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| Author | Topic: I've lost about 3-4 kilo's. Is that OK ? |
| etwald 09-02-2002 03:54 AM | Hi Wai, I'm still on the diet and I feel fine. In a week I lost 3 to 4 kilo's, however. Is that OK ? I'm a 24 year old male, 185 cm tall, and I used to weigh 75 kg before I started. Right now only 71 kilograms are left. Could I have lost so much water. I already was on a low-carb diet (so I wasn't fat at all), so I don't think I could have lost that much fat. Could I be burning my muscles ? Is it possible to maintain a well-built body on this diet ? The nice thing about low-carb diets is that it's virtually impossible to burn up your muscles. On a low-carb diet the body primarily burns fat for fuel and won't need to convert muscle into glucose to maintain blood sugar. On a high-carb diet the body needs to find another source of glucose when the glucose runs out: Muscle.. Thanks for answering, Ed |
| Wai 09-02-2002 12:35 PM | quote:That might very well be water only. But it also might be muscle tissue (and even a little bit of fat), or a combination of both, of course. Whether it is ok, depends on what it is. If it is water, that's fine. If it is muscle, that is not good. In case it is muscle, then it is a sign that you need to learn how to maintain this diet properly. (it is so different from your previous diet) quote:Of course it is! Weight management is ALL about energy management. By adequately managing your energy intake, you can always prevent the conversion of muscle tissue into energy. My boyfriend is 1.90 m tall (6 feet 3), and weighs 87 kg; muscled and lean, and he is on the diet 100% since 7.5 years. Whenever he is less cautious about his energy intake, he loses weight. And when he takes better care, he gains muscle weight again. quote:It is possible, but it is much easier to maintain your muscle weight indeed. quote:Not necessarily; If you consume very much protein, and not so much fat, it will be protein primarily. quote:On a high sugar diet, the body will not convert muscle into glucose to maintain the blood sugar if you constantly make sure that the blood sugar level does not decrease too much. So, again, it is all about your energy management; you need to make constantly sure that your blood sugar level is maintained. every second that your blood sugar- or blood fat-level is decrease, you are converting muscle tissue into energy. |
| etwald 09-02-2002 12:56 PM | Hi Wai, Thanks for your reply.. This example sure does give me a more positive outlook on following the diet.. quote:I eat about a kilo of fruit a day and lots of nuts and butter. A kilo of fruit means about 130 grams of carbohydrates and the nuts and butter should suffice for at least 150g of fat a day. So, when you look at the calories it should be enough (130x4 + 150x9 = 620 + 1350 = 1970 kcal). On the other hand, perhaps this is not enough. I will try to eat a bit more.. One other question. I always learned that the body metabolism can't swap instantly from burning glucose to burning fatty acids. So, during the day, when you keep on snacking fruits, it should be ok, but when you go to sleep, you can't snack and for a period of time, the body will need to buffer the bloodsugar levels before it can start to burn the fatty acids. That would mean that each night you would burn a bit of muscle, or am I incorrect ? Am I correct to think that it doesn't really matter what's the fat:glucose ratio in this diet. I am not following your diet exactly as I eat at least 1 gram of fat for each carbohydrate in the fruits. Or would it be better if I ate more than the 1kg of fruit and eat less fat ? Thanks, Ed |
| Wai 09-02-2002 01:56 PM | Ed, 1970 kcal is not nearly enough for a guy like you. Why don't you check out the nutrient calculator? To prevent weightloss, it is best to drink juices; check my advice (A-D) here quote:The body CONSTANTLY burns both sugars and fats, 24 hours a day. Just the ratio differs, depending on physical activity. During the night, when your body is at rest, you burn relatively most fat. So, there is no issue about not being able to swap. What your body doesn't do, is increasing the burning of fat as fast as it can increase the burning of sugars. Sugars are a fast, but short lasting source of energy, while fat is a slow, but long lasting source of energy. Together, they are perfectly complementary. quote:Correct, as long as you are consuming enough fat. (which you do) quote:You don't need to eat less fat AT ALL. You only need to maintain your blood sugar level more closely, by drinking juices for example. (which is the easiest way) |