Husband Wants To Go Back To LowCarb Paleo

[MrsButters]

We started eating real food 6 years ago (good fats, no gluten or processed foods, good quality meat and dairy.)

It greatly improved our health and we both lost weight. We weren't considerably overweight before we changed our eating habits but it helped shed 10-20lbs.

My husband's weight has kind of yo-yo'ed by 20 lbs over these years because of less than stellar choices with snacks, some drinking and I think, stressing. He's not a type A person at all but is very intelligent and I think his mind moves very fast.

He easily lost these 20 lbs again 2 years ago by going strict low-carb Paleo. However, soon after this weight loss, I noticed the most dramatic shedding of his hair in particular in the back (normal MPB pattern.)

This is what sent me to find answers and how I found Danny Roddy and Ray Peat. I assumed the low-carb diet had something to do with it since it was somewhat dramatic.

I've lurked here for over a year and tried to generally implement some strategies. We do gelatin everyday in coffee and take aspirin and Vitamin E. If/when PUFA is consumed, it's only outside of the house via restaurant food.

I've also encouraged him to use sugar in his coffee which he does so liberally now.

Well, the problem is he's gained the 20lbs back and probably a bit more after changing jobs from one that he was on his feet quite a bit to a desk job.

He feels that sugar and higher carb is the problem and knows how to get the weight off as he has before.

How do I try to sway him away from the instant gratification of low-carb weight-loss?

We've also been trying red light therapy on his head 3 times a week. It's difficult to say there's been much improvement in his hair so it's a tough sell to stay the course.

I do 100% of the grocery shopping and cooking and "food research" so he trusts my choices but is frustrated with his current weight.

Any insights?

 

[lollipop]

Hi @MrsButters

I read this interesting article (surprisingly on Time.com) about weight loss and why it might not be working. Worth a read and might give some insight to you and him. I truly believe Weight is a complex issue and not a simple one-to-one direct response. Hope this helps.

The Weight Loss Trap: Why Your Diet Isn’t Working

 

[tankasnowgod]

How do I try to sway him away from the instant gratification of low-carb weight-loss?

Well, the two things. First, remind him that the fast weight loss of low carb is all about water loss. And not necessarily from edema. Low carb depletes glycogen, and all glycogen is bound with some water. That fast water loss is largely from glycogen. This will make his muscles look flat, and even more dumpy. Not exactly the best scenario.

Next, I would say run his daily calorie burn. Look up the Mifflin St. Jeor, Harris-Benedict, or Katch-McKardle equations, and the activity multipliers. I'll grant that CICO ain't everything when it comes to weight loss, but it is, without a doubt, a major factor. Every dieter should have a decent working knowledge of their calorie burn. Even a week's worth of tracking will expose something that's causing issues, and it could be a quick, easy fix.

 

[Broken man]

This could help Weight Loss Strategies

 

[Braveheart]

Well, the two things. First, remind him that the fast weight loss of low carb is all about water loss. And not necessarily from edema. Low carb depletes glycogen, and all glycogen is bound with some water. That fast water loss is largely from glycogen. This will make his muscles look flat, and even more dumpy. Not exactly the best scenario.

Next, I would say run his daily calorie burn. Look up the Mifflin St. Jeor, Harris-Benedict, or Katch-McKardle equations, and the activity multipliers. I'll grant that CICO ain't everything when it comes to weight loss, but it is, without a doubt, a major factor. Every dieter should have a decent working knowledge of their calorie burn. Even a week's worth of tracking will expose something that's causing issues, and it could be a quick, easy fix.

!!

 

[HLP]

Been there and done that. I don't want to be a slave to food ever again. I gained weight back at first also and am losing it now without the damage to metabolism that comes with low carb paleo. I'm using more fruit, less fat and starch concept and am not feeling deprived at all. Energy and sleep are great.

 

[lollipop]

Been there and done that. I don't want to be a slave to food ever again. I gained weight back at first also and am losing it now without the damage to metabolism that comes with low carb paleo. I'm using more fruit, less fat and starch concept and am not feeling deprived at all. Energy and sleep are great.

+1 After reading about soooo many struggles with weight on this platform, and reading more extensively, I am now leaning to the thought that the weight gain might be healing actually and necessary for a system "reboot". If people stay with it long enough, it tends towards reduction again. Also as in the article I posted, every person's system is different and responds differently to different protocols even at different times in life. Experimentation seems key.

 

[stressucks]

You're making him shine red light on his head in hopes of regrowing his hair?

 

[theLaw]

We started eating real food 6 years ago (good fats, no gluten or processed foods, good quality meat and dairy.)


I do 100% of the grocery shopping and cooking and "food research" so he trusts my choices but is frustrated with his current weight.

Any insights?

This is completely counter to Ray Peat's philosophy.

Your husband is his own man, and should be making his own personal dietary choices for himself. You are currently filling the role of physician/nutritionist leaving him dependent on you for his health.

Take care of yourself, and the results will speak for themselves. When he sees your success, perhaps he will have more questions.

But keep in mind, most of Peat's suggestions are based on personal experimentation, which means that you and your husband might have drastically different results using the same protocol.

Here's a good place to start:

+ Clean the Liver

Caffeine Reverses Stress, Insulin Resistance, Hypertension

High Protein Diet Prevents & Reverses Fatty Liver Disease (steatosis)

+ Fix Digestive Issues

Amino Acid Supplementation For People With Poor Digestion

Ray Peat Potato Protein Soup (RPPPS)

Cyproheptadine - A Wonder Drug?

+ Reduce PUFA in Tissues down to almost nothing

PUFA Depletion Can (probably) Be Accomplished In 30 Days!

Haidut's Summary Of PUFA

VoS uncoupling thread

Cheers!

 

[sladerunner69]

We started eating real food 6 years ago (good fats, no gluten or processed foods, good quality meat and dairy.)

It greatly improved our health and we both lost weight. We weren't considerably overweight before we changed our eating habits but it helped shed 10-20lbs.

My husband's weight has kind of yo-yo'ed by 20 lbs over these years because of less than stellar choices with snacks, some drinking and I think, stressing. He's not a type A person at all but is very intelligent and I think his mind moves very fast.

He easily lost these 20 lbs again 2 years ago by going strict low-carb Paleo. However, soon after this weight loss, I noticed the most dramatic shedding of his hair in particular in the back (normal MPB pattern.)

This is what sent me to find answers and how I found Danny Roddy and Ray Peat. I assumed the low-carb diet had something to do with it since it was somewhat dramatic.

I've lurked here for over a year and tried to generally implement some strategies. We do gelatin everyday in coffee and take aspirin and Vitamin E. If/when PUFA is consumed, it's only outside of the house via restaurant food.

I've also encouraged him to use sugar in his coffee which he does so liberally now.

Well, the problem is he's gained the 20lbs back and probably a bit more after changing jobs from one that he was on his feet quite a bit to a desk job.

He feels that sugar and higher carb is the problem and knows how to get the weight off as he has before.

How do I try to sway him away from the instant gratification of low-carb weight-loss?

We've also been trying red light therapy on his head 3 times a week. It's difficult to say there's been much improvement in his hair so it's a tough sell to stay the course.

I do 100% of the grocery shopping and cooking and "food research" so he trusts my choices but is frustrated with his current weight.

Any insights?

I've been confronting a similar issue for a while now. I have a deep appreciation for Peat and his work, and this style of diet, and I value the importance of long term health of my metabolism. I've generally feel great on this diet, have a positive mood and plenty of energy and brain power to spare. I feel at some points like a super human, endowed with special abilities that allow me to achieve a great many feats above any of the unfortunate normies around me...

However since starting Peating over 4 years ago I had gained 40 lbs, from 190 to 230. I think being in a great mood and experiencing the benefits of sugar, dairy, saturated fat led me to ignore counting calories or fat consumption. This is something that is fairly common for Peaters apparently, to gain fat and water weight. Peat recommends to drink low fat milk and to not liberally consume cheese. Well I was drinking 2% milk, and trying out all sorts of fancy cheeses while drinking tons of fresh squeezed orange juice and having ice cream before bed.

Now realizing my fat intake was clearly too high and wouldn't be burned off unless I was very active during the day, I've began drinking skim or 1% and only eating a bit of cheese here or there. I try not to drink often, and when I do I don't have more than 2 or 3. I don't binge eat/drink like I used to occasionally. Changing these habits I've managed to lose about 10 lbs over a few months, but it's coming off very slowly it seems. I need to drop the fat intake even more, and not always be eating or drinking a juice/soda (my mother points this out- how I'm always eating or drinking something yet complain about being overweight)

 

[ddjd]

Try low fat

 

[jb116]

+1 After reading about soooo many struggles with weight on this platform, and reading more extensively, I am now leaning to the thought that the weight gain might be healing actually and necessary for a system "reboot". If people stay with it long enough, it tends towards reduction again. Also as in the article I posted, every person's system is different and responds differently to different protocols even at different times in life. Experimentation seems key.

Nailed it. I absolutely agree and have experienced as well. Went up a bit more, then started leveling off and maintained ever since.