Low carb diet..your opinion
Options
Replies
-
Well as long as someone claims to be an "expert" and writes a book, we should all listen to them. SMH if people didn't want the opinions of others who have similar struggles they wouldn't post on this forum.1
-
What are your views on low carb diets? I exercise 4 times per week with a mix of cardio and weights[/quote]
I have had this conversation with personal trainers, dietitians, etc. Carbs fuel your muscles and your brain, so you really do need them, especially if you're working out hard. I work out the same as you - 4-5 times per week, mix of cardio and weights. My coach recommended 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. She said start with the protein and build from there. So in my case, my goal weight is 130, so she started me at 128g protein, 170g carbs and 57g fat with a 1700 calorie goal. She also said load up your carbs around your workout and cut carbs down in the evening when your body doesn't need as much fuel.
I've only been doing this for a few days, but I feel fantastic. The hardest part is figuring out what to eat to hit those macro goals. I've even dropped a few pounds - but my guess is it's mostly water weight as it's only been a few days.
That's my $0.02, but everyone is different and have different goals. Good luck!0 -
Forums are not the place to get advice like this. It's a bunch of mostly uninformed opinions or anecdotes. I recommend instead asking on a forum for advice on which books to buy to get scientific perspective on whatever your question may be.
I would direct you to two sources that I have found to be EXTREMELY informative on this topic with both coming at it from a totally different perspective:
1. "The Paleo Diet", Cordain -- Ground yourself in the science behind the foods that your body is genetically predisposed to use. Punchline: Its all about micro-nutrient density... macronutrients are mostly irrelevant if you generally eat the right whole foods. This theme of micro-nutrient density applies to whatever diet framework you choose to pursue.
2. "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living", Volek, Phinney -- ground yourself on why a ketogenic (low carb) diet may be right for you and how to do it properly if you do choose to do it. My key takeaway is that you can't half attempt it and hope to succeed. You need to make a concerted effort to do it right and that means measuring and tracking and really testing whether or not it works for you. If you just reduce your carbs arbitrarily you set yourself up for wasted time and no objective information with which to make decisions on whether or not to stick to the lifestyle change.
Both of these books have an alternative version written specifically for athletes who have unique nutrition timing needs that need to be addressed as well.
Overall punchline: If its worth doing, do it right. Buy and read a book written by a credible author. Nobody on this forum has posted a single credential that gives you a reason to trust their opinion, anecdote, or experience.
OP: THIS ^^^
Do your own research! While I don't want to discount the enormous amount of personal experience and knowledge that is embodied by the membership of MFP, there is no substitute for first-hand learning.
Dr. Loren Cordain is the godfather of the modern Paleo movement.
Also, read the book "Always Hungry?" by Dr. David Ludwig; he's a Harvard endocrinologist and explains exactly what carbs, fats and proteins do in our systems.0 -
I agree that the Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living is a good book to read when considering low carb. It is written by people who have done research into the diet, and been published, and are very well regarded. The fact that they made a few dollars doing the work they believe in should not be held against them.
The book doesn't push LCHF, just explains it. The authors state that those with insulin resistance and metabolic disease will be the ones to benefit most from a LCHF. Those who are insulin sensitive do not need to go low carb.
Are you insulin resistant? PCOS, NAFLD, prediabetes, metabolic disease? If not, a low carb high fat diet may not help you much. If so, it is worth looking into. It will improve your health and possibly help with weight loss - it tends to reduce appetite and control carby cravings for those who have that issue.
Me? I like it. I've been doing it for about a year and a half. It took me about 5 months to lose 50lbs and I've been maintaining near that ever since. It helped with my appetite and my sugary cravings are gone as long as I keep my carb levels low. It's helped with managing my IR too. I have no reason to stop.k9education wrote: »spitapot81 wrote: »What are your views on low carb diets? I exercise 4 times per week with a mix of cardio and weights
Honestly, I think very little of them. As a pre-diabetic I don't even believe them necessary or particularly useful for glucose control. If you don't have a medical concern though, then I think they are a waste to even consider unless you simply enjoy eating low carb.
Not useful? Huh. Even most T1D's will lower their carbs because it makes glucose control easier. It is definitely useful. It isn't necessary for all with IR to do it, but it is a useful tool for those who use it.2 -
I agree that the Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living is a good book to read when considering low carb. It is written by people who have done research into the diet, and been published, and are very well regarded. The fact that they made a few dollars doing the work they believe in should not be held against them.
The book doesn't push LCHF, just explains it. The authors state that those with insulin resistance and metabolic disease will be the ones to benefit most from a LCHF. Those who are insulin sensitive do not need to go low carb.
Are you insulin resistant? PCOS, NAFLD, prediabetes, metabolic disease? If not, a low carb high fat diet may not help you much. If so, it is worth looking into. It will improve your health and possibly help with weight loss - it tends to reduce appetite and control carby cravings for those who have that issue.
Me? I like it. I've been doing it for about a year and a half. It took me about 5 months to lose 50lbs and I've been maintaining near that ever since. It helped with my appetite and my sugary cravings are gone as long as I keep my carb levels low. It's helped with managing my IR too. I have no reason to stop.k9education wrote: »spitapot81 wrote: »What are your views on low carb diets? I exercise 4 times per week with a mix of cardio and weights
Honestly, I think very little of them. As a pre-diabetic I don't even believe them necessary or particularly useful for glucose control. If you don't have a medical concern though, then I think they are a waste to even consider unless you simply enjoy eating low carb.
Not useful? Huh. Even most T1D's will lower their carbs because it makes glucose control easier. It is definitely useful. It isn't necessary for all with IR to do it, but it is a useful tool for those who use it.
I find this to be a weak argument as well, especially considering many of the top specialist in nutrition either have books, youtube/social media pages, books or even protein powders.
0 -
I agree that the Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living is a good book to read when considering low carb. It is written by people who have done research into the diet, and been published, and are very well regarded. The fact that they made a few dollars doing the work they believe in should not be held against them.
The book doesn't push LCHF, just explains it. The authors state that those with insulin resistance and metabolic disease will be the ones to benefit most from a LCHF. Those who are insulin sensitive do not need to go low carb.
Are you insulin resistant? PCOS, NAFLD, prediabetes, metabolic disease? If not, a low carb high fat diet may not help you much. If so, it is worth looking into. It will improve your health and possibly help with weight loss - it tends to reduce appetite and control carby cravings for those who have that issue.
Me? I like it. I've been doing it for about a year and a half. It took me about 5 months to lose 50lbs and I've been maintaining near that ever since. It helped with my appetite and my sugary cravings are gone as long as I keep my carb levels low. It's helped with managing my IR too. I have no reason to stop.k9education wrote: »spitapot81 wrote: »What are your views on low carb diets? I exercise 4 times per week with a mix of cardio and weights
Honestly, I think very little of them. As a pre-diabetic I don't even believe them necessary or particularly useful for glucose control. If you don't have a medical concern though, then I think they are a waste to even consider unless you simply enjoy eating low carb.
Not useful? Huh. Even most T1D's will lower their carbs because it makes glucose control easier. It is definitely useful. It isn't necessary for all with IR to do it, but it is a useful tool for those who use it.
I find this to be a weak argument as well, especially considering many of the top specialist in nutrition either have books, youtube/social media pages, books or even protein powders.
If they aren't making some money, and getting their word out, you would not have heard of them or their theories and results. Unless you want to just rely on the media...0 -
My opinion(s):
The latest diet fad but great for some people.
Appears to engender almost religious fervour amongst some adherents!
An effective way for non calorie counters to achieve a calorie deficit may help explain its popularity. But personally if I want to reduce calories then calorie counting or just calorie awareness seems a more direct way.
Too restrictive for me. Feeling restricted is simply not sustainable for me in a medium term let alone long term.
I like carbs, they are very enjoyable to eat, they often come with good nutrition profiles, they fill me up (especially starchy carbs), they give me energy to exercise and life in general.
Don't take generic advice blindly from folk at the gym without validating and assessing the quality of that advice and suitability of that advice for you.
3 -
vikinglander wrote: »Dr. Loren Cordain is the godfather of the modern Paleo movement.
Yes... Paleo.. the king of all baloney diets.
Paleo is the Donald Trump of diets. Complete nonsense.
There is no greater diet of pure B.S. in the fitness industry. But hey, do your own research on it and form your own conclusions.
0 -
I think the person that recommended the books just meant if your going to try the diet .. learn about it first ..
There is a good forum on this site for low carb types of eating ..I am a member and lurk there from time to time ..
For me after looking it just seemed easier to count calories and not worry about what I ate ..if this wasn't working I'm sure I would try something else
We all have different goals and are at different points in life .. some need to loose 100 some just 10 .. heck some bulking and gaining weight .
Good luck.0 -
Low carb isn't for me, though if I could stick to it I'd undoubtedly lose all kinds of weight, just not in a healthy way.
I get sick of eating that much protein-heavy and often fat-heavy food with nothing to break it up besides non-starchy veggies. I not only lose my appetite, I start to feel nauseated when I even think about eating another piece of cheese, or bite of roast chicken, or poached egg. These are foods I normally love.
Once that happens, I'd not be eating enough calories to be even remotely healthy. Low carb would turn into a VLCD. Not good.
FWIW, my normal carb intake tends to fall a bit above a low carb diet, in the 100g-180g range. Not today, though - today is office turkey day.
Lots of people seem to enjoy a low carb diet. If you think it'd suit you then give it a try and see how it works for you. If you're happy with it, great! If not, you can modify it to be something more moderate, or even drop it and go for the other side of the spectrum with high carb.
0 -
I have had this conversation with personal trainers, dietitians, etc. Carbs fuel your muscles and your brain, so you really do need them
You misunderstood your trainers, dietitians, etc. You need glucose, but not carbs. Carbs provide glucose, and so does protein (and fat)... they just do so in different ways and they do not all provide glucose at the same speed. Because carbs become glucose in the most simple way and in the fastest method, it is sometimes confused that carbs are the only source of glucose. That just isn't true.0 -
spitapot81 wrote: »My gym have advised me to go low carb to shift some body fat. My body fat is 27% so not horrendous, but does need to drop a bit.
They have advised 20% carb intake on a 1600 calorie intake, but since starting I have struggled. I am finding it hard to eat high protein and the lack of wholemeal fibre
Is causing me tummy troubles.
What are your views on low carb diets? I exercise 4 times per week with a mix of cardio and weights
It can be as effective as any other healthy means of lowering calories. That said, it is by no means anything special.3 -
Forums are not the place to get advice like this. It's a bunch of mostly uninformed opinions or anecdotes. I recommend instead asking on a forum for advice on which books to buy to get scientific perspective on whatever your question may be.
I would direct you to two sources that I have found to be EXTREMELY informative on this topic with both coming at it from a totally different perspective:
1. "The Paleo Diet", Cordain -- Ground yourself in the science behind the foods that your body is genetically predisposed to use. Punchline: Its all about micro-nutrient density... macronutrients are mostly irrelevant if you generally eat the right whole foods. This theme of micro-nutrient density applies to whatever diet framework you choose to pursue.
2. "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living", Volek, Phinney -- ground yourself on why a ketogenic (low carb) diet may be right for you and how to do it properly if you do choose to do it. My key takeaway is that you can't half attempt it and hope to succeed. You need to make a concerted effort to do it right and that means measuring and tracking and really testing whether or not it works for you. If you just reduce your carbs arbitrarily you set yourself up for wasted time and no objective information with which to make decisions on whether or not to stick to the lifestyle change.
Both of these books have an alternative version written specifically for athletes who have unique nutrition timing needs that need to be addressed as well.
Overall punchline: If its worth doing, do it right. Buy and read a book written by a credible author. Nobody on this forum has posted a single credential that gives you a reason to trust their opinion, anecdote, or experience.
:laugh:
Strong first post, bro.0 -
Forums are not the place to get advice like this. It's a bunch of mostly uninformed opinions or anecdotes. I recommend instead asking on a forum for advice on which books to buy to get scientific perspective on whatever your question may be.
I would direct you to two sources that I have found to be EXTREMELY informative on this topic with both coming at it from a totally different perspective:
1. "The Paleo Diet", Cordain -- Ground yourself in the science behind the foods that your body is genetically predisposed to use. Punchline: Its all about micro-nutrient density... macronutrients are mostly irrelevant if you generally eat the right whole foods. This theme of micro-nutrient density applies to whatever diet framework you choose to pursue.
2. "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living", Volek, Phinney -- ground yourself on why a ketogenic (low carb) diet may be right for you and how to do it properly if you do choose to do it. My key takeaway is that you can't half attempt it and hope to succeed. You need to make a concerted effort to do it right and that means measuring and tracking and really testing whether or not it works for you. If you just reduce your carbs arbitrarily you set yourself up for wasted time and no objective information with which to make decisions on whether or not to stick to the lifestyle change.
Both of these books have an alternative version written specifically for athletes who have unique nutrition timing needs that need to be addressed as well.
Overall punchline: If its worth doing, do it right. Buy and read a book written by a credible author. Nobody on this forum has posted a single credential that gives you a reason to trust their opinion, anecdote, or experience.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha...1 -
Personally, I love low carb, have been doing it for over three years, find it effortless, and wouldn't want to do anything else ever again. That said, to shed fat all you need is a calorie deficit. If you are really interested in low carb, I'd suggest you learn more about it (specifically where to get fiber, and how to get enough fat... It's not meant to be a high protein diet), but it's not *necessary* and some people find it too difficult/unsustainable. You really just have to find what works for you!0
-
spitapot81 wrote: »My gym have advised me to go low carb to shift some body fat. My body fat is 27% so not horrendous, but does need to drop a bit.
They have advised 20% carb intake on a 1600 calorie intake, but since starting I have struggled. I am finding it hard to eat high protein and the lack of wholemeal fibre
Is causing me tummy troubles.
What are your views on low carb diets? I exercise 4 times per week with a mix of cardio and weights
My thoughts...it's currently trendy which is why "your gym" is advising this...just pick up pretty much any diet/fitness magazine and you can read all about it.
Low carb is one of many ways to help with a calorie deficit...you pretty much cut out a whole macro and in most cases, you're going to create a calorie deficit...it certainly isn't necessary though...and you can look at it this way, many countries with high carbohydrate intake actually have very low levels of obesity...it's not the carbs.
Whatever you do, it has to be something you can adhere to and be consistent with over time or it's not going to work.3 -
k9education wrote: »spitapot81 wrote: »What are your views on low carb diets? I exercise 4 times per week with a mix of cardio and weights
Honestly, I think very little of them. As a pre-diabetic I don't even believe them necessary or particularly useful for glucose control. If you don't have a medical concern though, then I think they are a waste to even consider unless you simply enjoy eating low carb.
try it, you might be surprised.
I was pre-diabetic...didn't need to go low carb to get my blood glucose under control...not in the least...3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »spitapot81 wrote: »My gym have advised me to go low carb to shift some body fat. My body fat is 27% so not horrendous, but does need to drop a bit.
They have advised 20% carb intake on a 1600 calorie intake, but since starting I have struggled. I am finding it hard to eat high protein and the lack of wholemeal fibre
Is causing me tummy troubles.
What are your views on low carb diets? I exercise 4 times per week with a mix of cardio and weights
My thoughts...it's currently trendy which is why "your gym" is advising this...just pick up pretty much any diet/fitness magazine and you can read all about it.
Low carb is one of many ways to help with a calorie deficit...you pretty much cut out a whole macro and in most cases, you're going to create a calorie deficit...it certainly isn't necessary though...and you can look at it this way, many countries with high carbohydrate intake actually have very low levels of obesity...it's not the carbs.
Whatever you do, it has to be something you can adhere to and be consistent with over time or it's not going to work.
^^^This...
2 -
My issue with carbs is that an excessive amount of them makes me much hungrier; ergo, I eat more; ergo, I gain or at least, don't lose.
But I have never been able to do actual LC (definitions vary on this) and maintain that without going crazy and fantasizing about apples, and feeling depressed. Let's face it - if you're literally fantasizing about biting into an apple like it's porn, you know it isn't the eating plan for you. (And yeah, I get that technically you can "eventually" eat a whole apple if your CCLL allows for it, everyone differs on this...however, the LC plans I went on all started at 20g...that's a pretty small bit of apple, and still not even a whole medium apple even with no other carbs for the day...not worth it and very difficult to do. "Eventually" after weeks and weeks of slowly adding 5g carbs in increments I was eventually, maybe, if I was lucky going to be able to eat 40g...even 45, woo...OMG I wasn't waiting around three to six months for that.)
The depression was the worst part. I tend toward depression anyway. LC had me literally out in my side yard looking over the fence to the busy street beyond and wondering casually and without emotion why I shouldn't just jump over the fence in front of a car. That's not an exaggeration.
It stank because I was so very not-hungry on LC and particularly VLC, but...just no.
I played around with raising my carbs but not enough so that serious hunger thing was triggered and I found that around 110-130-ish per day is pretty much my sweet spot. I don't hold that as set in stone but it's approximately where I feel my best.
ETA: But this ^ is while controlling my calories. However, even the many times I kept attempting LC (I really believed in it for some time) I never did get to that fantasyland of lobster swimming in butter (fun fact: there were literally people on my LC site who snacked on pieces of butter) and full to bursting but losing weight anyway...that point we all envision when we think about LC "working." You can eat this dripping in butter, you can eat the grilled fat off of that, you can have a giant burger, blah blah...to be 100% honest I didn't even see many people on LC-specific sites, where there are lots of LC cheerleaders, saying they could literally eat as many low-carb calories as they wanted and still lose. Even there, there would be many people saying in addition to LC they had to not overeat calories so just...why?
This is JUST my opinion. Not saying what you should or shouldn't do personally, OP.1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »k9education wrote: »spitapot81 wrote: »What are your views on low carb diets? I exercise 4 times per week with a mix of cardio and weights
Honestly, I think very little of them. As a pre-diabetic I don't even believe them necessary or particularly useful for glucose control. If you don't have a medical concern though, then I think they are a waste to even consider unless you simply enjoy eating low carb.
try it, you might be surprised.
I was pre-diabetic...didn't need to go low carb to get my blood glucose under control...not in the least...
Me to, just losing the extra poundage corrected my higher glucose number.1
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.7K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 395 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 960 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions