Trying to shake the idea of eating carbs!
Replies
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I'm glad I posted this thread, and thanks for all the good advice! It deffinately all come down to mind over matter a?! Thanks Peeps!0
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OK so the whole idea of dieting is warped in my mind because I have done the yo-yo with no carbs the past couple of years. I do great on no carbs and loose weight fast however, when I go back to carbs I gain double the weight. So it has been hard for me to believe that with in reasonable portions I am aloud to eat carbs! I also like to try and avoid sugars unless they are natural from my fruit. Any one else struggle with this?
How about you learn to eat a balanced diet that contains the carbs that you obviously enjoy, lose a little slower and get off the yo-yo?
Just a suggestion :flowerforyou:
No offense but why? Food, nutrition, macros are tools to be manipulated like a workout. If someone wants to jump start fat loss by using a ketogenic diet why not?0 -
The low-carb and no-carb thing has never worked for me. I just make sure to incorporate healthy carbs, like whole grains and fruit. For breakfast, I'll usually have greek yogurt with berries and a little bit of Kashi Go Lean cereal on top. For lunch, a sandwich made with a whole wheat sandwich thin is definitely satisfying. I'll usually stay away from carbs at dinner time. An apple or a banana is also a great source for carbs if you need some energy but don't want a starchy carb.0
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<---- Eats carbs and doesn't track sugar, since most comes from fruit (including the dreaded bananas). Shed over 130 pounds, 100 inches, and dropped her body fat from 56% to 22%
Don't be afraid of carbs. They aren't evil. Nutritious, well-balanced meals and snacks in sensible portions, plenty of water, and regular exercise are how you get and stay healthy for a lifetime.0 -
Four words: water weight and glycogen
Give sensible balanced eating a try for a couple of months.0 -
I eat a lot of carbs. There are many different ways to lose weight. Good luck to you op.0
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Four words: water weight and glycogen
Give sensible balanced eating a try for a couple of months.
ding ding ding0 -
Because the OP has stated that when the cut carbs, and they introduce them back in, it has been a problem. Speaking to her SPECIFIC problem, calories are obviously the most important for weight loss (in vs. out)... but if she slowly changes her ratio instead of radical changes, it may help her have a long-term lifestyle change instead of a temporary diet.
No offense but why? Food, nutrition, macros are tools to be manipulated like a workout. If someone wants to jump start fat loss by using a ketogenic diet why not?How about you learn to eat a balanced diet that contains the carbs that you obviously enjoy, lose a little slower and get off the yo-yo?
Just a suggestion :flowerforyou:
**EDIT - OP, I'd also like to reinforce what others have said, and try just doing balanced nutrition with less calories and see how you fare long-term0 -
My thoughts from another endless carb debate in another thread:
And this is really the crux of things in my opinion. Anyone saying that building a better body and better health is solely about calories is very misguided. Obviously a calorie deficit comprising nothing but gum drops and jujubes isn't going to promote leanness and health as well as a diet comprising lean meats, abundant veggies and fruits, a balance of saturated, mono and polyunsaturated fats, etc.
At the end of the day though, I think you'd be hard pressed to show me sufficient peer-reviewed academic research that shows people losing weight in a calorie surplus or gaining weight in a calorie deficit, assuming we're talking about tissue weight and non-diseased people. But who cares about that since we're not here solely for weight loss. People, knowingly or not, are more interested in health and body composition.
And this latter focus requires calorie control AND nutrient control. One without the other is a pointless proposition. Anyone who's arguing that there aren't nutrient needs that need to be accounted for independently of calorie intake is sorely mistaken.
The people claiming that "all calories aren't the same" aren't grasping the specifics. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie... just as a meter is a meter. A calorie is merely a unit of measurement. You're confusing nutrients with calories... they aren't interchangeable. Nutrients provide our bodies energy that, for the time being, we quantify with an outdated metric known as the atwater system and calories. Yes, nutrients are not created equal in the "body's eye" which should be obvious to anyone. But that's not the same as saying, "all calories are not equal."
When you delve into the research pertaining to nutrient manipulation, if there are any clear trends, it's that there is no One Way that's right for everyone. People who espouse high carb diets to everyone are misguided just as people who espouse low carb diets to everyone are misguided. Individually tailoring a diet to the individual in question is a must if lasting change is going to be realized.
We've data out there supporting the idea that low carbohydrate approaches are better for some while higher carbohydrate approaches are better for others, further exemplifying why any blanket recommendations are sort of silly. Anyone who works with a wide array of folks in the fat loss setting can vouch that a myriad of diets work depending on the person and the situation. I can say this... in my experience, lower carb approaches tend to work best for my obese clients and by and large, moderate carb approaches tend to work best for my leaner clients. This most likely has something to do with insulin resistance/sensitivity issues which has already been mentioned in this thread.
And if you're truly trying to show that there is some sort of metabolic advantage for anyone eating low carb, you need to wait for sufficient research to be conducted comparing low vs. moderate or high carb approaches THAT MATCH protein and calories. The research simply isn't there yet though. James Krieger, an author and published researcher whom I highly respect and communicate with, put it perfectly when he said:
1. The proposed metabolic advantage (MA) for low carb diets is a hypothesis, not a fact
2. There is inadequate data to support the MA hypothesis
3. There is inadequate data to reject the MA hypothesis
4. The MA hypothesis does not trump the concept of energy balance. It postulates inefficiencies in energy metabolism, which would translate to an increase in measured energy expenditure (due to heat loss) in a living organism. Thus, if the MA was true, "calories out" would increase for a given "calories in".
5. A definitive study examining 24-hour energy expenditure (using room calorimetry), comparing a ketogenic diet to a traditional diet (with matched protein intake) for subjects in an energy deficit, has not been performed. This is the only study that will adequately test the MA hypothesis in humans
6. Weight loss still requires an energy deficit. If a MA exists, it still cannot make up for an energy surplus or energy balance. To assert otherwise is to assert that energy can be created or destroyed out of thin air, or that human tissue can be created in the absence of any energy input.
Mind you, his published paper on MA actually supports the MA hypothesis.
And what about insulin? Yea, it's true that having elevated insulin levels blocks fat oxidation and lipolysis on a meal by meal basis. But what happens if, say, you eat one huge meal and spike insulin to the moon, store fat, shut off lipolysis, etc. and then don't eat again for the rest of the day?
If that one meal was only 1,000 calories and you need 2,500 a day to cover your total daily energy expenditure, why exactly is the body just going to hang on to those calories when it needs them to survive?
And this doesn't even begin to factor in things like rate of digestion... eating even a high-carb diet does not necessarily imply chronically elevated insulin. And low carb zealots (not suggesting you're a zealot) tend to look at things in a vacuum... insulin promotes fat storage, carbs spike insulin, therefore carbs make us fat. They leave out, as already mentioned, the myriad factors that also play a role in fat metabolism such as acylation stimulation protein, catecholamines, HSL, etc.
As I noted above, in the game of weight loss it is about thermodynamics before anything else. In the game of body composition and health, it's much more complex however.
For anyone interested in learning more about insulin and its relation to lipogenesis, I can't recommend Jame Krieger's series on it which you can find here:
http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319
That's part 1 and you can continue on to the other parts from it.0 -
<---- Eats carbs and doesn't track sugar, since most comes from fruit (including the dreaded bananas). Shed over 130 pounds, 100 inches, and dropped her body fat from 56% to 22%
Don't be afraid of carbs. They aren't evil. Nutritious, well-balanced meals and snacks in sensible portions, plenty of water, and regular exercise are how you get and stay healthy for a lifetime.
...^^ totally agree!! I eat a ton of carbs and don't track sugar because the only sugar I get is from healthy fresh fruits and vegetables.0 -
OK so the whole idea of dieting is warped in my mind because I have done the yo-yo with no carbs the past couple of years. I do great on no carbs and loose weight fast however, when I go back to carbs I gain double the weight. So it has been hard for me to believe that with in reasonable portions I am aloud to eat carbs! I also like to try and avoid sugars unless they are natural from my fruit. Any one else struggle with this?
How about you learn to eat a balanced diet that contains the carbs that you obviously enjoy, lose a little slower and get off the yo-yo?
Just a suggestion :flowerforyou:
No offense but why? Food, nutrition, macros are tools to be manipulated like a workout. If someone wants to jump start fat loss by using a ketogenic diet why not?
Because the OP said that this "jump start" leads to gaining it all back. It's not working for her, clearly.0 -
Saving to read later!0
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The reason why is because, people act like carbs originated from the gates of hell. Carbs are just as important as protein and fat. In order to achieve proper balance you need a combination of all three IMHO.OK so the whole idea of dieting is warped in my mind because I have done the yo-yo with no carbs the past couple of years. I do great on no carbs and loose weight fast however, when I go back to carbs I gain double the weight. So it has been hard for me to believe that with in reasonable portions I am aloud to eat carbs! I also like to try and avoid sugars unless they are natural from my fruit. Any one else struggle with this?
How about you learn to eat a balanced diet that contains the carbs that you obviously enjoy, lose a little slower and get off the yo-yo?
Just a suggestion :flowerforyou:
No offense but why? Food, nutrition, macros are tools to be manipulated like a workout. If someone wants to jump start fat loss by using a ketogenic diet why not?
You have to earn your carbs, when you train eat more, when you don't eat less.
Problem solved.0 -
The reason why is because, people act like carbs originated from the gates of hell. Carbs are just as important as protein and fat. In order to achieve proper balance you need a combination of all three IMHO.OK so the whole idea of dieting is warped in my mind because I have done the yo-yo with no carbs the past couple of years. I do great on no carbs and loose weight fast however, when I go back to carbs I gain double the weight. So it has been hard for me to believe that with in reasonable portions I am aloud to eat carbs! I also like to try and avoid sugars unless they are natural from my fruit. Any one else struggle with this?
How about you learn to eat a balanced diet that contains the carbs that you obviously enjoy, lose a little slower and get off the yo-yo?
Just a suggestion :flowerforyou:
No offense but why? Food, nutrition, macros are tools to be manipulated like a workout. If someone wants to jump start fat loss by using a ketogenic diet why not?
You have to earn your carbs, when you train eat more, when you don't eat less.
Problem solved.
They're not from the gates of hell. Yes a lot of people treat them that way. Thank people like Dr. Atkins and the media for that. And yes they are just as important as protein and fat, but all 3 can be manipulated to get the results you desire. It's like you have to be in one camp one or the other on this board. It's weird. Republican v Democrat, Carb v No Carb.0 -
Hi, I have just started to follow this way of eating after a low calorie diet did NOTHING for me. I was eating between 1200-1400 cals. a day....and yo yo'd for the first month (Jan.2012) between losing only 2-3 lbs. Then I read an article that said some folks are just Carb sensitive...I guess that's me because this past week I've tried to eliminate as many carbs as possible up'd my protein significantly an am following a very, very modified version of Atkins. NOT as strict, yet am down to about 30-6o net gms. (after subtrating fiber gms.) from the carbs , per day...IT IS WORKING NOW! I've lost 3 lbs. this week.. I do miss bread and potatoes, but cereal the most.. I'm sure I'll get used to this tho' as I'm not even hungry anymore! I have another 30+ to go, but am just excited and hope this continues to work for me! Thanks for listening.0
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You need to eat complex catbs, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains... complex carbs are slow dissolving and help regulate blood sugar and prevent insulin spikes. Carbohydrates is what also gives your body the energy to function every day, helps your brain, and also helps break down fats and helps bring protein into the muscle. All of the macronutrients work together in a system, with not enough of one it throws everything out of wack, and too much of another is just as bad. You just have to stay away from Simple carbs, no soda's, no pizza, no packaged foods, no sweets, etc.... Things high in fiber are the way to go, Oatmeal is one of the best whole grain complex carbs you can eat. When you don't hardly eat any carbs all you are losing is lean muscle mass, you are not losing fat mass, that is why you have the weight gain when you start eating them again. Low carbs is only temporary weight loss, if you want long term weight loss you have to eat at least 45% complex carbs. I use to be high protein low carbs and it took forever to get in shape, when I switched to fruits, veggies, and whole grains as well as protein and healthy fats it didn't take long at all to become a lean machine. I am at 6.1% body fat now.
This makes sense if you are going to have a lifetime of regular rigorous exercise, which is probably why you think it makes sense in your ("it didn't long at all to become a lean machine") perspective. If you cut your workouts down you will encounter problems trying to balance protein intake for muscle maintenance with a carb-heavy diet and avoiding fat gains. Lots of these people are more interested in staying skinny than being ripped and will have such problems once they reach their ideal weight and try to balance their diet with a lesser exercise schedule.0 -
In reference to the low carb diet plan and my previous posting...I have now lost much more weight in the past two weeks than I did the whole month of January. BUT it is not a NO carb diet, I specifically chose foods that are lower in carbs...some fruits and vegs. are much higher than others. I COULD NEVER stand not to eat carbs again, but I am much wiser in the carbs I chose to eat. Fresh salads, green veggies, beans, berries, apples, cantaloupe, small servings of whole wheat pasta,and low fat dairy versus my old diet of potatoes, bread, muffins, 'white' pasta, and cereals. I have even found thru internet reading that with the fruit and veg. group there is a vast difference in carb content. So I do think you have to have some carbs, simply to assist in digestion, to maintain vitamin levels, to assist in elimination. But for someone who before only ate perhaps 4-6 ozs of meat or protein a day I WAS always hungry. So this new limited carb diet which has increased my protein consumption to some at every meal , keeps me satisfied all day.
Yes for the past two weeks I did limit my NET carbs (gms minus fiber) to between 30-60 but am going to slowly increase this until I can find a point where I am still able to lose weight. Great input by all of you...
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Carbs are essential. No carb - high protein diets work simply because our bodies can use only so much protein. Even when body building. The rest is not stored. It is literally flushed down the toilet.
Not only does this put your body in a toxic state, but it also thinks it's starving - which launches "storage mode."
So of course you gain back more than you've lost.
Eat good carbs. Fresh fruit and veggies, whole grains. And eat them multiple times a day. Whole grains like quinoa are also an excellent source of protein.
Our bodies are simple machines. They understand Feast or Famine. If you convince your body it is having a feast - by eating many smaller meals through out the day, you will drop the pounds faster.0 -
This is not true. Protein is stored, it's converted to glucose using gluconeogenesis, then stored as either glycogen or as fat (glycerol.) It's just not stored as protein, or able to be used as protein, but it isn't just "flushed away."Carbs are essential. No carb - high protein diets work simply because our bodies can use only so much protein. Even when body building. The rest is not stored. It is literally flushed down the toilet.0 -
for me trying to avoid wheat and trying to eat more vegetarian (seafood is still in my diet) is a challenge. i'm having to get more creative but as stated in this thread you can't go wrong with veggies and fruit for carbs.0
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Carbohydrates are found in many foods including beans, fruits, vegetables, and even dairy. The base of carbohydrates is glucose which is essential for brain functioning - brains don't run on protein or fat - they run on glucose (more specifically ATP the energy molecule). This being said you can eat a diet that has no bread, pasta, rice, etc and lose weight, but if you are exercising this may be a challenge as your body needs more energy (ATP) to sustain activity. Exercise has so many other benefits that it is worth eating the carbs so you can sleep better, reduce stress, reduce chronic illness and even burn more calories when you are at rest. Eat brown rice, whole wheat bread and pasta that are more stable as they won't cause the blood sugar spikes and crashes like the white versions (which make you hungry).0
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