Low Carb Diet VS. Gluten Free

EAC418
EAC418 Posts: 1
in Food and Nutrition
I'm interested in following one of these diets but I'm not quite sure which one I should pick. My reasoning for a low carb diet is that I've seen many friends follow one and they've lost a lot of weight, look great, and so far they've kept it off. However it is an extremely difficult diet to follow, especially if you're family eats out four nights of the week (this is not an exaggeration either) and they don't always buy stuff that you could eat at home that would work.

My other option I've been looking at is a gluten free diet. I'm interested in a gluten free diet because I'm not very pleased much by products made with flour anyways, such as breads, cookies, cakes, etc. I also figured that most processed foods that we eat are loaded with some sort of gluten, and being gluten free would be a good way to make sure I'm not eating those types of foods.

Anyone's input is welcome and appreciated, thanks!

Replies

  • SailorSarah311
    SailorSarah311 Posts: 172 Member
    You are absolutely correct in the fact that most foods have glutens in them. In order to be totally gluten free you have to read every label carefully. There are many products out there that are great gluten free substitutes, and grocery stores are more helpful in providing labels for gluten free items. To be honest, a gluten free diet won't help you lose weight any faster than just dieting. It's not what you eat, it's how much you eat. Portion control is key. A low carb diet is good, but again it doesn't last forever. If you go low carb you have to stay low carb. You can't just do it for a short period, and then expect to go back the way you were. Your best bet is to try each of these for 2 weeks. Try gluten free for 2 weeks. If it makes you feel better than stick with it. Try going low carb a different 2 weeks. See which diet fits your needs. Good luck and happy eating!
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Neither one of these is necessary. The people that have success with these have the same thing in common with the people that have success without following them. They eat less than they burn.

    You really should start with the same diet you plan to have for the long term.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Neither one of these is necessary. The people that have success with these have the same thing in common with the people that have success without following them. They eat less than they burn.

    You really should start with the same diet you plan to have for the long term.

    This!^

    Instead of opting for a temporary diet......make a lifestyle change (or two, or three).

    Let's say I eat low carb for 6 months & get to my goal weight........then what? How the heck do I keep that weight off?

    First of all.....low carb is lots of water weight the 1st couple weeks.....scale looks good though. But when I start eating carbs again....that weight is back. Plus I would want to go back to "regular" food someday. Low carb teaches me nothing about "regular" food. What mustgetmuscle said.....plan for the long term.
  • DianeinCA
    DianeinCA Posts: 307 Member
    You really should start with the same diet you plan to have for the long term.

    This.

    One of the reasons that people gain back all the weight when they get off a low carb diet is not because LC is magic -- it's because they haven't learned how to measure their carb intake (and the associated calories). If you plan on eating all the things in the future, learn how to eat them now, just in moderation.
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    I also recommend neither option.

    Low Carb: I don't really have much against this approach. This is one way to do things, but like someone else mentioned, it's mostly water weight that comes off. Fat and protein are satiating, so you may end up eating fewer calories, which is the reason any diet works.

    Gluten Free: The only legitimate reason to do this is if you really cannot have gluten. Emphasis on cannot. If gluten doesn't give you problems, then you are probably better off not doing GF. GF diets are not "healthier."

    What I can recommend for weight loss is a calorie deficit.
  • deatharrow
    deatharrow Posts: 10
    Gluten is not bad for you. If you aren't allergic to gluten, you will gain zero benefits from cutting out gluten. Its just a protein found in wheat, rye and barley, and if your body can digest it (most can), then you won't really gain anything by not eating it at all.
    However, going gluten free would lead to eating less flour anyway, which means more vegetables, meat, fruit...and this would help you lose weight because these don't have as many calories.

    People lose weight on low carb diets not because they cut carbs which were making them fat (carbs don't make you fat), it's because by eating more vegetables and meat and fruits, their diet naturally becomes very low calorie because there isn't bread or pasta or cookies or cereal, which all can add up in calories very quickly.

    Carbs are just a macronutrient, they don't make you any fatter than protein or fat will. Both of these diets would lessen your calories automatically and dramatically because you are cutting out a major food group that provides that macronutrient.

    Carbs are not the enemy. But by adding more vegetables instead of pasta or bread, your diet will benefit from this and the carb load will naturally be lower. There isn't an inherent need for gluten free or low carb, just restricting calories is enough and it's far easier to do without as much bread and pasta, but not necessary to be low carb. Low carb means restricting fruit intake also, which is not recommended because fruits contain glucose and fructose which our brain SOLELY runs on. Fruits came from the earth for us to eat.

    So in my opinion, both diets are unnecessary and unnatural.
  • Sarahlascelles
    Sarahlascelles Posts: 41 Member
    Unless you have an actual gluten intolerance, there is no benefit to a gluten free diet.
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/05/14/gluten-intolerance-fake_n_5327420.html
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    There is a fair bit of evidence to support that the vast majority of what is considered to be a gluten allergy is actually a wheat allergy. Makes a pretty big difference; however, wheat is still added to a lot of things. But if you're not allergic to something, what could the benefit possibly be of avoiding it unless you find it hard to stop eating it? (I'm like this with cereals, natural peanut butter and cheese. They're the death of me once I start eating them, so I just don't start anymore)

    I have to say, the number one thing that would make me feel sorry for a person with celiac disease is everybody treating their medically necessary diet as a weight loss fad.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Neither one helps you lose weight more than the other. In fact, they are both COMPLETELY unnecessary. Eat whatever you want, and stay at a deficit. Ignore the fad diets, and just eat fewer calories than you expend and you'll lose weight.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    The whole gluten free craze is just ridiculous...there is a small % of the population with gluten intolerance for which a gluten free diet would be beneficial...beyond that it's just a ridiculous fad that will hopefully soon go away.

    Going low carb is also not necessary. One of the reasons it is popular is that you lose a lot of water weight to begin with...other than that, it works along the same principles of any diet that works...it puts you into a calorie deficit.

    Personally, I'm old fashioned and just prefer to eat a well balanced diet that is rich in nutrition and in quantities appropriate to my stats and my level of activity.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    You really opened a can of worms with this one. I've been eating low carb for almost a year. I've lost 30 lbs and I'm pretty sure 20 of those 30 was actual weight. I'm pretty sure I didn't have 20 lbs of water in me that needed to come off. Anyways, here's some links on keto that can help you get started, should you want to go down that path. It is possible to eat low carb at fast food places and restaurants. You just need to look up the nutrition info on their menus.

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aiHSPoto_YqsNTDvL-g60nytMnyH-CJcCbiAx1IEUYM/mobilebasic

    http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/low-carb-food-list.html
  • apparations
    apparations Posts: 264 Member
    I was way into this whole thing about a year ago and tried the "Paleo" diet. It was weird. On one hand, I enjoyed eating SO MUCH animal protein, which I really hardly ever do otherwise. But I filled up so much food like nuts and bacon (I have never eaten so much bacon in my life), that I never lost a pound. I really just replaced the carbs with protein/fat, but the same amount of calories. In fact, I fell off the wagon after a few months and then dove into more carbs than ever, gained a few more pounds, and lead me to be here. In other words, it's not sustainable, so why bother?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    double post
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    You really opened a can of worms with this one. I've been eating low carb for almost a year. I've lost 30 lbs and I'm pretty sure 20 of those 30 was actual weight. I'm pretty sure I didn't have 20 lbs of water in me that needed to come off. Anyways, here's some links on keto that can help you get started, should you want to go down that path. It is possible to eat low carb at fast food places and restaurants. You just need to look up the nutrition info on their menus.

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aiHSPoto_YqsNTDvL-g60nytMnyH-CJcCbiAx1IEUYM/mobilebasic

    http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/low-carb-food-list.html

    I dont think anyone was saying that you cant lose real body fat from a low carb diet. Only that the initial quick weight loss is mostly water and the rest of the weight (real weight loss) comes from the calorie deficit and not from lack of carbs.

    ETA: cwolfman13 beat me by a few seconds. :happy:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You really opened a can of worms with this one. I've been eating low carb for almost a year. I've lost 30 lbs and I'm pretty sure 20 of those 30 was actual weight. I'm pretty sure I didn't have 20 lbs of water in me that needed to come off. Anyways, here's some links on keto that can help you get started, should you want to go down that path. It is possible to eat low carb at fast food places and restaurants. You just need to look up the nutrition info on their menus.

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aiHSPoto_YqsNTDvL-g60nytMnyH-CJcCbiAx1IEUYM/mobilebasic

    http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/low-carb-food-list.html

    Of course you lost actual fat. I was merely suggesting that initial weight losses with low carbing are largely water. Low carbing is an easy way to put yourself in a calorie deficit (if you don't mind giving up carbs) which is the same principle that every single weight loss diet there is relies on...It's not the magic of cutting carbs...it's that cutting carbs is decreasing your caloric intake so long as those calories aren't being replaced by other things.

    If it were necessary to low carb in order to lose weight or do keto or whatever I wouldn't have so easily lost my weight. Like I said...big fan of a balanced and nutritious diet..all this fad **** is just that....it's fad ****. Low carbing also blows if you're trying to ride your bike for 50 or more miles on any kind of regular basis too...
  • wannabehealthyagain
    wannabehealthyagain Posts: 33
    I see a lot of "gluten free is stupid" kind of posts. It is not stupid. My son is autistic and has done very well behaviorally since cutting out gluten. Saying that, I will say that I don't believe it has any effect on weight.

    Carbohydrates are important, refined carbs are those in the things that should really only be "treats" anyway like cakes and cookies and such. Pasta is a filler, I'm not cutting out pasta but I just find that I'm more satisfied on days when I don't eat it.

    Okay...all of that said here's what I decided when I really got this horse and yelled "YEE-HAW" ....If I can't maintain it for the rest of my life, it doesn't fit my plan. Which basically mimics other replies here :)
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member


    Let's say I eat low carb for 6 months & get to my goal weight........then what? How the heck do I keep that weight off?

    Same as any 'diet'. Learn proper portions and how to eat well without overfeeding. No matter what way you go, you always have to keep out of the old habits once you get there. ANY caloric deficit will work. Just do what you can stick with.
  • Aruba08
    Aruba08 Posts: 61 Member
    low carb really worked for me but its impossible to keep up. I put all the weight back on!! :( I was so well and energised on it. Then the penny dropped. I was only so well as it was basically a gluten free diet. As soon as the gluten filled carbs slipped in the stomach aches were unbearable. Then the tiredness started, so I ate more to compensate. Then I became anemic and I ate even more again just to give me some sugar for energy. Vicious circle. I acclimatised to the gluten again and my calories were out of control. :'( Back to 160 pounds

    So now I am going gluten free rather than LC. blood sugars great, no tummy ache, no upset. Only eating the calories under my goal yet still feeling great. Less options to overeat when it comes to eating out. Not a lover of sweet things so that will never be an issue. How I have not twigged my gluten issues before is beyond me. I am so informed as my 13 year old boy has been gluten for for about 3 years now.

    So my tuppenceworth...... in my opinion LC is a fantastic way to kick start a "diet" but impossible to maintain when you are a foodie like me. IT does curb the appetite but you need so much will power. You need to be in full health with no underlying issues. You hae to eat fat and protein to keep energy levels up. It does work but it is so so hard.
    GF will work for me as there are less options and I am fuller faster
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    You really opened a can of worms with this one. I've been eating low carb for almost a year. I've lost 30 lbs and I'm pretty sure 20 of those 30 was actual weight. I'm pretty sure I didn't have 20 lbs of water in me that needed to come off. Anyways, here's some links on keto that can help you get started, should you want to go down that path. It is possible to eat low carb at fast food places and restaurants. You just need to look up the nutrition info on their menus.

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aiHSPoto_YqsNTDvL-g60nytMnyH-CJcCbiAx1IEUYM/mobilebasic

    http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/low-carb-food-list.html

    I've also lost 26lb of water weight, I feel a bit dehydrated now - maybe I should stop.

    OP low carb is not a quick fix diet, it's either a life style change or at least a long term strategy.

    I've been low carb for 7 months and the benefit for me is I've not had to log one bit of food, or had to stop eating for the day when I'm still hungry.

    It's not a magic solution, as others above have pointed out, you tend to be satisfied and full before you hit a calorie surplus.

    Low carb isn't for everyone, just as a calorie restricted diet (i.e. counting and logging calories) isn't for everyone, but they both work just as well as each other.

    As you seem unsure at your approach, maybe the solution would be to try calorie counting for a month (the MFP calculator is a great tool). this way you can have all of the food your family have (just in small portions perhaps). If you struggle with this then try low carb for a month, It maybe a bit of trial an error until you find the approach that works for you.

    At the end of the day all diets require some sacrifice - the one that will suit you is the one that feels the least price to pay.

    Good luck

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