Some advice as I start CR?

[Guest DaveK]

Hi - I'm about to start CR (my second time) and could use some advice regarding whether I'm on the right track. I'm male, 28, 5'11", weight approx. 130 pounds, technically slightly underweight based on BMI but ~130 pounds has always been my weight, even when weightlifting and eating a lot as a college student.

 

My first attempt, I made the mistake of using an online caloric requirement calculator as a starting point for CR, then gradually started tapering off the calories. The problem was that I have a fast metabolism, and this "starting point" (approx. 2000 calories) was WAY too low for me. Over 14 weeks (when I quit), I went from 130 pounds to 116 pounds. That final week my goal was 1910 calories, so I was tapering slowly.

 

I've taken 2 weeks of baseline data, trying to eat normally without gorging myself, and got an average of 2667 calories. This seems very high to me but I guess makes sense due to my previous experience with CR and fast metabolism. My plan was to start here (potentially after getting a little more baseline data), and do a 16% reduction in calories over a couple of years which would leave me at 2240 calories. I was hoping anyone more experienced and knowledgeable about CR would be able to advise me/let me know if this would be the best approach. My goal is simple, to maximize my health as well as longevity, and would be interested in any modifications that would help here. I do plan to track vitamins, nutrients, etc. as I proceed with CR.

 

Also, when performing CR, do you make adjustments/allowances for exercise? Currently I exercise infrequently though would like to change this, and was unsure if it would be ideal to add some calories on days when I exercise based on the extra caloric expenditure.

 

Thanks, Dave

[Guest DaveK]

No ideas at all?

[keithsct]

Hi - I'm about to start CR (my second time) and could use some advice regarding whether I'm on the right track. I'm male, 28, 5'11", weight approx. 130 pounds, technically slightly underweight based on BMI but ~130 pounds has always been my weight, even when weightlifting and eating a lot as a college student.

 

My first attempt, I made the mistake of using an online caloric requirement calculator as a starting point for CR, then gradually started tapering off the calories. The problem was that I have a fast metabolism, and this "starting point" (approx. 2000 calories) was WAY too low for me. Over 14 weeks (when I quit), I went from 130 pounds to 116 pounds. That final week my goal was 1910 calories, so I was tapering slowly.

 

I've taken 2 weeks of baseline data, trying to eat normally without gorging myself, and got an average of 2667 calories. This seems very high to me but I guess makes sense due to my previous experience with CR and fast metabolism. My plan was to start here (potentially after getting a little more baseline data), and do a 16% reduction in calories over a couple of years which would leave me at 2240 calories. I was hoping anyone more experienced and knowledgeable about CR would be able to advise me/let me know if this would be the best approach. My goal is simple, to maximize my health as well as longevity, and would be interested in any modifications that would help here. I do plan to track vitamins, nutrients, etc. as I proceed with CR.

 

Also, when performing CR, do you make adjustments/allowances for exercise? Currently I exercise infrequently though would like to change this, and was unsure if it would be ideal to add some calories on days when I exercise based on the extra caloric expenditure.

 

Thanks, Dave

Hi DaveK, I'll try to give a crack at it. The online calculators are really based on formulae derived from statistical models. Given your calorie usage, you're probably no where near the center of the distribution, so as you've found out, the models don't work for you very well. Experience will have to be your guide on this. You're off to a good start with the 2 wks of baseline data. I agree with the reduction of calories slowly over time. I expect that as you ease into CR, you gut flora will slowly change and slow down your metabolism. Is you body temp pretty high? Are you emitting all the extra calories as heat? Or is you digestion inefficient and not extracting the full measure of energy from your food? One of the unofficial rules for CR is to not let your body weight fall too low. If your BMI is lower than 18, you should think very seriously about increasing your calories. Tracking nutrients with some software is pretty much required to successfully implement CRON. You'll know your CR is successful when your periodic medical tests show reduced body temperature, lower blood pressure, better cholesterol profile, good energy, effortless weight loss. Longer term you should see reduced or eliminated colds and flu along with low levels of inflammation markers such as basophils, lymphocytes and neutrophils and CRP. Many, but not all CR followers experience low insulin levels.

 

Regarding exercise you shouldn't make any allowance for exercise. Exercise and CR are independent in terms of their effect on longevity. CR increases max lifespan; Exercise does not. Both increase mean lifespan. So the best combination for most CR practitioners is to moderate exercise so that once can maintain a moderate level of calorie restriction. CR has a much stronger effect on health and sickness than exercise does, so most CR people put the majority of their effort into the diet. If you exercise and add calories to compensate, then you're really just sabotaging your CR to some degree.

 

 

I hope that helps some.

Cheers,

Keith

[Guest DaveK]

Thanks! - Very helpful. My body temperature I would say is normal, my guess is that I'm not processing foods efficiently. Currently my BMI is a little over 18, though I'll keep an eye on this once I start CR. My plan currently is to get another couple of weeks or so of baseline data before beginning CR, and then start monitoring everything carefully using software to make sure I'm not deficient in anything.

[Taurus Londono]

Hi Dave,

I hadn't noticed this message until now, otherwise I'd like to think I'd have posted *something* to help you out in the ensuing months.

 

The best I can do is point you to this post in the CR Society mailing list archives, which I think is as good a primer as you're going to find that can fit into a single e-mail message.

http://arc.crsociety.org/read.php?2,201380,201444#msg-201444

 

...I would add that you should of course make sure to follow government and NGO guidelines on basic nutrition, (ie diet not supplements); meeting RDAs for micronutrients, protein, essential fatty acids, and losing no more than a pound or so of weight per week. Also remember that human CR basically boils down to consumption of fewer calories than you would need to sustain your healthy adult setpoint weight, it's not about weightloss per se.

 

Keith is right about the exercise; That goes to the point about CR and weight (enough exercise will result in weight loss, but it isn't CR). There's another thread about the same topic. Whatever your exercise routine, if your weight gets lower than you'd like (or you lose weight too quickly), just increase your caloric intake.

 

BTW:

2,600+ calories per day and ~18 BMI would seem pretty unusual to me (unless you've got a hardcore exercise routine). You are using a digital scale and software (like Cronometer) to track calories, right?

[Guest DaveK]

Thanks, and regarding:

 

>>2,600+ calories per day and ~18 BMI would seem pretty unusual to me (unless you've got a hardcore exercise routine). You are using a digital scale and software (like Cronometer) to track calories, right?

 

Actually, currently I don't exercise often. I'm not monitoring my weight or using software at this time, though I do plan to do both once I start CR.