Down 85#, It’s all about insulin resistance

wanderinjack

Here's the short version of a long story. In 1995 I was 250# with over 35% body fat and those were the least of my health problems. What was more problematic is that I had fatty liver, leaky gut, an intestinal candida infection, diareaha every morning, was highly insulin resistant, had a rash all over my body. The worst part of it was that I was having great difficulty doing what I love most...long distance backpacking.

Since then I've done a lot of N=1 experiments. Got down to 215# and couldn't budge it with all the crossfit and weight watchers etc (getting divorced probably helped the most). The piece I was missing is the calories in calories out model doesn’t work as never has. The problem was insulin resistance. Went full keto in 2014 and got down to 175# and plateaued there even with doing 16:8 intermittent fasting (IF). Last fall I heard the first Obesity Code podcast and started doing extended fasts (EF). Now at 165, 19% body fat and according to Smart BMI I'm smack dab in the healthy zone. I'm 20# under what my drug lord (doc) said was my idea weight. Most importantly I can rock a long sierra trail and climb mt. shasta at will. I've lost 85# and feel great. To me that's a miracle.

I'm very grateful for Dr. Fung for helping me to solve that last piece of the puzzle and that group to have people I can share my success with. This is a really big deal and none of my friends get it. In some chances they literally roll their eyes at me so I just quite talking to them about one of the most significant things in my life. Which essentially means relationship over. I fully expect this will piss people off here but sharing my experience in hope that a few people with but a little dust in their eyes may benefit. Very sad about that. Like a recovered alcoholic who can't go to the bar anymore and hang out with his old buddies. It's time to move on. Meanwhile they're getting sicker and sicker, heart disease, kidney transplants, cancer, drugs, surgery ...very sad.

L1zardQueen

I’m glad you found a way of eating! Kudos!

But calling out people that don’t eat the way you do is not very nice. The last sentence in your OP is flat out wrong

ETA spelling

wanderinjack

That’s my experience

ninerbuff

Glad you found what YOU can do to lose weight and keep it off. I have had SEVERAL obese clients lose over 100lbs with just counting calories alone and keeping it off.
I'll give you advice though: if you're losing relationships talking about your success, it's not your friends. There are lots of people who change to a restricted way of eating and CONDEMN the way their friends eat hence the "eye rolling". Don't end up being the person who ridicules how others eat possibly because you can't eat the way they do anymore.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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wanderinjack

"going through treatment for cancer."
Have you seen this about the effects of sting with chemo. https://news.usc.edu/103972/fasting-like-diet-turns-the-immune-system-against-cancer/

ccrdragon

wanderinjack wrote: »

"going through treatment for cancer."
Have you seen this about the effects of sting with chemo. https://news.usc.edu/103972/fasting-like-diet-turns-the-immune-system-against-cancer/

First, it's a mouse study and secondly, the very first sentence in the atticle says they still used chemo in the treatment.

ceiswyn

wanderinjack wrote: »

The piece I was missing is the calories in calories out model doesn’t work as never has.

Oh really? Then how, pray tell, have I lost 200lb by calorie counting?

Apparently you find it easier to restrict your calories while eating a low carb diet. That’s all. You haven’t discovered that CICO somehow ‘doesn’t work’ (how exactly would it not work?), and if you talk to your friends in the arrogant and dismissive way you talk in your opening post, what’s surprising isn’t that they roll their eyes at you, it’s that they still talk to you at all.

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ceiswyn

ccrdragon wrote: »

wanderinjack wrote: »

"going through treatment for cancer."
Have you seen this about the effects of sting with chemo. https://news.usc.edu/103972/fasting-like-diet-turns-the-immune-system-against-cancer/

First, it's a mouse study and secondly, the very first sentence in the atticle says they still used chemo in the treatment.

I’m getting the impression that science isn’t the OP’s strong point, somehow.

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brig220

Whatever, why do people have to be so extreme in their diets and point of views? There are plenty of people who don’t need keto to be thin, fit and healthy, just eat less and you’ll lose weight. I guess that eating less is a hard concept for some.

AnvilHead

pootlepootle1972 wrote: »

ceiswyn wrote: »

ccrdragon wrote: »

wanderinjack wrote: »

"going through treatment for cancer."
Have you seen this about the effects of sting with chemo. https://news.usc.edu/103972/fasting-like-diet-turns-the-immune-system-against-cancer/

First, it's a mouse study and secondly, the very first sentence in the atticle says they still used chemo in the treatment.

I’m getting the impression that science isn’t the OP’s strong point, somehow.

Op.lost me at Fung. ........

Fung is a laughingstock amongst evidence-based sources.

https://www.myoleanfitness.com/evidence-caloric-restriction/

psychod787

While Dr. Fung is a brilliant doctor, I worry about the long term effects of a keto diet. Long term data is missing I think. Keto does have a few upsides. It can help people with dementia, PCOS, and some forms of cancer, it also has the upside of helping to kill hunger.That can be good for people trying to lose weight, but I have also read that the rates of regain are about the same. I can't quote the study, but it would make sense. Keto for diabetics is also in question. Some studies show increased insulin resistance over time. I am still new to maintenance, so I have no idea what life holds for me long term.

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johnslater461

Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »

I’m glad you found a way of eating! Kudos!

But calling out people that don’t eat the way you do is not very nice. The last sentence in your OP is flat out wrong

ETA spelling

The second to last sentence is wrong as well. Recovering alcoholics can still go to bars, we just don't drink.

psychod787

I have read several abstracts that state that his has shown some effects in mice, but definitively? You win. Statement withdrawn.

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kb1927

I've often wondered if so many obese people have better luck with keto/low carb because part of their problem to begin with is that they are insulin resistant or undiagnosed diabetic. CICO alone might not work in those cases because of a personal physiological problem, not because CICO just inherently doesn't work.

AnvilHead

psychod787 wrote: »

While Dr. Fung is a brilliant doctor, I worry about the long term effects of a keto diet. Long term data is missing I think. Keto does have a few upsides. It can help people with dementia, PCOS, and some forms of cancer, it also has the upside of helping to kill hunger.That can be good for people trying to lose weight, but I have also read that the rates of regain are about the same. I can't quote the study, but it would make sense. Keto for diabetics is also in question. Some studies show increased insulin resistance over time. I am still new to maintenance, so I have no idea what life holds for me long term.

Dr. Fung is a lot like Dr. Oz. He may have been a brilliant doctor, but he sold his soul to the almighty dollar and gave up his credibility when he started pimping junk science and bogus information for fame and money. They're barely more than prostitutes IMO.

L1zardQueen

AnvilHead wrote: »

psychod787 wrote: »

While Dr. Fung is a brilliant doctor, I worry about the long term effects of a keto diet. Long term data is missing I think. Keto does have a few upsides. It can help people with dementia, PCOS, and some forms of cancer, it also has the upside of helping to kill hunger.That can be good for people trying to lose weight, but I have also read that the rates of regain are about the same. I can't quote the study, but it would make sense. Keto for diabetics is also in question. Some studies show increased insulin resistance over time. I am still new to maintenance, so I have no idea what life holds for me long term.

Dr. Fung is a lot like Dr. Oz. He may have been a brilliant doctor, but he sold his soul to the almighty dollar and gave up his credibility when he started pimping junk science and bogus information for fame and money. They're barely more than prostitutes IMO.

Even doctors can graduate in the bottom half of their class.

psychod787

AnvilHead wrote: »

psychod787 wrote: »

While Dr. Fung is a brilliant doctor, I worry about the long term effects of a keto diet. Long term data is missing I think. Keto does have a few upsides. It can help people with dementia, PCOS, and some forms of cancer, it also has the upside of helping to kill hunger.That can be good for people trying to lose weight, but I have also read that the rates of regain are about the same. I can't quote the study, but it would make sense. Keto for diabetics is also in question. Some studies show increased insulin resistance over time. I am still new to maintenance, so I have no idea what life holds for me long term.

Dr. Fung is a lot like Dr. Oz. He may have been a brilliant doctor, but he sold his soul to the almighty dollar and gave up his credibility when he started pimping junk science and bogus information for fame and money. They're barely more than prostitutes IMO.

Agreed, would I see him for a kidney problem. yes. Weight loss, nope! Almost went on the keto diet for maintenance with my body in a forced state of starvation. Would have probably destroyed myself! Went from 40+% bf to less than 9%! Hormones ruined! Keto would have probably made it worse. I stated in another forum earlier, I am very weary when MD's give weight loss advice.

beagletracks

Can someone please move this to the debate forum? Most of us come to Success Stories for support and inspiration.

Congratulations, OP! Way to go!

wanderinjack

Thanks, inspiration was my intention.

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fanncy0626

The people that are attacking the OP about Keto and Dr Fung should be ashamed of yourselves. You're being Bullies. If you don't have nothing nice to say...the OP was sharing their success and several of you went berserk. All of you should be flagged.

MichelleSilverleaf

fanncy0626 wrote: »

The people that are attacking the OP about Keto and Dr Fung should be ashamed of yourselves. You're being Bullies. If you don't have nothing nice to say...the OP was sharing their success and several of you went berserk. All of you should be flagged.

It's not bullying by pointing out that Dr. Fung is not a well-respected individual (and justifiably so), nor is it bullying by pointing out the OP's condescending tone. And no one was bashing keto, btw.

creationscrown

Thank you for sharing! Wow, I got sucked into reading all the comments and feel sad that the success stories can’t just be a place where people say “congrats and thanks for sharing”. Nevertheless, I appreciate your story and envy your success. I’m still spinning out on the CICO wheel. Been hearing so much lately about IM/keto. Maybe I ought to try this as an approach. Thanks again!

CharlieBeansmomTracey

not to mention dr *F* (what I will call him) said that HIS way of eating meant that his patient who had an AC1 of 7 I think it was (it might have been a little lower) would NO longer need to take his insulin. Thats not how it works. telling someone they dont need their insulin and that they can just stop is wrong and makes him an idiot. saying it cures all kinds of things when there is no proof that it does is spreading misinformation. while it was used mainly for those with epilepsy, it has helped those with insulin resistance,diabetes, and pcos. its like getting advice for your colon issues from a podiatrist.

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mashza2012

I did keto for two years, lost a bunch of weight......*until* I started eating above caloric maintenance. Keto is a great appetite suppressant, it's not that CICO doesn't work. The laws of thermodynamics don't only apply to *some* people. There are medical conditions that make it more difficult for some of us to lose weight but that's more because they effect our basal metabolism etc etc, not because fat is magic........fat and protein are satiating. So people eat less. And often there's huge losses quickly as you drop your water weight from depleted glycogen etc. I enjoyed it, I was able to stick to it for over 2 years, but I'm on an athletic performance diet now and carbs are included. Keto is not a miracle cure, it IS a tool that CAN make it EASIER for someone to lose weight and stick to a diet tho!