My Big Fat Diet to be re-broadcast on CBC News Network January 8th and 9th, 2011.

Happy New Year!

And, yes, it is diet season, again. The CBC is re-broadcasting MBFD this week and they have also premiered their new diet show, “Village on a Diet”, a series depicting the collective weight loss effort of the population of a northern British Columbia village. The CBC has also launched an accompanying six-month initiative, “live right now”, to encourage Canadians in general to eat “healthier” and lose weight.

http://www.cbc.ca/liverightnow/village/index.html

http://www.cbc.ca/liverightnow/blog-entry/live-right-now-launches.html

That is all well and good. I wish them luck. As you may suspect, my expectation is that the overall success rate will be modest, both in the village and in the nation. I am sure there will be lots of success stories to share, though, and everyone will feel really good in the end for having tried to make people healthier.

I am not surprised that our national broadcaster is sticking to the safety of the consensus approach to weight loss, even though it has been demonstrated in countless studies to be sub-optimal, at best, and in most cases far less effective than simple carb restriction. I am sure they consulted with authoritative sources who would have guided them to this approach. The same sources that would have people with carbohydrate intolerance eat half their calories as carbohydrates, who think it is okay to get 25% of your energy from added sugar, who think fructose is harmless and perhaps even preferable to glucose, who think that fat makes you fat and that saturated fat is “artery clogging”, who think that people get fat because they are lazy gluttons, etc etc etc.  The result is an approach not unlike that of “The Biggest Loser”.

Even though I can understand why the CBC would stick to the safety of the consensus, I have to confess to some feelings of disappointment that they didn’t give us a chance to do a Big Fat Diet series. Or, at least, a competition where we could show the benefits of a low-carb high-fat diet when compared to the consensus approach. Now that would have been fun and entertaining, too.

I will be watching “Village on a Diet” to see how it pans out. Maybe, some day, in an alternative universe, perhaps, we will get the chance to do a “Village on a Low-Carb Diet” series.

Okay, enough wallowing in self-pity. We had a wonderful Christmas break. I know everyone thinks you have to gain weight during the festivities but we don’t. I am not tempted at all by all the cookies and candies, etc. We have lovely meals. I enjoy my food and have no complaints whatsoever. Am I that unique? I don’t think so. So why do so many people use a holiday as an excuse to fall off their diet? One of the mysteries of the universe!

We spent some time at Whistler. My 10 year old son, who is an accomplished skier, decided to learn to snowboard this year. This meant that my 8 year hiatus from riding came to an end as I dusted off my board in order to better teach him. After so long, I had doubts as to whether I could still “shred”, but it came back fairly quickly. It took my son about four days to get comfortable turning both ways and controlling both edges. It took me about that long to get back in form, too. I had to direct some attention to my abs in my daily workout, though, as you are constantly working your core to get up onto the board. That’s a good thing, of course. They have a name for guys like me: “grey on a tray”. At least my son is impressed that I can still do these things at the age of sixty.

Our last day at Whistler was one of those rare high-pressure days where there is not a cloud in the sky, the temperature is just below zero, the snow is crisp and groomed and the crowds are light. We couldn’t resist putting our skis back on for a day of high-speed touring. We raced down the freshly groomed 7-kilometer Peak to Creek run under a brilliant blue sky, surrounded by snowy forests and craggy mountains. That’s my idea of quality time with your kid. We have a family pass which allows my wife and I to swap skiing for babysitting duties, so she got to ski with Alex for the afternoon while I took Isabelle to Starbucks in the village.

Isabelle, our low-carb baby, is growing like a weed. She is all of sixteen months now and is a total delight. She is very active and has a growing vocabulary. Her favourite phrase is “so funny”. She walks around the house laughing and saying it over and over which is, of course, totally contagious. She is fascinated with all our techy gadgets. She demands to play with Alex’s new PSP and insists on exploring the apps on Anne’s new iPhone. She has already figured out how to use the remote for the television where she loves to watch Blue’s Clues. She is also a budding fashion maven. I swear it is hard-wired. She is very conscious of what she is wearing. She loves new clothes. She carries a little purse around the house. She loves wearing her little red Crocs. Anne found a little Burberry bathrobe for her on eBay and she wore it to the hot tub at the hotel last week. She was impossibly cute.

Anyway, all that to say that the low-carb high-fat approach doesn’t seem to have slowed down her development in any way shape or form. The other thing we have noticed is that she hasn’t been ill. She has had the sniffles once but never a fever or even a diaper rash. I do think this is diet-related. She continues to eat every kind of food except carbs. I think the lack of exposure to fructose is important. The more I learn about the metabolic effects of fructose the more I think it may be the smoking gun that explains a lot of the metabolic dysfunction we are seeing today. She has had virtually zero exposure to fructose. It will be interesting to see how this goes. I certainly don’t have any misgivings at this point. And I will keep you posted.

19 thoughts on “My Big Fat Diet to be re-broadcast on CBC News Network January 8th and 9th, 2011.

  1. I saw the first episode – your worst fears have been exceeded. Making obese women do push ups, or running around the track until they drop – trainers saying “you have to just suck it up!” – and all the while messaging that this boot camp yelling (and participants crying) is required if they seriously want to lose weight. Its more than disgraceful, they are actually going to hurt people by convincing them that their fate is obesity, because this regimen is not sustainable no way no how.
    I am media savvy enough to question whether there is not some kind of tabloid sadistic entertainment going on here, basically demeaning and making fun of the obese by putting them through this for the cameras.

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    It was difficult to watch. The literature is quite clear on the relationship between exercise and weight loss. Diet is first and foremost the way to lose weight. Adding an exercise regimen adds very little, if any, benefit. There is a school of thought that exercise may actually slow down weight loss. We are currently doing an analysis on a weight loss program where the people who were encouraged to exercise had worse outcomes than those who were told to simply stick to their diet. In the case of metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes, exercising before the insulin resistance problem has been corrected through carb reduction can be counterproductive. This is why I advise people to focus on restricting carbs initially and to begin exercising when they feel ready.

    In the approach the CBC is using, I found it offensive that people were browbeaten into exercising and made to feel badly that they were unable to perform. There is no need for that kind of thuggish “boot camp” approach. I guess it may be entertaining for watchers who have a sadistic streak but I don’t think anything is gained by demeaning people like that, apart from the fact that their outcomes will not be improved, either. Also, the liberal use of profanities – what’s that about? Compare that to the approach we used in Alert Bay. Worlds apart.

    I’ll keep watching but I am already a little jaded by this.

  2. I don’t have tv, so I’m not going to see the Village series or My Big Fat Diet.

    I disagree adamantly with your assessment about exercise. I suspect this idea is coming from someone who’s never tried ti, consistently, and long enough for it to not hurt. If you’re 300 lbs, moving is painful.

    Exercise releases endorphins which pay a huge roll in feeling good. You have to keep up with it until that kicks in, just like you have to keep on a big, fat, diet long enough to see results. Once you get into that endorphin rush, it comes very easily, and your overall set level increases. The studies aren’t long enough to get this result. Like most studies, they were done to find a disease for some pill. Wouldn’t want to upset that and carry on long enough to see what the human body, just like any other animal’s body, was built to move.

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    If you cut calories and increase your burn rate through exercise you will undoubtedly lose weight. It will be painful and you will be hungry all the time but some people can make this work for them. Having said that, if you read the scientific literature, this turns out to be not that effective. Studies have consistently shown that people who focus on diet alone vs those who add exercise get virtually the same results in terms of weight loss. There is also an argument that exercise may slow down the rate of weight loss because it stimulates appetite.

    I think exercise is good for any number of reasons. It may also be good for weight maintenance after one has reached a weight loss goal. I don’t think exercising to the point that you get an endorphin high is necessarily a great idea either. Endorphins are our own internal pain management system and activities that induce an endorphin response can become addictive like opiate medications which also act like endorphins. This is why people get a “runner’s high”, for example, and why some people exercise excessively. My advice is to get your weight loss happening with a low-carb diet and start a moderate exercise program when your body tells you it’s ready for exercise.

  3. Hi Dr. Wortman,

    I just finished watching “My Big Fat Diet” on CBC and I felt compelled to express my gratitude.

    I am currently a third year undergraduate student in Integrated Sciences at UBC studying Physiology, Psychology and Nutrition, and at times it can be frustrating to be constantly taught and cautioned against the dangers of fat. I’ve had a hard time convincing loved ones of the dangers of a high carbohydrate diet because of the orthodox views of our society, and I really wanted to thank you for your work and taking the risk of going against the norm in hopes of improving population health. You’re a great inspiration.

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    Thank you for your supportive comment. It is good to know there are independent thinkers like you in the system. Hopefully, some day you will be in the majority.

  4. I applaud the participants and the logic and rational behind this approach. Although I do not want to take away any of the positive outcomes this diet has led to, I would like to indicate that the underlying assumption of this diet might be unsupportable. Just because a diet is “Traditional” or “paleolithic” does not confirm it was actually healthy or sustainable. We all know that grocery stores are a recent introduction as, as such, past peoples had to choose from what was available on the landscape in which they lived as well as trade and sometimes they would go through periods of feasting followed by famine which would affect health on seasonal basis. In support of this study, an examination and discussion of the health profiles of peoples following this diet in the past must be carried out as well. This type of investigation can be done through various anthropological (archaeology and biological anthropology) studies.

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    I tend to think that a traditional diets, by definition, are “sustainable”. In other words, the only reason hunter-gatherers survived was because they learned to eat the foods from their environment that would make life possible in that niche and that were abundant enough to be relied upon. The fact that these cultures maintained over centuries and millennia means that the diets had to be sustainable.

    There is paleopathological evidence suggesting that, when hunter-gatherers shifted to agrarianism, there was a decline in their health status. Have a look at the Jared Diamond link “Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race” for a review of some of this evidence.

  5. I had family memebers on Village on a Diet…I saw them end of July 2011 and not much had changed.

    I am a carbo freak! Nothing seems to make me happier than sugar and starch….Since I am on HRT via a compounding pharmacy and on Lipidil EZ and Dessicated Thyroid…no wonder! I saw the show for the first time this week. I KNOW cutting out sugar and bread…does work. So I am starting my journey. I will be alone on it and have to be stong. My husband ..and don’t get me wrong I love him dearly…he is the enabler…always offering me stuff that is horrible for me but tastes soooo good! So I will begin slowly…it is the only way I can make this work. One step at a time.

    I am Metis and I saw myself in your show. This show was the truth….not made for TV. Any woman over 45 does not need more emotional berating as I saw on the Village on a Diet…we have enough emotional baggage already!! I will keep reading things on your site to encourage me.

    Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    Thank you for your support. I know dieting is hard when you are on your own. Maybe you could convince your husband to join you!

    For a good guide, I am currently recommending the new Atkins book which was written by my friends Eric Westman, Steve Phinney and Jeff Volek (Eric and Steve were in the video). For a lot of us, the best approach is to stay on the induction phase indefinitely.

    You should be able to get off the Lipidil as the diet will raise your good cholesterol and lower your triglycerides, two of the things the drug is supposed to do. The diet will also improve the quality of your “bad cholesterol” (LDL). You might ask your doctor to order an Apo B test next time you get your lipids done to gauge the quality of the LDL.

    Also, keep an eye on your thyroid meds. Your dose will need to be adjusted as you lose weight.

    Good luck with the diet!

  6. Dear Jay, Listened to you on CBC this morning and was delighted to hear you had a public platform for the half hour. I have to thank you for writing in to the Globe’s comments section to counter Leslie Beck’s message. You have not done so lately. Is this out of frustration. It was through your comments that I became aware of GCBC just over a year and a half ago. I have just finished the new book and enjoyed it as a reassuring reminder. It is important that your message is ‘mainstreamed’/ voiced more frequently. I have benefited greatly because insulin resistance is a creeping phenomenon we have been conditioned to accept as a fact of getting older. Why the awareness is not there or is resisted in the mainstream is confusing because one does not want to believe that there is a conspiracy, but it feels like it. My wife and I following Taubes and Pollan have wound up raising pastured poultry; chickens and turkey and eggs and are adding grass finished beef this year. This is because part of the problem with a diet based of protein and fat is the distrust of meat from industrial agriculture. Keep it up, it is a pleasure to read your measured approach.

    John B

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    Great to hear you have benefited from the books by Gary. He has done a great thing in alerting the world to the foibles of nutritional science. I hope his new book will make this knowledge even more accessible.

    I have to admit that I haven’t been reading the Globe and Mail that much lately. Too busy with life. I find my good friend Murray Braithwaite does a pretty good job of keeping an eye on Leslie in my absence, though.

    I am envious of your menagerie. It is a pipe dream of mine to be in a place where I could raise my own food much like you are doing. It sounds idyllic, although I am also aware that it takes a tremendous amount of work. I am sure you will be rewarded with a long and healthy life for those efforts.

  7. Dr. Jay. I’ve serched your website but don’t see a link to a full low carb diet. Did I miss it or do you refer people to a commercial diet?

    Having had a partial nephrectomy a high protien diet may be a non-stater – I’ll ask the specialist.

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    I don’t have a diet guide per se on the website. I am, however, currently recommending the new Atkins book which was written by three friends and colleagues, Eric Westman, Steve Phinney and Jeff Volek. For many people, it is best to stick to the induction phase of the diet. This is what I have done for more than eight years now.

    For someone with compromised kidney function, it would be a problem to significantly increase protein. On this diet, however, you would eat a moderate amount of protein and get most of your calories from fat. Initially, you will burn off your own body fat, but once the weight loss stops, you will need to replace those calories by adding fat to your diet. There may be a slight increase in protein required to fuel gluconeogenesis, the process whereby the liver produces glucose from protein to supply the few tissues that need glucose. I suspect that small increase in protein would not be a problem unless your kidney function was significantly compromised. Good idea to check with your doc, though. Good luck!

  8. Hello Prof. Wortman,

    I listened to your interview on the CBC. I am heartened that according
    to you that “The science is in.” But I am saddened and angered. I have
    been continously back and forth onto the low-carb diet. I am usually
    off of it for social reason and not of my chosing. I know it works,
    but my social interactions with others who disbelieve the science and
    hold to old myths make it difficult for me to continuously maintain
    that diet. Other people’s ignorance is in my way.

    I am also saddened that people are harming themselves and dying by not
    having access to this science and burdening our health system. Most
    median age related physiological chronic ailments are diet related.
    Long held habits and beliefs that reinforce the habits get in the way
    of understanding. I am angered that authorities and media (and health
    promotion organizations such as Canadian Diabetes Association, and
    Heart and Stroke Foundation) are not promoting the understanding of
    this science. I am especially worried about my parents who suffer
    from near diabetic conditions. (They don’t accept my explanations
    because I am not an “authority”.)

    The science reporting cannot be pushed out fast enough.

    I also feel that that this health issue is so important there should
    be Low Carb Diet Awareness Association which organizes conferences on
    Low Carb to discuss the science and sociology and media awareness and
    information dissemination issues and howto seminars for general
    public. It could be modeled after ASPO (Association for the Study of
    Peak Oil) whose proceedings I closely follow.

    Edward Ing
    Toronto.

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I agree it can be hard to persevere if you are surrounded by people who are uninformed and who may subscribe to the abundant misinformation about low carb diets. I remember when I had done low-carb for few months and was enjoying lots of dietary fat, including saturated fat, I reached the point where I decided to get my cholesterol tested. I recall thinking, “okay, now the party is over”. Much to my surprise, my cholesterol levels were excellent. Now, of course, I understand why this happened but earlier, I was still influenced by the conventional thinking on dietary fat to the extent that I was worried that my low-carb/high-fat diet might be harmful. I got past this by reading the scientific literature which convinced me that my dietary choices were going to be healthy over the long haul. For people who don’t know how to read and interpret the science in this area, it can be quite confusing as there are lots of “authoritative” people who will tell you not to do low-carb.

    There actually is an organization dedicated to advancing the science and public policy in this area. It is the Nutrition and Metabolism Society based in New York. The founder is Dr Richard Feinman who teaches biochemistry at Downstate. I am a member and am on the editorial board of their journal. I attend their annual meetings and was given their award of excellence at the last one in Seattle last spring. You can find them here: http://www.nmsociety.org/. I would encourage you to join. The next meeting will be in Baltimore in early April. It is held in conjunction with a meeting of the American Society for Bariatric Physicians.

    BTW – I follow the ASPO, as well.

  9. Keep up the great work! I’m so happy to see that you are actively blogging again:) I included your blog in my new book, Gluten Toxicity. You are an inspiration!

    Shelly Stuart, RN

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    Thanks for your support. I’ll admit I could do a better job of this blogging business. Too many other things going on – work, travel, small kids, skiing, sailing, life …

  10. Hi Jay,

    I got Gary Taubes’s new book (Why we get fat and what to do about it) and it is better than I had hoped. It is very well written and clear to read. I gave it to my 15-year old daughter to read and she finished it in a day on the weekend. One of the important things I learned is that the associataion between Alzheimer’s and diabetes is so strong that many researchers now call it Type III diabetes. This is both frightening and reason for optimism–we now know how to significantly reduce our chances of getting it, by maintaining a low-carb, slow-carb diet.

    I haven’t fully convinced the rest of the family to go low-carb yet, but they have dropped the “starch” dish in meals (rice, potatoes, etc.). They accept that they have a limited budget of safe carb tolerance and no longer blow it on sweets and starches unless they are really special—worth dying for.

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    I like Gary’s new book, too. I am recommending it to a lot of people. I see it is doing well on Amazon and may also be buoying sales of the new Atkins book, too, which appears to be going up on the list.

  11. http://radio.theheart.org/bob- harrington-show/2010/12/10/31- atkins-diet-obesity-and- cardiovascular-disease-risk- with-dr-eric-westman?utm_ source=feedburner&utm_medium= feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ radiotheheartorg+%28radio. theheart.org%29

    theheart.org on low-carb

  12. Can you suggest a physician in my area whom I could consult to guide and monitor me on a low-carb diet.

    You can use my e-mail to answer, if you like. I’ll tell you my community, then. I’m not too far from your birth home.

    I have familial hypercholesterolemia, said to be genetic, from my French Canadian ancestry.

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    I am not aware of anyone in your area, unfortunately. There are some physicians out there who are okay with low-carb diets but not a lot who are knowledgeable about how to do it. I currently recommend the recent Atkins book as a guide. If you are on meds you should have your physician involved as you will need to reduce them or maybe even get off them altogether. You may find yourself in the position where you are educating your doctor on this. I also recommend Gary Taubes’ new book, “Why We Get Fat” which can be given to your doctor.

  13. When questioning the sustainability of a traditional diet it might be useful to compare the Viking and Inuit populations of Greenland. The Vikings arrived in Greenland during the 900s AD, while a period of global warming allowed them to establish dairy farms and agriculture. They lived in the warmer, southern reaches of Greenland for almost 500 years. However, the populations either died out or the settlements were abandoned during the 1400s AD, when colder weather had returned.

    Global warming of the 900s AD and afterward also opened up the arctic ocean enough that the Inuit were able to travel from northern Canada to Greenland and settle this ‘new’ territory, north of the Viking settlements, perhaps a century or two after the Vikings. We don’t know if there was much contact between the Inuit and the Vikings, but we do know that the Inuit survived, thrived, and multiplied despite the period of cooling in the 1400s that remained until the last century or two. For hundreds of years the Inuit continued to survive and thrive in one of the most hostile environments on our planet. Yet the Vikings, eating their European diet, were unable to continue. It is unlikely that they abandoned their homes to return to Europe. By the time their settlements died out, the Vikings had been living in Greenland almost as long as Europeans have been living in North America. They probably felt as at home in Greenland those of European descent feel in North America.

    With regard to the lady who is having to undertake this diet on her own, I’d like to say the following: I work with people who are losing weight on their own. I have them keep daily records of their fasting glucose, blood pressure, level of ketosis, weight and food consumption. They keep weekly records of body measurements and once-a-week blood glucose measurements at 1, 2, and 3 hours after one meal.

    All of these data help to reassure them that their diet is healthy. It also helps to see signs of their progress on a daily basis. These people also seem to be able to “overcome” the temptations of more glycemic foods.

    best wishes,
    Ron Hoggan, Ed. D.

  14. Thanks for your lovely post about your family. So nice to hear about you youngest.
    I am on month 9 of LCHF diet and my hubby joined me a few months after I started.
    As am 51 with health issues, and starting this diet, I have had some healing reactions and they are still occuring. As Dr Lutz in “Life without Bread” puts it would be best to start this diet as early in life as possible as it is a lot easier.
    But my husband (64) is doing great though. He was getting quite forgetful and started taking coconut oil first but also started this diet and his memory has become so, so much better.
    Great health and a hearty life!
    Cassie

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    It’s never too late to start. I started when I was 52 and feel fitter and healthier now, eight years later, than I did in my forties. Our kids are going to be the real beneficiaries of this way of eating, though. My son still likes his carbs and sweets although he eats far, far less of those foods than the typical kid his age. My daughter, however, has no fondness for them at all. She happily eats everything we give her which includes mostly non-starchy vegetables, meats and fats. And she is thriving!

    The effects of diet on the brain is a fascinating area. It looks like carbs are implicated in a range of mental health issues including mood disorders, pediatric epilepsy and Alzheimer’s. I am not surprised to hear your husband’s memory has improved.

  15. Hi Dr. Jay,

    I recently started eating a low carb diet here in Ottawa, and would like to get some help from a doctor or nutritionist who is supportive of this approach.

    Can you recommend anyone in Ottawa who might be willing to work with me?

    Thank you!

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    The only doctor I know personally in the Ottawa area who might fit that description is Yoni Freedhoff. If you read my reply to the recent comment from leda, you might think he would not be a good choice. I have talked to Yoni about low-carb and get the impression he would be supportive. I am a little concerned that he may still be into the “fat is bad” paradigm which doesn’t work if you are doing low-carb but I would be willing to give him a try if I were you. If you use the new Atkins book as your guide and challenge Yoni if he strays from the excellent advice you will get there I think it could work out. If you do choose to see him, let us know how it works out.

  16. I am in fact going to meet with Yoni tomorrow! I am a bit apprehensive because of a recent, very negative review that he did of Gary Taubes’ new book: http://www.weightymatters.ca/2011/01/book-review-gary-taubes-why-we-get-fat.html

    Yoni seems very convinced that weight loss is all about calories. That’s why i was wondering if there was anyone else. However, I will meet with him and see what he says, and keep you posted.

    Thanks.

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    I had not read Yoni’s critique of Gary’s book before now. I have to say I am very disappointed in Yoni. I have spoken to him in the past about low-carb diets, saturated fats, etc and thought he more or less got it. I have to re-evaluate that now. I had a further look at his blog postings and it is clear he fully subscribes to the idea that it is all about calories. I will not be referring anyone to him for the time being. I will be interested in hearing about your experience as I would be happy to revise my opinion based on new and convincing evidence that he is capable of guiding someone on low-carb. For now, though, I’m thinking not so much.

  17. Hi Dr. Jay,
    I was wondering if you’ve heard of Dr. Stephen Du Toit in Valemount BC. The National did a segment on him and his “Eat For Life” program (basically low carb). Seems he and his patients are having lots of success with losing weight and coming off diabetes meds. I found the segment to be a good counterpoint to the tough love bootcamp nonsense going on at “Village on a Diet”.

    Here is a link to a video where he is being interviewed by the local community channel (quite a quirky bunch up there in Valemount!)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKOWp-GlH1A

    Sounds like he still could be a bit of a lipophobe, or maybe carefully navigating the politically correct landscape of the Low Carb vs Low Fat debate. But, he is keeping stats on his patients that is providing more convincing evidence.

    Anyway, I appreciate all the great work you are doing, loved “My Big Fat Diet”, and feel heartened when I see your great comments in blog discussions.

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    I do know Dr du Toit and I have a great admiration for what he has accomplished in Valemount. It was actually me that told CBC about him. I suggested to them that Valemount is the real “Village on a Diet”. You probably noticed that his patients had tremendous success in losing weight and correcting their metabolic problems without the need for a bunch of muscle-heads yelling obscenities and forcing them to exercise beyond their capabilities. Dr du Toit, in his understated way, motivates people to eat a very low-carb/low-fat/low-calorie diet and has had amazing success in getting people to stick to that regimen. He has patients that have lost as much as 90 lbs on his diet. He and I have been collaborating on a chart review to quantify what he has done and I expect we will publish our findings at some point. I believe he started out recommending a low-fat approach but is finding it hard to sustain over the long-term. As I have pointed out before, you can eat low-fat and low-carb as long as you are burning off your own body fat. Once your weight loss levels off, you need to add that fat back into your diet. I think that will be the key to maintaining the weight loss for Dr du Toit’s patients over the long haul.

  18. Hi Dr. Wortman

    I’ve been trying for a couple years to watch this documentary and finally ordered a copy (waiting for it to arrive) – just kept missing the CBC air dates.

    I believe my email should be attached to my profile. If possible, would you be willing to have a brief correspondence with me? I have a lot of weight to lose, and have started off with some good success going low carb (and low calorie recently) – but the few doctors I have access to in my region are very against this form of weight loss.

    I’m not looking to have you become by go-to physician where I harass you daily 🙂 Just want to bounce a couple questions off you outside of the blog environment.

    Thank you so much.

    KT

    Dr Jay’s Reply:

    It sounds like you are on the right track if you are doing low-carb for your weight problem. As I have been saying for awhile now, the best guidance available right now can be found in the new Atkins book written by my friends Eric Westman, Steve Phinney and Jeff Volek. I would urge you to get a copy and follow the advice they have provided. The only thing missing from that book is a recommendation for people with insulin resistance to remain on a very low carb diet (induction phase). I understand that they wanted to include this advice but the publisher felt it would be confusing for readers.

    I sympathize with your request for an offline contact but I am not able to do that. I have to be careful not to practice medicine over the net with people I have never seen in person. I know there are not many doctors out there who know how to guide someone on a low-carb diet so it can be difficult when you need medical back-up. This is especially true when you are taking medications that will need to be managed when you stop eating carbs. If your doctor is actually advising you not to follow a low-carb diet you might point them to the American Diabetes Association guidelines which support the use of low-carb for weight loss for up to 2 years.

    I am happy to respond to further questions you may wish to post here. I’m sorry but this is the best I can do for you at this time. I wish you the best with your dieting efforts.

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