7 ms·

The Bhikkhu Diet (2003)

35 points by sridca 8y ago

octosphere 8y ago
Similar to OMAD: https://omaddiet.com/ https://omaddiet.com/ https://www.reddit.com/r/omad/ https://www.reddit.com/r/omad/
KozmoNau7 8y ago
Fad diets here, fad diets there, fad diets everywhere. Don't eat this, only eat that, don't eat at these times, only eat at these times, fast, don't fast. It's been going on for decades, and it's both silly and counterproductive. There is no easy shortcut to losing weight and being in good health. It takes discipline and dedication, and a complete lifestyle change. Yes, it's hard, but we just have to deal with that, instead of thinking we can somehow cheat our way to it. Eat less, move more. I'm not going to try to get more detailed than that, because then everyone will just start nitpicking, based on their own pet theories. "Move more" is the most important part. Almost everyone in western society is moving way too little. Our sedentary lifestyles are killing us. Stand up at your desk. Go for a walk instead of watching a movie. Start riding a bike. Take the stairs. Doesn't matter, just move.
- tsomctl 8y ago
  You say to eat less, but the question is, what do you eat less of? You still need calories. Let's say you cut back your diet so you only eat 1000 calories of doughnuts. That's eating less, yet I guarantee you will still be sick.
  - 0xcde4c3db 8y ago
    This is a huge problem. Way too much diet advice takes the concept of a "balanced" diet for granted, while descriptions of what that means tend to be at least one of: 1) uselessly vague (eat "a variety" of foods, eat sugar "sparingly", get "enough" fiber, and so on; "eat lots of colors" is actual dietary advice that has been given by credentialed dietitians), 2) driven by some fringe/fad theory of nutrition, or 3) based on unrealistic or parochial assumptions of which foods are readily available/affordable.
- smbullet 8y ago
  I feel like "eat less" is the most important part. I have no evidence to back this up but I doubt you'll ever outrun the surplus calories you eat. It's much easier to just not eat that muffin.
  - KozmoNau7 8y ago
    I wasn't trying to downplay the importance of eating less. But by changing to a more active lifestyle, you pull your body out of the sedentary energy conserving mode, which in my completely unscientific anecdata seems to improve how your body uses the energy you take in.
- octosphere 8y ago
  In the end it has to do with calories in and calories out. That is why a wholesome plate full of vegetables is great for feeling full whilst keeping calorie intake low. Also adding seeds to everything means better gut bacteria and adds fiber to a meal. I use a mix of pumpkin seeds, flax, sesame, and sunflower seeds and add it to as many meals as I can.
  - LocalPCGuy 8y ago
    Calories in calories out over simplifies what is a complex issue. It is not "just" that. You even kind of contradict that statement yourself by your later paragraph.
    - octosphere 8y ago
      Edited that. I add seeds to as many meals and snacks as I can (both healthy and unhealthy) to add fiber and use the seeds as a sort of prebiotic.
    - dabbledash 8y ago
      Well, it’s sortof just that. But it’s like saying “the key to safe driving is to avoid accidents.” It’s completely true... but probably not helpful advice for a person who is having trouble avoiding accidents.
    - tjr225 8y ago
      Is it really that difficult to identify what foods are garbage and what foods are not?
- ta76567656 8y ago
  In my experience of having lost fifty pounds and having kept most of it off for a year or two now, "move more" is significantly less important than "eat less". (For overall health I'm sure it's very important, here I'm specifically talking about losing weight.) I increased my activity only a little bit, by adding a 10-30 minute walk. And while "eat less" is important, it's secondary to "eat what". My rule of thumb was (and is) "It's almost impossible to control how much you eat. Controlling what you eat is merely very difficult." In other words, your primary target is changing your diet from unhealthy foods to healthy foods, and you will "eat less" in calories as a result. If you keep eating junk food and try to control exactly how much junk food you eat you will have a much harder time.
  - KozmoNau7 8y ago
    To elaborate a bit more, I try to stick with the No S Diet (http://nosdiet.com/ http://nosdiet.com/), especially the part about "no snacks". I used to be extremely prone to snacking, and it would almost always be snacks of a very unhealthy variety. So I cut out snacks almost completely, but I still let myself eat a burger+fries or a pizza once in a while. But they count as a full meal plus a bit ekstra, so my next meal will have to be smaller to compensate. Seems to be working out. But the biggest difference for me was changing my sedentary lifestyle. Standing as my desk, always taking the stairs, riding a bike everyday. It adds up.
    - slm_HN 8y ago
      Fad diets here, fad diets there, fad diets everywhere. Don't eat this, only eat that, don't eat at these times, only eat at these times, fast, don't fast. It's been going on for decades, and it's both silly and counterproductive. You start off complaining about fad diets and now you link to your diet which is the very epitome of a fad diet. Is there any medical research behind this diet?
      - KozmoNau7 8y ago
        What makes it a fad diet? All it says is to cut out second helpings, empty carbs and snacks. That's it. It doesn't try to set up weird rules or "superfoods". It's simple and straight-forward, which makes it much easier to adhere to. It's not a diet, it's a permanent lifestyle change.
- trukterious 8y ago
  Yes, discipline is needed, but knowledge helps too, because it shows some of the directions in which discipline may be applied, for example: One can learn that carb and fructose-rich foods are addictive and cause diabetes when consumed in excess. One can learn that drinking alcohol just before eating causes the liver to prioritise metabolising alcohol and the other calories go into visceral fat (the so-called 'beer belly'). One can learn that eating just before bed or when one is normally asleep puts strain on the heart and causes fat to be laid down (importance of circadian rhythms). One can learn that people who aren't even slightly fat are killing themselves from drug overdose, which may seem irrelevant until one recalls that many people eat for comfort. (So this is a personal/mental problem as well as a physiological one.)
  - simczak 8y ago
    Can you elaborate on that: “One can learn that people who aren't even slightly fat are killing themselves from drug overdose, which may seem irrelevant until one recalls that many people eat for comfort. (So this is a personal/mental problem as well as a physiological one.)“
    - trukterious 8y ago
      Well, people eat for comfort and pleasure, as well as for calories, and some people get addicted to food. So I think if we understood addiction and how to cure it then this might automatically solve the obesity epidemic as well as the drug problem.
  - KozmoNau7 8y ago
    All of those are absolutely miniscule when compared to the effect of undermoving and overeating. The carb/fructose thing is scaremongering. Type 1 diabetes is genetic, type 2 partially genetic, and is not caused solely by carbs/fructose. One of its factors is a generally poor-quality diet, but saturated/trans fat intake plays a larger role than sugars. And all of that is completely dwarfed by the influence of obesity on the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes. Drinking alcohol does make your body prioritize metabolizing it first, but alcohol also slows down digestion and can make you feel fuller for longer, leading to a decreased food intake. "Beer belly" is a myth. Eating at night or before going to be is not unhealthier than eating during the day. That has been debunked countless times. Food addiction is a real thing, however. And unlike tobacco or alcohol, you can't go "cold turkey" (haha) on food and just stop eating. You need rules, motivation and backup. This is the best FAQ I've found is this: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3483424 https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=34... Yes, it's SA, notorious for its bad comedy forums. But the exercise and diet forum is seriously quality stuff, with hundreds of success stories of fat nerds getting in shape, and keeping it.
- LocalPCGuy 8y ago
  While moving more is important for overall health, specifically to weight loss it isn't the answer. What and how much a person eats is going to affect their weight much more that how much they move, barring someone running marathons or similar extra ordinary exercise routines. This is pretty well established science at this point. Again, like you said, I'm not going to go into details on the things people should eat. I think different people need to find what works for them, their body, palette and schedule.
- oh_sigh 8y ago
  I don't know if it's fair to call this a fad diet, considering they have been eating in this manner literally since the time of the buddha(~500 BC).
  - KozmoNau7 8y ago
    For them it's obviously not a fad, it's a lifestyle they've been keeping up for hundreds of years. In a western context, with the way it's sold in this article, it's certainly a fad diet.
moltar 8y ago
I’ve tried eating one meal a day, every second day. But I ate at 6pm. It’s quite tough at first, but gets easier with time.
Zarathust 8y ago
We live in a society (many of us) where "low calory food" is synonym of "healthy". I think it's one of the ultimate modern luxury, to look for food that will yield little energy for you.
toomanybeersies 8y ago
For a while at university I was eating one meal a day. I half did it to lose weight, and half because I was lazy and was poor. I found it surprisingly easy. I didn't really have any problem with cravings or hunger pangs. These days, I eat 2 meals a day, one at 1 PM and one at 7 PM, I generally don't snack between meals. I guess it's technically intermittent fasting? I also often forgo eating on Sundays, I just can't be bothered. Recently, I've also been eating less meat, just once or twice a week, also not on purpose, but I just stopped wanting to eat meat. Between all these changes in my diet, I've managed to lose about 10 kg in 2 months and I'm still steadily losing weight. In the end, I'm convinced that it's all in your head. Some people psychologically want to eat more than others, and that's why they're fat. It's not your metabolism, or because you eat too many carbs, or because you're not practicing intermittent fasting. Fat people are literally addicted to food. If only there was a way to rewire your brain to eat less. There have been studies that show that ketamine used in a therapeutic setting can help with overcoming alcohol addiction [1]. I wonder if it could also be used to tackle obesity? [1] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/24/radical-ketamine-therapy-could-treat-alcohol-addiction-erase-memories https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/24/radical-keta...
- andai 8y ago
  What you are doing is called time restricted eating. It is very healthy. Eating at the right times (and only within a specific window) is good for your metabolism. And that's good because it makes you stronger and keeps you slim. Doing it wrong can lead to cancer and diabetes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KClPkotxM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KClPkotxM
Kyrztyn 8y ago
Tricycle is not a place where you should get advice on either diet or Buddhism. From the Saiputto Sutta; you see that? Not for beautification. "And how, friend, is one moderate in eating? In this a monk takes his food properly considering,[2] not for sport, for intoxication, for adornment or beautification, but purely for the maintenance and nourishment of this body, for keeping it unharmed, as an aid to the practice of the holy life, thinking: 'I shall put an end to the old feeling,[3] and not produce any new feeling.[4] Thus I shall keep going, incur no fault, and live at ease.' That, friend, is how one is moderate in eating.
JoshMnem 8y ago
I've been experimenting with calorie restriction, water fasting, and intermittent fasting for 2 1/2 years and you don't need to go as extreme as one meal per day to see results. The hunger gets much easier to manage. I don't think that people should do it without also adopting a high-nutrient diet (vegetables, legumes, whole foods, nuts, seeds, fruits, etc.), because there isn't much room for empty calories.
- ianai 8y ago
  What’s the minimal you need to do to see results? As a measure of spectrum.
  - andai 8y ago
    Check out Time Restricted Eating, lots of research on that lately. No change to what you eat, only within what time window. Every day, the first substance you consume which isn't water starts a metabolic clock. You should have your last meal (or non-water drink) of the day within 12 hours of that moment. 9 or less is even better if you can manage. Benefits include drastically cutting risk of diabetes and cancer (look into shift worker health stats), improved metabolism (on a cellular level), leading to faster weight loss (on same amount of calories), and increased endurance and muscle mass. That's the most bang for your buck I'd say! Here's a great introduction: Dr Rhonda Patrick JRE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KClPkotxM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KClPkotxM
  - nabla9 8y ago
    I don't have all the sources at hand, but ... It seems that you feeding windows between 4-10 hours has an measurable effect. It seems likely that 4 hours is probably what humans need to get all the lifelong benefits noticeable in mice and rats–rats and mice have much higher metabolism than humans. The effect from intermitted fasting comes from many different mechanisms * (Review) Metabolic Control of Longevity https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(16)30981-3.pdf https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(16)30981-3.pdf * Fasting, Circadian Rhythms, and Time-Restricted Feeding in Healthy Lifespan https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/pdf/S1550-4131(16)30250-9.pdf https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/pdf/S1550-4131(16)30250... * Promoting Health and Longevity through Diet: From Model Organisms to Humans https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(15)00186-5 https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(15)00186-5 * Intermittent Fasting Promotes White Adipose Browning and Decreases Obesity by Shaping the Gut Microbiota https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(17)30504-1 https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(17)... * Short-Term, Intermittent Fasting Induces Long-Lasting Gut Health and TOR-Independent Lifespan Extension https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(18)30443-3 https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(18)... * Intermittent Fasting Confers Protection in CNS Autoimmunity by Altering the Gut Microbiota https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(18)30313-9 https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(18)... * Early Time-Restricted Feeding Improves Insulin Sensitivity, Blood Pressure, and Oxidative Stress Even without Weight Loss in Men with Prediabetes https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131%2818%2930253-5 https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131%281... * A Periodic Diet that Mimics Fasting Promotes Multi-System Regeneration, Enhanced Cognitive Performance, and Healthspan https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131%2815%2900224-7 https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131%281...
stealthmodeclan 8y ago
In my opinion, the best diet is what your forefathers ate. I've a firm belief that the ability to extract nutrients depends on the genetics. So changing your environmet or diet can have adverse effects like more diseases. Even lifestyle shouldn't be changed drastically in my opinion, even if someone pays you more to do exactly that. Gene function depends on the nutrition and environment. Genes learn slowly, so things must change a little over generation for learning to happen. Ofcourse, a Human tribe is resilient to drastic changes lik famine, but please not that a large portion of the tribe gets wipped during such transition. I would love to see the research backing for my belief.
joflicu 8y ago
I wonder whether calories in - calories out is too simplistic a picture. Why do people put on antipsychotics gain an ungodly amount of weight? If metabolism slows down sufficiently, it will take more effort to burn those calories you take in (even if one hasn't substantially increased ones intake). This is a complex issue and I wish more scientists studied the link between medications and weight gain.
- chongli 8y ago
  Yes, calories in - calories out is too simplistic. It really ought to be modelled with a partial differential equation, where calories out depends on calories in, current fat storage, exercise levels, sleep routine, stress, and more, with all of those things being affected by subjective energy level. It is a well established fact that the body makes a host of metabolic adjustments in response to changes in diet.
  - crankylinuxuser 8y ago
    I've heard from 2 dieticians (professional, not online), that the primary way we lose weight is through our breath. Food we eat is drained of nutrients and excreted. The excretions are less than the food, and the rest is absorbed into the body. The other excretion we have is sweat, which is primarily salts and water. The only avenue in which we can shed weight is by CO2 exhaled... (I do not have a citation for this from a paper, but heard the same description from 2 different dieticians. I accepted this as fact.)
- atomical 8y ago
  Are you assuming people who take antipsychotics don't eat more?
  - andai 8y ago
    It's both: if you dysregulate the metabolism, that affects hunger levels and cravings as well.
    - 8y ago
atomical 8y ago
It's funny how a lot of these articles start out about how the diet made them feel so good and it felt so natural. By the end they've gained back the weight. If it was so great why couldn't you continue with it? The obvious answer is that in the beginning it was new and exciting and the drawbacks were ignored.
- KozmoNau7 8y ago
  People think a diet is something you can just do for a while, and then stop. You need to make a permanent lifestyle change, and most people are unwilling to make the commitment.
clanreborn 8y ago
My belief is that the best diet is what your forefathers ate. Gene function changes per your environment of which diet is an important part. Darstic changes in lifestyle or diet can result in diseases. Then you may ask, didn't humans survive famine so how can you say humans aren't resilent to drastic changes? Yes, they did but as a whole tribe not individually, usually a large portion of the tribe was usually wipped in such clamity unless a massive luck strikes. I want to see the research backing for my idea. This came to me through meditation.
- Kyrztyn 8y ago
  Wow, I thought I would never see someone else write this on the internet! You want the research, google Dr. Steven Zeisel from UNC. By the way, it’s called nutritional genomics. “Rabbits don’t live in swamps” is a favorite Dalits saying of mine.
malkia 8y ago
I've started low-carb (very few fruits - like strawberry, raspberry, occasional orange), just a bit of veggies, and mostly meat, cheese and othr dairy products (no milk though). Seems to work fine for me, was able to lose 30-40lbs in several months, without any calorie restriction. When feeling that I need something sweet, coffee helps a lot then, and lately have been taking a chunk of 100% cocoa solids Montezuma's chocolate. Had N of (lights) beers for the number of months that have passed :) (Used to be quite a beer drinker, IPA's, Stout, etc.) But one meal a day is probably going to be hard to keep on - socially, and just in general.
- kjeetgill 8y ago
  I've done something simmilar (keto) with one meal a day. I lose cravings eventually but when starting my big go-to for sweet cravings is almond milk and super salted cashews.
  - malkia 8y ago
    Tried almond milk time ago, and wasn't my taste, but really love almonds, peanuts and my secret sin: sunflower seeds (loved them since I was a kid).
IAmTheTucan 8y ago
I've eaten one meal a day for years. I don't do it because I'm on a diet though. I do it because I like to eat big meals. A big dinner is much more enjoyable than a tiny breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I don't get hungry at all. People apparently think this is strange but I'm equally baffled by the assumed need to eat three times a day. Like, you'll be okay, lol.
- sridca 8y ago
  Do you feel sleepy after the big dinner?
- toomanybeersies 8y ago
  I'm in the same boat. I haven't eaten breakfast as a regular thing in about 5 years, I just don't enjoy eating cereal and don't have time to cook up a proper breakfast and eat it. I'll usually have a big lunch, and then a small supper (often something like an avocado and some corn). People say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I feel no ill effects from skipping it. People just love to repeat things they heard years ago like they're some kind of ground truth. My mum still goes on about how I shouldn't add salt to food and I should avoid fat like it's the devil. And now that I've become a vegetarian, I'm getting the full force of years of marketing from the red meat lobby coming from her. The human body is remarkably capable of managing to operate in a variety of conditions. Whether that's a vegan diet, or an Inuit diet that consists almost solely of meat; intermittent fasting, or continuous grazing.

35 points by sridca 8y ago

Similar to OMAD: https://omaddiet.com/ https://omaddiet.com/ https://www.reddit.com/r/omad/ https://www.reddit.com/r/omad/

KozmoNau7 8y ago

Fad diets here, fad diets there, fad diets everywhere. Don't eat this, only eat that, don't eat at these times, only eat at these times, fast, don't fast. It's been going on for decades, and it's both silly and counterproductive. There is no easy shortcut to losing weight and being in good health. It takes discipline and dedication, and a complete lifestyle change. Yes, it's hard, but we just have to deal with that, instead of thinking we can somehow cheat our way to it. Eat less, move more. I'm not going to try to get more detailed than that, because then everyone will just start nitpicking, based on their own pet theories. "Move more" is the most important part. Almost everyone in western society is moving way too little. Our sedentary lifestyles are killing us. Stand up at your desk. Go for a walk instead of watching a movie. Start riding a bike. Take the stairs. Doesn't matter, just move.

tsomctl 8y ago
You say to eat less, but the question is, what do you eat less of? You still need calories. Let's say you cut back your diet so you only eat 1000 calories of doughnuts. That's eating less, yet I guarantee you will still be sick.
- 0xcde4c3db 8y ago
  This is a huge problem. Way too much diet advice takes the concept of a "balanced" diet for granted, while descriptions of what that means tend to be at least one of: 1) uselessly vague (eat "a variety" of foods, eat sugar "sparingly", get "enough" fiber, and so on; "eat lots of colors" is actual dietary advice that has been given by credentialed dietitians), 2) driven by some fringe/fad theory of nutrition, or 3) based on unrealistic or parochial assumptions of which foods are readily available/affordable.
smbullet 8y ago
I feel like "eat less" is the most important part. I have no evidence to back this up but I doubt you'll ever outrun the surplus calories you eat. It's much easier to just not eat that muffin.
- KozmoNau7 8y ago
  I wasn't trying to downplay the importance of eating less. But by changing to a more active lifestyle, you pull your body out of the sedentary energy conserving mode, which in my completely unscientific anecdata seems to improve how your body uses the energy you take in.
octosphere 8y ago
In the end it has to do with calories in and calories out. That is why a wholesome plate full of vegetables is great for feeling full whilst keeping calorie intake low. Also adding seeds to everything means better gut bacteria and adds fiber to a meal. I use a mix of pumpkin seeds, flax, sesame, and sunflower seeds and add it to as many meals as I can.
- LocalPCGuy 8y ago
  Calories in calories out over simplifies what is a complex issue. It is not "just" that. You even kind of contradict that statement yourself by your later paragraph.
  - octosphere 8y ago
    Edited that. I add seeds to as many meals and snacks as I can (both healthy and unhealthy) to add fiber and use the seeds as a sort of prebiotic.
  - dabbledash 8y ago
    Well, it’s sortof just that. But it’s like saying “the key to safe driving is to avoid accidents.” It’s completely true... but probably not helpful advice for a person who is having trouble avoiding accidents.
  - tjr225 8y ago
    Is it really that difficult to identify what foods are garbage and what foods are not?
ta76567656 8y ago
In my experience of having lost fifty pounds and having kept most of it off for a year or two now, "move more" is significantly less important than "eat less". (For overall health I'm sure it's very important, here I'm specifically talking about losing weight.) I increased my activity only a little bit, by adding a 10-30 minute walk. And while "eat less" is important, it's secondary to "eat what". My rule of thumb was (and is) "It's almost impossible to control how much you eat. Controlling what you eat is merely very difficult." In other words, your primary target is changing your diet from unhealthy foods to healthy foods, and you will "eat less" in calories as a result. If you keep eating junk food and try to control exactly how much junk food you eat you will have a much harder time.
- KozmoNau7 8y ago
  To elaborate a bit more, I try to stick with the No S Diet (http://nosdiet.com/ http://nosdiet.com/), especially the part about "no snacks". I used to be extremely prone to snacking, and it would almost always be snacks of a very unhealthy variety. So I cut out snacks almost completely, but I still let myself eat a burger+fries or a pizza once in a while. But they count as a full meal plus a bit ekstra, so my next meal will have to be smaller to compensate. Seems to be working out. But the biggest difference for me was changing my sedentary lifestyle. Standing as my desk, always taking the stairs, riding a bike everyday. It adds up.
  - slm_HN 8y ago
    Fad diets here, fad diets there, fad diets everywhere. Don't eat this, only eat that, don't eat at these times, only eat at these times, fast, don't fast. It's been going on for decades, and it's both silly and counterproductive. You start off complaining about fad diets and now you link to your diet which is the very epitome of a fad diet. Is there any medical research behind this diet?
    - KozmoNau7 8y ago
      What makes it a fad diet? All it says is to cut out second helpings, empty carbs and snacks. That's it. It doesn't try to set up weird rules or "superfoods". It's simple and straight-forward, which makes it much easier to adhere to. It's not a diet, it's a permanent lifestyle change.
trukterious 8y ago
Yes, discipline is needed, but knowledge helps too, because it shows some of the directions in which discipline may be applied, for example: One can learn that carb and fructose-rich foods are addictive and cause diabetes when consumed in excess. One can learn that drinking alcohol just before eating causes the liver to prioritise metabolising alcohol and the other calories go into visceral fat (the so-called 'beer belly'). One can learn that eating just before bed or when one is normally asleep puts strain on the heart and causes fat to be laid down (importance of circadian rhythms). One can learn that people who aren't even slightly fat are killing themselves from drug overdose, which may seem irrelevant until one recalls that many people eat for comfort. (So this is a personal/mental problem as well as a physiological one.)
- simczak 8y ago
  Can you elaborate on that: “One can learn that people who aren't even slightly fat are killing themselves from drug overdose, which may seem irrelevant until one recalls that many people eat for comfort. (So this is a personal/mental problem as well as a physiological one.)“
  - trukterious 8y ago
    Well, people eat for comfort and pleasure, as well as for calories, and some people get addicted to food. So I think if we understood addiction and how to cure it then this might automatically solve the obesity epidemic as well as the drug problem.
- KozmoNau7 8y ago
  All of those are absolutely miniscule when compared to the effect of undermoving and overeating. The carb/fructose thing is scaremongering. Type 1 diabetes is genetic, type 2 partially genetic, and is not caused solely by carbs/fructose. One of its factors is a generally poor-quality diet, but saturated/trans fat intake plays a larger role than sugars. And all of that is completely dwarfed by the influence of obesity on the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes. Drinking alcohol does make your body prioritize metabolizing it first, but alcohol also slows down digestion and can make you feel fuller for longer, leading to a decreased food intake. "Beer belly" is a myth. Eating at night or before going to be is not unhealthier than eating during the day. That has been debunked countless times. Food addiction is a real thing, however. And unlike tobacco or alcohol, you can't go "cold turkey" (haha) on food and just stop eating. You need rules, motivation and backup. This is the best FAQ I've found is this: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3483424 https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=34... Yes, it's SA, notorious for its bad comedy forums. But the exercise and diet forum is seriously quality stuff, with hundreds of success stories of fat nerds getting in shape, and keeping it.
LocalPCGuy 8y ago
While moving more is important for overall health, specifically to weight loss it isn't the answer. What and how much a person eats is going to affect their weight much more that how much they move, barring someone running marathons or similar extra ordinary exercise routines. This is pretty well established science at this point. Again, like you said, I'm not going to go into details on the things people should eat. I think different people need to find what works for them, their body, palette and schedule.
oh_sigh 8y ago
I don't know if it's fair to call this a fad diet, considering they have been eating in this manner literally since the time of the buddha(~500 BC).
- KozmoNau7 8y ago
  For them it's obviously not a fad, it's a lifestyle they've been keeping up for hundreds of years. In a western context, with the way it's sold in this article, it's certainly a fad diet.

moltar 8y ago

I’ve tried eating one meal a day, every second day. But I ate at 6pm. It’s quite tough at first, but gets easier with time.

Zarathust 8y ago

We live in a society (many of us) where "low calory food" is synonym of "healthy". I think it's one of the ultimate modern luxury, to look for food that will yield little energy for you.

toomanybeersies 8y ago

For a while at university I was eating one meal a day. I half did it to lose weight, and half because I was lazy and was poor. I found it surprisingly easy. I didn't really have any problem with cravings or hunger pangs. These days, I eat 2 meals a day, one at 1 PM and one at 7 PM, I generally don't snack between meals. I guess it's technically intermittent fasting? I also often forgo eating on Sundays, I just can't be bothered. Recently, I've also been eating less meat, just once or twice a week, also not on purpose, but I just stopped wanting to eat meat. Between all these changes in my diet, I've managed to lose about 10 kg in 2 months and I'm still steadily losing weight. In the end, I'm convinced that it's all in your head. Some people psychologically want to eat more than others, and that's why they're fat. It's not your metabolism, or because you eat too many carbs, or because you're not practicing intermittent fasting. Fat people are literally addicted to food. If only there was a way to rewire your brain to eat less. There have been studies that show that ketamine used in a therapeutic setting can help with overcoming alcohol addiction [1]. I wonder if it could also be used to tackle obesity? [1] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/24/radical-ketamine-therapy-could-treat-alcohol-addiction-erase-memories https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/24/radical-keta...

andai 8y ago
What you are doing is called time restricted eating. It is very healthy. Eating at the right times (and only within a specific window) is good for your metabolism. And that's good because it makes you stronger and keeps you slim. Doing it wrong can lead to cancer and diabetes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KClPkotxM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KClPkotxM

Kyrztyn 8y ago

Tricycle is not a place where you should get advice on either diet or Buddhism. From the Saiputto Sutta; you see that? Not for beautification. "And how, friend, is one moderate in eating? In this a monk takes his food properly considering,[2] not for sport, for intoxication, for adornment or beautification, but purely for the maintenance and nourishment of this body, for keeping it unharmed, as an aid to the practice of the holy life, thinking: 'I shall put an end to the old feeling,[3] and not produce any new feeling.[4] Thus I shall keep going, incur no fault, and live at ease.' That, friend, is how one is moderate in eating.

JoshMnem 8y ago

I've been experimenting with calorie restriction, water fasting, and intermittent fasting for 2 1/2 years and you don't need to go as extreme as one meal per day to see results. The hunger gets much easier to manage. I don't think that people should do it without also adopting a high-nutrient diet (vegetables, legumes, whole foods, nuts, seeds, fruits, etc.), because there isn't much room for empty calories.

ianai 8y ago
What’s the minimal you need to do to see results? As a measure of spectrum.
- andai 8y ago
  Check out Time Restricted Eating, lots of research on that lately. No change to what you eat, only within what time window. Every day, the first substance you consume which isn't water starts a metabolic clock. You should have your last meal (or non-water drink) of the day within 12 hours of that moment. 9 or less is even better if you can manage. Benefits include drastically cutting risk of diabetes and cancer (look into shift worker health stats), improved metabolism (on a cellular level), leading to faster weight loss (on same amount of calories), and increased endurance and muscle mass. That's the most bang for your buck I'd say! Here's a great introduction: Dr Rhonda Patrick JRE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KClPkotxM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KClPkotxM
- nabla9 8y ago
  I don't have all the sources at hand, but ... It seems that you feeding windows between 4-10 hours has an measurable effect. It seems likely that 4 hours is probably what humans need to get all the lifelong benefits noticeable in mice and rats–rats and mice have much higher metabolism than humans. The effect from intermitted fasting comes from many different mechanisms * (Review) Metabolic Control of Longevity https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(16)30981-3.pdf https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(16)30981-3.pdf * Fasting, Circadian Rhythms, and Time-Restricted Feeding in Healthy Lifespan https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/pdf/S1550-4131(16)30250-9.pdf https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/pdf/S1550-4131(16)30250... * Promoting Health and Longevity through Diet: From Model Organisms to Humans https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(15)00186-5 https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(15)00186-5 * Intermittent Fasting Promotes White Adipose Browning and Decreases Obesity by Shaping the Gut Microbiota https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(17)30504-1 https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(17)... * Short-Term, Intermittent Fasting Induces Long-Lasting Gut Health and TOR-Independent Lifespan Extension https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(18)30443-3 https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(18)... * Intermittent Fasting Confers Protection in CNS Autoimmunity by Altering the Gut Microbiota https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(18)30313-9 https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(18)... * Early Time-Restricted Feeding Improves Insulin Sensitivity, Blood Pressure, and Oxidative Stress Even without Weight Loss in Men with Prediabetes https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131%2818%2930253-5 https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131%281... * A Periodic Diet that Mimics Fasting Promotes Multi-System Regeneration, Enhanced Cognitive Performance, and Healthspan https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131%2815%2900224-7 https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131%281...

stealthmodeclan 8y ago

In my opinion, the best diet is what your forefathers ate. I've a firm belief that the ability to extract nutrients depends on the genetics. So changing your environmet or diet can have adverse effects like more diseases. Even lifestyle shouldn't be changed drastically in my opinion, even if someone pays you more to do exactly that. Gene function depends on the nutrition and environment. Genes learn slowly, so things must change a little over generation for learning to happen. Ofcourse, a Human tribe is resilient to drastic changes lik famine, but please not that a large portion of the tribe gets wipped during such transition. I would love to see the research backing for my belief.

joflicu 8y ago

I wonder whether calories in - calories out is too simplistic a picture. Why do people put on antipsychotics gain an ungodly amount of weight? If metabolism slows down sufficiently, it will take more effort to burn those calories you take in (even if one hasn't substantially increased ones intake). This is a complex issue and I wish more scientists studied the link between medications and weight gain.

chongli 8y ago
Yes, calories in - calories out is too simplistic. It really ought to be modelled with a partial differential equation, where calories out depends on calories in, current fat storage, exercise levels, sleep routine, stress, and more, with all of those things being affected by subjective energy level. It is a well established fact that the body makes a host of metabolic adjustments in response to changes in diet.
- crankylinuxuser 8y ago
  I've heard from 2 dieticians (professional, not online), that the primary way we lose weight is through our breath. Food we eat is drained of nutrients and excreted. The excretions are less than the food, and the rest is absorbed into the body. The other excretion we have is sweat, which is primarily salts and water. The only avenue in which we can shed weight is by CO2 exhaled... (I do not have a citation for this from a paper, but heard the same description from 2 different dieticians. I accepted this as fact.)
atomical 8y ago
Are you assuming people who take antipsychotics don't eat more?
- andai 8y ago
  It's both: if you dysregulate the metabolism, that affects hunger levels and cravings as well.
  - 8y ago

atomical 8y ago

It's funny how a lot of these articles start out about how the diet made them feel so good and it felt so natural. By the end they've gained back the weight. If it was so great why couldn't you continue with it? The obvious answer is that in the beginning it was new and exciting and the drawbacks were ignored.

KozmoNau7 8y ago
People think a diet is something you can just do for a while, and then stop. You need to make a permanent lifestyle change, and most people are unwilling to make the commitment.

clanreborn 8y ago

My belief is that the best diet is what your forefathers ate. Gene function changes per your environment of which diet is an important part. Darstic changes in lifestyle or diet can result in diseases. Then you may ask, didn't humans survive famine so how can you say humans aren't resilent to drastic changes? Yes, they did but as a whole tribe not individually, usually a large portion of the tribe was usually wipped in such clamity unless a massive luck strikes. I want to see the research backing for my idea. This came to me through meditation.

Kyrztyn 8y ago
Wow, I thought I would never see someone else write this on the internet! You want the research, google Dr. Steven Zeisel from UNC. By the way, it’s called nutritional genomics. “Rabbits don’t live in swamps” is a favorite Dalits saying of mine.

malkia 8y ago

I've started low-carb (very few fruits - like strawberry, raspberry, occasional orange), just a bit of veggies, and mostly meat, cheese and othr dairy products (no milk though). Seems to work fine for me, was able to lose 30-40lbs in several months, without any calorie restriction. When feeling that I need something sweet, coffee helps a lot then, and lately have been taking a chunk of 100% cocoa solids Montezuma's chocolate. Had N of (lights) beers for the number of months that have passed :) (Used to be quite a beer drinker, IPA's, Stout, etc.) But one meal a day is probably going to be hard to keep on - socially, and just in general.

kjeetgill 8y ago
I've done something simmilar (keto) with one meal a day. I lose cravings eventually but when starting my big go-to for sweet cravings is almond milk and super salted cashews.
- malkia 8y ago
  Tried almond milk time ago, and wasn't my taste, but really love almonds, peanuts and my secret sin: sunflower seeds (loved them since I was a kid).

IAmTheTucan 8y ago

I've eaten one meal a day for years. I don't do it because I'm on a diet though. I do it because I like to eat big meals. A big dinner is much more enjoyable than a tiny breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I don't get hungry at all. People apparently think this is strange but I'm equally baffled by the assumed need to eat three times a day. Like, you'll be okay, lol.

sridca 8y ago
Do you feel sleepy after the big dinner?
toomanybeersies 8y ago
I'm in the same boat. I haven't eaten breakfast as a regular thing in about 5 years, I just don't enjoy eating cereal and don't have time to cook up a proper breakfast and eat it. I'll usually have a big lunch, and then a small supper (often something like an avocado and some corn). People say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I feel no ill effects from skipping it. People just love to repeat things they heard years ago like they're some kind of ground truth. My mum still goes on about how I shouldn't add salt to food and I should avoid fat like it's the devil. And now that I've become a vegetarian, I'm getting the full force of years of marketing from the red meat lobby coming from her. The human body is remarkably capable of managing to operate in a variety of conditions. Whether that's a vegan diet, or an Inuit diet that consists almost solely of meat; intermittent fasting, or continuous grazing.