I was always under the impression that visceral fat is the easiest fat to reduce and is one of the first place where we start losing fat when we diet, exercise, etc.
Would benefits from rapamycin mean that it promotes the burning of visceral fat over that of glycogen and muscle mass? If not, then I don’t see this as rapamycin making it easy to reduce visceral fat, as much as rapamycin making it easy to lose weight (where visceral fat is usually the first place where we lose body fat).
That said, it’d still be very interesting to compare results with rapamycin with results with fasting/keto/GLP-1 agonists, to see if there are any differences in muscle mass lost.
I’ve been on Rapamycin, with increasing dosing, for the last 15 months. 57 yo male, lean, daily resistance/aerobic exercise. I lost all my weight on a ketogenic/one meal a day diet, long before starting Rapamycin.
In my n=1 experience, I cannot support weight loss observation taking Rapamycin. I’ve been slowing tweaking diet/exercise, maintaining weight, but trading residual fat for skeletal muscle. I don’t see a distinct Rapamycin signal overlay outside what I think are the main exogenous drivers to my fat/muscle balance. Having said that, I don’t believe based on blood markers, I’ve crossed into “dysregulation” of mTOR2, and rising lipids/glycemic control, indicative of a strong TOR suppression that might support weight loss.
Having said that, in the seminal cancer/Siroliums/GFJ study, a cohort under major Rapamycin AUC and confirmed strong TOR suppression, only 15/138 (approx 10%) reported weight loss, although each one was a Grade 3/4 toxicity. I don’t think many of us are in this level and sustained TOR suppression.
Increased visceral fat area to skeletal muscle mass ratio (VSR) is positively associated with the risk of cardiometabolic diseases in a Chinese natural population: A cross-sectional study
Hi, did your husband ever get a follow up dexa scan? I’m about start rapa and am interested ehether i need to increase my resistance training (from zero!)
as long as we’re talking about visceral fat reduction - I found this new study of interest… need to dig down and better understand what a “green mediteranean diet” and duckweed is exactly…
Recently, researchers compared the green Mediterranean diet to the traditional Mediterranean diet and a non-Mediterranean healthy diet in a large-scale clinical interventional trial—the DIRECT PLUS. Subsequent analysis found that the green Mediterranean diet reduced visceral fat by 14%, the Mediterranean diet by 7% and the non-Mediterranean healthy diet by 4.5%. The study was published in BMC Medicine .
The DIRECT-PLUS trial research team was the first to introduce the concept of the green Mediterranean diet. This modified Mediterranean diet is further enriched with dietary polyphenols and is lower in red/processed meat than the traditional Mediterranean diet. On top of a daily intake of walnuts (28 grams), the participants consumed 3-4 cups of green tea/day and 100 grams (frozen cubes) of duckweed green shake/day. The aquatic green plant duckweed is high in bioavailable protein, iron, B12, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols and substituted meat intake.
The team has shown in previous studies that the green Mediterranean diet has a variety of salutary effects ranging from the microbiome to age-related degenerative diseases.
A group of 294 participants took part in the 18-month long trial.
Research Paper:
Hila Zelicha et al, The effect of high-polyphenol Mediterranean diet on visceral adiposity: the DIRECT PLUS randomized controlled trial, BMC Medicine (2022). DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02525-8
I looked into duckweed a while ago because it was reported in 2021 to alleviate NAFLD.
I never discovered the specific mechanism. But it’s worth noting that you should be careful sourcing decent quality because:
“However, since duckweed is a phytoremediation plant that extracts metals, radionuclides and other pollutants from wastewater and accumulates those in their tissues, the safety of consuming this aquatic plant has become a concern”
I see very few women posting here. I hope theres many women lurkers.
I take rapa, maybe >1yr and have slimmed down every time I’m on the scale. Without diet changes. I’m biasing intake to maximize protein with the goal, not achieved usually, of 100g protein (not meat, meat is only partial protein). Why? to fend off the other aging decline, muscle loss or sarcopenia. Loss of muscel is a huge problem as we age. I take in alot of fat with this protocol. Yet I drop weight easily.
My test run nipping one of my wifes CGMs, and my own blood testing finds I’m very metabolic sensitive. So makes sense I can loose weight by avoiding (naturally) carbs.
I wish there was a thread on older women and weight loss so they could share what is working. My wife has a very stuborn belly fat like alot of older women. Shes at 1200 calories or so and mostly protein like me. Wears a CGM to both be a policeman and a monitor for metabolic health. Shes now flat line at 80-90, very good. But can’t loose any weight. Shes needs some citizen-scientist case study re taking rapa to help her get on this program??
I think it was explained that when your body goes into starvation mode when MTOR protein (nutrient sensing protein) is blinded by the rapamycin molecule… that instead of using sugar for energy… your body starts eating the body fat… adipose tissue. Particularly where it is most troublesome… around your organs… visceral fat. Cleans it up.
I lost all of my viceral fat by 6 months… proven in a DEXA scan this year. Absolutely none.
So far it appears I’ve lost nearly all of my visceral fat as well. I say appears because I’m currently basing this on my home bio impedance scale readings which puts me at a 1. I’ve been tracking body composition estimates with the same scale for the last 14 months. I’ve asked my husband for a dexa scan as a gift for Christmas to confirm. I also have visible abs which I’ve never had before fwiw. I’m a 54 y/o female and for me it was closer to 6 months on rapa for this change to start to occur. I’ve lost 13 pounds but my weight didn’t budge whatsoever in the first 6 months. Since I generally feel better I added in resistance training which certainly helped and seems synergistic with rapa. I’m not sure if it’s just me or if it takes a little longer for this impact to happen (when it happens) in women.
Yes, I’m on 3mg rapa weekly since 1/6/23 (5’1/97 pounds). Other supplements include:
Taurine 2g QD (previously 1g off and on for years)
Melatonin time release 20mg QD before bed
Multi vitamin/mineral (most days)
Glycine 2g QD
*5-Htp 200mg before bed
*Lithium orotate 5mg (most days)
Estradiol patch .075mg (not for longevity specifically but for menopause)
*Creatine 5g
Dhea 25mg QD
Vitamin D 2k/5 days per week
Exercise:
*Weight lifting 3x weekly
Walking in weighted vest 30-45 minutes 3-4x weekly
Starred items are things I’ve added since starting rapa which definitely could have helped. I’ve also improved my less than optimal diet by reducing fat and adding more fibrous vegetables.
As an average woman who is learning as I go so I’m definitely open to fine tuning my longevity approach. I think we should always be open to learning and adjusting as needed.
woman here and I’ve been on rapa for about 5 - 6 months. No weight loss. I’m a runner and at the gym (Crossfit and Hiit) 2x per week, pilates and gyrotonics 1x each per week. And I run about 25k per week. I have now cut wine and calories (mostly fish, some chicken breast, low carbs) for the last month. I#ve seen a little budge…maybe a kilo. Still waiting for the magic.
I can relate. For the first time in my life…over 65, I’m having a tough time w weight and also a spreading middle. I find it v weird. rapa has had not impact as far as I can tell. Perhaps it helps with recovery after exercise. I can do more and still have good HRV and recovery (Oura ring). But thats it.
I finally have the luxury eating everyday whatever I want… as much as I want… all day if I want. My weight hovers between 181 and 183 pounds. It has for the last 4 years, on rapamycin, it’s like my weight point reset.
I like where i’m at.
Everything is solid muscle with no extra fat. I just did a second DEXA scan my BMI is twenty five and no visceral fat. Same as 2 years ago. Will do bone test in December ( when insurance kicks in for a retest). Hoping Taurine has improved bone… or at least no change. I know that the reason i’m able to not gain weight or that I can eat so much wuth no change…
has to be because of the rapamycin.
My son lost twenty five pounds after three months of rapamycin, but he was thirty two years. The weight has stayed off and it’s been a couple of years. He does rapamycin 2 mg every two weeks.
that explanation !