training on the machines, and the weights have steadily gone up as my muscles are getting stronger.

I hope to get to 185 lbs, on my 6'2" frame, this should be somewhere close to my optimal weight.

I had been taken off blood pressure meds a couple of weeks into this new regimen, and my pressure has been mostly in the green zone (119/79 or less), with the occasional 122-124/81-83, nothing to be alarmed by, my doctor says.

My blood test in November showed a lowering of my cholesterol levels, but not sufficiently to be removed from taking statins, but my doctor wants me to take another test in May, with the thought that I might be low enough to be taken off those meds also.

I'm still waiting to lose a few more pounds before getting new clothes, as I don't want to have them be loose on me in a few months as I go lower in weight. But I'm confident that I will attain my goal, and keep that weight off.

This way of eating is easy to follow, and both my girlfriend and I think the key to it has been NEVER CHEAT. I think I have finally broken the sugar and carbs addiction that was such a hurdle in the past. I find that my cravings for them is pretty much a thing of the past. My girlfriend says the same.

I say to those who might want to consider this way of life is to do some research on it, I spent about 3 months getting as much information as I could off the Internet, trying to sift out what was information and what was DIS-information, it wasn't easy, but what I seemed to see was that it worked for a lot of people, enough that we finally decided to do it, and have not regretted it for a moment

Denis

 

[cliff oliver]

I just saw Rob Lowe do a commercial for Atkins. Though not the originator of LCHF diets he did the science research initially and with his thousands of cardiac patients recommended this type of regimine. I believe the latest science has us eating more fat and less protein than Dr. Atkins originally designed.
The weight loss comes from not having the carb craving having almost eliminating them from our diet. Carbs make us fat. I am on my way to 170 and better health. 66 yrs old next month.

 

[The Brook]

Another 2 months have gone by, and I encountered a plateau, I had been stuck on 198-199 for the past 2 months, but I'm not concerned, as I seem to keep losing fat, but because I'm lifting weights, my upper body has gained some bulk, my fat is being replaced with muscle. I've since lost 3 more lbs., am now at 195, and I don't know where this will end up, I think I have about 10 more lbs. of fat to lose, but I'm feeling real good about it

Denis

 

[ed72]

Another 2 months have gone by, and I encountered a plateau, I had been stuck on 198-199 for the past 2 months, but I'm not concerned, as I seem to keep losing fat, but because I'm lifting weights, my upper body has gained some bulk, my fat is being replaced with muscle. I've since lost 3 more lbs., am now at 195, and I don't know where this will end up, I think I have about 10 more lbs. of fat to lose, but I'm feeling real good about it

Denis

You might get some skin fold calipers, they are cheap. I went thru a similar plateau but muscle gain was equaling fat loss. At 59 and 6'3'', 9-10% BF was about as low as felt good. The scale became less important other than to check hydration after long rides. I would really recommend the calipers to track at this point.

 

[The Brook]

Thanks Ed, I'll look into this, but by using my hand, I really still have a fair amount of loose skin, making me think ther's still some bit of fat left to go.

Denis

 

[KneeDrachen]

Looking at going Keto after my partner at work has lost 19 lbs. in a month. One thing I read is "make sure you have substitutes" for cravings. I've been reading, and the gist is, legumes (peanuts) are not considered keto. I found plenty of substitutes for them, however, what do you all use as a "crutch" for cravings when you start to go LCHF? I'm dreading what I anticipate to be a "withdrawal"...

 

[PeteClark]

Pecans, almonds, walnuts, guacamole (scooped up with celery instead of chips), broccoli florets, slice of ham

 

[Emeljay]

Here is a link to a site that I found helpful, with visual guides to different food groups that has the lower carb foods to the left:

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods

also has recipes, what to do for some problems especially when starting out, and more.

 

[KneeDrachen]

I should have clarified, we have a little one with a tree nut allergy in the house so tree nuts are out.

I will check that link out, thanks!

 

[The Brook]

Raw Almonds work well for me

Denis

 

[The Brook]

Sorry, Posted this before I saw your last reply

Denis

 

[The Brook]

We make Keto Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes using Coconut flour for the crust, and Swerve to sweeten them, VERY tasty, but maybe a little high in calories