94 replies to this topic

[TheFountain]

I have experimented with many many many different diets. The most successful for me for keeping body fat low was a low/moderate fat diet in which I kept the majority of my carbs coming from vegetables, rice, legumes etc.

About a year ago I began the plight to perfect a high fat, low carb diet to see if it would work for me. I tried initially to have the carbs coming mostly from 'low carb' breads, pastas, etc. But I quickly realized that the insulin response from these foods was probably not much better than that of their normal, high carb counterparts. And that 'low carb' made no sense at all in the same context of bread and pasta. In other words it is impossible to have genuinely low carb forms of either.

So I quickly discarded these foods from my diet in favor of a mostly vegetable based diet with alot of 'healthy fats' included. I consumed things like Olive oil, almond/cashew butter, sour cream, cheeses, high fat milk, etc etc etc which essentially did nothing but *seem* raise my visceral fat percentage. So I then discarded the dairy, thinking I might be lactose intolerant from anecdotal reaction.

Since this time my diet has consisted, in the main, of eating two big salads a day consisting of an assortment of phyto-nutrient rich vegetables. Alot of coconut milk (like a can a day) an ocassional sweet potato and a small amount of chick peas/lentils. I estimate my carb consumption being less than 100 grams daily. Sometimes lower than 50 grams a day. Generally the only oil I consume cold is olive oil. I sometimes cook plantains with safflower oil but I never consume this oil raw. I often top my salads with tahini which, when looking at the label, does not state the specific ratios of fats, but only speaks of how much saturated fat is in each serving, mentioning nothing of PUFAs or MUFAs (anyone know the fatty acid profile of tahini?).

Still I seem to be gaining a little visceral fat despite exercising several times a week. I am wondering if, just as many people are sensitive to carbs, could it not also be that some people are sensitive to fats? Maybe some sort of enzyme/metabolic disturbance which causes someone to metabolize fat more slowly than other's. This is just a guess. I would like to know more about this.

[Mike_N]

1. How much protein do you get on a typical day?

2. Tahini is a bit high in omega 6 (~45%) if consumed frequently.
Safflower oil is an omega 6 bomb. (close to 80%)

3. What is your intake of omega 3?

4. What's your exercise regimen like? I think some of the best exercise regimens look like nothing
but build muscle, endurance, stamina, etc. like crazy. I once gained 15 pounds in 1 month eating 4500
calories per day and following this routine and I lost no ab definition in the process.

2 x Per Week
2 sets deadlift
2 sets bench press
2 sets weighted pull-ups
1 set ab wheel

All exercises done to failure, no warmups except for deadlift.
That's about 45-50 mins per week exercising.

[rwac]

Ok, did you ever do atkins induction ?
2 weeks eating under 20g of carbs per day.

Did you manage to keep track of how many carbs you were eating daily ?
Sounds like you never managed to send your carbs low enough to kick off your "low-carb" diet.

Btw, Low carb bread/pasta generally has tons of gluten, not good for you at all.

[Mia K.]

I have experimented with many many many different diets. The most successful for me for keeping body fat low was a low/moderate fat diet in which I kept the majority of my carbs coming from vegetables, rice, legumes etc.

About a year ago I began the plight to perfect a high fat, low carb diet to see if it would work for me. I tried initially to have the carbs coming mostly from 'low carb' breads, pastas, etc. But I quickly realized that the insulin response from these foods was probably not much better than that of their normal, high carb counterparts. And that 'low carb' made no sense at all in the same context of bread and pasta. In other words it is impossible to have genuinely low carb forms of either.

So I quickly discarded these foods from my diet in favor of a mostly vegetable based diet with alot of 'healthy fats' included. I consumed things like Olive oil, almond/cashew butter, sour cream, cheeses, high fat milk, etc etc etc which essentially did nothing but *seem* raise my visceral fat percentage. So I then discarded the dairy, thinking I might be lactose intolerant from anecdotal reaction.

Since this time my diet has consisted, in the main, of eating two big salads a day consisting of an assortment of phyto-nutrient rich vegetables. Alot of coconut milk (like a can a day) an ocassional sweet potato and a small amount of chick peas/lentils. I estimate my carb consumption being less than 100 grams daily. Sometimes lower than 50 grams a day. Generally the only oil I consume cold is olive oil. I sometimes cook plantains with safflower oil but I never consume this oil raw. I often top my salads with tahini which, when looking at the label, does not state the specific ratios of fats, but only speaks of how much saturated fat is in each serving, mentioning nothing of PUFAs or MUFAs (anyone know the fatty acid profile of tahini?).

Still I seem to be gaining a little visceral fat despite exercising several times a week. I am wondering if, just as many people are sensitive to carbs, could it not also be that some people are sensitive to fats? Maybe some sort of enzyme/metabolic disturbance which causes someone to metabolize fat more slowly than other's. This is just a guess. I would like to know more about this.

Hi The Fountain,


Boring question I know, but how many calories do you consume?  "Alot of coconut milk (like a can a day)" added to your "Olive oil, almond/cashew butter, sour cream, cheeses, high fat milk etc etc"  along with your third "etc" can really add up.  One can of Thai coconut milk is 750+ cals.  Also, what's your breakdown of P and CHO?

CRON-o-meter has me at 65% calories fat (24:65:11 P:F:C)  certainly high-fat, but that's of ~1750kC max.  I certainly don't guzzle cocomilk nor nosh on cheeses or whipped cream.  I am slender and lean at this intake. (n=1) 

Doubt you have an enzyme/ metabolic disturbance, although you might enjoy looking into the fast/mixed/slow oxidizer theory proposed by Watson, Williams, Kelley, et al.

Cheers, Mia

[TheFountain]

1. How much protein do you get on a typical day?

I am on a low protein diet because I do not believe high protein diets are good for longevity.

2. Tahini is a bit high in omega 6 (~45%) if consumed frequently.
Safflower oil is an omega 6 bomb. (close to 80%)

Damned. I only use the safflower oil to cook with but will probably use coconut oil from now on. As far as the Tahini is concerned I am cutting it out of my diet now. No more tahini for me. This is why people shouldn't just say 'high fat diets' are good. They aren't. Only specific types of fats are good for you, just as only specific sources of carbs are good for you.

3. What is your intake of omega 3?

I consume moderate amounts of tofu which is a good source of Omega 3 and intermittently consume flaxseeds, which is another. I also take Fish oil supplements.

4. What's your exercise regimen like?

I exercise 3-4 times a week. What I do is alternate between free weights (30-40 pound dumbells) and calisthenics. I use to do more cardio but stopped for a while and now I have reintroduced it into my regimen. It is helping already. I also do pilates and yoga intermittently. But I did the same exercises on a low/moderate fat diet and had lower body fat. I will try to post a body pic some time later.

I think some of the best exercise regimens look like nothing
but build muscle, endurance, stamina, etc. like crazy. I once gained 15 pounds in 1 month eating 4500
calories per day and following this routine and I lost no ab definition in the process.

2 x Per Week
2 sets deadlift
2 sets bench press
2 sets weighted pull-ups
1 set ab wheel

All exercises done to failure, no warmups except for deadlift.
That's about 45-50 mins per week exercising.

Please note that I am not trying to be a body builder.

[TheFountain]

Ok, did you ever do atkins induction ?

I did, for about two weeks. Felt like crap. I didn't get my ketones measured though.

Did you manage to keep track of how many carbs you were eating daily ?

When I went through the atkins induction phase I was very adamant about it. I counted every single carb I was consuming. I lost weight initially not because of the high fat, low carb aspect of it, but because I simply was not able to consume enough calories to sustain me through induction.

Sounds like you never managed to send your carbs low enough to kick off your "low-carb" diet.

Not a good assumption considering I was very on detail about it. But I am thinking maybe consuming a little too much Omega 6 fatty acids might be contributing to it. Bear in mind my body fat was lower on a low/moderate fat diet.

Btw, Low carb bread/pasta generally has tons of gluten, not good for you at all.

That was about a year ago, as I said I cut these phony 'low carb' foods out then. I do not consume any gluten containing foods now, and haven't for many months.

Edited by TheFountain, 27 February 2010 - 07:01 PM.

[TheFountain]

Hi The Fountain,


Boring question I know, but how many calories do you consume?

The bulk of my calories do come from coconut milk, olive oil and nuts as you speculated, the rest of my diet consists of low calorie phytonutrient dense foods like vegetables, berries, etc. By the way I cut dairy out of my diet 4 months ago. I guess I did not make that clear in my first post.

"Alot of coconut milk (like a can a day)" added to your "Olive oil, almond/cashew butter, sour cream, cheeses, high fat milk etc etc" along with your third "etc" can really add up.

I cut dairy out of my diet 4 months ago. I guess I did not make that clear in my first post. I only consumed the dairy when I was trying to work out the specifics of the high fat, low carb diet.

Also, what's your breakdown of P and CHO?


CRON-o-meter has me at 65% calories fat (24:65:11 P:F:C) certainly high-fat, but that's of ~1750kC max. I certainly don't guzzle cocomilk nor nosh on cheeses or whipped cream. I am slender and lean at this intake. (n=1)

Well firstly the reason I consume coconut milk like water (half can in the morning, half in the evening) is because most of my phytonutrient dense foods, the vegetables specifically, which are the central staple of my diet are very very low in calories. Even my huge salads are no more than about 300 calories each. So I have to get calories from somewhere. I reasoned coconut milk, nuts and seeds and olive oil were the healthiest macronutrient/calorie dense foods. I have not done a specific break down but by my own estimations I would say the current macronutrient break down is probably something like 60% fat, 30% carb and 10% protein.

Doubt you have an enzyme/ metabolic disturbance, although you might enjoy looking into the fast/mixed/slow oxidizer theory proposed by Watson, Williams, Kelley, et al.

I am also a slow caffeine metabolizer. I can only eat dark chocolate on rare ocassions now because of it. I also seem very sensitive to sodium intake in excess of 1000 mgs a day whereas most people just seem to consume as much sodium ladened foods as they want without any effect whatsoever. This is why I suggested the enzyme/metabolic disturbance, presuming they might all be interrelated.

[niner]

I would say the current macronutrient break down is probably something like 60% fat, 30% carb and 10% protein.

This is just a speculation, but at 10% protein, maybe you are catabolizing muscle excessively, and what looks like a visceral fat increase is more of a shift in body composition from muscle to fat. I would try upping protein to about 20% for a while, combined with some moderate resistance exercise. That might firm you up. If you want to maintain reasonable muscle, you probably don't want to go as low as 10.

[TheFountain]

I would say the current macronutrient break down is probably something like 60% fat, 30% carb and 10% protein.

This is just a speculation, but at 10% protein, maybe you are catabolizing muscle excessively, and what looks like a visceral fat increase is more of a shift in body composition from muscle to fat. I would try upping protein to about 20% for a while, combined with some moderate resistance exercise. That might firm you up. If you want to maintain reasonable muscle, you probably don't want to go as low as 10.

Fat and muscle have two completely different building blocks. The building blocks of muscle are amino acids, the building blocks of fat are presumably carbs. So I guess the slight increase in protein makes anabolic sense. But there is no turning fat into muscle. Only losing fat and revealing muscle. I am quite certain the level of exercise I currently partake of is adequate to maintain some lean muscle. Maybe just not on this particular diet. I will try to post a body pic shortly.

[niner]

I would say the current macronutrient break down is probably something like 60% fat, 30% carb and 10% protein.

This is just a speculation, but at 10% protein, maybe you are catabolizing muscle excessively, and what looks like a visceral fat increase is more of a shift in body composition from muscle to fat. I would try upping protein to about 20% for a while, combined with some moderate resistance exercise. That might firm you up. If you want to maintain reasonable muscle, you probably don't want to go as low as 10.

Fat and muscle have two completely different building blocks. The building blocks of muscle are amino acids, the building blocks of fat are presumably carbs. So I guess the slight increase in protein makes anabolic sense. But there is no turning fat into muscle. Only losing fat and revealing muscle. I am quite certain the level of exercise I currently partake of is adequate to maintain some lean muscle. Maybe just not on this particular diet. I will try to post a body pic shortly.

Ok, you agree with the fact that you need amino acids to make protein. Do you also agree that muscles are the body's largest store of protein? And that if you don't have enough protein, you will lose muscle? This has nothing to do with "turning fat into protein". It's about building more muscle period. The fat will take care of itself.

[TheFountain]

I would say the current macronutrient break down is probably something like 60% fat, 30% carb and 10% protein.

This is just a speculation, but at 10% protein, maybe you are catabolizing muscle excessively, and what looks like a visceral fat increase is more of a shift in body composition from muscle to fat. I would try upping protein to about 20% for a while, combined with some moderate resistance exercise. That might firm you up. If you want to maintain reasonable muscle, you probably don't want to go as low as 10.

Fat and muscle have two completely different building blocks. The building blocks of muscle are amino acids, the building blocks of fat are presumably carbs. So I guess the slight increase in protein makes anabolic sense. But there is no turning fat into muscle. Only losing fat and revealing muscle. I am quite certain the level of exercise I currently partake of is adequate to maintain some lean muscle. Maybe just not on this particular diet. I will try to post a body pic shortly.

Ok, you agree with the fact that you need amino acids to make protein. Do you also agree that muscles are the body's largest store of protein? And that if you don't have enough protein, you will lose muscle? This has nothing to do with "turning fat into protein". It's about building more muscle period. The fat will take care of itself.

I understand this BUT what I am telling you is that my low/moderate fat diet had a similar amount of protein in it and yet my body fat was lower on it. Maybe I was uniwttingly on CR then though. Here is a picture of me on said diet. The only exercises I did at this time were pilates and calisthenics. I look the same now but with more visceral fat. I was wearing a pair of tight pants here so my waist fat looks a little more pushed out than it otherwise was.

Edited by TheFountain, 27 February 2010 - 09:48 PM.

[mustardseed41]

Listen to Niner.....your protein is too low.

[TheFountain]

Listen to Niner.....your protein is too low.

I was on about the same level of protein when I took that picture, but my diet was low/moderate fat. When I increased fat consumption is when visceral fat went up. I could be missing something but high fat consumption *seems* as if it is not working for me.

Bear in mind I know my muscle composition does not compare to guys who lift hundreds of pounds of weight daily. But I am not striving for that and think what I accomplished was fine for the exercises I was doing. Again I look about the same now but with a little more visceral fat which I am now going to lose.

Edited by TheFountain, 27 February 2010 - 10:35 PM.

[Mia K.]

Listen to Niner.....your protein is too low.

Yes.  You are looking for CRON, which presupposes and implies optimal/adequate protein. I suggest you actually use CRON-o-meter.

As I understnd it, we are not starving the body to do our bidding, but rather are coaxing it lovingly (with optimal nutrition and targeted suppplementation) to want to be around for a good long time.

I aim for 1g P : 1lb lean bodyweight. YMMV

Best, Mia

 

[TheFountain]

Listen to Niner.....your protein is too low.

Yes. You are looking for CRON, which presupposes and implies optimal/adequate protein. I suggest you actually use CRON-o-meter.

As I understnd it, we are not starving the body to do our bidding, but rather are coaxing it lovingly (with optimal nutrition and targeted suppplementation) to want to be around for a good long time.

I aim for 1g P : 1lb lean bodyweight. YMMV

Best, Mia

I do not think I look malnourished in the above photo. But feel free to disagree if you wish. Maybe it is difficult to see myself as clearly as another would.

[DukeNukem]

Comments:

o Looks to me that you're getting way too much omega-6. But, this wouldn't necessarily lead to fat accumulation. BTW, all of those nuts are very high in omega-6 oil. I pnly eat macadamia nuts now--they have the same fatty acid profile as olive oil.

o Fat doesn't extend satiety--it's basically neutral. Protein extend it. (Carbs shorten satiety.) You need more protein, IMO. Add whey protein to your coconut milk.

o I wonder if the fact that you're not consuming long-chain saturated fat may play a factor. MCTs from coconut metabolize differently in the body.

[DukeNukem]

You just THINK you're low-carb.

[TheFountain]

You just THINK you're low-carb.

Okay but when my body fat was lower I was on a lower fat diet and was eating way more carbs than I am eating now. I think the answer lies in the fact that, as you and other's have stated, the Omega 6 content of the diet was too high. What fats do you limit yourself to? Do you check post prandial blood pressure often (this is the real important thing if heart disease 'runs in your family')? I know you eat a bit of dairy, but isn't this high in Omega 6 as well? And isn't processed dairy higher in PUFAs than MUFas? My personal view is dairy is a net negative and contributes to the aging process through casein raising IGF-1 levels so I do not consume it. Therefor the only healtly fats I am aware of are olive oil, coconut oil (though the jury is still out) flaxseeds, macadamia nuts and other omega 3 rich sources of fat.

[TheFountain]

I wanted to also point out that not all PUFAs are created equally either and that those with higher Omega 3 ratios are found to apparently decrease oxidative stress. So it is a study to consume the right kinds of macronutrient foods. This includes both fats and carbs.

[VidX]

"WHat they eat in a week" :D



Black dude should've been dead by now after all that fructose in 30 years...

Have tried the low carb diet for a week some time ago - the worst I've ever felt.. Not because of cravings (almost didn't experience) but just my brains started "lagging", not to mention how horrible I felt in a gym.. Thanks, but no. For each his own I guess.. no universal rules, at least not at this moment with the data we possess..

Edited by VidX, 28 February 2010 - 09:16 PM.

[DukeNukem]

>>> Black dude should've been dead by now after all that fructose in 30 years...

Not seeing hardly any fructose containing foods in that picture. Why did you make that statement?

[VidX]

I've seen the documentary "The Breakthrough". They live in a great place where you can get fresh fruits and vegetables year round.

[James Cain]

I wanted to also point out that not all PUFAs are created equally either and that those with higher Omega 3 ratios are found to apparently decrease oxidative stress. So it is a study to consume the right kinds of macronutrient foods. This includes both fats and carbs.

Omega-3 fats are more prone to oxidation and associated maladies compared to other PUFA, though they can decrease inflammation in various ways.

[Mia K.]

You just THINK you're low-carb.

Okay but when my body fat was lower I was on a lower fat diet and was eating way more carbs than I am eating now. I think the answer lies in the fact that, as you and other's have stated, the Omega 6 content of the diet was too high. What fats do you limit yourself to? Do you check post prandial blood pressure often (this is the real important thing if heart disease 'runs in your family')? I know you eat a bit of dairy, but isn't this high in Omega 6 as well? And isn't processed dairy higher in PUFAs than MUFas? My personal view is dairy is a net negative and contributes to the aging process through casein raising IGF-1 levels so I do not consume it. Therefor the only healtly fats I am aware of are olive oil, coconut oil (though the jury is still out) flaxseeds, macadamia nuts and other omega 3 rich sources of fat.

Avocado - both flesh and oil - is a fine addition to a truly low-carb, high fat regime.  The California "Haas" variety is preferred.

Have you run your diet through CRON-o-meter?  I see you've received a lot of good advice...Best, Mia

[TheFountain]

I wanted to also point out that not all PUFAs are created equally either and that those with higher Omega 3 ratios are found to apparently decrease oxidative stress. So it is a study to consume the right kinds of macronutrient foods. This includes both fats and carbs.

Omega-3 fats are more prone to oxidation and associated maladies compared to other PUFA, though they can decrease inflammation in various ways.

'Thus, long-term O-3FA supplementation can reduce or reverse upregulation of prooxidant, proinflammatory, and profibrotic pathways and attenuate tubulointerstitial fibrosis in the remnant kidney.'

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19656915

Edited by TheFountain, 01 March 2010 - 12:10 AM.

[TheFountain]

You just THINK you're low-carb.

Okay but when my body fat was lower I was on a lower fat diet and was eating way more carbs than I am eating now. I think the answer lies in the fact that, as you and other's have stated, the Omega 6 content of the diet was too high. What fats do you limit yourself to? Do you check post prandial blood pressure often (this is the real important thing if heart disease 'runs in your family')? I know you eat a bit of dairy, but isn't this high in Omega 6 as well? And isn't processed dairy higher in PUFAs than MUFas? My personal view is dairy is a net negative and contributes to the aging process through casein raising IGF-1 levels so I do not consume it. Therefor the only healtly fats I am aware of are olive oil, coconut oil (though the jury is still out) flaxseeds, macadamia nuts and other omega 3 rich sources of fat.

Avocado - both flesh and oil - is a fine addition to a truly low-carb, high fat regime. The California "Haas" variety is preferred.

Have you run your diet through CRON-o-meter? I see you've received a lot of good advice...Best, Mia

I should do the cro-o-meter I just have not gotten to it yet. I will put some time aside in the next week or so and make a strong effort to do that. I am definitely going to lower my Omega 6 intake, keeping the majority of it coming from MUFAs like olive oil. I think I will only consume Saturated fats moderate considering the jury is still out on them and I will keep consuming flaxseeds and Omega 3 supplements. How much saturated fat do you consume daily on average? What do you believe is a safe limit? I think Duke thinks there is no limit. That reasoning scares me.

Edited by TheFountain, 01 March 2010 - 12:06 AM.

[Mia K.]

I should do the cro-o-meter I just have not gotten to it yet. I will put some time aside in the next week or so and make a strong effort to do that. I am definitely going to lower my Omega 6 intake, keeping the majority of it coming from MUFAs like olive oil. I think I will only consume Saturated fats moderate considering the jury is still out on them and I will keep consuming flaxseeds and Omega 3 supplements. How much saturated fat do you consume daily on average? What do you believe is a safe limit? I think Duke thinks there is no limit. That reasoning scares me.

CRON has me at 43g SF, 53g MUFA, 18g PUFA (4.3n-3 13.5n-6)


I'm unsure right now if there's a final word on any limit to satfats.  I've read enough of the arguments on both sides to eat it fearlessly, yet I make an effort to balance SF with MUFAs (limiting those with considerable n-6).

I think I'm coming around to the views of Don Matesz expressed in his blog "Primal Wisdom." See:

http://donmatesz.blo...01_archive.html

The whole blog is d@mn fine, IMO.

CRON-o-meter does take some effort, but it's quite worth it - eye-opening, really.

Cheers, Mia

[Application]

TheFountain,

Have you read Dr. McDouggals work? My experience is similar to what you describe and his opinions. Eating a vegan diet, I can virtually turn on or off weight gain/loss by varying the amount of fat in my diet- more fat=body weight.

from newsletter linked above:

...A widely held belief is that the sugars in starches are readily converted into fat and then stored unattractively in the abdomen, hips, and buttock. Incorrect! And there is no disagreement about the truth among scientists or their published scientific research.5-13 After eating, the complex carbohydrates found in starches, such as rice, are digested into simple sugars in the intestine and then absorbed into the bloodstream where they are transported to trillions of cells in the body in order to provide for energy. Carbohydrates (sugars) consumed in excess of the body’s daily needs can be stored (invisibly) as glycogen in the muscles and liver. The total storage capacity for glycogen is about two pounds. Carbohydrates consumed in excess of our need and beyond our limited storage capacity are not readily stored as body fat. Instead, these excess carbohydrate calories are burned off as heat (a process known as facultative dietary thermogenesis) or used in physical movements not associated with exercise.9,13

The process of turning sugars into fats is known as de novo lipogenesis. Some animals, such as pigs and cows, can efficiently convert the low-energy, inexpensive carbohydrates found in grains and grasses into calorie-dense fats.5 This metabolic efficiency makes pigs and cows ideal “food animals.” Bees also perform de novo lipogenesis; converting honey (simple carbohydrates) into wax (fats). However, human beings are very inefficient at this process and as a result de novo lipogenesis does not occur under usual living conditions in people.5-13 When, during extreme conditions, de novo lipogenesis does occur the metabolic cost is about 30% of the calories consumed—a very wasteful process.11

Under experimental laboratory conditions overfeeding of large amounts of simple sugars to subjects will result in a little bit of de novo lipogenesis. For example, trim and obese women were overfed 50% more total calories than they usually ate in a day, along with an extra 3.5 ounces (135 grams) of refined sugar. From this overfeeding the women produced less than 4 grams (36 calories) of fat daily, which means a person would have to be overfed by this amount of extra calories and sugar every day for nearly 4 months in order to gain one extra pound of body fat.10 Obviously, even overeating substantial quantities of refined and processed carbohydrates is a relatively unimportant source of body fat. So where does all that belly fat come from? The fat you eat is the fat you wear....

[niner]

Have you read Dr. McDouggals work? My experience is similar to what you describe and his opinions. Eating a vegan diet, I can virtually turn on or off weight gain/loss by varying the amount of fat in my diet- more fat=body weight.

OK, I looked at McDougall's newsletter that you linked, and it's starting to make some sense. He writes this about himself:

I am not a restrained person and neither are most of my patients. In my youth I started the day with several mugs of strong coffee, I frequented all-you-can eat buffets and fast food restaurants, I smoked two packages of Marlboros daily, and too often unwound at the end of my stress-filled day with a whiskey or two. (I also paid a big price for this excessive behavior with a cholesterol level of 335 mg/dl, 50 pounds of excess body fat, major abdominal surgery, and a debilitating stroke, all before the age of 25 years.)

This is not a normal human. He has some sort of bizarre metabolism, perhaps mixed with a case of bad judgment. Addictive personality? Whatever. He's adopted some sort of new religion that works for him... great, but it doesn't describe the results of countless people, myself included.

[Application]

So you have no thoughts on his theory and research data indicating that fat calories are more easily and efficiently converted to body fat than carbohydrates/sugars?

TheFountain,

Have you read Dr. McDouggals work? My experience is similar to what you describe and his opinions. Eating a vegan diet, I can virtually turn on or off weight gain/loss by varying the amount of fat in my diet- more fat=body weight.

from newsletter linked above:

...A widely held belief is that the sugars in starches are readily converted into fat and then stored unattractively in the abdomen, hips, and buttock. Incorrect! And there is no disagreement about the truth among scientists or their published scientific research.5-13 After eating, the complex carbohydrates found in starches, such as rice, are digested into simple sugars in the intestine and then absorbed into the bloodstream where they are transported to trillions of cells in the body in order to provide for energy. Carbohydrates (sugars) consumed in excess of the body’s daily needs can be stored (invisibly) as glycogen in the muscles and liver. The total storage capacity for glycogen is about two pounds. Carbohydrates consumed in excess of our need and beyond our limited storage capacity are not readily stored as body fat. Instead, these excess carbohydrate calories are burned off as heat (a process known as facultative dietary thermogenesis) or used in physical movements not associated with exercise.9,13

The process of turning sugars into fats is known as de novo lipogenesis. Some animals, such as pigs and cows, can efficiently convert the low-energy, inexpensive carbohydrates found in grains and grasses into calorie-dense fats.5 This metabolic efficiency makes pigs and cows ideal “food animals.” Bees also perform de novo lipogenesis; converting honey (simple carbohydrates) into wax (fats). However, human beings are very inefficient at this process and as a result de novo lipogenesis does not occur under usual living conditions in people.5-13 When, during extreme conditions, de novo lipogenesis does occur the metabolic cost is about 30% of the calories consumed—a very wasteful process.11

Under experimental laboratory conditions overfeeding of large amounts of simple sugars to subjects will result in a little bit of de novo lipogenesis. For example, trim and obese women were overfed 50% more total calories than they usually ate in a day, along with an extra 3.5 ounces (135 grams) of refined sugar. From this overfeeding the women produced less than 4 grams (36 calories) of fat daily, which means a person would have to be overfed by this amount of extra calories and sugar every day for nearly 4 months in order to gain one extra pound of body fat.10 Obviously, even overeating substantial quantities of refined and processed carbohydrates is a relatively unimportant source of body fat. So where does all that belly fat come from? The fat you eat is the fat you wear....