On Sun, 18 May 1997, Ray Audette wrote:

        Scientists in many fields have run into this problem in
        trying to use thermodynamics to predict results in
        complex chaotic systems.

Thank you for this message.  Definitely a keeper.

        Part of the explaination lies in the increased metabolic
        energy experenced by those eating a "Natural" diet.  This
        metabolic rate is determined in large part by the
        endocrine system (hormones such as
        insulin,estrogen,testosterone,etc.) but is also
        influenced by the immune system.

And if Ray Peat is right, the metabolic rate is also influenced
by the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fats in one's body, with
a higher ratio being conducive to a higher metabolic rate.


        Most immune system responces slow the body's metobolic
        rate as it takes extra energy to produce an immune
        response. Thus even a minor cold makes you feel a lack of
        energy as the body reserves more energy to fight the
        infection.

Good point.  This is a good way to think of the drag that the
immune system places on one's subjective sense of energy.

        Anabolic exercise (ie short bouts of using muscles
        hard)uses less energy during its execution than does
        aerobic exercise (ie longer bouts of using musles
        lightly) but results in more energy consumed later as
        strained muscles repair themselves and add more tissue.

I used to have a karate instructor who ate large amounts of food
but remained quite lean.  I never saw him doing any extensive
training either.  Finally, I asked him if he ever trained, and he
said, "Oh yes, every morning I train, but for just 10 minutes,
*all out*."  That is, he would do 10 minutes of maximum intensity
karate "kata" (forms), which are quite exhausting, and that's
all.  The rest of the day, it seems that he didn't even walk
fast.  His muscle definition was superb.

        I really eat as outlined in my book and am the laziest
        man in Dallas, Texas (ask my wife) I'm 45 years old,6
        feet tall and weight 145.  I have excelent muscle
        definition and tone in spite of my couch potato lifestyle
        (I look like I work out).  I also have about 5% body fat
        as does my co-author Troy Gilchrist (NeanderThin 7
        years).

For somebody like myself, this is simply hard to understand.  I
have been overweight since I was about 17, except for a few
intervals when I "dieted down" or didn't have enough money to get
food.  At 6'1" and 222 lbs. I'm at least 20 pounds overweight,
assuming that 15% body fat is good.  And this is 30 pounds less
than I was a few months ago, thanks largely to the Zone.  I
haven't yet lost any weight on NeanderThin, but it has only been
about 10 days since I changed over.  No matter how many
theoretical arguments I ponder, it is hard to go against a
lifetime of programming that says I have to eat less -- a lot
less -- to lose weight.

        The more calories you eat when eating a natural diet, the
        more this effect. Eating too little will actually slow
        your progress!

Seeing is believing, I guess.  I still have a lot of
psychological resistance to overcome.

Todd Moody
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