Myth 2 - To loose weight, you need to eat 5-6 small meals per day and exercise regularly

Tommy from Sweden lost 50% of his weight on LCHF.
After 2 years, he maintained LCHF lifestyle as well as
his weight.

When I was searching around the web for data on different diets, I have noticed that every single diet which was performed under scientific and controlled conditions, supervised by medical experts and strictly followed by the subjects, WORKED! Every single one of them. The low fat - high carb, high protein (Dukan), Montignac, Mediteranian, Atkins, paleo, South Beach, Slimming World, Weightwatchers, Rosemary Conley... When they were performed scientifically, they all worked.




So, if they all work, why is the world getting fatter and fatter? And why was this happening to me?

I believe there is a big difference between dieting in a scientifically controlled environment and dieting "privately". The level of commitment of people participating in scientific experiments is much higher, since they are usually selected according to their personal capabilities of following an experiment. In addition to that, they usually sign a contract with financial covenants, making them more difficult to stop. However, in the "real world", we usually can not fully commit to a very strict eating and exercising schedule, since most of us are often victims of our professions and family obligations. For this reason, all diets show very good results in scientific studies (otherwise, they probably wouldn't be called "diets" in the first place), but most of them fail in the real world.

By understanding how our bodies process carbohydrates and fat (I wrote about that in Myth 1), it is not difficult to see the problems with most diets. First of all, most diets rely on glucose as the main energy source. Glucose is a "rapid come, rapid go" sort of fuel. It comes with insulin spikes after every meal, only burning a small part of consumed glucose as fuel and store the rest of it as glycogen and fat. Worst of all, insulin spikes cause constant hunger and cravings. To minimize these, diets advise to eat small meals several times a day, by which insulin spikes are smaller and energy delivery better matches the needs. In addition to that, they call for regular physical exercise (like 60-120 minutes 3-4 times per day). The purpose of exercises is to burn excess glycogen and induce part time ketosis.

Most diets work, but can you commit to their schedule?

Although these diets work very well in scientific conditions, most people find them to be impossible to follow in the real world. When I tried one such diet, I managed to stay on it for three months. After that, I couldn't take it anymore. All I was doing was packing small portions of food and spending my evenings either in a fitness studio, or staying at home "licking the wounds" from previous training session. I have spent a lot of time shopping  for fresh ingredients and preparing all the food. I could barely eat outside and my social life ceased to exist, since I didn't have any time left for meeting friends and family. Although the plan was successful (in three months, I lost 9 kilograms), most of the time I was tired, hungry and miserable. And when I talked about it with some diet specialists, doctors and fitness trainers, they told me that I am probably just lazy and that things will get better once I get used to them. They (or I) didn't! After 3 months, my progress stopped. Although I followed the plan, I haven't lost any more weight and I wasn't getting any better physically. Then, I dropped the entire thing.

Looking around on the internet, I have noticed, that there are many people out there who could tell a similar story. Are we really all just plain lazy? REALLY? ALL OF US??

In BBC's documentary "The Atkins Diet" they have shown a comparison of two groups: one on a low carb high fat Atkins diet and the other on a high carb diet with strict eating plan and exercise. Both groups followed the diets strictly and both of them lost weight. But the Atkins group lost much more weight and in addition to that, reported that they found following the diet very easy, while the other group struggled. And I found most remarkable was that, although people on the Atkins diet were allowed to overeat, they actually didn't! They have explained that they simply weren't that hungry. So, let's summarize that bit:

• Eating whatever you like, except carbs,
• in any amount you like,
• whenever you like,
• and not only loose weight,
• but loose it quicker than the guys following a strict diet plan and exercise?

Just by looking that part of the documentary, I was sold!

Sam Feltham after 21 days of 5.000 kcal LCHF diet.
Doesn't he look great at every stage?

Morgan Spurlock after a 30 day high carb McDonald's "diet".

Quite recently, a guy called Sam Feltham, owner of a website Smash The Fat, started doing a series of experiments. He was inspired by the movie Supersize Me, where narrator Morgan Spurlock ate nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days. On average, he ate an average of 5.000 kcal per day and after 30 days, he gained a bit over 11 kilos. Sam Feltham repeated the experiment, substituting the McDonald's diet with LCHF diet. For 21 days, he ate an astonishing 5.800 kcal per day (more than twice the recommended amount), strictly following LCHF rules. In 21 days, he gained only 1,7 kilos, while his wasteline actually went down! Just look at him on the picture. That's the guy who kept eating double LCHF portions for 21 days! You can read a more detailed analysis of his results on the Diet Doctor's website (What Happens If You Eat 5,800 Calories Daily on an LCHF Diet?), while here you can read the actual Sam's thoughts.

Sam Feltham's new project is to repeat the experiment, but this time being on a high carb diet. At the moment, he is at his 14th day and has gained 4.3 kilos so far! Furthermore, he gained 7 centimeters of waistline. As you can see, he is doing well in following Spurlock's footsteps. You can read Sam's updates of his experiment here, I recommend you to check it out.

Morgan Spurlock and Sam Feltham are just at the tip of the iceberg. Two guys that publicly revealed things that most of us already knew, but refused to see.

To summarize my thoughts about the second myth. Eating 5-6 small meals per day and exercise regularly is has proven to be way to loose weight, but most people simply can't follow it more than a few weeks. It makes much more sense to induce a permanent state of ketosis, where the body is in constant fat burning mode and where insulin variations are close to none. Not only that it is much more realistic to expect that people are more likely to follow a diet which is full of tasty food and comes with no eating and exercise schedule. Most data show that such diet is also much more efficient than others.

My second week on LCHF

The second week of my LCHF lifestyle is over and I am happy to say that it is going very well. In fact, it is even better than I have expected.

To start with statistics. Since last Monday, I lost 2 kilograms and I am now on 108,2 kg. I also started measuring my waist and it decreased in perimeter for 3,5 cm. Altogether, I have lost 4 kilograms in two weeks, which is totally awesome.

I keep eating things that I like and I am finding it easier and easier to avoid carbohydrates. I am also noticing that I can skip a meal without having huge cravings afterwards. Although I believe it is not wise to skip meals, it did happen to me twice last week due to my working schedule. At that time, I was very happy that I am not on a traditional 5-6 meals per day, because I day like that would have ended down with a late pizza and a beer. Not in this case. After a whole day of eating nothing but a small breakfast, I made myself a nice late night dinner with cabbage, cauliflower, butter, milk, bacon and cheese. I was particularly proud of myself because that same afternoon, I have attended a sushi making course. I arrived there on a totally empty stomach, but despite that, managed to get through the entire course without eating a single sushi, due to the rice. I did get some strange looks from the other participants, but I didn't mind.

My usual day now starts with two eggs cooked on a piece of butter and about a tablespoon worth of pork greaves ("ocvirki"). For lunch, I eat in restaurants. I look for a combination of meat and vegetables, avoiding anything with carbohydrates. Here, you should be very careful, because sauces and gravies are often thickened with starch. I always ask if there is any starch in the sauce and if there is, I just ask them to replace the sauce with a nice blob of butter or creme fraiche. For dinner, I eat things like smoked salmon, cabbage, cauliflower, salad, cheese, bacon, pork sausages etc. To quench my thirst, I drink only water and I enjoy it a lot.

On Saturday, I have also purchased a blood analyzer. It measures blood glucose, triglycerides and total cholesterol. I measured blood glucose three hours after breakfast and it was 75,4 mg/dl. According to information I found on a few websites, this is quite low, but not too low. Then, I measured cholesterol and it was 284 mg/dl. Now that is a lot! I haven't measured triglycerides yet, but I also expect them to be high, due to my long years of carbohydrate and protein nutrition. I will measure cholesterol and triglycerides again in a month and see how it goes.

So, after two weeks, I can still say that I am really happy to have stumbled upon LCHF and made the decision to pursue it. I eat really well, I am never starving and I am loosing a whole lot of weight. I am loving it!

Myth 1: Fat makes you - fat(ter)

In my first post "The more I tried, the more I failed", I have stated three fundamental, but controversial statements of LCHF. I will explore them one by one. The first and the most important statement of LCHF is:

It is the carbohydrates, not fat, that make us fat.

When I told it to my friends, and tried to explain it to them a bit, they found it very difficult to accept. I think that in the end, some of them may have accepted it on the rational level, but I could see in their eyes that a part of them strongly felt that I should start being more careful at choosing my mushrooms on the local market.

But let's think about it a little. What happens in our body when we eat carbs and what when we eat fat?



Let's look at carbs first. When we eat carbohydrates (potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, sweets...), our body first breaks them down into their basic building blocks: glucose. Glucose is our fuel and all cells in our body can use it for energy. Most of the cells may also use other things as fuel, but more on that later. Carbs are easily and quickly digested and soon after eating them, a bunch of glucose enters our bloodstream. Our body responds by producing insulin - a hormone responsible to quickly push glucose from our bloodstream into our cells, which then use it as energy.

Unless we eat very small amounts of carbohydrates, the amount of glucose in our bloodstream is way over our energy requirements of that moment (that last bit of the sentence is important). Therefore, there is an excess of glucose which can't be immediately used by our cells. Our body starts storing this excess glucose for later use and insulin plays a major role here. There are three possible places for storage and they are used as stated in below order:

1. In our liver, as glycogen.
2. In our muscles, as glycogen.
3. In our fatty cells, as fat.

This means than only when our liver and muscles are full, the last place is fatty cells. This means that the very moment when liver and muscles are full of glycogen, all excessive glucose is immediately converted into fat. It is worth pointing out that the usage of stored energy follows the same order. First, we burn glycogen in liver and muscles, and only then we resort to burning fat.

But what happens, when we eat fat?

Similarly as complex carbohydrates, fats need to be broken down into smaller building blocks before they can enter our bloodstream. The concept is similar as with carbs, but it takes a whole different digestive process to do that. It also takes more time and a bit more energy. First, bits of large fat molecules are mixed with digestive fluids and packed together with a bit of protein and a bit of cholesterol into "packages" called chylomicrons. Chylomicrons then enter our lymphatic system and from there they get into the bloodstream. They go all the way to the capillaries into the proximity of all kinds of cells, where they are finally broken down into basic building blocks: fatty acids and glycerol. These can enter the cells, where they are used either as energy, or are reconstructed back into fat for later usage.

This means, that if our cells don't need any energy, eating fat also makes us fat. But, if our cells are not getting energy from glucose, fat is burned for energy instead.

Another that happens in the absence of glucose is ketosis. This is the process when our body starts using fatty acids for energy instead of glucose. It is triggered by a long physical activity or by starvation. Most types of cells in our body can absorb fatty acids and use them for energy, but our brain cells can't. That's why liver starts using fat to generate new compounds called ketone bodies, which are soluble in blood and can be used by brain for energy. Therefore, in the absence of glucose, we start using fat for energy and even brain gets their own dose of energy in the form of ketones. To be exact, while digesting fats, our body creates a little bit of glucose as well. It comes from glycerol, one of basic components of fats. There is not a lot of glucose created from fat and it is created very slowly, hence insulin rises minimally. This can be seen at above graphs which compares insulin levels in the period of 6 hours after eating fats (black dots) and carbohydrates (white squares). It is clear that when eating carbohydrates, glucose level doubled within the hour, which is followed by a rush of insulin, which, between 1 and 4 hours after meal, pushed glucose out. On the other hand, when eating fat, not much has been happening in terms of glucose and insulin variations.

A lot of low fat diets advise you to eat plenty of small meals and exercise regularly. And a lot of studies show that these diets work, IF (and that's a big if) you manage to follow them. Small meals decrease the spikes of carbohydrates and exercising is regularly depleting glycogen reserves, at the same time inducing part time ketosis. But, the problem of these diets is that eating 5 to 6 small meals for many months and exercising for 1-2 hours three times a week requires a big change in lifestyle. And even then, ketosis as the most desired state is constantly switched on and off. Many people fail. Not because diets don't work, but because they require a great sacrifice.

LCHF offers an interesting alternative over most diets. By pretty much completely eliminating carbohydrates out of nutrition, there are no glucose/insulin spikes (see above graph), which means that after the reserves are depleted and body enters ketosis, it stays there, even without physical activity. Because there is never any elevated insulin, fatty cells open up to release our own stored fat whenever there is lack of nutrition. Our bloodstream is full of ketones and with plenty of fat to digest, therefore we are not hungry all them time.

In conclusion, if we have a surplus of energy, carbs and fats both make us fat. But, it is much easier to create surplus with carbohydrates than with fat. Hence, if you eat when you are hungry and not overeat yourself completely, carbohydrates make you fat, but fat doesn't.

My first week on LCHF

My first week of LCHF is over and it started out great. Not just because I am being allowed to eat all the tasty stuff such as eggs, butter, bacon, cheese, full fat milk, sour cream and vegetables with lots of oil on top. In the whole week, I was never hungry and every meal was a treat. I didn't have to change my daily nutritional routine. That's an important factor for me, since I am very busy at work and prefer to eat close to the office. I keep going in the same restaurants for lunch as I have before and it's easy for me to find something I like and which is at the same time "LCHF compatible". In fact, so far I haven't found a single LCHF dish which the part of my brain, responsible for fun, would say no to.

What did I eat? For breakfast, 2 eggs a day, with a spoon of bacon cubes and cooked in 1/2 tablespoon of butter or coconut oil (cold pressed). Sometimes, I added some cheese and/or a glass of full fat milk (non pasteurized and non homogenized, straight from a cow). For lunch, I was going for a piece of meat, fatty sauces and vegetables. If it felt dry, I simply added olive oil. For dinner, I had things like smoked salmon, mackerel, sausage, bacon, French cheeses and every now and then a bit of baked vegetables (paprika, zucchini, aubergines, onions and garlic).
The only things with more carbohydrates that I ate this week was a one piece of vegan (raw) mango cake with no flour or sugar, but sweetened with agave syrup instead, and two cups of barely sweetened cocoa. I started drinking coffee with caffeine again (have been off it for 2 years). Black, no milk, no sugar nor other sweeteners. Put this stuff all together and what you get surely is a cardiovascular doctor's nightmare.

I lost 2 kilograms. This Sunday morning, I had 109,8kg.

I am noticing some changes in the way how my body works. I am more regularly thirsty and for the first time in my life, I totally prefer water over any other beverage. Before, drinking plain water made me feel sick and even more thirsty. Also, my sense of taste changed. I am better at tolerating bitter flavors and am starting to prefer black coffee over-cafe latte. I am becoming more sensitive to sweet flavors. That piece of cake I ate felt really sweet, much more than when I had it a few months ago, when I was eating carbs and protein. Especially in the first few days, I needed plenty of sleep (8 hours a night). I slept great, having very vivid and colorful dreams. I read on some blog that some LCHF beginners experience very vivid dreams, but that it goes away after a while. Myself, I liked them a lot and I hope they will stay.

I was never hungry, apart from the normal feeling of hunger before meal.

I don't feel to be on a diet at all - more like taking a break from one. I will most definitively keep on going it.

The more I tried, the more I failed. Why am I getting fat?

After I have first heard of LCHF, I have been vigorously searching the internet and Youtube for more information. There are plenty of articles, blogs and videos available and I will be posting up links to them. But for starters, here is a summary of what I have learned so far.

LCHF stands for "low carb, high fat" and is a diet that started out by a few medical doctors in Sweden. It's been out for a while now and so far it seems to be highly effective. Not only that people loose lots of weight rather fast. It also seems to pose no health risks, is easy to follow, does not decrease life quality and that people keep on doing it even after they have reached their healthy weight. For that reason, it is often called to be a lifestyle, not just a diet.

At first, it sounded a bit strange to me. How is it possible to continually loose weight, without resorting to special products or medications, while at the same time not be burdened with cravings, hunger, excercise...? Sounds utopic, right? That's the big thing about LCHF. It actually often sounds downright insane. And to me, the craziest of all are its groundbreaking fundamental statements:

1. It is the carbohydrates, not fat, that make us fat.
2. You can eat as much as you want and still loose excessive bodyfat, as long as you keep your insulin levels low and stable. You don't even have to exercise.
3. Cardiovascular problems are caused by non-saturated fatty acids, particularly omega-6 and hydrogenated fats, and not by saturated fats such as butter and pork fat.

There is more to it than that, but these are the basics. Surely you are noticing that above statements are controversial and completely against what we are being told by doctors, dietitians and media. They say the exact opposite: carbohydrates make you more healthy while fat makes you fatter. Unsaturated fats clean your cardiovascular system and saturated fats are clogging your arteries, but you should keep both at the minimum. And the only way to loose weight is to exercise regularly and eat fewer calories. I hear this literally everywhere. But is it really true?

I have been trying this widely adopted "recipe for health" for the past ten years. Most of this time, I have been careful about my food intake. I was gradually eliminating the fats and simple sugars out of my nutrition, replacing it with protein, starches, fruits and vegetables. I have been spending lots and lots of time thinking about my nutritional habits and giving myself a hard time whenever I sinned. I admit, I've had my share of dietary oopsies, but overall, everyone, including my doctor told me that my eating habits are good enough to maintain reasonable weight and be in no major cardiovascular risk. And that was even after I complained to her of being constantly very tired in the afternoons, especially at the ones that followed a pasta with tomato sauce kinda lunch. No fats and no protein added whatsoever.

Despite good feedbacks from my friends and my doctor, and also despite constantly noticing that I have been better at following dietary advice than my (not nearly that overweight) friends, throughout the last decade, my weight just kept going up. In 10 years, I have gained over 30 kilograms. When I was 20, I had 82 kilograms, which was just a kilo or two shy of being perfect. Today, at 33, I have 110kg. 18 months ago, I was even at 116kg! My prom black tie suit was size 48, while my todays business suits are size 56 and 58. Even though I was desperately trying to control my eating habits and exerci
se and was, according to specialists, doing"rather well", I gained 34 kilograms in 13 years! How is that possible? How much more perfect should I be to at least keep myself somewhere within reasonable weight?

After giving it a lot of thought, self observation and research, I came to a conclusion that my increasing bodyweight is not nature's way of slapping me in the face for my occasional lack of dietary discipline, but that I have been misguided and cheated by the doctors, diet "experts", food industry and above all, the media. Intentionally or accidentally, they keep giving out wrong advice, while me and millions of others are paying it with quality of our life, and with our health. I have 10 years of experience with these sorts of "advice" and all they did was first make my life miserable due to a strict and boring diet, and then rewarded me with extra kilograms.

That was my standpoint when I heard about LCHF. And, to be honest, being dissapointed by everything related to nutrition, I wouldn't give a rat's ass about it, if it hadn't heard it from a good friend who has literally melted himself down in front of my eyes in less than 2 months. After that, I've read all I could find about LCHF and decided to give it a go. Still, I have some doubts and fears about it, and that's why I decided to write a blog about it. Is the new LCHF lifestyle bringing an end to my great archenemy obesity, or will it turn out to be just a poor excuse to eat pork fat, butter, eggs and cheese instead of wholesome oatmeals for breakfast? In a couple of weeks, I'll know. And I'll keep you posted.