Dear Low Carb community!
I'd like to start with my current situation. I started LC in January 2013, lost 37 pounds in 5 months and then stalled - which is a common thing with my own metabolism. I've lost weight before LC by exercise and counting calories and know that my body always stalls after half-a-year of dieting. All I need to do is wait for spring, then my weight loss starts again. Has something to do with seasonal influences, I suppose.
I maintained a full-Keto diet over a month (15g carb per day, 80-85% fat, 12-15% protein) and after "full sclale reloading" my Ketosis I did a Carb Refeed with the intention to break through my remaining insulin resistance. I succeeded! My insulin sensitivity increased dramatically and fasting blood sugar dropped from 110mg/dl (January '13) to 103 mg/dl (October '13), which is exactly half the way I need to go. That matches my weight perfectly - I have to lose another 45 pounds to get rid of my excess weight.
Currently, I am not limiting my carb intake, I eat anything I want as much as I want. Only one thing is still completely absent in my lifestyle -
Refined Carbohydrates! These are 100% banned from my table! Huge amounts of apples, pears, almonds, carrots and other natural fiber-rich LC-friendly foods replace them successfully. And of course I still maintain my high fat intake (100-120g coconut oil/olive oil/butter/bacon, etc. per day).
Now, you constantly hear that "Low Carb is a FAD", "you can't maintain weight loss" and "Low Carb Yo-Yo will make you gain weight again". And here's what happened to me after I stalled in July 2013 at 215 pounds.
- I allowed myself gradually more and more complex carbs from fruits and vegetables with a carb-fiber-ratio of max. 1:5
- july to August it was a mix of carb rich days and Keto weeks, amking sure I'm really stalled.
- September was all Ketogenic. No effect on weight.
- from the bginning of October "all you can eat"...
- always when I did a carb re-feed, I gained 5 pounds within 3 days, which is actually glycogen storage filling up again. 5 days of Keto and these 5 lbs are lost again.
So basically almost 5 months passed by when I stalled and gradually increased my fat and complex carb intake.
In July '13, with my glycogen storage filled up, I weighed 221 pounds. According to conventional "Low Fat Wisdom" I have gained weight by now. Earlier Yo-Yo's I had got me 8-10 kg or 20 pounds in 6 months, so theoretically I should weigh 240 lbs at this very moment. Fat makes you fat, does it?! Right now, after my last stall and the following 5 months of Low Carb and 0% refined carb lifestyle, I still weigh
221 pounds! I did not gain a single pound of fat during all the High Fat lifestyle. NO YO-YO. My health is getting better and better, my physical condition is the best of my entire life and I excel at my job.
Basically it boils down to - I eat anything except refined carbs and literally can't get fat! I just don't. My food is literally swimming in fat while cooking. I lost weight on LC and I maintain it without exercise, low-fat-nonsense and giving up "all you can eat"-pleasures. For me, this is the best proof that Low Fat is a huge pile of hogwash and grain-lobbyist propaganda. I tried to get fat on FAT, I tried it really hard and I find it impossible. In my case - no weight gain without refined carbs, no matter how hard I try.
Now the CONTROVERSY...
My personal hypothesis about Low Carb Yo-Yo-effect is; people lose weight and think "well, it's OK now, I can try some donuts and sweets again". Keep in mind refined white flour and sugars are everywhere. They try a bit, get hooked again and eat even more, which leads to a full scale
Refined Carb Relapse!. And those relapses - one might say the simple unwillingness to give up all the sweet carb drugs - makes them crash down and getting fat again. Most of them fail to recognise refined carbs as luxury/convenience and not essential nutrients. BTW pure carbs are actually propagated as an "essential nutrient", which they're clearly not, according to scientific literature.
Scientific literature, clinical studies and my own experience tell me that it is utterly possible to live a LC-lifestyle without Yo-Yo, keeping your weight under control and don't torture yourself with FAD low fat high carb diets and "burnin' carb only" exercise.
What does the LC-community think about?
Best wishes
ketogenium
PS: It's just plain weird, anyone's talking how fat makes you fat but I can't get weight on even 1/3 lbs of pure fat every day. I've seen so many Vegan websites and Veg Prophets onb YouTUbe tellig me that fat & meat is sooooo fattening, but no matter how I try I can't get fat and sick on fat.
I asked some Vegs via Internet how I can get fat on fat, and after learning about my case they didn't know either.
It appears that I am "
the study of ONE" (© Dr. John McDougall), just like hundred thousands or maybe millions of other LC-ers around the world.