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Calorie Restriction Optimal Nutrition (CRON)

Hi all,

My name is Bo and I’m new here. I’ve maintained my current weight for over four years and have diligently practiced the Calorie Restriction Optimal Nutrition (CRON) lifestyle for over five. For those unfamiliar with the lifestyle, I’ve posted the general guidelines, as I interpret them, below. Hope you don’t mind my input.

Calorie Restriction is not a "dogma" nor is it rigidly defined. There are many different ways to achieve CR, and every CR practitioner finds his or her own method. Practicing Calorie Restriction is like getting exercise: You do whatever works for you.

Some CR practitioners eat like they've always eaten but omit a meal here or there. Some take periodic fasts. Some eat many small meals throughout the day, limiting the calories of each. Some limit the amounts of some foods while allowing themselves to have as much as they want of others.

There are almost as many paths to Calorie Restriction as there are people practicing it. But whatever the path, all strive to obtain optimum nutrition from the fewest number of calories. CR does not have rules and does not impute judgment to any particular diet or way of eating.

The motivation for CR is longevity, health, and delaying the onset of disease. People who practice calorie restriction monitor their food intake to ensure that they are getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need with the minimum number of calories to maintain their weight within the normal BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9. Many, such as myself, typically consume +/-1600-2100 calories per day.

Achieving outstanding health is not complicated. The human body already knows how to be healthy. All we have to do is maintain a healthy weight and give our bodies outstanding nutrition so that it has the building materials it needs to heal disease and rebuild itself from the inside out.

I’m not for a moment trying to convince anyone to adopt versions of the lifestyle as promoted on the net. Just sharing what little I know with those who might be interested. I’m no cron salesman and only suggest if we eat healthily, exercise sensibly and sleep well, we will more than likely live a longer healthy life.

Bo

Seems like an intelligent plan of attack.  Eating healthy and living healthy are definitely worthwhile goals.  Congratulations on your many years of continued success!

Hey BoBo, it took me a while to sign up because I couldn't remember my About.com name and I originally created an unusual reply to my secret question.  I use CriticalError on computer forums.  It looks like there is a lot of info on this site.  Don't get over to Atkins much anymore I did post something there today.

Hi Critical,

Great to see you here! Your correct in that there’s a lot of good info here. Most importantly, there are a lot of great people here. Quiet unlike some other sites that we are both familiar with and that I will no longer endure.

The dieting concepts followed by most here seem to be a lot more in line with our dietary preferences.

Perhaps you might be interested in joining our pre-maintenance/maintenance Monday weigh-in?

Again, happy that you’re here and looking forward to your insight and input.

Best wishes.

Bo

BoBo, I signed up for ConsumerLabs(got tired of only finding advertising claims instead of research) and finally found a Resveratrol that sounds good.  It is Biotivia Transmax 500mg it is $50 for a bottle of 60 pills and the best price I have found so far is at Vitacost.  I do no scheduled weigh-ins because I only weigh myself if I think I have lost weight and I am almost always right.  Otherwise it can get depressing.  Monday is my 62nd birthday so the Transmax is a little birthday present for myself. 

Hi Critical,

Happy Birthday!!

Thanks for the Biotivia Transmax information. Looks good to me also. I still have a three month supply of Longevinex Advantage in my fridge and will consider ordering the Transmax next time. After you try it, let me know what you think.

I noticed that you’ve joined the +60 group so I’ve joined also. Haven’t done the intro thing yet but will soon. Hope to see you there.

Best wishes.

Bo

This is a quote from Consumer Labs, "Dr. David Sinclair at Harvard Medical School, is noted as taking a lower dose: 5 mg per kilogram of body weight — about 350 mg per day for the average adult. Apparently he and other individuals whom he knows that take resveratrol have not reported adverse effects. Using the lowest cost products that passed ConsumerLab.com’s testing, the daily cost for such a dose would be about 80 cents to one dollar." 

Longevix is on the approved list.  I went with Transmax because of the 500mg and it will work out to $25/mo. which is a heck of a lost less than buying Pinot Noir which is about $30/wk. 

For those who might be interested in the Resveratrol that Critical and I are discussing, resveratrol is a molecule found in grapes and therefore wine that offsets the effects of high caloric intake in obese mice and also extends their longevity.

Resveratrol is also a natural molecule that stimulates DNA repair and longevity of cells via gene activation as well as other molecular pathways.

YouTube has a short “Resveratrol Barbara Walters” video that explains it very well.

Bo

I'm not a fan of any kind of unnecessary calorie restriction. Eat everything you want in moderation; don't count calories if possible.

If living to 100 means a lifetime of calorie restricting then I'll enjoy my life, enjoy my favourite foods, wine, cheese and chocolate and be quite happy to top out at 85.

Merylwhite1, it is not just about living longer.

"Since the 1930s, studies have shown that calorie-restricted diets improve the health and extend the life spans of rodents. Now researchers are learning that slashing calories may have similar beneficial effects in humans. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, for instance, found that two markers of longevity (fasting insulin level and body temperature) were lowered in humans through prolonged calorie restriction.

It has long been known that keeping excess pounds off can stave off disease as well as add years to your life. A study of more than 20,000 male health professionals found stroke risk to be 30 percent higher in those considered to be overweight — and twice as high in those considered obese — as compared with men whose weight was in the normal range. The study categorized these individuals by body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight relative to height. A BMI of 25 to 29 classifies an individual as "overweight," a BMI of 30 to 39 signifies "obesity," and a BMI of 40 or more signifies "morbid obesity."

Even if you're at a healthy weight, preliminary research shows that slashing your daily caloric intake by one-third can add years to your life. "The trick isn't just to eat less but to make sure that what you do eat is loaded with nutrients," says Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., author of The Healthiest Meals on Earth. "If most of your diet is plant foods, you can eat a phenomenally healthy (and filling) diet on 1,400 to 1,500 calories a day." Eat seven cups of spinach, for example, and you've consumed only 100 calories." Everydayhealth

Original Post by merylwhite1:

I'm not a fan of any kind of unnecessary calorie restriction. Eat everything you want in moderation; don't count calories if possible.

If living to 100 means a lifetime of calorie restricting then I'll enjoy my life, enjoy my favourite foods, wine, cheese and chocolate and be quite happy to top out at 85.

 Amen.

Original Post by criticalerror:

Merylwhite1, it is not just about living longer.

"Since the 1930s, studies have shown that calorie-restricted diets improve the health and extend the life spans of rodents. Now researchers are learning that slashing calories may have similar beneficial effects in humans. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, for instance, found that two markers of longevity (fasting insulin level and body temperature) were lowered in humans through prolonged calorie restriction.

It has long been known that keeping excess pounds off can stave off disease as well as add years to your life. A study of more than 20,000 male health professionals found stroke risk to be 30 percent higher in those considered to be overweight — and twice as high in those considered obese — as compared with men whose weight was in the normal range. The study categorized these individuals by body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight relative to height. A BMI of 25 to 29 classifies an individual as "overweight," a BMI of 30 to 39 signifies "obesity," and a BMI of 40 or more signifies "morbid obesity."

Even if you're at a healthy weight, preliminary research shows that slashing your daily caloric intake by one-third can add years to your life. "The trick isn't just to eat less but to make sure that what you do eat is loaded with nutrients," says Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., author of The Healthiest Meals on Earth. "If most of your diet is plant foods, you can eat a phenomenally healthy (and filling) diet on 1,400 to 1,500 calories a day." Eat seven cups of spinach, for example, and you've consumed only 100 calories." Everydayhealth

From what you posted it seems like the two benefits are good health and longevity. Research saying people of a healthy weight are healthier than overweight people is not exactly rocket science, nor does it advocate calorie restriction.

And good health (and actually, longevity) I can achieve without restricting calories - better, one might argue - so I don't think you can achieve anything with permanent calorie restriction that you can't with a normal healthy diet.

Original Post by merylwhite1:

I'm not a fan of any kind of unnecessary calorie restriction. Eat everything you want in moderation; don't count calories if possible.

If living to 100 means a lifetime of calorie restricting then I'll enjoy my life, enjoy my favourite foods, wine, cheese and chocolate and be quite happy to top out at 85.

Merylwhite1, with the exception of being quiet happy to top out at 85, I’m in agreement with everything you’ve stated above.

As CriticalError noted, it’s not just about living longer. However, modest diet, lifestyle and medical choices over the course of your life can make a large difference to your longevity and health. The choice between being incapacitated at age sixty or living to celebrate an active, healthy hundredth birthday is - barring bad luck or poor genes - in your hands. It's never too early or too late to start thinking about how you can improve the quality of your life, and take reasonable steps to ensure your future health and well-being.

A modest effort now to take care of your health will enable you to live healthily and possibly live longer. Think of it as an investment for your body and mind - small efforts now will produce large returns in years to come. Remember that you could be incapacitated at age sixty, or hale and hearty for decades beyond that: it is up to you to make those extra healthy years possible.

The poet Dylan Thomas wrote: “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light”. I agree since death sucks and i have no intention of going gently into that good night and I will do more than just rage against the dying of the light.

Bo

Bobo, here is a fantastic development.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/09080 3_teeth

Wow, this is a fantastic development. Can you imagine what the future may hold for this research? This clearly demonstrates the importance of taking greater care of your longevity prospects today. By doing so you will more likely be alive, active, and healthy in the decades ahead to benefit from the results of healthy life extension research. As this study demonstrates, the first steps are already underway: regenerative medicine; the final defeat of cancer; repair of aging immune systems; identification of the root causes of aging; and much more. In years to come, there’s no doubt that scientists will develop therapies capable of greatly extending the healthy human lifespan - and will eventually defeat the aging process entirely.

For now, the CRON lifestyle is the only proven life extension method that’s hopefully a safety net to allow life extension technology the time to catch up.

Bo

I'm really not sure what the difference is between a CRON diet and eating your maintenance calories.  I also don't see how it's a "proven life extension method"... Has there been studies done by reputable scientists?  Based on what?  The plan seems to have no actual "plan".  Seems like a free-for-all.  Eat when/what you like, but no more than you need to maintain your weight.  How is that a plan?

Sorry, I'm just not getting it.

Clint

Original Post by pbear999:

I'm really not sure what the difference is between a CRON diet and eating your maintenance calories.  I also don't see how it's a "proven life extension method"... Has there been studies done by reputable scientists?  Based on what?  The plan seems to have no actual "plan".  Seems like a free-for-all.  Eat when/what you like, but no more than you need to maintain your weight.  How is that a plan?

Sorry, I'm just not getting it.

Clint

 While in some cases the low calorie = longevity thing seems to become a bit cult-ish, it is supported by research. Though you are right to ask what the difference is in that and maintenence, and the answer is 'not much.' The research is based on calorie restriction, but the studies used often involve what would be better widely understood as 'calorie control.' As for why, increased insulin sensitivity is a big part of it. Insulin resistance is related to mortality. Secondly, it can also slow nueral degeneration, therefore reducing the risk of things like alzhiemers. Honestly, the reputable research I've read can be better summed up to say, 'don't eat excess calories, they shorten your life span'

So we're back to the "eat your maintenace calories" plan, and "being overweight is bad for you"?  Which seems to be common sense, and the basis for many people to be here on this site.  Well, that and to look good in a speedo...

I'm not trying to be dense, I'm just not seeing what the difference is.

Clint

I'm not familiar with the 'movement' using the idea, just the research because it relates to the effects of dieting on metabolism. Here's the best I can do, if you don't get it, well, eat your maintenence calories and being overweight is bad for you : D

- Dieting slows your metabolism. Mild calorie restriction does this to a small not-unhealthy level. This metabolic change effects certain long-named hormones and whatnot. These changes actually help prevent the neural degeneration common in old age.

There's also a lower risk of disease, but I'm guessing that has more to do with the fact that people who restrict calories for longevity probably aren't overweight.

Also, if you've lost weight and maintained that weight loss, you're already in this. Your metabolism won't completely reset without regaining weight. So if you're eating maintenence calories after weight loss, you're probably also maintaining the metabolic changes the longevity studies are looking at.

Oh, and there are def. some cultish like movements that think all of life secrets are found by eating 1400 calories a day... forever.

Hope this helps, I haven't delved all that deep into the research, so this is the best I can do : )

The Curious Case Of Caloric Restriction

Reversing aging was once only fiction, but a special diet might add years to the human life span.

Scientists have known for decades that caloric restriction—reducing calorie intake without malnutrition—slows aging and extends life span in model organisms ranging from yeast to mice. Exactly why and how it confers these benefits in animals, and whether similar effects could be attained in humans, have been a mystery. Now, a flood of recent discoveries has brought scientists closer than ever before to the elusive Fountain of Youth.

Caloric restriction is about more than just being thin and fit. Something about eating a diet that is low in calories but nutritionally complete causes a dramatic reprogramming of cellular metabolism that can't be replicated by exercise or by eating smaller amounts of high-calorie foods.

 http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/87/8731sci2.h tml

Clint, hope the above article helps.

Bo

Live Longer Meal Plan

As part of Joe's life extension program, he monitors every morsel of food that passes through his system. See why he believes that by eating less and restricting his caloric intake, he will trigger a genetic switch that slows down the aging process.

http://www.oprah.com/media/20090305b_tows_cal orie-restriction-video