Low carb / Low calorie diets

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ania2704
ania2704 Posts: 56 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
If you're trying to lose weight DON'T go on low carb / Low calorie diets, they may help lose weight fast but they are unhealthy
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  • LowCarb4Me2016
    LowCarb4Me2016 Posts: 575 Member
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    Why are low carb diets unhealthy? What are you considering low carb?
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    Are you saying that neither low carb, nor low calorie is healthy? Or that the combination of a low carb diet in a calorie deficit isn't healthy? What's your definition of healthy? What are you basing these claims on?

  • ania2704
    ania2704 Posts: 56 Member
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    I'm basing these on my own personal experiences, i went on a low carb / Low calorie diet and i may've lost a lot of weight but these are my side effects:
    - No period for half a year
    - Always feeling cold
    - Weak
    - My doctor told me if i lose anymore weight, i will end up in a eating disorder clinic

    These are my personal opinions and what i meant to properly say in my previous post is that you don't NEED to go on low carb or low cal diets to lose weight but it's your life, do what you want
  • LowCarb4Me2016
    LowCarb4Me2016 Posts: 575 Member
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    OP it sounds like you're talking about a very low calorie diet. Low carb doesn't necessarily mean low calorie. If not eating carbs caused you problems then by all means eat them but I know plenty of people that find they operate better with fewer carbs. Everyone is different. My guess is if your doctor was worried about an ED, it was the lack of calories that was the problem.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Hmm. No. Those poor long suffering Inuit, First Nations and Masai? They were healthier BEFORE plentiful carbs were introduced into their diets. And the Scandinavian countries in the past? They were so healthy that they grew to what almost appeared to be giant proportions on their low carb diets.
    ania2704 wrote: »
    I'm basing these on my own personal experiences, i went on a low carb / Low calorie diet and i may've lost a lot of weight but these are my side effects:
    - No period for half a year
    - Always feeling cold
    - Weak
    - My doctor told me if i lose anymore weight, i will end up in a eating disorder clinic

    These are my personal opinions and what i meant to properly say in my previous post is that you don't NEED to go on low carb or low cal diets to lose weight but it's your life, do what you want

    I've been on a very low carb diet for going on two years. Its the healthiest I've been in years. In the last year I actually gained almost 10lbs. I would say your problems had more to do with low calorie than low carb. Your symptoms sound like that caused by too low of calories.... or hypothyroidism.

    I agree that most people don't need a low carb diet, although I think a large minority of the world could benefit from it.

    I whole heartedly agree that people do not need a low calorie diet unless it is for some therapeutic reason.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited February 2017
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    ania2704 wrote: »
    I'm basing these on my own personal experiences, i went on a low carb / Low calorie diet and i may've lost a lot of weight but these are my side effects:
    - No period for half a year
    - Always feeling cold
    - Weak
    - My doctor told me if i lose anymore weight, i will end up in a eating disorder clinic

    These are my personal opinions and what i meant to properly say in my previous post is that you don't NEED to go on low carb or low cal diets to lose weight but it's your life, do what you want

    Hang on here-how low was your calorie intake when all this happened? What are your current stats (height/weight)? And do you have a previous history with EDs that would cause your doctor to be concerned?

    edit: grammar
  • ania2704
    ania2704 Posts: 56 Member
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    My calorie intake was about 1200 - 1300 kcal per day, I currently weigh 54kg and i'm 171 cm and no past history of EDs
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    ania2704 wrote: »
    My calorie intake was about 1200 - 1300 kcal per day, I currently weigh 54kg and i'm 171 cm and no past history of EDs

    Were you also exercising while eating 1200-1300 cals/day?
    Is the weight you are now, the weight you were when the doctor expressed these concerns?
    How much weight did you lose and how quickly did you lose it?

  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
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    Making generalized condemnations [without documentation] of eating styles may be unhealthy for other users who might thrive on them
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited February 2017
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    ania2704 wrote: »
    My calorie intake was about 1200 - 1300 kcal per day, I currently weigh 54kg and i'm 171 cm and no past history of EDs

    If I'm converting correctly you're around 119lbs and 5ft, 6in. We're the same height and when I was first transitioning into maintenance I got down to 117lbs (bmi of 18.9). So you're at the lower end of a healthy bmi, but aren't considered underweight. 1,200-1,300 calories also isn't that crazy, especially if that's where you were at as you were getting closer to your current weight.

    I'm assuming that you're now maintaining and not trying to lose any more weight? Your maintenance calorie intake will be higher (mine is around 1,800 calories and I'm 15 years older than you are). Also, most of us maintainers have a 3-5lbs window that we stay in, since weight naturally fluctuates daily/weekly.

    Having been at a lower weight than you, I'm a bit surprised that you're having issues. I never lost my period or felt weak. I do get cold more often but that's because I have less fat on me (this is a very common complaint among those who've lost weight).

    I still think it's really odd that your doctor would make that comment. Again, I was a bit lower than you and my doctor was very pleased, because my health markers/blood panels were stellar at that weight. You're within the healthy bmi range, so not sure what he/she meant. *unless I did conversions wrong and got your weight/height wrong*
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    171 is 5'7
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    singingflutelady wrote: »
    171 is 5'7

    Ah, thanks! So, at the very low end of the healthy bmi range then? OP, you're not still trying to lose weight are you?

  • ania2704
    ania2704 Posts: 56 Member
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    No, now I'm trying to gain weight
  • noclady1995
    noclady1995 Posts: 452 Member
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    I don't agree. I ate lower carb for almost a year and felt awesome. I ate my carbs through leafy greens and ate lots of berries, tomatoes and avocados. Still got plenty of protein and more healthy fats like coconut oil. I lost weight and loved eating that way because I never felt deprived because my sugar cravings basically went away. And things like my migraines actually were nearly gone. I didn't eat low calorie or I would have lost more. But I also don't believe that there's such thing as a one size fits all way of eating.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    ania2704 wrote: »
    No, now I'm trying to gain weight

    When I got to my low point I went back and forth about what I wanted to do. I'm pear shaped and loved how my lower half looked at that weight, but my top half was looking pretty lean at that point. I decided to re-gain a few pounds and found my ideal spot at the 123-126lb range. Since then my weight has fluctuated from the low 120s, up to the low 130s (currently at 128lbs).

    Nothing wrong with not liking where you're at and re-gaining a few pounds, and it's a fairly common occurrence that happens when people are transitioning into maintenance. Still a bit odd that your doctor said what he/she said though. At what weight did your period stop? Maybe that's what's concerning them?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    Low carb isn't unhealthy by default. Eating very low calories in unhealthy, but a proper deficit is just fine and is the only way you lose weight. My guess is that your issue is more related to the fact that you're 5'7" and basically tiny for your height. Also, you make no mention of your actual nutrition...in most cases, the issues you mention are correlated with improper nutrition in general...

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