Is anyone here into calorie restriction?

[azphx1972]

This segment got me intrigued about calorie restriction a while back. I would like to learn more about it, but haven't really delved into it. Has anyone here looked into it, and if so, what are your conclusions?



Synopsis here: www.pbs.org/saf/1110/segments/1110-4.htm

[Deleted]

Apr 12, 2011 14:47:54 GMT -5 azphx1972 said:

This segment got me intrigued about calorie restriction a while back. I would like to learn more about it, but haven't really delved into it. Has anyone here looked into it, and if so, what are your conclusions?



Synopsis here: www.pbs.org/saf/1110/segments/1110-4.htm

That life is not worth living the extra time if I have to spend the entire time restricting calories

[azphx1972]

I can appreciate how you feel, Archie. I figure if I'm doing everything I can to save for a wealthy retirement, I want to live as long as possible to enjoy it. And if I think of food as fuel rather than comfort or pleasure, it makes the idea a little easier to digest (no pun intended).

[Deleted]

Apr 12, 2011 15:02:40 GMT -5 azphx1972 said:

I can appreciate how you feel, Archie. I figure if I'm doing everything I can to save for a wealthy retirement, I want to live as long as possible to enjoy it. And if I think of food as fuel rather than comfort or pleasure, it makes the idea a little easier to digest (no pun intended).

From my understanding of it (and I have not done much research about it) the calorie restriction has to be extreme to make a difference. Meaning that you cannot burn a lot of calories, either.

[Deleted]

dieting wouldn't be in my best interest right now. In September I'll reduce the carbs and work out more. I did Weight Watchers a long time ago - is that a form of calorie restriction?

[RoadToRiches]

For weight loss? Yes, when I am cutting, I am on 500 cals per day deficit, which puts me at 1900 total calories per day. I do this during winter and bulk during summer (right now), so now, I eat more calories.

You really need to balance things. Last thing you want to do is go extreme and cut your calories to something ridiculous like 600-900 per day. That is NOT healthy. You will loose WEIGHT, which will include lots of muscle too. You do not want that.

Balanced diet, smaller meals placed out through out the day. Kind of like adding coal to the locomotive, little by little...it keeps your body working it and your metabolism in check.

Of course, you can also skip bfast, skip morning snack, skip lunch, skip afternoon snack and have big a$$ dinner at the end of the day. But that's not the healthy way to do things.

Don't be so affraid of carbs. You CAN EAT carbs, just eat complex carbs. Not the empty crap. Just portion that stuff!Carbs are good for you! They keep you going! Ever seen a person every day that is on Adkins diet? lol

You didn't just wake up one day overweight. It happened over period of time. You can't expect to get fit and "skinny" overnight either. It's a marathon. It's a change of the way you live. People who go to extremes are doing it only at the begining and then they fold and go back to their old ways because they get sick of eating so little and be always hungry. It's no fun. Not to mention, most of them gain MORE weight than what they started with!

Edit: And stop calling it D I E T. It's not a DIET. It's the way you live!

[thyme4change]

"Diet" used to be a word that described your total intake. Now it means a temporary restriction.

I have a diet, but I'm not on a diet.

[pig]

"Of course, you can also skip bfast, skip morning snack, skip lunch, skip afternoon snack and have big a$$ dinner at the end of the day. But that's not the healthy way to do things. "

Stop spreading false info. There is ZERO evidence that eating once a day is UNHEALTHY for you.

[azphx1972]

Apr 13, 2011 10:28:20 GMT -5 @pig said:

Stop spreading false info. There is ZERO evidence that eating once a day is UNHEALTHY for you.

I have to agree with Dr. Pig based on personal experience. I listen to my body and only eat when I feel hungry. That means I eat less or skip meals on the days when I'm sedentary, and I eat more meals on the days that I'm more active. I don't like to eat when I'm not hungry, and I've always been that way. I haven't had any doctor or blood test result tell me that I'm unhealthy, quite the opposite in fact.

[RoadToRiches]

I am not gonna get into it... I will just say this: (found it on google so it saved me time typing all this)

"Yes, one meal per day might well cause weight gain. Scientific research shows that eating one meal per day will slow down your metabolism This means that the calories you eat will be stored. Your body automatically goes into starvation or famine mode and stores calories, so that there are energy reserves, in times of severe food shortage. In this case, your body does not know that the famine is self-induced by you eating only one daily meal. Lose weight the smart way. Eat six small feedings, do cardio exercise. You will lose weight in a healthy way.
Every metabolism will react differently to this idea of one meal a day. However, you need to understand that if you are not getting the proper nutrition, your body will react badly. This will be worse if you are doing the one meal a day thing because your body will burn muscle tissue before it will burn fat. This will destroy your metabolism in the long term. There's a basic biological thing. Everyone has a unique metabolism, so there's no one single answer. For most people, though, if you have a normal or slightly fast metabolism, you body will be "waiting" for more food 3-5 hours after the single meal. When you do not provide it with any -- even a tiny snack -- it gets desperate and begins to "eat up" muscle, rather than body fat, to get the needed nutrition. In addition, your body begins to store fat more aggressively because it does not know when the next meal is coming. Therefore, in the end, most people will end up with poor muscle tone and extra fat in its place."

[azphx1972]

I've read the research. I think it's very much a YMMV thing. I feel that what I'm doing works for me, and on the same token I wouldn't advocate everyone else take the same approach. As you said, "Every metabolism will react differently to this idea of one meal a day", and "Everyone has a unique metabolism, so there's no one single answer."

[Deleted]

I'm into restricting my husband's calories.

[KaraBoo]

Apr 13, 2011 13:49:16 GMT -5 @familycfo said:

I'm into restricting my husband's calories.

I'm having to do that now with my DH. Now that we're both working out, he's trying to eat even more than he was before. The trainer told him he's morbidly obese and needs to lose at least 80lbs, preferrably 100+lbs.

We actually had meatloaf left over from dinner last night. Normally we don't have any food left over from that meal (DH loves meatloaf). He was getting a little peeved at me because I was telling him he shouldn't eat any more than he already had (which was a lot!). I ate less than I normally do as well. I'm probably still eating too much, since it's not portioned out, but we're working on it......

[pig]

"I've read the research. I think it's very much a YMMV thing. "

Very true. I don't take issue with the points he brought up. Eating several smaller meals will boost metabolism and all that but that's a far cry from taking it to mean it's "unhealthy". Just not true.

[azphx1972]

Agreed, Dr. Pig. In an ideal world I would eat small meals throughout the day, but that's just doesn't fit my busy schedule, and it doesn't mean that I'm unhealthy because I don't.

[Formerly SK]

I eat three meals a day. I'm not hungry in between so I don't snack. Scientifically speaking, I could see how more but smaller meals would be better, but I kinda doubt native cultures do that since food prep takes so much time out of their day.

Anyone every read The China Study? It summarizes a HUGE nutritional study of native cultures in China in the 70's. Basically the ones who ate less (and A LOT less protein) were far healthier than cultures who ate more protein. He had a lot of studies showing how excess protein affects cancer cells (in a bad way). I found it really fascinating...and I struggle balancing the book's conclusions with my goal of eating lots of protein to build muscle.

[azphx1972]

I keep hearing about that book. I'll have to check it out from the library. Thanks SK.

BTW, unless you want to build excess muscle, I don't think you need to worry about protein intake. My diet is mostly vegetarian (and not heavily concentrated in protein foods), and I don't take any protein supplements.

[pig]

BTW, unless you want to build excess muscle, I don't think you need to worry about protein intake.

There is not such thing as "excess" muscle!! I'll second this. The only time you really need a protein supplement is if you're actively building muscle or your normal diet is lacking which is pretty rare. The other thing they can be good for though is if you're trying to lose weight and use them as a meal replacement. You're body will just excrete what you don't use and it is more filling than eating nothing lol.

[azphx1972]

I thought it was interesting that the world's oldest man who just died at age 114, advocates only eating two meals a day:

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110415/ap_on_re_us/us_obit_world_s_oldest_man

Here's the world's oldest man's secret to a long life:

• Embrace change, even when the change slaps you in the face. ("Every change is good.")

• Eat two meals a day ("That's all you need.")

• Work as long as you can ("That money's going to come in handy.")

• Help others ("The more you do for others, the better shape you're in.")

[RoadToRiches]

Hey, my grandpa drank like a sailor and smoked like a chimney. He died at age 82.

[azphx1972]

Heavy drinkers outlive nondrinkers:

www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2014332,00.html

I don't drink.

[RoadToRiches]

Well then, I am gonna start boozing up, smoking, work 16 hour days and eat 2 meals per day!I will even skip breakfast too! lol

[azphx1972]

You're gonna outlive us all.

[Miss Tequila]

Apr 16, 2011 1:07:12 GMT -5 azphx1972 said:

Heavy drinkers outlive nondrinkers:

www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2014332,00.html

I don't drink.

Yay...I'm going to live forever

[flopsy]

Apr 13, 2011 13:14:00 GMT -5 azphx1972 said:

I've read the research. I think it's very much a YMMV thing. I feel that what I'm doing works for me, and on the same token I wouldn't advocate everyone else take the same approach. As you said, "Every metabolism will react differently to this idea of one meal a day", and "Everyone has a unique metabolism, so there's no one single answer."

there is also a huge difference between limiting calories while living a sedentary life style and limiting calories while beginning/living an active life style. if you're sedentary then your body simply does not need a lot of calories. if you're starting or live an active life style and partake of severe calorie limiting then you will run the risk of damaging your body.

i've had years of unintended calorie restriction (very sedentary, didn't like seeing the light of day, never hungry) and the difference between that and my eating more active life style is seven lbs of mostly muscle gain (100ish to a max of 107lbs).

[pig]

if you're starting or live an active life style and partake of severe calorie limiting then you will run the risk of damaging your body.

You'd have to be severly and extendedly malnurished to even come close to "damaging" your body by restricting calories.

[lonewolf2019]

Apr 16, 2011 1:07:12 GMT -5 azphx1972 said:

Heavy drinkers outlive nondrinkers:

www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2014332,00.html

I don't drink.

Well, that was interesting. I don't drink either. Can't stand the taste. Rather drink dog pee.