SUCCESS STORIES:LOW CARB ATKINS OR SOUTH BEACH!

22dream

IF YOU HAVE HAD SUCCESS WITH LOW CARB , ATKINS, OR SOUTH BEACH PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORY OR AND PICTURES NEVER REALIZED HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ON MFP LOOKING FOR THAT PUSH THATS NOT JUST ABOUT CALORIES!!!!! PLEASE SHARE AND HELP GIVE SOMEONE THAT PUSH!!

22dream

this sucks no succeess stories? kind of a downer...

motown13

OK, I am diabetic, and low carb is what I should have been doing since I found out I was one, but I didn't. I had my physical 8 weeks ago, and I had my blood work done... and it was BAD, I mean really bad.... So today I got new "numbers" after being super strict for the last 8 weeks...... I hope you like this, and I hope someone gets inspired by it. This is a cut and paste from the forum I originally posted this on:

_________________________________________

OK, so today marks exactly 2 months of low carbing and 2 months since my last set of blood work.... EVERYTHING was better except my overall cholesterol, which actually went up a tiny bit - which as I understand it, is normal when starting low carb..... And this was only 2 months, and not the standard 3 months for an A1C test....

Let's just say that I am THRILLLLLLLLLEEDDDD!

In just 60 days:

Lost 7 pounds..... was hoping for more, but 7 is OK

A1c went from 10.2 to 7.4

Triglycerides went from 390 to 210

Blood Sugar went from 290 to get this....... 128.

Blood Pressure went from 130 / 90 to 124 /74...... and I actually had not taken my BP medicine yet today.

So, if you are new, and not sure about this whole low carb "thing", and need a push, hopefully I just gave you a big SHOVE!!!

I love you all, who have put up with my whining so much early on about not losing weight..... It has not been an easy 2 months, but looking at those numbers, it has been an INCREDIBLE 2 months.

And, to top it all off, my doctor said that if I keep at this, she could see me being off all my meds by early next year.

Thanks to everybody who has helped me along the way.

Now I may go have some cheese!

I eat 30 or less carbs per day, with the goal of about 50 carbs per day when I hit my weight goal. I eat zero sugar, pasta, wheat, rice.....

Sorry for cut and paste, but I wasn't about to type it all out again.

mohanj

Following low carb diet. Lost close to 8 pounds in July.

AJ_G

IF YOU HAVE HAD SUCCESS WITH LOW CARB , ATKINS, OR SOUTH BEACH PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORY OR AND PICTURES NEVER REALIZED HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ON MFP LOOKING FOR THAT PUSH THATS NOT JUST ABOUT CALORIES!!!!! PLEASE SHARE AND HELP GIVE SOMEONE THAT PUSH!!

It is just about calories...

When you say give someone that push, do you mean spread misinformation?

motown13

IF YOU HAVE HAD SUCCESS WITH LOW CARB , ATKINS, OR SOUTH BEACH PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORY OR AND PICTURES NEVER REALIZED HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ON MFP LOOKING FOR THAT PUSH THATS NOT JUST ABOUT CALORIES!!!!! PLEASE SHARE AND HELP GIVE SOMEONE THAT PUSH!!

It is just about calories...

When you say give someone that push, do you mean spread misinformation?

And yet, I eat WAY MORE calories on low carb and lose weight faster, and all my blood work is incredibly better, so NO, you have no clue if you think it is all about calories, no clue at all.... couldn't spell clue if I spotted you the CLU.

spottedkathy

I am on a low carb diet and it is working well for me. I am not following program in particular. I try to limit my net carbs to 20-30 daily. I NEVER go over 50. I also do cardio 4 times a week for 30-40 minutes.

AJ_G

IF YOU HAVE HAD SUCCESS WITH LOW CARB , ATKINS, OR SOUTH BEACH PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORY OR AND PICTURES NEVER REALIZED HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ON MFP LOOKING FOR THAT PUSH THATS NOT JUST ABOUT CALORIES!!!!! PLEASE SHARE AND HELP GIVE SOMEONE THAT PUSH!!

It is just about calories...

When you say give someone that push, do you mean spread misinformation?

And yet, I eat WAY MORE calories on low carb and lose weight faster, and all my blood work is incredibly better, so NO, you have no clue if you think it is all about calories, no clue at all.... couldn't spell clue if I spotted you the CLU.

Please read this if you have the time, then come back and tell me why you're right an I'm wrong...

http://impruvism.com/why-calories-count/

Your blood work is better because you have lost weight, because you're eating at a calorie deficit. You may be losing weight faster on low carb due to glycogen depletion. When you go low carb, your muscle and liver glycogen does not get replenished due to carb intake. This lowers overall glycogen in the body. Each glycogen chain has three water molecules attached to it, so less glycogen results in less water which can give the illusion of fast weight loss. Also, being low carb, means your diet is high protein and high fat meaning it leaves you more satisfied, so many people on low carb tend to eat less by default.

Also, you are diabetic so obviously it might be a good idea to go low carb for other reasons. Being diabetic or pre-diabetic is the only time you should really follow the glycemic index as a guide, and curtail carb intake, but these are for other reasons than weight loss. Your body does not function the same as the average body. You need to worry about blood glucose spikes because of the way your body has trouble with insulin. Low carb diets can be good for diabetics because protein and fat increase glucagon (not to be confused with glycogen) which is the counter hormone to insulin. A high glucagon level due to high protein and fat can lower cholesterol because the ratio of insulin to glucagon determines about 85% of blood cholesterol levels, the other 15% coming from dietary cholesterol.

Also,

When you take away a signifiant portion of someone’s diet or place limits on when they can eat, they can’t help but eat less (at least for a while). If someone’s used to getting 50% of their calories from carbs — and they cut that to less than 10% — they’re going to eat less until they get used to their new diet.

aderenski

I did South Beach several years ago and lost 20 lbs in around a month, then promptly gained it back over the next 6 months. I was always drained and my wife says I was irritable. If you make the switch to low carb, it really has to be a lifestyle thing. The principals are Ok, but it will be really tough if you are exercising (South Beach Diet even says that if you are in an exercise program that you need carbs, but doesn't really elaborate). Some of the principals are the same in the Men's Health Abs Diet, but I like it much better.

AJ_G

I did South Beach several years ago and lost 20 lbs in around a month, then promptly gained it back over the next 6 months. I was always drained and my wife says I was irritable. If you make the switch to low carb, it really has to be a lifestyle thing. The principals are Ok, but it will be really tough if you are exercising (South Beach Diet even says that if you are in an exercise program that you need carbs, but doesn't really elaborate). Some of the principals are the same in the Men's Health Abs Diet, but I like it much better.

The problem with ketogenic diets or very low carb diets is that if you do any type of strength training or a significant amount of exercise, then unless you do periodic carb refeeds where you eat a massive amount of carbs on a single day, your body cannot replenish liver glycogen and muscle glycogen and your fitness oriented goals will not be met. Also when your body switches from carbs to ketones from fat as the main fuel for energy, one often becomes irritable, weak, tired, and overall can feel terrible. This does pass, but the lack of stored glycogen for muscle energy will remain a problem.

pepperpat64

South Beach is not a low carb diet - it's a *healthy* carb diet. Anyone who has actually read the book should know this. I follow it myself and eat plenty of whole grains, fruits, etc. that have high carb counts.

cmcollins001

OK, I am diabetic, and low carb is what I should have been doing since I found out I was one, but I didn't. I had my physical 8 weeks ago, and I had my blood work done... and it was BAD, I mean really bad.... So today I got new "numbers" after being super strict for the last 8 weeks...... I hope you like this, and I hope someone gets inspired by it. This is a cut and paste from the forum I originally posted this on:

Repost when you've been super strict for 8 months or again in 8 years.

Living by a super strict diet isn't a long term solution for the majority of people. My wife tried a low carb thing and by the end of the week she would be cranky and moody and want to eat 2 dozen donuts for breakfast.

While low carb is useful for those who are diabetics, such as yourself, just throwing that out there for general purposes as a "weight loss plan" isn't exactly necessary for the general public.

JessicaOnKeto

I love low carb!
Success as listed below. My boyfriend has lost about 60 pounds on low carb, and we are both still going.
And I just feel healthy, happy and less hungry.

I agree, weight loss=calorie deficiency.

But I also think you can achieve weight loss through a number of different meal plans.
It's not a one size fits all. Find a meal plan you enjoy within the limits, and stick with it. If it's low carb, high fat, low fat, high carb, high protein, whatever, whatever, whatever.
It's all sustainable in my opinion, and you can always switch if your unhappy or feel unhealthy, or adjust your macros as needed.
That's the beauty of it, you have a choice.

I chose low carb since I really feel I can stick with all the delicious food choices I have.

Good luck! :drinker:

kiramaniac

I've lost 51 pounds following keto for the last 10 months. Love the food, and I find it wonderfully sustainable.

Most of the low carbers stick to those forums, and avoid the main message boards. In general, the main message boards are not supportive toward this lifestyle. You may not get a lot of responses for that reason.

AJ_G

South Beach is not a low carb diet - it's a *healthy* carb diet. Anyone who has actually read the book should know this. I follow it myself and eat plenty of whole grain foods that have high carb counts.

The south beach diet is based on the glycemic index which is was developed for diabetics and people's who's bodies had trouble with insulin production. The way foods were tested for the glycemic index is people were fed only one food like let's say white rice, and they were fed a meal of only white rice in a fasted state, so their stomach was completely empty, and they watched how that food affected blood glucose levels. The problem with this is almost nobody eats a meal consisting of one single food in a fasted state. When high glycemic index foods are eaten in a meal with protein and fat, especially protein, it has been found that the glycemic index is basically washed out by the complete meal. The high thermic effect of the protein prevents spikes in blood glucose, and prevents resulting insulin spikes. Unless you are diabetic or have a medical reason for not eating high glycemic index foods, then it is unnecessary to avoid them. Even if you were to eat high glycemic index foods by themselves in a fasted state, it is inconsequential to your weight loss if you are eating at a caloric deficit. Moral of the story is that calorie intake and macronutrient intake are vastly vastly more important than the type of foods or the type of carbs you're eating.

PheonixRizing

I've been following a reduced carb diet. Eating around 100 then when i get to maintenance I'll eat around 150. I think that lower than 50 works for some during the weightloss phase but not so much for maintenance. Everyone does their own thing but I find that I am steadily losing at around 100. I also have had GB WLS so carbs are just bad for me in general. At 100 I find that i can work in rice and pasta into my diet, but still avoid breads and feel very satisfied and still eating at a deficit. You just gotta find what works for you.

pepperpat64

It also matters what kind of carbs a person was eating before going on a "low-carb" diet. If the carb-laden foods consisted of snack chips, white pasta/potatoes/rice, refined white breads, cookies, full-sugar sodas, beer, etc., then yes, cutting those things out makes a tremendous weight difference in a short time. That was my situation the first time I did Phase 1, and I lost 13 pounds and substantial inches in two weeks. It's also why, after going onto Phase 2 and reintroducing healthy carbs to the diet, the weight loss slows dramatically. There's a reason Dr. Agatston (the creator of SBD) advices against staying on Phase 1 more than a couple weeks. Extreme carb deprivation is unhealthy over the long term, assuming a person can even stick to it.

_HeartsOnFire_

High fives go to...

Amyrebeccah
AJ_G
Tribehokie
Cmcollins001

pepperpat64

South Beach is not a low carb diet - it's a *healthy* carb diet. Anyone who has actually read the book should know this. I follow it myself and eat plenty of whole grain foods that have high carb counts.

The south beach diet is based on the glycemic index which is was developed for diabetics and people's who's bodies had trouble with insulin production. The way foods were tested for the glycemic index is people were fed only one food like let's say white rice, and they were fed a meal of only white rice in a fasted state, so their stomach was completely empty, and they watched how that food affected blood glucose levels. The problem with this is almost nobody eats a meal consisting of one single food in a fasted state. When high glycemic index foods are eaten in a meal with protein and fat, especially protein, it has been found that the glycemic index is basically washed out by the complete meal. The high thermic effect of the protein prevents spikes in blood glucose, and prevents resulting insulin spikes. Unless you are diabetic or have a medical reason for not eating high glycemic index foods, then it is unnecessary to avoid them. Even if you were to eat high glycemic index foods by themselves in a fasted state, it is inconsequential to your weight loss if you are eating at a caloric deficit. Moral of the story is that calorie intake and macronutrient intake are vastly vastly more important than the type of foods or the type of carbs you're eating.

Um, yes, I know. That's all in the SBD book. LOL.

AJ_G

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AJ_G

South Beach is not a low carb diet - it's a *healthy* carb diet. Anyone who has actually read the book should know this. I follow it myself and eat plenty of whole grain foods that have high carb counts.

The south beach diet is based on the glycemic index which is was developed for diabetics and people's who's bodies had trouble with insulin production. The way foods were tested for the glycemic index is people were fed only one food like let's say white rice, and they were fed a meal of only white rice in a fasted state, so their stomach was completely empty, and they watched how that food affected blood glucose levels. The problem with this is almost nobody eats a meal consisting of one single food in a fasted state. When high glycemic index foods are eaten in a meal with protein and fat, especially protein, it has been found that the glycemic index is basically washed out by the complete meal. The high thermic effect of the protein prevents spikes in blood glucose, and prevents resulting insulin spikes. Unless you are diabetic or have a medical reason for not eating high glycemic index foods, then it is unnecessary to avoid them. Even if you were to eat high glycemic index foods by themselves in a fasted state, it is inconsequential to your weight loss if you are eating at a caloric deficit. Moral of the story is that calorie intake and macronutrient intake are vastly vastly more important than the type of foods or the type of carbs you're eating.

Um, yes, I know. That's all in the SBD book. LOL.

So then why are you continuing to say that the type of carbs matter???

dieselbyte

South Beach is not a low carb diet - it's a *healthy* carb diet. Anyone who has actually read the book should know this. I follow it myself and eat plenty of whole grains, fruits, etc. that have high carb counts.

Curious as to what a "healthy" carb is?? If one were to consume the same amount of calories from a "healthy" carb source vs an "unhealthy" carb source, what would happen? Would the "unhealthy" carb eater gain weight, all other things being equal??

susan1024

Healthy carbs are vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Unhealthy carbs are chips, cookies, donuts, pop, candy, pretzels, etc.,etc.,etc. A person could lose weight eating the unhealthy carbs, but they would be SO lacking in vitamins and minerals that are in healthy carbs. Also the quantity of food that they could eat would be greatly diminished.

AJ_G

Healthy carbs are vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Unhealthy carbs are chips, cookies, donuts, pop, candy, pretzels, etc.,etc.,etc. A person could lose weight eating the unhealthy carbs, but they would be SO lacking in vitamins and minerals that are in healthy carbs. Also the quantity of food that they could eat would be greatly diminished.

A single food is not healthy or unhealthy by itself without context. Food is either healthy or unhealthy in the context of your daily intake. For example, if you have already hit your daily goals for all of your micronutrients, and you have 200 calories, 12g of fat, and 22 carbs remaining for the day, then a glazed doughnut from krispy kreme would be a healthy choice. If you are trying to lose or maintain your weight and you have already hit your macro, micro, and calorie goals for the day, then any fruit or vegetable you eat is going to be an unhealthy choice. People who eat fast food a majority of the time are often very unhealthy. This is not because fast food is unhealthy, but instead because these people are over consuming in general. You can't blame the food their eating, you have to blame the quantities they're eating.

motown13

Why do low carb bigots always feel the need to tell everybody that what low carbers are doing is wrong, even when the low carbers have SPECTACULAR results? This woman was looking to hear success stories, and idiots want to impose their own beliefs. Go create your own damn threads and pat each other on the back and rejoice in your wonderfulness.

AJ_G

Why do low carb bigots always feel the need to tell everybody that what low carbers are doing is wrong, even when the low carbers have SPECTACULAR results? This woman was looking to hear success stories, and idiots want to impose their own beliefs. Go create your own damn threads and pat each other on the back and rejoice in your wonderfulness.

When did anybody tell you not to do low carb or that low carb was wrong? All that was said is that low carb was not superior to any other diet for fat loss, or overall health (unless you are diabetic or have a medical reason to avoid carbs). We're not imposing our beliefs, we are providing scientific backed, proven knowledge. If that goes against your beliefs, then I am sorry, but it's the truth. It sounds like you're pretty bent out of shape because your whole nutrition belief structure has been shattered. Don't get upset when presented with proven knowledge about nutrition. If you enjoy a low carb diet, or you are losing weight on a low carb diet and feeling better on a low carb diet, then by all means continue following a low carb diet, but don't freak out at us when we suggest that the results of a low carb diet are not low carb dependent, but instead calorie deficit dependent...

VeronicaAM

Hi I found this very interesting
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
you can find it as Endocrinology 101 ,

motown13

Lol, you would try to tell a kid on Christmas morning that there is no Santa Clause.

As far as shattering my beliefs? Hell no. In the last 3 months I have read 8 books with hundreds of studies that say you are wrong.

AJ_G

Lol, you would try to tell a kid on Christmas morning that there is no Santa Clause.

As far as shattering my beliefs? Hell no. In the last 3 months I have read 8 books with hundreds of studies that say you are wrong.

I would love to see even one study that shows that I'm wrong

motown13

Lol, you would try to tell a kid on Christmas morning that there is no Santa Clause.

As far as shattering my beliefs? Hell no. In the last 3 months I have read 8 books with hundreds of studies that say you are wrong.

I would love to see even one study that shows that I'm wrong

Then go do your own research and stop trying to convince people your way is right and our way is wrong. I think my results clearly show what low carb can do.... And I have liver and kidney tests done too. My endocrinologist is thrilled for me..... Oh, and I was recommended by my heart doctor to do this.... I'm guessing he has read many studies.

AJ_G

Lol, you would try to tell a kid on Christmas morning that there is no Santa Clause.

As far as shattering my beliefs? Hell no. In the last 3 months I have read 8 books with hundreds of studies that say you are wrong.

I would love to see even one study that shows that I'm wrong

Then go do your own research and stop trying to convince people your way is right and our way is wrong. I think my results clearly show what low carb can do.... And I have liver and kidney tests done too. My endocrinologist is thrilled for me..... Oh, and I was recommended by my heart doctor to do this.... I'm guessing he has read many studies.

What makes you think I haven't done my research? Here are my sources:

Raynor HA, Epstein LH. Dietary variety, energy regulation, and obesity. Psychol Bull. 2001;127(3):325–341.

Larson DE, Rising R, Ferraro RT, Ravussin E. Spontaneous overfeeding with a “cafeteria diet” in men: effects on 24-hour energy expenditure and substrate oxidation. International Journal of Obesity (2005). 1995;19(5):331–337.

Halton TL, Hu FB. The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: a critical review.J Am Coll Nutr. 2004;23(5):373–385. Available at: http://www.jacn.org/content/23/5/373.long.

Erlanson-Albertsson C, Mei J. The effect of low carbohydrate on energy metabolism. International Journal of Obesity (2005). 2005;29 Suppl 2:S26–30.

Westerterp-Plantenga MS. Protein intake and energy balance. Regul Pept. 2008;149(1-3):67–69. doi:10.1016/j.regpep.2007.08.026.

Paddon-Jones D, Westman E, Mattes RD, Wolfe RR, Astrup A, Westerterp-Plantenga M. Protein, weight management, and satiety. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;87(5):1558S–1561S. Available at: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/87/5/1558S.long.

Soenen S, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. Proteins and satiety: implications for weight management. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2008;11(6):747–751.

Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Nieuwenhuizen A, Tome D, Soenen S, Westerterp KR. Dietary protein, weight loss, and weight maintenance. Annu Rev Nutr. 2009;29:21–41. doi:10.1146/annurev-nutr-080508-141056.

Boden G, Sargrad K, Homko C, Mozzoli M, Stein TP. Effect of a low-carbohydrate diet on appetite, blood glucose levels, and insulin resistance in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142(6):403–411.

Stimson RH, Johnstone AM, Homer NZM, et al. Dietary macronutrient content alters cortisol metabolism independently of body weight changes in obese men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92(11):4480–4484. doi:10.1210/jc.2007-0692.

Krehl WA, Lopez A, Good EI, Hodges RE. Some metabolic changes induced by low carbohydrate diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 1967;20(2):139–148. Available at: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/20/2/139.full.pdf+html.

Chan ST, Johnson AW, Moore MH, Kapadia CR, Dudley HA. Early weight gain and glycogen-obligated water during nutritional rehabilitation. Hum Nutr Clin Nutr. 1982;36(3):223–232.

Olsson KE, Saltin B. Variation in total body water with muscle glycogen changes in man. Acta Physiol Scand. 1970;80(1):11–18.

Kreitzman SN, Coxon AY, Szaz KF. Glycogen storage: illusions of easy weight loss, excessive weight regain, and distortions in estimates of body composition. Am J Clin Nutr. 1992;56(1 Suppl):292S–293S. Available at: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/56/1/292S.full.pdf.

Evans WJ, Hughes VA. Dietary carbohydrates and endurance exercise. Am J Clin Nutr. 1985;41(5 Suppl):1146–1154. Available at: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/41/5/1146.long.





All I ask is that you provide me with just 1 credible scientific source that supports your argument, just one please.