Nutrition

While following this kind of protocol does help some people lose weight, the model it is based off is incomplete.

#4212 is not meant as a complete guide but as a high-level overview.

For these reasons, diets that are equal in calories but that vary in nutritional content can have vastly different weight gain/loss outcomes.

I don’t know if I agree with the word “vastly”. People have done Twinkie diets where they eat nothing but Twinkies (plus some supplements to get the bare minimum) and they lost weight.

Still, I’ll edit my idea to say that people should get all the nutrients they need while in a deficit.

On a general note, your writing would benefit from simplification. I’ve noticed this throughout your contributions on V, but here are some examples from this specific idea:

“will trigger a suppression of” -> ‘suppresses’
“causes a lowering of” -> ‘lowers’
“An alternative is to improve” -> ‘Instead, improve’
“is kept the same” -> ‘stays the same’
“This would be preferred by the body” -> ‘The body would prefer this’
“utilised” -> ‘used’

I like to follow George Orwell’s writing advice (especially 2, 4, and 5):

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive [voice] where you can use the active [voice].
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

A chronic calorie deficit will trigger a suppression of the active thyroid hormone T3. Lowering T3 causes a lowering of the metabolic rate, which lowers the rate of caloric burn at rest.

#4212 doesn’t advocate a chronic deficit. Still, I’ll edit it to say that people shouldn’t be in prolonged deficits.

A chronic calorie deficit will trigger a suppression of the active thyroid hormone T3. Lowering T3 causes a lowering of the metabolic rate, which lowers the rate of caloric burn at rest.

For this reason, CICO dieting often hits a wall when the body adjusts to the new low calorie lifestyle.

An alternative is to improve the quality of the foods, such that the metabolic rate increases while caloric intake is kept the same (or even increased too, by a lesser amount). This would be preferred by the body as it is a more complete solution: all nutrient requirements are being met and energy is being produced and utilised in abundance.

I think it is much more useful to think of the body as a dynamic energy-processing system, rather than a ledger of calories.

While following this kind of protocol does help some people lose weight, the model it is based off has been debunked.

'Calories in vs calories out' dieting is based on the idea that each person has a fixed rate of at which they burn calories at rest, proportional to their bodyweight. This fails to account for the fact that ‘calories out’ depends entirely on the metabolic state of the individual, which is highly dependent on the quality of their nutrition.

Some diets lack certain key nutrients required for efficient metabolism, thereby inhibiting the body’s ability to utilise calories. Some diets also contain metabolic toxins that diminish the body’s ability to utilise calories.

For these reasons, diets that are equal in calories but that vary in nutritional content can have different weight gain/loss outcomes.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but potatoes seem to be a good source of fiber. Very filling.

Carbonated water and diet sodas also feel filling, and they don’t even have calories. Diet sodas can help people lose weight. I like to drink Diet Coke when I’m on a cut. The caffeine gives me energy.

The easiest lever to pull when trying to lose weight is satiation. That can be done artificially through GLP1-agonists, but in the case of nutrition, that's best accomplished by an increased protein and fibre intake.

Most people are overnourished. One way to take control is to measure your daily energy expenditure and not eat above that.

Using an online calculator like https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html, you can get a decent estimate of your daily caloric needs.

Then, using https://cronometer.com/, track your food to ensure you don’t exceed your daily caloric needs.

By eating in a 500-calorie deficit, you can lose about a pound per week. Lift heavy weights a couple of times a week so the weight you lose is fat, not muscle.

This is a simple way to do body recomposition.

Iron
Functions:
- Essential for cellular energy production
Sources: beef liver, beef kidney, oysters, beef, shrimp

Selenium
Functions:
- Essential for proper thyroid function (conversion of T4 into T3)
- Protects against PUFA toxicity
- Neutralises the toxic effects of heavy metals in the body
Sources: oysters, shrimp, beef liver, beef kidney, beef, eggs

Copper
Functions:
- Key to iron regulation
- Key to production of ATP (the key unit of energy required by every cell in the body)
- Helps prevent 'age spots' forming on skin
- Key to maintaining the structure of tissues (required for the cross-linking of collagen and elastin)
Sources: potatoes, oysters, shrimp, beef liver, beef kidney

Zinc
Functions:
- Opposing heavy metal toxicity
- Essential for proper thyroid function (conversion of T4 into T3)
- Important for maintaining androgen levels
- Suppresses aromatase (aromatase converts testosterone into estrogen)
- Indispensable to protein synthesis and wound healing
- Helps maintain the integrity of the intestinal lining
- Supports immune system regulation
- Improves CO2 management in the body
Sources: oysters, beef, beef liver, beef kidney, shrimp, cheese, yoghurt, eggs

Sodium
Functions:
- Suppresses stress hormones (aldosterone, adrenaline, cortisol)
- Required for cellular energy production
- Spares magnesium from being lost in urine
- Pro-thyroid
- Protects brain and nerve cells from excitotoxic damage
- Supports restful sleep
- Key component of stomach acid and bile
- Supports the thermogenic effect of food (helping the body convert calories into heat rather than storing them as fat)
Sources: salt, cheese, shrimp, oysters

Potassium
Functions:
- Important for cellular stability
- Supports carbohydrate utilisation
- Opposes calcification of soft tissues
- Improves CO2 retention
Sources: potatoes, milk, yoghurt, orange juice, kiwi, watermelon, beef liver, beef kidney

Magnesium
Functions:
- Important for the efficient utilisation of ATP in cells
- Supports thyroid hormone
- Improves management of calcium in the body
- Inhibits stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol)
Sources: potatoes, coffee, orange juice, oysters