Has anyone else tried low carb?

mekhala

Hi All

I have felt all carbed out over the last couple of days so decided to bring my carb goals right down to 15% and have lost 3lb in 1 day.

I gained 5 last week, i believe the scales havent been moving (or if they move its in the worng direction) for me because i have been eating far too many carbs.

Has anyone else tried this kind of thing, let me know the pro's and cons.... i will be eating some carbs eg, pulses and the multigrain breads and things - i am going to try and steer clear of the "white" foods my body loves so much.

Its good because today i got to eat smoked salmnon and scrambled eggs.... ham and a fillet of poached salmon for snacking, salad for lunch and a steak with veg for tea....

I am not talking about the low carb high saturated fat diets - i am talking of the healthier eating, low refined carbs with healthy proteins and lots of vegetables.

Let me know your thought, i would be very interested to find out!

Mekhala

leix

for me, low carb does work but don't get results for weeks on end.
i don't get enough fibre so get problems.

mekhala

my colon cleaning therapist sells tablets that are fiber based, they have been really good for clearing the system out, the ingredients are all natural - like garlic and herbs, they are in little capsules.

Maybe a herbologist or a health food shop can help?? x x

ProTFitness

I would research the low carb becaue it is not all that is cracked up to be. You have to have them but from fruit veggies and whole grains. Your body need them to function. Read my little blog on yo yo dieteting. What you need is a balance of carbs/ protien and healthy fats. Generally the % for most people is 40% carb 30 % protien and 30% fat. Your body need a balance of them all. Example a great breakfest is oatmeal or oatbran with flax seed egg and egg whites and maybe some berries, Good combo of all

Have a great day and hope this helps. Ps also can you live on low carb the rest of your life.. Prob not.

Tonya

judswi

yes it really works for me. The todayshow last week just had low carb vs another diet I can't remember what other diet and low carb was the winner. For me if I eat carbs I want more carbs I guess I have a carb addiction.

JennaGermain

I tried low carb once but there are so many carbs I love that it isn't feasible for me to do longer than a couple weeks or so (though back when I did it, I lost 9 lbs in 3 weeks)

Plus, at least for now, my difficulty with chewing means I can't really add on any other food type restrictions for now.

mekhala

Thanks Girls - The book i am using has 3 stages - 2 weeks of low carbs - after then an intro to the right carbs, and after that weight maintenance with carbs, seems like a really good book.
Sorry to hear you have difficulty in chewing jenna, whats happned?

srpryer806

Yes I am doing this now. Staying away from bad carbs, white breads and noodles and rice and trying just good carbs. And I walking for 25 minutes every day also but I have lost 3 lbs and I only started on the 15th. I can really notice a difference. It does take some work to stay away from the bread, at least it does for me. I love bread and noodles. You will do great, stick with it.

JennaGermain

I had tooth pain last year and I went to a dentist that decided the problem was a baby tooth that had never fallen out. They started removing it and found it was fused to my jawbone so then they went chisel happy and instead of just removing the tooth, they removed a LARGE chunk of my jawbone.

It turned out that the tooth they removed wasn't even the tooth that was the problem. The dentist I went to for a consult on an implant to replace the removed tooth figured out it was the tooth behind the one they removed and did a root canal but we can't yet replace the tooth that was hacked out because so much of my jawbone was removed that I need to grow back a lot of bone to be able to suitably hold a pin to put a fake chewing tooth on.

If I'd just started with the 2nd dentist, I probably wouldn't have had any of this happen. It just sucks because I can't chew anything hard (too much strain on the jaw) and anything that is semi hard I have to make sure it doesn't stray over to the other side and hurt the gums & general area. And I've gone deeply in debt (like $6,000) in getting the root canal, crown, the initial dentist's surgery to hack up my jaw, two bone grafts (so far) and I had to pre-pay for the dental spike thingy to go in my jaw and the fake tooth that will go on top of it (even though it hasn't been put in yet)

Barneystinson

I would research the low carb becaue it is not all that is cracked up to be. You have to have them but from fruit veggies and whole grains. Your body need them to function. Read my little blog on yo yo dieteting. What you need is a balance of carbs/ protien and healthy fats. Generally the % for most people is 40% carb 30 % protien and 30% fat. Your body need a balance of them all. Example a great breakfest is oatmeal or oatbran with flax seed egg and egg whites and maybe some berries, Good combo of all

Have a great day and hope this helps. Ps also can you live on low carb the rest of your life.. Prob not.

Tonya

If I needed fruit and grains to function, I'd be dead.

Just saying.

MzBug

I eat my oatmeal, bran cereal, fruits and vegies and occasionally potatoes or rice. I haven't really missed the wheat products this time around for some reason. I have used the Arnolds sandwich rolls, they kind of look like a flat round multigrain hamburger bun when I wanted a sandwich. I tried to eat regular pasta a few nights ago (after 3 weeks without) and it just didn't taste good. I can't imagine going without carbs!

saverys_gal

To the OP-low carb can be a truly wonderful way to go!! You said the book you are reading has 3 stages? Can I assume you are doing South Beach? I follow Atkins and have been for over a year-the numbers in my signature are proof that it works and I am very healthy now! Message me if you have any questions. :drinker:
So for the earlier poster who said that eating low carb was a BAD thing...you should really read before you speak or type! Following these low carb plans initially cuts out your white, starchy carbs-you eat proteins and good leafy veggies that have carbs. Then as you go through the phases you ADD carbs back in, such as fruits and good whole grains.
Eating low carb teaches you that your body does not need the crappy flour and processed crap that we've been feeding it!

And kudos to you Barneystinson I can't quite give up fruits and some grains but I admire your way!!

Barneystinson

To the OP-low carb can be a truly wonderful way to go!! You said the book you are reading has 3 stages? Can I assume you are doing South Beach? I follow Atkins and have been for over a year-the numbers in my signature are proof that it works and I am very healthy now! Message me if you have any questions. :drinker:
So for the earlier poster who said that eating low carb was a BAD thing...you should really read before you speak or type! Following these low carb plans initially cuts out your white, starchy carbs-you eat proteins and good leafy veggies that have carbs. Then as you go through the phases you ADD carbs back in, such as fruits and good whole grains.
Eating low carb teaches you that your body does not need the crappy flour and processed crap that we've been feeding it!

And kudos to you Barneystinson I can't quite give up fruits and some grains but I admire your way!!

I do eat berries and canteloupe on occasion

I view them as treats, though.

saverys_gal

To the OP-low carb can be a truly wonderful way to go!! You said the book you are reading has 3 stages? Can I assume you are doing South Beach? I follow Atkins and have been for over a year-the numbers in my signature are proof that it works and I am very healthy now! Message me if you have any questions. :drinker:
So for the earlier poster who said that eating low carb was a BAD thing...you should really read before you speak or type! Following these low carb plans initially cuts out your white, starchy carbs-you eat proteins and good leafy veggies that have carbs. Then as you go through the phases you ADD carbs back in, such as fruits and good whole grains.
Eating low carb teaches you that your body does not need the crappy flour and processed crap that we've been feeding it!

And kudos to you Barneystinson I can't quite give up fruits and some grains but I admire your way!!

I do eat berries and canteloupe on occasion

I view them as treats, though.

As do I. Even though I follow Atkins protocol, my body doesn't handle all the sugar very well-so I don't eat fruit very often. I haven't had any now in well over a month and really can't say that I'm depriving myself or that I'm eating an unbalanced bad diet.

stroutman81

There's no magic here.

Calories are always paramount. By that, I mean you can gain weight while eating zero carbs if you're in a calorie surplus. And vice versa, you can lose weight eating nothing but carbs as long as you're in a calorie deficit.

Once calories are accounted for, picking and choosing what nutrients provide you your calories is next. And it is important, too.

For most everyone, creating a healthy base of protein, healthy fats, fruits and veggies is the name of the game. Where you go from there is the wild card, and this generally revolves around the other carbs (non fruit and veggies).

Some folks will certainly do better on lower/controlled carb type diets. Obese folks, for instance, who are generally insulin resistant, tend to fare better eating lower carb. On the flip side though... some folks do better eating higher carb. At the end of the day, it's all about experimentation really.

Just keep in mind that most low carb approaches stand only to indirectly control calories. They work in that once you remove a major food group, it's makes it that much harder to overeat calories. People write it up as the magic of low carbs forgetting that correlation does not equal causation.

Also keep in mind that initially people tend to low quite a bit of water weight eating low carb. People get ecstatic about this as if reaching a number on the scale was what's really important - when in fact it's really about optimizing body composition and health.

Ge0rgiana

There's no magic here.

Calories are always paramount. By that, I mean you can gain weight while eating zero carbs if you're in a calorie surplus. And vice versa, you can lose weight eating nothing but carbs as long as you're in a calorie deficit.

Once calories are accounted for, picking and choosing what nutrients provide you your calories is next. And it is important, too.

For most everyone, creating a healthy base of protein, healthy fats, fruits and veggies is the name of the game. Where you go from there is the wild card, and this generally revolves around the other carbs (non fruit and veggies).

Some folks will certainly do better on lower/controlled carb type diets. Obese folks, for instance, who are generally insulin resistant, tend to fare better eating lower carb. On the flip side though... some folks do better eating higher carb. At the end of the day, it's all about experimentation really.

Just keep in mind that most low carb approaches stand only to indirectly control calories. They work in that once you remove a major food group, it's makes it that much harder to overeat calories. People write it up as the magic of low carbs forgetting that correlation does not equal causation.

Also keep in mind that initially people tend to low quite a bit of water weight eating low carb. People get ecstatic about this as if reaching a number on the scale was what's really important - when in fact it's really about optimizing body composition and health.

Once again, Steve does make a lot of sense. :happy:

I will point out that I'm one of those folks that does better keeping my carbs down. While I do see the logic that calories are calories, there is more to it than that. There's blood sugar. While I'm sure that I would lose weight eating a low calorie, high carb diet... A. It would be unsustainable for more than a day or so because I would be STARVING and B. Even if I could keep it up, I'd never know I was losing weight because I'd be very swollen. For some of us, controlling water weight is just as appealing as controlling pure fat. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... Severe edema has made weight loss just as much of a struggle for me as any other cause, including a sluggish metabolism due to hypothyroidism. In the past, I have lost 20lbs in less than 6 weeks by doing nothing more than taking a diuretic. (That's a lot of weight for a small woman.) I digress... In the end, different people have different metabolisms. You have to pay attention to how your body reacts to the food you give it. I think if your tolerance to carbs is less than great, you probably know. Regardless, make sure that whatever you put in your body is HEALTHY and as natural as you can possibly make it. :bigsmile:

unocentavo

Low carb diets have never been proven to be bad for your health. Many people have had tremendous success using this method. A lot of bodybuilders use a ketogenic type diet for cutting phase.
If you exercise alot though, it's gonna be more difficult because of energy depletion. I tried it before and can't hang with it personally. I did lose weight but felt like crap most of the time. It works fine for some people and not so good with others. If it works for you, go for it.

July24Lioness

I would research the low carb becaue it is not all that is cracked up to be. You have to have them but from fruit veggies and whole grains. Your body need them to function. Read my little blog on yo yo dieteting. What you need is a balance of carbs/ protien and healthy fats. Generally the % for most people is 40% carb 30 % protien and 30% fat. Your body need a balance of them all. Example a great breakfest is oatmeal or oatbran with flax seed egg and egg whites and maybe some berries, Good combo of all

Have a great day and hope this helps. Ps also can you live on low carb the rest of your life.. Prob not.

Tonya

I am not posting this to create a debate or argument. I am merely passing on first hand information on how I am able to live a controlled carb lifestyle and became healthier in the process.

In order to make an educated decision, you need to be able to hear all sides of this discussion.

The approach of moderation for everyone DOES NOT FIT.

You don't need grains. The government only tells you that we need them because they are cheap and easily farmed.

Grains have to be processed to be eaten. You can not go to a field and pick a stalk of wheat, rye, etc and eat it straight like you can veggies and fruits.

That is one of the MAIN reasons it is not in my eating plan.

Also, amongst my research and then testing that research on me and my family, I have found that saturated fat is NOT BAD for us.

I have been on a very low carb, higher fat and moderate protein plan for 7 years and I didn't gain any weight back UNTIL I developed a pituitary tumor, adrenal gland fatigue and hypothyroidism.

I have a major wheat intolerance, so if I do eat any bread, it is either made with oat flour or almond flour and in the winter I do enjoy an occasional bowl of steel cut oats.

Other than that, I enjoy raw milk, raw cheese, greek yogurt with berries, lots of fresh veggies and fruits from my CSA subscription or the local farmers market.

I only eat eggs, chicken, beef and pork from a local butcher shop that gets his meats from local farmers with in a 35 mile radius of Downtown St Louis, MO. (Illinois and Missouri).

I have gotten off all Diabetes medications, anti-depressants, high blood pressure meds, etc. The only meds I currently take is Armour Thyroid.

My husband is completely off his high blood pressure meds also. My husband has kept off a 60 pound loss for 4 years now eating this way.

Our cholestol, triglycerides and all other blood work is completely normal too. So much so, my doctor asked us how we did it.

I told her that we followed Atkins by the book, from Phase 1 (induction) all the way through Phase 4 (Maintenance).

There is nothing FADDISH about a low carb lifestyle. We live it.

July24Lioness

I would research the low carb becaue it is not all that is cracked up to be. You have to have them but from fruit veggies and whole grains. Your body need them to function. Read my little blog on yo yo dieteting. What you need is a balance of carbs/ protien and healthy fats. Generally the % for most people is 40% carb 30 % protien and 30% fat. Your body need a balance of them all. Example a great breakfest is oatmeal or oatbran with flax seed egg and egg whites and maybe some berries, Good combo of all

Have a great day and hope this helps. Ps also can you live on low carb the rest of your life.. Prob not.

Tonya

If I needed fruit and grains to function, I'd be dead.

Just saying.

That is true..............Then again, we eat very similiarly.......... :drinker: :drinker:




I also wanted to add the part about what you said of an example of a great breakfast..............

Well according to both Atkins and South Beach (which are low / controlled carb plans) that is a perfect breakfast. So, in essence you are subscribing to a controlled carb lifestyle.

So it is not fair to say without reading any of the low carb plans out here from start to finish that someone can't adhere to it for life, because that is very simply false.

saverys_gal

I would research the low carb becaue it is not all that is cracked up to be. You have to have them but from fruit veggies and whole grains. Your body need them to function. Read my little blog on yo yo dieteting. What you need is a balance of carbs/ protien and healthy fats. Generally the % for most people is 40% carb 30 % protien and 30% fat. Your body need a balance of them all. Example a great breakfest is oatmeal or oatbran with flax seed egg and egg whites and maybe some berries, Good combo of all

Have a great day and hope this helps. Ps also can you live on low carb the rest of your life.. Prob not.

Tonya

If I needed fruit and grains to function, I'd be dead.

Just saying.

That is true..............Then again, we eat very similiarly.......... :drinker: :drinker:




I also wanted to add the part about what you said of an example of a great breakfast..............

Well according to both Atkins and South Beach (which are low / controlled carb plans) that is a perfect breakfast. So, in essence you are subscribing to a controlled carb lifestyle.

So it is not fair to say without reading any of the low carb plans out here from start to finish that someone can't adhere to it for life, because that is very simply false.

*waves* Hi lioness! I was hoping you'd find us over here! Hehe.
I think we've lucked out though and only had one person say something negative about low carb eating...that's a change!

stroutman81

*waves* Hi lioness! I was hoping you'd find us over here! Hehe.
I think we've lucked out though and only had one person say something negative about low carb eating...that's a change!

For what it's worth, I'm generally pretty neutral. If someone enjoys low carb better than something else, who am I to judge. That said, I'm against the push from the scientific and huckster community to get the masses to believe there's some sort of metabolic advantage associated with low carb diets.

Unfortunately, it seems that the low carb world is buried in a lot of zealotry.

Which is unfortunate since, while there are select populations who would probably do better with low carb dieting, there are many folks who'd do better avoiding low carb diets.

Of course you can blame it on the user for being ignorant. But when you have diet programs and "experts" telling people carbs make you fat... well... it's sort of hard not to generalize and knock the low carb approach as a whole. Granted, I'm well aware of the fact that it's not the approach per se... rather it's the fanaticism and BS marketers/authors who drive the ridiculousness.

Not really applicable to this thread... but I just wanted to throw my 2 cents at your comment about negativity towards low carb diets.