Guest guest Posted May 4, 2005 Report Share Posted May 4, 2005 Since you didn't say how tall you are I don't have a sense for how slender you are. I don't think low energy is a typical symptom of CR While perhaps muscular glycogen stores can be somewhat lower than in fully fed individuals. You may have low blood sugar but AFAIK this is not common among modest CR'd individuals. Alcohol is somewhat beneficial wrt to heart disease as it increases a component of HDL. However if you are energy restricted and getting good nutrition from good foods you shouldn't be at much risk of heart disease. I brew my own, and enjoy a few beers at night, but have no illusions about it being health positive. It is good for my QOL. While marathon level activities are considered inconsistent with CR, many of us do more moderate levels of exercise... I ran 5 miles this morning. Regarding low testosterone it's the kind of thing you usually don't notice or miss. If you are 50 it has already declined some. From a health perspective a little less is probably not a bad thing. JR -----Original Message----- From: [mailto: ]On Behalf Of Short Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 3:39 PM Subject: [ ] feedback for a newbie Hello fellow CR's, I have a few questions to raise. I am not of a scientific bent at least in a technical way. I have been on CR a few months. I am 10 pounds below my weight at 20 years old. My blood pressure problem is much alleviated, and soon I will find out if my blood profile is better. I am a rather casual adherent. I don't count calories but I weigh myself everyday. If I stay at 170 I am okay, eventually I would like to get to 165. Metabolism. I have to admit that my general energy is a bit down. I think this is due to metabolism slowing down. Something I can live with to make it to 80 years old instead of a heart attack in a few years. Alcohol, no one talks much if anything about it! I know it is empty calories, except as a long time moderate drinker I am wavering between I drink a day, or 3 or 4 like in the old days! I think alcohol keeps my arteries from clogging but this is still an open question. My grandfather had a massive heart attack after quitting cold turkey. No sense being too shy as I am in my 50's but I already had a low testosterone before CR, since I have lost fat according to Barry Sears of the Zone, I should have more free testosterone and less estriol. I am on a very moderate calorie reduction, but who wants to lose testosterone if they go a bit more deeply into it? By the way my sexual desire is not stronger but the blood flow to that part of the anatomy is actually improved somewhat so I don't always reach for the viagra which is nice. My exercise pattern has changed. I had a powerful musculature, with high blood pressure and a bad blood profile. I also was an aerobic exercise afficionando loved to bike, jog and in line skate at high intensity. I think I had to to keep my system going. Now I am 20 pounds lighter, and I would rather go for a walk than a jog, or I skate in a more relaxed fashion. The truth is I don't have the energy in my muscles to do this kind of intense exercise anymore. I don't miss it too much because I think I am healthier anyway. My overall strength is not so much reduced more my exercise capacity, maybe less glucose in the muscles. So doesn,t one or two drinks a day, protect the heart, and the brain too I have read? It also seems to slow the metabolism even more!! Is CR going to help most aging men sexually in terms of circulation to the penis or since it lowers the testosterone will it reduce or eliminate their sex life? Exercise, well I have read that a lot of CR ers need less exercise and that intense aerobic exercise is not necessarily going to help you live longer due to oxidation. I am just a tiny bit disappointed that I do not have the vitality to do that marathon or that triathalon when I finally have the streamlined physique that I thought I needed to be able to do it, but I can live with that if I live longer and healthie r. Do you have personal experience or info on one of these questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 4, 2005 Report Share Posted May 4, 2005 , You bring up a lot of good questions. If you don't see discussions on a particular topic, you can always search the messages to see if anything relevant has been discussed previously. However, here are some answers to your questions: You say that you are in your 50's and weigh around 170 lb. Just the weight is not enough to know your Body Mass Index (BMI) or your Waist-to-Height ratio (WC/H). These relative measures provide a little more perspective about body proportions than weight alone. The normal BMI range is 18.5 to 24.9, and the waist circumference (at the navel) divided by your height should be less than 0.5. As far as alcohol, most CR practitioners avoid hard liquor, but may drink one glass of red wine per day. Not everybody drinks alcohol, though. About sexual drive, your peak years are around 20. It is all downhill from there. Life is cruel. CR agravates the situation. Many CR practitioners say that they lose their sex drive. There are some psychological issues of aging and impotence that you have to face regardless of whether you practice CR or not. Marathons, triathlons, and vigorous exercise in general, is not compatible with CR. Exercise in moderation is advisable for flexibility and muscle maintenance. One half hour of exercise per day will consume about 200 calories and can keep you in good shape. Make sure to read Walford's book " Beyond the 120 year diet " . Tony > > Hello fellow CR's, > > I have a few questions to raise. I am not of a scientific bent at > least in a technical way. I have been on CR a few months. I am 10 > pounds below my weight at 20 years old. My blood pressure problem is > much alleviated, and soon I will find out if my blood profile is > better. I am a rather casual adherent. I don't count calories but I > weigh myself everyday. If I stay at 170 I am okay, eventually I would > like to get to 165. > > Metabolism. > > I have to admit that my general energy is a bit down. I think this > is due to metabolism slowing down. Something I can live with to make it > to 80 years old instead of a heart attack in a few years. > > Alcohol, no one talks much if anything about it! I know it is empty > calories, except as a long time moderate drinker I am wavering between > I drink a day, or 3 or 4 like in the old days! I think alcohol keeps my > arteries from clogging but this is still an open question. My > grandfather had a massive heart attack after quitting cold turkey. > > No sense being too shy as I am in my 50's but I already had a low > testosterone before CR, since I have lost fat according to Barry Sears > of the Zone, I should have more free testosterone and less estriol. I > am on a very moderate calorie reduction, but who wants to lose > testosterone if they go a bit more deeply into it? By the way my sexual > desire is not stronger but the blood flow to that part of the anatomy > is actually improved somewhat so I don't always reach for the viagra > which is nice. > > My exercise pattern has changed. I had a powerful musculature, with > high blood pressure and a bad blood profile. I also was an aerobic > exercise afficionando loved to bike, jog and in line skate at high > intensity. I think I had to to keep my system going. Now I am 20 pounds > lighter, and I would rather go for a walk than a jog, or I skate in a > more relaxed fashion. The truth is I don't have the energy in my > muscles to do this kind of intense exercise anymore. I don't miss it > too much because I think I am healthier anyway. My overall strength is > not so much reduced more my exercise capacity, maybe less glucose in > the muscles. > > So doesn,t one or two drinks a day, protect the heart, and the brain > too I have read? It also seems to slow the metabolism even more!! > > Is CR going to help most aging men sexually in terms of circulation > to the penis or since it lowers the testosterone will it reduce or > eliminate their sex life? > > Exercise, well I have read that a lot of CR ers need less exercise > and that intense aerobic exercise is not necessarily going to help you > live longer due to oxidation. I am just a tiny bit disappointed that I > do not have the vitality to do that marathon or that triathalon when I > finally have the streamlined physique that I thought I needed to be > able to do it, but I can live with that if I live longer and healthie > r. Do you have personal experience or info on one of these questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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