The hottest Metabolism Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Science Topics

The Food Group You May Be Missing

Are You Okay? • 2236 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Metabolism Healthy Eating Meal Planning
  1. Protein is crucial for our body's functioning - for fullness, energy, weight management, muscle mass, and more. Aim for 0.7 to 1.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily.
  2. A healthy diet is sustainable and includes protein sources like chicken, fish, eggs, yogurt, lentils, and more to fulfill metabolic needs.
  3. Prioritize meeting basic biological needs first, like hunger cues and metabolic requirements, before focusing solely on vegetables or restrictive diets.

ex150-9 review: Down 4lbs, broke through 220lbs

Experimental Fat Loss • 106 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Loss Nutrition Fitness Metabolism Healthy Eating
  1. Decision-making dilemma: stick to what works or explore new options. It's tricky to find the balance.
  2. Balancing exploitation and exploration in weight loss experiments is key to progress. Trying new things can build confidence, but sticking to what's known to work is crucial for consistent results.
  3. It's important to evaluate the success of experiments and prioritize proven methods. Understanding mechanisms behind weight loss can lead to more effective strategies.
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Torricelli's Law for Fat Loss

Experimental Fat Loss • 127 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Loss Metabolism Diet Sleep Predictions
  1. Torricelli's Law for Fat Loss explains how weight loss can slow down as you approach your normal weight, similar to a bucket draining liquid with decreasing speed.
  2. Weight loss projections can be influenced by dietary changes and external factors, like daylight savings time affecting circadian rhythms and potentially affecting weight loss plateaus.
  3. Testing multiple weight loss projections, such as following a fitted curve and intuition-based predictions, can help in anticipating weight loss outcomes and adjusting dietary strategies.

The Anti-PUFA Elevator Pitch

The Heart Attack Diet • 239 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Metabolism Weight management Medical Myths
  1. Animal fats are considered more natural for humans to eat than polyunsaturated fats
  2. Polyunsaturated fats, though essential in small amounts, may pose risks as a staple food due to their chemical complexity and potential impact on metabolism
  3. The modern diet high in polyunsaturated fats may be linked to metabolic issues and health conditions, potentially impacting weight, body composition, and overall well-being

An Entirely Unnecessary Mom Test

The Heart Attack Diet • 119 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight management Metabolism Nutrition
  1. The author is noticing a rise in weight and is exploring the impact of their diet choices and set-point on this increase.
  2. They plan to take a break from focusing on weight, let their mom feed them generously, and see how it affects their weight over the next month.
  3. The author is prepared for their weight to continue rising but is also considering the possibility of a new set point for their weight.

The Signal And The Noise

The Heart Attack Diet • 119 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Diet Weight Loss Metabolism
  1. Measure your weight and waking temperature daily at the same time, and focus on the trend of the seven-day average for better insights.
  2. Avoid influencing measurements that do not impact your main goal, listen to your body's signals of hunger, and be cautious of using willpower for weight management.
  3. Be mindful of the effects of circadian rhythms, weekly variations, and water weight on your body measurements, and strive to minimize noise by staying consistent.

Current Beliefs, Suspicions and Confusions

The Heart Attack Diet • 99 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Diet Metabolism Nutrition Weight management
  1. Man's natural state includes unconscious weight control and ample energy; modern lifestyles may derail this.
  2. Avoiding polyunsaturated fats and embracing natural foods like animal fats, salt, and moderate carbohydrates may be beneficial.
  3. Experimentation is key to understanding personal health; questions about metabolism, sulphite intolerance, and weight set-points remain.

Fuel-Partitioning causes Obesity

Experimental Fat Loss • 169 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Weight Loss Fitness Metabolism Diet
  1. Mainstream CICO/EBM and Fuel Partitioning/low-carb are two paradigms about what causes obesity.
  2. CICO views calories as the cause of fat gain, while Fuel Partitioning sees excess calories as a result of other issues.
  3. CICO doesn't work for everyone, and there are diets like low-carb or keto that work better for some due to Fuel Partitioning.

Why Are We Getting Fatter? | Part II: Decomposing Fats & Carbs

Mind & Matter • 157 implied HN points • 28 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Diet Obesity Metabolism Carbohydrates
  1. Calories are not interchangeable; different types of foods with the same caloric content can have distinct metabolic consequences.
  2. Total calories alone cannot account for the rise in obesity and diabetes rates; the macronutrient composition of diets has changed over time.
  3. Carbohydrate and fat intake have shifted over the years, with varying trends in protein, saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats consumption.

One Year of the Heart Attack Diet II: Metabolism

The Heart Attack Diet • 119 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Metabolism Weight Loss Nutrition Medical Advice Physical health
  1. Metabolic issues like hypothyroidism can have symptoms that doctors may label as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, or Major Depression. It's essential to explore treatment options that work for you.
  2. Diet changes, like cutting out polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), may have a significant impact on metabolism and overall health. Consider avoiding PUFAs for potential improvements.
  3. It's crucial to be mindful of the impact of certain foods, like peanuts or palm oil, on metabolism. Forswearing polyunsaturated fats is advised for better health outcomes.

Xmas Mom Test: Conclusions and Mysteries

The Heart Attack Diet • 99 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight management Metabolism Nutrition Mysteries
  1. The author believes that giving up PUFAs has had a positive impact on their metabolism and weight control.
  2. There is a pattern of weight changes and thyroid issues, with different dietary interventions affecting these aspects.
  3. Several mysteries remain, such as the initial cause of the curse, the role of different dietary components, and the effects of various interventions on metabolism and weight.

Accidental Lipostat Test: Interim Results

The Heart Attack Diet • 79 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight management Metabolism Nutrition
  1. Your body's weight is controlled by a homeostatic system that adjusts your hunger based on your actions, leading to a gradual return to your set point weight.
  2. Monitoring and adjusting thyroid medication dosage can have a significant impact on energy levels and overall well-being.
  3. Eliminating certain dietary components, like polyunsaturated fats, may positively influence health and weight management over time.

Why Are We Getting Fatter? | Part I: Diet Advice, Health Trends & Informational Obesity

Mind & Matter • 157 implied HN points • 12 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity Diet Metabolism Nutrition Exercise
  1. The rise in obesity rates continues despite no increase in calorie consumption or decrease in physical activity.
  2. There is a lot of conflicting diet advice and information overload, leading to confusion and misinformation.
  3. Metabolic health can be affected by various factors like body fat, food intake, and specific macronutrient composition of the diet.

Confounded! PUFAs/Protein is Not The Answer

The Heart Attack Diet • 139 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Diet Weight Metabolism Nutrition Empiricism
  1. The author is reevaluating their beliefs about the impact of PUFAs and protein on weight gain based on personal experiences and observations.
  2. The author is considering the concept of a weight-homeostat and the potential factors influencing metabolism and weight regulation.
  3. The author emphasizes the importance of empirical evidence and being open to adjusting beliefs based on new information and outcomes from experiments.

On The Need for a New Theory

The Heart Attack Diet • 159 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Holistic health Nutrition Weight Loss Metabolism Well-being
  1. PUFAs are believed to be the root of obesity and metabolic health issues, but the direct evidence does not fully support this theory.
  2. A new theory is needed to explain weight loss and metabolic changes that go beyond solely cutting out PUFAs.
  3. Protein restriction may play a crucial role in weight loss and metabolic health, and could have a significant impact on dietary success.

Accidentally Testing the Lipostat Idea

The Heart Attack Diet • 59 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight management Nutrition Metabolism
  1. Weight stability around 95kg for 8 months indicates a possible fixed fat level homeostat, suggesting weight may not rise above 95kg if left undisturbed.
  2. Following a diet based on whole foods suitable for English-Irish ancestry may align with natural metabolism processes and ancestral diets.
  3. Unexpected weight fluctuations due to excessive alcohol and overeating might be temporary noise and may return to normal levels in a few days, shedding light on conflicting theories about weight management.

Xmas Mom Test

The Heart Attack Diet • 99 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Weight Loss Metabolism
  1. The author is facing a challenging 'Xmas Mom Test' where they expect to overeat while at home with their family, putting their weight loss theories to the ultimate test.
  2. Despite having various theories about weight loss and thyroid function, the author is unsure of what will happen during the test, highlighting the complexity of the human body's response to different diets.
  3. The author will observe trends in weight gain, appetite changes, and thyroid dose during the test, aiming to understand the impact of different dietary factors on their body's homeostasis.

Some Successful Predictions of the Old Theory

The Heart Attack Diet • 139 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Diet Weight Loss Chronic Fatigue Metabolism Nutrition
  1. Eating too much polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) can clog your metabolism and lead to weight gain, tiredness, and other health issues.
  2. Avoiding PUFAs and sulfites can lead to improvements in energy levels and well-being.
  3. Old theories about diet and metabolism may help explain personal experiences, but new information and adjustments to these theories may be necessary over time.

Reversing obesity != getting shredded

Experimental Fat Loss • 141 implied HN points • 21 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity Metabolism Diet Nutrition Fitness
  1. Reversing obesity is not the same as achieving a shredded body like bodybuilders do.
  2. Starving yourself to extreme levels, like bodybuilders do, is not a sustainable or healthy method to reverse obesity.
  3. Using a strategy meant for bodybuilders, such as extreme dieting, to reverse obesity can be detrimental to your health in the long run.

Adding An Epicycle

The Heart Attack Diet • 99 implied HN points • 17 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Biochemistry Metabolism Weight management
  1. Ancient theories added epicycles to make them work better, until Newton revealed the System of the World that was good enough.
  2. Epicycles in theories should not be added carelessly but should aim to explain data in a simpler way than the theory itself.
  3. Excess protein consumption beyond what the body needs for repair may interfere with the ability to process polyunsaturated fats for fuel.

We Used To Eat A Lot More Without Becoming Obese

Unfashionable • 15 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Metabolism Obesity Diet Research
  1. Historically, people used to eat more without becoming obese, challenging the 'calories in, calories out' theory.
  2. Studies show that children in the past consumed significantly more calories than recommended today, even without modern concept of workouts.
  3. The Ray Peat community suggests that historically, people had faster metabolisms, which could explain the paradox of declining calorie intake and rising obesity rates.

ex150ish-4: Second Week

The Heart Attack Diet • 79 implied HN points • 11 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Weight Loss Metabolism Diet Well-being
  1. Experiencing a rapid and noticeable weight loss during illness can be linked to the body's innate mechanisms prioritizing burning stored energy reserves over intake.
  2. The interplay between Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) may impact metabolism and fat burning, potentially influencing appetite and weight.
  3. Consistent adjustments in diet composition, such as controlling BCAA levels and PUFA consumption, can play a role in weight management and overall well-being.

The Mysterious Case of Outlier 17

Experimental Fat Loss • 106 implied HN points • 07 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Loss Diet Nutrition Metabolism
  1. Outlier 17 lost a significant amount of weight on the Half-Tato diet, which was only 50% potatoes and 50% regular food, with the main focus on how her approach ties into eliminating PUFAs, limiting protein intake, and focusing on a specific macronutrient.
  2. The Half-Tato diet study compared to other experiments led to observations that avoiding PUFAs, keeping protein intake low, and following a specific macro balance might contribute significantly to weight loss.
  3. Outlier 17's success might be due to factors like avoidance of PUFAs, low protein intake, and focus on a specific macro balance, indicating potential keys to effective weight loss.

Seed Oils explain the 8 Mysteries of Obesity

Experimental Fat Loss • 176 implied HN points • 22 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity Nutrition Metabolism Diet Wellness
  1. Obesity is caused by long-term dysfunction of mitochondrial energy metabolism, mainly due to changes in food intake starting in the late 1800s and increased seed oil consumption since the 1930s and 1970s.
  2. The drastic increase in obesity rates since the mid-1970s can be attributed to the rise in seed oil consumption, such as the introduction of canola oil in the 1970s.
  3. The ongoing obesity crisis, even since 2010, has seen a massive increase due to a 50% rise in seed oil consumption like soybean oil.

ex150-5: Recarb and Water Weight Regain

The Heart Attack Diet • 1 HN point • 30 Apr 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight management Nutrition Metabolism Diet
  1. Transitioning from a ketogenic diet back to a more carb-inclusive diet can result in water-weight regain, sometimes unexpectedly.
  2. Changes in diet composition can impact how one feels physically, such as experiencing tiredness or sluggishness after reintroducing specific foods.
  3. Monitoring and understanding fluctuations in weight, especially water weight, when altering diet and carb consumption is essential to gauge the body's response.

Friday Q&A: Diet Coke; Stomach Woes; Strength Training for Beginners; & Finding the Right Doctor for Menopause

Are You Okay? • 219 implied HN points • 03 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Fitness Supplements Metabolism
  1. Consuming Diet Coke daily doesn't completely negate healthy eating habits, but it's worth considering the potential downsides such as caffeine content and artificial sweeteners.
  2. Individual responses to gas, bloating, and irregular bowel movements can vary, and there isn't one-size-fits-all advice for using probiotics to address these issues.
  3. Health is about balancing risks and rewards, and making choices that work best for your body and well-being, whether it's enjoying certain habits or deciding to make changes for better health.

Mom Test : Confusion

The Heart Attack Diet • 59 implied HN points • 28 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Metabolism Weight Appetite Symptoms
  1. Weight changes can be confusing, especially when appetite and metabolism seem to be inconsistent.
  2. Cravings, like for baked potatoes, may not align with typical hunger or calorie needs, suggesting complex relationships between food and body signals.
  3. Health symptoms and weight fluctuations can puzzle, leaving individuals uncertain about their body's needs and responses.

Not losing fat on Keto/Carnivore? Try eating less protein.

Experimental Fat Loss • 141 implied HN points • 27 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Weight Loss Metabolism Diet Medical Research
  1. Eating high protein might hinder fat loss on Keto/Carnivore diets; consider reducing protein intake.
  2. Popular Keto/Carnivore diets emphasize high protein, but excessive protein intake may not be suitable for everyone.
  3. Moderating protein intake and focusing on adequate fat consumption is essential for maintaining a balanced diet on Keto/Carnivore.

Kraft test results: still insulin resistant

Experimental Fat Loss • 77 implied HN points • 30 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Fitness Metabolism
  1. Insulin resistance can exist with normal glucose levels, especially after years on a ketogenic diet.
  2. Measuring fasting insulin levels can be a better indicator of insulin resistance than glucose levels.
  3. The Kraft test, which measures insulin response over time after a meal, can provide more insights into metabolic health than traditional glucose tests.

Mom Test: Mixed Results

The Heart Attack Diet • 39 implied HN points • 14 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Metabolism Diet Nutrition
  1. Recent weight gain of over 2kg in three weeks was the fastest rate ever, mostly due to overfeeding at home.
  2. The author's metabolism is slowly repairing itself, with normal thyroid health and potential impact from avoiding processed food.
  3. The author highlights the complex relationship between appetite, body fat percentage, and weight fluctuations based on different dietary approaches.

Calories In, Calories Out

The Heart Attack Diet • 59 implied HN points • 09 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Weight management Obesity Metabolism Appetite
  1. Calories In, Calories Out concept is often misunderstood. It's about the balance of calories consumed and calories burned.
  2. Obesity can be a complex issue influenced by various factors like appetite and metabolism. Some individuals struggle with constant hunger which leads to overeating.
  3. Understanding the reasons behind abnormal eating patterns and appetite can help in addressing obesity and finding solutions.