Has anyone had success with low carb?

MajesticBlondee25

To make sure we're on the same page first of all I define low carb as anything under 100g per day.. We're not talking about keto. I sort of began using low carb by accident about 3 days ago. I was looking at meal ideas on a diet blog and a lot of the meals were fish, berries, vegetables and meat. I decided to make those 4 groups my main source of food and energy. For the past three days I have been the least hungry I have ever been and find it very easy to control my hunger and eating. I have no problem keeping to my 1500 calories using this method. However I have been reading articles on this once I realized what I am actually doing... And a lot say that lightheadedness ( which I have been experiencing) and feeling sick ( that too) are common.. I also read a couple times that low carb is a "fad" diet and the weight will come right back if you ever switch back to eating carbs. Which concerns me. Even though I plan to eat this way forever ( since not feeling hungry is so awesome!) I can't commit to never eating bread again in my life or to never eating pasta until I die. I would love to hear your experiences please post

M

VeryCarrie6969

Hi. Lowering my carbs HAS worked for me in the past and & I'm giving it a shot once again. However, I have to add that when I'm not watching it, I eat a crazy amount of carbs (love the bread, pasta, and especially desserts!) So maybe by cutting out the carbs, I'm really just cutting out half my calories...or more.
Lucky you for not feeling hungry bc when I lower the carbs I'm STARVING! On the plus side, though, I feel all-around better. More energetic, not full or bloated. I've heard that age makes a difference, too. I'm 53 and in fairly good shape but the carbs seem to pile up around the middle. I guess they call it a "muffin" top for more than one reason! Good luck to you and feel free to add me as a friend if you like.

punkrockgoth

1. Depriving yourself never ends well. You and your scale will both be happier in the long run if you learn moderation.
2. Low carb diets have been studied extensively. Most reputable studies have found that in the first 6 months, low carb dieters lost the weight faster, but around 6 months in, low carb and the control groups were at the same weight and continued to lose at the same pace. However, they also gained the weight back faster once they went off. See point #1.
3. That sick lightheaded feeling? Your brain needs carbs. Glucose is the only source of energy your brain can use. Yes, it can and does turn fat into energy when it is low on carbs, but this is time consuming and while it works for the rest of your body, it doesn't really work as well for your brain.
4. There are some cases where reducing carbs has shown to be beneficial, such as with diabetes or insulin resistance. If you fall into this category, consider seeing a Registered Dietician who can assess your situation and make better recommendations than the internet.
5. If you are active, especially doing a lot of cardio or endurance, low carb is probably not a good call.

queenliz99

I tried low-carb thing, it wasn't for me. I love bread, I just make it fit in my calories for the day. I couldn't imagine eat low carbs for the rest of my life. I like to fuel my workouts and I felt like crap with low carbs.

Pawsforme

I've been eating lower (not low) carb for over a year now. It does wonders to help control my appetite and to keep my IBS under control. Plus I have a very strong family history of diabetes. So based on family history and the results I've experienced it certainly makes sense for me to continue eating this way. But I don't get crazy about it, and I don't think carbs are evil. I don't have any pre-determined daily limit I try to stick to. I just try to make lower carb choices most of the time. But this morning I had a piece of cheese toast 'cause I didn't want eggs. For lunch I'll have a salad with very few carbs (just a few from veggies). So it balances out.

nvmomketo

The light headedness and ill feelings are probably an electrolyte imbalance. When carbs are cut you lose water weight which throws your sodium out of balance. For one going very low carb, below 50g, I would recommend 3000-5000 mg of sodium per day but because you are closer to 100g, 3000mg of sodium might be a good starting point.

Adding extra potassium and magnesium will help too, especially if you have even feeling this way for a few days.

I eat low carb but I am in ketosis but ate low carb in the past and had great success. In the past I focused on unprocessed, whole foods and only realized in hindsight that it was a low carb diet. I lost about 30 lbs but then I reintroduced higher carb foods, it started with a homemade blueberry muffin, and I regained my weight. I am not successful at moderating carbs.

I am now in ketosis and have lost 35 or so pounds eating this way at a deficit. I feel better eating this way but I won't be able to go back to eating more carbs. I have insulin resistance and can't seem to moderate baked goods or sugars. Since I feel so much better eating this way, giving up almost all bread for life is not a hardship for me. The taste and texture of baked goods isn't worth the trade off any more. It will be different for others.

I wouldn't say low carb is a fad. Higher carb is the more recent fad and many are moving away from that now.

If you stop eating low carb you will regain some water weight but it isn't more than a few pounds. No big deal. Good luck.

Yi5hedr3

Low carb is below 130/day. 110 works well for most folks.

ClosetBayesian

I tend to eat lower-ish carbs "thanks" to being gluten intolerant. I have GF bread once a week; beyond that, my carbs come from fruits, vegetables, and rice (and GF pancakes on Sundays).

What works for me for losing weight is portion control. Lots of portion control.

Sabine_Stroehm

punkrockgoth wrote: »

1. Depriving yourself never ends well. You and your scale will both be happier in the long run if you learn moderation.
2. Low carb diets have been studied extensively. Most reputable studies have found that in the first 6 months, low carb dieters lost the weight faster, but around 6 months in, low carb and the control groups were at the same weight and continued to lose at the same pace. However, they also gained the weight back faster once they went off. See point #1.
3. That sick lightheaded feeling? Your brain needs carbs. Glucose is the only source of energy your brain can use. Yes, it can and does turn fat into energy when it is low on carbs, but this is time consuming and while it works for the rest of your body, it doesn't really work as well for your brain.
4. There are some cases where reducing carbs has shown to be beneficial, such as with diabetes or insulin resistance. If you fall into this category, consider seeing a Registered Dietician who can assess your situation and make better recommendations than the internet.
5. If you are active, especially doing a lot of cardio or endurance, low carb is probably not a good call.

How long have you been in maintenance?

ndj1979

OP - if you want to do low carb and find it sustainable then by all means do it. However, in my opinion, it is not sustainable in the long run if you want to be active with exercise, strength training etc. Whenever I am low on carbs my lifts suffer and I feel like I have zero energy.

Assuming you have no medical condition, then you would do just as well by eating in a moderate deficit, hitting micros and macros, and finding some form of exercise that you enjoy and going that right.

I don't believe in restricting any macronutrient...

Sabine_Stroehm

LOADS of folks have lost on lower, slow, and low carb diets here (as well as keto).

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

By some definitions I am lower carb: 100-150 gross, with about 45-50 grams of fiber. Few refined grains. (I consider myself slow carb-real slow carb-not the goofy Tim Ferris kind).
I run, I lift, I cycle, I ski, I do yoga, I do Pilates. Never had any issues with fatigue or energy.

nvmomketo

punkrockgoth wrote: »

1. Depriving yourself never ends well. You and your scale will both be happier in the long run if you learn moderation.
2. Low carb diets have been studied extensively. Most reputable studies have found that in the first 6 months, low carb dieters lost the weight faster, but around 6 months in, low carb and the control groups were at the same weight and continued to lose at the same pace. However, they also gained the weight back faster once they went off. See point #1.

Low carbers do not regain weight back faster than other dieters. That is a myth. The only way to regain weight is to eat too much food - the same is true for everyone.

punkrockgoth wrote: »

4. That sick lightheaded feeling? Your brain needs carbs. Glucose is the only source of energy your brain can use. Yes, it can and does turn fat into energy when it is low on carbs, but this is time consuming and while it works for the rest of your body, it doesn't really work as well for your brain.
.

This is incorrect. The body is very good at making glucose from other foods if one eats low carb. Your brain will get enough glucose even if someone tries to eat no carbs.

The brain does not just use glucose for fuel.

ki4eld

MajesticBlondee25 wrote: »

To make sure we're on the same page first of all I define low carb as anything under 100g per day.. We're not talking about keto. I sort of began using low carb by accident about 3 days ago. I was looking at meal ideas on a diet blog and a lot of the meals were fish, berries, vegetables and meat. I decided to make those 4 groups my main source of food and energy. For the past three days I have been the least hungry I have ever been and find it very easy to control my hunger and eating. I have no problem keeping to my 1500 calories using this method. However I have been reading articles on this once I realized what I am actually doing... And a lot say that lightheadedness ( which I have been experiencing) and feeling sick ( that too) are common.. I also read a couple times that low carb is a "fad" diet and the weight will come right back if you ever switch back to eating carbs. Which concerns me. Even though I plan to eat this way forever ( since not feeling hungry is so awesome!) I can't commit to never eating bread again in my life or to never eating pasta until I die. I would love to hear your experiences please post

M

Lightheaded and sick... electrolytes off. My doc has me taking a sodium tablet. As long as I take my salt tablet, I'm good. When I don't, I'm dizzy AF. You may also need to up your potassium and magnesium, as the three work together. I was already taking K and Mg supplements, so adding Na was no biggie.

Low carb isn't a fad; it's been around for decades. It's more popular now, as people discover some of its benefits. It's not the diet for everyone. Only a couple of pounds of water will come back if you go back to regular carbs. The fat you've lost will not come back unless you go over your maintenance calories... just like with every other diet.

There are low-carb breads and pastas. As long as they're not the bulk of your diet, the added expense isn't bad. However, you can eat a little "regular" bread or pasta as a one-off and still be just fine. You can't eat it in huge quantities or often, but you can eat it. You just have to budget carbs like you budget calories.

Try this board for Low Carb support... http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

If you're doing meat, seafood, veggies, nuts, and berries, you might find some additional info here on the Paleo/Primal board... http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/37-primal-paleo-support-group

Lots of folks find that low carb and intermittent fasting (IF) go well together, so try this board... http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting


In the end, only you can decide if a diet is right for you and if it's something you can stick with forever. Good luck.

Silpeanut

I don't think low carb is meant to be for the long term but that doesn't mean you're supposed to eat whatever you want once you reach your goal, just like any other diet. I am currently doing a low carb nutrition plan of 20-25 grams of carbs a day (12-15 from greens) and it is working great for me. I don't feel hungry or sick in any way and I have enough energy to get through my day and get in 90 min of exercise .

MajesticBlondee25

Thanks so much everyone! I will check out the other forums and up my salt and magnesium levels . I am still sticking with it and I have noticed my weight isn't fluctuating as much as it used to when I primarily ate carbs and I'm losing much easier. Not to mention how I almost never feel hungry!

rankinsect

Lots of people successfully lose and maintain on low carb diets. Lots of people successfully lose and maintain on high carb diets. All comes down to any medical needs you have, what you prefer, and what works best for you.

YaGirlMaddi

I try to have a lower carb diet. But that's because my body gains fat with starchy and simple carbs (bread pasta chips etc). But now I try to eat a lot of protein (it keeps me full and my muscles don't hurt) and I don't eat out or eat processed food.