jeyoor

Thank you for the feedback. Hydration seems to be a major portion of the fluctuation. I am intrigued by this.

Update here: looks like there's a balancing point at my current activity level somewhere between 2100 kcal / day and 2300 kcal / day Currently have daily kcal target at 2150 kcal / day and intending to gradually increase until I hit weight maintenance/balance. I am interested to hear from others: have you found an exact kcal "set point" that reliably maintains weight or do you find weight gently fluctuating up and down? I am seeing fluctuations of about +1 / -1 kg that seem tied to kcal targets in a 200-300 kcal range.

@mccoy thank you for the feedback and recommendations. I haven't been low BMI for very long. I increased kcal target to 2300 kcal per day and I'm up to 17.7 BMI now. Dialing kcal target down to 2100 kcal per day looking for a set point. I have been doing calisthenics based on Luigi's exercises and seeing results; thanks again for recommending The Path to Longevity.

@0ari, Here's a link I found interesting on this question. http://www.isnff-jfb.com/index.php/JFB/article/view/98 It seems they were looking at marine sources and dietary supplements which may not apply directly for you, but the oxidation concerns seem potentially relevant even in plant-based omega-3s. Abstract: Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may reduce the risk of various diseases. Marine oils rich in omega-3 PUFAs have therefore become popular dietary supplements. Adverse effects need to be considered when administering omega-3 PUFAs. While unproblematic short-term adverse events linked to omega-3 PUFAs have been reported, long-term PUFA supplementation may be associated with increased cancer risk, possibly due to PUFAs, their oxidation products or added vitamin E. Large-scale trials have shown increased rates of prostate cancer in men taking α-tocopherol supplementation. Omega-3 PUFAs are highly prone to oxidative degradation to lipid peroxides and secondary oxidation products, which may render them ineffective or harmful. Oil contained in omega-3 supplements may contain a mixture of omega-3 PUFAs, problematic additives, and unspecified levels of potentially toxic oxidation products. The health consequences of oxidized fish oil intake remain unclear. Given the harmful effects of oxidized lipid products demonstrated in animal experiments, caution is needed in the supplementation of PUFAs at high doses over extended periods of time and during vulnerable phases of life, such as prenatal development, childhood, and adolescence. A balanced approach should weigh the overall health benefits of omega-3 PUFAs against potentially harmful effects of their supplementation. Future research should address the development of effective antioxidants without side effects.

@Clinton, thank you for the feedback. I'll be careful to start with less weight on the barbell bench press and work my way up. Increased kcal target up to 2000 per day on Feb 27, but weight still isn't increasing as I'd hoped. May have to start eating more nuts and bumping kcal target even higher to get back to my desired BMI range.

Increased kcal target up to 1900 per day. Current BMI is around 17.4 - 17.6

Increased kcal target up to 1800 per day. Current BMI is around 17.5 - 17.7

Thank you @0ari and @alexthegra8 for the updates. Sweet potatoes are on my next grocery run list. I am intrigued by ragi / finger millet and look forward to finding out more.

@Dean Pomerleau thank you for the feedback. I did not realize how toxic selenium could be. I will avoid loading up on brazil nuts.

@mccoy thank you for the feedback

@mccoy thank you for your feedback. I picked up some brazil nuts during my last grocery trip.

Food scale has been great for fine-tailoring what I'm eating. Weighed myself a few days in a row and BMI is back under 18 Hypothesizing that the weight increase was water-consumption related. I am increasing my daily kcal target up to 1700 since I'd like to ideally be solidly fluctuating in the 18 - 19 BMI range.

Fairly often I will reach the end of the day with Cronometer showing "All Targets" over 90% but my kcal around 75% of my target. In other words, I reach the end of the day and think, "I'm getting the micronutrients I targeted but need to eat more calories." I used to eat extra beans since they're cheap and relatively calorie-dense, but stopped to moderate protein intake lately. I've eaten rice, barley, oatmeal, store brand cheerios, and corn tortillas which have all worked relatively well. Does anyone have additional recommendations for what to eat in this scenario?

Update: weighed in with weight gain of 0.8 kg and around BMI of 18.1 Planning to keep daily calorie intake at 1650 kcal per day and see what happens next. Also ordered a food scale to help fine-tune amount of food consumption beyond just using volume-based containers (e.g. 1 and 0.5 cup measures)

I would like to share some updates. First, I have been getting a lot out of The Path to Longevity recommended by mccoy. (Thanks again for the recommendation. I am deeply impressed by the breadth and research rigor of the book.) Second, increasing my daily kcal target to 1600 definitely slowed the weight loss I was experiencing but did not halt it. I am planning to increase my daily target to 1650 for this week and re-evaluate. My current plan is to keep nudging my daily kcal target up until I get my BMI back up above 18 and then hold for a while and re-evaluate. All the best to you all on your longevity/health/wellness adventures.