Implementing Low-fat Diet And Needing Advice

[lollipop]

The most valuable thing I've learned from Ray is take nobody's advice
implement what seems intelligent to you and measure it against your metrics
then act accordingly.

I love this. Good advice - can I take it? LoL. Seriously, good stuff - you are pointing out a great direction.

 

[jitsmonkey]

I love this. Good advice - can I take it? LoL. Seriously, good stuff - you are pointing out a great direction.

certainly Lisa I've taken a few Ferraroisms without permission so feel free

 

[lollipop]

certainly Lisa I've taken a few Ferraroisms without permission so feel free

 

[Insaneacinamide]

"Some people have argued that the acidity of urine produced by eating meat causes calcium loss. However, a high protein diet also improves the absorption of calcium by the intestine. Another overlooked function of dietary protein is that it stimulates insulin secretion, and insulin is anabolic for bone."
"The oxidation of proteins caused by free radicals is increased with aging and by the use of unsaturated fats, and it contributes to tissue atrophy, including the age-related shrinkage of the bones. In animal studies, “adequate” dietary protein, 13.8% of the diet (equivalent to about 80 grams per day for a person) is associated with more oxidative damage to tissue proteins than the very high protein diets, 25.7% or 51.3%, that would be equivalent to about 150 or 300 grams of protein daily for a person.[27] Yet, many physicians recommend a low protein diet to protect against osteoporosis."
Bone Density: First Do No Harm

Peat usually recommends around 80g protein a day for all, even grannies, and senior citizens. You may want to up your protein to 150g-200g a day esp training so much.

 

[tara]

I'm no expert, but my opinions:

Although I don't have the full picture from the labs as to what is up with the thyroid , it's obviously low so why am I having hypothyroid symptoms?

Not obviously low. If the TSH is high, that indicates the body thinking it needs more thyroid hormones. 0.10 is low, not indicating a need to raise it. Which doesn't prove it's good, but certainly doesn't prove it's bad. Some of the other symptoms might be related to some hormones being a bit off.

I am wanting to lose weight but also increase metabolism

You're not the first to want that. :) Not always an easy combination to get quickly.
Energy deficit can often be interpreted as famine, signalling conservation and reduced metabolism.

So hypothetically, if temps remain high while doing, say 1700 calories, would that indicate I should stay at that intake or that I should increase it?

That looks like a low calorie diet even for someone who's not doing any training. Not something to raise metabolism or build muscle on.
I'm in favour of jits suggestion to reduce workout length and try singles and see if it works well for you. Also in favour of you trying your idea of 3 workouts a week instead of 5, and seeing if that improves things. Muscle building happens during rest between.
Maybe you could spend some of the saved time outside getting some sunlight, and doing something interesting or pleasant.

The most valuable thing I've learned from Ray is take nobody's advice
implement what seems intelligent to you and measure it against your metrics
then act accordingly.

+1

 

[DanielleB]

WIth a TSH like that I doubt you are hypo- sounds more like you are low in progesterone- to me it would help to see your cortisol and hormone levels in general. My guess is low progesterone, estro dominance , and you might research fats and their effects on female hormones. As for the 20 shrimp you are eating = if you have hashimotos at all.... then that is too much iodine, IMO. I would really re think it in terms of : female hormone balance /perimenopause.... iodine overload possibly making your possible hashimotos worse, and the very low fat might have worked for you before when your hormones were different but now it might actually be hindering your balance. Alsoyou might want to test that TSH a lot to see if it bounces around a bit. Your TSH to me seems almost hyperthyroid.

I do need to get a complete thyroid panel to rule out any thyroid issues because if it's not thyroid, then it's hormones but I need to rule one out at a time because I'm on a limited budget. I thought that the TSH looked as though I was hyper but that makes NO sense with my symptoms which are identical to hypothyroid symptoms--hard to lose weight, lower temps, hair loss....most of those are the exact opposite of the symptoms experienced by those with hyperthyroid.

It could be a hormonal issue but so far, I haven't experienced any "bad" symptoms doing low fat, if anything, my energy and temps have been pretty stellar aside from a day or two when I've overdone the weight training. If I get the thyroid panel done, and it's not thyroid, then I'll address hormones but even so, Peat has said that low fat stimulates the metabolism and the thyroid and both of those are the underlying loops for hormone regulation so I figure if I can rev those up a bit, it will correct any hormonal issues as well.

 

[DanielleB]

"Some people have argued that the acidity of urine produced by eating meat causes calcium loss. However, a high protein diet also improves the absorption of calcium by the intestine. Another overlooked function of dietary protein is that it stimulates insulin secretion, and insulin is anabolic for bone."
"The oxidation of proteins caused by free radicals is increased with aging and by the use of unsaturated fats, and it contributes to tissue atrophy, including the age-related shrinkage of the bones. In animal studies, “adequate” dietary protein, 13.8% of the diet (equivalent to about 80 grams per day for a person) is associated with more oxidative damage to tissue proteins than the very high protein diets, 25.7% or 51.3%, that would be equivalent to about 150 or 300 grams of protein daily for a person.[27] Yet, many physicians recommend a low protein diet to protect against osteoporosis."
Bone Density: First Do No Harm

Peat usually recommends around 80g protein a day for all, even grannies, and senior citizens. You may want to up your protein to 150g-200g a day esp training so much.

With the collagen powder, shrimp, yogurt/cod, and milk, my intake is usually around 120-150 so I feel it's quite adequate

 

[DanielleB]

I'm no expert, but my opinions:

Not obviously low. If the TSH is high, that indicates the body thinking it needs more thyroid hormones. 0.10 is low, not indicating a need to raise it. Which doesn't prove it's good, but certainly doesn't prove it's bad. Some of the other symptoms might be related to some hormones being a bit off.

You're not the first to want that. :) Not always an easy combination to get quickly.
Energy deficit can often be interpreted as famine, signalling conservation and reduced metabolism.

That looks like a low calorie diet even for someone who's not doing any training. Not something to raise metabolism or build muscle on.
I'm in favour of jits suggestion to reduce workout length and try singles and see if it works well for you. Also in favour of you trying your idea of 3 workouts a week instead of 5, and seeing if that improves things. Muscle building happens during rest between.
Maybe you could spend some of the saved time outside getting some sunlight, and doing something interesting or pleasant.


+1

I guess I'm confused as to how much calories I actually need because if I'm working towards building metabolism, eating more calories will help but it seems that this will also increase the likelihood of weight gain? I am so confused! lol

 

[jitsmonkey]

I guess I'm confused as to how much calories I actually need because if I'm working towards building metabolism, eating more calories will help but it seems that this will also increase the likelihood of weight gain? I am so confused! lol

You're only confused because you're trying to get an answer BEFORE you collect your data.
Truth is you have no idea where your calories should be.
You can only track your metrics and increase or decrease your calories accordingly.
Pick a calorie number to start with and simply add/substract as you go.
The biggest mistake made on this forum day in and day out is trying to predict outcomes
BEFORE data is actually gathered. In any other arena that's called gambling.
Just get your baseline temp/pulse/mood
pick your macros and cals to start with
and adjust as you go. It really is that simple, however most folks are too impatient and not able to put the time/energy into
gathering metrics/data and adjusting along the way. Most want Google Maps to their destination BEFORE they start.
The problem is Google has already aggregated the map data before you start your trip.
With this scenario the ONLY person who can aggregate the data is you.
There is no map, there is only intelligent construction of your map.
That intelligent construction is you measuring your metrics daily and adjusting as you go.
There is no other effective way. Its the erroneous belief that there's another way that is responsible for
so many people struggling on this forum.

 

[SOMO]

RP says digestion works better when all 3 macros are inside your gut.

I myself experience a bit of slow digestion if I completely cut out fat, likely because fat stimulates bile production.

In general, food that lingers too long in your gut gets its calories VERY EFFICIENTLY extracted and even converted to FAT (Short Chain Fatty Acids) by gut microbes.

Try to increase transit time of foods, so that stools are soft and you're defecating bathroom a few times a day. Cascara Sagrada/Quinone both do these things and have the added benefit of increasing oxidative metabolism.

I guess I'm confused as to how much calories I actually need because if I'm working towards building metabolism, eating more calories will help but it seems that this will also increase the likelihood of weight gain? I am so confused! lol

Yes, more calories beyond what you are burning off can definitely add weight - BOTH FAT AND LEAN MASS (MUSCLE) not just fat. And there's also additional water gain.

Your body composition in the mirror, in conjunction with the # on the scale, can give you a better idea of your true weight. Obviously there are more advanced methods like DXA scans and calpers.

However, traditional formulas used to determine BMR or EE are without a doubt inaccurate. According to my stats, my BMR (amount of calories I burn being sedentary) is around 1300, but I will lose weight if I eat only 1300. Through personal experience and experimentation, it seems my real BMR is closer to 1600 and calorie intake above that can lead to weight gain. But the weight gain is not difficult to lose with...drumroll...MORE EXERCISE.
That being said, I ruined my metabolism doing low-carb + high-exercise. Libido and energy levels went to 0 after a few weeks of doing that and since then I've just been rebuilding my health.

Another alternative you may want to consider is fasting periodically.

 

[Insaneacinamide]

With the collagen powder, shrimp, yogurt/cod, and milk, my intake is usually around 120-150 so I feel it's quite adequate

Lol @ 150 grams.
I like how you snuck in an extra 23.2grams of protein in your daily intake when you mentioned 126.8g as your max amount.
That's like an extra 4oz of cod or 20 more shrimp = giving you more b vitamins, amino acid's, and minerals etc to help combat your hair, depression, and recovery issues.

 

[DanielleB]

Lol @ 150 grams.
I like how you snuck in an extra 23.2grams of protein in your daily intake when you mentioned 126.8g as your max amount.
That's like an extra 4oz of cod or 20 more shrimp = giving you more b vitamins, amino acid's, and minerals etc to help combat your hair, depression, and recovery issues.

I didn't "sneak" anything in, I mentioned explicitly that the calories I consumed fluctuate daily so yes, there are times where it has been as high as 150g. Maybe you should re-read the original post if you want to mince words and inject negativity where there is no need for any. You were suggesting eating more than Peat's recommended amount of 80g and I am well over that amount on ANY given day, regardless of calories so I'm not too sure on what your point was in the first place?

 

[DanielleB]

RP says digestion works better when all 3 macros are inside your gut.

I myself experience a bit of slow digestion if I completely cut out fat, likely because fat stimulates bile production.

In general, food that lingers too long in your gut gets its calories VERY EFFICIENTLY extracted and even converted to FAT (Short Chain Fatty Acids) by gut microbes.

Try to increase transit time of foods, so that stools are soft and you're defecating bathroom a few times a day. Cascara Sagrada/Quinone both do these things and have the added benefit of increasing oxidative metabolism.




Yes, more calories beyond what you are burning off can definitely add weight - BOTH FAT AND LEAN MASS (MUSCLE) not just fat. And there's also additional water gain.

Your body composition in the mirror, in conjunction with the # on the scale, can give you a better idea of your true weight. Obviously there are more advanced methods like DXA scans and calpers.

However, traditional formulas used to determine BMR or EE are without a doubt inaccurate. According to my stats, my BMR (amount of calories I burn being sedentary) is around 1300, but I will lose weight if I eat only 1300. Through personal experience and experimentation, it seems my real BMR is closer to 1600 and calorie intake above that can lead to weight gain. But the weight gain is not difficult to lose with...drumroll...MORE EXERCISE.
That being said, I ruined my metabolism doing low-carb + high-exercise. Libido and energy levels went to 0 after a few weeks of doing that and since then I've just been rebuilding my health.

Another alternative you may want to consider is fasting periodically.

Thank you for the reply. The best I can do at this point is start a log and see what works and what doesn't. RP has mentioned a "quick reset diet" where all one consumes in conjunction with some protein and their carbs is low-fat milk and orange juice as well as the daily carrot. He advises this to improve metabolic rate because it gives adequate calcium to phosphorus ratio which is instrumental in regulating hormones and raising metabolism. This is why I want to try the low-fat diet, as well as seeing other members here who needed to lose weight and raise metabolism having success with it.

Bowel movements are good. I go 2-3 times daily with just some magnesium supplementation so I'm not too worried about anything staying in the gut as my transit time seems to be ok more so than it was months ago. Not perfect but not bad enough for me to have to worry about food rotting in my gut lol.

 

[DanielleB]

You're only confused because you're trying to get an answer BEFORE you collect your data.
Truth is you have no idea where your calories should be.
You can only track your metrics and increase or decrease your calories accordingly.
Pick a calorie number to start with and simply add/substract as you go.
The biggest mistake made on this forum day in and day out is trying to predict outcomes
BEFORE data is actually gathered. In any other arena that's called gambling.
Just get your baseline temp/pulse/mood
pick your macros and cals to start with
and adjust as you go. It really is that simple, however most folks are too impatient and not able to put the time/energy into
gathering metrics/data and adjusting along the way. Most want Google Maps to their destination BEFORE they start.
The problem is Google has already aggregated the map data before you start your trip.
With this scenario the ONLY person who can aggregate the data is you.
There is no map, there is only intelligent construction of your map.
That intelligent construction is you measuring your metrics daily and adjusting as you go.
There is no other effective way. Its the erroneous belief that there's another way that is responsible for
so many people struggling on this forum.

Jits, solid advice once again, thank you for re-directing me! I happen to be a bit of an over-thinker/processor....if you couldn't tell Always jumping the gun, I need to slow my roll lol.

 

[jitsmonkey]

Jits, solid advice once again, thank you for re-directing me! I happen to be a bit of an over-thinker/processor....if you couldn't tell Always jumping the gun, I need to slow my roll lol.

welcome.
No worries I only know this info
because am superior to all humans when it comes to being impatient, ineffective and making mistakes over and over and over again.

 

[DanielleB]

welcome.
No worries I only know this info
because am superior to all humans when it comes to being impatient, ineffective and making mistakes over and over and over again.

Awww haha don't be so hard on yourself, learning and growing as a person usually means making mistakes

 

[jitsmonkey]

Awww haha don't be so hard on yourself, learning and growing as a person usually means making mistakes

I'm apparently an excellent grower in the same way Rainman is an excellent driver

 

[DanielleB]

I'm apparently an excellent grower in the same way Rainman is an excellent driver

Well your advice was very helpful and I'm appreciative so perhaps making mistakes and learning from them has benefit not only to yourself, but others

 

[danishispsychic]

I do need to get a complete thyroid panel to rule out any thyroid issues because if it's not thyroid, then it's hormones but I need to rule one out at a time because I'm on a limited budget. I thought that the TSH looked as though I was hyper but that makes NO sense with my symptoms which are identical to hypothyroid symptoms--hard to lose weight, lower temps, hair loss....most of those are the exact opposite of the symptoms experienced by those with hyperthyroid.

It could be a hormonal issue but so far, I haven't experienced any "bad" symptoms doing low fat, if anything, my energy and temps have been pretty stellar aside from a day or two when I've overdone the weight training. If I get the thyroid panel done, and it's not thyroid, then I'll address hormones but even so, Peat has said that low fat stimulates the metabolism and the thyroid and both of those are the underlying loops for hormone regulation so I figure if I can rev those up a bit, it will correct any hormonal issues as well.

Well..... um all your symptoms are the same that happened with low progesterone in relation to your estrogen. You might think that your symptoms are hypothyroid but Hashimotos or hyperthroid you can have the same ( even weight gain because your cortisol goes high. Adding in progesterone is cheap and easy if you are not able to afford testing. Also you might want to know where your iron and ferritin is as well. There are a lot of online testing labs that can give you are hormone panel. My last opinion on this ( your'e welcome ) is to check your hormones. Based on your age , that is when they really change. What worked for you in your 20s or 30s is not the same in your 40s.

 

[danishispsychic]

You're only confused because you're trying to get an answer BEFORE you collect your data.
Truth is you have no idea where your calories should be.
You can only track your metrics and increase or decrease your calories accordingly.
Pick a calorie number to start with and simply add/substract as you go.
The biggest mistake made on this forum day in and day out is trying to predict outcomes
BEFORE data is actually gathered. In any other arena that's called gambling.
Just get your baseline temp/pulse/mood
pick your macros and cals to start with
and adjust as you go. It really is that simple, however most folks are too impatient and not able to put the time/energy into
gathering metrics/data and adjusting along the way. Most want Google Maps to their destination BEFORE they start.
The problem is Google has already aggregated the map data before you start your trip.
With this scenario the ONLY person who can aggregate the data is you.
There is no map, there is only intelligent construction of your map.
That intelligent construction is you measuring your metrics daily and adjusting as you go.
There is no other effective way. Its the erroneous belief that there's another way that is responsible for
so many people struggling on this forum.

agreed agreed agreeeeed. AND.... find the ammt of calories that WORKS. and... remain teachable. always a good thing. xx