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

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.

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.

Apology accepted. I don't think you are taking into account the fiber subtracted from carb, 4-6 carbs for an entire meal that provides half my days fiber and calories and a good little dose of protein, not to mention what it does for my sanity to feel like I can have a treat now and then, it a pretty good deal for me, and I do eat veggies, I love veggies. This way of life is not a WANT for me, it is a necessity. Sanity is also a necessity though.

grinch031

Carbs are very difficult to avoid. If you supplement then you could live a normal lifespan without them. Otherwise you will probably end up with various nutrient deficiencies because you can't eat any fruits or vegetables at all really.

Captain_Tightpants

Carbs aren't necessary for survival. Your body will swich over to using ketones for brain fuel. I'd warrant you'll feel like crap, but you'll survive indefinitely.

mmapags

Of course we needed another carb thread.

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

Joe, sounds like you were in my head cause that's just what I was thinking on both counts! Also, did all you people that are telling the OP that she shouldn't be doing this or should consult a nutritionist or should do what you recommend happen to notice that she said multiple times that she has a specialized medical condition and is doing this under a doctor's care and has consulted a nutritionist. Maybe too many carbs are messing with your reading comprehension?? BTW, I am am not anti carb personally. They are just one more macro nutrient. But they are the one that we never need to get nutritionally if for some reason we can't. Heybales spelled out the physiology of it.

To the OP, best wishes on this. I hope this help these heath issues. As you've described your life, you are obviously not a person who caves in at obstacles! Bravo!! If you already made it through the low carb flu, the rest is a piece of steak! (I'd say cake but ... well... you know)

RachelsReboot

Of course we needed another carb thread.

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

Joe, sounds like you were in my head cause that's just what I was thinking on both counts! Also, did all you people that are telling the OP that she shouldn't be doing this or should consult a nutritionist or should do what you recommend happen to notice that she said multiple times that she has a specialized medical condition and is doing this under a doctor's care and has consulted a nutritionist. Maybe too many carbs are messing with your reading comprehension?? BTW, I am am not anti carb personally. They are just one more macro nutrient. But they are the one that we never need to get nutritionally if for some reason we can't. Heybales spelled out the physiology of it.

To the OP, best wishes on this. I hope this help these heath issues. As you've described your life, you are obviously not a person who caves in at obstacles! Bravo!! If you already made it through the low carb flu, the rest is a piece of steak! (I'd say cake but ... well... you know)

Thanks, yeah we probably didn't need another low carb thread but it's exhausting to see this often necessary way of life torn to shreds all the time because people THINK dietary carbohydrates are essential to life.

I know my situation is extreme but they are thousands of people who are diabetic/insulin resistant/morbidly obese who get the recommendation from a physician to go on a low carbohydrate diet and they do it for a little bit and get the carb flu and then people start telling them all of this stuff and they get scared and go off of it, then they don't follow up with a physician or they lie about what they are eating and they remain in the unhealthy state or get worse.

That's what I did, after my diagnosis, I became uninsured, then I became scared because everyone told me I was killing myself, I was starting to feel worse than I had before I was diagnosed so I went off, I gained more weight. Then I started researching for myself, using my University's library I read medical study after medical study and finally decided that I would be ok.

I went back to what the doctors had orginally set out for me and have lost 73 lbs since the last week of October 2011. I feel amazing now, I am healthier than I have been in years, I am finally starting to overcome all of my nutrient deficiencies and I have energy that I didn't even have when I was a teenager. All I had to do was wait it out. I'm not saying it wasn't hard. I've struggled all along the way and some days I want to just throw my hands up and quit because I would so love to be normal and not have to read every stinking label to everything I put in my grocery cart. I would love to go to any restaraunt I want to and not be stuck with the same old steak and a salad. I would love not to have to look like I am high needs at church potlucks and meetings when I bring my own food. But, this is my life and the only way to make the best of it is to do what I am SUPPOSED to do to get myself healthy and live it up from there!

BrianSharpe

Well, the Inuit aren't extinct so my guess would be indefinitely (assuming you're consuming enough protein and fats)

10KEyes

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.

Being primal here, I am working on trying some again. I have aversions to eating blood filters and such. But, my wife and I are talking about incorporating some stuff occasionally.

mmapags

Of course we needed another carb thread.

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

Joe, sounds like you were in my head cause that's just what I was thinking on both counts! Also, did all you people that are telling the OP that she shouldn't be doing this or should consult a nutritionist or should do what you recommend happen to notice that she said multiple times that she has a specialized medical condition and is doing this under a doctor's care and has consulted a nutritionist. Maybe too many carbs are messing with your reading comprehension?? BTW, I am am not anti carb personally. They are just one more macro nutrient. But they are the one that we never need to get nutritionally if for some reason we can't. Heybales spelled out the physiology of it.

To the OP, best wishes on this. I hope this help these heath issues. As you've described your life, you are obviously not a person who caves in at obstacles! Bravo!! If you already made it through the low carb flu, the rest is a piece of steak! (I'd say cake but ... well... you know)

Thanks, yeah we probably didn't need another low carb thread but it's exhausting to see this often necessary way of life torn to shreds all the time because people THINK dietary carbohydrates are essential to life.

I know my situation is extreme but they are thousands of people who are diabetic/insulin resistant/morbidly obese who get the recommendation from a physician to go on a low carbohydrate diet and they do it for a little bit and get the carb flu and then people start telling them all of this stuff and they get scared and go off of it, then they don't follow up with a physician or they lie about what they are eating and they remain in the unhealthy state or get worse.

That's what I did, after my diagnosis, I became uninsured, then I became scared because everyone told me I was killing myself, I was starting to feel worse than I had before I was diagnosed so I went off, I gained more weight. Then I started researching for myself, using my University's library I read medical study after medical study and finally decided that I would be ok.

I went back to what the doctors had orginally set out for me and have lost 73 lbs since the last week of October 2011. I feel amazing now, I am healthier than I have been in years, I am finally starting to overcome all of my nutrient deficiencies and I have energy that I didn't even have when I was a teenager. All I had to do was wait it out. I'm not saying it wasn't hard. I've struggled all along the way and some days I want to just throw my hands up and quit because I would so love to be normal and not have to read every stinking label to everything I put in my grocery cart. I would love to go to any restaraunt I want to and not be stuck with the same old steak and a salad. I would love not to have to look like I am high needs at church potlucks and meetings when I bring my own food. But, this is my life and the only way to make the best of it is to do what I am SUPPOSED to do to get myself healthy and live it up from there!

I hear you! I'm so glad you are doing better.Having lived for a few years with some wheat and diary issues I can completely relate to how you can sometimes wish you could just pick something and eat it without having to analyze it!!

I think my sentiment about the carb thread thing, is that it always seems to bring the panic stricken expremists out the woodwork to argue their case. I think your OP was completely legit. it's more some of the responses you get that are loopy. Like people telling you to do something other than what you said your MD's treatment and telling you to consult a nutritionist after you said you already had!

AussieBurner

Of course you'll survive and well. Remember you can have as many Greek vegetables as you like. They have almost no carbs and take more energy to burn than they provide.

Those not believing it can be done, are a perfect example of being addicted. The addict is always in denial and justifies, but has never really given up long enough to discover the great result that can be achieved.

Facebook group NANC - No Alcohol No Crabs

AussieBurner

Correction. Green. Not Greek

BigGuy47

Of course you'll survive...

Did she survive or did she simply lose interest in MFP? Her last post is over a year old.

RachelsReboot

I'm alive and kicking, I just don't post in the forums, although it has been less than a year since I last did so. Did you just want to stir the pot or is there something specific you'd like to know?

fleetzz

This!!! You can survive forever (well, years anyhoo). The first week is pretty hard, but your body with convert amino acids to glucose for the cells that need them, and use fat for energy.
You will need added vitamins and minerals since our body requires some, and they typically are found in fruits/veggies, which also have carbs.

Like that you are in a study!

As long as you need to. Your body does not "need" carbohydrates. It does need glucose. While carbohydrates are the macronutrient most quickly converted to glucose, protein is also eventually converted to glucose. YMMV based on your activity level. Many diabetics and others with metabolic disorders follow an extremely low carb diet. You can google Dr. Richard Bernstein

BigGuy47

... is there something specific you'd like to know?

How tough is it to have no carbs? Is it sustainable? Eliminating carbs altogether would severely limit the variety of foods that you could eat. I may getting caught up in the semantics. Do you really mean "low carb"?

I understand the concept of low carb. The best I can do is under 100 on a good day. I try to incorporate more fats to offset the reduced carbs and I love protein.

You will need added vitamins and minerals since our body requires some, and they typically are found in fruits/veggies, which also have carbs.

This wouldn't be "no carb". It would be considered "very low carb" or just "low carb" depending on the quantity and type of fruits and vegges you ate. I agree with the other poster that said that zero carbs would be impossible.

choijanro

Im doing the Carb Nite Diet, no or low carbs for 10days , but in the 10th day at night 5 or 7pm ,, i eat a lot of carbs food,, the purpose of this diet is to boost your leptin,, so that the fat burning and your metabolism will continue at it will not stop or plateau , this is very effecting on losing weight,burn fats & lowering your bf%

Carnivor0us

I'm guessing you could survive quite a while, but be healthy...I doubt it.

From what I heard eskimos ate a mainly carb free diet (Although they did eat vegetation out of animal stomachs)
and fermented some of their food.

Your intake would be like 70% fat and 30% protein. I dunno, but that's a pretty gross diet.

I do 75F/25P/5C. It's not gross at all.

janiner79

FYI Carbs are not the enemy.

steffiejoe

Wow No carbs thats tough. The Dukan diet has an attack phase where you eat just meat. This can be tough since Dukan is also low fat.

I'm thinking you can go about a month but your breath will smell and you will be very irritable. I would suggest not being around others cause everything will get on your nerves.

Then again it may depend on how much body fat you have.

GiGiBeans

You have pretty eyes. Can I have them when you keel over?

fleetzz

Yes, and since she would not be eating carbs (0 carb diet) and since our bodies require micronutrients and since they are typically found in foods that CONTAIN carbs-->she will need supplements!

You will need added vitamins and minerals since our body requires some, and they typically are found in fruits/veggies, which also have carbs.

This wouldn't be "no carb". It would be considered "very low carb" or just "low carb" depending on the quantity and type of fruits and vegges you ate. I agree with the other poster that said that zero carbs would be impossible.

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