Interesting post on maintenance after being obese

A recent post from Dr Eades' blog

Worth reading in its entirety, but in a nutshell:

"Obesity is a medical problem caused by a damaged metabolism, which is why one person, without the damage, can eat the same foods without gaining weight that pack the pounds on someone else.  Once you realize you have the underlying problem that leads to obesity, you simply have to recognize that you have to deal with it for the long term."

and

" If you have an obesity problem that responds to a low-carb diet and you lose to your target weight, then go back to your old way of eating and gain your weight back, it isn’t the low-carb diet’s fault.  You have a problem that responds to a low-carb diet, and you pretty much have to stick with a low-carb diet (although not in nearly as extreme a structure as when you are trying to lose) for the long haul."

The above discussion followed by a review of a low carb book discussing the science behind high fat / high protein diets.

Worth it to click over and check it out!

 Margo, thanks for posting this.  I haven't read his blog in a long time but like him.  I clicked through to the NYTimes article as well and thought it was a worthwhile read.

Eating a calorie restricted,  particularly low-carb calorie restricted, diet impairs the body's ability to convert inactive thyroid hormone (T4) to active hormone (T3) in the liver which is what slows your metabolism even with adequate protein and nutrients (vitamins, etc.).  There's  plenty of science to back this up -- it is in fact, 'Starvation mode.'   In some ways it's protective of the body.  Studies show it slows aging (anti-inflamatory), preserves muscle, etc., BUT at the point you stop eating a calorie restricted, low-carb diet you will start to gain weight.  Returning to a 'non-starvation' state doesn't completely resolve the conversion problem which is why at the same weight, a previously obese persion needs fewer calories than someone of similar activity level who has never been obese.