Calling the low carbers, no carbers, paleos etc.

Carnivor0us

Educate me... Other than the obvious medical problems, why would you want a low carb eating plan?

The general idea is to control insulin response in order to avoid fat storage in one's body.

Understood, however for non medical conditions is this something people choose as a lifestyle change, or as a quick fix because they think carbs will aid weight gain?

My point being carbs are the body's biggest tool to fuel it, reducing your fuel would affect energy level and how the body uses/ stores energy over a period of time.

Not necessarily. The body can use ketones as an alternative to glucose. You can see this in (mainly traditional) populations where few to no carbohydrates are consumed.

mycupyourcake

My favorite thus far is homemade all cheese pizza, so filling and tastes 10X better than any pizza I've ever had from a store.

Yes! It's sooo good. I have it every day for lunch.

Where can I find this recipe. I am intrigued, especially because I was just diagnosed with celiac disease!

bookyeti

Here's the keto pizza crust recipe that I use... it's SO GOOD! I have it almost every day for lunch.
http://blog.stuffimakemyhusband.com/2011/02/hybrid-pizza.html

manique45

I consume a higher protein diet and I like fat, so carbs are kept lower by default. It works for me, and I consume around 200g's of carbs (mostly whole) a day and represents about 25% of my calories. No carb or paleo doesn't make much sense to me.

This is basically true for me too! around TOM I may have one serving of Oreos or a serving of tortilla chips and salsa... I LOVE those! nothing is off limits for me, but I do choose high protein and good fats.... My carbs usually come from fruits and veggies, I just feel better and have a better functioning body eating this way...

pluckabee

Educate me... Other than the obvious medical problems, why would you want a low carb eating plan?

Lowering carbs can help you control cravings for carbs. Considering most snack and junk food is carb heavy, it can be helpful to curb cravings for these foods to help you lower your overall intake.

I think most people that are doing low carb do do so because of a medical reason though. I wouldn't bother if I wasn't at risk for diabetes.

yarwell

Thank you all, especially bookyeti and SadKitty27 - your responses are very helpful, especially the carbs-fiber gives you a net carb measurement factoid that is completely new to me!

Warning - this applies to US food labelling practices only.

In the UK/EU the "carbohydrates" on the label does not include "fibre" so the subtraction is invalid - in fact you may get a negative number in some cases.

So as you're in the UK you don't want to do that.

Buckaustink

I have been eating this way for months. It's the only thing that helps me. After a few days you don't even miss the carbs. I don't feel hungry at all. It's worth a shot to try.

Delicate

My point being carbs are the body's biggest tool to fuel it, reducing your fuel would affect energy level and how the body uses/ stores energy over a period of time.

Your body is a fantastic machine, it adapts.

After the first 1-2 weeks of 'carb flu' it makes virtually no difference to energy levels. I've noticed no negative affects in my training.

Stored energy is pretty much fat anyway, which is what we are aiming to get rid of.

You only fail if you see it as a diet/short term solution, you should see it as a life style change, as most people will be looking over their shoulder for the onset of diabetes, but then again how many people stick to plain calorie counting once they hit maintenance?

bookyeti

Your body is a fantastic machine, it adapts.

After the first 1-2 weeks of 'carb flu' it makes virtually no difference to energy levels. I've noticed no negative affects in my training.

Stored energy is pretty much fat anyway, which is what we are aiming to get rid of.

You only fail if you see it as a diet/short term solution, you should see it as a life style change, as most people will be looking over their shoulder for the onset of diabetes, but then again how many people stick to plain calorie counting once they hit maintenance?

Well said!!

ryry_

Lost 85 lbs on a low carb diet (<50g a day). Was a devout follower and believer and told people at every turn this is the only way to lose weight. Gradually gained about 40 back.

Learned more and have since lost 30 lbs eating 200+ grams of carbs everyday.

castadiva

Thank you all, especially bookyeti and SadKitty27 - your responses are very helpful, especially the carbs-fiber gives you a net carb measurement factoid that is completely new to me!

Warning - this applies to US food labelling practices only.

In the UK/EU the "carbohydrates" on the label does not include "fibre" so the subtraction is invalid - in fact you may get a negative number in some cases.

So as you're in the UK you don't want to do that.

No wonder I hadn't heard about it before now! Thank you for clarifying!

patentguru

I eat lower carb (less than 100 grams on low cardio days) not because of some diet fad. For me, carbs cause hunger pains. The portion control is far easier eating lower carb-simple as that. I try to avoid eating anything out of a package. I eat a lot a vegtables, meat (fish), whole milk, cheese, and fruits. I time my carbs from the fruits. I eat the higher glycemic fruits just before and during cardio only. This type of diet is very easy to stay on long term (lifestyle). When I eat out, I just tell them no carbs to make it easy.

janimei

My doctor tried cutting out all grains and white potatoes for 6 weeks. He lost 20 pounds but had zero energy. He tried to very gradually add a few slices of whole wheat bread into his regimen, and regained all the weight.

I've been going without grains, legumes, and white potatoes for 3 months and have lost 12 pounds, and have no energy. I force myself to walk and to go to my aerobics class, but afterward, I need a nap and feel drained for the rest of the day.
My blood sugar was 116 three months ago (prediabetic), and after 3 months, it's dropped to 104 (still prediabetic, but better).

My anti-cholesterol medicine has a side effect, in some people, of inducing high blood sugar and leading to diabetes. I seem to be one of those people. If I can't get my blood sugar below 100, I'll have the doctor try another medicine for my cholesterol (though we've tried at least 6 already, and each has nasty side effects for me). From what I've read, life as a diabetic is a science experiment/balancing act each day so a lot of people go into denial because they can't face that. Avoiding it is my main goal, but I love pizza, pasta, rice, and great bread! Oh well, it's just food.

haroon_awan

Read too many bad things about carbs, then you are bound to think about doing low/no carbs. There is nothing wrong with it, it's just extremely limiting.

If you are going to do low carb, then you ought to increase your protein and fat intake to compensate for the lost calories. What you don't want to do is end up in a position where you are just eating 1000 calories from protein and hardly any fats. Remember also that if you cannot get any food except carbs, then just eat what you can get a hold of for the day and carry on the next day. One day of more carbs isn't going to stop your progress.

What would be even wiser would be to watch this video on correctly tracking your calories and macros
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDANtU4LUkc

Good luck.

mousepaws22

I try to eat below 100g carbs a day and at least 100g protein a day. My trainer recommends the Primal lifestyle and I have read Mark Sissions book with interest, but I don't know enough about nutrition to know whether what he's saying is true or good advice or not. I try to avoid pasta, rice, bread (that one is hard), potatoes, just because I find if I eat these foods I'm hungry again not long after eating them, whereas if I eat more protein and fat I feel fuller for longer. I eat mostly coconut milk, protein powder, chicken, fish, steak, vegetables, salad, berries, nuts and natural yogurt.

littlecrystal

I have been unsuccessful on calorie counting diet for years. I would have huge cravings, no willpower and massive binge days and would start from scratch every single morning. By chance, I looked into low carbing few months ago, and after browsing internet for weeks I came to conclusion that low-carb and high-fat makes the most sense. I am still on a very long journey of losing weight and finding what suits me, but I am loving my new discoveries, for example if I “binge” on meat, next day I wake up in tact, without those terrible cravings for more. My good day is under 100g of carbs, and ideal under 50g carbs.

Apart from the obvious, I don’t think a bit of potatoes or a bit of berries are too bad, or even one portion of carbs per day, but trying to cut out artificial sweeteners cos I think it affects me adversely. It was also a BIG discovery that it is actually OK to eat high fat after so many years of low-fat, I am just loving that.

All this new to me but I find it really, really making sense. Why I was so blind for those many years.

1kerriberri

I eat paleo foods, and yes it was a conscious decision, for years tried to lose weight eating 'healthy ahem' whole meal, whole grain, low fat, cereal, lotsa fruit and veg. What the heck, the joke was on me. I eat moderate protein, high fat (the good kind). No sugar, and low carb. Have lost 51 lbs in 6 months snd never felt better!!!
Paleo really works for me, there is no going back for me now ...

HS2305

I'm following the keto diet as it was recommended by a friend at work who knows a ton about it so I just bother him whenever I have a question and I also tweet pictures of meals to him so he can tell me how I can make my meals even better.

It's honestly the best decision I have ever made, I feel so much better already and in the past 5 days, I've already lost 5.5 inches from my TI.

yaryrosa

What made me go low carb??? The book "Why we Get Fat and What to do About It" by Gary Taubes. Changed my life. The book is full of all the scientific research on the subject. Totally recommend it.

mlogantra76

I eat lower carb/ very close to the primal diet. I eat eggs, vegetables, full fat cheese, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and a lot of nuts. I wasn't eating as much meat but have started recently eating it. I have lost weight consistently and have noticed that I am not as hungry. I have read that with intense exercise, you might actually needs more carbs so I do eat them but keep them low. I have also recently added berries to my diet. I avoid pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, and most everything that comes from a can or is processed. I do eat a low carb wrap most every day though. So far, it has been great. I did lose 120 lbs 10 years ago on WW and ate very low fat(too low probably) and was not low carb. This time around, I had 25+ lbs to lose and have noticed that low carb does keep the hunger at bay for me.