Sorry about the rather imprecise topic heading but I couldn’t think of anything more direct or pithy.

I have a problem in understanding the relationship between obesity, diet and health as set out in Michael’s book and here on the web and I’d be interested to learn how other people have approached this question: if obesity is generally a consequence of eating too much carbohydrate (and particularly of sugar), it’s not clear to me why a marked reduction in consumption (about 800 calories) should bring about weight-loss — and particularly, fat-loss. Why is the ‘quality’ of the diet best reversed by the ‘quantity’ of the diet?

Gary Taubes, who has recently written about weight-loss and specifically the deleterious nature of sugar, challenges the view that a “calories-in equals calories-out” approach makes any sense as far as understanding obesity is concerned. Many other commentators have said the same thing. But, I wonder, doesn’t the 800-calories a day solution help to reinforce this energy-equation view? From the point of view of diabetes reversal, what would be the consequence of a “normal” high-quality diet (say, 2,000 calories a day) that had the same amount of carbohydrates as the 800-calorie regime?

Please understand that I’m not challenging the underlying argument of the BSD — there is enough evidence, both anecdotal and scientific, on the web-site to substantiate it. But I wonder if other people still don’t find some questions hanging in the air.
Best wishes,

Manniman – interesting question which made me look back at my BSD journey.

Originally I didn’t follow the 800. Kept carbs low but calories higher. I lost a stone from May to July but blood sugars didn’t drop. Weight loss stalled over July/August. Got really fed up so on 1st September started the 800 properly. The weight dropped off at an awesome speed. Blood sugars dropped to normal by the end of the first week and I came off insulin. I had to increase calories after 5 weeks because I had lost nearly another 2 stone and my BMI was 21.

My results don’t reinforce the energy-equation view because I lost so much more weight than I should have from the calories I cut out from my diet and I did wonder how that could have happened – but in the end I decided I didn’t care and just enjoyed the weight loss and improved health. So hopefully someone with much more knowledge than I have can answer your question.

Manninman

My understanding, and it’s awhile since I read the book, is that the original research by Prof.Taylor, and subsequently this book were based, on the effects that bariatric surgery had on diabetes.

It was found that obese diabetic patients who had bariatric surgery, and who as a result, lost weight very quickly, also ‘reversed’ their diabetes. Prof. Taylor did a small study using calorie controlled drinks to replicate the fast weight loss after bariatric surgery and had similar results. Hence the Blood Sugar Diet.

I believe that the theory is that it is the speed of the weight loss that’s significant so if you have a similar number of carbs with around 2000 calories the weight loss, if any would be very much slower. Also I think you would find it very difficult to have a very low carb diet with 2000 calories unless you increased your intake of fats quite dramatically.

Sure somebody will correct me if I have the theory wrong.

Verano – I think you are right that it is the rapid weightloss that is significant. I had forgotton that section of the book.

Yes, I think the really low calorie aspect is aimed at getting the BS levels down; if diabetes is not a problem and it’s only the weight loss you’re after, then a higher cal intake (but low carb) will work fine, perhaps a bit slower but still effective and easier to manage, IMO! But if you are diabetic and need to get BS levels down, the really low 800 cal has been shown to work.

I’m lucky, not having diabetes, but I didn’t appreciate the difference when I started BSD last year; so I stuck with 800 for 8 weeks, but didn’t count carbs- I lost 21 lb in 8 weeks, but it was tough. And then put it all back on again by letting the carb monster back in! This time I’m sticking to the recipes, having about 1000+ cals a day, but counting the carbs as well, aiming at 50g. This has meant cutting out the pulses, root veg, and ALL grains including oats, so no porridge. I’ve lost 14 lbs in 6 weeks, and for me, it is much more sustainable. I’ll reintroduce the pulses and root veg when I get to maintaining, but the carb monster is banished forever!

Rapid weight loss just produces rapid results. The same results could be achieved over a longer period of time Prof Taylor says this. The whole point is to get rid of fat in the liver and pancreas by losing weight, enough weight to go under your personal fat threshold.

Rapid weight loss on this diet is more than just getting rapid results on weight. The effect the 800 calories per day has on a diabetic suffer’s liver and pancreas is different to just getting to that weight over time. In my case my BGLs reduced to the normal levels within days of commencing and rigidly sticking to the BSD. I had been those weights and below previously in weight loss programs and my BGLs had not returned to normal levels. This was despite following a fairly low carb diet (but not low calorie) to keep my diabetes in control for acceptable diabetes levels but these were not normal population BGLs .