To Low Carb or Not to Low Carb

Daydreams406

Just my .02. I did Atkins years back before there were all the new low carb foods available. I did lose a lot. It was nice. But it left me completely cranky and moody. I did not like restricting my diet so much because quite frankly, I like carbs. I gained all the weight back as well, and then some.
Realistically I couldn't stick to a low carb diet. Not with three kids, and our family likes some of the carbs. Pasta being one of them, and bread another biggie.
I have never looked back into low carb since then, and like I said, they have so many new foods available now, that maybe it would be a whole lot easier now. Who knows....but I just know it isn't for me.

RachelsReboot

Not worth my time

redheadmommy

I think low carb diet covers quite a wide horizon.
The lowest extreme probably atkins introduction phase, where carb intake almost zero with only some veggies in limited quantities are allowed and nothing much else.
However LC goes upto to a maintenance primal lifestyle level , where all veggies, all fruits and dairy also allowed and restricting carb into 150g / day for maintance and 100g for weight loss.
I follow this lifestyle in the last 2months and I have never felt better. Practically the only thing I cut out are the grains, legumes , potato and all added sugar.
I started here almost 10months ago and the first 8 months I just followed a restricted calorie diet, with increased protein intake. I lost around 25lb , but it was frustrating and I kept having plateaus . Also my lower belly poach was not really shrinking.
Since I cut out the grains , I have more energy,finally do not have insomnia, and feel great. My weight loss slightly faster , while I eat slightly more calories as before. The real positive is no plateau since and the weight seems to come off from my most problematic area: my lower belly poach and my thigh.
Not to mention I find it much easier to stick to it. I simply do not have sweet cravings any more. I do not have binges, and I do not drool of I see other people eat icecream and what not.

grinch031

So, my question is, are you/wopuld you follow the low-carb diet and why or why not?

Me? No. Never. As a normal healthy individual, there is no reason to introduce such a handicap and discomfort into my life.

I have used MFP's calorie tracking a few times for informational purposes and find that to be quite a handicap and discomfort in my life. The thought of even eating out in a restaurant is daunting to me when trying to account for calorie intake.

Ok. This again?

I find Harley Davidsons to be crappy quality, too loud, and dislike that they emphasize looks over performance. So do I go on Harley websites and talk about how I dislike them? No. That would be just as weird as going to a calorie counting website to talk about just how much I dislike calorie counting.

So why go on a low-carb thread to talk about how you dislike them. Hypocritical much? This is NOT a "calorie counting" website it is a fitness/health/nutrition website. Seriously, get over yourself.

OP asked "So, my question is, are you/wopuld you follow the low-carb diet and why or why not?". I answered the question.

If you distill MFP down to the bare essence, it is a calorie counting website. Everything here is predicated on that.

I guess I can expect not to see you giving your opinion on any other low-carb threads that are not asking such a question.

And I don't know what business it is of yours why I use this site anyways. 90% of my posts here have nothing to do with my opinion about calorie counting. I participate in other discussions as well that are unrelated to dieting at all.

I give my opinion in any low carb thread that I see in which the OP is misguided, (typically by people like you), into thinking that "low carb" is a general strategy for the general population to follow.

Similarly for the "which cardio is best for weight loss" threads.

Similarly for the "which protein powder will help me lose weight" threads

etc, etc, etc,

People have really mixed up ideas about weight loss and fitness, and you're really not helping matters. That's why I engage you in the forums. I should probably put you on ignore, but I just like arguing.

Maybe I think your approach to health is misguided. And you've engaged me like 3 times in the past 3 months. I usually ignore what you have to say because I think most of your posts to others are condescending.

shakybabe

I cut wheat and went low carb in general and lost 7lbs in first week and 18lb that month, it slowed down as my body got used to it. I was convinced wheat was my problem rather than all carbs so I started re-introducing carbs by allowing a potato once a week or small portion of rice or rice noodles with veg stir fry.. then allowed gluten free bread for toast once a week or corn torilla but rest of time sticking to fruit, veg meat & fish.

I wasn't regaining all my weight so was convinced it was the wheat element so re-introduced non-wheat based breakfast cereals and still I've lost each month since last June.

I think I will stick to this I've found substitutes for my favourites (finding a gluten free choc brownie was essential!). I'm mostly housebound and town is some distance from me so really expensive for me to get there by special taxi with powered chair, so I rarely go out unless family are coming to pick me up for family birthday meals etc. I will probably just treat those as spike days and stay really low carb around those days, it doesn't take long for water from the occasional high carb meal to come back off.

PJilly

So, my question is, are you/wopuld you follow the low-carb diet and why or why not?

I don't, and I wouldn't. I like carbs, I've lost weight eating carbs, I feel good eating carbs, and all my blood work comes back looking great. In short, getting roughly 50 percent of my calories from carbs works well for me. Why would I want to mess with what has so far proved to be a good thing for me?

seebeachrun

I pay attention to my carbs but I don't count them. I try to keep myself to one type of simple starch per day. By simple starch I mean bread, pasta and rice; I don't count oatmeal because it's filling and kick starts my metabolism in the morning.

I find that when I measure these items and keep them at one per day (or less) I typically will lose weight. I call them my no-no foods because when I eat them unrestricted I gain weight like crazy. I find that I don't really miss or crave these items enough to make it worth the extra weight gain. Honestly, on my cheat days I am usually more concerned with eating massive quantities of meat like steaks and fried chicken.

I think trying to restrict yourself form eating a food you plan to continue eating at some point in the future is a bad idea. It's better to learn to eat it in moderation.

skywa

how about carb cycling?

i try to keep my carbs around 100 g or close/under my protein intake.

i dont think they do any harm though. they're good for you when your eating the right kind.

taso42

So, my question is, are you/wopuld you follow the low-carb diet and why or why not?

Me? No. Never. As a normal healthy individual, there is no reason to introduce such a handicap and discomfort into my life.

I have used MFP's calorie tracking a few times for informational purposes and find that to be quite a handicap and discomfort in my life. The thought of even eating out in a restaurant is daunting to me when trying to account for calorie intake.

Ok. This again?

I find Harley Davidsons to be crappy quality, too loud, and dislike that they emphasize looks over performance. So do I go on Harley websites and talk about how I dislike them? No. That would be just as weird as going to a calorie counting website to talk about just how much I dislike calorie counting.

So why go on a low-carb thread to talk about how you dislike them. Hypocritical much? This is NOT a "calorie counting" website it is a fitness/health/nutrition website. Seriously, get over yourself.

OP asked "So, my question is, are you/wopuld you follow the low-carb diet and why or why not?". I answered the question.

If you distill MFP down to the bare essence, it is a calorie counting website. Everything here is predicated on that.

I guess I can expect not to see you giving your opinion on any other low-carb threads that are not asking such a question.

And I don't know what business it is of yours why I use this site anyways. 90% of my posts here have nothing to do with my opinion about calorie counting. I participate in other discussions as well that are unrelated to dieting at all.

I give my opinion in any low carb thread that I see in which the OP is misguided, (typically by people like you), into thinking that "low carb" is a general strategy for the general population to follow.

Similarly for the "which cardio is best for weight loss" threads.

Similarly for the "which protein powder will help me lose weight" threads

etc, etc, etc,

People have really mixed up ideas about weight loss and fitness, and you're really not helping matters. That's why I engage you in the forums. I should probably put you on ignore, but I just like arguing.

Maybe I think your approach to health is misguided. And you've engaged me like 3 times in the past 3 months. I usually ignore what you have to say because I think most of your posts to others are condescending.

I agree that I'm often sarcastic and condescending. But misguided? What have I said or done that's misguided?

Hint: I've been here for a long time and there are several examples if you dig back far enough. But I'd like to see you go ahead call me out on something misguided.

UpEarly

I found the best results came from low-carbing AND counting calories - but I'm definitely not doing 1200 a day like the rest of MFP.

What 'rest of MFP' are you talking about? I never ate fewer that 1700 net calories (which usually translated to 2200-2500 calories after exercise).

There are LOTS of people here that are NOT following 1200 calorie plans, or doing low-carb. Myself included. :-)

winonajosephine

if you are just trying to loose weight or "cut" without any deadline it is pointless to do low carb diets.. now if you are already less than 10-12%BF and you need to cut down to 5% in 3months then yes.. low carb or even better carb cycle...

WHAT IS CARB CYCLE? ??? :huh:

fieldsy4life

What 'rest of MFP' are you talking about? I never ate fewer that 1700 net calories (which usually translated to 2200-2500 calories after exercise).

There are LOTS of people here that are NOT following 1200 calorie plans, or doing low-carb. Myself included. :-)

First off, I love your user name - I'm a morning person myself!

That was an exageration as many folks on here are doing very low calorie diets because they plug in that they want to lose 2 pounds per week when they sign up. I know there are plenty of folks (myself included) who consume much more than 1200 a day.

There are also folks that think they are eating only 1200 calories, but probably eating a lot more because they aren't measuring their food correctly - but that discussion will have to wait for another time.

grinch031

So, my question is, are you/wopuld you follow the low-carb diet and why or why not?

Me? No. Never. As a normal healthy individual, there is no reason to introduce such a handicap and discomfort into my life.

I have used MFP's calorie tracking a few times for informational purposes and find that to be quite a handicap and discomfort in my life. The thought of even eating out in a restaurant is daunting to me when trying to account for calorie intake.

Ok. This again?

I find Harley Davidsons to be crappy quality, too loud, and dislike that they emphasize looks over performance. So do I go on Harley websites and talk about how I dislike them? No. That would be just as weird as going to a calorie counting website to talk about just how much I dislike calorie counting.

So why go on a low-carb thread to talk about how you dislike them. Hypocritical much? This is NOT a "calorie counting" website it is a fitness/health/nutrition website. Seriously, get over yourself.

OP asked "So, my question is, are you/wopuld you follow the low-carb diet and why or why not?". I answered the question.

If you distill MFP down to the bare essence, it is a calorie counting website. Everything here is predicated on that.

I guess I can expect not to see you giving your opinion on any other low-carb threads that are not asking such a question.

And I don't know what business it is of yours why I use this site anyways. 90% of my posts here have nothing to do with my opinion about calorie counting. I participate in other discussions as well that are unrelated to dieting at all.

I give my opinion in any low carb thread that I see in which the OP is misguided, (typically by people like you), into thinking that "low carb" is a general strategy for the general population to follow.

Similarly for the "which cardio is best for weight loss" threads.

Similarly for the "which protein powder will help me lose weight" threads

etc, etc, etc,

People have really mixed up ideas about weight loss and fitness, and you're really not helping matters. That's why I engage you in the forums. I should probably put you on ignore, but I just like arguing.

Maybe I think your approach to health is misguided. And you've engaged me like 3 times in the past 3 months. I usually ignore what you have to say because I think most of your posts to others are condescending.

I agree that I'm often sarcastic and condescending. But misguided? What have I said or done that's misguided?

Hint: I've been here for a long time and there are several examples if you dig back far enough. But I'd like to see you go ahead call me out on something misguided.

I think you and many others are misguided in following the mainstream belief in the energy balance model. Your posts seem to imply that you think the body's hormones are inconsequential (at least for the majority of people) as it pertains to weight management. But this is far beyond the scope of this thread. But this explains why I continue to bump heads with people like you when it comes to dieting.

winonajosephine

That's what I am doing now. Love it! for a few reasons:

1. The huge losses (especially in the beginning) provide motivation to keep going.
2. I am forced to walk away from cookies, candy, and other sugary treats this way. The whole "everything in moderation" mantra only works if you can handle it, but I am truly a food addict and need restrictions to stop myself from bingeing.
3. I am less likely to go through a drive-thru or snack on junk food without thinking, because finding low-carb foods is just not as easy as grabbbing something from the vending machine.
4. Nothin about meat, cheese, eggs, or vegetables makes my body want to overeat. I can go through a family-size bag of Doritos or package of Oreos in one sitting, but I have NEVER EVER EVER felt the need to gorge myself on green beans LOL.
5. I have a ot more energy and focus when I eat low-carb. I am not groggy or sleepy all day, and I know longer feel like a bear dragged out of hibernation prematurely. There is truly a pep in my step.

Low-carb is not for everyone, but it's for this chick

ME TOO I LOVE IT! AND WHEN I GET TO THAT TIME OF THE MONTH AND NEED TO EAT LIKE IM DYING I CAN EAT MEAT AND LOTS OF IT AND ITS PERFECT MEAT AND ZUCCHINI ARE MY GO TO FOODS

fatguyweightloss

I was a steadfast, firm believer in NO carbs for many years! It works. I find it to be an unrealistic way to live though.

Also an awesome way to be deficient in micronutrients

What micronutrients do you lack eating tons of meat, vegetables, and limited fruits? Seems things not included in low carb that are more lacking in nutrients. So high carb would be less nutrient dense correct?

ampa916

I am diabetic and need to apparently have 60 carbs for breakfast/lunch/dinner and 15 for a snack. Sometimes I make it sometimes I don't, I just try to manage a general amount so my sugar doesnt drop or spike drastically.I am not intentionally trying to be on a low carb or not. I just eat what I plan lol

Acg67

I was a steadfast, firm believer in NO carbs for many years! It works. I find it to be an unrealistic way to live though.

Also an awesome way to be deficient in micronutrients

What micronutrients do you lack eating tons of meat, vegetables, and limited fruits? Seems things not included in low carb that are more lacking in nutrients. So high carb would be less nutrient dense correct?

Strong reading comprehension or nutritional ignorance. See bolded and last time I checked both veggies and fruits contained carbs.

Sl1ghtly

So, my question is, are you/wopuld you follow the low-carb diet and why or why not?

Me? No. Never. As a normal healthy individual, there is no reason to introduce such a handicap and discomfort into my life.

I have used MFP's calorie tracking a few times for informational purposes and find that to be quite a handicap and discomfort in my life. The thought of even eating out in a restaurant is daunting to me when trying to account for calorie intake.

Ok. This again?

I find Harley Davidsons to be crappy quality, too loud, and dislike that they emphasize looks over performance. So do I go on Harley websites and talk about how I dislike them? No. That would be just as weird as going to a calorie counting website to talk about just how much I dislike calorie counting.

So why go on a low-carb thread to talk about how you dislike them. Hypocritical much? This is NOT a "calorie counting" website it is a fitness/health/nutrition website. Seriously, get over yourself.

OP asked "So, my question is, are you/wopuld you follow the low-carb diet and why or why not?". I answered the question.

If you distill MFP down to the bare essence, it is a calorie counting website. Everything here is predicated on that.

I guess I can expect not to see you giving your opinion on any other low-carb threads that are not asking such a question.

And I don't know what business it is of yours why I use this site anyways. 90% of my posts here have nothing to do with my opinion about calorie counting. I participate in other discussions as well that are unrelated to dieting at all.

I give my opinion in any low carb thread that I see in which the OP is misguided, (typically by people like you), into thinking that "low carb" is a general strategy for the general population to follow.

Similarly for the "which cardio is best for weight loss" threads.

Similarly for the "which protein powder will help me lose weight" threads

etc, etc, etc,

People have really mixed up ideas about weight loss and fitness, and you're really not helping matters. That's why I engage you in the forums. I should probably put you on ignore, but I just like arguing.

Maybe I think your approach to health is misguided. And you've engaged me like 3 times in the past 3 months. I usually ignore what you have to say because I think most of your posts to others are condescending.

I agree that I'm often sarcastic and condescending. But misguided? What have I said or done that's misguided?

Hint: I've been here for a long time and there are several examples if you dig back far enough. But I'd like to see you go ahead call me out on something misguided.

I think you and many others are misguided in following the mainstream belief in the energy balance model. Your posts seem to imply that you think the body's hormones are inconsequential (at least for the majority of people) as it pertains to weight management. But this is far beyond the scope of this thread. But this explains why I continue to bump heads with people like you when it comes to dieting.

I don't have anything to add. Just wanted to see how many quote boxes will fit in one post. I think it looks kinda like a wonky pyramid.

_SusieQ_

I wonder how many carbs there are in a pine cone bird feeder?

taso42

I think you and many others are misguided in following the mainstream belief in the energy balance model. Your posts seem to imply that you think the body's hormones are inconsequential (at least for the majority of people) as it pertains to weight management. But this is far beyond the scope of this thread. But this explains why I continue to bump heads with people like you when it comes to dieting.

Yes, I guess that is exactly the crux of why we continue to bump heads. Well at least we agree on something. And since it is indeed way outside the scope of this thread, let's just leave it at that.

Until next time, grinch031. Until next time.