I lost around 60 pounds approx 18 years ago, and kept it off since (with a little fluctuation), using low carb.
But the maintenance has been tricky, and the reduced metabolism makes it more difficult.
Managing not to eat what your body is asking for, day in, day out, for nearly two decades, isnt something I wish on anyone else.
It is entirely in relation to weight loss and maintainance, lower metabolism means you have to eat less to maintain your weight. Also a lower metabolism doesn’t feel good- you feel more tired, depressed and cold… as long as your metabolism doesn’t drop so low that you feel tired, cold, unhappy and can’t eat the way you want to and maintain a healthy body weight it is fine.
I am hoping people have data about this. I was surprised at the Carnivore, for example, where I learned of people who don’t eat any carbs.
That’s a pretty big statement, and I don’t see any mention of particular studies or data to back that up. More deficient than who?
While I happen to agree with a good bit of your post, i.e., depleted soils, I think you’re painting with a very broad brush.
My brush is no broader than earlier posts saying that reduced metabolic rate has no downsides. 
But you are right about the links - I should have included them. The perils of posting from a phone. Am now on a computer, so here you go 
:
The Wiki article is actually a good springboard, and well referenced, which isn’t always the case
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
Deficiency in American diet
While the following site is selling Mag Oil, and therefore hardly impartial, the reverences are good
https://www.ancient-minerals.com/magnesium-deficiency/
https://openheart.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000668
As for ketonians being more deficient… keto is often interpreted as higher protein and lower veg. Doesn’t have to be that way, of course. Mine never was! But judging by the pictures posted in the what did you keto today threads, lots of people interpret it that way. So do many people without access to information on what Volleck and Phinney call a Well Formulated Ketogenic Diet
https://blog.virtahealth.com/well-formulated-ketogenic-diet/
There is also the constant cry to newbies to make sure that they are getting enough electrolytes, and they can cure their cramps with Mag supplements. That doesn’t happen to people following most other ways of eating, does it? Therefore I think it is fair to say that Mag deficiency is more likely when starting keto. Whether it continues to be the case is up to the individual in the months and years that follow.
A few sources on the long term consequences of malnutrition:
Soil depletion:
http://news.berkeley.edu/2015/05/07/soil-depletion-human-security/
I only mentioned Magnesium in my post above (mainly because it is something I have been reading up on recently) since if I talked about all the other 50+ nutrients I would have bored everyone to tears. However, Magnesium is not isolated. There is a lot of depletion going on, and a lot of the other nutrients are affected too.
One last point: It is possible to sidestep vegetables and go carnivore - and get adequate/good nutrition. I am doing so myself at the moment. But there are a couple of caveats - firstly the animal products themselves may have been fed on depleted plant matter grown on depleted soils. Secondly, not everyone is equally equipped to absorb nutrients from foods. And we don’t always know about malabsorption until the consequences come home to roost.
Edited about 50x for typos
From what I’ve been told, carnivore isn’t about consuming no carbs. It’s about eating only animal-based products. This is from the intro to the “zero carb” group on Reddit:
Our definition of zerocarb is a carnivorous diet. We only eat meat and animal products. We do not consume plants for nutrients or calories. Some animal products contain carbs (e.g. dairy), most of those are acceptable. Some plant products contain no carbs (e.g. plant oils), and those are generally not acceptable.
I was going by the carnivore podcast where the guests ate only meat, at least for a certain time period. But you make a good point that there are varying definitions. A year ago I thought it just meant that one eats meat at all, and not meat or even animal products exclusively. Is there a term generally used in this community that means eating meat only?
@Brunneria - by excessive appetite, I meant uncomfortable cravings that require self-discipline to resist.
Re-skimming your posts, you lost 60 pounds and have managed to keep it off through your own diligence for 18 years. Most people regain. Presumably, you are in much better health now than if you had kept the 60 pounds.
You have a lower metabolism and are in better health. What downsides have you experienced?
You obviously aren’t reading my posts properly. I suggest you go back and do that, to save me repeating myself about the clear potential downsides of reduced intake - and in case you are wondering, yes, I have personal experience of the things I mention. I am not randomly mentioning constant hunger, and using magnesium deficiency as an example. I only did the research because of how it has been impacting my life.
You may also find it illuminating to read up on people who have experienced bariatric surgery. Many of them go on to suffer a variety of consequences, from malnutrition to health issues, where reduced food intake is a contributing factor.
The OP reminds me of the Thrifty gene Hypothesis. The advantage of a slow metabolism shone in conditions we have long left behind.
Edited to add that ththe foloowing post of mine is not addressed to Margot17, but rather to another post by Daves_Not_Here which has been deleted by moderation.
Good grief. That was uncalled for. And certainly not worth responding to.
I don’t necessarily expect agreement when I post, since this place is for discussion and the exchange of ideas. Everyone is entitled to their own experiences and opinions. They are entitled to express them within the rules of the forum - which I think I have done. I am sure that moderators will step in, if they disagree, and that would be fair enough.
I have answered the question with several examples, some personal, some drawn from studies and the media, with references where relevant.
The fact that you dislike my opinions is neither here, nor there.
Bloody hell! Is there a Godwin’s Law equivalent re: the use of the word ‘hysterical’ to describe a woman’s contribution to a discussion or debate?
@alexelcu - it sounds like we are on similar paths. Full disclosure: when I suspected I had a magnesium deficiency (symptoms were cramps and heat sensitivity), I threw the kitchen sink at it: sodium, potassium, magnesium supplements, spinach, kale, almonds and avocado. However, my bias is towards getting micronutrients from food versus supplements. And, as I’ve become more fat adapted (9 months in), I’ve found I need less supplementation.
@anon54735292 - Ah, you picked up on that, thanks for reading closely. I do choose my words carefully. Kind of like a cancer drug that kills cancerous cells while leaving healthy cells intact, “hysterical” is a dog-whistle that offends precisely the right people.
Not really… its more used by (inappropriate word edited out by admin Brenda Zorn)… who wish to offend unnecessarily. Shame you had to stoop to it eh?
I agree with that too Dave, getting nutrients from food is definitely better than supplementing. I eat spinach everyday and never get cramps. Here’s a handy graphic someone posted on electrolyte imbalance symptoms which I find helpful.
AMAZING! You’re struggle hasn’t been on my radar until today.
May God bless you in your continued quest for a healthy body.
This forum is a respectable place and it is not okay to purposely agitate people. This is not Facebook. If you get enough Flags you’re going to have restrictions because that’s how the software program works. It is self-cleaning. I agreed with one of the flags. Your chicken little comment received so many flags the software program hid it.
I suggest that you change your behavior to a kinder take or you’re going to get yourself flagged right out of here. By your peers.
Thanks @Brenda - agreed. I tend to overreact if I sense condescension, so it’s on me. Henceforth, I shall refrain from invoking the name of certain fictional birds.
@tdean - crazy graphic – my takeaway is avoid a potassium deficiency: “delirium” and “psychosis”, those are some side effects.