Do low carb fanatics drive you crazy?

naisey

Hi There,

My highest weight was 308 lbs. I lost over 100 lbs by counting calories and exercise. I recently had a baby so am back on it losing again. I've lost 15lbs in 32 days and I eat plenty of carbs. I eat bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. I don't eat much red meat because I don't like it.
I find that people seem to think that low carb is the only way to go. I tried it once and I felt like fainting all the time and my breath STANK!
I think that everyone has to do what works for them but personally, no one will ever convince me that eating all that meat, cheese and butter is good for you. Bring on the fruit and vegies....yum

evilbanks

I'm not a low carb kinda guy but my motto is "if it works for you, use it"

sovannac

I'm not a low carb kinda guy but my motto is "if it works for you, use it"

I completely agree! I'm on the low carb thing right now and it's working out just fine. I say that if you're being healthy and you aren't starving yourself then however a person diets, shouldn't matter to everyone else.

slbeutler

Weight loss really comes down to calories in and calories out, but different types of diets can have different results on your body. If you goal is just to lose weight than counting calories is fine. Some people want a more ripped, flat stomach look and to get that you really do have to monitor your carbs. Everyone needs some carbs, it is really the type and the amount.

change_happens

Not all low-carbers have smelly breaths... lol! There are different low carb diets. Everyone is different when it comes to their diet. I don't see why it would bother anyone that someone is not eating the way that they eat. Just makes no sense. We are all individuals and have to choose the journey that is best for each of us.

inotnew

I think the only time you should remove real foods from your eating plan is when you are alergic to them or it affects your health.

Kelly_Wilson1990

I eat carbs but whole grains and high fiber. I make my carbs count.

Erin_26

Low carb doesn't have to mean high-fat, of course.

I would never discourage someone to stop doing what works for them, so I'm glad you've found a way that works for you.

I do not eat bread, potatoes, rice, cheese and limited fruit. I stick to fish, seafood, egg whites and vegetables (which naturally have some carbs) most of the time. It is working wonderfully for me and I have lost 10 lbs in 1 month.

I keep to myself unless someone asks me about my diet, but I do promote a low-carb lifestyle because I am proof it works.

ibbray04

I think the only time you should remove real foods from your eating plan is when you are alergic to them or it affects your health.

AMEN to what she said!

Montco_cancel

I don't concern myself with what others do. If it works for them, then great!

I just need to focus on what I need to do to lose the weight...

MissMaryMac33

If it changed your breath, you were doing it far too extreme and probably in ketosis. This is not something you can sustain long term now would it be healthy. (in my healthy)

When I say "low carb" -- I still get 60-100g of carbs a day, but I DON'T get them from the crap that made me fat in the first place. Donuts, deep fried anything, waffles, pancakes, white bread, cake, cupcakes, cookies, potato chips, frieds... you get the points.

Most of my carbs now are "good" carbs.... fruits/veggies, greek yogurt, quinoa, whole grains etc....

It is still a low glycemic/low carb lifestyle. You don't have to go overboard --- just watch where your carbs and sugar come from.

Artemis_Acorn

I'm not a fanatic, but as someone with PCOS / Insulin Resistance, I recognise the value of the lower carb ratios in managing those conditions.

As with anything, it can't be good when done to the extreme. Balance and moderation are key,

melsinct

Any "fanatic" annoys me, as just that word (to me) implies an overzealous person in a negative sense. I don't mind people doing whatever works for them, but don't push what you do on me or anyone else. This goes for low carb fanatics, religious fanatics, etc.

AnaBananaChan

Lol, what is it people keep saying on this website, much less off?

"Do what works for you," as long as you don't starve and do ridiculous things. Best of luck people!

PoeRaven

I agree to a certain degree...

I tried the low carb/no carb diet years ago and as everyone knows, all that fat is definitely not good for you. My cholesterol levels went sky high...
Now, I do limit carbs but still enjoy them. I opt for whole grain pastas and breads. I limit these to just one or two servings a day though. I generally try to keep my carb intake below 200 per day.

kathleennf

I agree with inotnew- I am trying as hard as I can to eat healthy but mostly normal food and a normal lifestyle. As far as I know the **only** diets that are DOCUMENTED by good studies to improve long term health are low fat, low calorie and low sugar diets.

Alissa_Sal

I think that it would only bother me if someone kept carping at ME to go low carb. Personally, I don't want to make ANY foods completely off limit (especially not my delicious, delicious carbs - *drools*) But if it works for someone else, more power to them. It worked for my dad - he lost about 30 lbs on Atkins and has kept the weight off for years and years (I'm guessing close to 10 years now). He doesn't care that much about carbs anyway (he mostly just loves meat) so that was easy for him and highly effective.

brit49

If it changed your breath, you were doing it far too extreme and probably in ketosis. This is not something you can sustain long term now would it be healthy. (in my healthy)

When I say "low carb" -- I still get 60-100g of carbs a day, but I DON'T get them from the crap that made me fat in the first place. Donuts, deep fried anything, waffles, pancakes, white bread, cake, cupcakes, cookies, potato chips, frieds... you get the points.

Most of my carbs now are "good" carbs.... fruits/veggies, greek yogurt, quinoa, whole grains etc....

It is still a low glycemic/low carb lifestyle. You don't have to go overboard --- just watch where your carbs and sugar come from.
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What you wrote, also why put down other people diet, you have to do what works for you, everyone is different. Dont let it drive you crazy!!!!

Dave351

"I tried it once and I felt like fainting all the time and my breath STANK!

I think that everyone has to do what works for them but personally, no one will ever convince me that eating all that meat, cheese and butter is good for you. Bring on the fruit and vegies....yum "

Faint, flu symptoms, stank breath...there all signs of Ketosis. Which isn't good. However, hovering just above that state can work well. There are a ton of diets out there. Some work and some are just nuckin futs!! The one time tested proven method is to eat a variety of clean healthy food and to be active. Find what works for you and stick with it!!

jackalope28

What melsinct said!

I do* get annoyed when people lose weight by munching on junk food and 100 calorie snack packs all day, or 20% of their calories come from a Frappucino, and and and...

And then I realize that I'm being judgmental and that hey, that works for some people and they have success with it, because junk food or not it's still under their calorie limit and they're losing weight, and that we're all here with the same goal - to get to a healthy weight for us.

Not one size fits all, and everyone has an opinion. So I try to take the viewpoint that everyone is here and has good intentions and is going through a similar thing, and we can all benefit from group support, whether high carb, low carb, cookie diets, vegetarian diets, meat-only diets, junk food diets.

Whatever works for someone, good for them for taking a step in the right direction by getting to a healthier weight.

shabydonner

Its funny, being a heavy kid that didn't care for many veggies, hard as my mother tired to get me to like them, I thought about the low carb thing being my answer. I am much the carnivore and the idea of being able to eat a stake with butter and cheese which is probably my favorite food (and worst enemy at times) was very appealing. I never really went on it as I was young enough during the Atkins craze that I still pretty much ate what was prepared for me. Now that I'm older and fixing my own meals I can't imagine not including carb in my diet. I did the Diabetic Exchange diet a couple of years ago, which is a good well rounded diet that forced me to get more fruits and veggies and limit the protein and carbs to healthy levels. It was working but I just couldn't stand having to do the figuring of what counted as what. Did that piece of cheese count and a meat, a dairy and a fat or just one of those or what. This site has been so great for me. I actually enjoy plugging in what I have eaten and seeing, not in choices, but in actual grams what I have left for the day. It takes a ton of the guess work out of it and I can see sticking to this long term unlike anything else I have tried. I have know some people to do well with the Low carb thing but the second they fall off the wagon, even just a little, they start putting it right back on. To each his own but I will take the counting calories method any day.

sandy2006

I do a low carb diet. Or thats just what I call it. I stay away from "white" stuff. with the exception to a tortilla or bagle every day. The low carb name, IMO, has a bad rap because people think you mean NO carb. I eat about 75 carbs a day but I get that from fruits and veggies and whole wheat bread. I do Not think eating only meat is healthy.

lavarockkid

I think it is going to be easier to keep the weight off by not severely changing your diet. I eat carbs, less than I used to because of the high calories. But I would never cut them out, I love breads and pasta.

One thing my doctor said is that you are going to get your calories from either protein or carbs, and protien will make you fill full longer.

AdAstra47

There are different low carb diets. Everyone is different when it comes to their diet. I don't see why it would bother anyone that someone is not eating the way that they eat. Just makes no sense. We are all individuals and have to choose the journey that is best for each of us.

AGREED!

Think about it. Your metabolism, and how efficiently it processes different types of calories, can be affected by your age, gender, genetics, activity level, childhood illnesses, the altitude where you live, how much sleep you get, and what phase of your reproductive cycle you're on (yes, men too). So do you really think there's ANY one-size-fits-all plan that will work for everyone? Impossible! Everyone has to learn what is best for them, individually.

I am very happy for all of the people who *have* found what works for them. And I know that their pushiness about their solution stems from a genuine desire to help others. But it often turns into intolerance for other, equally valid philosophies. (And this applies to religion as well as weight loss).

Personally, I am on an extremely low-carb diet, on my doctor's orders due to hyperinsulinemia. 5% carbs, 30% fat, 65% protein. And it is the best thing that has ever happened to me: it's let me lose weight for the first time in my life, as well as curing my mood swings and depression. But I would never suggest that for someone else without a doctor's examination. And I get very tired of people who try to tell me that it's unsustainable or dangerous; my doctor introduced me to several people who have managed their condition using a diet like this for over a decade. Do people really think I would do this without doing the research first & making sure it was safe? Give me *some* credit for having half a brain...

So I would encourage *everyone* to experiment with their nutrient ratios, and find out what works best for you. And whether you eat 80% carbs or 5% carbs, don't be rude to people who have chosen differently.

trainguy917

If counting calories works for you, that's wonderful. It doesn't for me. I eat meat, cheese, butter, veggies, and a small amount of low carb fruit. I don't count calories and I don't eat sugar or starchy foods. And it works well for me. My cholesterol has gone from horrible to healthy, my energy is higher, and I no longer crave sweets. But if a diet works for you, that's the way to go.

SugarBaby1987

If counting calories works for you, that's wonderful. It doesn't for me. I eat meat, cheese, butter, veggies, and a small amount of low carb fruit. I don't count calories and I don't eat sugar or starchy foods. And it works well for me. My cholesterol has gone from horrible to healthy, my energy is higher, and I no longer crave sweets. But if a diet works for you, that's the way to go.

Exactly. Why is it that almost everyday on this site people call out low carbers by starting some type of topic like this? FYI low carb diets aren't about eating all of the meat, cheese, and butter that you want. I eat low carb, and I only eat between 4-6 ounces of meat, fish, or poultry at lunch time & dinner, & along with those two meals I eat loads of veggies. I also eat fruit. Most low carb diets allow you to eat fruit so I have no clue where the idea that they don't comes from. I don't try to push my beliefs on others b/c if eating higher carb & counting calories works for you then that's great. You do what works for you, and be happy with it.

ppiinnkkmmoonn

im a low carb/lowfat Pescatarian i do not eat butter and stuff. Low carb is different for everyone. By the way everyone thinks i smell as sweet as a cupcake no pun intended. :laugh:

change_happens

I think the only time you should remove real foods from your eating plan is when you are alergic to them or it affects your health.

AMEN to what she said!

There are plenty of reasons to remove particulars from your diet and that doesn't always mean that someone is allergic to a particular food.

Diabetics... what about them?
People who have a history of heart disease... what about them?

Low carb is not about eliminating foods from your diet. It is about making healthier choices regarding the carb intake, not the elimination of a food group.

zakkthebear

I try to not eat much of *anything* that is processed. By default, that gets rid of a lot of carbs. As others have said, I make my carbs count.

Qarol

I'm not a low carb kinda guy but my motto is "if it works for you, use it"

Same here. I wouldn't consider myself a fanatic except with myself. I never tell people it's the perfect diet. In fact, I tell people who consider trying it to really pay attention to how they feel those first couple of weeks. If they're not feeling better with more energy, then it's not the right diet for them. It is, however, the right diet for me. I simply don't process carbs well.

TK421NotAtPost

They should call it the low starch diet....or the starch-free diet.