Low Carb to Kick Start Anyone?

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Replies

  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    It is not realistic to think you can live on a low carb diet long term.

    How is it not realistic? I plan to do that. I might up my carbs a little bit once in maintenance, but I honestly do not plan to go back to the way I was eating pre-keto. There are plenty of people who continue to eat this way for the rest of their lives.


    Agree with you that it's perfectly safe and effective to control carbs. Eliminating processed carbs IS HEALTHY!

    nothing wrong with processed carbs

    Nothing right with them either though. Unlike protein and fat, dietary carbs are not essential.

    I do think they are optimal and should be included in all healthy diets.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    It is not realistic to think you can live on a low carb diet long term.

    How is it not realistic? I plan to do that. I might up my carbs a little bit once in maintenance, but I honestly do not plan to go back to the way I was eating pre-keto. There are plenty of people who continue to eat this way for the rest of their lives.
    My life without (a lot of) corn tortillas wouldn't be worth living. I wouldn't have room for any other carbs and probably not enough tortillas. That's pretty idiosyncratic, though.

    You can have low carb versions of things like that. I found flax seed flat bread at my local Pathmark. They can be pricy though. It's probably cheaper in the long-run to make your own tortillas/flatbread/etc.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    It is not realistic to think you can live on a low carb diet long term.

    How is it not realistic? I plan to do that. I might up my carbs a little bit once in maintenance, but I honestly do not plan to go back to the way I was eating pre-keto. There are plenty of people who continue to eat this way for the rest of their lives.
    My life without (a lot of) corn tortillas wouldn't be worth living. I wouldn't have room for any other carbs and probably not enough tortillas. That's pretty idiosyncratic, though.

    You can have low carb versions of things like that. I found flax seed flat bread at my local Pathmark. They can be pricy though. It's probably cheaper in the long-run to make your own tortillas/flatbread/etc.
    I've cooked a lot of things successfully in my life. Corn tortillas aren't one of them. I've resigned myself to buying them from my favorite restaurant, though my waiter can hook me up with enough for a few days at a time. A warm, moist corn tortilla with some really hot salsa is better than se... well, it's better than a lot of things. Like I said, though, I get that that's my issue and that a lot of people can do low carb successfully over the long haul.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    is anyone following a low-carb plan to kick start their weight loss?

    How would low-carb "kick start" weight loss?

    Let me re-phrase.... low-carb plan to start my weight loss....

    Oh. Naw. Just eat less.
  • LotusAsh
    LotusAsh Posts: 294 Member
    Why yes, yes I am. Shall I tell you all about it?

    for the love of god, please don't
  • LotusAsh
    LotusAsh Posts: 294 Member
    It is not realistic to think you can live on a low carb diet long term.

    How is it not realistic? I plan to do that. I might up my carbs a little bit once in maintenance, but I honestly do not plan to go back to the way I was eating pre-keto. There are plenty of people who continue to eat this way for the rest of their lives.


    Agree with you that it's perfectly safe and effective to control carbs. Eliminating processed carbs IS HEALTHY!

    nothing wrong with processed carbs

    Nothing right with them either though. Unlike protein and fat, dietary carbs are not essential.

    I do think they are optimal and should be included in all healthy diets.

    what isn't right with them?
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    I'll agree that it's not a plan to kick start weight loss. It's a long term solution.

    As far as gaining weight back, yes, you will gain back the few lbs of water weight you lost in the beginning if you go back to eating a lot of carbs. But I guarantee the 30+ lbs I've lost are not going to come swarming back on the minute I eat a bowl of pasta.

    As far as sustainable- that depends on the person. I'm closing in on a year of watching my carbs. I target 50g a day but often get around 100. It's easy for me to eat this way and it's something I can do for years to come.

    Side effects that people complain about- headaches, constipation- all of those are easily addressed. You might get headaches the 1st week or so as your body adjusts. There are ways to mitigate that- extra sodium is the main one.. Constipation- doesn't happen if you eat enough veggies/fiber. Like any other eating plan, it requires some planning, but once you get in the groove, it's not hard.

    Again- not a quick fix.
  • Leonidas_meets_Spartacus
    Leonidas_meets_Spartacus Posts: 6,198 Member
    I follow a long term low carb lifestyle, I lost 15 inches of waist in last 6 months, lost 57% of BF from where I started. But short term diets are not good, because you go back to old habits the weight will come back. Give it a try and see if it works for you and if it works stick to it.
  • uchube
    uchube Posts: 44
    i used to be very slim, a lean PCOSer with regular periods thanks to metformin. I binged on dried fruits while studying over winter, gaining 10lbs over 4months, and lost my period for those 4months. also developed wicked cystic acne.

    i kickstarted my weight loss plan with keto more for the benefits of fixing the damage id done to my endocrine system, within 2 weeks of dropping carbs from 150g+ to <50g i had a period. and i had NO more cravings, fog brain, or dizziness. When I'm ready to maintain, I think I could now do so by staying under 50g with ease, maybe 70g on very active days or celebrations.

    I recommend it.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    I did for this particular journey. Lost the first 40 or so lbs that way. I enjoy eating low carb, have a long history with it, and it was a great way to kickstart this go round for me. If it wasn't for my enjoyment of sweets I could low carb easily for my entire life. It's a great way of eating for me.

    I IF now and don't watch carbs but am ever grateful low carbing.
  • swertyqwerty
    swertyqwerty Posts: 81 Member
    I can't calorie count so I'm trying to do low carb.
    It's hard because society expects you to eat grains with every meal.
    A lot of recipes are designed to be served with rice, etc..
    Anyway, I noticed over time I am able to eat less and less carbs. I'm getting better every day.
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    I can't calorie count so I'm trying to do low carb.
    It's hard because society expects you to eat grains with every meal.
    A lot of recipes are designed to be served with rice, etc..
    Anyway, I noticed over time I am able to eat less and less carbs. I'm getting better every day.

    Why can't you calorie count? Low carb + eating in excess of your daily requirements won't work, you'll still gain weight. It still comes down to eating at a deficit.

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