I’ve been practicing Calorie Restriction for about 4 years. If you’re not familiar with the concept, it is an attempt to slow the aging process by eating fewer calories but optimizing the nutrient levels of those you do eat.
Over the past year or so there have been a number of articles in the mainstream press about CR and I’m amazed at how much the purported experiences with the diet differ from my own. I suppose much of the confusion results from our society’s need for instant-gratification. Emily Yoffe’s My Starvation Diet from Slate is a perfect example. I’ll spare you the trouble of reading it with this summary: without apparently learning a lot about it, she suddenly tried CR for 2 months and gave up when she found herself too hungry and not feeling better.
There is a wealth of science and debate on the topic of CR. I’m not going to attempt to rehash the issues but instead provide some context based on my own experience.
For me, CR is a journey and not a destination, a part of puzzle in a personal commitment to longevity and the pursuit of an enriching life. The key for my long-term commitment to CR has been to practice it in such a manner that I can still enjoy occasional treats, play sports, and have a career and healthy relationships. This balancing act is different for everyone, and unfortunately articles like Yoffe’s suggest that we have two choices
* Continue to eat like the average blissfully-ignorant American and accept the consequences.
* Suddenly and permanently committing to eating 1500 calories/day in the pursuit of a longer life of starvation and misery.
FWIW, I think that suddenly picking arbitrary calorie targets and attempting to stick with them is an exercise doomed to failure. 1500 calories/day would not be enough for me, although based on this article some people will assume this is the magical number they would need to target for a Calorie Restriction diet.
I don’t track the number of calories I eat. I found the whole exercise of counting calories to be boring and unproductive. Most people who do target a specific calorie range usually eat the same thing for every meal. My career doesn’t allow this and I enjoy the social aspects of dining with my loved ones.
Instead I simply target a weight that keeps my BMI around 20 (which is about 10 pounds less than my college weight) and eat the healthiest foods I can find, including a large bucket of salad at least once per day. Some people call this approach “Mild CR”. I have dropped by BMI below 20 and found that I had a difficult time playing sports, I felt constantly cold, and I looked pretty scary. So 20 it is.
Hunger isn’t much of a problem. If I get too hungry I eat something. Being constantly cold is actually more of an annoyance and is the most frustrating part of the diet. At the same time I found that my digestion is much, much better and I need less sleep but still feel energetic. So there are pros and cons.
Fortunately, the emerging studies and common sense suggest that mild CR + exercise might be as beneficial as more severe CR. So I continue to exercise regularly as well.
Before you suddenly adopt a new starvation diet, take the time to do a bit of research. Phil Graves’ article is a great start, particularly the summary:
“The successful voluntary practice of CR in humans is
1) the life-long focused commitment
2) to gain knowledge, self-control, and motivation
3) to reduce calories consumed,
4) while maintaining adequate nutrition,
5) under active monitoring of current state of health,
6) with the hope of living better,
7) and the hope of living longer.
That’s really it in a nutshell.”
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for this post. I know many CR “practitioners” (or CRONies, as they say), and they can be an interesting bunch, to say the least.
But they definitely get really into it, some more to distraction than others, and it can skew other people’s perception of what it means to practice CR, as you’ve noted.
You have chosen a very rational and sustainable approach, and that’s wonderful.
One guy in the group, Robert Cavanaugh, follows your approach - he eats enough nutrients, enjoys meals out on celebratory occasions without guilt, and loves to relax in the evening with a cigar.
Take care, and keep eating those bucket-sized salads…. I love mine, that’s for sure!
Hi there!
Nice post!
I have a similar situation with my job, where I travel and eat out much for work and social reasons. It’s not always easy to balance, but I think it’s worth it. And I totally agree… it’s a journey.
One thing to note though, more in response to Andrea’s comment than to your actual post… what is extreme and difficult for one person is sustainable and happy-making for another. Those CR practitioners who have a different approach from yours (or Andrea’s) are, at least the ones I know, extremely happy, busy, fulfilled people… who happen to also find it easier to stay consistent with their CR if they measure than if they don’t. If you worked from home as a writer instead of having a job where you travel, and if you were terrible at estimating portion sizes by looking at them, you might feel the same.
So I would just urge all of those with different approaches to consider the possibility that what makes you happy in life (eating out, travel and eating on the job, etc.) might be less important to others. My partner and I have very different CR styles, and so I’ve gotten to think about this a lot. We’re quite different, but we’re both very happy, busy, successful people.
And most people who think theyre eating 1500 aren’t… they just don’t know cause they don’t really measure. Some of the calorie levels reported on the list are so bogus it makes me laugh. And it’s unfortunate, cause it gives the wrong idea to those who want to practice CR and attempt to eat those insanely low calorie levels. I’d much prefer someone say, “I don’t know how much I eat, here’s what I do instead.” That makes sense, is honest, and won’t lead you to lose five pounds in a week because you ate too little.
And I LOVE the title of this post!
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Hi,
I enjoyed my visit to your blog and this informative opinion piece about longevity. Thank you for your hard work and keep up the great effort!
Happy New Year,
Brian
I gave the CR diet a “go” after the birth of my second child. I purchased the book and I’m ashamed to say i did it to lose weight. I wasn’t hard core about it. I realized after the first month that the hunger does subside and that hunger in fact wasn’t really hunger at times. Make sense? I did lose the weight i wanted, thank Gawd! i was clocking in at 168lbs and went down to 145lbs in two months. The thing was “I felt HEALTHY”, and energetic. I recently visited a local health food store and have learned alot about foods and it has prompted me to re-read my book. I have been paying attention to my health lately for the sake of being healthy, not skinny (the usual way my mind works). If I lose a few pounds, great…if not, i’m still doing my body justice. Great blog.