Low carb diet
Replies
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For me it wasn't sustainable long term. It was a great way for me to start my weight loss truth be told, because the quick losses from releasing glycogen and water were highly motivating at that critical stage where I was most likely to "give up" but beyond that, since i have no health reasons to avoid carbs, a balanced approach was more my style for the long haul. I mean either way you're a slave to calories so no reason to complicate it if you dont' have to.1
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Not for me personally, but diet, outside of medical issues, is mostly a personal preference. Some people love and swear by low carb...I am not one of those people. I like as few limitations to my diet as possible.4
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dragon_girl26 wrote: »Not for me personally, but diet, outside of medical issues, is mostly a personal preference. Some people love and swear by low carb...I am not one of those people. I like as few limitations to my diet as possible.
Exactly. Even with medical issues there is a sort of sliding scale. Not every diabetic has to go low carb, many manage their blood sugars well on moderate carb. Some may have to go ultra low carb like keto. It is very individual.6 -
personally, I think it is a waste of time to try and label certain macros as good and others as bad. If you have a medical condition or food allergy that requires low carb then sure, other than that I see no benefit to it over an approach that says eat the foods you enjoy while meeting macro and micro requirements.5
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LowCarb4Me2016 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.
Preach. Love those outlined foods but never crave them or feel the need to overconsume them.1 -
In this day and age, it's much easier. 10, 20, 30 years ago it was a highly controversial healthy lifestyle and the general culture was not supportive of it.
Unless theirs a cure for diabetes and complications. I'm type 2. I have no choice but to remain low carb. I rather shun off bread, sweets, cereal, than to lose a leg, my eye sight, sexual function, or have some kind of organ disorder.
A person doesn't have to go low carb only for medical reasons. Of all my siblings, there are 7 of us, the youngest has not developed diabetes yet.
He's low carb for health reasons - he's not as strict as I am, but he's taking his health seriously. He doesn't need to be low carb, but he can definitely take steps to reduce the chances of develop diabetes and all the complications that come along with it.3 -
A diet only works if you make it a lifestyle change, aka you can't just change your eating habits and then go back to eating however you want, or not as well, the weight will come back on. I've done the low carb thing, I've done a lot of different diets, and if you're like me and know that low carb cannot be a lifestyle change and something you can stick with forever, then the weight will come right back, and waste your time. You need carbs! They're called carboHYDRATES so they do have you hold onto water... that doesn't mean you aren't losing fat! I eat low(er) carb and keep them generally below 120 a day. Do what is best for YOU but do not go below 50 a day, you cannot maintain that and your brain needs carbs to function!0
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Daddy78230 wrote: »In this day and age, it's much easier. 10, 20, 30 years ago it was a highly controversial healthy lifestyle and the general culture was not supportive of it.
Unless theirs a cure for diabetes and complications. I'm type 2. I have no choice but to remain low carb. I rather shun off bread, sweets, cereal, than to lose a leg, my eye sight, sexual function, or have some kind of organ disorder.
A person doesn't have to go low carb only for medical reasons. Of all my siblings, there are 7 of us, the youngest has not developed diabetes yet.
He's low carb for health reasons - he's not as strict as I am, but he's taking his health seriously. He doesn't need to be low carb, but he can definitely take steps to reduce the chances of develop diabetes and all the complications that come along with it.
absent a medical condition what exactly would making eating a moderate amount of carbs "unhealthy"?3 -
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!
I have eaten shredded parmesan cheese with a spoon. I have to put the string cheese in the back of the fridge like it's cupcakes because I could eat 10 of them at once. I have to stay away from the cheese and crackers at parties because I will embarrass myself. And I have been known to bring a rotisserie chicken home from the store, stand over it at the counter and eat more of it than I manage to shred to store in the fridge for the week. And I only stop myself because I realize I won't have any for the week if I keep eating it!
Meanwhile, I sometimes leave a few fries in the Wendy's carton and think most full size candy bars are too big.
Different strokes
OP, you need to find a way of eating that keeps you satiated at the right calorie level. For some people that is LCHF, for others like me, not so much. There are plenty of people here who love low carb and have had great success with it, so no harm in trying it out if you're curious. :drinker: 2 -
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!
I have eaten shredded parmesan cheese with a spoon. I have to put the string cheese in the back of the fridge like it's cupcakes because I could eat 10 of them at once. I have to stay away from the cheese and crackers at parties because I will embarrass myself. And I have been known to bring a rotisserie chicken home from the store, stand over it at the counter and eat more of it than I manage to shred to store in the fridge for the week. And I only stop myself because I realize I won't have any for the week if I keep eating it!
Meanwhile, I sometimes leave a few fries in the Wendy's carton and think most full size candy bars are too big.
Different strokes OP, you need to find a way of eating that keeps you satiated at the right calorie level. For some people that is LCHF, for others like me, not so much. There are plenty of people here who love low carb and have had great success with it, so no harm in trying it out if you're curious. :drinker:
I ate a chunk of a block of cheese I had just bought in the store one day in the car when I got stuck in traffic....2 -
ItsBetterThisWay wrote: »LowCarb4Me2016 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.
Preach. Love those outlined foods but never crave them or feel the need to overconsume them.
People clearly do feel the need to overconsume steak, though. Look at the serving sizes in some steak houses, even really good steak houses. Personally, I do crave meat, probably more than anything else, but not in a way that bothers me. I went vegetarian during Lent in part because I had been cutting way back on meat thinking about maybe trying to go vegetarian permanently, and it backfired because it convinced me that I really didn't want to (and that I eat lower calorie more easily when I include meat and have a somewhat lower carb diet in general, so I am not anti low carb here -- my natural diet when eating everything is 100-120 g carbs and I'm planning to experiment with lower).
Anyway, as far as overeating, if I put a serving of steak (or whatever other meat) on my plate, I will eat it, but that's pretty much whatever serving I put on my plate (even if huge), which to me is exactly how I am with pasta and potatoes too. (And if I put reasonable servings on I will feel satisfied when finished.) The difference (and why I prefer lower carb) is that a meal with steak and vegetables feels like a full meal to me and so does the same with also potatoes. The potatoes are tasty, but don't make a difference particularly to my satisfaction.
Now, cheese, sigh. That was the main thing I overate pre dieting/MFP (nuts were pretty bad too), and something I still struggle with more than ice cream if I decide to have some after dinner and have to keep myself to a serving. Give me some really good cheese (I am a cheese snob, to some extent), and I will want to eat far too many calories, like psulemon said. Now, can I cut off a reasonable serving and accept it, now? Sure, but same with ice cream. For me it's about controlling how I eat it more than the specific food.
That said, the make up of my diet does seem to have an influence on how much I am tempted to overeat, and that's another reason why I like slightly lower carbs/higher protein and fat, but for me it's not about blood sugar or anything like that.0 -
I've ended up deciding to stick to it long-term (unless I stop seeing benefits or something else changes). For me the benefits include satiety/adherence (when carbs creep up even to the moderate level I've discovered I tend to feel hungry all the time) so weight loss and maintenance are both easier; reduced cravings; I had some symptoms of hypoglycemia that have cleared up; reversed prediabetes and a great A1C; reduced joint pain; reduced acid reflux and other GI issues.0
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You need carbs! They're called carboHYDRATES so they do have you hold onto water... that doesn't mean you aren't losing fat! I eat low(er) carb and keep them generally below 120 a day. Do what is best for YOU but do not go below 50 a day, you cannot maintain that and your brain needs carbs to function!
Actually there are no essential carbs. A persons brain can function fine on ketosis and ketogenesis.
Carbohydrate Not Essential For Human Survival
https://irosacea.org/articles/rosacea-articles/triggers/rosacea-and-sugar/carbohydrate-not-essential-for-human-survival-r21/
Gluconeogenesis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluconeogenesis3 -
LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Could you do it long term?
This is the only real considertation. There are no REAL benefits from doing low carb.
So stable blood sugars are not a real benefit? Seriously?
If you don't have BG issue, there is no reason for you to try and "stabilize" it further as you body can do it's job.
Most people have no idea what their BG does after a meal though. Unless you test before, and 30, 60, 90 120+ minutes after a meal you will have no idea if your BG is going high and causing possible damage.
My guess is that after a spaghetti dinner with side rolls, or a soda and sandwich, that a surprising number of people have elevated BG for a while. If you eat LCHF, high BG after a meal just doesn't happen unless you have pancreatic burnout after years of badly managed T2D7 -
LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Could you do it long term?
This is the only real considertation. There are no REAL benefits from doing low carb.
So stable blood sugars are not a real benefit? Seriously?
If you don't have BG issue, there is no reason for you to try and "stabilize" it further as you body can do it's job.
Most people have no idea what their BG does after a meal though. Unless you test before, and 30, 60, 90 120+ minutes after a meal you will have no idea if your BG is going high and causing possible damage.
My guess is that after a spaghetti dinner with side rolls, or a soda and sandwich, that a surprising number of people have elevated BG for a while. If you eat LCHF, high BG after a meal just doesn't happen unless you have pancreatic burnout after years of badly managed T2D
I wholeheartedly agree. Even if you do clearly have issues with blood sugar (like incidences of what felt like hyporglycemia) your blood work can appear completely normal! Even though I was having those symptoms my blood work came back normal and I was advised to eat every two hours (which is outrageous). How many years did it take me to get to that point and how soon until I'd have been diabetic if I carried on because my blood sugar was normal when tested?
If you're hungry after eating, get tired after eating, get "hangry" or sick between meals and can't skip or delay a meal, have cavities, reoccurring yeast infections or any chronic pain you might want to cut back on the carbs (especially refined carbs) and see how you feel. Even if you're not diagnosed with anything yet.1 -
LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Could you do it long term?
This is the only real considertation. There are no REAL benefits from doing low carb.
So stable blood sugars are not a real benefit? Seriously?
If you don't have BG issue, there is no reason for you to try and "stabilize" it further as you body can do it's job.
Most people have no idea what their BG does after a meal though. Unless you test before, and 30, 60, 90 120+ minutes after a meal you will have no idea if your BG is going high and causing possible damage.
My guess is that after a spaghetti dinner with side rolls, or a soda and sandwich, that a surprising number of people have elevated BG for a while. If you eat LCHF, high BG after a meal just doesn't happen unless you have pancreatic burnout after years of badly managed T2D
How long have you been keto?
What's the biggest change you've experienced since switching to keto?
How does it compare to higher carb eating in terms of stressing about your diet?0 -
Daddy78230 wrote: »In this day and age, it's much easier. 10, 20, 30 years ago it was a highly controversial healthy lifestyle and the general culture was not supportive of it.
Unless theirs a cure for diabetes and complications. I'm type 2. I have no choice but to remain low carb. I rather shun off bread, sweets, cereal, than to lose a leg, my eye sight, sexual function, or have some kind of organ disorder.
A person doesn't have to go low carb only for medical reasons. Of all my siblings, there are 7 of us, the youngest has not developed diabetes yet.
He's low carb for health reasons - he's not as strict as I am, but he's taking his health seriously. He doesn't need to be low carb, but he can definitely take steps to reduce the chances of develop diabetes and all the complications that come along with it.
absent a medical condition what exactly would making eating a moderate amount of carbs "unhealthy"?
I eat moderate amount of carbs all the time. That is, between 50-100 grams a day seems to keep the hyperglycemia and neuropathy complications away. On the flip side, there's nothing unhealthy with restricting carbs either.
There's no one size fits all. Moderation to you maybe too low or too excessive for me, and vice versa.
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LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Could you do it long term?
This is the only real considertation. There are no REAL benefits from doing low carb.
So stable blood sugars are not a real benefit? Seriously?
If you don't have BG issue, there is no reason for you to try and "stabilize" it further as you body can do it's job.
Most people have no idea what their BG does after a meal though. Unless you test before, and 30, 60, 90 120+ minutes after a meal you will have no idea if your BG is going high and causing possible damage.
My guess is that after a spaghetti dinner with side rolls, or a soda and sandwich, that a surprising number of people have elevated BG for a while. If you eat LCHF, high BG after a meal just doesn't happen unless you have pancreatic burnout after years of badly managed T2D
The average person doesn't have diabetes. Telling everyone they need to or should monitor the BG is a bit over dramatic and expensive.7 -
AlabasterVerve wrote: »LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Could you do it long term?
This is the only real considertation. There are no REAL benefits from doing low carb.
So stable blood sugars are not a real benefit? Seriously?
If you don't have BG issue, there is no reason for you to try and "stabilize" it further as you body can do it's job.
Most people have no idea what their BG does after a meal though. Unless you test before, and 30, 60, 90 120+ minutes after a meal you will have no idea if your BG is going high and causing possible damage.
My guess is that after a spaghetti dinner with side rolls, or a soda and sandwich, that a surprising number of people have elevated BG for a while. If you eat LCHF, high BG after a meal just doesn't happen unless you have pancreatic burnout after years of badly managed T2D
I wholeheartedly agree. Even if you do clearly have issues with blood sugar (like incidences of what felt like hyporglycemia) your blood work can appear completely normal! Even though I was having those symptoms my blood work came back normal and I was advised to eat every two hours (which is outrageous). How many years did it take me to get to that point and how soon until I'd have been diabetic if I carried on because my blood sugar was normal when tested?
If you're hungry after eating, get tired after eating, get "hangry" or sick between meals and can't skip or delay a meal, have cavities, reoccurring yeast infections or any chronic pain you might want to cut back on the carbs (especially refined carbs) and see how you feel. Even if you're not diagnosed with anything yet.
What blood work did they do?0 -
LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Could you do it long term?
This is the only real considertation. There are no REAL benefits from doing low carb.
So stable blood sugars are not a real benefit? Seriously?
If you don't have BG issue, there is no reason for you to try and "stabilize" it further as you body can do it's job.
Most people have no idea what their BG does after a meal though. Unless you test before, and 30, 60, 90 120+ minutes after a meal you will have no idea if your BG is going high and causing possible damage.
My guess is that after a spaghetti dinner with side rolls, or a soda and sandwich, that a surprising number of people have elevated BG for a while. If you eat LCHF, high BG after a meal just doesn't happen unless you have pancreatic burnout after years of badly managed T2D
The average person doesn't have diabetes. Telling everyone they need to or should monitor the BG is a bit over dramatic and expensive.
I agree. Plus, I'm not going to go low carb "just in case" any more than I'm going to go low protein just in case because most people have no idea what their kidneys are doing or low fat just in case because people have no idea what their gallbladder is doing.3 -
Carbs are awesome!3
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ItsBetterThisWay wrote: »LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Could you do it long term?
This is the only real considertation. There are no REAL benefits from doing low carb.
So stable blood sugars are not a real benefit? Seriously?
If you don't have BG issue, there is no reason for you to try and "stabilize" it further as you body can do it's job.
Most people have no idea what their BG does after a meal though. Unless you test before, and 30, 60, 90 120+ minutes after a meal you will have no idea if your BG is going high and causing possible damage.
My guess is that after a spaghetti dinner with side rolls, or a soda and sandwich, that a surprising number of people have elevated BG for a while. If you eat LCHF, high BG after a meal just doesn't happen unless you have pancreatic burnout after years of badly managed T2D
How long have you been keto?
What's the biggest change you've experienced since switching to keto?
How does it compare to higher carb eating in terms of stressing about your diet?
I've been ketogenic most of the last two years. I've had periods of days or weeks that are just low carb though.
Health improvements are the biggest changes. My BG is much more stable and I no longer have reactive hypoglycemia (which was not actually hypo, it just fell so fast within 30-60 minutes that my BG felt hypo), which means my energy is much better. I have better skin and hair, and fewer stomach issues. My joint pain is greatly reduced. My most disturbing improvement was in my cognitive function. I had no idea that I needed improving. It makes weight loss easier too. I lose faster on the same calories and I tend to eat less due to reduced hunger and cravings.
I actually find a ketogenic less stressful than when I eat more carbs, even at LCHF. Carbs causes hunger in me, and it affects my moods and energy. Eating right, or at least eating the right amount of calories, becomes a struggle as my carbs creep up. If I eat a small potato, I think much more about food than if Id skipped it.
The only way keto could be more stressful is when eating out, but I am a celiac who must eat gluten free and meeting that demand is much, much trickier than worrying about sticking to meat and veggies, or eggs, for a meal. Convenience foods are trickier, but it is not hard to order a burger without the bun and a diet pop, or just eat the toppings off a takeout pizza.
Those are my usual meals: meat and veggies, or nuts, or eggs. Food is very simple. I'm challenging myself to zero carb it, or close to it, right now to get myself back on track. My carbs are creeping up and I'm not feeling good because of it. Now meals are even easier: meat, some dairy and eggs.
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Daddy78230 wrote: »Daddy78230 wrote: »In this day and age, it's much easier. 10, 20, 30 years ago it was a highly controversial healthy lifestyle and the general culture was not supportive of it.
Unless theirs a cure for diabetes and complications. I'm type 2. I have no choice but to remain low carb. I rather shun off bread, sweets, cereal, than to lose a leg, my eye sight, sexual function, or have some kind of organ disorder.
A person doesn't have to go low carb only for medical reasons. Of all my siblings, there are 7 of us, the youngest has not developed diabetes yet.
He's low carb for health reasons - he's not as strict as I am, but he's taking his health seriously. He doesn't need to be low carb, but he can definitely take steps to reduce the chances of develop diabetes and all the complications that come along with it.
absent a medical condition what exactly would making eating a moderate amount of carbs "unhealthy"?
I eat moderate amount of carbs all the time. That is, between 50-100 grams a day seems to keep the hyperglycemia and neuropathy complications away. On the flip side, there's nothing unhealthy with restricting carbs either.
There's no one size fits all. Moderation to you maybe too low or too excessive for me, and vice versa.
That is technically considered to be a low carb diet. Below 100-150g of carbs is low carb, and below 50g is usually ketogenic. 2 -
LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Could you do it long term?
This is the only real considertation. There are no REAL benefits from doing low carb.
So stable blood sugars are not a real benefit? Seriously?
If you don't have BG issue, there is no reason for you to try and "stabilize" it further as you body can do it's job.
Most people have no idea what their BG does after a meal though. Unless you test before, and 30, 60, 90 120+ minutes after a meal you will have no idea if your BG is going high and causing possible damage.
My guess is that after a spaghetti dinner with side rolls, or a soda and sandwich, that a surprising number of people have elevated BG for a while. If you eat LCHF, high BG after a meal just doesn't happen unless you have pancreatic burnout after years of badly managed T2D
The average person doesn't have diabetes. Telling everyone they need to or should monitor the BG is a bit over dramatic and expensive.
I disagree... but I did not tell everyone to monitor BG either. I said people have no idea what their BG is doing without testing.
In hindsight, I've had reactive hypoglycemia for at least a decade. Symptoms started when I was in my early 20's, around the time that I rand half marathons and hiked mountains after work - to looked, acted and though I was healthy. I had no clue that feeling the need to eat every 2-3 hours was abnormal. Looking back, that was the beginning of my body needing to pump out too much insulin and possibly led to insulin resistance.
I think many people would be surprised by their BG numbers. I think some might make more appropriate food choices if they had more information, e.i. BG numbers after certain meals or foods.
I think people could handle it fine. I know T1D children who have no problem testing and injecting insulin multiple times per day. I feel most adults could handle testing after some meals a few times per week. Once you get a feel for what foods do to you, you cut back on testing. I rarely test anymore because there is not a great need. I know how certain foods affect me.4 -
trigden1991 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Could you do it long term?
This is the only real considertation. There are no REAL benefits from doing low carb.
Low carb helps those who are prone to insulin resistance (this can be a genetic thing). If you do not have an insulin resistance pre-disposition, then balanced diet is fine.
For most people, sticking to low carb is the hard bit. Once insulin sensitivity is in the normal range, you don't have to be as rigid, but don't go crazy either. (Have your biscuits, doughnuts, pretzels, etc.., but occasionally, not every day, and not a whole pack at a time either - treats, not staples).
Australia's CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) advocate low carb diet as a better overall diet for people with an insulin resistance pre-disposition based on their scientific research.
Low carb on it's own will not reduce weight. Eating a BMR deficit will do that.
Problem is that BMR is a measure of estimated metabolism and a metabolism is not constant (you can screw it up by eating well under or well over the calorie requirement).
3 -
ItsBetterThisWay wrote: »LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Could you do it long term?
This is the only real considertation. There are no REAL benefits from doing low carb.
So stable blood sugars are not a real benefit? Seriously?
If you don't have BG issue, there is no reason for you to try and "stabilize" it further as you body can do it's job.
Most people have no idea what their BG does after a meal though. Unless you test before, and 30, 60, 90 120+ minutes after a meal you will have no idea if your BG is going high and causing possible damage.
My guess is that after a spaghetti dinner with side rolls, or a soda and sandwich, that a surprising number of people have elevated BG for a while. If you eat LCHF, high BG after a meal just doesn't happen unless you have pancreatic burnout after years of badly managed T2D
How long have you been keto?
What's the biggest change you've experienced since switching to keto?
How does it compare to higher carb eating in terms of stressing about your diet?
I've been ketogenic most of the last two years. I've had periods of days or weeks that are just low carb though.
Health improvements are the biggest changes. My BG is much more stable and I no longer have reactive hypoglycemia (which was not actually hypo, it just fell so fast within 30-60 minutes that my BG felt hypo), which means my energy is much better. I have better skin and hair, and fewer stomach issues. My joint pain is greatly reduced. My most disturbing improvement was in my cognitive function. I had no idea that I needed improving. It makes weight loss easier too. I lose faster on the same calories and I tend to eat less due to reduced hunger and cravings.
I actually find a ketogenic less stressful than when I eat more carbs, even at LCHF. Carbs causes hunger in me, and it affects my moods and energy. Eating right, or at least eating the right amount of calories, becomes a struggle as my carbs creep up. If I eat a small potato, I think much more about food than if Id skipped it.
The only way keto could be more stressful is when eating out, but I am a celiac who must eat gluten free and meeting that demand is much, much trickier than worrying about sticking to meat and veggies, or eggs, for a meal. Convenience foods are trickier, but it is not hard to order a burger without the bun and a diet pop, or just eat the toppings off a takeout pizza.
Those are my usual meals: meat and veggies, or nuts, or eggs. Food is very simple. I'm challenging myself to zero carb it, or close to it, right now to get myself back on track. My carbs are creeping up and I'm not feeling good because of it. Now meals are even easier: meat, some dairy and eggs.
Thanks so much for the insight. I was just looking for confirmation regarding my brief research on eating this way. I can so relate on how the more carbs I eat the more stressed out eating becomes mentally. Like I have to consciously stay aware to not mindlessly eat more carbs just bc they're around. Glutens also a no no for me as I'm gluten intolerant. Today's my first day going LCHF, the last reason I'm doing it is for weight loss, I'm chasing all the other benefits you've mentioned there. I dunno why it's taken me so long to take the plung tbh. I guess I just love carbs too much even though they mess with me mentally. Going into this I already know it's gonna be a seamless journey, I'm just excited because I haven't felt "on point" mentally/physically for a minute. Anyway, thanks again for sharing your experience.3 -
It took me a year to start into LV|CHF and a few more weeks to get to keto leves. I think the idea of change is almost harder than the actual change. LOL3
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craigo3154 wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Could you do it long term?
This is the only real considertation. There are no REAL benefits from doing low carb.
Low carb helps those who are prone to insulin resistance (this can be a genetic thing). If you do not have an insulin resistance pre-disposition, then balanced diet is fine.
For most people, sticking to low carb is the hard bit. Once insulin sensitivity is in the normal range, you don't have to be as rigid, but don't go crazy either. (Have your biscuits, doughnuts, pretzels, etc.., but occasionally, not every day, and not a whole pack at a time either - treats, not staples).
Australia's CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) advocate low carb diet as a better overall diet for people with an insulin resistance pre-disposition based on their scientific research.
Low carb on it's own will not reduce weight. Eating a BMR deficit will do that.
Problem is that BMR is a measure of estimated metabolism and a metabolism is not constant (you can screw it up by eating well under or well over the calorie requirement).
That is an interesting point. Both my parents and both grandmothers (+sister, aunts, etc.) have/had Type 2 diabetes. So it wasn't a huge shock when I found out I was prediabetic (and had high triglycerides) at 34. I was at a normal BMI and ate relatively healthy (compared to the standard American diet), but my dad and his mom were both slim diabetics. That's when I first decided to try low carb, and it's been good for me and helped me reverse the prediabetes, etc., but I fully recognize this is going to vary from person to person and it's not for everybody. Like some of the pp's, in many ways I find sticking to LC easier. There are times when I struggle but those times are definitely fewer than I struggled with more balanced macros.1 -
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ItsBetterThisWay wrote: »
Make sure to get 3000-5000 + mg of sodium per day. There's 2300 mg of sodium in a teaspoon of table salt, so that's 2 tsp or more per day. If you get fatigued, headaches, stomach issues, cranky, and muscle aches or weakness, then you are getting low on sodium. A cup of broth or salted water will help.
Good luck. 2
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