Low carb diets...

InForTheWin87

hey! I've only just started MFP today and just wondering who is doing a low carb diet as I am debating whether or not I could do it?

Sued0nim

debate whether or not you could do it for life

if the answer is yes seek out the low carb group

if no, then don't bother IMO

InForTheWin87

Thanks! X

JuliaHaleFitness

I'm not a huge fan of low carb diets mainly because your body needs it to survive! Carbs are you body's go-to source of energy. Maybe start by cutting them out of dinner time and see how you feel!

InForTheWin87

Thanks hun x

NoIdea101NoIdea

Carbs definitely get a bad rep; I have found that personally they make me feel quite bloated, so I tend to go easy on them but as far as weight loss goes, so long as you are eating at a deficit you should be fine

thinisinforlynn2

Hi InForTheWin87: I try to follow a low carb diet. I try to limit carbs to 40 per meal. Carb turn to sugar in my body and is bad news for diabetes which I am trying to keep at bay. Recording you foods will give you an idea of how much you are taking in. I have just restarted with MFP after a huge gain following a severe ankle injury. I'm recording every morsel I put in my mouth.

You'll do fine and lose weight to boot.

BTW Love your name, real positive.

lambchoplewis1

Carbs r ok even though I refrain from over doing them. Cut out the bread basket at dinner, use low cal or smaller bread on sandwich. Past only once a week and use whole wheat. U don't have to cut them out but cut down!!!

Sued0nim

so if it's what suits you go for it

personally I love my carbs and consume around 250-350g per day .. worked for me

MarilynTC

I eat a lower carb (not "low carb") diet because I have a tendency to overeat carbs. I also try to make better choices when it comes to the carbs I do eat - grain breads with higher fiber or brown rice, for example - but I am not really strict about it.

rockmama72

I tried but it's hard and got a bit boring for me. It's so much easier to not have restrictions other than not eating too much.

PeachyCarol

You don't need to do a low carb diet to lose weight. You can chose to do one if you want.

However, if you plan to ever eat carby foods again, you'll still need to learn something in the time you're low carbing about correct portion sizes to eat for when you reach your goal weight.

Most people who low carb get the benefit from feeling less hungry eating that way. It's still a matter of eating less than your body burns.

When you've lost your weight, whether you decide to keep eating low carb or you decide to add carbs back, it will still be a matter of maintaining an energy balance where you're eating as many calories as your body burns.

MelRC117

juliah1234 wrote: »

I'm not a huge fan of low carb diets mainly because your body needs it to survive! Carbs are you body's go-to source of energy. Maybe start by cutting them out of dinner time and see how you feel!

1. Your body doesn't need carbs to survive.
2. When you eat low carb, fat is your body's go-to source of energy.

OP - Try it. It works for some and not others. I would have never thought I could either, but then I did it and it was what worked for me to finally stay committed to lose weight. Its not a strategy that works for everybody, only you can answer that question.

mrsmcg97

Carbs are good for you! Just choose with high fiber and watch portions and by watch portions I mean weigh everything!

s2mikey

MelRC117 wrote: »

juliah1234 wrote: »

I'm not a huge fan of low carb diets mainly because your body needs it to survive! Carbs are you body's go-to source of energy. Maybe start by cutting them out of dinner time and see how you feel!

1. Your body doesn't need carbs to survive.
2. When you eat low carb, fat is your body's go-to source of energy.

OP - Try it. It works for some and not others. I would have never thought I could either, but then I did it and it was what worked for me to finally stay committed to lose weight. Its not a strategy that works for everybody, only you can answer that question.

I believe the brain needs some carbs but I suppose you dont "need" any. The problem is that this approach wont likely work for very active people. Sure, fat can and is used for energy but Carbs are the preferred source and IMO if you are active and carb-starved you WILL go catabolic at times and use muscle for energy with the fat. Thats a terrible place to be and NOT what fitness-minded people want.

My suggestion to anyone is to get somewhere in the middle of "carb-elimination" versus "reasonable carb intake". I lift weights 3 times a week with some form of cardio 2-3 times a week. What I do is tery and keep carb intake around 125 - 150 grams on rest/mild workout days and around 200 grams or so on active days. Its working for me and I have the energy needed for workouts, especially strength training.

I believe the "zero carb" craze is a poor idea for most people and has long term issues associated with it. Plus.... c'mon.... just meat, cheese, nuts and dairy all day everyday? Yuk, LOL.

MelRC117

s2mikey wrote: »

MelRC117 wrote: »

juliah1234 wrote: »

I'm not a huge fan of low carb diets mainly because your body needs it to survive! Carbs are you body's go-to source of energy. Maybe start by cutting them out of dinner time and see how you feel!

1. Your body doesn't need carbs to survive.
2. When you eat low carb, fat is your body's go-to source of energy.

OP - Try it. It works for some and not others. I would have never thought I could either, but then I did it and it was what worked for me to finally stay committed to lose weight. Its not a strategy that works for everybody, only you can answer that question.

I believe the brain needs some carbs but I suppose you dont "need" any. The problem is that this approach wont likely work for very active people. Sure, fat can and is used for energy but Carbs are the preferred source and IMO if you are active and carb-starved you WILL go catabolic at times and use muscle for energy with the fat. Thats a terrible place to be and NOT what fitness-minded people want.

My suggestion to anyone is to get somewhere in the middle of "carb-elimination" versus "reasonable carb intake". I lift weights 3 times a week with some form of cardio 2-3 times a week. What I do is tery and keep carb intake around 125 - 150 grams on rest/mild workout days and around 200 grams or so on active days. Its working for me and I have the energy needed for workouts, especially strength training.

I believe the "zero carb" craze is a poor idea for most people and has long term issues associated with it. Plus.... c'mon.... just meat, cheese, nuts and dairy all day everyday? Yuk, LOL.

Low carb does NOT mean zero carb. Its not just meat, cheese, nuts, and dairy. People on low carb diets still eat veggies and fruits.

maillemaker

The primary reason why "low carb" diets work is because the carbs most people eat tend to be calorie dense. So when you cut carbs out of your diet you may be naturally creating a calorie deficit by cutting out a major source of calories from your diet.

I emphasize "may" because it is quite trivial to substitute low-carb foods for the lost carbs and still end up eating as many or more calories as you were before. If you cut out 1600 calories of cake and replace it with 1600 calories of prime rib you have not gained anything diet-wise.

The other thing about a "low carb" diet that can help with weight loss is that it can help stabilize swings in blood sugar and increased protein intake can both help mitigate feelings of hunger, which can make it easier to stick to a calorie deficit.

But there is nothing magical about a "low carb" diet that causes weight loss. Ultimately it's the calorie deficit that causes the weight loss. If eating "low carb" makes it easier for you to maintain a deficit, great.

RuthyLOL

I started to eat low carbs 4 days ago, I read a book another member recommended when I asked him how he lost his 120lbs and he stated he did by reading "why we get fat and what to do about it" it worked for him and it tells you to eat veggies and greens every day along with unlimited meats (poultry, fish, beef, eggs). If you want to add other things then you can count the carbs and see if your body still loses weight with them. I have a hard time being hungry and staying in a low calorie diet, so, this is working great for me. I have not been hungry in 4 days and still lost 5lbs this first 4 days. I know that weigh comes off faster at first but still.. I am so excited

ar9179

I use low carb (high fat/moderate protein) because it helps keep me feeling full. I don't have a sweet tooth, so those items aren't usually something I choose to eat, anyway. I also tend to go overboard on things like bread and pasta, so limiting them keeps my calories in check. It's a tool and one that works well depending on the individual.

Low carb can be from 20 net grams to 150 net grams per day. You have a wide range available to you, if you'd like to experiment.

autumnsquirrel

InForTheWin87 wrote: »

hey! I've only just started MFP today and just wondering who is doing a low carb diet as I am debating whether or not I could do it?

Of course you could do it; it is doable, but not sustainable. Try carb cycling, that way you're not staying low all the time. On rest days, go for less carbs, on workout days, go for more. Keep the body guessing:) I did low carb last year; doc wanted me to do 60g a day, I went for 40. The weight rolled off, but....eventually I plateaued for months. I had to change things up. Whatever you decide, do it the healthy way:)

Lrdoflamancha

juliah1234 wrote: »

I'm not a huge fan of low carb diets mainly because your body needs it to survive! Carbs are you body's go-to source of energy. Maybe start by cutting them out of dinner time and see how you feel!

This is broscience at its very best... Complete BS... No one needs carbs...

cosmo_momo

Eat ALL THE CARBS!! But really, I'm very pro-carb. Unless you have a medical reason to avoid it, or they make you feel icky, bloated or whatever, you don't need to avoid them to lose weight

Lrdoflamancha

s2mikey wrote: »

MelRC117 wrote: »

juliah1234 wrote: »

I'm not a huge fan of low carb diets mainly because your body needs it to survive! Carbs are you body's go-to source of energy. Maybe start by cutting them out of dinner time and see how you feel!

1. Your body doesn't need carbs to survive.
2. When you eat low carb, fat is your body's go-to source of energy.

OP - Try it. It works for some and not others. I would have never thought I could either, but then I did it and it was what worked for me to finally stay committed to lose weight. Its not a strategy that works for everybody, only you can answer that question.

I believe the brain needs some carbs but I suppose you dont "need" any. The problem is that this approach wont likely work for very active people. Sure, fat can and is used for energy but Carbs are the preferred source and IMO if you are active and carb-starved you WILL go catabolic at times and use muscle for energy with the fat. Thats a terrible place to be and NOT what fitness-minded people want.

My suggestion to anyone is to get somewhere in the middle of "carb-elimination" versus "reasonable carb intake". I lift weights 3 times a week with some form of cardio 2-3 times a week. What I do is tery and keep carb intake around 125 - 150 grams on rest/mild workout days and around 200 grams or so on active days. Its working for me and I have the energy needed for workouts, especially strength training.

I believe the "zero carb" craze is a poor idea for most people and has long term issues associated with it. Plus.... c'mon.... just meat, cheese, nuts and dairy all day everyday? Yuk, LOL.

Here we go again...No the brain does not need carbs... The brain needs glucose... The body will produce glucose from fat. Yes it works for people of any activity level.

Meganthedogmom

I did the low carb thing once. I lost 30 pounds very quickly, but I couldn't stick with it and gained it all back. This was probably like 8 years ago.
I love having a variety of food to choose from, and looove carbs, so it wasn't realistic for me to eat 20 carbs a day for the rest of my life. I'm also not a huge meat person. If you are though, and you think you can go without carbs, then I say go for it.

MistressPi

s2mikey wrote: »

MelRC117 wrote: »

juliah1234 wrote: »

I'm not a huge fan of low carb diets mainly because your body needs it to survive! Carbs are you body's go-to source of energy. Maybe start by cutting them out of dinner time and see how you feel!

1. Your body doesn't need carbs to survive.
2. When you eat low carb, fat is your body's go-to source of energy.

OP - Try it. It works for some and not others. I would have never thought I could either, but then I did it and it was what worked for me to finally stay committed to lose weight. Its not a strategy that works for everybody, only you can answer that question.

I believe the brain needs some carbs but I suppose you dont "need" any.

If your body needs more sugar than is contained in your diet, it can create it via gluconeogenesis.

Like she said, once your body has adapted to using fat for energy, it will use it as a preferred source of fuel.

Here is a resource for folks interested in a low carb diet.

http://www.artandscienceoflowcarb.com/

MistressPi

autumnsquirrel wrote: »

InForTheWin87 wrote: »

hey! I've only just started MFP today and just wondering who is doing a low carb diet as I am debating whether or not I could do it?

Of course you could do it; it is doable, but not sustainable...

You mean, YOU did not find it sustainable. There is no one perfect diet for everyone.

jddnw

InForTheWin87 wrote: »

hey! I've only just started MFP today and just wondering who is doing a low carb diet as I am debating whether or not I could do it?

Check out the low carb group and you will encounter a lot more people who are actually doing it and can share first hand information about actually doing it. I've read all the feedback you are getting here and some of it is highly dubious.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

JPW1990

autumnsquirrel wrote: »

InForTheWin87 wrote: »

hey! I've only just started MFP today and just wondering who is doing a low carb diet as I am debating whether or not I could do it?

Of course you could do it; it is doable, but not sustainable. Try carb cycling, that way you're not staying low all the time. On rest days, go for less carbs, on workout days, go for more. Keep the body guessing:) I did low carb last year; doc wanted me to do 60g a day, I went for 40. The weight rolled off, but....eventually I plateaued for months. I had to change things up. Whatever you decide, do it the healthy way:)

And this is why asking about LC in the main forums is basically useless, aside from getting the link to the LC group. It's been 15 years, exactly at what point is it going to become "not sustainable"?