437 lbs to 250 - low carb

[Nemesis48]

Down another 4 lbs since my last weigh in - fucking barbell exercises ftw!

[Nemesis48]

BBQ italian sausages; sauted whole, organic green beans in an olive oil and garlic sauce; greek yogurt with pepper/salt/paprika/garlic and sauted flax seeds

Arguably the tastiest thing I have concocted. The yogurt was absolutely insane how good it was.

[Seriously-Dead]

Originally Posted by Nemesis48

Nah bro. I just have the worst genetics imaginable. if I did a couple weeks of carbs I would seriously gain like 40 lbs. If it's going to result in me gaining weight i'm not interested.

Let's take the week long vacation before I came down here as an example. I gained roughly 30 lbs in a week, which was often high carb meals, and that set me back a long time.

Also - the weight is coming off, but you have to remember that 300 calories extra a day translates to more than 1 lb every 2 weeks (3500 calories per lb), and somedays it was even higher. Now that i've standardized my lunch once again and eat the same thing every day, the only variable is dinner.

Although, you do raise a somewhat interesting point. I used to have a large cheat meal every week, usually taco bell or chinese food - but when my weight loss slowed down I eliminated these to keep up the pace. It's hard to say whether or not that's been effective considering the big factor of stress.

Furthermore, all the latest research I have read suggests that if you break out of ketosis it can take as long as 4 weeks to re-adapt, even if you had been adapted before. In the past, I would disagree with this anecdotally, I would have a decadent cheat meal, gain 3-4 lbs of water weight and get rid of it in 2-3 days, but now when I cheat it seems to set me back much longer - a week or more.

Truth be told i'd like a weekly cheat meal (i've been jonsesing for some taco bell for well over 2 months now - but refuse to cheat if i'm above my lowest weight) , and maybe when my lifts get really heavy I will be able to afford that again.

You have to slowly re-introduce carbohydrates in order to reap the benefits. High fat low carb diets KILL insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion by islet cells, while high-carb (particularly high in pure sugar) drastically increases insulin sensitivity, increases insulin secretion and raises metabolic rate (it can also enhance thyroid function and hormone synthesis). So of course it makes sense that you would gain a ton of weight by jumping into a carbohydrate laden diet overnight - your insulin secretion and sensitivity is probably garbage both from having been obese in the past and by using a very low-carb diet.

You do not have the worst genetics in the world. You were morbidly obese and you're simply recovering from it. Part of fixing the problem of obesity is restoring the proper response to carbohydrate - you are not doomed to be on a low-carb diet for eternity.

At some point you are going to have to have to slowly re-introduce carbohydrates into your diet. Since you started lifting, I would suggest using your post-workout window to start re-introducing carbohydrate rich foods back into your diet, since your rate of glucose transport will be highest at those times anyway. Try escalating the amount of carbs you ingest every week - think 20g-40g of carbs after a workout for the first week or two, slowly increasing this amount to 50-100g+ over a month, and then reintroducing carbs to other times that aren't post-workout once you've actually restored your glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Also, drinking coffee a few times a day (you're fasting, right? may as well do it then) will increase insulin secretion, restore beta cell mass, and increase glut4 translocation, further setting you up for success when you ingest carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates have some great effects on your system. I imagine now that you're weight is getting closer to "normal" your leptin and thyroid are probably starting to normalize, and it's at this point that you're going to want to reintroduce carbs to increase their synthesis and take advantage of their effects on broad scale hormone synthesis, specifically sex hormones and bone mass accrual. In addition, adding in carbs into your diet will pay dividends in the gym, because the sure fire way to promote adherence in the gym is to increase the frequency you hit new PRs and hit new milestones.

I've done the transition from low-carb to high sugar before. The key is to do it slowly.

Anyways, you're making sick progress man. Keep it up, but don't be afraid to do some light experimentation. A rolling stone gathers no moss, but a stagnant one covers no ground.

[Nemesis48]

I appreciate the sentiment but there's a few factors:
1. I like the way I feel after changing my diet, the effect was immediate and hasn't changed since. It's nice to rarely be hungry, not have energy crashes and generally feel the same and content.
2. I would be willing to experiment if it meant no weight gain.
3. I do intend to eat some more carbohydrates once i'm at my target weight. Right now I can eat some, but it just stalls my weight loss. Of course when i'm at my target this won't matter, i'll be stalled for a few days, then burn/sweat it off in the gym, to be at a natural equilibrium. Little setbacks like that now, add together to create large setbacks. I'd like to be low carb forever due to the health benefits, but not necessarily ketogenic - i'd be willing to eat up to 100 g a day eventually, WILLING, but not planning.

[Nemesis48]

Really went on a binge today - don't know why, first time I ever really binged, just felt hungry after lifting last night. Had like 20 cookies, which were at work, half of a rotisserie chicken, some collard greens, then I was going to fast for the rest of the day but wound up eating almonds, cheese, roast beef and about 3 tbsp of peanut butter when I got home. Probably wouldn't be more calories than most of you guys eat a day (~3000), but I know i'll be 5-6 lbs heavier tomorrow and it'll take a week or more to get rid of it, even with a full day of fasting tomorrow.

Sigh.

[Tension]

Originally Posted by Nemesis48

Down another 4 lbs since my last weigh in - fucking barbell exercises ftw!

Hell yah

[Nemesis48]

Pretty much stalled again since the initial weight loss from starting lifting, also doesn't help matters I eat shit at a company party yesterday, and xmas coming up. However, a body recomp is under way.

I used to be flabby and pudgy, and i'm quickly turning into muscle since my lifting regiment began and has persisted consistently. I still have extra skin from all the weight loss, but am getting noticeable muscularity and vascularity. Here is my log:

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/showthread.php?p=76930161

I still want to break into the 240s, it's really starting to frustrate me.

[Nemesis48]

Baked chicken wings, seasoned in garlic, clove, pepper, salt, herbs, with a greek yogurt dip. Spinach salad with chia seeds in bleu cheese and greek dressing on the side.

[Sarumyan]

What is your weight exactly?
To be honest I agree with the fellow above. Ketogenic diet is just hardly viable in the long term, think about the artificial hormones you are eating with your meat.

You should eat unlimited veggies at least. It definitely helps with mood-wise when you can eat something unlimited .

Weights are better than sitting on your ass, but it is not a sport. I advice doing proper sports more, especially games.

[rikwebb]

Originally Posted by Nemesis48

Baked chicken wings, seasoned in garlic, clove, pepper, salt, herbs, with a greek yogurt dip. Spinach salad with chia seeds in bleu cheese and greek dressing on the side.

Did it taste as good as it looks?