Today I weighed in at 272.2. Although not too many data points, it appears as if the weight loss has increased since I dropped the nuts and Atkins bars.
I still am not having hunger pangs, which is great.
I had two eggs with cheese for breakfast. I had roasted chicken for lunch. 2 eggs and cheese sticks/slices for snacks. I had 1 pound of scallops for dinner. I drank only water.
Unfortunately, I have gotten a little constipated. I am still taking my fiber at night, I may need to ramp it up to more doses per day. This leads me to today's scientific topic. Lipolysis, the reason for my dehydration.
Lipolysis (fat burning) is the goal of the Atkins diet. It is used to break down the fat you ingest and the fat you have stored in your adipose tissue (your fat beer gut). The type of lipids that lipolysis refers to are triglycerides. The biochemical pathway that is used here is called beta oxidation. I will go into beta oxidation and the Atkins diet in another post. But, lipolysis is up regulated during the Atkins diet, it has to for survival since it is the only substantial source of energy. Several hormonal stimuli induce lipolysis: epinephrine, norepinephrine, glucagon, growth hormone and cortisol. The first enzyme released is lipase which breaks down the ester bonds of the triglyceride, releasing free fatty acids which can be funneled into beta oxidation creating energy. The free fatty acids are transported through the blood by binding to albumin mainly. Lypolysis is a hydration reaction, and hence this is why on the Atkins diet one becomes dehydrated and needs more water, and perhaps one of the reasons one gets constipated (constipation is also due to the lack of fiber in the diet). I will talk about the specifics of beta oxidation and exactly what "energy" is produced from burning the fat.
Transforming biochemistry knowledge into weight loss:
This page was begun as an experiment. An experiment I was conducting on myself. An experiment to test which conditions would allow me to loose weight. Now that I have been at it for a while I realize this page serves as more. It serves as a means for me to research. It is a way for me to pick health topics of interest, research them from a biochemistry stand point, and then share them with the world. Sharing them with you gives me an official feeling and keeps me motivated. However, as described below, I am still experimenting on myself.
How did this happen? I don't know exactly although I am almost sure it boils down to diet and exercise. I hope to find the answers as I explore my journey through weight loss on this blog. I was not always fat. Therefore, I know that I can be unfat again.
I am a biochemist. I should have known better. Of all people, I should have known how to avoid this predicament I am in now. I now wish to harness my scientific knowledge to experiment on myself as well as explore the chemical basis for weight loss methods.
Methods:
I will try new diets. I will experiment on myself. The diets will be chosen from among the most popular in our society. I will chronicle the results and my general experience in my blog here. I will also explore the biochemical basis for these diets as well as evaluate their effectiveness and truthfulness. I will also exercise as regularly as possible, 3-5 times per week, to avoid biasing the results. I will try to keep everything constant in my life except the diet. My method is not perfect. I don't necessarily want to lose raw pounds, but rather gain an understanding of what methods work best for me to permanently regain my health.
Hypothesis:
1. No diet will be clearly better than the others. Conversely, each diet will offer some truth, some piece of knowledge or methodology that I can take away with me to help myself. I think that in the end, I will be able to formulate my own diet based on a synthesis of all the things I have learned from all of these diets.
2. I have been on diets before, lost weight, and then regained it. I wasn't born fat. Given that, I think that my main problem will be shown to be psychological. I think that I may have compulsive eating problems- compulsive eating problems associated with very unhealthy foods.
3. I will lose quite a bit of weight. My blog will help keep my motivation levels high.
4. There will be a lack of clear scientific basis to many of the diets.
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away free. I love seeing website that understands the value of providing a quality resource for free.
ReplyDeleteRegards
lipolisis