So - healthy or no? Extreme fat loss in short time.

[Stravinsk]

*Note - I am in no way advocating what this guy did - just curious on other's opinions on it.

I was talking to a friend of mine the other week and we were talking weight loss (more specifically - fat loss). Well, we both know this guy named Blake (not his real name) and he said "You remember Blake? You know he used to be really fat".

"Really? That guy??!! No way!"

"Yeah, he was about 110 kilos" (242 pounds). "He went down to 71 kilos (156 pounds) in 3 months - and kept it off".

"Wow...3 months..."

"All he ate was boneless, skinless chicken breast and salad...for 3 months. Nothing else except water to drink".

Now I thought this was interesting. No other details were given - like, if it was salted(sodium increases appetite and water weight), how often he ate it, what was in the salad and what kind of exercise he did (I assume he did - since Blake is big into exercise now). Boneless, skinless chicken breast has very very low saturated fat levels.

So - healthy or not? I'm not advocating this diet - but I did find it interesting. Protein, from what I understand, is the last thing the body will convert into fuel. Carbs and fats (including healthy fats) are burned first - and also stored first if you are not using them or if they come in the form of processed/high GI form (such as white flour/rice) that raise insulin to sky high levels.

Thoughts? Dangerous? Surely this couldn't be more dangerous than drinking coke, eating processed sugars and additives and chemical sweetners, drinking alcohol, eating fried food...Just questioning - thinking out loud here. I know the diet is unsustainable on the longer term because it misses a few key nutrients...such as plenty of Omega 3 and 6 fats - which are essential for good health. And I don't think carb limiting to such extremes is good in the long term either.

 

[er72]

I can't see it being anymore unhealthy than being obese and eating foods that kill you. But time will tell if he keeps the weight off, or if it comes crawling back on him in the future.

 

[kevlite2020]

Thoughts? Dangerous? Surely this couldn't be more dangerous than drinking coke, eating processed sugars and additives and chemical sweetners, drinking alcohol, eating fried food...Just questioning - thinking out loud here.

I have a feeling that putting your body through a change like that would give it some shock. I don't think our bodies are meant for drastic changes quickly, they are more suited for changes over time. But I also have to imagine that whatever health risks come from a quick change like that would be immediate risks, not long term. And this is completely uneducated guessing here, so I could be totally off track.

 

[IreneAdler]

extremely bad

ketoacidosis is what he set himself up in by eating only protein. if you look it up it is a big no no. Even Atkins, which is a high protein, low carb diet, doesn't promote total lack of carbs. it can cause tachycardia, low blood pressure, weird smells, all sorts of fun things and can eat muscle. super fun (not).

sounds extremely stupid. No doctor would support this, even for someone who was morbidly obese.

 

[Keri]

I think it's unhealthy to do it that quickly. I've lost like 70 pounds in the last year. It's about 1.5 pounds a week. But it wasn't that steady every week. I'd lose 5lbs one week, then none for 2 weeks, then 2lbs the next, then none the week after that. But I think the average over the last year has been healthy and consistent. I've kept it off.

 

[Stravinsk]

extremely bad

ketoacidosis is what he set himself up in by eating only protein. if you look it up it is a big no no. Even Atkins, which is a high protein, low carb diet, doesn't promote total lack of carbs. it can cause tachycardia, low blood pressure, weird smells, all sorts of fun things and can eat muscle. super fun (not).

sounds extremely stupid. No doctor would support this, even for someone who was morbidly obese.

But acidosis can come from eating other "high acid" foods - like soda in large amounts - which is loaded is phosphoric acid (the stuff that breaks down nails and requires saftey gear to handle). And - this guy was including lots of salad (alkaline) with the chicken breast (acid).

I'm not exactly disagreeing with you - I think the diet is certainly unhealthy in the longer term. However - from what I understand (I could be wrong) - is that muscle is not likely to be "eaten" given there is plenty of protein in the diet AND the body is low on fuel reserves (fat). In other words, to keep basic metabolism up - it will burn body fat first for fuel, and then only turn to muscle(converting it to glucose) if fuel(excess body fat) is low and/or amino acids are low. The body needs amino acids for more than muscle building/function/repair obviously - they are needed by the brain on a daily basis.

Btw- Atkins diet is different - since it included lots of unhealthy saturated animal fats.

Anyway, thanks for your thoughts.

 

[miss-a]

I think the issue is the imbalance of macronutrients, not the quick fat loss. they lose that much that fast on the Biggest Loser all the time, but they do eat some carbs. the elimination of carbs, as Irene stated, sets up a toxic climate in the body. that's the problem with Blakes scenario.

 

[IreneAdler]

the amount you'd have to take in of those foods to achieve acidosis would be astrinomical (like water intoxication). this, unfortunately, is just as looney.

actually they've changed Atkins to be healthier. I wouldn't do it but it is tailored to be not so bad (they don't promote eating tons of bacon and such anymore or anything).

as for eating of muscle, once you get to the point you have no fat reserves left, it would and I'd venture to say anyone who could stick to this diet might have the psychological mind set not to know when to turn it off (frankly this is nuts and makes me wonder if they have control issues to begin with)

 

[miss-a]

the other issue concerns the amount of protein he consumed. excess protein is a stress on the kidneys, compromises seratonin productions, and creates all sorts of bowel issues which create toxicity.

 

[Oddish]

I cannot see him keeping that up. A diet should consist of a variety of foods.

 

[Sketcher]

Losing (or gaining) a pound a week is healthy, and what people should aim for. Any more than that is risky.

 

[Mydnyte]

Losing (or gaining) a pound a week is healthy, and what people should aim for. Any more than that is risky.

I've heard losing two pounds a week is really the limit of what is safe.

 

[IreneAdler]

I can lose between 3-5 in a week depending on what I'm doing, eating, etc. I think it depends on who you are. I don't think there's a firm "danger" number. I think it's just a generalization. (frankly alot of "weight loss" can be water weight even so pound, two pounds... eh)

 

[Miles]

It depends on how one gets there. If it's the result of exercise and healthy eating habits, then it's probably a good thing. Otherwise, I'm not so sure. Starvation is hard on the body, and people who diet in the traditional sense of the word tend to gain the weight back.

 

[Timyone]

There used to be the idea that losing weight quickly was worse than quickly for what ever reason, ive read that this isnt true (i cant remember where, or what else it had to say)

It would be a lot of effort keeping it off once you start eating normally again, though if that person then changed toa good diet, it could totally work!

Another interesing note is stomach banding, which blows my mind! i meet people that get it done at work as a nurse! All it does is make you really full, and replace self control! but requires surgery?! so if you continue eating fast food, but smaller amounts, you lose weight! the moral of the story in that case is just smaller meals, but yeah, i recommend cutting out saturated fat as well. It was total news to me that just eating smaller meals would make you lose weight though.

 

[Timyone]

One of the big things about rapid weight loss is extra skin too! i think you notice it slightly less when you do it slower.

 

[Im_A]

*Note - I am in no way advocating what this guy did - just curious on other's opinions on it.

I was talking to a friend of mine the other week and we were talking weight loss (more specifically - fat loss). Well, we both know this guy named Blake (not his real name) and he said "You remember Blake? You know he used to be really fat".

"Really? That guy??!! No way!"

"Yeah, he was about 110 kilos" (242 pounds). "He went down to 71 kilos (156 pounds) in 3 months - and kept it off".

"Wow...3 months..."

"All he ate was boneless, skinless chicken breast and salad...for 3 months. Nothing else except water to drink".

Now I thought this was interesting. No other details were given - like, if it was salted(sodium increases appetite and water weight), how often he ate it, what was in the salad and what kind of exercise he did (I assume he did - since Blake is big into exercise now). Boneless, skinless chicken breast has very very low saturated fat levels.

So - healthy or not? I'm not advocating this diet - but I did find it interesting. Protein, from what I understand, is the last thing the body will convert into fuel. Carbs and fats (including healthy fats) are burned first - and also stored first if you are not using them or if they come in the form of processed/high GI form (such as white flour/rice) that raise insulin to sky high levels.

Thoughts? Dangerous? Surely this couldn't be more dangerous than drinking coke, eating processed sugars and additives and chemical sweetners, drinking alcohol, eating fried food...Just questioning - thinking out loud here. I know the diet is unsustainable on the longer term because it misses a few key nutrients...such as plenty of Omega 3 and 6 fats - which are essential for good health. And I don't think carb limiting to such extremes is good in the long term either.

How tall is this guy? I am 6'4" and I weigh roughly around that, well 236ish, the max was 240 and this is the biggest I have ever been but everyone that sees me doesn't think I look fat or overweight. Actually quite the contrary...they think I look proportionate and much better.

 

[K9_Trainer]

*Note - I am in no way advocating what this guy did - just curious on other's opinions on it.

I was talking to a friend of mine the other week and we were talking weight loss (more specifically - fat loss). Well, we both know this guy named Blake (not his real name) and he said "You remember Blake? You know he used to be really fat".

"Really? That guy??!! No way!"

"Yeah, he was about 110 kilos" (242 pounds). "He went down to 71 kilos (156 pounds) in 3 months - and kept it off".

"Wow...3 months..."

"All he ate was boneless, skinless chicken breast and salad...for 3 months. Nothing else except water to drink".

Now I thought this was interesting. No other details were given - like, if it was salted(sodium increases appetite and water weight), how often he ate it, what was in the salad and what kind of exercise he did (I assume he did - since Blake is big into exercise now). Boneless, skinless chicken breast has very very low saturated fat levels.

So - healthy or not? I'm not advocating this diet - but I did find it interesting. Protein, from what I understand, is the last thing the body will convert into fuel. Carbs and fats (including healthy fats) are burned first - and also stored first if you are not using them or if they come in the form of processed/high GI form (such as white flour/rice) that raise insulin to sky high levels.

Thoughts? Dangerous? Surely this couldn't be more dangerous than drinking coke, eating processed sugars and additives and chemical sweetners, drinking alcohol, eating fried food...Just questioning - thinking out loud here. I know the diet is unsustainable on the longer term because it misses a few key nutrients...such as plenty of Omega 3 and 6 fats - which are essential for good health. And I don't think carb limiting to such extremes is good in the long term either.

Wow well good for him for the self discipline.

I don't really know though, I'm not a doctor or nutritionist, but I'm sort of thinking along the same lines as you...That it can't be worst than the diet he was eating before that got him and kept him at over 200 pounds.

I wouldn't say I'm surprised either....When you cut calories that drastically and suddenly, you will lose weight that drastically and suddenly. Its not quite the same as trying to lose that extra 10 or 15 pounds you put on in college. It call comes back to that balance of calories consumed vs calories eaten. You can't safely cut hundreds of calories out of your diet if you're only 15 pounds overweight.

What worries me is the rapid weight loss that comes after a gastric bypass or lap band surgery. You have no choice but to drastically cut calories, and no only that, there are some serious concerns about nutrition.

 

[kingoffools13]

"All he ate was boneless, skinless chicken breast and salad...for 3 months. Nothing else except water to drink".

Now I thought this was interesting. No other details were given - like, if it was salted(sodium increases appetite and water weight), how often he ate it, what was in the salad and what kind of exercise he did (I assume he did - since Blake is big into exercise now). Boneless, skinless chicken breast has very very low saturated fat levels.

So - healthy or not? I'm not advocating this diet - but I did find it interesting. Protein, from what I understand, is the last thing the body will convert into fuel. Carbs and fats (including healthy fats) are burned first - and also stored first if you are not using them or if they come in the form of processed/high GI form (such as white flour/rice) that raise insulin to sky high levels.

Thoughts? Dangerous? Surely this couldn't be more dangerous than drinking coke, eating processed sugars and additives and chemical sweetners, drinking alcohol, eating fried food...Just questioning - thinking out loud here. I know the diet is unsustainable on the longer term because it misses a few key nutrients...such as plenty of Omega 3 and 6 fats - which are essential for good health. And I don't think carb limiting to such extremes is good in the long term either.

well i'm only guessing from lack of more info but it sounds like a typical low carb diet, atkins or the like. typically with a diet like this you will have a stricter start up stage(with atkins you aim to eat about 10-20 carbs a day) this stage can last typically for 2 weeks up to 6. after that there is a secondary stage; again if it is atkins you will aim to add 5 carbs daily to your diet for each week, and continue doing this until you reach your highest level of carbs while still continuing to loose weight. you stay at this level until you reach your goal weight. then there is a lifelong maintenance stage where you simply eat reasonable amounts of carbs but you no longer aiming to loose.

the diet isn't bad for you, despite what some may say, and from the sounds of it he is doing it very healthily although if only eating those things a very bland way to do it for sure. there are many variations and similar types of diets, simply do a search for low glycemic index types of diets or perhaps visit some low carb forums ... two of my faves are

Active Low-Carber Forums - Atkins Diet & Low Carb Support Message Boards
LowCarbFriends.com - Weight Loss Support

K
___O
______F

also kudos to that dude, losing weight is mucho hard, he did a good thing and he is better off for it, no matter how weird his method may seem

 

[Stravinsk]

How tall is this guy? I am 6'4" and I weigh roughly around that, well 236ish, the max was 240 and this is the biggest I have ever been but everyone that sees me doesn't think I look fat or overweight. Actually quite the contrary...they think I look proportionate and much better.

I've never asked him but I'm 6'2 and he was about a head shorter than me - so I'm guessing 5'6 or 5'7 or so.

Anyway, the story started when I started talking to my friend about boneless, skinless chicken breast (it's often recommended as a source of protein on bodybuilding sites - since it's low calories/high protein). That's when he mentioned "Blake" - and how he used to be teased about his weight.

Obviously he got sick of it one day - the teasing, the way he looked. So that's what he did. Now I knew this guy for about 8 months or so only - but he was slender the whole time. Big into exercise. But I don't remember what he brought to work to eat. From what I can gather - the skinless chicken/salad diet was a temporary thing. My friend says that if he gains now - he immediately makes sure to run a few miles to burn it off.