Priobiotics

Emberrise
Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
edited November 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
Did priobiotics work for you?

I recently discovered that microbes in the gut could play a large role in obesity. They have found that those who are slim have more kinds of microbes in their gut that they believe relates to how the body controls the metabolism. I.e we all know that person who can eat 2,900 cal a day and still be itty bitty and someone who eats 1,800 cal, and is large.

I am thinking of trying pill supplements. I already know about portion control, nutrition yada yada... I am still overweight by a lot.

Any experience with this?
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Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Anyone who is eating 2,900 calories a day and maintaining a low body weight likely has a TDEE that will explain that. Same with someone who is large and eats 1,800.
  • Emberrise
    Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
    .... you said "likely"........ as in you speculate which adds nothing to this thread......
  • Emberrise
    Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
    also, lack of gut bacteria could be an explanation for how much the body uses too.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Emberrise wrote: »
    .... you said "likely"........ as in you speculate which adds nothing to this thread......

    Do you have examples of people who are maintaining eating 2,900 and have a TDEE that is well below that? Do you have examples of people who are gaining weight on 1,800 although their TDEE is higher than that? Your post, with the claim that we all know people who defy what we know about how the body uses energy, is speculation. I don't know anyone like that. If you have evidence that there are people whose gut microbes allow their bodies to create excess energy, please share it.
  • tara_means_star
    tara_means_star Posts: 957 Member
    I have taken probiotics for a long time but don't lose weight if I don't eat at a deficit. They are great for what they are designed for but personally I haven't seen them aid my weight loss. Same for my husband.
  • Emberrise
    Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
    Myself is an example of it, and also almost everyone knows someone who eats well above the calorie intake daily and is slim as can be. If you do not know of it I feel like that is just denying for the sake of arguing... because it is impossible without seeing it on t.v (in documentaries) even Jennifer Lawrence for example would be evidence for. She often claims she never diets, and eats a lot of food (It is one of her favourite parts of her day) and remains slim. It's pretty common...
  • Emberrise
    Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
    Thank you taracan. :) this is what I've been wondering...
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Emberrise wrote: »
    Myself is an example of it, and also almost everyone knows someone who eats well above the calorie intake daily and is slim as can be. If you do not know of it I feel like that is just denying for the sake of arguing... because it is impossible without seeing it on t.v (in documentaries) even Jennifer Lawrence for example would be evidence for. She often claims she never diets, and eats a lot of food (It is one of her favourite parts of her day) and remains slim. It's pretty common...

    I don't think Jennifer Lawrence's claims about her calorie intake are evidence that her body is an exception to what we know about how bodies process energy. She could be eating less than she thinks (after all, she probably isn't logging her calories). She could be active. She could be misleading us (after all, the idea of the "cool girl" who doesn't count calories and eats like a dude but stays slender is very popular right now). All of these are more likely than the idea that her body somehow vaporizes energy without using it.

    Do you know any cases of people actually being documented consuming more energy than they use and not gaining weight? I'm not talking about actresses who say they love eating (I also love eating, but maintain my weight through balancing my intake with my outtake).
  • Alassonde
    Alassonde Posts: 228 Member
    Probiotics have been good for my digestion (I have irritable bowel) but have made no difference in weight loss.
  • Emberrise
    Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
    Really?..... Really?.....
  • Emberrise
    Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
    I have examples but I don't want to post them.... cuz I've already wasted enough energy and attention on something that is common knowledge. If you are actually wanting them, then they are easily accessible by your handy dandy Google that is one click away.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Emberrise wrote: »
    I have examples but I don't want to post them.... cuz I've already wasted enough energy and attention on something that is common knowledge. If you are actually wanting them, then they are easily accessible by your handy dandy Google that is one click away.

    It's not common knowledge though. If something convinced you that this is the case, feel free to share that evidence. When I Google it, I see lots of preliminary theories, people trying to make money off the hopes and fears of others, and some pseudoscience (like Mercola.com). I don't see anything to convince me that probiotics allow us to create energy out of nothing or eliminate energy from our bodies.

    What are your examples? If you have them, then let's talk about them instead of what Jennifer Lawrence claims to eat.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    Emberrise wrote: »
    I have examples but I don't want to post them.... cuz I've already wasted enough energy and attention on something that is common knowledge. If you are actually wanting them, then they are easily accessible by your handy dandy Google that is one click away.

    ". I.e we all know that person who can eat 2,900 cal a day and still be itty bitty and someone who eats 1,800 cal, and is large."

    YOU made a claim. She asked you to support it. That's how debate functions. There's nothing wrong with that. I don't understand why you're having a tantrum over it. You stated something that literally goes against science, and when it was explained to you that it's not scientifically accurate, she even said "hey, show me the evidence, I'm open minded" in not so many words. You want to post around about how gut bacteria aids in weight control, that's fine. But you have to provide some kind of evidence to back that up or people are gonna ask (drumroll) "oh sounds cool, is there evidence to back that up?"
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    There are studies that link healthy weight with an abundance of gut flora, but they don't know whether being slim makes your gut healthier or whether having lots of different gut flora makes you slim. And they don't know if taking probiotic supplements can give you the type of diverse flora that seems to be involved.

    If you aren't losing weight, you are eating more than your body burns. Probiotics can help your digestive health, but that won't help you lose weight if you are eating more than you burn. Sorry.

    If you are having trouble losing weight, you should try using a food scale and logging accurately and consistently for awhile to see if your calorie level is correct. Good luck!
  • Emberrise
    Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
    Thanks Kimmy :). Vital information. Also that's what I meant by nutrition yada yada. My mother had an issue she went on a starvation diet and remained at a healthy weight for 3 years, but had to eat 500 calories a day so no... that is not true in all cases. There are other factors for obesity other than diet, such as thyroid, POCS, insulin resistance etc.
  • Emberrise
    Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
    Coffee it is not a tantrum hahaha, I don't have to back up something that is common knowledge, thanks.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Emberrise wrote: »
    Thanks Kimmy :). Vital information. Also that's what I meant by nutrition yada yada. My mother had an issue she went on a starvation diet and remained at a healthy weight for 3 years, but had to eat 500 calories a day so no... that is not true in all cases. There are other factors for obesity other than diet, such as thyroid, POCS, insulin resistance etc.

    Thyroid issues, PCOS, and insulin resistance can all change the number of calories that our body needs, but they don't change the overall factor that we need to match what our body is burning to what we're eating in order to maintain our weight (or that we will gain weight if we eat more than we're burning).

    Different physical factors can change our calorie needs, but the general principle is now thought to be the same for everyone. Jennifer Lawrence isn't eating more than she burns. If she did, she would gain weight.
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    Hi I am reading a book on the gut microbiome it's fascinating. It's called the gut balance revolution by Gerald e. Mullin md. He explains it all very well if that is an area you seriously want to know about. He recommends a probiotic and prebiotic in stages. It's like weeding your garden before planting the seeds as he puts it. He even has a website you can google for info. I believe gut bugs are strongly linked to obesity and mental issues and digestive issues. I have ibs so I am seeking out the answers as well.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    Emberrise wrote: »
    Thanks Kimmy :). Vital information. Also that's what I meant by nutrition yada yada. My mother had an issue she went on a starvation diet and remained at a healthy weight for 3 years, but had to eat 500 calories a day so no... that is not true in all cases. There are other factors for obesity other than diet, such as thyroid, POCS, insulin resistance etc.

    Is your mother 3 feet tall? Cause there's no way she was actually eating 500 calories a day and maintaining. There are medical conditions which can affect the CALORIES OUT portion of CICO, but none exists that effect it to the extent of 500 calories a day. My 32lb 37 inch tall 2 year old requires more than 500 calories a day.
  • Emberrise
    Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
    Thanks Angel, I'll look into it. And it is, I was watching a documentary and these two twins ate fried pizza, pop, fried eggs (I'm going off by memory here) but it had to be a 2,500 calorie meal easily everyday for lunch for years yet they never gained a pound and remained skinny. They found that the twins held higher amounts of gut bacteria that could play a role into why they remained at a thin weight and despite putting their body through that amount of calorie intake.

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Emberrise wrote: »
    Thanks Angel, I'll look into it. And it is, I was watching a documentary and these two twins ate fried pizza, pop, fried eggs (I'm going off by memory here) but it had to be a 2,500 calorie meal easily everyday for lunch for years yet they never gained a pound and remained skinny. They found that the twins held higher amounts of gut bacteria that could play a role into why they remained at a thin weight and despite putting their body through that amount of calorie intake.

    What documentary are you referring to?
  • Emberrise
    Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
    edited November 2015
    No she's not three feet tall wdf. And yes she went through it for years, and she had to stop due to hair loss and bleeding (body was not getting enough nutrition). This is my point it is not true that simple calories in calories out or we would all be able to easily fix our weight problems. I am even living proof of that and unfortunately the health society just perpetuates this myth... and unfortunately you seem to believe it too because your auto response is "that is not possible!" yet it is, because it happened.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,736 Member
    CoffeeNCardio wrote: »
    Emberrise wrote: »
    Thanks Kimmy :). Vital information. Also that's what I meant by nutrition yada yada. My mother had an issue she went on a starvation diet and remained at a healthy weight for 3 years, but had to eat 500 calories a day so no... that is not true in all cases. There are other factors for obesity other than diet, such as thyroid, POCS, insulin resistance etc.

    Is your mother 3 feet tall? Cause there's no way she was actually eating 500 calories a day and maintaining. There are medical conditions which can affect the CALORIES OUT portion of CICO, but none exists that effect it to the extent of 500 calories a day. My 32lb 37 inch tall 2 year old requires more than 500 calories a day.

    I was actually kinda thinking that starvation diet screwed up her mother's metabolism so she *had* to eat 500 to maintain or else she'd gain.

    Also, OP, if you have a lot to lose, you should probably try logging your food and exercise and eat at a deficit before looking for magic supplements.

    Seriously, I'm taking 3 kinds of probiotics right now and my weight loss is sucking. :)
  • Emberrise
    Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
    edited November 2015
    Jane -> http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episodes/it-takes-guts
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    It's not about gut bacteria

    It's about eating too much and not moving enough

    Horses not zebras
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Emberrise wrote: »
    Jane -> http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episodes/it-takes-guts

    Unfortunately, that episode is only available to Canadians. How did they determine that the TDEE of the twins was less than 2,500?
  • MorganMoreaux
    MorganMoreaux Posts: 691 Member
    edited November 2015
    Emberrise wrote: »
    I have examples but I don't want to post them.... cuz I've already wasted enough energy and attention on something that is common knowledge. If you are actually wanting them, then they are easily accessible by your handy dandy Google that is one click away.

    Please post you're examples as it is not common knowledge - would love to see the people that defy physics. I'm not going to google because the onus of proof is on you to substantiate your statements.

    A calorie is a unit of measurement, like an inch or a liter. Calories measure energy. I recommend you google the Laws of Thermodynamics - it may help you better understand why people weigh what they do.

    You are saying you are one of them. If you are one of those people in your profile pic, then have you actually sat down and figured out you daily calorie expenditure? Are you weighing all your food on a food scale with exception of liquids, but still measuring those? Do you weigh your prepackaged food as frequently the package weigh is not entirely accurate. Do you log EVERYTHING you consume? If not, try it out. If you exercise and record it into MFP, MFP has a tendency to over-estimate burn so try eating back only 50% of the exercise calories, not all of them.

    I agree that gut flora plays a vital role in good health, but it is not an end all in weight loss. You're not going to be able to just take a probiotic and magically lose weight.
  • Emberrise
    Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
    No... it didn't screw her motabolism up in that way, she was eating healthy and walking 4 hrs a day and was overweight. Plus she comes from a background of farming and eating right portions and still being heavier...those unfamiliar with farming, it is gruelling all day affair every day. So there's no reason with her diet and lifestyle that she was overweight at a young age especially when she speaks of what she ate being normal. I..e 1 egg, vedgies, and a glass of milk for breakfast for example.
  • Emberrise
    Emberrise Posts: 27 Member
    Morgan I've done everything you mentioned, and I don't need to because IT IS common knowledge. I wonder if you've been sheltered your entire life or something. Also no, calorie is not the same thing as another calorie. A calorie of coke does something totally different than a calorie from a carrot. That is also a myth that divides health community. So no, some of your information is wrong and errored due to you assuming it is common knowledge and not providing links and examples :) THO if you were, I could easily dispute it, with MY links and examples. *Rolls Eyes @*.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26474235

    CONCLUSION:

    In both humans and animals there are characteristic changes in the gut microbiota associated with obesity. In animals but not in humans altering the microbiota can result in weight loss and weight gain which does not occur in humans. This suggests that in humans the changes in gut microbiota are an association with rather than the cause of obesity.

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