Well its been just over a a year since I started this journey and while I have had a few ups and downs (biggest cheat for me was Thanksgiving day pumpkin pie and stuffing) I have maintained the weight loss and still have no plans to return to my prior carbohydrate consumption.
And another coworker as gone on the diet. Despite trying to “eat right” his HGB A1C had climbed over 10. In just a week his fasting glucose was down 100 mg/dl.
A study came up on my Doximity account that I found intersting...
Effects of a low carbohydrate diet on energy expenditure during weight loss maintenance: randomized trial
The focus was not just weight loss, though they did control for that, but rather the metabolic indicators for adaptation to weight loss or energy expenditure, a possible explaination for the rebound weight gain that too often occurs after weight loss.
“With weight loss, hunger increases and energy expenditure decreases—
physiological adaptations that defend against long term weight change....
Genetic factors are known to affect body weight, explaining some of the
variance in body mass index (BMI) among people. However, genetic factors
cannot explain why the average person today, compared with 40 years ago,
seems to be “defending” a much higher body weight.”
There is also a discussion of the carbohydrate-insulin model...
“According to the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity, the increased
ratio of insulin to glucagon concentrations after consumption of a meal with a
high glycemic load directs metabolic fuels away from oxidation and toward
storage in adipose tissue. This physiological state is hypothesized to
increase hunger and food cravings,
7 lower energy expenditure, and
predispose to weight gain, especially among those with inherently high
insulin secretion. The carbohydrate-insulin model offers a physiological
mechanism for understanding why obesity rates have increased since the
1970s in the United States, as dietary fats were replaced with high glycemic
load foods, including refined grains and added sugars.”
The results of the study support the theory that a low carb diet may enhance weight maintaince and decrease the rebound weight gain, especially individuals with high insulin levels. Benefit was found in all carb reduced diets not just the lowest carb...
“Total energy expenditure differed by diet in the intention-to-treat analysis
(n=162, P=0.002), with a linear trend of 52 kcal/d (95% confidence interval
23 to 82) for every 10% decrease in the contribution of carbohydrate to total
energy intake (1 kcal=4.18 kJ=0.00418 MJ).
Change in total energy expenditure was 91 kcal/d (95% confidence interval
−29 to 210) greater in participants assigned to the moderate carbohydrate
diet and 209 kcal/d (91 to 326) greater in those assigned to the low
carbohydrate diet compared with the high carbohydrate diet.
Ghrelin was significantly lower in participants assigned to the low
carbohydrate diet compared with those assigned to the high carbohydrate
diet (both analyses). Leptin was also significantly lower in participants
assigned to the low carbohydrate diet (per protocol).”
The study conclusion...
“Consistent with the carbohydrate-insulin model, lowering dietary carbohydrate increased energy expenditure during weight loss maintenance. This metabolic effect may improve the success of obesity treatment, especially among those with high insulin secretion.”
@stuartv how goes the efforts!
