Randall Parker says eat more salmon (and nuts and eggs), and less bread. That's not news, but there's more confirming data for it, and too many people are still fataphobic, and don't understand the dangers of high-glycemic carbs.

Oh, and if you're a guy, try to have a high testosterone level, though it's less clear how to do that dietarily...

As I wondered in comments over there, does this mean that one can get the benefit by artificially raising testosterone levels, or is the high level just a marker for something else that's the actual cause?

Mmmm...donuts. And bagels, and hot fresh breads of any kind. But I do feel better not eating them, and keep the weight off too. I pretty much limit myself to one slice of whole grain goodness a day.

Weight training seems to make me more randy, and I've wondered if it does increase testosterone. And no I'm no body builder and I don't take HGC or steriods. I have no desire to be a muscle freak.

There is such a thing as too much protein, Rand. A diet like the one suggested in your post often times result in dehydration. So it's important to drink lots of fluids if you go that route. And I hear that high protein diets can be dangerous for people who have liver or kidney diseases.

There is a formula for figuring out how much protein you need on a daily basis. The formula is:

Mass(kg) * Activity Variable = Protein Grams

Convert from your weight in pounds (divide by 2.2) into mass in kilograms. Then multiply by the Activity Variable. This variable can be from 0.8 to 1.8 depending on your physical activity level. A normal adult with a low activity level should multiply their mass by 0.8. Someone who exercises heavily should be higher.

I'm a healthy 160 lb. male, who spends 8-10 hours at the gym every week. My Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein is 95 grams. If I were sedentary, it would be closer to 55 grams per day. I use 1.2 for my activity level, although that may be a bit high. Only a professional athelete should have a rate higher than that.

This website explains the formula to determine your RDA of protein:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/a/protein.htm

Here's an article on protein requirements:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14563169/

The key to weight management is a balanced diet. Stay away from bad carbs like sweets, pasta, white breads/rolls, white potatoes, etc. And replace them with whole wheat breads, sweet potatoes, squash, roasted vegetables, etc. They take longer to digest, making you feel fuller and making it easier to lose or manage weight.

And here are some general rules for weight management:

1) Avoid, or at least limit alcoholic beverages. Three drinks per day (450 calories) is the equivalent of an extra meal per day. And that extra meal has no protein, vitamins, minerals or fiber that your body needs to fucntion.

2) Avoid or limit intake of sugary drinks, and that INCLUDES FRUIT JUICES. Whole fruit smoothies are good, but fruit juices really aren't much better than sodas. You want Vitimin C? Go eat an orange.

3) Avoid anything that comes out of a vending machine!

One way to increase testosterone levels is exposure to UVB. Easier said than done for some of us, but Rand can do this year round.

Rand:

If you're really interested in this, you need to read http://www.arthurdevany.com/

Regards,

Brock

Kayawanee, that is not enough protein if you looking to increase pure muscle. That may work as a sustaining regimen but when you trying to pack it on you can cycle periods of higher protein intake.

One way to avoid high nitrogen retention, which is primarily the part that is hard on your kidneys BTW, is to supplement your protein intake with pre-digested, fractionated, and cross flow micro-filtered whey protein isolates. The egg, is considered the perfect protein and is therefore given a Biological Value rating of 100. A good quality whey protein isolate has a Biological Value of over 135. At these levels the fractionated proteins can be absorbed directly into the muscle as is.

Don't mess with casein proteins, just drink milk and eat cheese, don't mess with protein albumin, just eat eggs and liquid egg whites. For a milk based protein supplementation just go with the fastest absorbing powdered protein their is, a high quality, cross flow micro-filtered whey protein isolate. I like to take 30 grams to break the fast first thing in the morn, then another 30 grams right before I lift, and then 30 grams and a 8 oz glass of gatorade immediately after my workout. Oh, and 5 grams of Creatine Ethyl Ester.

As far a testosterone boosters go the current hot products are the ones that increase free testosterone rather then supplementing it. There are still human growth hormones products that you can purchased directly but they have been highly modified to keep them legal and the price you pay is the damage they cause one's liver. Now everyone has been going to what are called test-boosters which take the testosterone that is already in the body and introduce binding agents that interfere with SHBG and increase the levels of free testosterone in your blood. I had good success with a product made by Designer Supplements called 'ActivaTe'. After about 4 weeks my workouts instantly jumped 20-30 pounds and after about 6 weeks my arms were chiseled and my chest exploded. Twas' messy but I looked good doing it.