Why do people choose to do LCHF?
GoCleanGoLean
Posts: 71 Member
So it seems like low carb isn't very healthy because it makes people go into keto, yaddy yaddy ya.
But if this true, if low carb isn't healthy and it causes all sort of health problems, why do so many people go on low carb diets/start a low carb lifestyle?
I guess what I'm trying to ask is: just how bad is the LCHF diet? I feel like it's been demonized, but I don't know how accurate the demonization is.
Does anybody have personal experience with LCHF? I'm not planning on trying LCHF (Most of my diet is carbs due to my Esan Nigerian ethnicity; the traditional diet is carb heavy) because that won't go well but I am too curious for my own good curious.
But if this true, if low carb isn't healthy and it causes all sort of health problems, why do so many people go on low carb diets/start a low carb lifestyle?
I guess what I'm trying to ask is: just how bad is the LCHF diet? I feel like it's been demonized, but I don't know how accurate the demonization is.
Does anybody have personal experience with LCHF? I'm not planning on trying LCHF (Most of my diet is carbs due to my Esan Nigerian ethnicity; the traditional diet is carb heavy) because that won't go well but I am too curious for my own good curious.
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Replies
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For medical reasons (diabetic/insulin resistant)
Because some people feel hungrier when they eat carbs
I wouldn't say it's demonized, but it isn't necessary for weight loss.9 -
Ketosis is different from ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a dangerous condition related to diabetes, ketosis is just burning fat for fuel. It is not inherently unhealthy unless you have a preexisting condition that would be adversely affected. Many people, myself included, do LCHF because we find fat satiating, making it easier to stay in a deficit and lose weight. I also find it helpful to keep my blood sugar more level instead of going on the post-carb rollet coaster.22
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There's nothing inherently unhealthy about a keto diet. I personally wouldn't choose it unless I had to as per some medical condition. IMO, it's completely unnecessary for losing weight and way too restrictive to do "recreationally" for weight loss.14
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amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »Ketosis is different from ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a dangerous condition related to diabetes, ketosis is just burning fat for fuel. It is not inherently unhealthy unless you have a preexisting condition that would be adversely affected. Many people, myself included, do LCHF because we find fat satiating, making it easier to stay in a deficit and lose weight. I also find it helpful to keep my blood sugar more level instead of going on the post-carb rollet coaster.
Whaaa?????? Well talk about a paradigm shift. I thought ketosis was when your body is feeding off of ketones and you're LITERALLY DYING ON THE INSIDE
But I must have been mistaken. Thank you for being so knowledgeable.4 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »There's nothing inherently unhealthy about a keto diet. I personally wouldn't choose it unless I had to as per some medical condition. IMO, it's completely unnecessary for losing weight and way too restrictive to do "recreationally" for weight loss.
Recreational weight loss, haha that sounds kind of funny8 -
I've done keto a few times don't like the side effects and it's a lot water loss
Week 1 can be 10lbs+ loss but once you stop for whatever reason it'll come back on as fast
I think I'd do it if more veg was allowed lol but the carbs are so high in veg plus I've an intolerance tonight fat so that's the main reason I stopped0 -
GoCleanGoLean wrote: »amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »Ketosis is different from ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a dangerous condition related to diabetes, ketosis is just burning fat for fuel. It is not inherently unhealthy unless you have a preexisting condition that would be adversely affected. Many people, myself included, do LCHF because we find fat satiating, making it easier to stay in a deficit and lose weight. I also find it helpful to keep my blood sugar more level instead of going on the post-carb rollet coaster.
Whaaa?????? Well talk about a paradigm shift. I thought ketosis was when your body is feeding off of ketones and you're LITERALLY DYING ON THE INSIDE
But I must have been mistaken. Thank you for being so knowledgeable.
Ketosis is the body's natural reaction to produce energy from fat as opposed to producing energy from sugar... it happens every time there is not enough glucose present (saved) in the liver, muscles and food consumed to keep the body functioning. Ketoacidosis is a condition that can only occur in Type-1 diabetics (whose body doesn't produce any insulin) and is not a concern for people outside of that community.3 -
My chiropractor was telling me he just started doing it, he explained (and I also saw it in Runner's World magazine) that some runners do it so that their bodies will get used to using fat to fuel instead of carbs. The idea is that by the time you go to run the full marathon your body is used to this and you don't have to eat energy gels/use Gatorade throughout the race, and you avoid hitting the wall. I can't think of any other reason to do it though, doesn't seem like it's worth it for weight loss alone since you can still lose weight without going through all that.3
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I don't think it's so much unhealthy as it is unnecessary.5
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I lost about 20 pounds eating LCHF. I include a lot of leafy greens in my diet (they are actually the main source of my allotted carbs) and don't really get where it's unhealthy. For me, it's just a more satisfying way of eating. Even at maintenance, I stick with it. I don't get as hungry, I'm not feeling the need to snack constantly and my sweets cravings have greatly diminished. I don't miss pasta and potatoes at all, so I don't feel like I'm sacrificing anything. Some people like it, others don't. Personal preference.10
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Carbs make me ravenous.5
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I don't really get it, but I'm a moderator. Some people are abstainers. To me, it's just restriction for no particular point.6
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I just started doing a low-carb diet.. sort of. I do have more than 20 net carbs. Closer to 40 or 50 per day. This is what is comfortable for me.
While you can ignore the calories, I have noticed by doing this, I 'accidentally' eat around my allotted calories anyway. So, it gets me to eat more lean protein (even though you can have other meat) and lots of veggies.
Basically, this is what I am getting from it:
Less cravings overall
Lower sugar intake
Increase in eating healthy
Lower calories
In 3 days, I have lost 6 pounds. When I did just low calorie (ignoring my carb intake), I lost 4 pounds in the first 7 days. So there is a dramatic difference, even if both times I lost a lot of water weight in the beginning. *I am 100 pounds overweight, so that has an impact on how much weight comes off in the beginning
I think it works for some people, and maybe not others. I don't know if it will work long-term for me, but for now, I am comfortable with it. I am eating 5 times a day and don't feel like I'm missing out a ton. If I start noticing illness or negative side effects, I will go back to focusing more on my calories, but I like the results so far.
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BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »My chiropractor was telling me he just started doing it, he explained (and I also saw it in Runner's World magazine) that some runners do it so that their bodies will get used to using fat to fuel instead of carbs. The idea is that by the time you go to run the full marathon your body is used to this and you don't have to eat energy gels/use Gatorade throughout the race, and you avoid hitting the wall. I can't think of any other reason to do it though, doesn't seem like it's worth it for weight loss alone since you can still lose weight without going through all that.
I don't understand, because just doing long runs or rides at low intensity will also "train" your body to use fat for fuel.3 -
tjones0411 wrote: »I lost about 20 pounds eating LCHF. I include a lot of leafy greens in my diet (they are actually the main source of my allotted carbs) and don't really get where it's unhealthy. For me, it's just a more satisfying way of eating. Even at maintenance, I stick with it. I don't get as hungry, I'm not feeling the need to snack constantly and my sweets cravings have greatly diminished. I don't miss pasta and potatoes at all, so I don't feel like I'm sacrificing anything. Some people like it, others don't. Personal preference.
Properly done, it's not unhealthy.
People who think that it's unhealthy are imagining a diet consisting of nothing but bacon, sausage and cheese.
It's the analogous position to the small number of low carbers who suggest that those of us who eat carbs are living on nothing but doughnuts, candy and cake.
There are piles of different ways to eat healthy - high carb, low carb and in the middle.11 -
Way back in the 80s when I was in high school, our biology teacher gave us an assignment to each pick a disease/disorder, research it, and write a report on causes/symptoms/prognosis/treatment. I chose epilepsy. And I think a keto diet was mentioned as being helpful for some people with epilepsy to control their seizures. At the time (and I have no idea whether this has changed) the info I had was "it seems to help some, but doctors aren't sure how or why".1
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NorthCascades wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »My chiropractor was telling me he just started doing it, he explained (and I also saw it in Runner's World magazine) that some runners do it so that their bodies will get used to using fat to fuel instead of carbs. The idea is that by the time you go to run the full marathon your body is used to this and you don't have to eat energy gels/use Gatorade throughout the race, and you avoid hitting the wall. I can't think of any other reason to do it though, doesn't seem like it's worth it for weight loss alone since you can still lose weight without going through all that.
I don't understand, because just doing long runs or rides at low intensity will also "train" your body to use fat for fuel.
Maybe, but perhaps they don't want to do the runs at low intensity.2 -
BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »My chiropractor was telling me he just started doing it, he explained (and I also saw it in Runner's World magazine) that some runners do it so that their bodies will get used to using fat to fuel instead of carbs. The idea is that by the time you go to run the full marathon your body is used to this and you don't have to eat energy gels/use Gatorade throughout the race, and you avoid hitting the wall. I can't think of any other reason to do it though, doesn't seem like it's worth it for weight loss alone since you can still lose weight without going through all that.
I don't understand, because just doing long runs or rides at low intensity will also "train" your body to use fat for fuel.
Maybe, but perhaps they don't want to do the runs at low intensity.
If you don't include long runs in your training plan, your marathon probably isn't going to be very successful -- even if you are on a ketogenic diet. Getting through 26.2 miles is probably going to require some kind of long run experience -- even if your body is good at using fat for fuel.
If you don't want to do long runs, marathons probably aren't the best recreational choice.8 -
SusanMFindlay wrote: »tjones0411 wrote: »I lost about 20 pounds eating LCHF. I include a lot of leafy greens in my diet (they are actually the main source of my allotted carbs) and don't really get where it's unhealthy. For me, it's just a more satisfying way of eating. Even at maintenance, I stick with it. I don't get as hungry, I'm not feeling the need to snack constantly and my sweets cravings have greatly diminished. I don't miss pasta and potatoes at all, so I don't feel like I'm sacrificing anything. Some people like it, others don't. Personal preference.
Properly done, it's not unhealthy.
People who think that it's unhealthy are imagining a diet consisting of nothing but bacon, sausage and cheese.
It's the analogous position to the small number of low carbers who suggest that those of us who eat carbs are living on nothing but doughnuts, candy and cake.
There are piles of different ways to eat healthy - high carb, low carb and in the middle.
I will say that donuts are the one thing that I do miss!! But I'd miss them on any diet if I was trying to be careful! White frosted with rainbow sprinkles have always been my favorite. Or Oreo Cream. oh! And a good apple fritter *drool*2 -
janejellyroll wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »My chiropractor was telling me he just started doing it, he explained (and I also saw it in Runner's World magazine) that some runners do it so that their bodies will get used to using fat to fuel instead of carbs. The idea is that by the time you go to run the full marathon your body is used to this and you don't have to eat energy gels/use Gatorade throughout the race, and you avoid hitting the wall. I can't think of any other reason to do it though, doesn't seem like it's worth it for weight loss alone since you can still lose weight without going through all that.
I don't understand, because just doing long runs or rides at low intensity will also "train" your body to use fat for fuel.
Maybe, but perhaps they don't want to do the runs at low intensity.
If you don't include long runs in your training plan, your marathon probably isn't going to be very successful -- even if you are on a ketogenic diet. Getting through 26.2 miles is probably going to require some kind of long run experience -- even if your body is good at using fat for fuel.
If you don't want to do long runs, marathons probably aren't the best recreational choice.
I didn't say that the people following this plan for marathon training aren't doing long runs, I said maybe they don't want to do low-intensity runs. To be low enough in intensity to be in the "fat burning" zone, assuming it's not a myth, for me as a 29 year old female, I would have to do a long run with my heart rate at 118 to 138 beats per minute. That's much lower than my usual long-run heart rate, which is about 160 bpm even when I've slowed to a minute and a half over race pace. If I ran slow enough to be between 118 and 138 I wouldn't be hitting any PRs any time soon.1 -
There are some seriously good looking LCHF recipes. Outside my goals for calories, but cheesus have mercy!1
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tjones0411 wrote: »SusanMFindlay wrote: »tjones0411 wrote: »I lost about 20 pounds eating LCHF. I include a lot of leafy greens in my diet (they are actually the main source of my allotted carbs) and don't really get where it's unhealthy. For me, it's just a more satisfying way of eating. Even at maintenance, I stick with it. I don't get as hungry, I'm not feeling the need to snack constantly and my sweets cravings have greatly diminished. I don't miss pasta and potatoes at all, so I don't feel like I'm sacrificing anything. Some people like it, others don't. Personal preference.
Properly done, it's not unhealthy.
People who think that it's unhealthy are imagining a diet consisting of nothing but bacon, sausage and cheese.
It's the analogous position to the small number of low carbers who suggest that those of us who eat carbs are living on nothing but doughnuts, candy and cake.
There are piles of different ways to eat healthy - high carb, low carb and in the middle.
I will say that donuts are the one thing that I do miss!! But I'd miss them on any diet if I was trying to be careful! White frosted with rainbow sprinkles have always been my favorite. Or Oreo Cream. oh! And a good apple fritter *drool*
you can eat those things, lose weight,and hit you body comp goals...just saying..6 -
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GoCleanGoLean wrote: »So it seems like low carb isn't very healthy because it makes people go into keto, yaddy yaddy ya.
But if this true, if low carb isn't healthy and it causes all sort of health problems, why do so many people go on low carb diets/start a low carb lifestyle?
I guess what I'm trying to ask is: just how bad is the LCHF diet? I feel like it's been demonized, but I don't know how accurate the demonization is.
Does anybody have personal experience with LCHF? I'm not planning on trying LCHF (Most of my diet is carbs due to my Esan Nigerian ethnicity; the traditional diet is carb heavy) because that won't go well but I am too curious for my own good curious.
I think low carb can be demonized partially because people don't want to restrict carbs because they don't believe the end result is worth it for them. Carbs taste good, and not many people want to give it up carby foods unless there is a very good reason to do so.
I think some people may see it as a bit of an attack on their dietary choices too. Some might feel that their carb heavy diet is is being judged negatively and may feel the need to defend it.
Or I could be wrong.
As another said, ketosis and ketoacidosis are very different things. Most people will experience mild ketosis, even on a higher carb diet, if they have a fast at all (like 8-10 hours of not eating at night). Ketosis occurs when one's glucose needs are not being met. The body will oxidize fat to meet those needs instead. If one is low carb for a length of time, your minimum glucose needs can decreases by well over half. If you eat not enough carbs to meet that, your body will make glucose through gluconeogenesis.
Endurance athletes do benefit from a ketogenic diet, which is very low carb (under 50g of carbs per day - low carb is considered to be under 100-150g carbs), because they will not ever "hit the wall"/ "bonk". Those athletes will have a steadier source of energy. There is no point where the brain will provide symptoms of fatigue, light headedness, weakness and hunger, because the brain is largely using fat for fuel already.
Conversely, if you are an athlete in an explosive sport like power lifting or 100m sprint, you may find you have a slight disadvantage without a glucose reliance.
For weight loss, LCHF can be helpful because it can reduce appetite and cravings, and seems to help some (mainly those with insulin resistance) to lose weight a small bit faster (like 6 lbs over a year). Not everyone experiences this, but for those of us who do and were battling hunger, reactive hypoglycemia and the 3 o'clock nap cravings, a LCHF is great!
For health, LCHF can have a lot of benefits too (barring those with familial hypercholesterolemia). Many will experience improved lipid panels, reduced CAD, improvement of some autoimmune disease symptoms, improved cognition, better hormone levels, and steadier energy. Those who benefit the most are usually those with insulin resistance (T2D, prediabetes, PCOS, NAFLD, Alzheimer's) or other conditions associated with IR like CVD.
I've been LCHF for almost two years, and mostly ketogenic during that time. It really helped with weight loss and my health. Its a really good fit for me.
I do miss sweets sometimes, but not NEARLY as much as I missed them while eating them regularly. If I ate something sweet every day, or even a baked good, I thought of sweets much more than I ever do now. It's easier to abstain, for me, than moderate.13 -
I lost weight a couple of times on Atkins, which is a low carb diet. I liked the quick start, which was very motivating, even though it was mostly water (14 lbs. the first two weeks). It was very simple to follow, being mostly meat, eggs and vegetables. My husband liked it, a lot, since it had all his favorite foods (except for ice cream) and it was great for his blood sugar. However, for me it wasn't long term sustainable. I don't like meat and eggs enough to live on them forever, without starches to balance them. I like fruit and cereal. So while I lost 30-50 lbs on the diet, I always gained it back afterwards, because I ended up eating all the foods I had missed while losing weight.2
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GoCleanGoLean wrote: »So it seems like low carb isn't very healthy because it makes people go into keto, yaddy yaddy ya.
But if this true, if low carb isn't healthy and it causes all sort of health problems, why do so many people go on low carb diets/start a low carb lifestyle?
I guess what I'm trying to ask is: just how bad is the LCHF diet? I feel like it's been demonized, but I don't know how accurate the demonization is.
Does anybody have personal experience with LCHF? I'm not planning on trying LCHF (Most of my diet is carbs due to my Esan Nigerian ethnicity; the traditional diet is carb heavy) because that won't go well but I am too curious for my own good curious.
I assume by this post you don't know anything about low carb high fat. Ketosis is not unhealthy. It is, quite simply, the process of switching your body from running on sugar (carbs) to running on fat. There are many many studies to show how beneficial LCHF can be. I have not heard of LCHF causing ANY health problems, and in fact it is very effective in treating many things.
I have been LCHF for 4 years (in Ketosis - not to be confused with ketoacidosis which is not good). Benefits include:
1. Ability to control my hunger and stick to it for 4 years - after 25 years of failing at simple calorie restriction resulting in binge eating and huge weight gain.
2. 80lb weight loss
3. Much less join inflammation (this happened within a couple of weeks of switching to LCHF - not a result of subsequent weight loss)
4. Reduction in instances and severity of migraines
5. Diagnosed with pre-diabetes at 38 and now free and clear of any blood sugar issues
6. Clear thinking and full of energy
7. Not constantly thinking about food and on the verge of caving and eating all the things (see #1, can't stress this strongly enough - would never have been able to be successful without eating this way).
8. Able to eat butter, bacon and eggs, a big juicy steak, avocados and cream and cheese and still lose weight.
9. Great, clear skin
I'd encourage you to do some research if you're interested in the facts. Self-education is a powerful thing.9 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »There's nothing inherently unhealthy about a keto diet. I personally wouldn't choose it unless I had to as per some medical condition. IMO, it's completely unnecessary for losing weight and way too restrictive to do "recreationally" for weight loss.
This. I don't think keto/low carb is bad or unhealthy, just unnecessary. Some people really enjoy doing it though, so good for them figuring out what works for them
edit: unnecessary, barring a medical condition.1 -
They probably do it because they think they have to suffer to lose weight.5
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I have been doing LCHF for a year and have lost 120 pounds. NO side effects, no suffering. My brother in law tried it with no side effects and he lost 30 pounds which is what he wanted. My brothers gf is doing it and has lost 25 or 30 pounds without side effects. My son started less than 2 weeks ago and has lost over 10 pounds, no side effects. Dont believe everything you hear. We have been brain washed to think there is only one way to eat. I tried it at the suggestion of a friend and it works for me because i can reduce calories and not feel hungry the way i have in the past when i tried to cut calories and ate the "normal" way.6
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GoCleanGoLean wrote: »amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »Ketosis is different from ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a dangerous condition related to diabetes, ketosis is just burning fat for fuel. It is not inherently unhealthy unless you have a preexisting condition that would be adversely affected. Many people, myself included, do LCHF because we find fat satiating, making it easier to stay in a deficit and lose weight. I also find it helpful to keep my blood sugar more level instead of going on the post-carb rollet coaster.
Whaaa?????? Well talk about a paradigm shift. I thought ketosis was when your body is feeding off of ketones and you're LITERALLY DYING ON THE INSIDE
But I must have been mistaken. Thank you for being so knowledgeable.
Ketosis is the body's natural reaction to produce energy from fat as opposed to producing energy from sugar... it happens every time there is not enough glucose present (saved) in the liver, muscles and food consumed to keep the body functioning. Ketoacidosis is a condition that can only occur in Type-1 diabetics (whose body doesn't produce any insulin) and is not a concern for people outside of that community.
actually type 2s can end up with ketoacidosis.but its not as common as it is in type 1s2
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