Something Interesting I've Noticed About Peating To Fatloss

[YourUniverse]

No discernible cravings.

Lost 20lbs last month, mostly weight I gained by initially experimenting with sugar and high-fat milk and ice cream, I'd assume the usual from following Ray's advice without context.

Monday to Friday I strictly follow a diet very heavy in skim milk, orange juice, coffee, liver, salt, carrot, whey protein and gelatin, and Haidut's vitamin K supplement. On Saturday morning, I go to the washroom, then weigh myself, and subsequently enjoy a cheat day, where I both eat hyper-caloric, and satisfy any unmet nutrient needs my body has been craving.

The problem is that... I don't crave anything. Nothing. Its weird. And cool.

Historically, I would have craved pizza, or ice cream, or chocolate. Maybe something salty or vinegary, like potato chips, or something sugary, like candy. But now, none of these things do the trick.

The closest I got to a genuine craving this week was for pancakes. Then I thought about it more, and I feel like it may actually have been a craving for maple syrup. Maple syrup is rich in manganese, which is virtually the only nutrient a Peat diet is lacking, at least as far as cronometer is concerned. The next closest thing to a craving I had was for rice with salsa, a quirky personal favourite dish of mine. Rice is also somewhat rich in manganese.

I will be having maple syrup instead of honey in evening tea going forward, and see if that completely nullifies cravings.

Anyway, just thought I'd share what I consider interesting - a Peat diet leaves a craving-free residue. I must be meeting my needs thoroughly.

Cheers

 

[lollipop]

I noticed this as well. Much more balance in food desires or cravings. Do not have any. Every Long now and then crave a starch. But this is rare and I usually eat and enjoy. I also use maple syrup in my morning homemade lemonade and honey in my coffee - so the balance.

 

[Forsythia]

Funny, I just had these exact same thoughts. I'm never hungry any more. I eat my 3 or 4 peaty meals every day, with lots of 1% milk and fruit, eggs and whatever else I want. I have no cravings. I just feel extremely well fed and well nourished. And I lost 50 pounds in the last year.

 

[theLaw]

I wonder if those calorie dense foods are craved initially because of compromised metabolism (leaky bucket) as a sort of safety mechanism.

Then when overall function is restored, those cravings disappear.

 

[Jem Oz]

Nice work @jamies33. So you avoid starch monday to friday? (that old can o' worms). Also if you're open to feedback, do some research into whey protein mate, it may not be ideal. I swapped it for casein which I personally think is a safer bet. Nice work on the weight loss though!

 

[Jem Oz]

Also - do you count calories monday to friday? Cheers

 

[YourUniverse]

Funny, I just had these exact same thoughts. I'm never hungry any more. I eat my 3 or 4 peaty meals every day, with lots of 1% milk and fruit, eggs and whatever else I want. I have no cravings. I just feel extremely well fed and well nourished. And I lost 50 pounds in the last year.

Amazing.

Nice work @jamies33. So you avoid starch monday to friday? (that old can o' worms). Also if you're open to feedback, do some research into whey protein mate, it may not be ideal. I swapped it for casein which I personally think is a safer bet. Nice work on the weight loss though!

A few people have mentioned casein over whey. Im certainly open to criticism, casein could be whats needed to get to that next level.

And yes, I count calories. I started out with skim milk and orange juice w/ salt, and titrated protein up as demanded by appetite. When appetite disappeared, I stopped adding protein. It ended up being an extra 50g of protein powder, along with 30g of gelatin, that would properly satiate me. Also used every excuse I could to add more skim milk. Ray is very clear that calcium and vitamin D (or sunlight) are the most important nutritional things for weight loss.

I ate ~2200 calories per day, but then started getting too full by dinner, so I scrapped dinner (was 2 fried eggs, w/ salt in coconut oil). When considering the magnitude of the Saturday cheat, however, its not unreasonable to think that my average daily calories were closer to 3000 as a result. With that in mind, I am pleased with my progress, and state of metabolism. I'm always hot, sometimes I can feel my body heat "turn on" like a furnace starting up, just warmth spreading from my middle to the rest of my body, and I'll start sweating lightly. Once PUFA depleted, I expect that number to rise, potentially dramatically. Currently PUFA intake is ~2g daily.

FWIW, I noticed some baby hairs growing along my hairline the other day. Ray Peat the gd G.O.A.T.

 

[YourUniverse]

I noticed this as well. Much more balance in food desires or cravings. Do not have any. Every Long now and then crave a starch. But this is rare and I usually eat and enjoy. I also use maple syrup in my morning homemade lemonade and honey in my coffee - so the balance.

I wonder if those calorie dense foods are craved initially because of compromised metabolism (leaky bucket) as a sort of safety mechanism.

Then when overall function is restored, those cravings disappear.

2 of my favourite peaters! I felt a tiny starch pang this weekend, but I wonder if its the starch, or something specific common to starchy foods, that I was really pining for.

I bet you're right w/ the leaky bucket analogy.

 

[Braveheart]

I noticed this as well. Much more balance in food desires or cravings. Do not have any. Every Long now and then crave a starch. But this is rare and I usually eat and enjoy. I also use maple syrup in my morning homemade lemonade and honey in my coffee - so the balance.

Hi Lisa, I stopped putting honey in my hot coffee because of this..." According to Ayurveda honey should never be heated to above 40°C (104°F) such as by adding to hot drinks or baking. The typical explanation given is that honey digest slowly when cooked and the molecules become like glue, adhering to mucous membranes and clogging the body’s channels, producing toxins or ‘ama’. Charaka, the ancient sage of Ayurveda, wrote over 500 years ago that “nothing is so troublesome as ama caused by the improper intake of honey.” Indeed ‘ama‘, or undigested matter in the body, is considered to be the root cause of most ill health by Ayurveda.

According to science too..
When honey is heated it produces a chemical called hydroxymethyl furfuraldehyde (HMF) as well as altering the chemical content in other ways (eg: increased peroxides).

However..Ayurveda does suggest honey can be mixed with warm water again which is not more than 40°C with lemon and consumed in the morning which helps weight loss ."

Guess I need to find a thermometer, cause I like honey, tea, coffee and I like them hot.

 

[lollipop]

Hi Lisa, I stopped putting honey in my hot coffee because of this..." According to Ayurveda honey should never be heated to above 40°C (104°F) such as by adding to hot drinks or baking. The typical explanation given is that honey digest slowly when cooked and the molecules become like glue, adhering to mucous membranes and clogging the body’s channels, producing toxins or ‘ama’. Charaka, the ancient sage of Ayurveda, wrote over 500 years ago that “nothing is so troublesome as ama caused by the improper intake of honey.” Indeed ‘ama‘, or undigested matter in the body, is considered to be the root cause of most ill health by Ayurveda.

According to science too..
When honey is heated it produces a chemical called hydroxymethyl furfuraldehyde (HMF) as well as altering the chemical content in other ways (eg: increased peroxides).

However..Ayurveda does suggest honey can be mixed with warm water again which is not more than 40°C with lemon and consumed in the morning which helps weight loss ."

Guess I need to find a thermometer, cause I like honey, tea, coffee and I like them hot.

Thank you for sharing. A thermometer sounds like a good idea

 

[teds]

I noticed this as well. Much more balance in food desires or cravings. Do not have any. Every Long now and then crave a starch. But this is rare and I usually eat and enjoy. I also use maple syrup in my morning homemade lemonade and honey in my coffee - so the balance.

So I’m yet to find a way to avoid the starches.. @lisaferraro would you mind giving me a run down of a typical day of food for you? I single you out b/c female..

Me?
Eggs,m (max 2 per day) LF milk, juice, apples, mandarins, bananas, sweet potato, potato, rice, wallaby and barramundi .. occasional chicken and occasionally oats at the moment bc ive just craved something warm for breakfast as it’s winter here.. I know I know.. PUFA.. Eeek!

Cook in ghee and coconut oil..definitely have some honey in tea and on oats too..

So- the root vegetables, rice, seeet pot and pot.. not sure what I’d sub if I wasn’t getting those in.. I’m definitely getting enough cal at 2200 daily.. I sometimes play with that slightly within about 100cal so no massive variation..

The no cravings thing sounds like heaven! :)

Thanks!

 

[Dolomite]

I, too, have noticed a lack of cravings with this way of eating. I eat the same foods daily and vary only the meat and fruits as a general rule. I was thinking I was becoming a truly picky eater but maybe I am well nourished.

Thank you for bringing this up @jamies33.

 

[lollipop]

So I’m yet to find a way to avoid the starches.. @lisaferraro would you mind giving me a run down of a typical day of food for you? I single you out b/c female..

Me?
Eggs,m (max 2 per day) LF milk, juice, apples, mandarins, bananas, sweet potato, potato, rice, wallaby and barramundi .. occasional chicken and occasionally oats at the moment bc ive just craved something warm for breakfast as it’s winter here.. I know I know.. PUFA.. Eeek!

Cook in ghee and coconut oil..definitely have some honey in tea and on oats too..

So- the root vegetables, rice, seeet pot and pot.. not sure what I’d sub if I wasn’t getting those in.. I’m definitely getting enough cal at 2200 daily.. I sometimes play with that slightly within about 100cal so no massive variation..

The no cravings thing sounds like heaven! :)

Thanks!

Wide range of foods now. This is an idea of what I eat, not everything, everyday - lol.

Morning:

Make a glass of fresh lemonade with 1/4 organic lemon, 6oz water and 1 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup, share a large apple with my husband, my coffee with 1/2 and 1/2 and honey, a small homemade chocolate brownie. (I pretty much do the whole morning stuff everyday).

Lunch/dinner - protein more at lunch

*Protein of some sort: lamb, beef, chicken, eggs (2-3), 4-6oz
*8 - 12 oz Glass of milk
*a portion of Veggies: wide range (including mushrooms) that I vary each week so never eating exact same, either in a stew, roasted, baked, sautéed etc.
*either organic white Jasmine rice cooked with bone broth, or baked potato.

Snacks: (maybe snack once a day or I switch dinner for snacks sometimes)

*Occasionally cheese
*some fruit like mango, blueberries,
*applesauce
*British tea with milk
*My homemade chaga drink
*If I can get fresh organic navel oranges, I juice one large one
*rice cakes with applesauce occasionally butter if craving fat
*raw carrot occasionally
*sorbet
*occasionally vanilla ice cream

Fats I use:

Butter, ghee, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil

I am sure there is more, but this gives you an idea

 

[ddjd]

Aren't cravings moreso about Dopamine?

 

[Soren]

Totally relate to this. Since eating a more peat like diet I rarely get cravings. Occasionally I get cravings for oysters but I think that's just because they taste amazing! Or maybe my body is telling me I need zinc.

 

[rei]

It is amazing how many people talk about a lack of craving, and then write they eat 3 meals a day with possible cheat snacks. ?? That sounds like extreme food (carb) addiction to me.

If you really have conquered the cravings you can accidentally go 24 hours without food because you were busy doing something.

 

[YourUniverse]

I still have energy needs, lol.

Totally relate to this. Since eating a more peat like diet I rarely get cravings. Occasionally I get cravings for oysters but I think that's just because they taste amazing! Or maybe my body is telling me I need zinc.

Yeah man. In fact, the food I crave most now is more milk. Always adding more milk in where I can.

 

[Lilac]

Wow! Wish I could lose 20 pounds in one month...or even two!
But I have noticed a similar lack of constant cravings with a Peat diet. Instead, I get occasional cravings, then meet them. Eating freely, I could go weeks without ice cream , but then there were consecutive days when I would dip into the container several times. I seemed to need it, and it was almost medicinal in making me feel better--calmer, more energetic, whatever. I have even experimented with eating wheat, and bread , pizza , and pasta --all big-time former favorites--didn't taste all that great, and I have in no way reverted to eating them regularly. If I am at a restaurant or on vacation, my new freedom to eat some wheat takes a bit of stress and limitation away. It's a win. I also keep chocolate in the house, but I can go many weeks without eating it. When a craving arises, I eat it.

 

[churchmouth]

It is amazing how many people talk about a lack of craving, and then write they eat 3 meals a day with possible cheat snacks. ?? That sounds like extreme food (carb) addiction to me.

If you really have conquered the cravings you can accidentally go 24 hours without food because you were busy doing something.

I echo the sentiments of this thread that my cravings have gone away on the Peat inspired diet. I attribute this to having enough food and sugars such that my body is satisfied (I remember in the prior days I could eat a meal and shortly be craving a food again).

What Rei seems to mistake, is 'cravings' with 'hunger'. I still get very hungry after 3-5 hrs of no eating (and it can come on quite suddenly, but note I am quite lean). The hunger is just lacking any specific craving for a particular food, I am just wanting FUEL and I find myself rationally choosing foods that I believe will do me the best service i.e. what I have learnt here.

 

[ecstatichamster]

Last few weeks I’ve cut back on starch.

I eat an egg or two, and fruit, and cheese. Juice. Fruit. Maybe some fish or something. Dinner is the only meal with starch, and usually just well cooked potato.

I’ve been doing awesome on this and my cravings have fallen to non existent. I am still hungry sometimes. But I don’t need to eat pizza or bread. My feeling is that my digestive tract is enjoying this a lot.

Substituting sugar for starch has been incredibly good for me. I couldn’t do this before when I tried. I felt strong cravings. Now I don’t.

I think this is because the body goes through changes and it’s a process that is dynamic. Something we couldn’t do before, or that caused distress, is now perfect for us.

Forgot to mention. Lost 3 or 4 pounds this way recently. I’m trying to lose weight slow, not fast. But a few pounds a month is welcome. And it seems that this diet is causing me to slowly but surely gain lean and lose fat. My waist size has reduced from a high of 38 to a little less than 36 (US measures, sorry for that) and my weight fallen to around 197ish. I’ll be at 185 or so by the end of the year at this rate, and I think that’s good.