No Carbs for how long? How long could one survive?

gp79

Good luck with a true Zero carb diet.

LabRat529

Zero carb and low carb are different.

Zero carbs is probably impossible, or close to impossible to achieve unless you're going to eat nothing but isolated nutrients. Even meat has residual glycogen (aka carbs).

But to answer your question in a round about way, people have lived on a diet of just meat for months. You can do it. Whether you should or not is another story. I'm not a fan of ketogenic diets. They work and some people love them. I just don't like the concept.

Summer5555

Because your calories are so low, maybe you are tiny? I don't know. But did your doctor refer you to a see a nutritionist as well seeing as he suggested you modify your diet?

My calories are normally 1800 and if I am hungry I eat. I haven't been working out this week because I put in 56 hours of physical labor last week and not only am I sore but I am playing catch up with my school work. Not moving my butt means I'm not as hungry. Oh and I only have 1/3 of a stomach, if that. So your judgement was based purely on calories for a couple of days?

I am not judging. You didn't say what your medical condition was until much further down in this topic so I was under the assumption you had recently been told this by your doctor, hence my reasoning for a nutritionist. Too completely omit carbs is unnecessary for most of us but in the case of your health it's understandable. Sorry for the misunderstanding on my part.

kmboffice88

The paleo diet is all about minimal carbs. With enough protein, you'll be burning off the bad fat, getting rid of a negative form of energy, and doing yourself a favor! Muscle, here you come!

tgzerozone

You won't die, unless a truck hits you. Your body is completely capable to convert other things to glucose. I would imagine you might feel very tired for a few days until your body adjusts. You might want to stock up on some breath mints as well.

I've been doing this long enough I am over the tired, I have enough energy to run a business(part time), a non profit(part time) be a full time student, a full time single mom, active in Church groups and organizations (some event weekly), maintain a house, and work out 2 hours a day. Now the keto breath, gums, mint, cinnamon pills, whatever it takes! It's still not as bad as coffee breath!

Coffee breath is pretty bad yes. lol.

joejccva71

Of course we needed another carb thread.

And I could live on no carbs...like...forever. Carbs are not essential for human life.

mfpcopine

How many days could one survive without ANY carbs in their diet?

I'll be the tester since my team of doctors recommends I consume as few carbs as I possibly can. I already have medical clearance for zero carbs so don't fret. I have a team of doctors standing by.

Since my brain won't be able to function and they are essential for red blood cells and all, how long do I have to live guys? Place your bets!

And if anyone wants to take bets on whether I can maintain at least a 3.5 GPA with my non functioning brain I'm up for that too!

People have survived for weeks without food if they had water. But seriously, this is a very restrictive plan and you should be getting your diet from your "team of doctors."

RachelsReboot

Since my brain won't be able to function and they are essential for red blood cells and all, how long do I have to live guys? Place your bets!

Are you seriously joking around about DYING? :huh:

If your doctor says you will be ok without them, then unless he is a nut, you will be ok.

Yes I was, I get sick of people spouting off nonsense about how without carbs your brain can't function and how they are essential for your red blood cells, carbs are yummy,some of them provide great nutrients and they add flavor but they are not essential.

RachelsReboot

People have survived for weeks without food if they had water. But seriously, this is a very restrictive plan and you should be getting your diet from your "team of doctors."

way ahead of ya!

heybales

You won't die, unless a truck hits you. Your body is completely capable to convert other things to glucose. I would imagine you might feel very tired for a few days until your body adjusts. You might want to stock up on some breath mints as well.

I've been doing this long enough I am over the tired, I have enough energy to run a business(part time), a non profit(part time) be a full time student, a full time single mom, active in Church groups and organizations (some event weekly), maintain a house, and work out 2 hours a day. Now the keto breath, gums, mint, cinnamon pills, whatever it takes! It's still not as bad as coffee breath!

Hold the horses! You can't have coffee?!

Well, now.....

powerbomb

I went 9 months once......never over 10 carbs a day. People misunderstand how the body functions. EVERYTHING you eat is turned to a sugar to process it, so even w no carbs, your body gets what it needs. Its all the EXCESS sugar that causes problems. You will survive just fine.

prettygirlhoward

http://www.leangains.com/2009/02/low-carb-talibans.html

Enough said.

I need to check this out!

infamousmk

I can go like, 12 hours without carbs. So, I wish you the best of luck!

heybales

I went 9 months once......never over 10 carbs a day. People misunderstand how the body functions. EVERYTHING you eat is turned to a sugar to process it, so even w no carbs, your body gets what it needs. Its all the EXCESS sugar that causes problems. You will survive just fine.

Huh, that's not true either.

Protein is broken down to amino acids, if not in the proper ratios and needed right then for the muscles, it can either be converted to fat or carbs, if blood sugar low or liver low on carbs, probably carbs.

Fat cannot be converted to carbs. Of course it's still used as main energy source until work intensity goes up and carbs takes over.

Neither is turned into sugar to process it though. I'd love to see that reference work for that tidbit - that doesn't even require a study, that's just basic physiology so should be found anywhere almost.

DrBorkBork

The paleo diet is all about minimal carbs. With enough protein, you'll be burning off the bad fat, getting rid of a negative form of energy, and doing yourself a favor! Muscle, here you come!

This is a common misconception. Paleo isn't a low carb life style. You can still eat a good deal of carbs from fruits & veggies and still be Paleo. Paleo is more about clean eating than low carbing.

OP: please make sure you get some offal into your diet. It will help keep you functioning optimally.

zenchild

Super low carb diets are also a way to reduce (and sometimes cure) seizures. The ketogenic diet (80% calories from fat, 20% from carbs/protein) is being used by the pediatric neurology team at John Hopkins. If seizures are not controlled by drugs, or if the side effects of the drugs are unacceptable, the ketogenic diet can be very helpful. It forces the brain to use the byproducts of fat as energy (as opposed to carbs) and that seems to almost reset the brain. After a few years the child is slowly weaned off the diet and for most, seizures are permanently reduced. Some are cured. Not bad for food. Some parents with severely disabled children (those getting nutrition through a feeding tube) keep them on the diet permanently. That said, it is NOT an easy diet to be on and NOT one to try without a team of doctors and nutritionists.

RachelsReboot

OP: please make sure you get some offal into your diet. It will help keep you functioning optimally.

Yeah, been trying to work on this part but organ meats are just not my thing, maybe I don't have the right way to cook them, it's a texture issure for me.

kaitlynnrogers

isnt the atkins diet a no carb diet? if so, my brother and dad did it and they lost like 50 pounds in 3-4 months..

RachelsReboot

Super low carb diets are also a way to reduce (and sometimes cure) seizures. The ketogenic diet (80% calories from fat, 20% from carbs/protein) is being used by the pediatric neurology team at John Hopkins. If seizures are not controlled by drugs, or if the side effects of the drugs are unacceptable, the ketogenic diet can be very helpful. It forces the brain to use the byproducts of fat as energy (as opposed to carbs) and that seems to almost reset the brain. After a few years the child is slowly weaned off the diet and for most, seizures are permanently reduced. Some are cured. Not bad for food. Some parents with severely disabled children (those getting nutrition through a feeding tube) keep them on the diet permanently. That said, it is NOT an easy diet to be on and NOT one to try without a team of doctors and nutritionists.

It's interesting that you bring this up, I haven't had a seizure since February 13th of this year, January was when I really decided to cut my carbs back to what my doctors were recommending (I fought this all the way, I love carbs). I've been asked to send in my reports to another doctor. I didn't start to have seizures until just prior to my bypass 8 years ago, they are saying 3 more months with no activity and they will take me off of medications.

DrBorkBork

OP: please make sure you get some offal into your diet. It will help keep you functioning optimally.

Yeah, been trying to work on this part but organ meats are just not my thing, maybe I don't have the right way to cook them, it's a texture issure for me.

Try oxtail. It's like really awesome BBQ.
I have a recipe here:
http://theprimaljunkfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/10/pjf-carob-bbq-oxtail.html

RachelsReboot

OP: please make sure you get some offal into your diet. It will help keep you functioning optimally.

Yeah, been trying to work on this part but organ meats are just not my thing, maybe I don't have the right way to cook them, it's a texture issure for me.

Try oxtail. It's like really awesome BBQ.
I have a recipe here:
http://theprimaljunkfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/10/pjf-carob-bbq-oxtail.html

It said "orry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist.'

LorinaLynn

For me, how long I could survive without carbs would depend on how long a spree killer normally spends on death row before getting a lethal injection.

nickicaylor

check out precision nutrition or see a nutritionist to write you a meal plan. I understand you have enzyme disorder but you need some carbs even if it is a low amount.

After looking at your food diary I would urge you to work on consuming quality calories. Lean proteins - egg white, fish, chicken, and one to two servings of lean red meat a week and stay away from bacon and sausages. You do need fats but you need good fats (nuts, avacados). When you do have carbs they need to come from quality sources. fruits, veggies, sweet potatoes, any slow releasing carbs. stay away from simple sugars and fast absorbing carbs. (ie - oatmeal - steel cut oats not instant)

good luck !

RachelsReboot

check out precision nutrition or see a nutritionist to write you a meal plan. I understand you have enzyme disorder but you need some carbs even if it is a low amount.

After looking at your food diary I would urge you to work on consuming quality calories. Lean proteins - egg white, fish, chicken, and one to two servings of lean red meat a week and stay away from bacon and sausages. You do need fats but you need good fats (nuts, avacados). When you do have carbs they need to come from quality sources. fruits, veggies, sweet potatoes, any slow releasing carbs. stay away from simple sugars and fast absorbing carbs. (ie - oatmeal - steel cut oats not instant)

good luck !

You must not have looked very far, I eat lean protein, I eat salmon, talapia, cod, venison, bison, etc... did you read that it said VENISON sausage? Venison is a lean meat. And I don't need carbs, I can't process them so what would be the purpose of taking them in besides adding unnecessary sugars to my body. There is absolutely NO purpose what so ever for ME to have fruit, potatoes or other carbs for that matter, the ones I do eat are for taste, in not processing them properly my body derives no nutrients from them and using up calories on carbs only serves to make ME sick.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

How many days could one survive without ANY carbs in their diet?

I'll be the tester since my team of doctors recommends I consume as few carbs as I possibly can. I already have medical clearance for zero carbs so don't fret. I have a team of doctors standing by.

Since my brain won't be able to function and they are essential for red blood cells and all, how long do I have to live guys? Place your bets!

And if anyone wants to take bets on whether I can maintain at least a 3.5 GPA with my non functioning brain I'm up for that too!

Forever...........until your maker calls you home or reincarnates you.

There is absolutely NO biological needs for carbs.

LabRat529

There is absolutely NO biological needs for carbs.

Not *quite* a true statement. There is probably no absolute biological need for DIETARY INTAKE of carbs.

However, carbs are absolutely necessary for life. So necessary, in fact, that humans have evolved such that they can make carbs using non-carb building blocks. You don't need to eat them. But you do need them to live. Even your DNA contains "sugar" (deoxyribose), which can be considered a "carb".



But that's just a technicality.

AeolianHarp

healthy carbs

lol

You must not have looked very far, I eat lean protein, I eat salmon, talapia, cod, venison, bison, etc... did you read that it said VENISON sausage? Venison is a lean meat.

Zero carb and almost zero fat? What's the point?

issyfit

Actually I lack the proper enzymes and amino acids to process carbohydrates so I am one of those few that it is suggested that I maintain less than 20g of carbs per day for the rest of my life. Since I try to keep to that I am healthier than I have ever been.

If you need to stay under 20g for medical reasons I would suggest you eat some more low carb veggies and eliminate the apple fritter that you eat most mornings. The veggies will give you more nutrients.

RachelsReboot

Actually I lack the proper enzymes and amino acids to process carbohydrates so I am one of those few that it is suggested that I maintain less than 20g of carbs per day for the rest of my life. Since I try to keep to that I am healthier than I have ever been.

If you need to stay under 20g for medical reasons I would suggest you eat some more low carb veggies and eliminate the apple fritter that you eat most mornings. The veggies will give you more nutrients.

I Really, the apple fritter that I have MOST mornings? Funny, I don't know when 2 days of my entire life became most mornings, I guess if I was a few days old? That's exactly the kind of judgmental crap I was waiting for. That apple fritter is made with flax meal and provides me with fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, and protein and I've made it TWICE in my ENTIRE LIFE, since I just created the recipe a few days ago.

issyfit

Actually I lack the proper enzymes and amino acids to process carbohydrates so I am one of those few that it is suggested that I maintain less than 20g of carbs per day for the rest of my life. Since I try to keep to that I am healthier than I have ever been.

If you need to stay under 20g for medical reasons I would suggest you eat some more low carb veggies and eliminate the apple fritter that you eat most mornings. The veggies will give you more nutrients.

I Really, the apple fritter that I have MOST mornings? Funny, I don't know when 2 days of my entire life became most mornings, I guess if I was a few days old? That's exactly the kind of judgmental crap I was waiting for. That apple fritter is made with flax meal and provides me with fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, and protein and I've made it TWICE in my ENTIRE LIFE, since I just created the recipe a few days ago.

I apologize, didn't realize it was a "healthy" fritter but still a lot of carbs for someone who doesn't want to eat any. I only looked at a few days of your diary. Good luck with your endeavor.