why do ppl do low carb for weight loss?

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  • janiner79
    janiner79 Posts: 69 Member
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    They think it's a quick way to lose weight, when really, as soon as you touch carbs again, you will probably blow up like a balloon
  • mushroomsontoast
    mushroomsontoast Posts: 118 Member
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    They think it's a quick way to lose weight, when really, as soon as you touch carbs again, you will probably blow up like a balloon

    True; but the same with any diet - as soon as you revert to your old ways, the weight piles on with a vengeance. Low fat/low calorie is no exception.
  • steffiejoe
    steffiejoe Posts: 313 Member
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    It works for me. I have tried a low fat diet ,worked out like a beast and I was always hungry. I did lose the weight and kept if off almost 10 years. Low carb weight loss has been very easy compared to the low fat for me. I lose weight and only have to walk about 20 minutes a day. I lost 15 pounds in one month eating 20-50 carbs per day. I reached my goal weight in 6 months and have maintained it for 18 months as of today. I have been low carb for 2 years today.

    Yes I have a cheat (YOLO) meal once a week and I still have maintained. I like this lifestyle and Im never hungry, except when TOM is approaching.

    This lifestyle has made me increase eating veggies and organic meats. Right now I can eat up to 130 carbs per day and not gain a single pound.
  • janiner79
    janiner79 Posts: 69 Member
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    They think it's a quick way to lose weight, when really, as soon as you touch carbs again, you will probably blow up like a balloon

    True; but the same with any diet - as soon as you revert to your old ways, the weight piles on with a vengeance. Low fat/low calorie is no exception.

    I guess what I meant to say is there is no longevity in a low carb diet.
  • mushroomsontoast
    mushroomsontoast Posts: 118 Member
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    WTG, Steffiejoe, congrats!
    Low carb suits me for the same reasons, and it annoys me that it's *still* seen as a "fad" diet. I also eat more veggies than I ever did before when every calorie counted & I had to choose.
    Two members of my family are type 2 diabetes - I suggested low carb to them, gave them a cookery day at my house where we cooked up lots of yummy low carb things, and within 6 weeks these 2 people had stabilised their blood sugars and were able to ditch some medication.
    One of them was my Mom....she also lost 2st, and a nurse told her "I have to say this in strictest confidence, but you are doing the right thing". You see, a low carb diet isn't endorsed yet, even though the results are clear.
    Carbohydrates are an empty, nutrient-void food. The moment our bodies absorb them they are pure sugar.
    WHY are we recommended to eat so much of the stuff?
    Low carb WORKS, both for weight loss *and* health. Full stop.
  • rosemaryhon
    rosemaryhon Posts: 507 Member
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    Because they believe that carbs are unhealthy. It's not true of course.


    Well seems to me in the first dozen or so replies to this thread that spoke of the reasons why they personally do low carb, not one said it's because carbs are unhealthy.
  • mushroomsontoast
    mushroomsontoast Posts: 118 Member
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    Well seems to me in the first dozen or so replies to this thread that spoke of the reasons why they personally do low carb, not one said it's because carbs are unhealthy.

    I just did :wink:
  • rosemaryhon
    rosemaryhon Posts: 507 Member
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    They think it's a quick way to lose weight...

    Reading thru the replies so far and doesn't seem this ^ is the core of incentive. Doesn't seem your point is proving true, at least not in this thread IMO.
  • rosemaryhon
    rosemaryhon Posts: 507 Member
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    Well seems to me in the first dozen or so replies to this thread that spoke of the reasons why they personally do low carb, not one said it's because carbs are unhealthy.

    I just did :wink:

    Doh! ;)
  • mushroomsontoast
    mushroomsontoast Posts: 118 Member
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    You clearly have never tried it, so how can you so blindly object to something you know nothing about and haven't experienced for yourself?
    Low fat does nothing but kill your gall bladder - *that's* why gallstones are partnered with the overweight - it's only the overweight who embark on low fat diets. Gall bladders *need* fats - without fats they wither, and that's when we suffer.

    I guess what I meant to say is there is no longevity in a low carb diet.
    No? Who says so? It's the easiest diet to keep to, less restrictive than most, and there are people still low-carbing now after 20 years+
    The indigenous Eskimos who eat vast quantities of fat and no carbs are doing quite alright - they never even heard of heart disease or gallstones!
  • TheMOC
    TheMOC Posts: 74 Member
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    Carbohydrates are an empty, nutrient-void food. The moment our bodies absorb them they are pure sugar.
    WHY are we recommended to eat so much of the stuff?
    Low carb WORKS, both for weight loss *and* health. Full stop.

    Try doing any sort of endurance exercise without carbs. You wont last long. For those of us who are active, carbs are NOT 'empty'
    I went low carb for 3 days and felt like *kitten* when I tried to work out. Never again.
  • mushroomsontoast
    mushroomsontoast Posts: 118 Member
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    I know a long-distance cyclist - in his 60's - who eats low carb.
    It's a myth...sugar is a quick burst of energy - it is not long lasting,
    3 days low carb is nowhere near enough to have retrained your body, you wouldn't have even been in ketosis.

    edit - without ketosis *and* cutting carbs, your body was left with no energy source.
    Why do people rush in and try things, without even having read the basics?
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    You lose a lot of weight to begin with, though it's not fat.
  • mushroomsontoast
    mushroomsontoast Posts: 118 Member
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    You lose a lot of weight to begin with, though it's not fat.

    My brother lost 98lbs in 7 months; I can assure you it wasn't all water :laugh:
  • janiner79
    janiner79 Posts: 69 Member
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    You clearly have never tried it, so how can you so blindly object to something you know nothing about and haven't experienced for yourself?
    Low fat does nothing but kill your gall bladder - *that's* why gallstones are partnered with the overweight - it's only the overweight who embark on low fat diets. Gall bladders *need* fats - without fats they wither, and that's when we suffer.

    I guess what I meant to say is there is no longevity in a low carb diet.
    No? Who says so? It's the easiest diet to keep to, less restrictive than most, and there are people still low-carbing now after 20 years+
    The indigenous Eskimos who eat vast quantities of fat and no carbs are doing quite alright - they never even heard of heart disease or gallstones!

    I hope you're not trying to tell me that I've never tried a low carb diet... I may not be the be-all-end-all of diet knowledge but you need a substitution of energy if you're going to remove carbs. ie fats. Otherwise you begin to feel light headed, faint, weak and tired.

    I don't agree with no carb diets. I agree with a healthy balance of proteins, carbs and fats with exercise to lose/maintain weight. This is what I meant by longevity.

    Oh- and btw... I'm not an Eskimo so my background and history will be different from theirs. I wouldn't say that's the best example to give.
  • LAW_714
    LAW_714 Posts: 258
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    Why do people rush in and try things, without even having read the basics?
    Because it's easier.
    You lose a lot of weight to begin with, though it's not fat.
    For the first ten pounds, sure. After that... exactly how much water weight does the average person have? They aren't losing huge amounts of muscle because there's plenty of protein in the diet.

    Personally I don't do extreme low carb because I like to consume more fruit and vegetables than something like Atkins allows simply because I like the variety. But I did do it once many years ago. It worked. Surprisingly well. I lost 60lbs and kept it all off for over 5 years. I'm pretty darn sure all 60lbs couldn't possibly have been all water. No balooning after I 'fell off the wagon' either, just the usual slow weight gain over the next 8 years, just like anyone would experience if they eat a high caloric diet of any sort.

    Nothing about the experience proved to me that the diet didn't work, just that I liked more vegetables and fruit than true ketosis/low carb allows. But, that's simply a matter of food preference.
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
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    I can only speak from personal experience, obviously everyone is different. I am following a low carb lifestyle, because it is the only way I am able to control my caloric intake. When I consume carbs such as bread, sugar, starchy vegetables, and junk food, I always overeat. When I remove those items from my diet, I am able to stick to a 1200 to 1500 calorie diet filled with healthy foods, not junk. It works for me. It's still all about the calories.

    ^this! high protein leaves me sated and if I am sated I am likely to stick to the diet. the other diets leave me hungry.

    I am not on one of the super restricted high protein low carb diets. I allow enough for adequate fiber intake. vegetables (other than starchy) and The mission tortillas (yeah I know for some reason they are controversial but one a day and it's half my fiber. I HATE constipation) my net carbs have been 35-45 on average. for me it's totally sustainable. I've been doing daily keto sticks to make sure I remain in keto and I have been. I started testing day three.

    I am going to allow myself a monthly carb day (although it comes two weeks into this diet for me for my birthday.) In the past when I've done this diet I haven't counted calories. I've had some moderate success that way but I hope to do very well with exercise, strength training and calorie counting this time round. but a monthly or special occasion carb day allows me to put forward any cravings I have in the future because I know I'll get a little on treat day. and you can still work in a little dark chocolate and wine with this diet.

    Different strokes for different folks as they say. I don't have any friends at this point. feel free to add me if you're a low carber too.

    Low carb high protein isn't a magic bullet. it has to be attractive to you on some level. For me it allows enough foods that I really like and keeps me sated, the two things that allow me to continue.

    I see a few post down from this one someone is talking about how you can't exercise on this diet but they only tried it for a few days.

    you're not supposed to do heavy exercise for the two first week because your body is adjusting. the first week is known for carb flu. you do feel a little crappy.. but it passes.
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
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    You clearly have never tried it, so how can you so blindly object to something you know nothing about and haven't experienced for yourself?
    Low fat does nothing but kill your gall bladder - *that's* why gallstones are partnered with the overweight - it's only the overweight who embark on low fat diets. Gall bladders *need* fats - without fats they wither, and that's when we suffer.

    I guess what I meant to say is there is no longevity in a low carb diet.
    No? Who says so? It's the easiest diet to keep to, less restrictive than most, and there are people still low-carbing now after 20 years+
    The indigenous Eskimos who eat vast quantities of fat and no carbs are doing quite alright - they never even heard of heart disease or gallstones!

    I hope you're not trying to tell me that I've never tried a low carb diet... I may not be the be-all-end-all of diet knowledge but you need a substitution of energy if you're going to remove carbs. ie fats. Otherwise you begin to feel light headed, faint, weak and tired.

    I don't agree with no carb diets. I agree with a healthy balance of proteins, carbs and fats with exercise to lose/maintain weight. This is what I meant by longevity.

    Oh- and btw... I'm not an Eskimo so my background and history will be different from theirs. I wouldn't say that's the best example to give.

    re:eskimos.. why wouldn't it? are they not human as well?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    carbs do not make you fat...

    eating more calories than you burn makes you fat...
  • LAW_714
    LAW_714 Posts: 258
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    re:eskimos.. why wouldn't it? are they not human as well?

    You can add the Massai (also cultural low-carb and also human.)

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