Live data from Hacker News

Thoughts on the potato diet

dynomight.net

501–510 of 529 posts

Re: Thoughts on the potato diet

#501

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They all only work if there is a caloric deficit I don't believe this is true. On keto for example, I lost weight when eating an excess of calories. > Calories in - calories out ("CICO") is absolutely backed by science when the researchers are smart enough to actually account for known things like caloric cost of digestion (changes the "CO" part) Not exactly. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you'll obviousl…

> I lost weight when eating an excess of calories. You're just misunderstanding your TDEE then. It's basic thermodynamics that is very accurate in human digestion too, save for extremes like bulemia, gastric distress (you shit out undigested food), or pills that simulate it w/ carb/fat blockers. The most pedantic detail is CICO is actually on digested calories, not swallowed calories. Your anecdata is likely accounte…

> 1. Protein takes more calories to digest (many people unintentionally eat more protein on keto, though keto is actually about fat intake and protein can break ketosis through gluconeogensis)

I'm pretty sure this is a myth, unless you're eating such a small amount of fat that you can't get energy anywhere but though gluconeogensis. Your body uses gluconeogensis to create glucose for the cells that need it. It's not an efficient way to produce energy for cells that can just use ketones.

> Your anecdata is likely accounted by:

I suspect it's mostly that I didn't store all of the excess calories I ate. E.g. I've seen excess fat in my stool.

When people say CICO doesn't work, they don't mean thermodynamics doesn't work. They mean that not all calories consumed (i.e. eaten) get burned or stored. If you limit "Calories In" only the calories that get burned or stored, then sure, tautologically, CICO is correct.

Re: Thoughts on the potato diet

#502

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Indeed it is, and the solution to managing hunger (i.e. returning your whole insulin and leptin system to a more optimal baseline) is NOT going for a 90% carbohydrate diet. Leptin system returns to a more optimal baseline with weight loss. Insulin returns to a more optimal baseline by increasing insulin sensitivity. Exercise does this most effectively, loosing weight also does this. Low carb diets don't do this dir…

Sorry but your comment is complete nonsense. Insulin reacts faster than weight loss. In fact it is so fast, every time you wake up, your insulin resistance recovers a little bit every morning after you sleep. It is entirely possible to be obese without insulin resistance and to be skinny with insulin resistance. It is completely orthogonal to weight but insulin resistance makes it much easier to gain even more weight…

> It is completely orthogonal to weight but insulin resistance makes it much easier to gain even more weight.

Insulin sensitive women on the high carb diet lost nearly double the weight as insulin sensitive women on the low-carb diet.

Similarly, insulin resistant women lost twice the weight on the low-carb diet as on the high carb diet.

https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/insulin-sensitivity-a...

> It is entirely possible to be obese without insulin resistance and to be skinny with insulin resistance.

This is what I said

>> Exercise does this most effectively, loosing weight also does this. Low carb diets don't do this directly, only through weight loss.

A more precise way: A caloric deficit can also increase insulin sensitivity.

Re: Thoughts on the potato diet

#503

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That seems… counter intuitive. I would say something has a high satiety index if something small can fill you up.

I think you may be confusing satiety with being "full". You can eat 500 calories of butter and not feel even slightly full, but 500 calories of raw potato would have you full to bursting.

But satiety is defined as the state of being full. The satiety index should be based on volume not calories. Otherwise it’s not just unintuitive, it’s incorrect.

You don’t have to consume a certain number of calories to be full. You just need a large enough volume. Competitive eaters eat a huge amount of lettuce to feel “full” but it has almost no calories.

Re: Thoughts on the potato diet

#504

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't buy that. We've studied cultures where everyone works really hard all day. Their metabolism adjusts pretty well and functions at a level not too different from the rest of us.

https://www.lhsfna.org/burning-calories-on-the-job/ Burning 400 calories an hour for 12 hours would be about 5000 calories. Anecdotally, I know a retired guy who's been constructing a gymnasium sized $150K play tube structure for the past month, and he's lost like 25lb.

What is a play tube because it makes me think of those structures that kids play in at McDonalds and something like that couldn’t possibly cost $150K.

Re: Thoughts on the potato diet

#505
post #491
post #371

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please check your sources. Such advice can be, and in fact is, dangerous to vegans. Legumes or sprouts are not an adequate source of B12 and neither are other plant sources. Your assertion that Nori has B12 is downright wrong. B12 is only synthesized by microorganisms. There are plenty of vegetarian options, but if you are vegan, you have to rely on fortified products and supplements. This has nothing do to with wher…

> you have to rely on fortified products and supplements. I appreciate your input, but this level of categorical statement seems to fly in the face of historic and current diets which are vegan or vegan-like and have not relied on supplements, or at least not the type we are talking about here. At any rate I'd review other dietitians/scientists as well; while it's been a long time since I read the literature on this…

The point I am trying to impress is rather that there is a clear scientific consensus, and you are giving potentially harmful advice contrary to that - based on things you have read a long time ago.

I provided a source that systemically goes through available evidence (including anecdotal points about vegan cultures).

I think that is fair and it does not imply any value statements about a vegan diet.

Re: Thoughts on the potato diet

#507
post #497

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then why does my source use it as a measurement? Why wouldn’t they be more specific, if being more specific were very important? I’m very familiar with the “BMI is not good!” argument, but if it’s good enough for Harvard’s School of Public Health, it’s good enough for me.

My conjecture is that "Changing Body Composition" is a better goal than "Lose Weight" for individuals who are trying to become healthier. As a long term aim or as a population measure, "Lose Weight" or "Lower BMI" fine; however, as a personal goal "Lose Weight" can be demotivating and flat out counterproductive, especially in the short term. It just doesn't work for many many people. If you had a magic wand and chang…

When the choices are, “anonymous person on HN” and “one of the most respected institutions for public health education on the planet”, I’m going to tend towards the latter, thanks.

Re: Thoughts on the potato diet

#508
When I stocked up for covid I restricted myself from ordering meals or any shopping an I ate only what I had. Which was mostly green lentils with butter and salt. Plus some rice and dried vegetables, peas and buckwheet for a bit of variety. In few weeks of eating that I started unintentionally loosing weight. I didn't feel hungry. The food was tasty just a little bit boring. I was taking some vitamins just in case.

Weightloss stopped when I decided to start doing shopping again and bought higher variety if food including sweets.

Re: Thoughts on the potato diet

#509

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.lhsfna.org/burning-calories-on-the-job/ Burning 400 calories an hour for 12 hours would be about 5000 calories. Anecdotally, I know a retired guy who's been constructing a gymnasium sized $150K play tube structure for the past month, and he's lost like 25lb.

What is a play tube because it makes me think of those structures that kids play in at McDonalds and something like that couldn’t possibly cost $150K.

Yes, it's something like that. I imagine the cost is proportional to the size and complexity of the particular setup? The company quoted $20k just to install it, which is why my acquaintance is volunteering to do it.

Re: Thoughts on the potato diet

#510

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you feel you need to change your food intake, and how do you interpret your CGM results? If you don't have a form of diabetes it doesn't really make a difference. Your glucose will go back down to 85 fairly soon.

I’ve put on weight and I find the cgm to be a way more objective and practical metric than calorie counting. It’s simply hard to consume enough low GI foods to put on weight. There are certain foods that my body seems to process poorly. My blood glucose spikes as much from crackers and rice as it does from more traditional sweets. My heuristics for other foods that I assumed were sweet (often fatty foods with mild sw…

Have you tried taking a fiber supplement before meals? If you're still using the cgm I recommend you try and measure - I was impressed!

I noticed the effect with salads and figured the fiber could help in a similar way.

Post reply on HN