Try to understand the concept behind low carb diets
JoshD8705
Posts: 390 Member
Trying***
My brother obsesses over carbs, but I personally just look at calories, or sodium levels. I realize carbs tend to have more calories, but as long as I'm meeting my calorie goal. What would be the point in avoiding carbs?
My brother obsesses over carbs, but I personally just look at calories, or sodium levels. I realize carbs tend to have more calories, but as long as I'm meeting my calorie goal. What would be the point in avoiding carbs?
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Replies
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None, if you've got a normal metabolism.
Nothing wrong with low carb diets, though. They do work. But if you have no glucose control issues then you've no real need to restrict carbohydrate intake.
I personally do have glucose control and insulin issues so therefore a reduced carbohydrate approach has allowed me success thus far.0 -
A couple of decades ago, everyone obsessed over fats. Now they obsess over carbs. Bull**** either way for anyone with a normal metabolism. (And, minor correction -- carbs and proteins have far fewer calories per gram than fats).0
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The advantage of low carb diets is that protein and fat are very filling so you eat less calories without feeling like you're eating less calories because you feel full. That being said, it can cause intense cravings for sugar and cause bingeing so there are downsides too. In my opinion the best option is to go with a balanced diet with a moderate calorie deficit. Eat the foods you love and hit your macros and you're good to go.0
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None, if you've got a normal metabolism.
Nothing wrong with low carb diets, though. They do work. But if you have no glucose control issues then you've no real need to restrict carbohydrate intake.
I personally do have glucose control and insulin issues so therefore a reduced carbohydrate approach has allowed me success thus far.
So, the benefit is for diabetics? Is blood sugar control the only benefit, or are there others? I personally feel sluggish when I cut carbs.The advantage of low carb diets is that protein and fat are very filling so you eat less calories without feeling like you're eating less calories because you feel full. That being said, it can cause intense cravings for sugar and cause bingeing so there are downsides too. In my opinion the best option is to go with a balanced diet with a moderate calorie deficit. Eat the foods you love and hit your macros and you're good to go.
This answered my question before I asked it lol.0 -
The reason they used to obsess over fats then and carbs now is because our understanding of the human body and the nutrients we take in has come leaps and bounds. When you dissect a fat person you find fat so our first understanding would be that that person must have taken in too much fat. But in reality, you should just maintain moderation. Fruits and veggies should obviously be the most consumed and then everything else in moderation is fine, unless you have a specific condition. That's my 2 cents.0
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Our species is meant to live on mostly plants, and plants are usually heavy in carbohydrates. We all have a "sweet tooth" and many people, including myself, have reported low energy on a low carb diet.So, the benefit is for diabetics? Is blood sugar control the only benefit, or are there others? I personally feel suggish when I cut carbs.
The benefit for diabetics controlling their sugar intake is the ability to control their blood sugar. What they don't tell you is that if you eat a low fat, plant based diet, you can reverse your diabetes, and drastically reduce your intramyocellular lipid. It is a lot more profitable to have patients (euphemism for "customer") eating a high fat diet, and "control" their diabetes by reducing dietary carbohydrate intake. There is no profit to be made from people that reverse their diabetes through a proper whole foods plant based diet.0 -
Our species is meant to live on mostly plants, and plants are usually heavy in carbohydrates. We all have a "sweet tooth" and many people, including myself, have reported low energy on a low carb diet.So, the benefit is for diabetics? Is blood sugar control the only benefit, or are there others? I personally feel suggish when I cut carbs.
The benefit for diabetics controlling their sugar intake is the ability to control their blood sugar. What they don't tell you is that if you eat a low fat, plant based diet, you can reverse your diabetes, and drastically reduce your intramyocellular lipid. It is a lot more profitable to have patients (euphemism for "customer") eating a high fat diet, and "control" their diabetes by reducing dietary carbohydrate intake. There is no profit to be made from people that reverse their diabetes through a proper whole foods plant based diet.
Except for your own personal experience with a low-carb diet, everything you've said is bull****. Diabetics canNOT effectively control blood glucose on a carb-heavy diet, it makes control worse even with insulin. It's HIGHLY profitable for these patients to eat your carb-laden, plant-based diet and buy MORE medication and MORE testing supplies so they can live your propaganda.0 -
My Doctor as me on a low carb diet under 80. No sugar.no rice bread potatoes only certain vegis and no fruit. This is day two yesterday was worse but it's hecka tuff. Anyone doing similar it's the lean and green medifast diet. I get two meals and two protein shakes. Yes I need to loose aa little over 100 lbs0
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Our species is meant to live on mostly plants, and plants are usually heavy in carbohydrates. We all have a "sweet tooth" and many people, including myself, have reported low energy on a low carb diet.So, the benefit is for diabetics? Is blood sugar control the only benefit, or are there others? I personally feel suggish when I cut carbs.
The benefit for diabetics controlling their sugar intake is the ability to control their blood sugar. What they don't tell you is that if you eat a low fat, plant based diet, you can reverse your diabetes, and drastically reduce your intramyocellular lipid. It is a lot more profitable to have patients (euphemism for "customer") eating a high fat diet, and "control" their diabetes by reducing dietary carbohydrate intake. There is no profit to be made from people that reverse their diabetes through a proper whole foods plant based diet.
That's completely the opposite of how you reverse type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance due to a low fat high carb diet and usually due to being overweight or obese as well. You reverse type 2 diabetes by getting to a healthy weight and eating a high fat, high protein, low carb diet.0 -
ketosis0
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Low carb diet = calorie reduction by the drastic reduction of an entire food macro. The ones left happen to be more filling than [simple] carbs.0
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Our species is meant to live on mostly plants, and plants are usually heavy in carbohydrates. We all have a "sweet tooth" and many people, including myself, have reported low energy on a low carb diet.So, the benefit is for diabetics? Is blood sugar control the only benefit, or are there others? I personally feel suggish when I cut carbs.
The benefit for diabetics controlling their sugar intake is the ability to control their blood sugar. What they don't tell you is that if you eat a low fat, plant based diet, you can reverse your diabetes, and drastically reduce your intramyocellular lipid. It is a lot more profitable to have patients (euphemism for "customer") eating a high fat diet, and "control" their diabetes by reducing dietary carbohydrate intake. There is no profit to be made from people that reverse their diabetes through a proper whole foods plant based diet.
Do you have any actual science to back up your claims? Because I have yet to see any one reverse diabetes with a high carb diet. But I have seen many people control or reverse it with a high protein high fat diet.
OP, the main benefit to a LC/HF diet is satiety. If you don't have a lot of calories allotted to you, then lowering your carbs will be beneficial. In some cases, like my wife who has POTS or those who have PCOS, their bodies struggle to metabolize carbs, so in order to lose weight, or regulate hormones, they are required to go low carb.0 -
Low carb controls your insulin secretion (as much as it can), helps your body better fuel from ketones and as mentioned above can control your satiety.
A big plus is that lower level activity like hiking, recreational cycling you do not deplete you glycogen levels as quickly so you can operate without having to regularly consume carbs for fuel.
It's not everyone's cup of tea and certainly not an ideal style of eating for short term (e.g. a one month one off diet). If you are looking to switch to LCHF then you should take a longer term view of it as the transition period away from glucose fueling (as main source) to ketone (as main source) can take anything from a day to a couple of weeks.
However once the switch is made you do notice the difference.
LCHF will provide all of your micro and macro nutrients, but if you love your high carb food, there is a sacrifice to pay! So medium carb, medium protein and low-ish fat may be a better option (the main thing is eat in a deficit and get enough protein).0 -
High carb diets can cause belly bloat. For that reason, I go on a "low carb diet" every time before vacation, for a few days I cut wayy back on carbs other than fruits/vegetables. This leads to a flatter stomach at the beach every single time. Talking to mainly guys in this thread, this point is probably lost but it has worked in the past.
Also, it is worth noting that pretty much everyone in MFP that works to hit their macros is on a lower carb diet than the average western diet. Just last night, I ordered my burger without a bun so I could have a beer with it. Not a "low carb" meal but lower than 95% of the people in the bar who had both. Now I know this isn't a competition against the rest of America or anything but isn't it worth arguing that most people here are already cutting back their carbs from normal and that it could be helping with weight loss?0 -
Our species is meant to live on mostly plants, and plants are usually heavy in carbohydrates. We all have a "sweet tooth" and many people, including myself, have reported low energy on a low carb diet.So, the benefit is for diabetics? Is blood sugar control the only benefit, or are there others? I personally feel suggish when I cut carbs.
The benefit for diabetics controlling their sugar intake is the ability to control their blood sugar. What they don't tell you is that if you eat a low fat, plant based diet, you can reverse your diabetes, and drastically reduce your intramyocellular lipid. It is a lot more profitable to have patients (euphemism for "customer") eating a high fat diet, and "control" their diabetes by reducing dietary carbohydrate intake. There is no profit to be made from people that reverse their diabetes through a proper whole foods plant based diet.
Except for your own personal experience with a low-carb diet, everything you've said is bull****. Diabetics canNOT effectively control blood glucose on a carb-heavy diet, it makes control worse even with insulin. It's HIGHLY profitable for these patients to eat your carb-laden, plant-based diet and buy MORE medication and MORE testing supplies so they can live your propaganda.
I was going to say the same thing.
Big Pharma, Dr's and the like are not making any money on me because I am no longer on medication and I have gotten my A1C down to 5.20 -
Carbs can increase appetite, from the sugars, (its true for me for sure). In other words, eating protein will satisfy your hunger better than a carbohydrate.
also carbs have sugar and your body uses it for energy. when you eat less carbs, the body goes to the fat to use for energy. So people on very low carbs (30 grams a day for example) seem to lose more weight than those eating many carbos becuase the body is choosing to use fat rather than sugar for energy.. and they seem to lose weight faster.
of course, other factors play into this scenario and can affect it, but generally to lose more weight, a person can lower carbs, but you have to test it for yourself to see how it affects your body.
i dont think i want to go that low, because fruit has sugar but its got other nutrients that I'm not just focusing on that to lose weight.
sorry this is not a very good scientific explanation but how i can explain it to you.
I was reading something helpful about reducing carbs if you want to see how it affects weight loss for you, dont do it all at once. Start with eliminating added sugar like in candy and cake, and white bread. Then see if you lose weight, then for another 3 weeks go to the next level and reduce/elminate carbs like found in cereal. then if your not losing weight, go to the next level and reduce starchy vegetables like potatos, carrots, corn... then the next level would be eliminating fruit. then dairy products. this is how you would see how these food groups would affect your health and losing weight.
Those of you who feel they want to eat these things, go ahead, but I am speaking stricly to those who wish to go low carb. I do not recommend very low carb except by advice of a doctors care. And I dont go that low either, I can get by with moderatly low carb - about 100 grams a day, and i am losing weight, eating fruit and dairy products. Going below that would be too drastic and i would not sustain this kind of diet going very low (30 grams of carbs a day).0 -
High carb diets are like riding an energy roller coaster. Right after big meals you're up. 20 minutes later you crash.
It's also ridiculously easy to cut fat lifting heavy while doing High Protein - High Fat - Low Carb.0 -
Thank you everyone for your extremely informative post.0
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In...
...for more posts from shills for Big Plant.0 -
More calories than what? They have the same amount of calories per gram than protein, and fewer per gram than fats.Trying***
My brother obsesses over carbs, but I personally just look at calories, or sodium levels. I realize carbs tend to have more calories, but as long as I'm meeting my calorie goal. What would be the point in avoiding carbs?0 -
If I eat less than my TDEE, this (the body goes to the fat to use for energy) happens regardless of whether the food I ate during the day was protein, fat, or carbs. Where else would the extra energy to come from?also carbs have sugar and your body uses it for energy. when you eat less carbs, the body goes to the fat to use for energy.0 -
"Good reading, this thread is." - Yoda0
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Our species is meant to live on mostly plants, and plants are usually heavy in carbohydrates. We all have a "sweet tooth" and many people, including myself, have reported low energy on a low carb diet.So, the benefit is for diabetics? Is blood sugar control the only benefit, or are there others? I personally feel suggish when I cut carbs.
The benefit for diabetics controlling their sugar intake is the ability to control their blood sugar. What they don't tell you is that if you eat a low fat, plant based diet, you can reverse your diabetes, and drastically reduce your intramyocellular lipid. It is a lot more profitable to have patients (euphemism for "customer") eating a high fat diet, and "control" their diabetes by reducing dietary carbohydrate intake. There is no profit to be made from people that reverse their diabetes through a proper whole foods plant based diet.
NO NO NO. Don't listen to this guy. He is 100% wrong.
I eat a low carb diet, and like a PP stated, it is simply a way to restrict calories. Eating high fat, moderate protein, and low carb makes you feel full longer which means less eating, which means fewer carbs.
I'm not sure what you meant by carbs having more calories, but 1 g of carbs has 4 cals, 1 g of protein has 4 cals, and 1 g of fat has 9 cals.0 -
Our species is meant to live on mostly plants, and plants are usually heavy in carbohydrates. We all have a "sweet tooth" and many people, including myself, have reported low energy on a low carb diet.So, the benefit is for diabetics? Is blood sugar control the only benefit, or are there others? I personally feel suggish when I cut carbs.
The benefit for diabetics controlling their sugar intake is the ability to control their blood sugar. What they don't tell you is that if you eat a low fat, plant based diet, you can reverse your diabetes, and drastically reduce your intramyocellular lipid. It is a lot more profitable to have patients (euphemism for "customer") eating a high fat diet, and "control" their diabetes by reducing dietary carbohydrate intake. There is no profit to be made from people that reverse their diabetes through a proper whole foods plant based diet.
I thought you and I went through this whole "meant" think the other day? We are "meant" to eat. Period. WHAT we eat is a personal choice (at least in the land(s) of plenty). Modern choices like veganism are really only possibly to us due to modern technologies, so it is hardly the way we are "meant" to be.
My Doc and Dietician told me to eat moderate carbs from whole food sources as much as possible, to eat some protein and some fat. And to exercise. [Plus limit portion size if you are overweight.] I've done that, and can control my blood sugar. THEY want me to be healthy, not to be a "customer" and keep coming back for more meds. I could eat a plant-based diet of mashed potato and pasta and bananas... but that wouldn't be good for my blood sugar. And I'd need metformin. And that would make my Doc unhappy.0 -
My personal take on carbs is this:
If you are an overweight, sedentary person, you could benefit from reducing your carbs. In reality, the overweight desk-jockey who is a couch potato in the evenings probably just needs a better balance of fat/carb/protein, meaning eat more fat & protein and less carbs.
If you are a healthy weight and active, there is no reason to go very low carb. In fact, you can use carbs (and fats) to fuel your activity.
That being said, all 3 macro nutrients are important and necessary and should be in some sort of balance (whatever works best for you).0 -
The advantage of low carb diets is that protein and fat are very filling so you eat less calories without feeling like you're eating less calories because you feel full. That being said, it can cause intense cravings for sugar and cause bingeing so there are downsides too. In my opinion the best option is to go with a balanced diet with a moderate calorie deficit. Eat the foods you love and hit your macros and you're good to go.
Honestly, when I drastically reduced my carb intake, I had LESS cravings for sugar. That might not be the case for everyone though.. I think as long as you are eating plenty of fat, the cravings aren't there. Although, then when you DO eat more carbs than usual... that's when the cravings strike!0 -
Our species is meant to live on mostly plants, and plants are usually heavy in carbohydrates. We all have a "sweet tooth" and many people, including myself, have reported low energy on a low carb diet.So, the benefit is for diabetics? Is blood sugar control the only benefit, or are there others? I personally feel suggish when I cut carbs.
The benefit for diabetics controlling their sugar intake is the ability to control their blood sugar. What they don't tell you is that if you eat a low fat, plant based diet, you can reverse your diabetes, and drastically reduce your intramyocellular lipid. It is a lot more profitable to have patients (euphemism for "customer") eating a high fat diet, and "control" their diabetes by reducing dietary carbohydrate intake. There is no profit to be made from people that reverse their diabetes through a proper whole foods plant based diet.
NO NO NO. Don't listen to this guy. He is 100% wrong.
I eat a low carb diet, and like a PP stated, it is simply a way to restrict calories. Eating high fat, moderate protein, and low carb makes you feel full longer which means less eating, which means fewer carbs.
I'm not sure what you meant by carbs having more calories, but 1 g of carbs has 4 cals, 1 g of protein has 4 cals, and 1 g of fat has 9 cals.
I apologize I made a false assumption. Thank you for informing me.0 -
because I love to eat...and high carbs don't allow me to eat a ton of food. And because I've been at this for three years and haven't lost a whole lot, so I had to switch something up (I was eating 400g of carbs, dropped to between 100-150g), and because I love weight lifting, so I find protein and fats aid in heavier lifts, and because I still have "carb days" instead of "cheat days" so I still have my sushi and Starbucks. And because it's no one's business but mine how I hit my macros.0
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because I love to eat...and high carbs don't allow me to eat a ton of food. And because I've been at this for three years and haven't lost a whole lot, so I had to switch something up (I was eating 400g of carbs, dropped to between 100-150g), and because I love weight lifting, so I find protein and fats aid in heavier lifts, and because I still have "carb days" instead of "cheat days" so I still have my sushi and Starbucks. And because it's no one's business but mine how I hit my macros.
That's great, and we all do have to find our own path. Just know the point of the topic is to be educated on the pros and cons of the diet. Not to attack anyone using it.0 -
I think if you reach your protein and fat macros ... carbs will come down naturally. So I would say we are all KIND OF on a low carb diet. I still eat over 100g most days. But I'm not really having a problem with it. I love carbs too ... nom nom nom.
I am giving up pasta for lent...I feel like it's helped a lot with the bloating. I used to eat a **** ton.
So to each their own, but I don't understand eliminating them completely ESPECIALLY if you are exercising a lot. You need carbs then.0
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