low carb

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farmgirl1677
farmgirl1677 Posts: 16 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What exactly is low carb? I know it's low in carbs lol but how many carbs are allowed a day? Does eating low carb also lower your energy levels? Any information and or suggestions are appreciated! Thank you
p.s. success stories on low carb are also welcome :)

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  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited August 2016
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    There are some low carb groups here on MFP....look to them for specific information.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

    I tried low carb (back in the day) but I am not a success story. Low carb for me was strictly an elimination diet, not a future way of eating. This works for losing weight, water weight the first week.....low energy at first (low carb flu). Then weight loss was like any other calorie reduction diets. No more, no less. I am not a success story because low carb was not a lifestyle change, it was a temporary diet.

    Low carb can be a good fit especially if you have medical issues or you like to eat that way. But you do not have to reduce carbs to lose weight (barring medical issues) it's all about calories.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
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    Here's a fairly comprehensive guide, Low Carb for Beginners, that should answer your questions. I'd join the Low Carber Daily group TeaBea linked to for more personal accounts of people's successes and struggles with the diet.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    farmgirl1677 wrote: »
    What exactly is low carb? I know it's low in carbs lol but how many carbs are allowed a day? Does eating low carb also lower your energy levels? Any information and or suggestions are appreciated! Thank you
    p.s. success stories on low carb are also welcome :)

    There is a wide range of definitions of low carb (and lower carb), along with a wide-range of reactions to the reduction in carbs. Honestly, everyone can chime in on how it affected them, but it means nothing until you try it and see how it affects you personally.

    I also agree with joining the linked group and doing some research on what level might be right for you. Just make sure that what you choose is sustainable if you have a fair amount of weigh to lose. It's really hard to stick to something long term that you hate doing.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    farmgirl1677 wrote: »
    What exactly is low carb? I know it's low in carbs lol but how many carbs are allowed a day? Does eating low carb also lower your energy levels? Any information and or suggestions are appreciated! Thank you
    p.s. success stories on low carb are also welcome :)

    Low carb is considered to be (usually) fewer than 100-150g of carbs per day. Some can be considered low carbs at over that if they time their carb intake around strenuous exercise, or/and eat a slow carb (low GI) diet. Carb intake can be taken to almost 0g per day as carbs are a non-essential macronutrient. 50g per day or below is considered to be a ketogenic diet; often around 20g per day is worked towards.

    Eating low carb does not lower energy levels but there are a few exceptions:
    1. When one goes low carb they lose water and electrolytes. Low electrolytes (Na, Mg, K) may lead to fatigue, headaches, nausea, brain fog, muscle aches and spasms. Increasing sodium to 3000-5000mg per day will usually prevent this. Sometime potassium or magnesium (not magnesium oxide) can help too.
    2. There may be a slight drop in energy in the first few weeks if you are going to ketogenic carb levels. It takes the body a few weeks to get used to using fat oxidation for fuel rather than sugar. This fatigue is very mild though and mainly felt during exercise as a slight drop in performance. It is temporary.

    Join the Low Carber daily. That's great advice. :)

    I've been low carb high fat at ketogenic levels for most of the last 14 months. I have been out of ketosis a bit this summer but I am working back down to staying at that level since I feel better eating that way. It just doesn't include ice cream. ;) I lost 40 lbs eating this way, and it took less than half a year. I'm normal weight now. I did regain some weight recently but I am going the other way again. It helped with my insulin resistance, reactive hypoglycemia, lowered BP, improved my skin and hair, helped my autoimmune arthritis, improved my mental cognition, and gives me more energy. It also eliminated my carb cravings and reduced my appetite somewhat. I miss some high carb foods sometimes but it is NOTHING like the cravings I used to have. And to be honest, those foods are not worth losing the benefits that I have experienced from eating LCHF.

    It doesn't work for everyone, but it worked for me.
  • farmgirl1677
    farmgirl1677 Posts: 16 Member
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    Thanks everyone for the help and guidance! I have about 80 pounds to lose. I have some pretty bad intestinal issues that I deal with daily. Cramping etc. My doctor mentioned I could try going gluten free but I thought maybe I would try low carb first and work my way into giving up breads, pasta, etc . I also deal with a lot of acid re flux and hoping low carb might help with that as well.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    farmgirl1677 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for the help and guidance! I have about 80 pounds to lose. I have some pretty bad intestinal issues that I deal with daily. Cramping etc. My doctor mentioned I could try going gluten free but I thought maybe I would try low carb first and work my way into giving up breads, pasta, etc . I also deal with a lot of acid re flux and hoping low carb might help with that as well.

    Were you tested for celiac disease? I used to have that issue before I was diagnosed. If you do want to get tested, make sure you do it before you go gluten free otherwise if you wish to test in the future you will need to resume eating daily gluten for 2-3 months.
  • jostrander75
    jostrander75 Posts: 3 Member
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    nvmomketo wrote: »
    farmgirl1677 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for the help and guidance! I have about 80 pounds to lose. I have some pretty bad intestinal issues that I deal with daily. Cramping etc. My doctor mentioned I could try going gluten free but I thought maybe I would try low carb first and work my way into giving up breads, pasta, etc . I also deal with a lot of acid re flux and hoping low carb might help with that as well.


    I was diagnosed with IBS-D after years of not feeling well... I'm trying low carb now, but honestly I find it difficult and haven't really lost any weight :neutral: just my opinion. hopefully you'll find success in whatever you choose! :smile:
  • cimarrona27
    cimarrona27 Posts: 97 Member
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    I'm low carb due to diabetes. Their are several opinions as to the "correct" number of grams per meal and snack. I personally find that when I go over 50/day I have night sweats among other unpleasant side effects.

    For me breakfast is high protein slim fast with 9g carbs, lunch under or near 15, dinner gets me sometimes (especially when eating at someone else's house) but I try to keep it >30 carbs.

    Good luck! It's a commitment.
  • jamelynditty
    jamelynditty Posts: 1 Member
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    I am insulin resistant and was suggested to eat low carb along with watching my calorie intake. I was suggested to eat no more than 90g of carbs a day.
    It has been HARD as I am a big starch fan!
    I've found it easier to check labels and just choose foods lower in carbs. There have been days I'm over the 90g but my calories are under.
    I honestly feel so much better eating less carbs. My gut health has also improved. I don't find myself as tired during the day as I did before.
  • jennywren93
    jennywren93 Posts: 17 Member
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    farmgirl1677 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for the help and guidance! I have about 80 pounds to lose. I have some pretty bad intestinal issues that I deal with daily. Cramping etc. My doctor mentioned I could try going gluten free but I thought maybe I would try low carb first and work my way into giving up breads, pasta, etc . I also deal with a lot of acid re flux and hoping low carb might help with that as well.

    The lower you can get your carbs, the better the acid reflux is! When my carbs are too high, I know it. I had some big intestinal issues as well, the closer you can eat to single ingredient foods (rather than processed or highly processed), the better your gut is going to feel!

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