lowER Fat Experiment – is OVER

I am SO GLAD IT IS OVER!!! … this is the LAST time I am posting about a lowER fat experiment.  I had wanted this experiment to go longer… but I “caved in to the fat”. :)

I’ve tried twice this year to go lowER fat  and each was less than a true success, still there is information to be gleaned that may help you.

Let me state from the outset… my ‘experiments’ are certainly NOT controlled.  In other words, when I go lowER fat versus highER fat … there are many other variables that are NOT controlled.  Add to that the extreme complexity of the human body … and it is very difficult to claim any ONE thing is a ‘definite’ .

HOWEVER, that does not mean that my experiment does not contain useful information… I think it does.

Stick with me while I do a brief recap….

 

Summary

There were three experiments. 

1) highER fat – 26 days in length, average of 77% of calories from fat.

2) lowER fat (1) – 26 days in length, average of 56% of calories from fat. (goal was sub 55%)

3) lowER fat (2) – 10 days in length, average of 51% of calories from fat. (goal was sub 50%)

 

From late May until the middle of June I tried a highER fat meal plan. I averaged 77% of my calories from fat.

Next I introduced my lowER fat experiment … I’m calling it lowER fat (1),  (click here).  Historically I eat 66% of my calories from fat…  I was trying to reduce that to the range of 45-55%.  Staring the middle of June, I came close but did not achieve my goal, for the 26 days of the experiment I ate approximately 56% of my calories from fat…

I took a couple of weeks off while I ‘free ranged’ :)   That just means eating what I wanted (always low carb paleo).

After the two week break I went back to lowER fat, I am calling that lowER fat (2) … and I was more successful.  For 10 days my calories from fat were @ 51%  but I felt miserable. It was probably ‘all in my head’ but combined with a lack of sleep and “wanting my fat”… I caved in. The SUMMER of LOW FAT IS OVER!!! :)) Wooo hooo!   :)

 

Comparing the Three Experiments

…. let’s look at some charts.

 

 

 Note: 

1) The top line is Total Calories… despite reduced calories in each experiment… by the end there was essentially no weight loss. Technically there was one pound lost, but given the daily variances… I call it a wash.

I’ve never been a believer of “calorie in, calorie out’ … but still, this was a shock.

2) Calories from fat definitely dropped each ‘experiment while calories from carbs increased slightly, as planned.

 

The next chart concerns the last experiment ONLY …  the lowER fat (2) experiment.

Notes:

1) Fat and Protein move in the same direction.   If you look at the very first chart  as fat dropped, especially in the first two experiment, protein rose … not this chart, they moved in the same direction.

One would think that keeping carbs low, a reduction in fat would increase protein, which it did overall.
2)  Last three days … on day eight (8) I purchased heavy whipping cream, CAN YOU TELL? :)

Prior to buying the Heavy Whipping Cream… my percentage of calories from fat was in the 48% range and it finished @ 51%.

 

Lessons Learned?

So what can be gleaned from these experiments?

1) It is MUCH easier to go highER fat …than lowER fat. :)  … I miss my BACON and BUTTER!!! :)

2) My Overnight fasting blood sugars – Overnight Fasting Blood Sugar did increase from 70’s-80’s to the 80 – 90’s.

This could be due to a lack of sleep (studies show this increases insulin resistance); it could also be affected by the increase in protein (excess protein converts to glucose)… and it could be due to a slight increase in carbohydrates… most likely a combination of all three.

(See the  addendum at the bottom of the page)

3)  Set Points – I’ve been a believer in ‘set points’ regarding weight loss. I believe that once the body reaches a set point, I think it does take a serious ‘shake up’ to move in another direction.  Some may call this a ‘stall’ or ‘plateau’.

I BLEW threw 78 lbs of weight loss… like it was nothing.  I may have had a stall or two along the way… but it did not last long.

I went from 235 lbs to 157 lbs  in almost a straight line…  However since then, like a stock chart with areas of resistance… I am ‘stuck’ between 166-174 lbs.

In two years I’ve never exceeded 51 grams of carbs… and typically in the 20-30 grams per day range.

** The only time I’ve lost weight quickly since my initial weight loss… was when I went on the coconut oil fast… hmmm maybe it’s time for another one of those…. :)

 

FINAL NOTES

As noted above, this was not a controlled experiment.  There were several variables that were noticeably different in this experiment that should be stressed.

1) Sleep –  I RARELY obtain 7 hrs of sleep, obtaining enough quality sleep has always been an issue for me.  I’ve gotten even less sleep during this experiment.   We adopted a canine companion pup … and he has disrupted my weak sleep patterns.   Four to five hours per night is the norm and even that is not un-interrupted.

2) Exercise – I went from ‘two a day’ INTENSE exercises  during the highER fat experiment…. to once per day during lowER fat (1) experiment.  For lowER fat (2) … I exercised only about once a week, twice at the most although I did walk multiple times daily. This was mainly due to a lack of sleep…  I do not attribute it to a reduction in fat consumption. Why?

On days after a decent amount of sleep … I eXercised intensely.  One day, setting a personal record for Maximum Push Ups in 15 minutes.

3) My Weight –  During lowER fat (1) I did notice a reduction in weight but by the end of lowER fat (2) … it had returned.

In fact, I started the highER fat experiment in May weighing 173 lbs …  I started lowER fat (2) weighing 169.5 lbs.

I ended it this morning… weighing 172 lbs….

 

I hope this help someone, somewhere, some how. :)

By The Way

I am a  type 2 diabetic, with normal blood sugar …and I take -0- drugs and -0- insulin.  If you want to know how I exercise (click here) and if you want to know what I eat, (click here).  Click here for links to ‘my story‘.

 

Addendum – the day after this post, my Overnight Fasting Blood Sugar was 107 … each day since  ending the lowER fat experiment (adding back fat) my blood sugar has reduced, this morning… 87 … back to NORMAL Blood Sugar.  :))