Question about the Zero carb/Low carb diet.

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saraann321

It works better. I can easily eat 1800 calories and consistently drop weight on low carb but for me I couldn't continue because it makes your breath smell terrible and I mean terrible. Unless u are a hermit while dieting its not fun. I'd rather be chunky than have terrible smelling breath. 1200 calories & high carb will have to do it for me.

nvmomketo

stevencloser wrote: »

nvmomketo wrote: »

Try the Low Carber Daily MFP group for knowledgeable low or zero carb advice. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

There is also a Low Carber Carnivore group. It is small but helpful. Years of advice there. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/120342-low-carber-carnivore-club

I have been very low carb (about 20 g carbs a day) for a few years and dabble in carnivore/zero carb too. Most people go this route for health and not for added weight loss. In fact, when I went carnivore I gained almost 10lbs for a while even though I was getting smaller. My body was just getting into its groove.

I felt really good on "zero" carb. Food was easy. Meats, full fat dairy, eggs. Meals like bacon and eggs, cheese, egg and beef casserole, cheeseburger patty with mayo, bacon and a side of bratwurst. One day I had a shrimp ring for lunch....

TBH, I found it REALLY hard to overeat on carnivore. The food was filling. I ended up losing 5lbs after about 5 weeks after I got rid of the initial 10lbs gain, without counting a calorie or trying to lose weight. It was easy. I looked good, my skin and hair was great, my autoimmune issues were fine, my BG was a piece of cake to manage, and BM's were regular and smaller if anything. My macros did not even change much. It went from 70% F/ 20% P/ 5% C to 75/25/0.

The only reason I don't do it everyday is that I like nuts and some veggies, even if my body doesn't. Today I had about 2c of snap peas and about 1 c nuts and I am paying for it: stomach aches, gas, fatigue, and munchies. I'll be back to carnivore to recover.

Animal products are generally a better source for vitamins so you probably won't need extra supplements or a multivitamin. Most carnivores don't bother with them. That includes fibre - it is sort of not needed if you aren't eating plant matter. Plus BMs are usually easier without plants - less bulk and better "greased". Ignore the constipation threats. It rarely happens with zero carb.

It is sustainable if you enjoy it and it works for you. I know a few who have been eating this way for years because it is better for them. It is not as unusual as people seem to think.

https://zerocarbzen.com/

All that being said, You seem to be doing well on a higher carb diet. Feel free to give it a try. Give it a really good try if you have insulin resistance. But low or zero carb is not the only way to weight loss. It's just one way.

Go for it though. Just don't skimp on fat, and make sure you get 3000-5000 mg of sodium per day (there is 2300 mg of sodium in a teaspoon of salt) to avoid the so-called "keto flu" which is actually a completely preventable electrolyte imbalance.

Good luck.

Citation needed.

I don't keep citations ready. This is off a quick google search. First result: http://nourishedkitchen.com/best-sources-vitamins-minerals/

I wrote that because of B12, D, and A, and because many fat soluble vitamins are better absorbed from foods like meats and eggs. Some plants may have more of a vitamin but it is not necessarily being used efficiently.

Plus you know that carnivore cultures, or close to carnivore, like the inuit, Canadian and Russian natives, Masai, etc. have no nutritional deficiencies even without taking a multivitamin or eating fortified foods.

nvmomketo

saraann321 wrote: »

It works better. I can easily eat 1800 calories and consistently drop weight on low carb but for me I couldn't continue because it makes your breath smell terrible and I mean terrible. Unless u are a hermit while dieting its not fun. I'd rather be chunky than have terrible smelling breath. 1200 calories & high carb will have to do it for me.

The bad breath thing is actually not that common, and in some it is related to a high protein diet, or dehydration.

Some find that the bad breath they experience disappears in a couple of weeks.

I never experienced it at all.