Zero Carb
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DAM5412
Posts: 660 Member
Has anyone attempted this? I recently joined a group (on facebook) that promotes a "zero carb" woe. Similar enough to Keto/LCHF that it was a fairly easy transition for me. However they limit dairy and all vegs. There are some people in that group who have been following that woe for 5-10 years. Many of the people say they started out for health reasons, but enjoy it so much that they have just stuck to it.
I've been trying it out for the past week. The group says to give it 30 days and I figured why not. So its been meat, eggs and some dairy for the past week and I do feel great. My appetite is very controlled and I enjoy eating steak, beef, fish and other meat based foods. I do miss my broccoli, brussel sprouts and other LC veg. But I don't crave anything. I've also been able to cut back on my coffee consumption.
There are so many people in the MFP Keto group who are very knowledgeable about LC/Keto, I wondered if anyone has experience with this WOE?
I've been trying it out for the past week. The group says to give it 30 days and I figured why not. So its been meat, eggs and some dairy for the past week and I do feel great. My appetite is very controlled and I enjoy eating steak, beef, fish and other meat based foods. I do miss my broccoli, brussel sprouts and other LC veg. But I don't crave anything. I've also been able to cut back on my coffee consumption.
There are so many people in the MFP Keto group who are very knowledgeable about LC/Keto, I wondered if anyone has experience with this WOE?
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I know @FIT_Goat eats carnivore/zero carb. @Dragonwolf has done it for a time, though I don't know if she still is... There was a challenge, last month, I believe, or maybe in May on the Low Carb Group, so a number of people did try it...0
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i tried it, but i couldn't be so hard core. i decided it wasn't for me. That being said i am still a member of the groups because i still enjoy following the people there and i think it's a perfectly healthy woe for some people. i didn't feel bad on it at all. It made me feel moreso that keto was right for me. But i don't eat alot of salad and veggies, i eat more cheeses, hwc, and meat. The biggest issue i had with it is this: food is not JUST fuel for me. Weddings and birthdays and anniversaries without my having an enjoyable dinner or a bite of dessert just isn't in the cards for me. i make lots of keto-friendly items at home. food *mostly* needs to be fuel. But sometimes food is other things, and i am OK with that. keto in the end was more user friendly with my life. All that being said, i have been struggling hard with weight lately and have put some back on, but this has been a 3+ year journey for me. i am not afraid to try new things and not afraid to go the wrong way on the scale sometimes because i just think that's life. Maybe i am just not hard core enough, LOL. i am a frim believe on if being a carnivore is meant for you, you will feel it and not want to go back
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I've had zero carb weeks, one week at a stretch. But only because pork ribs or chicken thighs were on a really good sale and I could afford it. I really enjoy it when I can do it, but I'm the only low carber in the house so I can't just fill the chest freezer with ground beef, chicken thighs and pork chops.0
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I don't really like meat too much, so I can't stay zero carb (unless I want no variety!), but there is a zero carb blog I read a while back
http://myzerocarblife.jamesdhogan.com/wp/start/0 -
I used to eat a lot more meat and then I found out that excess protein is turned to glucose and I don't want to eat much meat anyways so I decided to go low carb, high fat, mod protein.0
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I used to eat a lot more meat and then I found out that excess protein is turned to glucose and I don't want to eat much meat anyways so I decided to go low carb, high fat, mod protein.
In the other group, talk to @FIT_Goat. He eats only meat, but his macros still come out on point. It is still the ratio of fat, properly, based on fattier cuts of meat.
And you have to be very sensitive to protein, metabolically stitfled, or eating TONS of protein for this to come into play normally... I don't have issues and I've gotten upwards of 200 grams of protein before, and my range is like 80-130 or something.
So unless you are sensitive to protein (disorders, kidney issues, etc.), metabolically challenged, or eating nothing but protein 300 g daily PLUS, you're not likely to have these issues. Now I am not saying this applies to everyone. I would think that someone with uber carb sensitivity would have a metabolism wired to try to convert that protein to glucose to use, but to me that is the exception, not the rule, and my body really doesn't like carbs.
That situation is different for everyone. So unless you have worrisome risk factors, if you're eating fattier cuts of meat, you're really unlikely to be able to overdose on protein. But if you're eating skinless chicken breasts instead of skin on thighs, etc., I can see you having issues.0 -
Thanks for the info, KnitorMiss. My favorite part of the meat is the fat so I will keep it in mind for down the road.0
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There are some that feel a no carb diet for an extended period has some risks.
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/11/dangers-of-zero-carb-diets-i-can-there-be-a-carbohydrate-deficiency/0 -
There are some that feel a no carb diet for an extended period has some risks.
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/11/dangers-of-zero-carb-diets-i-can-there-be-a-carbohydrate-deficiency/
I don't think there's any risk of carb deficiency, but the micronutrient thing is a concern --- gotta incorporate offal if you're going the ZC route.
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Today I had around 800g of ground beef (200g fat and 126g of protein), 4 eggs (20g fat, 24g protein, 2g carbs), and some mayo (14g fat) with mustard. Yeah, the mayo is not my usual thing. I don't normally consume vegetable oils. I just wanted some egg salad and used what we had.
This works out to 2,700 calories: 77.6% fat, 22.1% protein, and 0.3% carbs.
Now, the 150g would be higher than most people would like but so would the calories. Drop the calories to an amount most people trying to lose weight would eat and your protein wouldn't be too much higher than normal. Actually, as vegetables add very little in the way of calories, your normal keto meats minus the vegetables would be right around the same calories as you eat now with similar macros. That assumes you're not eating a lot of nuts or other calorie dense plant foods.
My typical day, lately, has been pretty close to today minus the egg salad. It's just the 700 g - 1 kg of ground beef (2,000-2900 calories @ 78.1% fat and 21.9% protein).
Anyway, I don't stress too much about the macros. They happen to work out, for the most part, on their own. But, I'm pretty solidly in the zero-carb camp now. It's been over a year and I never plan on changing. I'm not worried about keto exactly. I stick around this group because y'all are as close to my way of eating as any group gets.
I do eat dairy, although I try and limit it. I drink coffee. Some people don't agree with that being allowed. I don't care. If it was good enough for Bear, it's good enough for me. I'll eat just about any animal that exists, although mostly it's beef because that's cheap and easy to find. I rarely bother with organ meats, although I love liverwurst (Boar's Head pate is sugar free) and roasted bone marrow. I think that's pretty much it.
I'd ask if DAM has any questions, but I'm pretty sure she knows my answers and experience already. Although, if anyone has any, ask away.2 -
There are some that feel a no carb diet for an extended period has some risks.
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/11/dangers-of-zero-carb-diets-i-can-there-be-a-carbohydrate-deficiency/
So in reading all four of these articles, my basic takeaway is that if you do zero carb WRONG there are huge risks, but I would claim that to be the same risk performing any dietary modifications of any plan incorrectly.
So basically:
Stay hydrated
Balance Electrolytes
Maintain mineral consumption
If your mucus production changes other than nasal inflammation, look into reasons?
Am I wrong in summarizing this to it's most basic in that^?0 -
@FIT_Goat immediately after I wrote my post I thought of you, and I do appreciate what I have learned and continue to learn from your influence here. I think you would be a star member of the FB group, their motto is you can "eat it if it has a face and a mommy" which is a bit dark, but very true. There are people on there who only eat meat and water, which is very interesting to me.There are some that feel a no carb diet for an extended period has some risks.
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/11/dangers-of-zero-carb-diets-i-can-there-be-a-carbohydrate-deficiency/
I don't think there's any risk of carb deficiency, but the micronutrient thing is a concern --- gotta incorporate offal if you're going the ZC route.
@kirkor it's interesting that you mention the micronutrients, this FB group is adamant against it. There are over 4K members, but the group admins number under 10 and they make up the majority of the people who comment and try to guide "newbies" and others. They are very entrenched in their lifestyle believes and many do not advocate supplements in any form. They adamant that every body can thrive off of meat alone. I can't help but be skeptical of that, but being a fairly healthy person, think it's worth giving it the go and seeing how it affects me.Queenmunchy wrote: »I don't really like meat too much, so I can't stay zero carb (unless I want no variety!), but there is a zero carb blog I read a while back
http://myzerocarblife.jamesdhogan.com/wp/start/
@Queenmunchy this blogger is one of the founding members of the group I mentioned on FB. She and a few other long time ZC'ers are very...unapologetic in their approach to the WOE. I say this as they will tell anyone who joins their group to cut everything but meat and water from their diet for 30 days or they are cheating themselves and the process. They will allow small amounts of dairy and eggs pretty much all you want, after the first 30 days.
@KnitOrMiss, thank you for the summary. I followed that link and wasn't impressed.
It's very interesting to me that there is very little (that I've found so far) research which really studies both LCHF/Keto and Zero Carb lifestyles. I've read as much as I have found and will continue to look and learn, but it seems the scientific community really does not want to get involved in this major, major health issue.
And that is one of the things that I find really interesting about the ZC group, they really advocate the healing component of the WOE. They stand solidly behind the believe that humans are not meant to be herbivores or even omnivores, that we truly thrive through a carnivorous diet alone. They cite some research done comparing vegetarians to 'meat eaters' but in all those studies, the meat eaters also ate fruits, veggies and even processed carbs. Their members swear that the ZC woe helps with IBS and other digestive issues, endometriosis, fertility, inflammation and other joint issues, depression, etc, etc...and of course, the big one, Diabetes. I read some of their stories (as I have in our groups here on MFP) and am humbled and grateful that I have not battled what so many other's have had to battle due to genetics and diet.
As I said, I'm giving the ZC woe a go, but still coming home to MFP for the community and, at least for now, to continue to track my food. I just can't give that up yet!! in this first week, I have noticed a significant change in my appetite and rarely eat at goal. I know that's not optimal, but neither is it intentional. I've cooked large cuts of meat, and can't always finish it. I am also not yet ready to cut down to just "meat and water", and given that I am relatively healthy and only slightly overweight, I don't feel it necessary. But I have noticed that I do not crave anything and when I do have coffee with cream or certain cheese (Swiss yesterday), it actually tastes sweet to me.
Ok, wow, that's a book (especially for me), thanks for 'listening' and being willing to share and help!
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Yeah, I wasn't impressed with the four linked articles either. They seemed very isolated and incomplete.0
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@FIT_Goat immediately after I wrote my post I thought of you, and I do appreciate what I have learned and continue to learn from your influence here. I think you would be a star member of the FB group, their motto is you can "eat it if it has a face and a mommy" which is a bit dark, but very true. There are people on there who only eat meat and water, which is very interesting to me.
Which one are you in?
Zeroing In On Health
ZIOH 2
Zero Carbs - The Easy Way
Principia Carnivora
The Very Low (Zero) Carb Group
Is there another group I don't know about yet? I'm a member of those five. I like some more than others and certainly wouldn't recommend all those groups (mostly because there's one that is really creepy with deleting posts and kicking people out when they disagree).0 -
Queenmunchy wrote: »I don't really like meat too much, so I can't stay zero carb (unless I want no variety!), but there is a zero carb blog I read a while back
http://myzerocarblife.jamesdhogan.com/wp/start/
Thanks for that post! I've been wondering about vLCHF while pregnant and such.
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