3 ms·

This was weird to read personally. I used chocolate in all kinds of ways for extreme weight loss, so "fooled millions into thinking" certainly has the subjectiv

This was weird to read personally. I used chocolate in all kinds of ways for extreme weight loss, so "fooled millions into thinking" certainly has the subjectively-not-correct feel to it. But the headline also does a great job of leaving this open question of, "but in the end chocolate is really not a weight loss tool, right?" "Right?" (Anakin stare) When I was wrapping up my first big cut, I was feasting on boxes of chocolate bars that I found on clearance at local stores. There is nothing quite like watching the scale numbers go down while you eat junk food. My BMI entered the "normal" zone while I was literally eating like a kid in a candy store. These days, I still buy chocolate bars and try to keep them stocked up. I also buy cacao powder and add it to my coffee with some salt and low-calorie sweetener, in lieu of breakfast. It can provide a really awesome calorie-efficient uplift for those of us who are sensitive to cacao. So, stuff like this really stood out: > Testing bitter chocolate as a dietary supplement was his idea. When I asked him why, Frank said it was a favorite of the “whole food” fanatics. “Bitter chocolate tastes bad, therefore it must be good for you,” he said. “It’s like a religion.” It just seems like the kind of anecdote you'd want to avoid. Like why not use some science to identify a population & a practice? Or is part of the follow-up also going to point out "plus we just ran with somebody's anecdote to get the ball rolling lol"?

lake_vincent 4y ago
This is the first time I'm hearing about this...and I have so many questions. What did this do to your body aside from the weight loss? Did you have anything anything else to supplement? How did you poop (there's almost fiber in junk food)? How did you manage your blood sugar? Did the caffeine in the chocolate have an effect? And just how much chocolate are we talking here?
- themodelplumber 4y ago
  IMO it's a fun topic. Look up dirty cuts on /r/loseit, you'll probably find some funny pictures. I remember a photo of an absolute bean pole holding up his food for the day, IIRC something like a king-size oreo chocolate bar. (Eating all the king size stuff like it's a "meal in a bar" is an amazing feeling btw) The worst effect I had from any food was from salad. This was at a different point, when I was cutting down on fat and lining up my macros. I ate so much spinach (along with my almonds) that I over-oxalated myself and went to the ER with massive pain from my fresh new kidney stones. Pooping is very nicely taken care of by hydration. This is a surprising one to a lot of people. It's not a problem. I drank over 100 oz a day. BTW never do that with mainly pickle juice. Funny experience. I also sprinkled some other foods in there for variety. But maybe at least 2/3 of my meals were junk food for a substantial period. And for some solid period of time it was all junk. As much junk as possible. It's a very extreme state of mind when you are cutting that much so you need the emotional support of a pretty candy wrapper and child-like attitude sometimes. Blood sugar is not a problem for me or in my family history--it's a safe zone. Subjective factors like this are very, very important btw. I was also exercising lots, like 2 hours hiking every day and the BWF routine from reddit, gobs of pull-ups since I could never do them before, etc. Resting pulse was in low 40s, always got grilled on that one when I went to the doctor. > And just how much chocolate are we talking here? IDK, how would you measure it going beyond the powder mix-ins? I consume at least 5 tbsp of raw cacao powder a day, plus all the other times when I'm eating chocolate, but that's less straight up chocolate. (I also have a weird theory that chocolate and sweets are a very good match for my subjective psychology and it's kinda related in general to people who eat like Warren Buffett btw.)
  - lake_vincent 4y ago
    Thank you for the detailed reply, this is fascinating!
  - tsol 4y ago
    I've done extended fasts and can see how they can be healthy if you don't push yourself too far and eat properly before and after. But why eat a chocolate bar in the middle? Once you get a fast going, you go into ketosis and start to lose your appetite.
    - themodelplumber 4y ago
      Fasting people can miss this sometimes, so I'll keep it simple: I like to eat
      - lupire 4y ago
        But why a single candy bar instead of healthy meal for the same calories? I also like to head.
Bilal_io 4y ago
I am confused. Did you use dark chocolate to lose weight? Or was it chocolate full of sugar?
- themodelplumber 4y ago
  Both, tons of both
quickthrower2 4y ago
Are you serious? If so please tell me more. “CICO” so yes you can lose weight (fat and/or muscle) on any food as long as you leverage the first law of thermodynamics and don’t eat too much. But I find chocolate kinda addictive and crave inducing. So I would make it a rare treat and on an already full stomach.
- themodelplumber 4y ago
  Yes, CICO for sure. Plus a bunch of other models. I had never realized how much variance there was between BMR & TDEE estimation models, etc. I ate it enough that I didn't crave it anymore and that was how I knew I had enough ;-) I had weird/off-the-beaten-path theories on "normal" food by this time though so that concept wasn't interesting to me anymore. There was no competition for what to eat and no set "healthy food" model at all.
  - quickthrower2 4y ago
    I think a lot of it is each person is different. You have to experiment. I find low carb (possible because it basically becomes high protein for me) reduces hunger and cravings and the non-sugar sweeteners keep me sane by letting me have treats.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
commoner 4y ago
Losing weight is a matter of consuming fewer calories than you expend, but weight is only one indicator of health. The problem with junk food (like high-sugar candy and soda) is that it is sparse in micronutrients and fiber. A person can lose weight with a diet high in junk food and low in micronutrient-dense food if they restrict their calorie intake, but that diet will result in nutritional deficiencies that adversely impact health in ways not related to body weight.
- themodelplumber 4y ago
  > will result in nutritional deficiencies It's not as cut and dried as that. You have to look at the whole picture, including things like periodicity and supplementation.
  - commoner 4y ago
    If by "periodicity", you mean temporarily switching to a junk food diet before reverting to a balanced diet, your health still suffers during the time that you are on the junk food diet. It would be healthier to restrict calorie intake while sticking with the balanced diet, which would not cause nutritional deficiencies. Supplements can help make up for some of the deficiencies in a nutrient-poor diet, but no set of supplements will include all of the micronutrients, antioxidants, and other compounds found in a balanced diet of nutrient-dense foods. Most people are better off eating a balanced diet instead of eating junk food and then taking pills to try to fill in some of the gaps.
    - themodelplumber 4y ago
      Why do I get the feeling there's a "true Scotsman" diet lurking behind the scenes here...
      - commoner 4y ago
        > Food is a complex mix of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (plant chemicals). Phytochemicals are an important component of food and help to reduce the risk of conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Vitamin and mineral supplements do not provide the benefits of phytochemicals and other components found in food, such as fibre. > Whole foods usually contain vitamins and minerals in different forms – for example, vitamin E occurs in nature in eight different forms – but supplements contain just one of these forms. > Vitamin and mineral supplements can’t replace a healthy diet, but a general multivitamin may help if your diet is inadequate or where there is already a well-supported rationale for you to take one. If you feel you could be lacking in certain vitamins and minerals, it is better to look at changing your diet and lifestyle first, rather than reaching for supplements. https://theconversation.com/health-check-can-vitamins-supplement-a-poor-diet-62291 https://theconversation.com/health-check-can-vitamins-supple...
Shorel 4y ago
Bitter chocolate is awesome. I consume it regularly, Latino-american style. This is, brewing it in water, adding a touch of milk. I have done this for about 15 years. Before that, it had sugar. I have drank chocolate all my life. Delicious.
- themodelplumber 4y ago
  For real. I admit I'm a simp for nearly anything Latin-American with chocolate in it. From Milo to yeah, homebrew-style copycat recipes of something my neighbor's grandma brought over to try.

lake_vincent 4y ago

This is the first time I'm hearing about this...and I have so many questions. What did this do to your body aside from the weight loss? Did you have anything anything else to supplement? How did you poop (there's almost fiber in junk food)? How did you manage your blood sugar? Did the caffeine in the chocolate have an effect? And just how much chocolate are we talking here?

themodelplumber 4y ago
IMO it's a fun topic. Look up dirty cuts on /r/loseit, you'll probably find some funny pictures. I remember a photo of an absolute bean pole holding up his food for the day, IIRC something like a king-size oreo chocolate bar. (Eating all the king size stuff like it's a "meal in a bar" is an amazing feeling btw) The worst effect I had from any food was from salad. This was at a different point, when I was cutting down on fat and lining up my macros. I ate so much spinach (along with my almonds) that I over-oxalated myself and went to the ER with massive pain from my fresh new kidney stones. Pooping is very nicely taken care of by hydration. This is a surprising one to a lot of people. It's not a problem. I drank over 100 oz a day. BTW never do that with mainly pickle juice. Funny experience. I also sprinkled some other foods in there for variety. But maybe at least 2/3 of my meals were junk food for a substantial period. And for some solid period of time it was all junk. As much junk as possible. It's a very extreme state of mind when you are cutting that much so you need the emotional support of a pretty candy wrapper and child-like attitude sometimes. Blood sugar is not a problem for me or in my family history--it's a safe zone. Subjective factors like this are very, very important btw. I was also exercising lots, like 2 hours hiking every day and the BWF routine from reddit, gobs of pull-ups since I could never do them before, etc. Resting pulse was in low 40s, always got grilled on that one when I went to the doctor. > And just how much chocolate are we talking here? IDK, how would you measure it going beyond the powder mix-ins? I consume at least 5 tbsp of raw cacao powder a day, plus all the other times when I'm eating chocolate, but that's less straight up chocolate. (I also have a weird theory that chocolate and sweets are a very good match for my subjective psychology and it's kinda related in general to people who eat like Warren Buffett btw.)
- lake_vincent 4y ago
  Thank you for the detailed reply, this is fascinating!
- tsol 4y ago
  I've done extended fasts and can see how they can be healthy if you don't push yourself too far and eat properly before and after. But why eat a chocolate bar in the middle? Once you get a fast going, you go into ketosis and start to lose your appetite.
  - themodelplumber 4y ago
    Fasting people can miss this sometimes, so I'll keep it simple: I like to eat
    - lupire 4y ago
      But why a single candy bar instead of healthy meal for the same calories? I also like to head.

Bilal_io 4y ago

I am confused. Did you use dark chocolate to lose weight? Or was it chocolate full of sugar?

themodelplumber 4y ago
Both, tons of both

quickthrower2 4y ago

Are you serious? If so please tell me more. “CICO” so yes you can lose weight (fat and/or muscle) on any food as long as you leverage the first law of thermodynamics and don’t eat too much. But I find chocolate kinda addictive and crave inducing. So I would make it a rare treat and on an already full stomach.

themodelplumber 4y ago
Yes, CICO for sure. Plus a bunch of other models. I had never realized how much variance there was between BMR & TDEE estimation models, etc. I ate it enough that I didn't crave it anymore and that was how I knew I had enough ;-) I had weird/off-the-beaten-path theories on "normal" food by this time though so that concept wasn't interesting to me anymore. There was no competition for what to eat and no set "healthy food" model at all.
- quickthrower2 4y ago
  I think a lot of it is each person is different. You have to experiment. I find low carb (possible because it basically becomes high protein for me) reduces hunger and cravings and the non-sugar sweeteners keep me sane by letting me have treats.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

commoner 4y ago

Losing weight is a matter of consuming fewer calories than you expend, but weight is only one indicator of health. The problem with junk food (like high-sugar candy and soda) is that it is sparse in micronutrients and fiber. A person can lose weight with a diet high in junk food and low in micronutrient-dense food if they restrict their calorie intake, but that diet will result in nutritional deficiencies that adversely impact health in ways not related to body weight.

themodelplumber 4y ago
> will result in nutritional deficiencies It's not as cut and dried as that. You have to look at the whole picture, including things like periodicity and supplementation.
- commoner 4y ago
  If by "periodicity", you mean temporarily switching to a junk food diet before reverting to a balanced diet, your health still suffers during the time that you are on the junk food diet. It would be healthier to restrict calorie intake while sticking with the balanced diet, which would not cause nutritional deficiencies. Supplements can help make up for some of the deficiencies in a nutrient-poor diet, but no set of supplements will include all of the micronutrients, antioxidants, and other compounds found in a balanced diet of nutrient-dense foods. Most people are better off eating a balanced diet instead of eating junk food and then taking pills to try to fill in some of the gaps.
  - themodelplumber 4y ago
    Why do I get the feeling there's a "true Scotsman" diet lurking behind the scenes here...
    - commoner 4y ago
      > Food is a complex mix of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (plant chemicals). Phytochemicals are an important component of food and help to reduce the risk of conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Vitamin and mineral supplements do not provide the benefits of phytochemicals and other components found in food, such as fibre. > Whole foods usually contain vitamins and minerals in different forms – for example, vitamin E occurs in nature in eight different forms – but supplements contain just one of these forms. > Vitamin and mineral supplements can’t replace a healthy diet, but a general multivitamin may help if your diet is inadequate or where there is already a well-supported rationale for you to take one. If you feel you could be lacking in certain vitamins and minerals, it is better to look at changing your diet and lifestyle first, rather than reaching for supplements. https://theconversation.com/health-check-can-vitamins-supplement-a-poor-diet-62291 https://theconversation.com/health-check-can-vitamins-supple...

Shorel 4y ago

Bitter chocolate is awesome. I consume it regularly, Latino-american style. This is, brewing it in water, adding a touch of milk. I have done this for about 15 years. Before that, it had sugar. I have drank chocolate all my life. Delicious.

themodelplumber 4y ago
For real. I admit I'm a simp for nearly anything Latin-American with chocolate in it. From Milo to yeah, homebrew-style copycat recipes of something my neighbor's grandma brought over to try.