Low carb diet

moe_kwt
moe_kwt Posts: 7 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
What do you think about the low carb diet for long term?
«13

Replies

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Could you do it long term?

  • Sunna_W
    Sunna_W Posts: 744 Member
    edited April 2017
    For me, Keto is a "for life goal". I just feel better overall (less inflammation / joint pain). The weight loss has been a nice benefit as well. My heart races when I eat carbs, which is weird. I am definitely *trying* to stay in the Keto camp. But, it seems to be really hard for me to do on a daily basis.

    But, while my target daily carbs are 53 g, after exporting my nutrition report I seem to be averaging around 77 g carbs per day. But that is because 35 of the 92 days I logged were *way* over -- burger and fries; pizza; etc.

    Here is a great website that discusses keto / ketosis:

    https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2013/11/21/How-Many-Carbs-per-Day-on-Low-Carb-Ketogenic-Diet

    I am definitely in the "low carb" camp as it's defined here:

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/low-carb-diet/art-20045831
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Could you do it long term?

    This is what it comes down to. It's all about dietary adherence.
  • LisaEatSleepRun
    LisaEatSleepRun Posts: 159 Member
    Lois_1989 wrote: »
    This is true. I'm not Keto, I hover around 100-150g carbs and have done for about a year and I can hand on heart say I don't miss bread, potato or rice. I struggle with pasta and pizza though. I guess I'm Italian at heart.
    Have you tried making fathead pizza? If not, google it, it is amazing! I make it regularly and have a couple of large slices with salad. As for pasta... I make zoodles (zucchini noodles), not quite the same but with a creamy sauce they can be tasty!

  • Lois_1989
    Lois_1989 Posts: 6,410 Member
    LittleL78 wrote: »
    Lois_1989 wrote: »
    This is true. I'm not Keto, I hover around 100-150g carbs and have done for about a year and I can hand on heart say I don't miss bread, potato or rice. I struggle with pasta and pizza though. I guess I'm Italian at heart.
    Have you tried making fathead pizza? If not, google it, it is amazing! I make it regularly and have a couple of large slices with salad. As for pasta... I make zoodles (zucchini noodles), not quite the same but with a creamy sauce they can be tasty!

    I love zoodles with melted cream cheese! *drools*, but I do like fusilli pasta in a bake. There is something about pasta that you just can't replace. I keep on meaning to try fathead pizza. It's on my 'To Try' list. Along with various bread replacements for things like soups and burgers. I found cloud bread a bit 'meh'.
  • Lois_1989
    Lois_1989 Posts: 6,410 Member
    Sunna_W wrote: »
    For me, it's a "for life" thing. I just feel better overall (less inflammation / joint pain). The weight loss has been a nice benefit as well. My heart races when I eat carbs, which is weird.

    Your not alone, mine does as well.
  • menotyou56
    menotyou56 Posts: 178 Member
    moe_kwt wrote: »
    What do you think about the low carb diet for long term?

    I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes so its low carb for life for me if I don't want to lose body parts, go blind and die a terrible death anyway. That's just me through, YMMV.
  • eagle_74
    eagle_74 Posts: 13 Member
    I find Low Carb extremely easy Long-Term. No Binging tendencies, No food fantasies. For me Carbs always lead to the cycle of indulge, guilt, restrict, indulge.

    For weight loss I do better on low-fat, high carb but it's difficult to maintain. Everyone's Different. Currently Doing Keto and enjoying the peace of mind of not being obsessed with food.
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    Today is day 5 doing a limited carb lifestyle. I am pretty much just having fruit for my carbs, but not any of the processed carbs. So far, I feel great doing it! My energy is up and my stomach which has been bloated for a few years is now shrinking! Yay!
  • alondrakayy
    alondrakayy Posts: 304 Member
    No way Jose! I need all the carbs. To each their own.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    edited April 2017
    Low carb is generally considered to be somewhere between 100 and 150g of carbs. That's a pretty doable level. It includes a lot of vegetables and some fruit. Some include grains and sugar in that but not many. Most who stay LCHF do so for the health benefits - they feel better eating that way - and sugar and grains do not always (often?) improve a person's health.

    Those who stick with LCHF, for years or decades, do it for health. If you try LCHF and find it improves your health, you may stick with it. If it does nothing for your health, I doubt you would stick with it unless you prefer those foods (meats, veggies, limited fruit, eggs, nuts, seeds, seafood). Some do eat LCHF because of their dietary preferences; those people may not even realize they are LCHF because their approach to the diet was different. More natural.

    ETA I have been LCHF for a couple of years, and keto for most of it. I'm a LCHF lifer. I feel MUCH better eating this way.
  • ItsBetterThisWay
    ItsBetterThisWay Posts: 42 Member
    Lois_1989 wrote: »
    LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »
    I'm on it and will be for life. Pros for me are satiety, calorie deficit that regulates itself, lots of tasty food, and of course my blood sugar is under control. Cons are mainly the inconvenience at times. It is a restrictive way of eating and that can mean being creative in spontaneous situations and being well prepared the rest of the time. It isn't for everyone but many people find it a good way of life and most don't really miss a lot of the carby stuff.

    This is true. I'm not Keto, I hover around 100-150g carbs and have done for about a year and I can hand on heart say I don't miss bread, potato or rice. I struggle with pasta and pizza though. I guess I'm Italian at heart.

    What's your reason for cutting out those carbs you named? Are they just too high in carbs for your liking?
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
    I was surprised to notice one day reading on mfp that I am have been a low carb eater for over a year now. It started with just trying to make my grams protien per day much higher at initial weight loss, then it grew into incorporating more high fat o cover daily calories. I'm still working out what's best for me.

    I think its ok long term. I hope there will be more studies done on how people over 70 do on it regarding fat and fiber.
  • ItsBetterThisWay
    ItsBetterThisWay Posts: 42 Member
    LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »
    ItsBetterThisWay wrote: »
    Lois_1989 wrote: »
    LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »
    I'm on it and will be for life. Pros for me are satiety, calorie deficit that regulates itself, lots of tasty food, and of course my blood sugar is under control. Cons are mainly the inconvenience at times. It is a restrictive way of eating and that can mean being creative in spontaneous situations and being well prepared the rest of the time. It isn't for everyone but many people find it a good way of life and most don't really miss a lot of the carby stuff.

    This is true. I'm not Keto, I hover around 100-150g carbs and have done for about a year and I can hand on heart say I don't miss bread, potato or rice. I struggle with pasta and pizza though. I guess I'm Italian at heart.

    What's your reason for cutting out those carbs you named? Are they just too high in carbs for your liking?

    I can't speak for Lois but for me those things cause a massive blood sugar spike followed by intense cravings for more carbs. 2 slices of Little Caesars pizza can jack my sugar up a good day and half and its a nauseous overall icky feeling. Sorry for the less than technical term. When my sugar finally regulates its like someone lets the air out of a tire and I feel just as flat. And rice? I honestly no longer see the point in rice. Its a sause and gravy holder and you can do that with meat and veggies.

    I think we're in the same boat here. I've been noticing an abnormal serge in my appetite after eating those particular carbs (as whole food as they may be). Like I'll eat a plate of rice with something and within 30 minutes I'm back in the kitchen searching for food usually leading to me overeating more often than not. I need to step my vegetable game up massively. Running out of gluten free carbs to eat here.

    I take it actual sugar laden foods are a no go zone for you too?
  • WVWalkerFriend
    WVWalkerFriend Posts: 575 Member
    Ok, I'm not proud of this but I'll put it out there anyway. I have in the past eaten HALF of a LC pizza PLUS breadsticks, then felt a strong craving for ice cream and, yes, I usually gave in. After removing the high carbs I have no cravings for ice cream whatsoever. I do get the occasional craving for chocolate right around TOM but I curb that with chocolate fat bombs or keto chocolate "pudding" (HWC, cocoa powder, sweetener of choice), which I don't eat the rest of the time. I try really hard to stay away from sugary foods most of the time. My kids want to go to Sweet Frog for their birthday so I'll probably have something small there but for 99% of the time, very little sugar or carbs.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »
    Ok, I'm not proud of this but I'll put it out there anyway. I have in the past eaten HALF of a LC pizza PLUS breadsticks, then felt a strong craving for ice cream and, yes, I usually gave in. After removing the high carbs I have no cravings for ice cream whatsoever. I do get the occasional craving for chocolate right around TOM but I curb that with chocolate fat bombs or keto chocolate "pudding" (HWC, cocoa powder, sweetener of choice), which I don't eat the rest of the time. I try really hard to stay away from sugary foods most of the time. My kids want to go to Sweet Frog for their birthday so I'll probably have something small there but for 99% of the time, very little sugar or carbs.

    If it's any consolation, I used to eat blocks of cheese... I actually rarely crave carbs, but I constantly crave steak, guac, cheese, etc...


    My perfect day, Korean BBQ or Texas de Brazil; and I am not eating that filler crap... I want all meat!
  • WVWalkerFriend
    WVWalkerFriend Posts: 575 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »
    Ok, I'm not proud of this but I'll put it out there anyway. I have in the past eaten HALF of a LC pizza PLUS breadsticks, then felt a strong craving for ice cream and, yes, I usually gave in. After removing the high carbs I have no cravings for ice cream whatsoever. I do get the occasional craving for chocolate right around TOM but I curb that with chocolate fat bombs or keto chocolate "pudding" (HWC, cocoa powder, sweetener of choice), which I don't eat the rest of the time. I try really hard to stay away from sugary foods most of the time. My kids want to go to Sweet Frog for their birthday so I'll probably have something small there but for 99% of the time, very little sugar or carbs.

    If it's any consolation, I used to eat blocks of cheese... I actually rarely crave carbs, but I constantly crave steak, guac, cheese, etc...


    My perfect day, Korean BBQ or Texas de Brazil; and I am not eating that filler crap... I want all meat!

    See, I enjoy steak, cheese, etc but I don't actually crave them and once a normal portion is eaten, I can walk away and not even think of dessert.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    moe_kwt wrote: »
    What do you think about the low carb diet for long term?

    For me, not going to happen even if you pay me. For you, who knows! Try it and see. You may feel like you can do it long term, you may feel like you can't, you may do well and go long then at some point decide something else is more preferable. I don't agree that it's a high level commitment. You aren't bound to your dietary choices and you will always have the freedom to abandon any aspect of your diet if you feel there is a more pleasant alternative.

    If you mean health-wise, it's not any better or worse than any other type of diet if you know how to get your nutrients.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Not my bag...
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    Since the question was "What do you think":

    Notta chance. Without a good reason, there's no way I'm giving up: buttermilk biscuits, fried rice, pancakes, birthday cake, beer(!), crusty white bread, doughnuts, pasta, potatoes, tortillas, breakfast cereal, big baked pretzels, cookies, etc., ad inf. Did I mention beer? No. Way.
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