Low Carb diets - Not as healthy as you might think.

teagin2002

I maintain a low carb diet while working for weightloss because I am seriously addicted to carbs. I guess it is partly my body and partly my lack of discipline, but if I eat a bit of my favorites I just crave them more. I would rather not eat them during weight loss then crave them all the time. It only takes a few days of eliminating them for me to kick the habit. I stick with lean protein including fish, turkey, chicken, pork, and very little red meat. I also stick to lower fat option simply because it is healthier. I don't eat "all I can eat" anything. I stay within my calorie allocation.

I started my weightloss program in June 2011. My blood work has improved significantly since then. Well on my way to healthy.

I did what you are doing now with a lot of experimenting back and forth. I used to end up just eating them without even noticing how many I had eaten.
It took me 1 year and 3 months to lose 112lbs, and that entire time plus 3 to 4 months after that to kick my carb addiction. You are doing the rite thing and it will get better :flowerforyou:

grinch031

I'm not in the business of refuting studies but let's face it, go visit any low carb forum, and you will see it is difficult to find dieters whose health didn't improve while on the diet. And we're talking about people with serious medical problems and they often clear up pretty quickly.

There is a lot of unwarranted negative stigma surrounding Atkins and other low-carb diets, and its due to poor publicity by the media and also perpetuated by the idea that dietary fat is bad. The biggest misconception is that people can eat unlimited calories and lose weight. Nowhere does Atkins make that claim. Atkins claims if you eat a low-carb diet, you can eat til you are fully satiated and can lose weight without counting calories. That is why his diet is effective for people.

Articeluvsmemphis

i LOVE carbs thanks. but I do go for the protein, it's about balance with any eating lifestyle.

chicklidell

"It may be a speedy way to slim down, but the Atkins diet can also raise your cholesterol and harm your heart just as quickly.

When researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine put 18 adults on the Atkins diet, Ornish, or South Beach Diet, those on the Atkins diet increased their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by 16 points and experienced hardening of the arteries in only 1 month. Those in the Ornish Diet group lowered bad cholesterol by 25 points, while those in the South Beach Diet group lowered it by 10 points.

The people on Ornish and South Beach Diet experienced improved flexibility in their arteries. Instead of cutting carbs to lose weight, reach for a balance of good carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats."

http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/diets/cholesterol-atkins-diet-vs-south-beach-diet

I don't do Atkins, but I severely carb restrict, 60grams a day...and honestly, you can find a medical study to back up anything now a days. Low carb can be extremely successful or not at all, it's an individual choice based on your preferance and tolerance levels to being able to sustain a low carb diet.

Acg67

I'm not in the business of refuting studies but let's face it, go visit any low carb forum, and you will see it is difficult to find dieters whose health didn't improve while on the diet. And we're talking about people with serious medical problems and they often clear up pretty quickly.

And again, is that due to eating less carbs or losing weight?

The biggest misconception is that people can eat unlimited calories and lose weight. Nowhere does Atkins make that claim. Atkins claims if you eat a low-carb diet, you can eat til you are fully satiated and can lose weight without counting calories. That is why his diet is effective for people.

Except Gary Taubes tells people they can eat as much fat and protein as they have no effect on fat accumulation

grinch031

And again, is that due to eating less carbs or losing weight?

That to me is not so relevant. If cutting carbs can get people to lose weight and increase their HDL and lower their LDL, then it is an effective approach to weight loss. Because I have a hard time finding Atkins dieters whose LDL increased as the article shows, I would be a little skeptical of the article.

Except Gary Taubes tells people they can eat as much fat and protein as they have no effect on fat accumulation

Gary Taubes doesn't represent the entire low carb community.

grinch031

I'm glad someone has posted something like this. Get so annoyed when its said on here and tv that I need to eat less carbs, or i'm not allowed a potato, ridiculous. I was taught when I was younger you need a healthy balance, around a third veggies/fruits, quarter carbs, quarter meat and then the rest is either fat/dairy. I always though you got most of your energy from carbs anyway!

Well for thousands of years, many human civilizations survived without access to an abundance of carbohydrates. Those who lived primitive lifestyles in cold climates like the Inuit eskimos survived just fine on diets high in fat and protein and low in carbs.

This idea of a healthy balanced diet is a relatively modern invention by man.

chefkev

Funny, because for me I have gotten off BP meds, reversed diabetes (no meds), lowered my cholesterol to 155 total, no more sleep apnea, no more acid reflux, and am now in great health.

I get blood tests every month and the longer I eat very low carb, the better my health. I guess the study doesn't pertain to me.

Maybe I am more like the Duke University study participants which says the opposite of this study. Who knows?

My body doesn't handle carbs well, so I don't feed it carbs. Easy for me to do. I don't put diesel fuel in my gas powered car either.

To each his own. Find a plan that works for you and don't bash others is my philosophy. If you don't want to eat low carb, then don't. Pretty simple solution.

grinch031

Funny, because for me I have gotten off BP meds, reversed diabetes (no meds), lowered my cholesterol to 155 total, no more sleep apnea, no more acid reflux, and am now in great health.

I get blood tests every month and the longer I eat very low carb, the better my health. I guess the study doesn't pertain to me.

Maybe I am more like the Duke University study participants which says the opposite of this study. Who knows?

My body doesn't handle carbs well, so I don't feed it carbs. Easy for me to do. I don't put diesel fuel in my gas powered car either.

To each his own. Find a plan that works for you and don't bash others is my philosophy. If you don't want to eat low carb, then don't. Pretty simple solution.

Every study must be taken with a grain of salt. There is almost no consensus out there about diet and nutrition. Unless something is undisputed by most authorities, you should really decide for yourself whether you want to believe it. I think when it comes to conflicting studies, anecdotal observations and first-hand experiences are just about all you can go by. Also a little common sense goes a long way.

Sidesteal

People should be well aware of a few things regarding this study so that it's not taken out of context due to the title of this thread and the article linked:

1) The only real piece of info given by the study was that on low carb, blood markers for health got slightly worse when comparing WEIGHT MAINTENANCE across different macronutrient compositions. Let me stress again, this was during maintenance.

2) The sample size was small and this is directly commented on in the actual research.

The only reason I'm posting this is so that people who are low carbing and having success, don't think that suddenly they'll have a heart attack.

Losing weight (low carb or not) and going from obese to "not obese" will very, very likely improve your lipids and overall health. In that regard, don't put too much stock into the title of this thread.

On a personal note, I don't do low carb but I have nothing against those who do.

What I take issue with is people who grossly misunderstand how it works or whether or not it's necessary and then they go and preach these misconceptions to others.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

"It may be a speedy way to slim down, but the Atkins diet can also raise your cholesterol and harm your heart just as quickly.

When researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine put 18 adults on the Atkins diet, Ornish, or South Beach Diet, those on the Atkins diet increased their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by 16 points and experienced hardening of the arteries in only 1 month. Those in the Ornish Diet group lowered bad cholesterol by 25 points, while those in the South Beach Diet group lowered it by 10 points.

The people on Ornish and South Beach Diet experienced improved flexibility in their arteries. Instead of cutting carbs to lose weight, reach for a balance of good carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats."

http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/diets/cholesterol-atkins-diet-vs-south-beach-diet

Geeezus, this is such RUBBISH.

There is nothing UNHEALTHY about eating fats, proteins, vegetables and fruits.

Stop the madness.

cramernh

Well, Im not using Atkins, but Im following my Endocrinologist's recommendations for low-carb intake... and its perfectly healthy... my ticker thus far is proof...

grinch031

People should be well aware of a few things regarding this study so that it's not taken out of context due to the title of this thread and the article linked:

1) The only real piece of info given by the study was that on low carb, blood markers for health got slightly worse when comparing WEIGHT MAINTENANCE across different macronutrient compositions. Let me stress again, this was during maintenance.

2) The sample size was small and this is directly commented on in the actual research.

The only reason I'm posting this is so that people who are low carbing and having success, don't think that suddenly they'll have a heart attack.

Losing weight (low carb or not) and going from obese to "not obese" will very, very likely improve your lipids and overall health. In that regard, don't put too much stock into the title of this thread.

On a personal note, I don't do low carb but I have nothing against those who do.

What I take issue with is people who grossly misunderstand how it works or whether or not it's necessary and then they go and preach these misconceptions to others.

Without looking at the study, I think its also worth mentioning that Atkins maintenance phase encourages increasing carb intake. So could it be there's a threshold where the increase becomes counter-productive? Something to think about.

bcattoes

A study of 18 is hardly conclusive, and the study was short term so long term results are not certain, especially since the Adkins diet works in phases. That they factored out weight loss and that the results to the arteries and blood were so quick is interesting, but again, not necessarily indicitive of long term results. But hopefully it will spur more similar research.

Here is a link to the University site and description of the study if anyone is interested.

http://www.umm.edu/news/releases/three_popular_diets.htm

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I love you for posting this Been saying for years that cutting out a macro can't possibly be healthy, they all have their place in a balanced diet.

:flowerforyou:

LOW carb does NOT equal NO carb.

Jesus, most people low carbing eat 10 times more vegetables than those counting calories.

grinch031

I love you for posting this Been saying for years that cutting out a macro can't possibly be healthy, they all have their place in a balanced diet.

:flowerforyou:

LOW carb does NOT equal NO carb.

Jesus, most people low carbing eat 10 times more vegetables than those counting calories.

Very true. Years of misinformation has hard-wired into many's minds the idea that the only healthy diet is based on the USDA food pyramid. I know this because even I have a hard time letting the idea go that dietary fat is bad and should be severely restricted.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Bubs05,

To clarify about South Beach, your roomie likely was following phase 1, which lasts no longer than two weeks. The main purpose of phase 1 is to rids ones addictions to sugars. Sugars includes items with a high glycymic index such as fruits and breads that digest quickly in the body. More protein is encouraged to avoid hunger and veggies are the carbs of choice but red meats alone aren't the staple. Phase 2 is after the sugar addiction and when complex carbs are reintroduced. I hope this helps.

Yes, and on the same note...............Phase 1 of South Beach is the same as Phase 1 of Atkins.

In Phase 2 of both plans you add back in foods. Atkins is much more structured because it is an elimination plan and you re-introduce foods one at a time so you can see how your individual body reacts to a particular food.

Phase 3 of South Beach is the same as Phase 3 and 4 of Atkins. You are eating proteins, fats, vegetables, fruits, some grains and starches and dairy (depending on what an individuals body can tolerate).

When I was on atkins my typical day was like this:

Breakfast: 3 egg omelette (ham, cheese, onions, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, brocolli) and a side of home ground breakfast sausage.

Lunch: Salad with home made dressing from scratch. Left overs from the night before which would be meat and non-starchy vegetables.

Supper: Salad with home made dressing from scratch and meat and non-starchy vegetables.


Drink water, black coffee and unsweetened tea.


You tell me what is so UNHEALTHY about the above mentioned menu?????????????

jasmine1211

I'm doing the adkins diet induction phase where I only allow myself to eat 20 grams of carbs a day. It is difficut but not impossible. I've lost 5 pounds already in four days. I plan on continuing to lose weight by going through the four phases of this diet. I've read a lot about low carb diets and they seem perfectly healthy as long as you follow the phases. Good luck to everyone out there, this is quite a challenge but we can do it!

PaleoPath4Lyfe

People should be well aware of a few things regarding this study so that it's not taken out of context due to the title of this thread and the article linked:

1) The only real piece of info given by the study was that on low carb, blood markers for health got slightly worse when comparing WEIGHT MAINTENANCE across different macronutrient compositions. Let me stress again, this was during maintenance.

2) The sample size was small and this is directly commented on in the actual research.

The only reason I'm posting this is so that people who are low carbing and having success, don't think that suddenly they'll have a heart attack.

Losing weight (low carb or not) and going from obese to "not obese" will very, very likely improve your lipids and overall health. In that regard, don't put too much stock into the title of this thread.

On a personal note, I don't do low carb but I have nothing against those who do.

What I take issue with is people who grossly misunderstand how it works or whether or not it's necessary and then they go and preach these misconceptions to others.

Without looking at the study, I think its also worth mentioning that Atkins maintenance phase encourages increasing carb intake. So could it be there's a threshold where the increase becomes counter-productive? Something to think about.

With Atkins and South Beach both after the first 2 weeks you increase carb intake. The induction phase is the only strict part where you are restricted to protein, fat and green leafy vegetables because you are eliminating any possible foods that you may have intolerances to and then foods are added back in one at a time.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I'm doing the adkins diet induction phase where I only allow myself to eat 20 grams of carbs a day. It is difficut but not impossible. I've lost 5 pounds already in four days. I plan on continuing to lose weight by going through the four phases of this diet. I've read a lot about low carb diets and they seem perfectly healthy as long as you follow the phases. Good luck to everyone out there, this is quite a challenge but we can do it!

It isn't unhealthy.

I can tell you it is a far more healthy plan than I see most of the people on this site with all the packaged, processed, frozen and boxed foods they eat.

Now that is unhealthy.

When I did Atkins in 2003 I got off all medications for Diabetes, Thyroid, and PCOS. I maintained a 100 pound weight loss until 2008 when I got into a really bad car accident due to someone rear-ending me on the interstate going 95 miles per hour.

The rehab process and steroids and not being able to plan my meals is what caused me to gain about half the weight back. Then depression kicked in and now I have stopped feeling sorry for myself and back on the ball with low carb, clean eating.