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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by sigismund on August 12, 2010, at 20:41:09
In reply to What are some really nutritious low calorie foods?, posted by Deneb on August 10, 2010, at 2:23:20
Berries
Posted by Deneb on August 13, 2010, at 19:55:06
In reply to Re: What are some really nutritious low calorie foods?, posted by sigismund on August 12, 2010, at 20:41:09
I'm usually constipated, but lately it has gotten a lot worse. It's not unusual for me to only go poop once a week. My stomach is all distended and bloated. It looks like I am pregnant and every breath I take is uncomfortable.
I decided the heck with my diet today, I'm doing everything I can to alleviate this. I'm really uncomfortable! I went to the Y to exercise, but was too uncomfortable to continue exercising for long.
I took some Lansoyl (a fruit flavoured mineral oil jelly), then ate a big bowl of bean sprouts and cabbage. Then I bought some prune nectar and prunes. I drank 500 mL of prune nectar and ate 14 prunes. I'm way over my daily calorie allowance, but I don't care right now.
My tummy is bloated even more now and very rumbly and not happy at all. I hope the tummy rumbles means all that prune is working.
Does anyone have any ideas to help me?
Posted by Deneb on August 14, 2010, at 1:12:37
In reply to Help!, TMI warning, posted by Deneb on August 13, 2010, at 19:55:06
Cutting my calories to an average of 1060 kcal a day has slowed my heart rate way down. It used to be in the 80s and now it is usually less than 60. Once it was 50 and I think it goes even lower when I'm asleep!
My metabolism has slowed down and I think that is a good sign (well bad for weight loss, but good for life extension). I know I will continue to lose weight, but at a much slower pace in my current metabolic state, but I can live with that. Also it is actually good to lose weight slowly. Losing weight too quickly will shorten your life.
I've decided I want to get into the CRON lifestyle (calorie restriction with optimal nutrition) in an effort to extend my life to beyond 100.
I'm also getting more orthostatic hypotension, but I can live with that.
Posted by Deneb on August 14, 2010, at 20:45:53
In reply to I have bradycardia now, posted by Deneb on August 14, 2010, at 1:12:37
I had another 2000+ kcal day. It seems that eating a lot one day stimulates my appetite or something and makes food irresistible.
I have to go back to basics, tomorrow I'm going back to low carb for 2 weeks. Low carb takes away my appetite.
Posted by Deneb on August 18, 2010, at 11:54:52
In reply to I ate too much, posted by Deneb on August 14, 2010, at 20:45:53
Today marks one whole month of calorie counting! I have decided to weigh myself once a month. I started out at 132 pounds, today I am 122.4 pounds! I'm back in the healthy BMI range! I think I want to lose another 27 pounds.
Posted by Deneb on August 18, 2010, at 12:49:20
In reply to My weight after a month!, posted by Deneb on August 18, 2010, at 11:54:52
Oops, I'm not in the healthy BMI range yet. Overweight BMI for Asians is about 23. Obese is 30+. I was obese before.
I will be healthy again soon though!
Posted by Deneb on August 21, 2010, at 2:55:57
In reply to Re: My weight after a month!, posted by Deneb on August 18, 2010, at 12:49:20
I'm so happy! Tomorrow it will be 5 weeks since I started counting my calories and my average calorie intake is getting lower. My average intake in these 5 weeks is 1028 kcal/day right now. I really want it to be a nice even number, like 1000. This whole week I haven't eaten more than 1000 kcal a day.
OK, now I know that they say 1200 kcal is the healthy minimum, but you have to take into consideration the fact that I am only 4'11". I can definitely survive on less than 1000 kcal/day. Also, I am also doing this for life extension. Eating fewer calories with optimal nutrition will extend life. I'm sticking with this way of eating forever.
To anyone who has to lose weight, I HIGHLY recommend a quality food scale. I bought a high end food scale with a life time guarantee for about $100 and it was worth it. I can just plug it in and never worry about it breaking or batteries dying. I measure and weigh EVERYTHING, even lettuce. LOL It's good to get into the habit of weighing everything. Also sometimes measuring cups are not accurate. It's easily to scoop up more than 1 cup of something, but if you weigh it, there is no mistaking how much you are eating.
Record everything on FitDay. Whenever possible break food down into its basic ingredients. You get a more accurate nutrition profile that way. Also it is a good idea to take a multi-vitamin as it is hard to get all the necessary nutrients everyday.
Also, when you "fall off the wagon" and eat something you haven't measured or weighed, it's OK. Just estimate how much you ate. Try to overestimate because everyone underestimates how many calories they've eaten. Just make sure you count what you ate, even if it is just a guess. Having an occasional 2000 kcal day is OK! It's the average over time that matters. Just have some really low calorie days to make up for it.
Also, another tip, don't over exercise! It sounds counterintuitive right? I mean, exercise burns calories so why wouldn't more be better? Personally when I exercise a lot I get ravenous hunger! I can't resist eating more. I end up eating way more on the days I've exercised 3 hours. Unless you have really good self control and can tolerate intense cravings, I wouldn't exercise more than an hour and a half a day at the most. Right now I do less than that.
Oh and another really important tip, make sure you exceed your daily protein requirements! The last thing you want is for your body to start consuming its own muscles to provide sugar for the brain. To make sure your muscle loss is kept to a minimum, do weight training.
Also, limit carbohydrates! Try to focus only on eating lean protein, healthy fats and low carbohydrate vegetables. Dark green leafy vegetables are very nutritious. I find carbohydrates stimulate my appetite. When I eat very little carbohydrates in a day I find that I am not getting hungry even with eating 200 kcal in 6 hours.
Another important tip is to never go grocery shopping hungry. Make sure you have a big meal with lots of lean protein before you go shopping for food. When you are hungry, you will make worse decisions and buy things on impulse.
I can't wait to lose more weight! I hope I maintain at a fairly low weight. I'm so short that I bet being 80 pounds wouldn't look skeletal on me.
Posted by Deneb on August 25, 2010, at 7:27:18
In reply to Re: My weight after a month!, posted by Deneb on August 21, 2010, at 2:55:57
OK, I just read a story about this obese woman who died not long after starting a 500 kcal/day diet. They can't say for sure it was the diet that killed her, but still, this is worrisome! She was still obese when she died!
Is it possible to die on a very low calorie diet even if you are still fat?
I'm eating more than 500 kcal/day though so does that mean I'm not at risk? Over 5 weeks my average is about 1030 kcal/day, but my average for this past week is about 800 kcal.
My body won't eat away at my heart as long as I eat enough protein right??
What are some things I should make sure of in my new lifestyle? I don't want to die, I just want to be as thin as possible while still being healthy.
I already take supplements.
I'll go get a physical in Nov. and hopefully that will tell me I am still healthy.
I'm probably being a hypochondriac about this again.
Posted by Dinah on August 25, 2010, at 7:30:47
In reply to Is there a risk of death with very low calorie?, posted by Deneb on August 25, 2010, at 7:27:18
Does there have to be a risk of death for you to care if it's hurting your body? If you want to be healthy and live a long time, the best way is to adopt a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
Do they have a dietician at your local Y? Or your college?
Posted by Deneb on August 25, 2010, at 18:23:00
In reply to Re: Is there a risk of death with very low calorie?, posted by Dinah on August 25, 2010, at 7:30:47
I'm OK again, I read more info about calorie restriction and it should make me healthier and live a long time.
I don't know how I can see a dietician.
Posted by Dinah on August 25, 2010, at 19:36:08
In reply to Re: Is there a risk of death with very low calorie? » Dinah, posted by Deneb on August 25, 2010, at 18:23:00
I would hate to see you thinking about food all the time, or without the energy to fuel your brain, when school starts.
Posted by Deneb on August 26, 2010, at 20:56:19
In reply to Re: Is there a risk of death with very low calorie? » Deneb, posted by Dinah on August 25, 2010, at 19:36:08
I've been eating too much these couple of days. Today I had two Tim Horton's muffins, worth about 700 kcal. I ate them while helping my sister move. Oh well, at least I got a lot of resistance training with all that lifting and moving. The muffins weren't healthy though, lots of fat with little fiber and protein.
I didn't eat any vegetables today.
I will do much better this weekend and next week. I will bring my calorie count down again. I can do it! The trick in staying full for a long time is to eat very little carbohydrates and mostly lean protein. Eating that one muffin probably shot my insulin levels up high, which made me want to eat more. I can avoid that by staying low carb.
For the next couple of days I will go really low carb. I need to make up for the extra calories I ate these two days.
I will also look for inspiration to continue with my calorie restriction with optimal nutrition plan for life extension. I'll read stories of the people who cut their calories and got really healthy, like 60 year old men with blood pressures of ten year olds and who look 20 years younger. The people who practice CRON (calorie restriction with optimal nutrition) stay healthy well into old age.
CRON works. It works for everything from single celled organisms to rats to primates. The physiological changes that happen to these animals happens in humans too.
I'm going to do everything I can to extend my life. I bought a bottle of red wine for its resveratrol. I will figure out a dose that is good for my size and that fits into my diet and drink a small measured dose everyday. Studies have also shown that people who abstain from alcohol altogether are less healthy and don't live as long as people who drink alcohol in moderation. Drinking alcohol does not come naturally to me because I frankly hate the taste of alcohol, but I will consider this red wine to be medicine.
Who knows, maybe I will even develop a taste for wine like I did a bit with beer. I used to think all beer was disgusting, now I think some beer is OK. I haven't been drinking beer at all these months and I think I will cut it out of my diet altogether because beer is empty calories without the resveratrol.
Another thing that can't be overlooked is living a safe lifestyle, that is not doing any risky activities. For example, I don't know how to ski and I should not start now because I can risk injury or death. I also won't be riding any motorcycles or bicycles in traffic. I also don't jaywalk unless I absolutely have to. Even when everyone else is crossing the road on a red light, I don't. I obey the traffic signals. If I am walking at night, I will wear a light reflective sash. I bought one for just this purpose.
Even though my life isn't the best and I have not achieved the things I want to achieve and have been depressed etc, I still think life is basically fun. Life is fun and exciting.
Oh and another thing I have to overcome if I want to live to my 100's is to prevent myself from becoming suicidal. I know, the irony LOL. Anyways, I think that might actually be the biggest risk for me at my age now, later diseases will be more of a risk.
Funny how pervasive my all-or-nothing thinking is. LOL I seem to either want to live to be 120 or die right now. There is no in-between!
Posted by Deneb on August 30, 2010, at 15:44:26
In reply to Eating too much these couple of days, posted by Deneb on August 26, 2010, at 20:56:19
Right now I just have a vague idea of how to do calorie restriction with optimal nutrition (CR or CRON). I'm mostly just restricting calories at this point, but I want to make sure I do CR the right way.
I'm reading "The CR Way" by Paul McGlothin and Meredith Averill right now. Here I will write my notes about what I've learned.
Notes:
SIR family of genes activated by calorie restriction and promotes longevity.
Nicotinamide, contained in many multivitamins is an inhibitor of SIRT1 so beware.
High protein is bad.
Keep blood glucose as low as possible all the time.
At 80 mg/dl glucose, insulin shuts down and SIRT1 is activated
High levels of IGF-I is bad, excess protein increases IGF-I independent of calories and deactivates SIRT1
Eat 0.36 grams per pound of protein.
Eat low to moderate GI carbohydrates.
Eat nutrient dense foods.
Cook foods as little as possible to reduce GI.
Use beans and grains as main source of protein.
Try to eat organic.
Add walnuts or olive oil to every meal.
Don't drink liquids with meals, drink between meals. Liquids dilute stomach acids.
Avoid alcohol, that alcohol helps extend life has been debunked.
Avoid caffeine
Eat slowly so glucose is processed slowly.
Break fast with a tablespoon of lemon or lime juiice in a cup of warm water to lower glucose levels when eating breakfast.
To lower the glycemic effect of a food, add vinegar, lemon or lim juice.
15 mins after drinking lemon/lime/vinegar in warm water, chew sweet sugarless gum, to further awaken insulin release, then have a "tease meal" This is a small amount of carbohydrate. Don't choose foods with fructose as fructose doesn't stimulate insulin.
Add some fat like walnuts or olive oil in tease meals. Take fish oil with lemon juice.
45 minutes after tease meal, do moderate exercise for 15 mins to stimulate insulin to prepare for meal.
Add meditation, 15 mins
Breakfast should be biggest meal of day, dinner smallest.
Don't eat late in the evening.
Lift weights twice a week to prevent osteoporosis. Exercise everyday.
Fasting for 15 to 17 hours with fasting glucose in the 80's or below will release BDNF, giving you a natural high.
To do CR:
Reduce total calorie intake to 5 to 20% below normal. Keep fasting blood glucose between 70 mg/dl and 90 mg/dl
Keep protein intake moderate.
Buy glucose meter, test after getting up, goal is to get levels to 74-88.
Test 20 mins after meal
Dinner: take 45 min or longer walk after eating, have 2 or more hours before bed, measure glucose before and after walk, continue walking until glucose reaches baseline
Goal: keep glucose no more than 20 points above baseline throughout the day
Limit AGE (advanced glycation endproducts) in food
- never cook food for long
- always cook with moisture
- avoid high heat cooking
- never cook fats
- never eat browned, grilled or fried foods
- never add sugar, fructose or galactose to food
- never microwave anything other than waterBenfotiamine can reduce AGE formation in humans.
Fructose can form AGEs, limit fructose to 10 g/day
Fast daily to burn ketones
Posted by Deneb on August 31, 2010, at 1:41:57
In reply to The CR Way, my notes on this book, posted by Deneb on August 30, 2010, at 15:44:26
OMGosh! "The Longevity Diet" was awesome! It was so much better than "The CR Way"!
The Longevity Diet went into the science of it all and was very interesting! It also suggests a less radical approach to CR. Basically you should design a CR lifestyle that you feel comfortable with.
I highly recommend this book even if you don't want to do CR.
Posted by Deneb on September 4, 2010, at 8:29:48
In reply to The Longevity Diet - book review, posted by Deneb on August 31, 2010, at 1:41:57
I think I better consult a doctor or dietitian or something about my new way of eating. I never get sick and now I have a cold.
I may be doing something wrong.
Posted by Deneb on September 4, 2010, at 18:43:34
In reply to I have a cold, posted by Deneb on September 4, 2010, at 8:29:48
I already had my period like 2 weeks ago, why am I bleeding again? Ahhhh!
This never happens.
Could it be stress from my low calorie diet? Should I see a doctor?
Posted by Dinah on September 4, 2010, at 19:40:34
In reply to OMG there is something wrong with my body, posted by Deneb on September 4, 2010, at 18:43:34
Don't panic. All sorts of things can cause an irregular cycle. Certainly including stress. If you've limited your calorie intake severely, your body may think that you are in a dangerous time of famine, and adapt by making sure you don't have to feed a baby as well.
Yes, go see a doctor, and get a referral to a dietitian if you want to continue this. I still think a healthy and sensible diet is better.
Posted by Deneb on September 6, 2010, at 17:24:48
In reply to Re: OMG there is something wrong with my body » Deneb, posted by Dinah on September 4, 2010, at 19:40:34
I stopped freaking out. I read that some bleeding during ovulation is normal. Based on my last period, I am almost certainly ovulating. Also I think this has happened before, but I just didn't give it much thought.
Anyways, more about my diet. It is interesting to note that I have lost my appetite. I actually have to make myself eat more than 800 kcal a day. I can't tell whether or not I have lost more weight, but I think I have and that the rate of weight loss has slowed considerably.
I still have a lot of fat. I'm sure my metabolic rate has slowed, which is a good sign (in terms of longevity, not weight loss).
One of the most important things I need to do is to make sure I don't develop osteoporosis on this diet. I'm going to start a program of skipping rope. I think that will help with my bone density.
I've decreased the amount of protein I eat slowly. I take a multivitamin and mineral supplement daily and I am meeting the RDA for all nutrients everyday.
I need to focus on continuing to eat a lot of vegetables. I am choosing to boil or steam my foods whenever possible to reduce the AGE that form with dry and high heat cooking methods.
Weighing myself every month turned out to be a very good idea. I am not obsessed with my weigh, instead, my focus is on my healthy lifestyle.
I am already imagining how I will eat this way for the rest of my long life. When I eat out I will ask for steamed vegetables and order wisely.
I've never been on a diet this long before. I'm happy to report that I don't feel the least bit like stopping and it is not hard to continue with this lifestyle. My diet is not a diet any more, it is a lifestyle.
I think doing this for life extension is the biggest motivator for me, even more so than for looks.
Posted by morgan miller on September 8, 2010, at 21:58:28
In reply to Re: OMG there is something wrong with my body, posted by Deneb on September 6, 2010, at 17:24:48
Hey if your interested in life extension and proper diet you should check out imminst.org. Have you ever been over there?
As long as you have a balanced diet with all the right foods, a calorie restricted diet will probably do you some good in the long run. If you are on an extreme calorie restricted diet you may have to take some supplements to make up for some of the effects of CR. When you go to imminst, check our Michael Ray's, State of My Pills, regimen in the regimen section of the supplements forum.
Morgan
Posted by Deneb on September 11, 2010, at 12:44:18
In reply to Re: OMG there is something wrong with my body, posted by morgan miller on September 8, 2010, at 21:58:28
Thanks for that site Morgan. I will check it out.
I'm still feeling run down. It's been a while now. I don't remember when I started feeling tired and run down. My right ear hurts a little and I get periodic shooting pains up the right side of my head. My throat is a little sore too. It doesn't hurt much so I'm not sure if I really have an infection.
I don't want to go to the doctor for a virus since there is nothing they can do for me if it is a virus. I also want to avoid antibiotics if I can.
Posted by Deneb on September 11, 2010, at 14:54:17
In reply to I think I may have an ear infection, posted by Deneb on September 11, 2010, at 12:44:18
Ugh, had another drop attack. I've been having bad orthostatic hypotension all day. It's so unpredictable. I know it isn't related to my diet though because I had that before I started the longevity diet.
My new eating for life plan is working out well. I got down to a very low calorie amount though and got scared so I binged on some junk food. In hindsight that was a bad idea, all junk food is bad. I should have eaten healthy foods. Avocado has a lot of calories. I should eat that when my calorie counts get too low. For my binge I had a sour cream glazed donut from Tim Hortons (over 300 kcal) and almost a whole bag of reduced fat kettle potato chips (about 1000 kcal). Even with the binge, my 2 month running average of calories is still below 1000 kcal/day. I did bump up my weekly average though, now it is almost 900 kcal. It was interesting to note that I did not have an appetite even for my binge. Food just doesn't taste as good. It was kind of a forced binge just for the calories.
I will weigh myself on the 18th. I hope I lost more weight. I weigh myself every month. I hope pdoc notices my weight loss! I still have a lot of tummy fat though. I can't wait to get rid of it!
I've started taking an echinacea herb tincture to combat this cold/virus/whatever I have right now that is leaving me feeling run down.
I hope I start feeling better soon so that I feel like exercising again. I need to build up my bones. I want to do 200 jumping jacks everyday. This high impact activity will stimulate my bones.
I can't wait to get a physical in a few months. Then I can see how this diet is making me healthier. Hopefully my biomarkers have all improved and if not I can figure out what is wrong.
Posted by Deneb on September 11, 2010, at 21:11:55
In reply to Re: I think I may have an ear infection, posted by Deneb on September 11, 2010, at 14:54:17
My throat and ear feel better now! I think adding the echinacea boosted my immune system. Echinacea rocks!
It really does boost the immune system, one of my professors has studied it.
Posted by Deneb on September 13, 2010, at 5:07:54
In reply to Echinacea rocks!, posted by Deneb on September 11, 2010, at 21:11:55
Darn. I thought the echinacea made things better. My throat and right ear still feel funny and I have the shooting pains again.
I don't know what to do, it isn't bad enough for me to see a doctor. This is probably just a mild cold. I'm probably just losing weight too quickly and my immune system is suffering a bit. Or maybe I just have the cold that everyone seems to have right now.
On the longevity diet front, I'm still doing well even though I kind of went off plan completely today for my sister's birthday get together.
I decided unhealthy meals once in a while are okay. I don't want to limit my life too much with my diet. I still want to be able to enjoy parties and such.
My calorie counts have gone up, but it's not too bad.
Oh, I also finally got the CRON-o-meter to work on Ubuntu! I will find out if it is better than Fitday in tracking nutrition.
I see pdoc on Tues. It has been like a month since I last saw her. I hope she notices my weight loss!
I think I'm losing a lot of muscle right now. I still have tons of fat, but I am getting smaller. I need to do more exercise to try to maintain my muscle mass. I also have to be diligent on the 200 jumping jacks a day. I don't want brittle bones when I get older.
Posted by Deneb on September 14, 2010, at 14:41:13
In reply to Nope, still have a cold, posted by Deneb on September 13, 2010, at 5:07:54
Well she supports me losing weight and getting fit, but she doesn't support my longevity diet! I gave her some evidence, but she countered them and didn't believe it. She said what I was doing was the opposite of a longevity diet and that this is really about control. She said she would be disappointed if I didn't put my energy towards finding a job and my career.
She did congratulate me on finally meeting requirements for my degree though.
I think I need to dig up some journal articles and highlight some key points about calorie restriction and bring them to my pdoc. She doesn't believe in the longevity diet! I need some hard facts to show her.
She wants to weigh me next time. She said I was setting myself up for a binge eating disorder. I told her that this was a lifestyle change, but she said my body would rebel. She said I can't survive on 1000 kcal/day long term.
I understand that and if I get below 90 pounds I will eat more! My goal is 90 pounds and I promise myself I would not go below that.
She doesn't seem to think I can focus on my career and do calorie restriction at the same time. I will prove her wrong. I will focus on my career. I can do both.
Posted by Dinah on September 14, 2010, at 17:20:19
In reply to My pdoc doesn't support me!, posted by Deneb on September 14, 2010, at 14:41:13
It sounds like she's supporting you as best she can. I support your pdoc in supporting you.
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