No carbs?

rosebette

I have tried the South Beach diet, which in the first phase for two weeks I believe is "no carbs" you lose alot of weight in those 2 weeks, I lost as much as 15 pounds one cycle of 2 weeks.

The diet was alright, but when I went to phase 2 and 3 and added carbs in, I just found I was gaining back what I lost in the first phase.

Sorry to go off topic but that is my experience with no carbs, I think it works but why not eat a food group if there is diets out there that allow you to? I am 100 % calorie counting, I dont like the no carb diets, too much good stuff comes from carbs

I did South Beach a few years ago, and couldn't do Phase I. I felt sick within the first 2 days like I would pass out. I ended up doing Phase II, and I lost about 1 lb. a week. Phase II has some carbs, whole wheat bread, oatmeal and such. I went from around 140 to 120 but lost at a normal pace. I think it took me about 5-6 months to lose the weight.

cmcollins001

Alright, you got me. Carbohydrates are actually alien probes inserted into our bodies as we sleep. 1g of carbs represents exactly 45,003 probes. I am merely a spokesperson for my Spacefaring Overlords (may their praise be profound and sexy).

Someday, we will find a way of infiltrating your group as well, Brotherhood of the Atkins. Be ready, for tomorrow that hamburger wrapped in lettuce may actually be an egg sac.

ZOLTAN

ZOLTAN

ZOLTAN

KM0692

My husband has dropped 20 lbs. in 4 months just by knocking out carbs..no counting calories. He has taken it to the extreme though, and hasn't had a piece of fruit since March. :-/

I personally cannot give up carbs. I'm just watching my calories.

robertf57

How about these ones then?

In the Foster/Wyatt study [1], a comparison between a low carb/high protein diet (A) and an energy-equivalent low-fat high-carb diet (B), weight loss for diet A was greater that B initially, but after twelve months both diets offered similar amounts of weight loss. Furthermore, according to Yang and Itallie [2], weight lost on a low-carb diet is the result of two things: loss of fat-free mass and overall caloric reduction. Now, consider that for every gram of glucose removed from glycogen, 2.7g of water also goes along with it [3] - that adds up to pounds lost on the scale, especially during the inital period of dramatic weight loss seen in low carb diets, but does not express a distinct advantage longitudinally over low-fat high-carb diets, which supports the results in Foster/Wyatt.
---

[1] - Gary D. Foster, Ph.D., Holly R. Wyatt, M.D., James O. Hill, Ph.D., Brian G. McGuckin, Ed.M., Carrie Brill, B.S., B. Selma Mohammed, M.D., Ph.D., Philippe O. Szapary, M.D., Daniel J. Rader, M.D., Joel S. Edman, D.Sc., and Samuel Klein, M.D. "A Randomized Trial of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet for Obesity." N Engl J Med 2003; 348:2082-2090May 22, 2003DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa022207

[2] - M U Yang and T B Van Itallie. "Composition of weight lost during short-term weight reduction. Metabolic responses of obese subjects to starvation and low-calorie ketogenic and nonketogenic diets." J. Clin Invest. 1976;58(3):722-730.

[3] - Karlsson J, Saltin B. "Lactate, ATP, and CP in working muscles during exhaustive exercise in man." Journal of applied physiology 29:5 1970 Nov pg 596-602.

Once again you are presenting meaningless information

#1) Foster's study did not show any disadvantage to the low carbohydrate diet. and had poor compliance. Nothing of value

#2 was a short term study of near starvation (800kcals) which actually demonstrated greater loss with the low carb diet (although, as everyone knows in the short term water loss is key factor) Nothing of value

#3 has nothing to do with the low carb or other dieting strategies.

Color me gone. Nothing further of value in this thread

Naughty_ZOOT

Being a type 2 diabetic that is highly carbohydrate sensitive (they spike my glucose readings) I am now eating a low carb (less than 20 g per day) , moderate protein, high fat protocol and it is the best thing I have ever done. My macros are 5% carbs, 15% proteins, 80% fats. Carbs are not required to live but protein and fat are. I am eating a ketogenic diet.

If you want to do this, you need to expect to have a learning curve to do it properly. I have been reading and researching daily for 6 months and still have a lot to learn but time will pass anyway and I might as well be wiser for it. Fats, including saturated fats, are not bad for you unless you combine them with excessive carbs. Switching from a typical SAD diet with high carbs mostly via grains and low fat to this protocol has dropped my HgbA1c from 7.9 with medications to 5.5 (and falling) without medications and I have boundless energy. It IS easily sustainable without a problem and anyone who says otherwise is not doing it correctly. My husband has already lost 36 lbs on it and he is not diabetic, loves it and plans to stay on this for the rest of his life, too. We eat a huge abundance of organic vegetables, non-commercial meats, no grains, no dairy except for grass fed butter, some heavy cream, real cheeses or cream cheese for treats (they can bump my sugar), no fruits at the moment while losing weight but berries are the best choice and we will add them back later on, we eat similarly to Primal with no veggies that grow underground (all starchy) and no corn for the same reason.

Dana Carpender has several great low carb cookbooks and she has been low carb for 17 years and counting.
I just made low carb full fat raw milk ice cream that is amazing and guilt free .

You get into trouble with eating high fat and high carbs. You have to educate yourself.
Watch Food, Inc if you want to know more, read The Art and Science of Low Carb by Volek and Phinney
Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt is a good start at www.dietdoctor.com

Sofaa1

You can find calculators online that will show you how many grams of carbs you can consume a day and still reach your goal, so it is not necessary to completely cut out carbs.
However I find that shredded zucchini is a good substitute for pasta in pasta dishes. And pan-fried (no oil, butter, etc.) riced cauliflower is an awesome substitute for rice in my opinion. I always do that

It is also possible to buy shirataki noodles, which is a 0 calorie noodle. It is not cheap though

tennisdude2004

I've been told that no carbs are a good way to go for losing weight..
No bread, rice, pasta, cous cous etc...
Is this a healthy idea, if so what are good replacements?

A No carb diet would certainly be unhealthy. Whilst carbs are not an essential macro nutrient they are optimal in a diet for best health, as they provide many of the micro nutrients we need for good health.

Also depending on our life style they replenish glycogen stores in our muscles, which are utilised during anaerobic activity.

I think when people mention a no carb diet they mean a low carb diet. A low carb diet is extremely healthy as long as the carbs you are eating are providing your required micro nutrients.

It is not an eating strategy that suits everyone, just moderation and restricted calorie counting doesn't.

If you are going to try it I would suggest you stick with it for at least a month as the conversion to burning more ketones and less glucose as energy can leave you feeling a bit sluggish and can last for a day to a couple of weeks (depending on how reliant you are to carbs).

Good luck.

yarwell

I'm still eating veg and nuts, but i've been told to cut out things like bread, rice and potatoes?

they would be a good choice to establish your calorie deficit. Not a huge amount of nutrition there.

CyberEd312

My Macros where set to 50% of my intake coming from carbs and I managed to lose a few pounds so unless you have a medical condition that would prevent you eating them I am in the camp that carbs are not the devil and can be consume during weight loss. More important is that you are maintaining a calorie deficit and tracking and logging your food intake... Best of Luck

littlekitty3

Here's the counter argument. I eat 500g of carbs. I'm slowly losing weight.
Just because it's not processed and bleached carbs doesn't mean it's bad carbs

Celia_Arminta

No carbs is not a sustainable way of eating. What was that fad diet called? Aitkins? Yeah you'll lose, but once you fall off the wagon it will come right back. Learn to eat with moderation and enjoy your food! I make my meals look good and I sit down to eat with my kids.

yarwell

No carbs is not a sustainable way of eating.

The OP's definition of "no carbs" was no bread, pasta and something else I forgot. Not zero carbohydrates.

Maggit59

Being a type 2 diabetic that is highly carbohydrate sensitive (they spike my glucose readings) I am now eating a low carb (less than 20 g per day) , moderate protein, high fat protocol and it is the best thing I have ever done. My macros are 5% carbs, 15% proteins, 80% fats. Carbs are not required to live but protein and fat are. I am eating a ketogenic diet.

If you want to do this, you need to expect to have a learning curve to do it properly. I have been reading and researching daily for 6 months and still have a lot to learn but time will pass anyway and I might as well be wiser for it. Fats, including saturated fats, are not bad for you unless you combine them with excessive carbs. Switching from a typical SAD diet with high carbs mostly via grains and low fat to this protocol has dropped my HgbA1c from 7.9 with medications to 5.5 (and falling) without medications and I have boundless energy. It IS easily sustainable without a problem and anyone who says otherwise is not doing it correctly. My husband has already lost 36 lbs on it and he is not diabetic, loves it and plans to stay on this for the rest of his life, too. We eat a huge abundance of organic vegetables, non-commercial meats, no grains, no dairy except for grass fed butter, some heavy cream, real cheeses or cream cheese for treats (they can bump my sugar), no fruits at the moment while losing weight but berries are the best choice and we will add them back later on, we eat similarly to Primal with no veggies that grow underground (all starchy) and no corn for the same reason.

Dana Carpender has several great low carb cookbooks and she has been low carb for 17 years and counting.
I just made low carb full fat raw milk ice cream that is amazing and guilt free .

You get into trouble with eating high fat and high carbs. You have to educate yourself.
Watch Food, Inc if you want to know more, read The Art and Science of Low Carb by Volek and Phinney
Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt is a good start at www.dietdoctor.com

AMEN......love your post, the science, and love not craving the crap foods anymore.

Missjulesdid

When I was on a Dr supervised VLCD, the only way I could get through it was by eliminating all grains and starchy vegetables and most fruits as well. I ate a lot of greens and an occasional half an apple but I kept my overall carbs low. This restriction helped to eliminate my cravings and also reduced my overall appetite so I could get by on only 800 calories a day. It also allowed me to get adequate protein on such a low calorie amount.

This way of life is not sustainable but I did lose 70 pounds eating this way. I only did it though because I wanted to be in the best possible health prior to having bariatric surgery. So I did an 800 calorie VLCD for 4.5 months prior to surgery in order to have the best possible outcome. I firmly believe if I had just eliminated carbs and NOT had the surgery, I would immediately regained the weight as soon as I reintroduced the starches and my appetite returned to normal, which for me was RAVENOUS. Now since the surgery, I no longer consciously eat a low-carb diet though my diet is naturally lower in carbs than the S.A.D. simply because my reduced stomach size no longer requires copious amounts of starches and grains to feel satiated.