A fun experiment

[genetic freak]

I would say that is a pretty normal amount of water to drop after a week of dropping carbs. At least for me it is, but I retain water like a woman on her period.

 

[Wallyd]

@gs, so are you saying a calorie is a calorie? Lol

I would say that is a pretty normal amount of water to drop after a week of dropping carbs. At least for me it is, but I retain water like a woman on her period.

i don’t think you’re alone on that!

 

[gunslinger]

@gs, so are you saying a calorie is a calorie? Lol

Exactly! lol

 

[gunslinger]

I would say that is a pretty normal amount of water to drop after a week of dropping carbs. At least for me it is, but I retain water like a woman on her period.

The interesting part will be in a month or so at this caloric level. Having done this a time or two I can almost guarantee a loss of 5-7 pounds after the water weight. This according to some should not be possible and certainly not if "a calorie is a calorie" If I would have kept eating all the carbs I would have continued to gain at a fast rate (I've done it many times gaining up to 33 pounds in 6 weeks) My weight loss will keep going until I add in one carb day and decrease the calories to around 3,500-4,000.

 

[genetic freak]

The interesting part will be in a month or so at this caloric level. Having done this a time or two I can almost guarantee a loss of 5-7 pounds after the water weight. This according to some should not be possible and certainly not if "a calorie is a calorie" If I would have kept eating all the carbs I would have continued to gain at a fast rate (I've done it many times gaining up to 33 pounds in 6 weeks) My weight loss will keep going until I add in one carb day and decrease the calories to around 3,500-4,000.

If the body would remain in equilibrium then a calorie would be a calorie. However, how those calories impact hormones is the game changer and why we see variation from individual to individual.

I am like you. Low carb is the only way I can keep the fat off. It doesn't matter how many calories I take in (to a certain extent). I am carb sensitive, having fasted blood glucose levels usually around 106-109. Been that way my entire life. The only time I can get my numbers down to normal range is to cut out carbs completely or go low carb and use berberine. Needless to say, insulin sensitivity was garbage.

Once I was able to get my glucose under control, I had to increase my caloric intake a lot just for maintenance. I went from running 5-7 miles 5 times a week and training 3-4 times a week while eating a balanced diet of 2500 calories a day to stay around 12-13% bodyfat, to 20 minutes of walking and training 3-4 times a week while eating low carb 3100 calories a day to say between 8-10% bodyfat.

We also tend to forget about cortisol levels and the impact food can have on them or cortisol in general. Last year I decided to just retire. I am done working. I do whatever I want. I hunt, fish, play golf, go the gym, play trophy house husband, etc... The ease at which keeping the bodyfat off and building and maintaining muscle since has been a revelation. Nothing else has changed, except I no longer have operational stress.

 

[gunslinger]

If the body would remain in equilibrium then a calorie would be a calorie. However, how those calories impact hormones is the game changer and why we see variation from individual to individual.

I am like you. Low carb is the only way I can keep the fat off. It doesn't matter how many calories I take in (to a certain extent). I am carb sensitive, having fasted blood glucose levels usually around 106-109. Been that way my entire life. The only time I can get my numbers down to normal range is to cut out carbs completely or go low carb and use berberine. Needless to say, insulin sensitivity was garbage.

Once I was able to get my glucose under control, I had to increase my caloric intake a lot just for maintenance. I went from running 5-7 miles 5 times a week and training 3-4 times a week while eating a balanced diet of 2500 calories a day to stay around 12-13% bodyfat, to 20 minutes of walking and training 3-4 times a week while eating low carb 3100 calories a day to say between 8-10% bodyfat.

We also tend to forget about cortisol levels and the impact food can have on them or cortisol in general. Last year I decided to just retire. I am done working. I do whatever I want. I hunt, fish, play golf, go the gym, play trophy house husband, etc... The ease at which keeping the bodyfat off and building and maintaining muscle since has been a revelation. Nothing else has changed, except I no longer have operational stress.

Yep, I've always had a problem with sugar/carbs. It has never mattered to my body where the carbs came from either. A cup of rice or a plain potato has the exact same effect as a box of sugary cereal or donuts. No difference at all. All fiber has ever done is give me the shits...lol I have gotten fat on 1,500 calories per day and lean on over 5,000 and the difference was no sugar/carbs. The thing is we aren't alone in this. My daughter has gone all the way down to 800 calories per day for weeks on end while doing cardio and still maintained over 200 pounds. She now eats over 2,500 cals per day (mostly meat and fibrous veg) and maintains around 160 with zero cardio. Same with my son. He lost 74 pounds in 6 months with a 1,000 calories per day increase. Just by dropping all carbs.

As I've said before, when it comes to diet - In theory there is no difference in practice and theory, in practice there is. On paper these so-called "experts" can say a calorie is a calorie but in the real world it doesn't work that way for a lot of us. Also I've notice most of these types are genetically gifted with a great metabolism and/or are on copious amounts of PEDs and GH. I'm sure with a gram of tren and test, clen, GH etc I could eat oatmeal, potatoes, rice etc and still be pretty lean. I'm 46 and thats just not realistic for me at this point.

 

[gunslinger]

3 hour Jiu-jitsu seminar today. Weight 199.2

 

[gunslinger]

Update:

Averaging 5,000 calories per day all meat and eggs I'm now down to 198 even. Feeling much better now. No more brain fog, no more sugar cravings. Going to shoot for 190 and then add in one carb day and drop the daily calories down to around 4,000 per day.

 

[jipped genes]

You should lean out fast. I would suggest the carb day be a heavy workout day but you know what you are doing.

 

[gunslinger]

You should lean out fast. I would suggest the carb day be a heavy workout day but you know what you are doing.

Thats the plan. I'm very lean (for me) at 190. I was actually fairly lean at 241 but my knees just wont take that kind of weight anymore.

 

[Glycomann]

Update:

Averaging 5,000 calories per day all meat and eggs I'm now down to 198 even. Feeling much better now. No more brain fog, no more sugar cravings. Going to shoot for 190 and then add in one carb day and drop the daily calories down to around 4,000 per day.

How is your hematocrit now? A lot of us older guys are having problems with sleep apnea which can raise it. Personally, I co off everything for a month here and there to get mine down. One month off it goes from 56% to 51%. 8 weeks off it goes from 56% to 45%. one month off and donation at 3 weeks puts me at ~48%. I plan cycles when at the low end anticipating hematocrit will be up at the end of the stint. At 61 I wish I could still train on the mat. joints are shot for grappling now. Good to see you're still at it.

 

[gunslinger]

How is your hematocrit now? A lot of us older guys are having problems with sleep apnea which can raise it. Personally, I co off everything for a month here and there to get mine down. One month off it goes from 56% to 51%. 8 weeks off it goes from 56% to 45%. one month off and donation at 3 weeks puts me at ~48%. I plan cycles when at the low end anticipating hematocrit will be up at the end of the stint. At 61 I wish I could still train on the mat. joints are shot for grappling now. Good to see you're still at it.

I was at 20.8 ("iron" level. Not sure the actual %) when all of this started. Posted another thread about it. After two donations I was at 17. Will be going in for a third next month. I dropped my TRT from 250mg per week to 200mg every 10 days. I'll based where I go from here when I go back in December. I may drop the TRT for a couple months if needed.