Low carb > High carb
In 2017 I weighed the most I ever have at 239lbs. My job at the time was having a weight loss competition, with an interesting twist. The rules of the contest were such that the participants had to pay if they gained weight during the competition (I believe $1 per pound). We weighed ourselves each week and saw each other's progress as the weeks went by. At the time, I was at a very stressful point in my life, that involved becoming a father, a rough relationship break up, and lots of weight gained, possibly due to stress, and medication I was taking at the time.
I ended up going to the internet to look for the most efficient way to lose weight. That is where I found out about the Ketogenic diet. I delved into the details, learned about the physiological logic from it, and learned how the body can switch fuel sources from Glucose to Ketones. Everything all made sense. Once a person eliminates all sugars and carbohydrates from their diet, they suppress a hormone known as insulin. After several days, the glycogen reserves in the liver and muscles deplete, and the body switches to getting its fuel from fats by converting them to Ketones. By running your body from Ketones, your brain operates better, by having fewer sugar crashes, cravings, and having more energy. Eating more fat is very gratifying, causing me to eat less often, and limit my meals by incorporating Intermittent fasting. A combination of both Keto and Intermittent fasting is what caused me to lose weight over time, without doing little to no exercise at all!
Having lost and gained weight several times in my life before, this time was different. I took a completely different approach because I now had knowledge that I didn't have before. One of my main information sources at the time was an Alternative Medicine doctor on YouTube by the name of Dr. Berg. Even though he has a degree in Chiropractic Medicine instead of Medical Doctor, he breaks concepts down very logically, cites scientific research and literature while being Holistic. He is a big advocator of the Ketogenic diet and the positive effects it has on the body and brain in general. Dr. Berg operates a physical weight loss clinic, where he helps many people lose weight, and helps manage their physical ailments, without them having to rely on prescription drugs.
I was happy with the amount of weight I had lost. I ended up getting 2nd place in my job's weight loss contes, and won some money. By the time I finished my first entire Keto phase, I had weighed 186lbs. Which is a net loss of 53lbs! Of course ,nothing is perfect, and I had gained some of that weight back. But the more time passes by, the more I realize that I feel better, physically and mentally when in Keto versus the Standard American Diet.
There is no doubt, Keto has gained a ton of popularity in the past few years, and I've even seen news articles that say many people in tech in Silicon Valley prefer this diet. What a coincidence. It makes sense that people in tech would enjoy Keto, as I think of Keto as a 'modification' to the human body to run better and lose weight. Not to mention the mental clarity and energy gained from it. If you would like to learn more about this diet, I'll include a link to Dr. Bergs YouTube channel: