No carb diet

evhnm

I've been reading a lot on no carb diets and I haven't got anywhere. Everyone says something different. Can someone please tell me if they're healthy? I read that there are symptoms when doing a no carb diet, is this true?

tiptoethruthetulips

A no carb diet is pretty much impossible unless you just eat meat and fat, do you mean a low carb diet?

Some people have great success with a low carb diet, others not, depends on you and your body. Some people will tell you they are healthy, some will tell you they are not...its one of those things that greats a lot of debate.

Some people suffer what they call a 'carb flu' in the first few days to a week of a low carb diet.

Kalikel

I've been reading a lot on no carb diets and I haven't got anywhere. Everyone says something different. Can someone please tell me if they're healthy? I read that there are symptoms when doing a no carb diet, is this true?

Ño, it's not a healthy diet. You can lose weight that way, but it's not healthy.

http://www.fitness.gov/eat-healthy/how-to-eat-healthy/

skylark94

I'd rather be overweight than give up carbs....seriously. Fortunately, I've lost a lot of weight while keeping my carb marcos at about 50%.

starrylioness

Fruits and veggies even have carbs. How are you even managing that?

I have PCOS and hypothyroidism and I eat carbs and guess what? I have lost over 100 lbs.

happyfeetrebel1

This really is a 'hot topic' question around here. There are so many people who still believe that low carb is unhealthy. I'd simply suggest that you do your own research. Don't believe the fearmongering websites or those with an agenda, look for legit ones.

That being said, I have severe pancreas issues and have been living pretty low carb for 3 years. I'm the healthiest I've EVER been. I can't eat rice, pasta or bread. My carbs (not many though) come from veggies and fruit. Maybe the occasional chocolate, but then I just feel terrible. My body cannot handle that sugar.

Good luck in your endeavors

CLFrancois

If you meant white processed less healthy carbs, of course cutting those would be fine.
If you meant all carbs, including beans, veggies and anything else that falls in carb-land, probably not going to do well in the long-long run.

Carbs=energy, they are the bodies main source of fuel.

mo11ybloom

I've lost 30 lbs on a low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet. It doesn't work for everyone (you have to be disciplined) but it IS healthy if done the right way. Check out this article for a list of benefits: http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v67/n8/full/ejcn2013116a.html

It works, for me at least, because I'm never hungry, and I rarely have to count calories. That's not to say that I don't have to eat at a deficit - I do - but it's very difficult for me to overeat because the food is so satiating. Steak with butter, creamed spinach, bacon and eggs, bacon cheeseburgers (without the bun), guacamole, and full-fat anything. I never feel deprived. My calorie limit is 1600/day, but I usually hover around 1400 and average 2-3 lbs lost per week.

There are definitely naysayers, but do your own research and give it a try. It's worked for a lot of people, and studies show that people who lose weight via a low carb diet tend to maintain their weight loss for longer than those who do low-fat.

snjohnston

This is a very controversial subject on these forums. I have been doing the DASH diet for 4.5 months and have had great success. Basically, it's not a "diet", it's a healthier lifestyle. Essentially you start with a 2 week carb-ish free meal plan then adjust to adding in healthy carbs from fruits and whole grains. As a previous, self-proclaimed carboholic, I have been able to remove the white, processed carbs from my diet. Occassionally I get a craving for chocolates and I allow myself 1 or 2 dove dark chocolate minis. Honestly, it's been the greatest success I've ever had at weight loss and healthier eating. The first 2 weeks showed me that I don't need a bun with my burger or feel deprived. I now incorporate tons of veggies into my eating plan, which is totally new to me. Good luck in whatever you do!

bradsbaby1996

I have been low carb (10-15 a day) for 11 months.. it is definitely sustainable and is how I plan to live from now on. I have lost 110 pounds and am maintaining it.. I had severe health problems at 34 including major depression, fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis and acid reflux.. all of my health problems have been corrected and I no longer take any medication!

evhnm

I meant low carb, as in bread and pastas, not vegetables. Sorry for the confusion, thanks for the answers!

happyfeetrebel1

I meant low carb, as in bread and pastas, not vegetables. Sorry for the confusion, thanks for the answers!

If you're eating bread and pasta, you're not eating low carb, and yes, your body will be fine without those.

Just get your carb fix from veggies and fruits.

gmallan

I meant low carb, as in bread and pastas, not vegetables. Sorry for the confusion, thanks for the answers!

I think that's what causes a lot of the confusion. People say that they don't eat carbs but what they really mean is that they don't eat complex or refined carbs. Just a lack of understanding of what has carbs and what doesn't.

RodaRose

I meant low carb, as in bread and pastas, not vegetables. Sorry for the confusion, thanks for the answers!

It depends on your goals. And it depends on what works for you.
I do not eat grains like wheat and corn but do eat rice occasionally and lots of beans and lentils and nuts -- those have carbs.
Generally, when you cut something out, you need to add something else like more fat and oils.

Athijade

Is it dangerous? No.

Is there any reason to do it unless you have a medical reason to watch carb intake? No.

It is no better or worst then any other way of eating. This is one of those cases where you should do what you feel will help you the most. Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit. That's it.

SLLRunner

Why low carb though? It's not a magic diet. The basic of weight loss is to eat less calories than you burn. Therefore:

****You will lose weight on low carb if you eat below your total daily energy expenditure
****You will maintain weight on low carb if you eat at your total daily energy expenditure
****You will gain weight on low carb if you eat above your total daily energy expenditure

Seriously, there is no magic in the low carb diet, or any other diet for that matter. Type of diet is all about personal preference only. Nothing more, nothing less.

SnuggleSmacks

Some people do find that they have an easier time maintaining a caloric deficit when they cut out higher calorie foods like bread, pasta, grains, beans, potatoes, etc. However, those same people often have a difficult time meeting their fiber requirements without those foods.

SandyBVTN

For me, personally, low carb diets work well for weight loss and I do find myself less hungry in general (most likely because my blood sugar remains stable).

Having said that, low carb (like others have said, no such thing as no carb), is not a reasonable long term lifestyle for me and I always end up gaining the weight back quickly.

Sabine_Stroehm

I meant low carb, as in bread and pastas, not vegetables. Sorry for the confusion, thanks for the answers!

I think that's what causes a lot of the confusion. People say that they don't eat carbs but what they really mean is that they don't eat complex or refined carbs. Just a lack of understanding of what has carbs and what doesn't.

Or they just mean they don't eat starches. I keep seeing people saying bread and pasta are "simple carbs".

It's nutty.

Sabine_Stroehm

Some people do find that they have an easier time maintaining a caloric deficit when they cut out higher calorie foods like bread, pasta, grains, beans, potatoes, etc. However, those same people often have a difficult time meeting their fiber requirements without those foods.

Not me. I get the fiber from leafy greens usually.

For me: greens and legumes, yes. Definitely on my "go to" list. Grains a bit less.

raeesa07

From my experience they are hard to follow but I lost weight the quickest this way. It puts your body into ketosis (fat-burning mode)

parkscs

Why low carb though? It's not a magic diet. The basic of weight loss is to eat less calories than you burn. Therefore:

****You will lose weight on low carb if you eat below your total daily energy expenditure
****You will maintain weight on low carb if you eat at your total daily energy expenditure
****You will gain weight on low carb if you eat above your total daily energy expenditure

Seriously, there is no magic in the low carb diet, or any other diet for that matter. Type of diet is all about personal preference only. Nothing more, nothing less.

A lack of magic doesn't mean there are no reasons to follow a particular program. Dumb bell presses aren't magical for building pectoral muscles and they aren't the only way to develop your chest, so why does anyone EVER do them? Running isn't the only way to build calories and improve your cardiovascular health, and there's certainly nothing is magical about running 5K's, so why do people ever do them? I could go on, but a lack of magic is really irrelevant to the question of what any individual's weight loss plan should look like. So to answer your question, why low carb might simply be because people have a personal preference to eat a very satiating diet and to have their energy levels decoupled from their food intake, even if it means eating a much more restrictive diet.

meridianova

Carbs=energy, they are the bodies main source of fuel.

if that was true, then our bodies would be capable of storing glucose for fuel during famine periods, and it would be a far more efficient fuel source. instead, our bodies store fat, which has a longer, more efficient burn.

the easiest way to think about it is this... if you're trying to heat a room with a fireplace, do you throw wadded up paper onto the fire? or do you burn dense wood like oak? which one is going to do a better job of heating your room over a long period of time?

allanakern

I've lasted about a day on a low carb diet. totally sucks.

adiggs2777

I keep low carb, but then again I am a diabetic and carbs like pasta and bread and potatoes rocket my blood sugar up to hell. If I were not diabetic, I'm not sure if I would keep low carb. As it stands, I'm not a zealot about it. I occasionally have all those things. I've lost over 70 lbs, but mostly due to weighing and measuring my food and going to the gym 5x per week more than low carbing, per se.

Mr_Knight

the easiest way to think about it is this... if you're trying to heat a room with a fireplace, do you throw wadded up paper onto the fire? or do you burn dense wood like oak?

you're assuming the fire is already lit.

good luck starting that fire with nothing but your super efficient chunk of oak.

TeaBea

I can lose weight on a low carb diet....but I can't maintain it that way. If you choose to lose weight in a manner that is not a permanent lifestyle change, then you will need another strategy to maintain any weight lost.

Logging food, measuring portions, and adding exercise is a learning experience for me. No, it's not the easiest way to lose weight BUT maintenance is anything but easy.

cingle87

Its down to personal preference, its not a magic formula for losing weight. It help people from over eating o calorie dense foods like bread which can come to 200+ cals per slice so easily if you have 2 slice there a big chunk of your daily intake gone.

For me you would have to prize the carbs out of my cold dead hands.

sparacka

Some people do find that they have an easier time maintaining a caloric deficit when they cut out higher calorie foods like bread, pasta, grains, beans, potatoes, etc. However, those same people often have a difficult time meeting their fiber requirements without those foods.

The SAD requires such a high fiber intake because of its foundation of carbs. When your diet consists mostly of fat calories, fiber becomes much less important. (Greasing the works, so to speak).

I've lasted about a day on a low carb diet. totally sucks.

As stated above, many folks experience the "keto flu," which last a few days after beginning carb restriction and can be unpleasant, but if you don't push through, you will never experience the benefits of ketosis.

the easiest way to think about it is this... if you're trying to heat a room with a fireplace, do you throw wadded up paper onto the fire? or do you burn dense wood like oak?

you're assuming the fire is already lit.

good luck starting that fire with nothing but your super efficient chunk of oak.

The "fire" is not out until one's metabolism has stopped, i.e. until one is dead.

OP: if you are interested in pursuing this WOE, I recommend that you seek information elsewhere. The recurring fight over carbs that occurs on the main message boards is, frankly, exhausting. Try the low carb forums, try reddit, or check out dietdoctor.com.

Good luck to you!

Branstin

It comes down to preference, sustainability, and health requirements.

zcb94

I meant low carb, as in bread and pastas, not vegetables. Sorry for the confusion, thanks for the answers!

If you're eating bread and pasta, you're not eating low carb, and yes, your body will be fine without those.

Just get your carb fix from veggies and fruits.

Right. As a diabetic, I thought I had to nix EVERY carb until I understood that some veggies have them, and even those are on my "low" or "no" lists. I try to avoid most bread, pasta, sweetness and fruit like the plague, though.