What is with the low carb fad?

grinch031

For people who do think low carb diets are nothing but a fad, consider this report demonstrating why the American government has completely failed the American people with lies and deception about what constitutes a "healthy" diet.

Not only are low-carb diets a healthy diet, but they are the optimal diet for many people. Just because we live in an environment where it is almost impossible to avoid highly processed, unhealthy carbs, doesn't mean trying to avoid them is a fad.

http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/0899-9007/PIIS0899900710002893.pdf

Acg67

I dont think there is anything wrong with carbs. I mean as long as you dont overdue it. I just never have a carb after 6, they will stick with you all night and the next morning. So a big thing of pasta is not good for you right before bed for example.

Do you have any scientific studies to back this up, please?

I don't know if the poster has any scientific data, but its common knowledge that carbs need to be burned quickly because the sugars from carbs enter the bloodstream immediately. That means they are uniquely unsuited to be consumed before bed when you can't put them to any use.

Furthermore, when the body is low on carbohydrates, it starts using calories to burn fat for energy. If there are no carbohydrates in your system before bedtime, your body will burn more fat for energy.

That said, there is a case for eating carbs before bed for those who have trouble sleeping (when I can't sleep, a bowl of Cherrios usually does the trick). So I guess each person would have to weight the cost v benefits for themselves.

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20070214/carbs-may-help-you-fall-asleep-faster

Then this study wouldn't make any sense

Sofer S, et al. Greater weight loss and hormonal changes after 6 months diet with carbohydrates eaten mostly at dinner. Obesity, 2011 Apr 7.

http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v19/n10/full/oby201148a.html

I saw this post yesterday and wasn't in a place to respond. I just barely found it again. I just wanted to point out a flaw. I lurk around these forums a lot so I read many of your posts. You are constantly touting that meal timing has no effect on weight loss. I can eat whenever I want and still lose weight as long as I'm in a caloric deficit. You also argue that beyond getting adequate protein and fat, macros have no effect on weight loss. Now you post a study that completely opposes all of those so well researched points of view. Are you just randomly going to PubMed and looking for any study that supports your stance? Anyone who knows anything about evaluating scientific literature knows that you can't make a recommendation based upon an abstract. Most of the links you post take me to an abstract. You can't evaluate if the study design was good, if the statistics were appropriate, if there is statistical significance or if there is a clinical significance. As someone trained to evaluate drug literature I would go so far to say that without an advanced degree you aren't even qualified to evaluate the clinical significance of a study. So, which is it, do macros and meal timing matter, or don't they?
Sorry...end rant.

Yes, that was simply to counter the poster's assertion that they are uniquely unsuited to eat close to bed time (the weight loss of the experimental group did reach statistical significance, greater waist reduction was seen in the experimental group as well but it did not reach significance). I still beleive that meal timing has little to no effect on weight loss, macros do matter, at least protein does.

weathergirl320

the low carb fad? hmmm carbs convert to suger and sugar gets stored as fat. seems like common sense to eliminate some of the fat sources if you are trying to lose weight and arent a marathon runner or something of that nature. but i guess its a fad to eliminate something that leads to the storage of fat when dieting.

pullipgirl

I get hungrier after I eat carbs so I stick to mostly protein

Acg67

the low carb fad? hmmm carbs convert to suger and sugar gets stored as fat. seems like common sense to eliminate some of the fat sources if you are trying to lose weight and arent a marathon runner or something of that nature. but i guess its a fad to eliminate something that leads to the storage of fat when dieting.

What is more likely to be stored as fat, fat or carbs?

Dave198lbs

the low carb fad? hmmm carbs convert to suger and sugar gets stored as fat. seems like common sense to eliminate some of the fat sources if you are trying to lose weight and arent a marathon runner or something of that nature. but i guess its a fad to eliminate something that leads to the storage of fat when dieting.

What is more likely to be stored as fat, fat or carbs?

depends on what time of day you eat them and on how many squats you say you do on zumba day

secretlobster

Carbs are the body's preferred source of energy.

When you're not eating carbs, fat is the body's preferred source of energy.

You enjoy your special K bars and I'll be over here with my steak benching 190lbs

LifeLongJourney

I tried a low carb eating habit for a bit, then recently I had the stomach flu and my low carb eating habits when down hill for two days or so. Now I noticed the flatter tummy I had from the low carb diet is not as flat. I lost about half my hard work with eating low carbs. After this I am going back to maintaining carbs, but only taking the best kind of me. low carb diet didn't work for me, I'm scared if I do it again I'll just pack it back on quickly. Maybe it can work for another people but I don;t think it will no longer work for me.

grinch031

I tried a low carb eating habit for a bit, then recently I had the stomach flu and my low carb eating habits when down hill for two days or so. Now I noticed the flatter tummy I had from the low carb diet is not as flat. I lost about half my hard work with eating low carbs. After this I am going back to maintaining carbs, but only taking the best kind of me. low carb diet didn't work for me, I'm scared if I do it again I'll just pack it back on quickly. Maybe it can work for another people but I don;t think it will no longer work for me.

This testimony sounds a little absurd to me. So you're saying you went off your diet for 2 days because of illness and regained half of the weight you lost on low carb? In TWO DAYS? How long were you on this low carb diet? You have to understand that in the first week or so, most of the weight loss is water. And when eating carbs again, most of the immediate regain is also water. Low carb diets do work, and you can't say it failed because you don't even understand how the diet works.

secretlobster

This testimony sounds a little absurd to me. So you're saying you went off your diet for 2 days because of illness and regained half of the weight you lost on low carb? In TWO DAYS? How long were you on this low carb diet? You have to understand that in the first week or so, most of the weight loss is water. And when eating carbs again, most of the immediate regain is also water. Low carb diets do work, and you can't say it failed because you don't even understand how the diet works.

I'd be interested to know what his/her low-carb diet looked like, how long they tried it, and exactly how much weight he/she lost. The first weightloss in eliminating complex carbohydrates is 5-7lbs of retained water.

Yes of course going from a low-carb diet to eating lots of carbs again will make you gain weight back. That's why it's a lifestyle and not a "fad diet."

(I'm not arguing with you. Just sayin')

Acg67

Carbs are the body's preferred source of energy.

When you're not eating carbs, fat is the body's preferred source of energy.

You enjoy your special K bars and I'll be over here with my steak benching 190lbs

Would you care to elaborate? Just because the body can use ketones for energy, does not mean it's the bodies preferred source of energy.

And you're right, people eating special K bars can't also be eating steak. Wouldn't it be more apt to compare strength and hypertrophy gains between a low carb and more moderate to high carb diet?

heybales

Carbs are the body's preferred source of energy..

How is that exactly?

For the day as a whole for the avg person, the majority of energy used will be supplied by fat. 70% when at rest, 60%-50% for most daily activities, and 50-30% for exercise time depending on level of intensity.

As far as storage, 400-450 calories of carbs in the liver, 1500-2000 cals depending on smart training stored in the muscles.
And if the liver storage is used up, muscle must be broken down to keep the blood sugar at correct levels, even if the muscle keeps getting it's needs through muscle glycogen.

Fat of course has 3500 calories per lb, and even the thinnest athlete has a couple lbs to supply energy needs for hours.

So just curious if there is a context to that statement that was not made clear, or a misunderstanding of how the body works as far as energy needs?

Since that is the foundation for rest of the question as to eating low carb, pretty important.

grinch031

Carbs are the body's preferred source of energy..

How is that exactly?

For the day as a whole for the avg person, the majority of energy used will be supplied by fat. 70% when at rest, 60%-50% for most daily activities, and 50-30% for exercise time depending on level of intensity.

As far as storage, 400-450 calories of carbs in the liver, 1500-2000 cals depending on smart training stored in the muscles.
And if the liver storage is used up, muscle must be broken down to keep the blood sugar at correct levels, even if the muscle keeps getting it's needs through muscle glycogen.

Fat of course has 3500 calories per lb, and even the thinnest athlete has a couple lbs to supply energy needs for hours.

So just curious if there is a context to that statement that was not made clear, or a misunderstanding of how the body works as far as energy needs?

Since that is the foundation for rest of the question as to eating low carb, pretty important.

Probably because the brain needs glucose or can partially substitute its needs with ketones, and glucose is the most efficient of the two (when coming from carbs) and why the brain prefers it when it's available. Also glucose provides the peak level of performance possible in athletics.

Either way, I don't think this is a valid reason for somebody to eat a high carb diet if doing so makes it terribly difficult to lose weight.

MrsRobinson85

This is a topic that is so confusing because of all the information that's out there. One diet plan says that even whole wheat pasta and breads are all bad because of the sugar. Now I'm up in arms about my sugar intake, lol. Even sugar substitutes aren't good for weight loss. They apparently keep your liver occupied and then it cannot process fat??? I'm more confused about sugar and carbs than anyone. It is hard to know what foods are good - let alone what works for YOU!! I just stay away from bread in general. I'm gonna hit up the local whole foods store and go looking for some spelt, sprouted grain bread, millet and quinoa. I have never tried most of these things but am up for anything. I also want to learn how to make Kale chips (to curb my carb cravings) lol. I guess it could be fun to play around with so-called "good carbs" just to see if it makes a difference or not. Good luck on your journey.

heybales

Carbs are the body's preferred source of energy..

How is that exactly?

For the day as a whole for the avg person, the majority of energy used will be supplied by fat. 70% when at rest, 60%-50% for most daily activities, and 50-30% for exercise time depending on level of intensity.

As far as storage, 400-450 calories of carbs in the liver, 1500-2000 cals depending on smart training stored in the muscles.
And if the liver storage is used up, muscle must be broken down to keep the blood sugar at correct levels, even if the muscle keeps getting it's needs through muscle glycogen.

Fat of course has 3500 calories per lb, and even the thinnest athlete has a couple lbs to supply energy needs for hours.

So just curious if there is a context to that statement that was not made clear, or a misunderstanding of how the body works as far as energy needs?

Since that is the foundation for rest of the question as to eating low carb, pretty important.

Probably because the brain needs glucose or can partially substitute its needs with ketones, and glucose is the most efficient of the two (when coming from carbs) and why the brain prefers it when it's available. Also glucose provides the peak level of performance possible in athletics.

Either way, I don't think this is a valid reason for somebody to eat a high carb diet if doing so makes it terribly difficult to lose weight.

So perhaps OP meant brain's preferred source, not the body as a whole.

And peak performance would really depend on the sport. Endurance no, short bursts of energy yes. I guess as far as which one ends up on TV and watched the most, we know that one. Except for Tour De France time. Are marathons or Ironman even broadcast anymore on general TV?

fnpnike

As a healthcare provider (nurse practitioner certified in plant based nutrition) I can comment about the possible advantage over low simple carbs (white flour, sugar, rice). When you get rid of the simple carbs you are helping your body regulate insulin. Without the frequent dumps of insulin you will be more able to burn fat for energy. Also, consuming complex carbs, especially vegetables and fruits, you are reducing your risk of developing insulin resistance (precursor to diabetes).

I'm in the over fifty group. I've exercised regularly since my early 20's. Presently my body weight is around 133 and I have abdominal fat to get rid of. This site is a great tool and I look forward to tracking my progress along with others.

Every one of us should be pleased with our efforts and our results. If it were easy everyone would be doing this.