low carb thoughts?

im looking for someone who is versed on nutrition , and what their thoughts on low carb diets.

i need to improve my diet, and my father who is also mind you type 2 diabetic has lost like over 20 pounds in like 2-3 months from changing his diet

idk if its a long term thing but wondering if its successful.
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Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    For weight loss, I don't see how it can be any more successful than counting calories... that's what weight loss comes down to.

    If you have a medical condition which requires you to low carb, then I guess it's required.
  • Timelordlady85
    Timelordlady85 Posts: 797 Member
    CICO=calorie in,calories out. even on a low carb diet you still cant eat all the meat and low carb treats you want.
  • LessofPenny
    LessofPenny Posts: 53 Member
    CICO=calorie in,calories out. even on a low carb diet you still cant eat all the meat and low carb treats you want.
    This is soooo true! I have often felt like if it was "lean" or ww or ff.....I could indulge....nope..... carbs are your energy and we all love them, but your true nutrition is going to be found in fruits vegetables and lean meats. Don't forget to drink lots of water. If your tummy does not growl every now and again before you eat....you may want to reevaluate what and how much you are eating. Growling tummys can be a sign that your core stomach is shrinking. Welcome it.
  • lowcarblosing
    lowcarblosing Posts: 4 Member
    I low-carb. Before falling off the wagon during a relocation, I lived and maintained low-carb living for 7 years. With restricted carbs, I was able to eat more calories per day and not gain. There is something to be said for the energy it requires to digest a carb vs. a protein or a fat. Additionally, sugar (carbs) cause inflammation in the body; even at a healthier weight. I am almost 48 years old, average 1000-1400 calories per day and average 1.5-2 lbs loss per week. I'm 3 lbs. to goal. I am 5'6" and I wear a size 4-6 jeans. When I ate carbs, at this weight, I was a size 8-10. It's all about the inflammation and water retention associated with high glucose. My belly is flat. :-)
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Bacon, that's my low carb thought. Although lunch was salted beef and breakfast a protein shake with a handful of walnuts.

    Many people switching to a low carb eating plan lose weight because they voluntarily / accidentally reduce their food intake - dinner was the same minus the pasta or the fries, that sort of thing.

    Diabetes has a genetic element, so you may be inclined that way yourself. Insulin resistant people generally do better on carbohydrate restriction than fat restriction.
  • Sugarbeat
    Sugarbeat Posts: 824 Member
    I like it, personally. No cravings, no blood sugar spikes, can go hours without eating and not getting the shakes. LCHF is a method of decreasing calories that works well for some. Some don't want to give up the carbs. To each their own. Maybe try it for a month or two and see how you feel?
  • kangaroux92
    kangaroux92 Posts: 188 Member
    thanks for the thoughts , i think i will try it out for a while to see how i feel.

    i know carbs are bad anyway and it makes so much sence to me.

    carbs are used for quick energy and our body uses it firs. so if your body has less carbs it will get energy from fat instead.

    at least thats what ive been told.
  • cbarn025
    cbarn025 Posts: 939 Member
    When I cut down for a show I carb cycle for me it's the most effective way to lose weight. I never track any macro other than carbs and when I'm a few weeks out sodium. I don't care how many calories I eat. As long as I'm under that carb goal.
  • RockstarWilson
    RockstarWilson Posts: 836 Member
    edited July 2015
    People people people. A high fat diet is not an entitlement, but a tool. CICO is a form the Law of Conservation of Energy takes (see what I did there?). Fat takes more energy to digest, therefore it takes more time, and furthermore you get hungry less.

    Carbs ARE NOT the preferred energy source of the body. If that were the case, it wouldn't push those out first. If you allow it to, the body runs very well on fats and moderate proteins.

    As far as fruits and veggies go...my bowels hate them. They cause me gas something fierce, so I consume them sparingly. Spinach is awesome, though. And pineapples, when they are on sale.

    I am 10 months high fat dieting (sometimes keto), I eat a TON of saturated fats, I am 35 lbs overweight, and I have an almost perfect lipid panel. That's what I think.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    I have low to moderate carb dieted and lost 125 lbs

    I watch my calories and keep under what my body needs

    Lower carb turned out to actually be higher fibrous vegetable in the long run. That helped me feel full longer. So you can call it lower carb or higher veggie. It worked out to be the same calorie value

    If you follow the diet strategy and burn off more than you need, then you will lose weight

    You can do that on any diet you choose, just stick with it.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    People people people. A high fat diet is not an entitlement, but a tool. CICO is a form the Law of Conservation of Energy takes (see what I did there?). Fat takes more energy to digest, therefore it takes more time, and furthermore you get hungry less.

    Carbs ARE NOT the preferred energy source of the body. If that were the case, it wouldn't push those out first. If you allow it to, the body runs very well on fats and moderate proteins.

    As far as fruits and veggies go...my bowels hate them. They cause me gas something fierce, so I consume them sparingly. Spinach is awesome, though. And pineapples, when they are on sale.

    I am 10 months high fat dieting (sometimes keto), I eat a TON of saturated fats, I am 35 lbs overweight, and I have an almost perfect lipid panel. That's what I think.

    Uh..No. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/is-fat-preferred-fuel-source-body-qa.html/
    "So what happens when you provide the body with both carbs and fats in the diet? Which fuel source is preferred? Well the answer is clear: carbs."
  • k8inCA51
    k8inCA51 Posts: 2 Member
    Trying to lower blood sugar levels, I tried low carb finally...and dropped 20 lbs in 3 months. The not being constantly hungry helped. I'm actually looking forward to my next blood test :) Check out Eric Westman's work at Duke University. He co-authored a book (the new Atkins) which I am currently reading and there is a video available on youtube. I started learning about how to eat to lower blood sugar on Youtube - Dr. Bernstein on diabetes. Interesting stuff. Good luck!
  • Jackie9950
    Jackie9950 Posts: 374 Member
    I am starting LCHF diet today and I would really like to have some MFP friends that are doing the same. Please add me if interested! Also, what do you low carb-ers set your macros at?
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  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I LCHF. Works for me. It seems to be most successul with people who are insulin resistant.

    From the studies I've seen, those on a LCHF diet will often lose faster in the first 6 months, after which the stats look pretty much the same.
    See here: http://authoritynutrition.com/23-studies-on-low-carb-and-low-fat-diets/
  • peter56765
    peter56765 Posts: 352 Member
    Tried it and it worked but ultimately grew tired of it. If you can accept living the rest of your life with 85% of everything at the grocery store and 95% of everything at a restaurant being on the Verboten list, go right ahead.

    I don't want a "kick start" or a "quick fix". I want a diet plan that will work today, tomorrow and every day after that. I personally find the flexibility of CICO to be unparalleled. No induction phases or any other phases. No ketosis to worry about maintaining. No forbidden foods. And if I go over my calorie limit on one day, I can simply make it up with a deficit on the next day or over a couple days. Or turning that around, if I know I'm going to see friends or relatives on the weekend and there's going to be a lot of food involved, I can save up calories by eating at a deficit during the week in anticipation of what's to come on the weekend.
  • umayster
    umayster Posts: 651 Member
    thanks for the thoughts , i think i will try it out for a while to see how i feel.

    i know carbs are bad anyway and it makes so much sence to me.

    carbs are used for quick energy and our body uses it firs. so if your body has less carbs it will get energy from fat instead.

    at least thats what ive been told.
    cajuntank wrote: »
    People people people. A high fat diet is not an entitlement, but a tool. CICO is a form the Law of Conservation of Energy takes (see what I did there?). Fat takes more energy to digest, therefore it takes more time, and furthermore you get hungry less.

    Carbs ARE NOT the preferred energy source of the body. If that were the case, it wouldn't push those out first. If you allow it to, the body runs very well on fats and moderate proteins.

    As far as fruits and veggies go...my bowels hate them. They cause me gas something fierce, so I consume them sparingly. Spinach is awesome, though. And pineapples, when they are on sale.

    I am 10 months high fat dieting (sometimes keto), I eat a TON of saturated fats, I am 35 lbs overweight, and I have an almost perfect lipid panel. That's what I think.

    Uh..No. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/is-fat-preferred-fuel-source-body-qa.html/
    "So what happens when you provide the body with both carbs and fats in the diet? Which fuel source is preferred? Well the answer is clear: carbs."

    You are quoting a body recomposition site for nutritional science. There are many reasons why this isnt the best idea. You would be most useful if you shared information from someone educated in nutrition at a higher level.

  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    umayster wrote: »
    thanks for the thoughts , i think i will try it out for a while to see how i feel.

    i know carbs are bad anyway and it makes so much sence to me.

    carbs are used for quick energy and our body uses it firs. so if your body has less carbs it will get energy from fat instead.

    at least thats what ive been told.
    cajuntank wrote: »
    People people people. A high fat diet is not an entitlement, but a tool. CICO is a form the Law of Conservation of Energy takes (see what I did there?). Fat takes more energy to digest, therefore it takes more time, and furthermore you get hungry less.

    Carbs ARE NOT the preferred energy source of the body. If that were the case, it wouldn't push those out first. If you allow it to, the body runs very well on fats and moderate proteins.

    As far as fruits and veggies go...my bowels hate them. They cause me gas something fierce, so I consume them sparingly. Spinach is awesome, though. And pineapples, when they are on sale.

    I am 10 months high fat dieting (sometimes keto), I eat a TON of saturated fats, I am 35 lbs overweight, and I have an almost perfect lipid panel. That's what I think.

    Uh..No. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/is-fat-preferred-fuel-source-body-qa.html/
    "So what happens when you provide the body with both carbs and fats in the diet? Which fuel source is preferred? Well the answer is clear: carbs."

    You are quoting a body recomposition site for nutritional science. There are many reasons why this isnt the best idea. You would be most useful if you shared information from someone educated in nutrition at a higher level.

    Lyle McDonald is pretty damn credible... degrees or not.

  • umayster
    umayster Posts: 651 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    thanks for the thoughts , i think i will try it out for a while to see how i feel.

    i know carbs are bad anyway and it makes so much sence to me.

    carbs are used for quick energy and our body uses it firs. so if your body has less carbs it will get energy from fat instead.

    at least thats what ive been told.
    cajuntank wrote: »
    People people people. A high fat diet is not an entitlement, but a tool. CICO is a form the Law of Conservation of Energy takes (see what I did there?). Fat takes more energy to digest, therefore it takes more time, and furthermore you get hungry less.

    Carbs ARE NOT the preferred energy source of the body. If that were the case, it wouldn't push those out first. If you allow it to, the body runs very well on fats and moderate proteins.

    As far as fruits and veggies go...my bowels hate them. They cause me gas something fierce, so I consume them sparingly. Spinach is awesome, though. And pineapples, when they are on sale.

    I am 10 months high fat dieting (sometimes keto), I eat a TON of saturated fats, I am 35 lbs overweight, and I have an almost perfect lipid panel. That's what I think.

    Uh..No. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/is-fat-preferred-fuel-source-body-qa.html/
    "So what happens when you provide the body with both carbs and fats in the diet? Which fuel source is preferred? Well the answer is clear: carbs."

    You are quoting a body recomposition site for nutritional science. There are many reasons why this isnt the best idea. You would be most useful if you shared information from someone educated in nutrition at a higher level.

    Lyle McDonald is pretty damn credible... degrees or not.

    OP has a direct relation with Type 2. OP has a strong reason to go low carb as it decreases risk of type 2. Lyle would be a fine resource if she asked how to fix her butt.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    thanks for the thoughts , i think i will try it out for a while to see how i feel.

    i know carbs are bad anyway and it makes so much sence to me.

    carbs are used for quick energy and our body uses it firs. so if your body has less carbs it will get energy from fat instead.

    at least thats what ive been told.


    Carbohydrates aren't bad. There are 3 macro nutrients fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Each is used in the body for different reasons.

    Carbohydrates are found in vegetables, fruit, grains, dairy, legumes, seeds, nuts and nutritive sweeteners. If you want to try low carb it will not necessarily harm. You might feel tired, and depending on your insulin sensitivity you may feel hungry.

    The wonderful thing about being a human is our bodies are pretty adaptable to dietary changes. If it doesn't work you can always change it.

    MFP's calorie counting tool is a great way to assess your carbohydrate and calorie intake. It's also adjustable I'd stick with the recommended settings, and if you aren't finding success then you can adjust.


  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    Low to moderate carb works great for me. Add exercise and watch it work.

    As with any nutrition strategy you need to eat the amount of food that will let you burn off fat. You can't over eat on any plan.

    I like the options available now in lower carb foods. It is pretty expansive.

    It is all about a plan you can enjoy and follow, that fits your nutritional needs.

  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    edited July 2015
    umayster wrote: »
    Hornsby wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    thanks for the thoughts , i think i will try it out for a while to see how i feel.

    i know carbs are bad anyway and it makes so much sence to me.

    carbs are used for quick energy and our body uses it firs. so if your body has less carbs it will get energy from fat instead.

    at least thats what ive been told.
    cajuntank wrote: »
    People people people. A high fat diet is not an entitlement, but a tool. CICO is a form the Law of Conservation of Energy takes (see what I did there?). Fat takes more energy to digest, therefore it takes more time, and furthermore you get hungry less.

    Carbs ARE NOT the preferred energy source of the body. If that were the case, it wouldn't push those out first. If you allow it to, the body runs very well on fats and moderate proteins.

    As far as fruits and veggies go...my bowels hate them. They cause me gas something fierce, so I consume them sparingly. Spinach is awesome, though. And pineapples, when they are on sale.

    I am 10 months high fat dieting (sometimes keto), I eat a TON of saturated fats, I am 35 lbs overweight, and I have an almost perfect lipid panel. That's what I think.

    Uh..No. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/is-fat-preferred-fuel-source-body-qa.html/
    "So what happens when you provide the body with both carbs and fats in the diet? Which fuel source is preferred? Well the answer is clear: carbs."

    You are quoting a body recomposition site for nutritional science. There are many reasons why this isnt the best idea. You would be most useful if you shared information from someone educated in nutrition at a higher level.

    Lyle McDonald is pretty damn credible... degrees or not.

    OP has a direct relation with Type 2. OP has a strong reason to go low carb as it decreases risk of type 2. Lyle would be a fine resource if she asked how to fix her butt.

    My reply was directly to the statement of the previous poster stating that "Carbs ARE NOT the preferred energy source of the body". I even put it in BOLD of what I was referring to. This was to correct the incorrect information he gave. Nothing else was given, except my backing up of my correction by someone, who in the area of nutrition, is very well studied, respected, and referenced by the leading researchers in this field had you investigated further.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited July 2015
    You are not going to find the answers you seek here. Next time you have a physical, ask the doctor about it. If it's confusing, ask for a referral to a dietitian.

    You can lose weight on any diet, but the right diet for you has to be based on your condition(s), history, etc. There is no One Size Fits All.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I wouldn't say I eat loads of carbs. But going low carb would require me to give up most of the foods I love and eat every day .
    Even pretty much giving up fruit and veggies would be difficult enough for me and my colon, let alone all the other "carby" foods.
    I just couldn't handle the restrictions or the rules...
  • triciab79
    triciab79 Posts: 1,713 Member
    You have a family history of diabetes so cutting your carbs makes sense. Rather than going the ketosis route though you would do better to count your calories and make sure that you prioritize protein fiber and fat before carb when you are looking for something to eat. Very few people can do real super low carb diets forever, so it is better to make sensible changes that you can form into a lifestyle after you lose weight.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    I paid absolutely zero attention to the amount of carbs I ate, just counted calories and lost 123 pounds that way. I do love carbs, though, and if I were to restrict them too much, it would just end in failure and giving up for me. I know, I tried it more than once.
  • ashleylindahl7
    ashleylindahl7 Posts: 7 Member
    A good friend of mine has been doing Keto/LCHF for most a year and it's working well for her. I just started three weeks ago and I've lost almost 12 lbs! It's not for everyone, but I love it and I feel great!
  • umayster
    umayster Posts: 651 Member
    cajuntank wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Hornsby wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    thanks for the thoughts , i think i will try it out for a while to see how i feel.

    i know carbs are bad anyway and it makes so much sence to me.

    carbs are used for quick energy and our body uses it firs. so if your body has less carbs it will get energy from fat instead.

    at least thats what ive been told.
    cajuntank wrote: »
    People people people. A high fat diet is not an entitlement, but a tool. CICO is a form the Law of Conservation of Energy takes (see what I did there?). Fat takes more energy to digest, therefore it takes more time, and furthermore you get hungry less.

    Carbs ARE NOT the preferred energy source of the body. If that were the case, it wouldn't push those out first. If you allow it to, the body runs very well on fats and moderate proteins.

    As far as fruits and veggies go...my bowels hate them. They cause me gas something fierce, so I consume them sparingly. Spinach is awesome, though. And pineapples, when they are on sale.

    I am 10 months high fat dieting (sometimes keto), I eat a TON of saturated fats, I am 35 lbs overweight, and I have an almost perfect lipid panel. That's what I think.

    Uh..No. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/is-fat-preferred-fuel-source-body-qa.html/
    "So what happens when you provide the body with both carbs and fats in the diet? Which fuel source is preferred? Well the answer is clear: carbs."

    You are quoting a body recomposition site for nutritional science. There are many reasons why this isnt the best idea. You would be most useful if you shared information from someone educated in nutrition at a higher level.

    Lyle McDonald is pretty damn credible... degrees or not.

    OP has a direct relation with Type 2. OP has a strong reason to go low carb as it decreases risk of type 2. Lyle would be a fine resource if she asked how to fix her butt.

    My reply was directly to the statement of the previous poster stating that "Carbs ARE NOT the preferred energy source of the body". I even put it in BOLD of what I was referring to. This was to correct the incorrect information he gave. Nothing else was given, except my backing up of my correction by someone, who in the area of nutrition, is very well studied, respected, and referenced by the leading researchers in this field had you investigated further.

    Yes, I understand, the whole "carbs are preferred" refrain is based on carbs being used first. "Preferred" is a stretch and sounds a bit like internet pseudo-nutri-guru-ish rather than any kind of serious science. It isn't good to quote muscle. guys for mainstream nutritional info - especially when folks are trying to improve nutritional composition for health rather than muscles.

    Muscles are great, but the nutrition is not the same as lifelong health for those with health concerns.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    edited July 2015
    umayster wrote: »
    cajuntank wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Hornsby wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    thanks for the thoughts , i think i will try it out for a while to see how i feel.

    i know carbs are bad anyway and it makes so much sence to me.

    carbs are used for quick energy and our body uses it firs. so if your body has less carbs it will get energy from fat instead.

    at least thats what ive been told.
    cajuntank wrote: »
    People people people. A high fat diet is not an entitlement, but a tool. CICO is a form the Law of Conservation of Energy takes (see what I did there?). Fat takes more energy to digest, therefore it takes more time, and furthermore you get hungry less.

    Carbs ARE NOT the preferred energy source of the body. If that were the case, it wouldn't push those out first. If you allow it to, the body runs very well on fats and moderate proteins.

    As far as fruits and veggies go...my bowels hate them. They cause me gas something fierce, so I consume them sparingly. Spinach is awesome, though. And pineapples, when they are on sale.

    I am 10 months high fat dieting (sometimes keto), I eat a TON of saturated fats, I am 35 lbs overweight, and I have an almost perfect lipid panel. That's what I think.

    Uh..No. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/is-fat-preferred-fuel-source-body-qa.html/
    "So what happens when you provide the body with both carbs and fats in the diet? Which fuel source is preferred? Well the answer is clear: carbs."

    You are quoting a body recomposition site for nutritional science. There are many reasons why this isnt the best idea. You would be most useful if you shared information from someone educated in nutrition at a higher level.

    Lyle McDonald is pretty damn credible... degrees or not.

    OP has a direct relation with Type 2. OP has a strong reason to go low carb as it decreases risk of type 2. Lyle would be a fine resource if she asked how to fix her butt.

    My reply was directly to the statement of the previous poster stating that "Carbs ARE NOT the preferred energy source of the body". I even put it in BOLD of what I was referring to. This was to correct the incorrect information he gave. Nothing else was given, except my backing up of my correction by someone, who in the area of nutrition, is very well studied, respected, and referenced by the leading researchers in this field had you investigated further.

    Yes, I understand, the whole "carbs are preferred" refrain is based on carbs being used first. "Preferred" is a stretch and sounds a bit like internet pseudo-nutri-guru-ish rather than any kind of serious science. It isn't good to quote muscle. guys for mainstream nutritional info - especially when folks are trying to improve nutritional composition for health rather than muscles.

    Muscles are great, but the nutrition is not the same as lifelong health for those with health concerns.

    If you have evidence to dispute the statement as anything other than stated, I would be more than interested in reading, assuming the information you provide back is from a credible source.

    Also, if you had done your research, you will see Lyle is by no means a "muscle guy" as you infer. You have evidently not researched for yourself into who Lyle is (fyi, he literally wrote the book on the Ketogenic diet protocol). I can't help you there.
    Again, my replies were only to correct some miss-information given as to not perpetuate something that was not correct based on all of the evidence gathered.

    Lastly, I do not understand how you can take a word like "preferred" and turn it into a pseudo-science argument. So I am assuming you are just trolling and we can end it there unless you actually have something evidence based that would actually benefit the OP's initial question. So beyond that, this particular conversation is no longer helping with the OP's question.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    umayster wrote: »
    thanks for the thoughts , i think i will try it out for a while to see how i feel.

    i know carbs are bad anyway and it makes so much sence to me.

    carbs are used for quick energy and our body uses it firs. so if your body has less carbs it will get energy from fat instead.

    at least thats what ive been told.
    cajuntank wrote: »
    People people people. A high fat diet is not an entitlement, but a tool. CICO is a form the Law of Conservation of Energy takes (see what I did there?). Fat takes more energy to digest, therefore it takes more time, and furthermore you get hungry less.

    Carbs ARE NOT the preferred energy source of the body. If that were the case, it wouldn't push those out first. If you allow it to, the body runs very well on fats and moderate proteins.

    As far as fruits and veggies go...my bowels hate them. They cause me gas something fierce, so I consume them sparingly. Spinach is awesome, though. And pineapples, when they are on sale.

    I am 10 months high fat dieting (sometimes keto), I eat a TON of saturated fats, I am 35 lbs overweight, and I have an almost perfect lipid panel. That's what I think.

    Uh..No. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/is-fat-preferred-fuel-source-body-qa.html/
    "So what happens when you provide the body with both carbs and fats in the diet? Which fuel source is preferred? Well the answer is clear: carbs."

    You are quoting a body recomposition site for nutritional science. There are many reasons why this isnt the best idea. You would be most useful if you shared information from someone educated in nutrition at a higher level.

    YOU do realize that that is Lyle McDonald, right? Sorry but he's definitely a credible source.