No carb diet

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.

Jbarbo01

It's totally individualized. Some people thrive on low carb and some people don't. I tried low carb and paleo eating, did not lose as fast as just watching portion size. Meat keeps weight on me and if I dont track it, even eating no grains or starchy foods at all, I will not lose. Every body is different. I feel really good and lose eating a ton of fruit and keeping grains and starchy food in moderation. I think its healthy to eat low carb if it makes you feel good, you just want to focus on whole foods and the foods that make you feel best.