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Green Faces (or How to Hack Your Metabolism)

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Re: Green Faces (or How to Hack Your Metabolism)

#3

Post by Stronico »

[No way of commenting on the blog post] I've been doing more or less the same thing for the past five months - I lost 15 pounds so far, and I'm down to between 11-14% bodyfat.

I do find paleo to be sustainable - I would make it a point to include nuts and multivitamins into your diet - that will make a lot of the negative things go away.

I would also recommend the book "Why we get fat" by Gary Taubes, he goes into the science of all of this.

Re: Green Faces (or How to Hack Your Metabolism)

#5

Post by awj »

His "side effects" sound like symptoms of low caloric intake, not "removing dietary carbs". With more attention to his diet (yes, I mean counting calories) he could keep up this plan without the headaches/irritability/fatigue.

Also, without knowing other stats (height, age, etc), it's hard to judge if 19 pounds in three weeks is healthy. In general, no, but if he started at 5'5" and 280lb the weight was likely more of a risk than the diet.

These cutesy "rule diets" are a very poor way to manage your health. They're relatively easy to live by, but that's about the only good thing that can be said. There's nothing wrong with eating a low/no-carb diet, but you should educate yourself so you know you're being safe and how/when you'll see the results you want.

Re: Green Faces (or How to Hack Your Metabolism)

#6

Post by hellosmithy »

cschep wrote: post #2

The headaches are (probably) withdrawal symptoms from sugar. Also, make sure you crank up that water intake.

Yep - I've been following a similar diet (GAPS) to improve some health issues and found that the first few weeks were tough because of sugar/carb withdrawal symptoms but it improved a lot after that. I'd recommend the book Nourishing Traditions for anyone wanting to keep eating some carbs. It's based on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet which it's my aim to transition to eventually as it's a bit more relaxed about grains/pulses/dairy when prepared correctly.

Re: Green Faces (or How to Hack Your Metabolism)

#7

Post by filiwickers »

The initial feeling of being tired, groggy, achy, etc. is called the "low carb flu."[1] Usually it takes a week or three for the symptoms to pass before you get over it. The more you relied on carbs as energy before, the longer it will take. The first time I switched to a paleo diet it took about 2 weeks before I felt normal. After that passed energy levels will skyrocket. I no longer rely on coffee and have high energy throughout the day.

You need to incorporate more good fats into your diet if you are still feeling low energy this far into it. There are two sources of energy for our body, carbs and fat. The low carb flu happens as your body is adjusting from using carbs as energy to using fat. It's likely you have lost so much weight because you haven't eaten any fat so your body is eating itself (literally).

Examples of good fats to eat are: coconut (meat, oil, butter), avocados, olives (oil, whole), and animal fats. You should definitely up your intake of these. That should help with your low energy.

Reading about paleo, primal, eating real food, or whatever you want to call it would be helpful. It is definitely a sustainable way to eat. It is essential to eat fat though. Lots of people have done and researched variations of these. Regardless of whether they are "fads" it is useful educate yourself a bit before jumping into something.

[1] (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/low-carb-flu/#axzz26B70TsmP)

Re: Green Faces (or How to Hack Your Metabolism)

#8

Post by mattlong »

I don't think I would consider this hacking your metabolism. In fact, as the author mentions, his metabolism actually seems to have "slowed down" since he feels fatigued more often than before. For a completely no-carb diet, this should be expected. Cutting out carbohydrates forces your body to primarily convert stored fat for its fuel instead, which is a slower and less efficient source of energy.

IMHO, practice moderation in all things, including moderation. Do I need to cut out ALL carbs? Should I really consume NO fruit? I can NEVER enjoy a good beer? Those rules would simply never be sustainable for me.

I generally stick to what I would call a healthy diet: mostly fruits and vegetables, eggs, whole wheat bread/pasta, small portions of meat (usually fish) with most dinners and some lunches. At the same time, I don't feel at all guilty about grabbing a couple beers or ordering the wings if I'm out to dinner or happy hour with friends. This system has been working for me because I also exercise regularly: alternating between jogging and hitting the gym most days of the week. Yes, it clearly took a bit of discipline to get into these habits. But now it's just become a lifestyle I find easy and enjoyable to maintain. What hacker doesn't appreciate a good challenge with such immediate and important results as your good health?

Re: Green Faces (or How to Hack Your Metabolism)

#9

Post by filiwickers »

antidaily wrote: post #4

Slow Carb argues that you need some legumes to sustain a diet like this. Add some lentils or refried beans once in a while.

This is not true. Slow Carb includes legumes to ensure you are eating enough and maintaining satiety throughout the day (so you don't snack). Coming from the Standard American Diet (SAD) most people are used to eating high and fast carb diets. Legumes are Slow Carb which helps the dieter adjust easier than the diet the poster is doing.

Many many people sustain a diet of meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds without the need for legumes. The key is to get enough fat and protein. You do not need to eat carbs.

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