Is A Peat Diet For Me?

Revo

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There are a lot of smart guys on here that know a lot more about human physiology than I do. So I do not want to go down the path of a debate. Sometimes I believe you have to look at the results right in front of you.

I have been doing a Peat diet for 7 months, the last 3 months a more strict Peat Diet. I take the Tyromax every day, moderate exercise. Lots of time outdoors every day. Take the supplements as recommended and discussed before on here. I have done two blood tests, which have shown slightly elevated cholesterol, which I believe is not a problem as discussed on here, and a somewhat low Testosterone, which I do believe is moderate problem. Also my estrodiol was in range.

I am not a sick person, I am 56, with a medium build, not overweight but have a typical American fat belly. I do not have any chronic health conditions and I am on no medications. Other than chronic sinusitis. So there is no real condition to fix.

I am very active and feel ok. So far on the Peat diet the benefits I have noticed is that a feel slightly better, I was feeling ok before now I feel a little better, just overall well being. I cant say there has been any radical or even major change to my system. Other than one. I have rapidly gained weight and fat primarily across my belly. This has not fluctuated it has been very consistent. So I went from slightly over my normal healthy weight to more over my normal healthy weight. Once again how I feel? I feel bloated and uncomfortable, and for once in a long time there are clothes in my closet I cannot wear. I am now above my peak lifetime weight. I love eating the things on the Peat inspired die so thats easy . And I do not overeat. In fact I eat less now than I used to. My body temp is up to normal 98.6 using a basal thermometer, and my pulse is up to 7 bpm. But I am now fat, and I dont feel good.

I have done some extensive reading into a Ketogenic diet, which appears to have some very solid, and also politically incorrect research behind it. There are also research studies on the Ketogenic way of eating that go back many decades. Take a look at the work of Dr. Dom D'Asgostino at University of South Florida, and the work he did for the US Navy researching Ketogenic supplementation for Navy SEALS. Also take a look at the Charlie Foundation The Charlie Foundation - The Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies and the work they have done with Eilepsy and controlling seizures to the point of many children going off seizure medications completely.

There is also extensive work that was done at Johns Hopkins university investigation into brain disorders and brain cancer. These are some amazing results. Results based on diet and not drugs.

I have decided to move to a Ketogenic Diet and test these results. I think that it is a harder diet to maintain, 70% fat, 20%protein, and 10% carbohydrates. I am also looking into changing my supplementation to a more ketogenic mix. The results seem to be very impressive, and well documented.

There is a lot of talk about your correct weight set point and maybe we were just meant to be fat or pudgy. I dont really see this as a compelling argument. When I was in college and ate not so well, and was the same height 22 years old. I weighed 154 pounds, I was skinny always had been skinny. Now I weigh 191 and while I feel ok I also feel bloated, but do not see why my body would want to be carrying around 37 pounds of additional fat. Maybe I am wrong.

I appreciate the advice I have been given on here. If anyone is curious I can post some updates along the way and let you know what I find. I had my last milkshake yesterday. lol
 

Mufasa

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I have decided to move to a Ketogenic Diet and test these results. I think that it is a harder diet to maintain, 70% fat, 20%protein, and 10% carbohydrates. I am also looking into changing my supplementation to a more ketogenic mix. The results seem to be very impressive, and well documented.

I think it is never bad to experiment a bit. If you do this experiment, it would be interesting to keep measuring your body temp and pulse.

I'm no expert either, but I haven't had success with those kind of diets. Some more "intuitive" reasoning, I find compelling is:

If sugar or carbs was really that bad, why then is there 7 gram of sugar in each 100 ml of human milk? It is not as sweet as fruit juice, but quite close (fruit juice contains 8-10 gram of sugar per 100 ml).

Also, keeping the brain healthy is most important for me. And the brain loves sugar much more than fat. Keeping my body so that it can burn sugar well, and doesn't become diabetic from all the free fatty acids, seems a good strategy to keep my brain function optimal.

I am very active and feel ok. So far on the Peat diet the benefits I have noticed is that a feel slightly better, I was feeling ok before now I feel a little better, just overall well being. I cant say there has been any radical or even major change to my system. Other than one. I have rapidly gained weight and fat primarily across my belly. This has not fluctuated it has been very consistent. So I went from slightly over my normal healthy weight to more over my normal healthy weight. Once again how I feel? I feel bloated and uncomfortable, and for once in a long time there are clothes in my closet I cannot wear. I am now above my peak lifetime weight. I love eating the things on the Peat inspired die so thats easy . And I do not overeat. In fact I eat less now than I used to. My body temp is up to normal 98.6 using a basal thermometer, and my pulse is up to 7 bpm. But I am now fat, and I dont feel good.

How much fat do you eat each day? I have the opposite experience, I find it kind of impossible to gain any weight on my diet. I only eat 30-60 gram of fat a day, and mostly coconut oil. Even if I eat 600 gram of carbs, I still don't gain any weight.
 
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Revo

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I have eaten plenty of carbs. Orange juice, sugar in my coffee, baked potatoes, honey, and on the fat side lots of coconut oil and butter, and eggs.

And all I have gotten is more weight gain and fatter. Maybe it is just not right for me?

From one novice to another. You say that the brain needs sugar more than fat. But a lot of the research i am reading, indicates that high fat diets and specifically a ketogenic diet improve a number of brain ailments. Also isn't the brain mostly fat anyway? Like 60% fat?

Not sure about the milk thing. I have noticed that lowfat milk seems to be a little higher in carbs.
 

Mufasa

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I have eaten plenty of carbs. Orange juice, sugar in my coffee, baked potatoes, honey, and on the fat side lots of coconut oil and butter, and eggs.

And all I have gotten is more weight gain and fatter. Maybe it is just not right for me?

From one novice to another. You say that the brain needs sugar more than fat. But a lot of the research i am reading, indicates that high fat diets and specifically a ketogenic diet improve a number of brain ailments. Also isn't the brain mostly fat anyway? Like 60% fat?

Not sure about the milk thing. I have noticed that lowfat milk seems to be a little higher in carbs.

Well, I dont know, I have had a lot of brain problems, brain fog, ADD, low energy, autistic like symptomps, and thry have all improved immensely, but I take a lot of supps as well.

How much fat do you eat? I think you eat just too much fat, eating high carb + high fat is recipe for weight gain, many have confirmed that. I would try first a low fat variant, before you jump ship.
 

Peata

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What sort of diet did you have before you came to this way and gained weight?

I also gained weight eating this high carb, even with low fat (20 g. day, usually 10 g or less for a while and still didn't lose). So it doesn't work for everyone, at least not someone who isn't using the sugars properly. Recently I lowered my carbs (around 200 g. day) and upped my fat, and am losing slowly but I'm also not hungry all the time now or having blood sugar swings and the like.
 
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Brian

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Proper carb metabolism is fairly fragile, but if you can get it to work it can be superior to a high fat diet from its ability to potently lower cortisol and increase CO2. The main obstacle for most people seems to be high serotonin/low dopamine, low B1, low magnesium/potassium. If any of these are out of whack carb metabolism doesn't work very well. Also if the liver is hypothyroid or not functioning well due to fatty liver then fructose won't be metabolized well either.

I'm not sure which factor is the most important, but in my experience raising magnesium and lowering serotonin have had the most potent and quick improvements of my ability to thrive on carbs of all types.
 

Mufasa

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Proper carb metabolism is fairly fragile, but if you can get it to work it can be superior to a high fat diet from its ability to potently lower cortisol and increase CO2. The main obstacle for most people seems to be high serotonin/low dopamine, low B1, low magnesium/potassium. If any of these are out of whack carb metabolism doesn't work very well. Also if the liver is hypothyroid or not functioning well due to fatty liver then fructose won't be metabolized well either.

I'm not sure which factor is the most important, but in my experience raising magnesium and lowering serotonin have had the most potent and quick improvements of my ability to thrive on carbs of all types.

Yes, for me B1 and B3 also seemed to help a lot.
 
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Revo

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how much is lots? do you have any idea how many grams? or tablespoons?

I eat about 4 tablespoons of coconut oil and about 4 tablespoons of butter each day. Not always the same but usually.

I have eaten a lot of coconut oil in a day and it does get to the stomach after a while.
 
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Revo

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@Peata, you seem to be experiencing similar results. Before going on the Peat style system, I was moderatley high protein, low carb. Always had a sweetooth but tried to avoid them until Peat. My weight was under control, not ideal but under control. After learning about PUFAs this was a real eye opener, and I will make sure to avoid them regardless. But all this sugar seems to be making me fat.

@Brian I am not sure. Maybe balancing a carb diet is a complex and delicate dance. I never got that vibe from Ray Peat though. But I may be wrong. As for fatty liver disease. My latest blood test did not indicate it. Is there something I should be looking for on this?
 

Peata

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@Peata, you seem to be experiencing similar results. Before going on the Peat style system, I was moderatley high protein, low carb. Always had a sweetooth but tried to avoid them until Peat. My weight was under control, not ideal but under control. After learning about PUFAs this was a real eye opener, and I will make sure to avoid them regardless. But all this sugar seems to be making me fat.

@Brian I am not sure. Maybe balancing a carb diet is a complex and delicate dance. I never got that vibe from Ray Peat though. But I may be wrong. As for fatty liver disease. My latest blood test did not indicate it. Is there something I should be looking for on this?

I haven't given up the idea that one day I can handle all the carbs better, but for now, I can't keep doing the same thing and eat high carb (for a few years now since coming to this style of eating) and expect my body to just get over it, I guess. So I'm doing a sort of happy medium. Not low enough carb for ketosis (as I said, I eat around 200 g. carbs per day), and am getting about the same about of protein as before (70ish grams give or take). I do try to keep fat under 40% of calories. (I read a study once where they used what they called a "high fat" diet, and I think it was 42% or higher and called it high fat, so that just stuck with me as I don't want to eat a "high fat diet" either...)

I came from low carb, very low carb, then moderate, IF, and other kinds of diets. So my body seemed kinda messed up and the weight steadily increased when I started eating more carbs, it seemed no matter what I did. The only thing I did not try was actually lowering carbs, so I did it two months ago (to the 200 +/- g).

Weight loss has been slow, but I feel really good. I added aspirin and then niacinamide recently too.
 

Mufasa

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I eat about 4 tablespoons of coconut oil and about 4 tablespoons of butter each day. Not always the same but usually.

I have eaten a lot of coconut oil in a day and it does get to the stomach after a while.

That is already 100 gram of fat only from this. That is a LOT. Many people would get fat from that. Sugar is allmost never converted to fat, but when combined with fat, the fat is more easily stored as body fat.

I only add 6 teaspoons of coconut oil. I would definitely try cutting your fat really down. Ray Peat himself said he also got fat when he gets a lot of butter from whole milk, and therefore eats skim milk.
 

PhilParma

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I haven't given up the idea that one day I can handle all the carbs better, but for now, I can't keep doing the same thing and eat high carb (for a few years now since coming to this style of eating) and expect my body to just get over it, I guess. So I'm doing a sort of happy medium. Not low enough carb for ketosis (as I said, I eat around 200 g. carbs per day), and am getting about the same about of protein as before (70ish grams give or take). I do try to keep fat under 40% of calories. (I read a study once where they used what they called a "high fat" diet, and I think it was 42% or higher and called it high fat, so that just stuck with me as I don't want to eat a "high fat diet" either...)

I came from low carb, very low carb, then moderate, IF, and other kinds of diets. So my body seemed kinda messed up and the weight steadily increased when I started eating more carbs, it seemed no matter what I did. The only thing I did not try was actually lowering carbs, so I did it two months ago (to the 200 +/- g).

Weight loss has been slow, but I feel really good. I added aspirin and then niacinamide recently too.
Wow, that is depressing. You've been here for 3 years and you can only handle 200g carbs...I just recently reduced my daily carb intake to 150g-175g, because any more than that induces brain fog and fatigue, no matter what supplement/macro ratio/tactic that I use. To make matters worse, I'm underweight--so the common refrain of "eat less fat" isn't feasible. Calories have to come from somewhere--and it's incredibly difficult just to maintain weight on 150g carbs and no PUFA.

But I don't necessarily want to hijack the topic. OP's problem isn't that he can't handle the carbs, but that they're causing him to gain weight. My problem is quite the opposite. I would love to be able to handle enough carbs to gain weight on them, without my head/neck feeling like a melting ice cream cone...
 
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Revo

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Head feels pretty good either way. I will say that before starting Peat style eating I was less sharp than after. But only by a small margin.

As for feeling better. I would say that before Peat I was at about 85% and after Peat about 90%. So there has been some gains. Its not all negative.
 
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Revo

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Also the fat grams for the butter and coconut oil come out to about 26 grams of fat per day. A lot for a low fat diet. Very little for a Ketogenic diet which I have just started. For instance for my size and it recommends 140 fat grams per day.

For I Peat diet I dont really know. lol
 

Mufasa

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Also the fat grams for the butter and coconut oil come out to about 26 grams of fat per day. A lot for a low fat diet. Very little for a Ketogenic diet which I have just started. For instance for my size and it recommends 140 fat grams per day.

For I Peat diet I dont really know. lol

26 gram? 100 gram right? 14 gram per tablespoon
 

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