"The incredible shrinking stomach’
A little weekend diatribe…
I don’t like to get into the subject of dietary weight loss programs, PCSK9 inhibitors, etc., and even less on the pros and cons of vegetarian versus carnivore diets.
But here is what I know from personal experience and study of the subject of weight loss:
Calories count, forget about the effect of exercise, etc. If you want to lose weight you have to reduce caloric intake.
Calorie restriction is still the most proven method of extending lifespan in all animals.
The key is shrinking stomach size. If you are overweight the first thing you need to do to achieve long-term goals of CR without hunger etc. is to decrease stomach size.
Yes, I know many people have a problem achieving this, because of hunger, etc.
Though I must interject. IMO: It is easier to avoid hunger and reduce stomach size on low-carb diets.
To do this you need to stop stretching your stomach. Instead of big meals eat more smaller meals. You can do this by following an old yoga adage “Only eat when you are hungry.”
This works eventually even if you are a “stress eater”. i.e. eating food is a comfort for you.
Then eat slowly enough so your system has time to signal the brain that you are no longer hungry. Don’t stretch your stomach with large amounts of liquids.
Smaller more frequent meals and smaller more frequent liquid intake is the key to shrinking your stomach. The smaller your stomach the easier it is to satisfy your hunger.
This is not a short-term process, it may take weeks or months to achieve. This works whether or not you are on keto or some other diet.
“Portion Control: Eating smaller, more frequent meals can help reduce the stomach’s capacity over time. The stomach is a flexible organ that can adapt to smaller food volumes.”
“When the stomach is smaller, it fills up more quickly with less food, sending signals of fullness to the brain sooner.”
“Reduced stomach size can also affect the production of hunger hormones like ghrelin, leading to decreased appetite.”
The result is this: You will eventually become used to smaller meals. This is achieved without ever having to go hungry.
I have achieved a BMI of less than 22 for almost three years. Currently, I am sitting around 21. I went from 237 lbs to 172 lbs without too much effort, mostly just following various interventions that did not require me to be hungry.
Determining what CR is needed according to age activity, etc., is not an exact science. But, according to various online calculators, my CR is between 10 -20 percent.
I have achieved weight stasis. All lipid and glucose levels are well within the “normal range”.
I am experiencing no detectable sarcopenia, and I am never hungry. I eat just enough to maintain my current body weight. Because of my age, I eat a low-carb, protein-heavy diet.
I do 18/6 two meals a day. I never eat after 6 pm.
Bottom line:
If you ever want to achieve CR without hunger, you must shrink your stomach.
I am 83, and today, I feel like I will at least reach 100 while still being independent.
