Psychological Effects of Calorie Restriction

1
Psychological Effects of Calorie Restriction

• Dean Pomerleau
• Conquering any difficulty always gives one a
  secret joy, for it means pushing back a
  boundary-line and adding to one's liberty. -
  Henri Frederic Amiel

2
Introduction

• Thesis CR can have profound psychological
  effects on its practitioners. These effects are
  (or can be)
• Independent of health/longevity effects
• Positive or negative
• Vary from individual to individual - YMMV
• Happen whether we recognize them or not
• Gradual, and therefore sometimes hard to
  recognize
• Sometimes disguised as virtues, so hard to
  accept as potentially harmful
• Hard to quantify or prove, so often ignored by
  CRonies, who generally are a hard-nosed science
  types

3
Overview

• Topics to be addressed
• CR and obsession - food and otherwise
• CR and Appetite
• CR, sex and libido
• CR and emotions
• CR and Spirituality
• Topics go from most concrete and scientifically
  demonstrable, to most speculative and subjective.
• Talk not meant to be definitive treatment on the
  subjects covered, but starting point for
  discussion
• Caveat Personal observations from me and other
  long-term hard core 1 CRonies, with some
  scientific support - your mileage may vary!

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My CR Pedigree / Style

• 3.5 Years on CR
• Dropped from 172 to 120 lbs
• Exhibit all the supposed CR markers
• Very meticulous, regimented CR style
• Same meal, 3/day
• Carefully formulated and measured
• Family man minimize CR impact on family
• My lifes an open book

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CR and Obsession

• CR appears associated with obsessive behavior,
  but is CR the cause, or the effect?
• Does CR encourage obsessive behavior?
• Semi-starvation induced hyperactivity (SIH) in
  rodents suggests yes.
• Rodents subject to CR and given access to running
  wheel, will run more than AL fed rodents,
  sometimes to the point of death accepted model
  for anorexia 2
• Mediated by hormones and neurotransmitters -
  Treatment with leptin or seratonin uptake
  inhibitors block SIH in rodents, as they do in
  anorexic people 2.

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CR and Obsession

• Minnesota Starvation Study 3 suggests a
  definite yes.
• 40 physically and psychologically healthy male
  subjects
• Subject to 6 mth of 50 calorie (w/ reasonable
  nutrition) restriction
• Results
• 4 dropped out, 3 developed binge-eating, 2 began
  to steal food, 1 suffered severe depression, and
  2 were admitted to hospital because of symptoms
  of psychosis.
• Other side effects hunger, weakness, lack of
  drive, decreased ability to feel happiness,
  osteoporosis, hypoalbuminemia, dependent edema,
  decreased muscle mass, alopecia, hypotension,
  poor wound healing and depression
• Variety of food and food-related obsessions see
  below
• 50 years after study, abnormal eating
  behaviors/attitude remained in all 24 subjects
  who consented to be interviewed.

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CR and Obsession

• Are obsessive people drawn to CR?
• Mark Cummins Personality poll influence of
  self selection in free living CRonies.
• CRonies tend to be Introverted, self-disciplined
  and persistent
• In other words, when we set our minds on
  something we give it our all and stick to it.
• Can be a prescription for extreme and obsessive
  behavior

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CR and Obsession

• Manifestations of CR Obsession
• Food Obsession
• Orthorexia Nervosa Obsession with healthful
  eating 4 - endless diet tuning, unwillingness
  to eat forbidden foods.
• Sight magazines, Food Network TV ironic, most
  dont actually make, let alone ever taste,
  featured recipes
• Taste heavy, exotic spices, proclivity for
  strong tastes (e.g. peppers), flavor spritzing,
  sucralose reliance, toothpaste eating
• Food tasting, and even more harmful eating
  disorders (e.g. bulimia and anorexia).
• Perhaps a natural result of scarcity mentality
  food is scare, so need to maximize experience
  from what one is willing to eat or contemplate
  eating.

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CR and Obsession

• Obsession with Avoiding Waste, Hording
• Also observed in Minnesota Starvation study
• Similar to food obsession likely stems from
  scarcity mentality
• Personal examples
• Unwillingness to discard food, even unhealthy
  food
• Collecting food prep equipment/containers, even
  those not used
• Reusing ziplock bags, stockpiling rubber bands,
  etc.

10
CR and Obsession

• Obsession w/ conserving energy esp. personal
  energy
• Partly physical less energy reserves due to
  fewer spare cals
• Likely stems from scarcity mentality limited
  food means limited energy, so we feel compelled
  to conserve
• Personal examples
• Plan actions carefully to minimize effort
  Limiting trips up and down stairs.
• Abstain from (or limit effort in) high energy
  activities sports, self-prescribed exercise,
  active play w/ kids

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CR and Obsession

• Advice
• Recognize problem behaviors/attitudes not easy
  denial common
• Positive mental attitude Believe strongly that
  an unhealthy obsession, once recognized, can be
  overcome. Corny, but worked for me.
• Cold turkey worked best for me
• Cut out negative activities entirely food
  magazines/TV, food tasting, flavor spritzing,
  heavy spicing
• Force self to engage in positive activities once
  avoided find less self-centered and
  counterproductive obsession.
• Outcome
• With time (in my case a month or so), the
  obsessions subside.
• Reward Conquering CR-related obsessions brings
  with it profound sense of peace and personal
  mastery.
• Conversely, when one feeds CR-related obsessions,
  it perpetuates attachment to food, leading to
  extremes like food tasting, and negative
  emotions.

12
CR and Appetite

• Anorexia Lacking normal appetite 4
• By this broad definition, I (and at least some
  other CRonies) indeed are anorexics.
• Like anorexics, Im virtually never hungry
  anymore likely due to increased gastric
  emptying time and reduced gastric secretions 5
  and/or reduce leptin 6 seen in anorexics
• Extends beyond food especially to sex for many
  of us

13
CR and Sex/Libido

• Reduced libido pretty common in long-term, hard
  core CRonies
• Many potential causes
• Evolutionary - Shift of resources from
  reproduction to maintenance/repair.
• Hormonal - testosterone and other androgens
  reduced
• Psychological - CR requires delayed
  gratification. May lead to focus on things other
  than sex.
• Social - CRonies (particularly men) dont fit the
  societal model of physical beauty less
  opportunity use it or lose it
• Spiritual For some people, CRs appeal is
  partially its ascetic nature spiritual benefits
  to self denial. Spillover to sex?
• A moderate, unspiced, minimally cooked, and
  quickly prepared meal of simple, unprocessed food
  is the dietary basis for brahmacharya (Hindu vow
  of celibacy). Gandhi 7

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CR and Sex/Libido

• Advice
• No real good answer
• Even testosterone therapy (which I would caution
  against on many other grounds) didnt increase my
  libido
• Increasing calories would likely help
• Bright side not all CRonies experience reduced
  libido
• Best solution (IMO) come to terms with it
• Easier than you might think cessation of desire
• May not be possible due to relationship
  constraints
• Many positive aspects

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CR and Sex/Libido

• Benefits of reduced libido
• Frees up time for other more productive pursuits
• Eliminated tendency to treat others as objects
  for personal gratification no more what can
  they do for me attitude (not just sex)
• Helps one realize the changeable and dependent
  nature of ones existence. I still feel like
  me, despite libido drop.
• Demonstrates possibility of transcending worldly
  attachments, which can be quite empowering.
• Globally, Gandhi used fasting, simple diet,
  abstinence and material comforts to
  foster/demonstrate personal power and self
  discipline for himself, inspire others, and draw
  attention to his political/social causes
• Fasting and restriction in diet now played a
  more important part in my life. Passion in man is
  generally co-existent with a hankering after the
  pleasures of the palate. And so it was with me.
  Gandhi 7

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CR and Emotions

• Cessation of compelling desires goes beyond
  food/sex in some hard core CRonies.
• Hypotheses (from observations by me and others)
• If starting on the heavy side, CR ? Euphoria in
  short term
• If starting on the light side, CR ? irritability
  and snappishness in short term
• CR ? emotional smoothing in long term

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CR and Emotions

• Potential causes of emotional smoothing
• Hormonal Reduced androgens ? less emotional
  turmoil/aggression
• Social CR is a solitary activity may foster
  isolation, if not egoism, and result in emotional
  detachment from others
• Behavioral CR encourage introspection and
  rational evaluation, thereby discouraging knee
  jerk, emotional reactions

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CR and Emotions

• Personal Anecdote 180 ft. bungee jump
• No fear
• Max HR 103 BMP
• Exhilarating!

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CR and Emotions

• Advantages of emotional smoothing
• Detachment little things arent bothersome
  anymore
• Appreciation - Realize needs are few when it
  comes to happiness
• Equanimity Less playing of favorites with
  people, compassion
• One should eat not in order to please the
  palate, but just to keep the body going. When
  each organ of sense subserves the body and
  through the body the soul, its special relish
  disappears and then alone does it begin to
  function in the way nature intended it to do. -
  Gandhi 7

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CR and Emotions

• Danger smoothing ? deadening
• Force of will consciously seek to experience
  joy
• Go out on a limb face revel in personal
  challenge
• Fake it til you make it
• Personal example Promoting family happiness
• Apply CR-fostered zeal and self-discipline to
  build family relationships
• Decided to do everything I could to make family
  happy and enjoy doing it! not just
  satisficing
• Self-fulfilling prophecy

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CR and Spirituality

• CR Promotes/Attracts
• Introspection / awareness
• Self-discipline / zeal
• Cessation of desires
• Smoothing of emotions equanimity
• Recognition of cause and effect - interdependence
• Realization of impermanence tough one for
  CRonies

22
CR and Spirituality

• Psychological state strived for in many
  religions/philosophies
• Buddhism calm abiding realizations of
  interdependence impermanence
• You will wish to know what the marks of a man
  are who wants to realize truth... He must be
  completely free from anger and lust, greed and
  attachment, pride and fear. He must reduce
  himself to zero and have perfect control over all
  his senses beginning with the palate or
  tongue. - Gandhi 8
• Dietary restraint/control central to many
  religions/philosophies
• Buddhist monks two simple meals / day, before
  noon, vegetarianism
• Judaism Lots of food prohibitions and fasting
• Christianity Lent
• What CRonies view as negative side effects
  Religious seekers through the ages have spent
  entire lifetimes striving to achieve, often in
  vain.

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Take Home Message

• Not advocating all CRonies become monks/priests
• CR can have profound psychological impact
• Needs to be recognized and managed
• Best approach (IMO)
• find another outlet for our inherent and
  CR-induced zeal
• Use CR as a tool, not an end

Happy
Sad
Extreme Personality
Extreme Personality
Fear of Death
Positive Outlet
Psychological Changes
CR
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Take Home Message

• CRonies are blessed w/ incredible gifts
• Zeal, self-discipline, confidence, creativity,
  health/longevity
• Shame to squander gifts solely on self-centered
  pursuit of maximizing personal lifespan
• Especially since CR is far from perfect solution
• May not extend lifespan in humans
• Even if works, benefits relatively marginal
• Can result in sacrificing what we seek to
  maximize a fulfilling life
• Advice Find alternative outlet for gifts, let CR
  be tool

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References

• 1 By hard core CRonie I refer to degree of
  calorie restriction, rather than seriousness of
  practice.
• 2http//groups.yahoo.com/group/crsociety/message
  /6994
• 3http//river-centre.org/StarvSympt.html
• 4 cancerweb medical dictionary
• 5 http//lists.calorierestriction.org/cgi-bin/wa
  ?A2ind0211LcrsocietyPR45112
• 6 http//lists.calorierestriction.org/cgi-bin/wa
  ?A2ind0209LcrsocietyPR57561
• 7 Gandhis Body - Sex, Diet and the Politics
  of Nationalism, Author Joseph Alter
• 8 Gandhi, All Men Are Brothers, 143