Low carb and weight regain

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grinch031
grinch031 Posts: 1,679
in Health and Weight Loss
Why do so many people warn others that going on a low carb diet but not sticking to it will lead to a regain of all the lost weight?

I know some are going to respond that its because reintroducing carbs will lead to water weight gains because of repleted glycogen stores. Yes that's true for a gain of 5-10 lbs, but I'm talking about regaining *all* the weight that was lost. So if you lost 50 lbs on a low carb diet, why would you regain all 50 upon going off the diet?

Why would a low carb diet increase the risk of regaining the weight any more than a low calorie diet? If someone loses weight on a low calorie diet and then stops counting, do they not also regain the weight like someone on a low carb diet?

If someone goes on a low carb diet and loses a bunch of weight, then switches over to a low calorie diet, is that not a way to prevent the inevitable weight regain associated with low carb diets?

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  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    Why do so many people warn others that going on a low carb diet but not sticking to it will lead to a regain of all the lost weight?

    I know some are going to respond that its because reintroducing carbs will lead to water weight gains because of repleted glycogen stores. Yes that's true for a gain of 5-10 lbs, but I'm talking about regaining *all* the weight that was lost. So if you lost 50 lbs on a low carb diet, why would you regain all 50 upon going off the diet?

    Why would a low carb diet increase the risk of regaining the weight any more than a low calorie diet? If someone loses weight on a low calorie diet and then stops counting, do they not also regain the weight like someone on a low carb diet?

    If someone goes on a low carb diet and loses a bunch of weight, then switches over to a low calorie diet, is that not a way to prevent the inevitable weight regain associated with low carb diets?
    Most people are destined to regain it all regardless of how they lost it.

    The only ones that don't pretty much are the ones that turn in to exercisaholics in the process of losing.
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
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    It worked for me, but in the time I have been dieting I have become fitter so can now exercise for longer than I could when I started.

    I'm not eating as low carb and even occasionally having wheat (went to Pizza hut today for lunch) I will probably have gained some water tomorrow but I'll keep carbs low for a few days and the water should be off again by Monday. I did do 90 mins on (motorized) exercise pedals to burn the 1050 cals I ate at Pizza Hut... I think as long as you exercise to cover the extra cals when you re-introduce the carbs you should be ok.

    My weight loss has slowed down for these last few pounds as I am eating more carbs but I haven't gained yet.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Why do so many people warn others that going on a low carb diet but not sticking to it will lead to a regain of all the lost weight?

    Prejudice ?
    Lack of a proper reasoned argument against low carb ?
  • indigenousnudity
    indigenousnudity Posts: 21
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    If you go back to eating the way that made you fat, you will get fat again. This is true for any diet.
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
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    If you go back to eating the way that made you fat, you will get fat again. This is true for any diet.

    I know but the argument is almost exclusively used against low carb diets, as if they are special in this regard.

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