Can I really lose doing low carbs?? HELP! PLEASE!

pickle41

I too have done it all, so now i think i will try the low carb, not no carb but low carb, (i do have a heart condition). But I really need some help here.. I'm drowning here and need help. Anyone with any answers I would GREATLY appriciate it. Please Help.. Thanks friends.

Naomi91

I am not a fan of low carb. Makes me sluggish, headaches, and weak. Something that is not do able for a long time and feels depriving. A lot of the weightloss is just water, and there is a higher chance of muscle loss. None of the above are good.

I would try just eating better carbs. More fruits and veggies, oats and other unprocessed grains like brown rice

JennLifts

it really depends on your body. I NEED carbs. you might not be very active and such, and it could work for you. Just know though, that carbs are your main energy source. Great things!

luv2ash

I've lost all my weight following a program that allows me to eat between 85-100 carbs a day and around 110-120 grams of protein a day. Its all about the proper balance of the two. I eat 6 meals a day, each having a proper balance of protein and carbs.

steacher24

Definitely! I lost 60 pounds before on a low-carb diet. Just beware that if you don't keep it up, those carbs sneak up on you and you add them right back on.

luv2ash

it really depends on your body. I NEED carbs. you might not be very active and such, and it could work for you. Just know though, that carbs are your main energy source. Great things!

With the progrm that I am on, we are in a mild state of ketosis, nothing like Atkins---so our body is burning fat, and heaven knows, I have plenty of it to burn. Once we reach goal weight, then we start adding in more calories slowly, gradually, usually carbs, and watch the scale to make sure we don't gain until we reach a happy caloric intake.

Once my body hit the fat burning state, 3 days after I started the program, I had energy that went through the roof. Where as on Atkins, I had to quit the program because I had no energy. There was too much of a carb deficit for me.

Caper88

I have PCOS so I started South Beach last Thursday. I weighed in today and I was down 6lbs. I have decided to keep going with it this week to see if it is what is making a difference for me. I can't wait to hear how everyone else did to know what to expect weight loss wise.

msheldon88

You can lose by cutting carbs and replacing bad carbs with good carbs. Bad carbs are things like white bread and good carbs are things that are whole grain. The key to long term success is changing your lifestyle to avoiding bad carbs. I too have tried many diets including no carb diets. I have found that the key to losing weight and keeping it off is not a diet but a lifestyle change. I wish you luck and encouragement to get to your goal!

MSDRIZZ

Ask your cardiologist. My mother asked hers and he said its the worst thing for a heart patient. He was very adamant about this.

Caper88

What program are you on luv2ash ?

latuck

I eat low carbs and the carbs I eat are always healthy carbs...I agree you need them for energy! I eat my carbs mostly during the day and my trainer said never after 3. So thats kind of what I follow...I'm down almost 10 lbs since I joined a couple of weeks ago. I'm also working out every day...or almost every day...so I'm replacing fat with muscle too. The more muscle you have the better your body will burn....lol...but none of it's fun. You just gotta do it. xoxo Good luck!!

heyitsmekatie

i've done low carb and lost weight quickly. i just found it really, really, really hard to stick to. i am a snacker by trade and could only stand to eat so much cheese.

jerseyshorenurse

As I see it, you can lose weight on any diet that results in you taking in fewer calories than your body burns every day, whether it's high carb or low carb. The eating plans are just gimmick, giving you a regimen to get you eating fewer calories. JMHO.

RDH0513

I've lost all my weight following a program that allows me to eat between 85-100 carbs a day and around 110-120 grams of protein a day. Its all about the proper balance of the two. I eat 6 meals a day, each having a proper balance of protein and carbs.

I like this! Way to go by the way But thats what I am trying to aim for as far as carbs and protein go and I do not feel sluggish or have headaches. Now if I know I am going to be in a bikini or something and I do drop my carbs, I do get tired, cranky, and have headaches. But I think that around the 100 carb range is pretty balanced. You should try it for two weeks and see how your body reacts to it. Everyone is different!

mrjason

I did low carb for about 5 months and lost 70 pounds. The second I started following a "balanced diet" I gained it all back. Just another perspective. Doctor said I put my body in shock and was basically starving myself. When I started eating "normally" again, my body adjusted to the extreme.

LaJauna

I am not a fan of low carb. Makes me sluggish, headaches, and weak. Something that is not do able for a long time and feels depriving. A lot of the weightloss is just water, and there is a higher chance of muscle loss. None of the above are good.

I would try just eating better carbs. More fruits and veggies, oats and other unprocessed grains like brown rice

There is NO chance of muscle loss eating high protein...it actually protects your muscle mass. I am a low carber...have been for years. I eat a variety of proteins and veggies every day. I eat more veggies since I started low carbing then I ever did when I was eating high carb junk! I also eat healthy fats every day, throughout my day to keep my energy stores high. All diets result in initial water weight loss not just low carb diets. But low carb eating promotes more actual fat being used and less muscle loss from canibalization from low protein consumption.

LaJauna

Ask your cardiologist. My mother asked hers and he said its the worst thing for a heart patient. He was very adamant about this.

Our family doctor, who consulted my husband's cardiologist, suggested we both go on Atkins to drop our extra weight and to correct my husband's diabetes and high blood pressure. Too many doctors and nutritionists are spouting alot of "old school" science that has since been debunked. Low carb is not unhealthy. Low carb is not going to make your kidneys explode. Low carb is not going to give you a heart attack. It helps to control glucose/insulin so that your body can return to its former healthy state. The problem is people lose their weight and then return to an "unhealthy" eating pattern which still includes garbage. Weight gains are guaranteed.

mideon_696

4 Hour Body - By Tim Ferris.

Check it out.
Or flick me an Private message, and i'll hook you up . Best way to lose fat...apart from keto diets (which no-one should ever want to partake in).

It works. There are no tricks, just dedication to being organised.

MSDRIZZ

Sorry to tell you La Jauna, but my mothers doctor is one of the top cardiologists in the country. I said that my mother was aheart patient. I would think that a specialist would know more about hisspecialty then a G.P. That is why they refer you to a specialist in the first place. My mother is a heart patient just like the poster. I said it is dangereous for heart patients, not anybody although it is up for debate whether this is healthy or not. Atkins is not healthy at all. Other low carb diets can be healthy especially for diabetics, but Atkins is too extreme.

lodro

what is the "atkins diet" according to you, then?

Hoosier16

They should really get rid of the term "low carb" and replace it with "controlled carb". Low carb has such a negative connotation.

I can't imagine there is any doctor in the country that would suggest cutting out sugar, starches, and white flour could possibly be anything but good. That is what most controlled carb diets are now based upon. Even Atkins isn't as severe as it once was. There is just too much evidence from studies from reputable sources (Duke, Harvard, etc) that have shown how it is healthier without those things.

If you limit or remove those, the weight will drop.

superwmn

Everyone is different but I operate at my best when I eat primarily fat, protein and veg with moderate fruit. Many people can also incorporate 'good', 'slow burning' or 'unrefined' carbs into their diets, but I find these foods do not keep me full. Some items frequently on my shopping list:

eggs (love to poach them in salsa)
pork tenderloin
salmon
cod
tilapia
deli turkey (for turkey, humus and clover sprout roll ups)
Seasonal veggies for roasting (I roast TONS of veggies on Sunday, portion and eat all week long)
Spaghetti Squash (also divide and eat all week long)
Plain Greek yogurt
Almond Butter
Roasted, unsalted almonds
Apples
Blueberries and Strawberries

Was online today looking to update my recipe index and found some great recipes for egg casserole, and beef/pork crock pot recipes. I will cook these, portion, and freeze so I have meals for the week and then some!

Charmagne

LaJauna

Before I ate "controlled carb" Atkins diet, my blood sugars were off the charts, my blood pressure was getting dangerously high, my cholesterol was out of whack and I had inflamed joints and stomach issues. I do not as many, misinformed people think eat 0 carbs. I am eating between 30-60 carbs per day and only at that level to promote weight loss. Once I am within 15-20 lbs of my goal I will start adding back healthy carbs until I start to stop losing weight and then I will know what my "critical carb limit" is to maintain my weight loss and health. Since I have been eating a "controlled carb" diet my blood sugars have stabilized in the 80-100 range fasting, my blood pressure is 117/ 75, my cholesterol panel is great for the first time in years, my inflammation ha virtually disappeared and my GERD had disappeared completely. This is only since January 1st. Call my a fanatic. Call me crazy. But I am living proof that eating healthy, controlled carb lifestyle is not unhealthy or dangerous. If anyone has pre-existing conditions...get your doctors permission. But make sure you are prepared with good literature that is based on present day science and not outdated dogma. JMHO. Please do not flame me.

shanna5

I've lost all my weight following a program that allows me to eat between 85-100 carbs a day and around 110-120 grams of protein a day. Its all about the proper balance of the two. I eat 6 meals a day, each having a proper balance of protein and carbs.

What are you eating that you are maintaining low carbs, yet getting quite a bit of protein? Congrats on your success!

Marll

Yes, low carb or controlled carb diets can be successful. Anyone that looks at current dietary research critically, without further prejudice, will see that more and more carbohydrates are linked to people with unhealthy conditions and obesity. Even popular diets like Weight Watchers have reformulated their points system recently to take into account carbs, and having a friend doing that now he says that carb rich foods have significantly higher points than other food. Coincidence? I think not.

I did Atkins for a year and lost over 100lbs. I kept it off for over 2 years after eating more "normally". Only after I went off the deep end and started eating a ton of processed, sugared crap did I gain the weight back and somewhere in my mind the desire for that stuff drowned out the call to stop eating it. I rarely had cravings while eating low carb (every couple of months maybe?) and was NEVER hungry. I had energy to spare and felt great all the time. And my cholesterol was great afterwards, blood pressure great and heart doing fine! You also take in enough protien that you will not loose muscle that you already have on a low carb diet. Low fat and calorie restricted diets tend to do that.

Another misconception that makes me angry is that people think Atkins and other diets that are similar (and really all going off the of the basis of Dr. Atkins approach) that it's all meat and cheese. In the Atkins book he SPECIFICALLY tells you to eat more vegtables, and there is nothing wrong with carbs, just what kind. You also add carbs back into your diet and he states in his book that if you exercise, your tolerance for carbs may be even higher than others and might be able to consume closer to 100g a day. That doesn't seem too bad. I'm a firm believer that Atkins was ahead of his time and not apprciated, but time will show him to be right.

Most people who hate the diet have never read the book and fully understand the approach. It makes sense. The media coverage of it has been sensational and fearful because it flies in the face of everything our medical/nutritional community has recommended forever. Who's to say THEY are right and have the answer (since when does the government ever have the answer LOL).

Also in case some don't know, Atkins was a cardiologist...just goes to show that an opinion of one doctor even if they are "top rated" (read, makes a ton of money for their hospital, not actual patient care...) doesn't mean that their opinion is always right or one shared by all in that field.


/rant off