CARBS and BIG BELLIES

Merithyn

I wish I still had the book I was given. I was diagnosed with PCOS and insulin resistant 10 years ago and this was the advice I was given. It has helped me and many who have tired it, mainly because it is a lifestyle not a "diet". If you look up pcos, cotisol or insulin resistant the main advice is low on processed food..... high in fiber and protein. I hope that helped, there are so many links I didn't know which one to post.

I've read the same stuff. I'm insulin resistant (also often called pre-diabetic) and hypertensive. The research that I've done says that a lower-carb/lower fat/higher protein diet is the way to go to help both issues. (I remember reading PCOS in there, too.) That doesn't mean NO carbs, only fewer simple carbs (sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc), healthier fats (nuts, olive oil, avocado), and higher lean protein (tuna, chicken).

But honestly, it's not going to localize the fat loss. If you have medical issues like the above, this kind of diet helps your overall health. It will also help with weight loss if you're plateauing because it kicks things into a different direction (like changing up your workout), but I've never read anywhere that it will rid you of tummy fat.

Sorry. :ohwell:

skb12573

Low carb is just a calorie controlled diet in disguise.

Fat around your belly isn't less healthy that fat around your bum. It's just about where it goes first. Most people the main storage is belly.

Not to be mean, but this is not a true statement. Belly fat IS LESS HEALTHY. And cortisol levels play a role so carb consumption plays a role. More so for some people like, diabetics, insulin resistant, those with PCOS. For most people, carbs are not an issue, but for MANY overweight people, it is. That is a true statement.

saragato

FWIW - there is no such thing as a PhD in medicine. He has an M.D. and an MBA. His residency and fellowship in surgery do make him highly knowledgeable and qualified in some very difficult areas. Probably not nutrition, but he's no amateur.

A degree doesn't really mean squat. I've had doctors misdiagnose problems, tell me something wasn't legal when it was, tell me I was mentally retarded just because I stuttered a few times, and freely give me drugs, all kinds of them, instead of trying to assess my problem. I've known people with heart problems go to MDs and come out with a diagnosis of "you're stupid why are you in my clinic" and a doctor, selected by the government to do a physical on my mother in order for her to get social security, look at my mother's high blood pressure, shaking hands due to nerve damage, and the fact she has a bypass scar on her chest and said she was A-OK.

Again, a degree doesn't mean anything. You can still be an *kitten*, an idiot, misinformed about things in your own practice and others you don't specialize in, and careless. Because hey guess what, doctors are humans too.

onedayillbeamilf

Dr. OZ is an Oprah made product, just like Dr. Phil. Anyone know where I can get some snake-oil?

As a Canadian, I would imagine you could get in in Texas or Arizona.... hahaha... WHAT is snake oil!!!

"The phrase snake oil is as a derogatory term used to describe quackery, the promotion of fraudulent or unproven medical practices. The expression is also applied metaphorically to any product with questionable and/or unverifiable quality or benefit. By extension, the term "snake oil salesman" may be applied to someone who sells fraudulent goods, or who is a fraud himself."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_oil

Aww I thought it was a real thing, so gullible! (not like i would eat snake oil anyway)

You're adorable.

vytamindi

Low carb does nothing for body fat. It helps lose water weight

Your source for this is....? I'm calling bullsh*t.

Been doing low carb (keto, to be more specific) for almost two months now. The caloric deficit is "built into" the diet via the fats you eat making you feel satiated for longer. However, I do track everything to be under my daily MFP set calorie limit. If I go over on cals, I don't feel too bad. Go over in carbs, however, and I could knock myself out of ketosis.

I eat LOTS of veggies (I know my diary's veggie section seems lacking, but most of my meals are made beforehand and I just put them into the protein category) and have cut most heavily processed foods.

When I first started, I was all "ZOMG BACON BACON CHEESE DIET LAWLZ" but it's so much more than that. Visit the /r/keto subreddit, and you'll see that it DOES work.

AussieMisfit

You can reduce bloat due to a food intolerance by cutting out that food. That being said you don't have to be intolerant to wheat, or whatever carb he is telling you to cut, to get abdominal bloat. Gluten may be what he means by inflammatory foods, many people get bloated when they are gluten intolerant. The way he is conveying the information is misleading.

^^ THIS! Of course you can't spot reduce fat, but if your round tummy is caused by bloating, it could be worth looking for trigger foods.

tigersword

Low carb does nothing for body fat. It helps lose water weight

Your source for this is....? I'm calling bullsh*t.

Been doing low carb (keto, to be more specific) for almost two months now. The caloric deficit is "built into" the diet via the fats you eat making you feel satiated for longer. However, I do track everything to be under my daily MFP set calorie limit. If I go over on cals, I don't feel too bad. Go over in carbs, however, and I could knock myself out of ketosis.

I eat LOTS of veggies (I know my diary's veggie section seems lacking, but most of my meals are made beforehand and I just put them into the protein category) and have cut most heavily processed foods.

When I first started, I was all "ZOMG BACON BACON CHEESE DIET LAWLZ" but it's so much more than that. Visit the /r/keto subreddit, and you'll see that it DOES work.

A calorie deficit causes fat loss. Low carb, high carb, high protein, low fat, all just ways of creating a calorie deficit. Low carb without a calorie deficit will not lead to fat loss, ergo, low carb has absolutely nothing to do with fat loss, the calorie deficit does. Low carb does get rid of water weight, by reducing glycogen stores. You don't burn any more body fat on a keto diet than you would on any other diet, keeping other variables constant (calories, protein.)

vytamindi

A calorie deficit causes fat loss. Low carb, high carb, high protein, low fat, all just ways of creating a calorie deficit. Low carb without a calorie deficit will not lead to fat loss, ergo, low carb has absolutely nothing to do with fat loss, the calorie deficit does. Low carb does get rid of water weight, by reducing glycogen stores. You don't burn any more body fat on a keto diet than you would on any other diet, keeping other variables constant (calories, protein.)

Thank you for taking the time to explain what your very short and very vague original post did not.

From my understanding, (which is probably jumbled in my brain with medical studies mixed with broscience), carbs are the easiest form of fuel that your body can burn. Once those are taken away, your body has to work a little harder to convert the fat reserves in your body to fuel itself.

So, is just calories in vs. calories out? Maybe, but the quality of those calories, meaning whether they are protein, carbohydrate, or fat, has an effect on our bodies which could help or stall weight loss. It's more about hormones, insulin, and energy more than the whole "a calorie is just a calorie" way of thinking.

I hope this made sense? My brain has been scrambled from reading various medical journals (pro and anti keto) and it seems that any results are preliminary at best. We have so much to learn about our bodies, that it's a wonder we've come this far.

TheVimFuego

Experiment with your own body; people are different--some foods help and others don't. Try going a couple weeks trying different things and observe your body's reaction.

A good book is "It Starts With Food" by Melissa & Dallas Hartwig ... I've found it informative.

Excellent book. "Wheat Belly" is also worth reading. I cut grains based on it and I swear it's helped my lose the belly fat.

To those who think the macronutrient content does not matter and it's all about calories. You are wrong, just plain wrong. And don't quote the laws of thermodynamics at me because the human body is more complex than that.

I've done the same number of calories on MFP on both low-fat and low-carb and the latter works better for me. I am less hungry (although I make sure I eat plenty of calories) and my mood is more stable.

A calorie is not just a calorie.

TheVimFuego

Thank you for taking the time to explain what your very short and very vague original post did not.

From my understanding, (which is probably jumbled in my brain with medical studies mixed with broscience), carbs are the easiest form of fuel that your body can burn. Once those are taken away, your body has to work a little harder to convert the fat reserves in your body to fuel itself.

So, is just calories in vs. calories out? Maybe, but the quality of those calories, meaning whether they are protein, carbohydrate, or fat, has an effect on our bodies which could help or stall weight loss. It's more about hormones, insulin, and energy more than the whole "a calorie is just a calorie" way of thinking.

I hope this made sense? My brain has been scrambled from reading various medical journals (pro and anti keto) and it seems that any results are preliminary at best. We have so much to learn about our bodies, that it's a wonder we've come this far.

^^^^ All of that, in spades.

offthedeependay

here is a list of foods http://theconsciouslife.com/top-10-anti-inflammatory-foods.htm

lydt5880

So I was watching an episode of Dr. Oz yesterday and it was all about big butts and big bellies. He was telling about how they're different and how you can fix it.

For big bums, I don't really remember how to fix because that's not my problem. He did say that butt fat is healthier than belly fat BUT it's harder to get rid of.

For belly fat, it's quite unhealthy. The fat builds up around your intestines and organs and your HEART, so, not very good at all. His advice for big bellies is to to eat LOW CARBS and ANTI-INFLAMMATORY foods. ALso aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

So my question is, what are ANY anti-inflammatory foods? And what are some good low-carbs foods? I've never limited or paid attention to my carb intake so i really don't know what's what.

ANd for any of you on a low-carb diet, how's it going? Is you belly fat disappearing?

I do agree with others that you cannot spot reduce HOWEVER, i suffer with a lot of bloating and stomach fat and I have tried Dukan diet and after 3 days on the no carb high protein i felt amazing and my stomach was flat. I now only do the no carb and high protein 1 day/2 days a week and the rest of the week I follow a normal diet and my stomach is much better and it is easier to maintain. I am not a nutritionalist or anything this is just my experience.

Good Luck

LilacDreamer

I think dr. oz is a quack, but regardless the OP asked for information, so 2 anti-inflammatory foods that I know of are Ginger and Garlic. Have at it!

sunsetwest

I've been doing low carb for over a year and you can see the resulting numbers on my ticker...but as far as belly fat, of course it's hugely reduced, but it's still my problem area. Of course even the thinnest women in my family have bellies, so maybe it's just not even realistic for me to expect not to have one even at goal weight...but I'm gonna keep working on it.

same with the women in my family on both sides ... then again, they all scarf down bread and pasta like crazy.

since reducing my bread/pasta/cracker intake (basically, most gluten-containing foods), i have noticed a reduction in the size of my belly and the decreased tendency to bloat. as far as how effective it's been for the fat that hangs out in that area, i'm not so sure. i can tell within an hour when i've had something with wheat because i look preggo and usually end up with a headache. i don't get this way when i eat rice, but beans are still questionable.

inagaddadavegan

So I was watching an episode of Dr. Oz yesterday and it was all about big butts and big bellies. He was telling about how they're different and how you can fix it.

For big bums, I don't really remember how to fix because that's not my problem. He did say that butt fat is healthier than belly fat BUT it's harder to get rid of.

For belly fat, it's quite unhealthy. The fat builds up around your intestines and organs and your HEART, so, not very good at all. His advice for big bellies is to to eat LOW CARBS and ANTI-INFLAMMATORY foods. ALso aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

So my question is, what are ANY anti-inflammatory foods? And what are some good low-carbs foods? I've never limited or paid attention to my carb intake so i really don't know what's what.

ANd for any of you on a low-carb diet, how's it going? Is you belly fat disappearing?

When I eat lots of raw whole fruits and veggies and whole grain carbs my belly shrinks just like the rest of me. I have noticed a decided *bloat* with excessive gluten, processed grains (maybe it's the gluten again), and dairy (before I eliminated it for other reasons). I think it's easy to think you have a lot of "belly fat" when actually your tummy is just having issues from things it's not digesting well. There are a lot of food intolerances, and most doctors seem fairly useless at recognizing them. I mean, did even the great and powerful Oz mention this with respect to a "fat belly"? (Seriously I don't watch TV so I don't know if he did or not).

BerryH

I have loads of carbs - bread, rice, pasta, beer, you name it. In fact I'd never manage a step of cardio without big carbs. You could say my belly has shrunk a fair just on a calorific deficit:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/656044-500-days-on-mfp-photos

tigersword

A calorie deficit causes fat loss. Low carb, high carb, high protein, low fat, all just ways of creating a calorie deficit. Low carb without a calorie deficit will not lead to fat loss, ergo, low carb has absolutely nothing to do with fat loss, the calorie deficit does. Low carb does get rid of water weight, by reducing glycogen stores. You don't burn any more body fat on a keto diet than you would on any other diet, keeping other variables constant (calories, protein.)

Thank you for taking the time to explain what your very short and very vague original post did not.

From my understanding, (which is probably jumbled in my brain with medical studies mixed with broscience), carbs are the easiest form of fuel that your body can burn. Once those are taken away, your body has to work a little harder to convert the fat reserves in your body to fuel itself.

So, is just calories in vs. calories out? Maybe, but the quality of those calories, meaning whether they are protein, carbohydrate, or fat, has an effect on our bodies which could help or stall weight loss. It's more about hormones, insulin, and energy more than the whole "a calorie is just a calorie" way of thinking.

I hope this made sense? My brain has been scrambled from reading various medical journals (pro and anti keto) and it seems that any results are preliminary at best. We have so much to learn about our bodies, that it's a wonder we've come this far.

Carbs are good because the human body can't burn fat without glucose. When you eliminate carbs, you force the body to convert the protein and fat you eat into glucose so it can burn body fat. Of course, that means your body isn't actually using the protein and fat you eat for what it should be using protein and fat for. Again, it doesn't burn any more body fat, all it does is convert protein and dietary fat to glucose, and then burn the same amount of body fat it would have burned had you eaten an equivalent amount of carbs. Remember, the body burns fat 24/7, no matter what you eat, and it needs a steady supply of glucose to do it.

Bobby_Clerici

He just means clean eating.
Eating healthy 90% of the time is actually quite simple. I eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fruits and veggies.
Simple deal.
And once the lifestyle becomes habit, it gets easy.

soulynyc

bump for later

Emancipated_Tai

I agree with the lower carbs helping the belly. SInce I went low carb in April I've lost over 20 pounds and it was almost all from my belly. It went from 44 inches to 35 inches currently.

Not sure of any anti-inflammatory foods, but meats are your best options for no or low carbs. Also so, nuts, eggs and cheese are other options. I did my own modified version of the South Beach Diet to get low carb ideas. Atkins also is a low carb program, but the carbs are too low for me. I'm usually around 70g of carbs or less a day.