A friend of this blog writes:
What prompted me to try SLD: When I first went paleo I dropped 30 pounds with no exercise or food restriction, but my weight has been stable for about a year. In January and February [2013] I went through a bad allergy spell, with my nose congested all the time. I dropped six pounds in that time. When the seasonal allergy went away, the weight came right back. Calories without smell suddenly look like a big factor.
Here is a paper about the theory behind the Shangri-La Diet.
Seth,
Have you seen this article about smell and weight loss?
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/fashion/18skin.html?_r=0
Also, It would be very interesting to hear an update on your current implementation of the Shangri-la diet. Do you do oil or sugar? Has your weight stayed low? Do you see other health benefits related to the weight loss?
-JW
Seth: I noseclip a bunch of foods, including cheese and yogurt with honey and ground flaxseed. I’m a lot more muscular than I used to be so weight comparisons are misleading. I didn’t see health benefits from weight loss — I wasn’t particularly fat to begin with.
O/T
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10001149/Scientist-jailed-for-faking-medicine-test-results.html
My sister is anosmic. She tries to watch her weight. She’s had some success, but she has the same challenge as every one else I know limiting what she eats. Lack of smell might help some in some situations, but I know at least one counterexample.
Kaleberg, it seems to be different if the loss of smell is temporary versus a sense you never had.
The weight loss happened over three weeks. Six pounds in three weeks would be pretty good for a weight-loss plan. It was remarkable for an unintentional loss. If I didn’t read this blog I probably wouldn’t have made the connection.
Coincidentally, my young daughter and adult sister are anosmic as well. My sister has generally been slim. It will be interesting to see how my daughter’s anosmia affects her weight in adulthood. I am teaching her to practice personal science, so we may be getting some reports from her in a decade or two.