On Tue, 2 Nov 1999, matesz wrote:

        My 20 cents worth:  Ray may have a certain genetic
        advantage.  Tall people have more surface area' it takes
        more calories just to keep their bodies warm.  They have
        a higher metabolic rate than shorter people.  Also, those
        who have never been over-weight generally have faster
        metabolic rates than people who have been over-fat and
        dieted on and off and thus have more fat cells and are
        more resistant to fat loss.

Ray has another "advantage"; he is diabetic and would be
dependent on insulin injections if his diet were "normal."  Since
he does not receive such injections, his insulin levels are
probably quite low as a rule, making it more difficult for him to
store fat.  I have known a number of juvenile-onset diabetics
whose insulin output was close to zero, and they had great
difficulty gaining weight.

        Secondly, in the book THE KETOGENIC DIET, Lyle McDonald
        discusses the fact that one (read: most people; there are
        always excetions; Dr. Atkins parades out some of
        these!!!) still need to create a calorie deficit to lose
        fat, even in ketosis.  If you go over a certain protein
        or calorie limit (even on a zero carb or 30 grams of
        carb/day diet), why should the body use it's own fat
        stores when it can turn excess protein into glucose and
        run on the incoming fat?   The beauty of ketosis is that
        it can make it easier to cut calories without feeling
        tortured!

Well, this is the key, isn't it?  One must find a way to cut
calories without feeling miserable, and for some ketosis is that
way.

        There are others who find they cannot eat meat,
        mayonnaise, nuts, veggies, or anything else with abandon
        even at very low carb levels.

As far as I am concerned, this is a clear and simple refutation
of the thesis that obesity is caused by foreign -- i.e.,
neolithic -- proteins.  Not long ago we had someone on this list
who gained fat while eating beef ribs and salad greens almost
exclusively.  This is not to deny, of course, that some people do
indeed have sensitivies to certain food proteins that could
contribute to obesity.  It is only the general thesis that
foreign proteins explain obesity and calories are irrelevant that
I reject.


        I don't doubt that many people lose weight on Neanderthin
        or other low-carb, high-protein diets----I've seen it and
        felt it work!!!  However, for many folks, cutting out
        junk food, sugars, starches, grains, & other agricultural
        foods automatically results in a drop in calories and
        increase in satiety.

Exactly.  But that increase in satiety appears to be a highly
variable thing, and it does not entail that "unlimited
quantities" are an option for everyone.

        I believe you mentioned that you do High Intensity Weight
        Training 1x/week and are otherwise sedentary.
        Interestingly, some of the eaders and followers in the
        HIT movement who vehemently stated that you ONLY NEED to
        lift weights 1x/ week and need no other exercise to get
        fit/effect body comp changes are NOW changing their
        tunes!!!  Some of them are now doing aerobics for 30-45
        minutes 5x a week to lose fat......seems they had to eat
        their words (which were accumulating around their
        waists).

I do high intensity weight training 1x/week, but I'm not quite
sedentary the rest of the time.  I try to get out and do brisk
walking a few times a week, and I even force myself to jog,
though never more than two miles at a time.  It's not enough,
evidently.  I readily accept that lifting weights once a week is
not an adequate exercise program.  But it is an adequate strength
training program for someone like myself.

Todd Moody
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