Low carb diets???

linalovekitty

So Ive been doing a lot of research on low carb diets, trying to understand and compare and contrast. and this is how I understand it- please comment & enlighten:

Carbs spike insulin which cause increased appetite and food consumption. Lowering carbs naturally lowers appetite bc insulin levels off. Also, insulin spikes can increase fat storage.

Carbs are good energy sources especially if you work out

There are different types of low carb eating :

1 type is a ketogenic diet similar to Atkins induction where carbs & carb sources are restricted severely (under 20g) to the point of ketosis where your body has to devour its own fat. Also, appetite decreases bc of chemistry. Overtime, carbs are increased for maintanence

another type of low carb eating is non-ketogenic where you restrict your carbs but not to the point of ketosis. A lot of these types of diets recommend under 100g/day. The idea is that your insulin will still level off and you will benefit from a lowered appette- but you are not in ketosis and the restriction is easier to maintain.

Here are my questions:
1. on diets like paleo, why do they allow fruit but not whole grains when fruit is a simple carb ie fructose which spikes insulin far more than something like brown rice? seems counter intuitive

2. how do people workout and do low carb?
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ladymiseryali

Can't answer the first question because I'm doing keto, but I can answer the second one. I can workout just fine. The first week you're doing keto, you're kind of weak and your brain is foggy, but once your body adapts, you have more energy and are able to do the things you usually do.

linalovekitty

Can't answer the first question because I'm doing keto, but I can answer the second one. I can workout just fine. The first week you're doing keto, you're kind of weak and your brain is foggy, but once your body adapts, you have more energy and are able to do the things you usually do.

thx. ok so you do feel like your body adjusts? I know for me, just cutting out sugar in the past, I get so groggy and low energy but Ive never stuck with it long enough to actually see- although I dont do keto

Fridaklo77

the dukan really worked for me, I went from 178-160 in a quick time, but the thing is...... you have to continue eating like that, its not easy. I am up 184. So, the yo yo dieting is not good. I would suggest, just tracking what you are eating, and burning more cals.

linalovekitty

the dukan really worked for me, I went from 178-160 in a quick time, but the thing is...... you have to continue eating like that, its not easy. I am up 184. So, the yo yo dieting is not good. I would suggest, just tracking what you are eating, and burning more cals.

my problem is my appetite is out of control, and I do eat a lot of sugar and carb so its really hard for me to manage my cals to the pt of weight loss. The only thing that balances my appetite and regulates is when I lower my sugar and carbs- but not to the pt of keto. I do eat whole grain carb daily, and i feel it helps. I just find myself tired when I do it

mungowungo

Here are my questions:
1. on diets like paleo, why do they allow fruit but not whole grains when fruit is a simple carb ie fructose which spikes insulin far more than something like brown rice? seems counter intuitive

2. how do people workout and do low carb?
-

1 Okay from what I can understand of paleo (I'm not an expert but have done a little research myself) the idea is to eat as our ancestors did before the agricultural revolution - paleolithic man did not grow food hence no grains. They only ate what they could hunt or gather which is why fruit is okay but this would only be seasonal. Paleolithic man would not have known a thing about insulin.

2 From what I can gather your body can and will burn fat as a fuel source if no carbs are available.

ladymiseryali

Can't answer the first question because I'm doing keto, but I can answer the second one. I can workout just fine. The first week you're doing keto, you're kind of weak and your brain is foggy, but once your body adapts, you have more energy and are able to do the things you usually do.

thx. ok so you do feel like your body adjusts? I know for me, just cutting out sugar in the past, I get so groggy and low energy but Ive never stuck with it long enough to actually see- although I dont do keto

For me, it was gradual. The first week, I felt like I had the flu, but then after a while, I felt normal again. Actually, I felt better than normal. If you're thinking of going keto, you just need to stick with it and see results. The first 10ish lbs of weight loss is water weight primarily.

Acg67

So Ive been doing a lot of research on low carb diets, trying to understand and compare and contrast. and this is how I understand it- please comment & enlighten:

Carbs spike insulin which cause increased appetite and food consumption.
-

You didn't research very objectively. Protein is highly insulinogenic...

LuckyLeprechaun

Here are my questions:
1. on diets like paleo, why do they allow fruit but not whole grains when fruit is a simple carb ie fructose which spikes insulin far more than something like brown rice? seems counter intuitive

2. how do people workout and do low carb?
-

1. because they didn't base their ideas on science, they based them on some nonsensical idea of what cavemen may or may not have eaten. Why do you want to emulate early hominids whose lifespan was MAYBE 30 years old? You don't.

2. They (mostly) don't. Often, those who follow low carb do it because they don't want to workout, and are trying to control their outcome through diet alone. This is a perfectly valid way to proceed, I lost my first 50# before I ever joined a gym and worked out. You don't have to workout. But if you are depriving your body of carbs in a major way, your workout is going to suffer. So will your thought processes, as your brain runs on carbs.

JoanaMHill

I'd add that you need to be careful about cutting carbs, and especially if you plan on "eating normally" later. A teacher I had in middle school went on the Atkins diet with her husband and ended up gaining every pound they lost back after one good meal. Of course the Atkins diet isn't all that healthy to begin with so there's that.

KANGOOJUMPS

carbs are your fuel, if you are a cardio gal like me, you need the carbs

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I'd add that you need to be careful about cutting carbs, and especially if you plan on "eating normally" later. A teacher I had in middle school went on the Atkins diet with her husband and ended up gaining every pound they lost back after one good meal. Of course the Atkins diet isn't all that healthy to begin with so there's that.

That's where your wrong about the Atkins plan not being healthy. How is eating protein, fats and getting carbs from vegetables unhealthy???

Then you move along and add back in fruits, dairy, even legumes and grains if your body is tolerant to those foods.

Your teacher didn't do the Atkins plan as it is written to do and it is a lifestyle change to make to focus on eating whole foods.

littlelexical

Paleo has nothing to do with if something is or isn't a carb, it is short for paleoithic - the prehistoric era of human history & aiming to eat a diet similar to what our ancestors in that time would eat. They deem Fruit (not like the fruit we find today, but, fruit none the less) was about & consumed and that grains were not.

Basically it is classed as a low carb diet - because of what it is deemed we ate back then - but - not based on removing carbs from ones diet, in the same way a touted 'low carb' diet is.

JoanaMHill

"When it comes to long-term side effects, many health professionals are concerned that the Atkins diet may have serious dangers. While the high intake of fat, particularly saturates, may increase the risk of heart disease, there are also concerns that the unbalanced nature of the Atkins diet may lead to nutritional deficiencies, which cause health problems in later life. For example, poor intakes of bone-building calcium (found in dairy products) may increase the risk of osteoporosis, while poor intakes of antioxidant nutrients (found in fruit and veg) have been linked with a host of health problems ranging from heart disease and cancer to premature ageing and cataracts. "

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/atkins_diet/atkins.htm

It's like any other diet that tells you to limit something. Most people who go on glamorized diets like Atkins aren't looking to be healthy, they're simply looking to lose weight, and that means they aren't informed enough to make key decisions about what they should follow and what they shouldn't.

caterpillarfacts

"When it comes to long-term side effects, many health professionals are concerned that the Atkins diet may have serious dangers. While the high intake of fat, particularly saturates, may increase the risk of heart disease, there are also concerns that the unbalanced nature of the Atkins diet may lead to nutritional deficiencies, which cause health problems in later life. For example, poor intakes of bone-building calcium (found in dairy products) may increase the risk of osteoporosis, while poor intakes of antioxidant nutrients (found in fruit and veg) have been linked with a host of health problems ranging from heart disease and cancer to premature ageing and cataracts. "

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/atkins_diet/atkins.htm

It's like any other diet that tells you to limit something. Most people who go on glamorized diets like Atkins aren't looking to be healthy, they're simply looking to lose weight, and that means they aren't informed enough to make key decisions about what they should follow and what they shouldn't.

I'm not on the atkins diet, but what you're saying doesn't really make sense.
Cheese is extremely low in carbs, and is high in calcium. If a person isn't getting the nutrients they need, it's their fault and not the diets. Dairy products are very possible on low carb diet (butter is a staple, cheese is a staple), so I don't understand why someone would say that you can't have them. Also about the vegetables thing, there are tons of vegetables that are low carb (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.). I think whoever wrote that article doesn't read labels very often.

I agree with you that picking a diet that limits certain foods is generally a bad idea unless you plan on sticking to it for life.

Ejourneys

Back in 2001-2002 I lost 60 pounds in 9 months on the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, which is less restrictive than Atkins. I was allowed carbs during one meal out of the day. There were no gram restrictions, but I needed to keep the carbs in proportion to salad and protein and had to finish the carb meal inside of an hour.

My cravings decreased, but the diet (even on maintenance) wasn't sustainable after I had reached my goal weight. I ended up gaining almost everything back.

What's helped me this time around is what I call "bridge foods." I'm still eating carbs and (natural) sugars, but after an adjustment that took a couple of weeks, my cravings are all but gone. In fact, the stuff I used to crave is too rich for me now. Here's what I mean by a bridge food:

I don't restrict anything -- I just don't feel the need for sweets other than fruit.

Sreneesa

Here are my questions:
1. on diets like paleo, why do they allow fruit but not whole grains when fruit is a simple carb ie fructose which spikes insulin far more than something like brown rice? seems counter intuitive

2. how do people workout and do low carb?
-

1. because they didn't base their ideas on science, they based them on some nonsensical idea of what cavemen may or may not have eaten. Why do you want to emulate early hominids whose lifespan was MAYBE 30 years old? You don't.


2. They (mostly) don't. Often, those who follow low carb do it because they don't want to workout, and are trying to control their outcome through diet alone. This is a perfectly valid way to proceed, I lost my first 50# before I ever joined a gym and worked out. You don't have to workout. But if you are depriving your body of carbs in a major way, your workout is going to suffer. So will your thought processes, as your brain runs on carbs.

Exactly. I never understood why people would cut carbs so drastically when it is so essential to our overall health and brain! person can easily lose weight by not going on hardcore low carb diets. Just doesn't make sense to me unless they have a chronic illness that warrants it. But, I have seen it work for some but ALWAYS I see them gain it right back.

But, I never was the type to do diet fads to lose weight so my way of thinking may be a little biased.

Sreneesa

When you start a diet, always ask yourself if you if you can keep it up forever. And if you view it as a temporary way to drop pounds, then what are you going to change about your previous habits that will keep the weight from coming back?

Well said.

linalovekitty

Paleo has nothing to do with if something is or isn't a carb, it is short for paleoithic - the prehistoric era of human history & aiming to eat a diet similar to what our ancestors in that time would eat. They deem Fruit (not like the fruit we find today, but, fruit none the less) was about & consumed and that grains were not.

I know- what s interesting is the way some crossfit/paleo trainers tell their clients how to do paleo. its shockingly off from what the books say

Skrib69

To my mind, any diet that cuts out great swathes of food is not a recipe for long term success. You still have to face what made you gain the weight in the first place - it is just ignoring the elephant in the room.

If you want to try these types of diet - paleo, Atkins et al, then fine. I think it is worth remembering that current life expectancy for a new-born child is in excess of 100. Less than 100 years ago it was barely 70 if you were lucky. Balance and moderation is , IMO, the key for a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. Unfortunately we have to learn the balance and moderation now........

in_the_stars

So Ive been doing a lot of research on low carb diets, trying to understand and compare and contrast. and this is how I understand it- please comment & enlighten:

Carbs spike insulin which cause increased appetite and food consumption.
-

You didn't research very objectively. Protein is highly insulinogenic...

Truth. Insulin is not a bad thing.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

"When it comes to long-term side effects, many health professionals are concerned that the Atkins diet may have serious dangers. While the high intake of fat, particularly saturates, may increase the risk of heart disease, there are also concerns that the unbalanced nature of the Atkins diet may lead to nutritional deficiencies, which cause health problems in later life. For example, poor intakes of bone-building calcium (found in dairy products) may increase the risk of osteoporosis, while poor intakes of antioxidant nutrients (found in fruit and veg) have been linked with a host of health problems ranging from heart disease and cancer to premature ageing and cataracts. "

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/atkins_diet/atkins.htm

It's like any other diet that tells you to limit something. Most people who go on glamorized diets like Atkins aren't looking to be healthy, they're simply looking to lose weight, and that means they aren't informed enough to make key decisions about what they should follow and what they shouldn't.

Hogwash.

Acg67

"When it comes to long-term side effects, many health professionals are concerned that the Atkins diet may have serious dangers. While the high intake of fat, particularly saturates, may increase the risk of heart disease, there are also concerns that the unbalanced nature of the Atkins diet may lead to nutritional deficiencies, which cause health problems in later life. For example, poor intakes of bone-building calcium (found in dairy products) may increase the risk of osteoporosis, while poor intakes of antioxidant nutrients (found in fruit and veg) have been linked with a host of health problems ranging from heart disease and cancer to premature ageing and cataracts. "

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/atkins_diet/atkins.htm

It's like any other diet that tells you to limit something. Most people who go on glamorized diets like Atkins aren't looking to be healthy, they're simply looking to lose weight, and that means they aren't informed enough to make key decisions about what they should follow and what they shouldn't.

Hogwash.

Kinda like naturopathic medicine, oh wait...

adamnb13

Here are my questions:
1. on diets like paleo, why do they allow fruit but not whole grains when fruit is a simple carb ie fructose which spikes insulin far more than something like brown rice? seems counter intuitive

2. how do people workout and do low carb?
-

1. because they didn't base their ideas on science, they based them on some nonsensical idea of what cavemen may or may not have eaten. Why do you want to emulate early hominids whose lifespan was MAYBE 30 years old? You don't.

2. They (mostly) don't. Often, those who follow low carb do it because they don't want to workout, and are trying to control their outcome through diet alone. This is a perfectly valid way to proceed, I lost my first 50# before I ever joined a gym and worked out. You don't have to workout. But if you are depriving your body of carbs in a major way, your workout is going to suffer. So will your thought processes, as your brain runs on carbs.

1. the shortened lifespan of people form thousands of years ago was shorter because of the harsher conditions. If we had a severe lack of hygiene, clean water, medical practice and very basic tools for protection against other predators , our lifespan would suck too, just look at poverty stricken areas of Africa and places. If they had the same benefits as us, they would have lived just as long if not longer.

2. Yes a low carb diet will slightly reduce performance of high intensity activities such as sprints, and you may not be able to lift quite as much in the gym. However why would that matter unless you are a professional power lifter or athlete, and even then if you are an athlete that is carrying a bit of excess body fat, reducing that body fat would help with performance, although granted a low fat diet may be better for this type of individual. A low carb diet may be beneficial to endurance athletes as your body will be better at using fat for energy which is a better fuel store than glycogen which is severely limited in the body. And your brain uses carbs (glucose) OR ketones, produced from fat metabolism.

Amadbro

Here are my questions:
1. on diets like paleo, why do they allow fruit but not whole grains when fruit is a simple carb ie fructose which spikes insulin far more than something like brown rice? seems counter intuitive

2. how do people workout and do low carb?
-

1. because they didn't base their ideas on science, they based them on some nonsensical idea of what cavemen may or may not have eaten. Why do you want to emulate early hominids whose lifespan was MAYBE 30 years old? You don't.

2. They (mostly) don't. Often, those who follow low carb do it because they don't want to workout, and are trying to control their outcome through diet alone. This is a perfectly valid way to proceed, I lost my first 50# before I ever joined a gym and worked out. You don't have to workout. But if you are depriving your body of carbs in a major way, your workout is going to suffer. So will your thought processes, as your brain runs on carbs.

1. the shortened lifespan of people form thousands of years ago was shorter because of the harsher conditions. If we had a severe lack of hygiene, clean water, medical practice and very basic tools for protection against other predators , our lifespan would suck too, just look at poverty stricken areas of Africa and places. If they had the same benefits as us, they would have lived just as long if not longer.

2. Yes a low carb diet will slightly reduce performance of high intensity activities such as sprints, and you may not be able to lift quite as much in the gym. However why would that matter unless you are a professional power lifter or athlete, and even then if you are an athlete that is carrying a bit of excess body fat, reducing that body fat would help with performance, although granted a low fat diet may be better for this type of individual. A low carb diet may be beneficial to endurance athletes as your body will be better at using fat for energy which is a better fuel store than glycogen which is severely limited in the body. And your brain uses carbs (glucose) OR ketones, produced from fat metabolism.

Cool story.