Low carb diets?
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As for psychological effects, you don't have to "believe it." Do some research, carbs help regulate serotonin levels and other mood hormones, people on low carb diets are consistently found to be more depressed than people who eat higher carb in study after study. Low carb also leads to increased cortisol, as cortisol is one of the regulators of gluconeogenesis, and high cortisol leads to less fat burning and more lean mass loss.
Not always. Cortisol is catabolic. It breaks down tissues, fat included.
It can be a good thing.
Yes, it can, and cortisol definitely raises when people are losing weight and upping fitness... but cortisol is a very surprisingly delicate hormone. People undergoing extra stresses from illness, anxiety, disorders, etc. have generally higher consistent levels of cortisol.
With cortisol, the higher it is over a period of time, it WILL add weight to the body. That's part of it's evolutionary function.0 -
I eat low carb the first 4 months I lost 70 pounds. The last four months NOTHING. I have tried carb cycling and many different variations however i am convinced short term it is great long term does not agree with me0
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Cortisol is also linked to shift work/abnormal sleep patterns.0
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Why ask for an opinion on something, and then argue with everyone that gives an opinion you don't agree with? There was no point in asking.
My opinion (based on years of attempting low-carb diets and similar) is that anything that requires you to cut out something either completely or a lot is not going to work in the long term, because it is not a realistic way of eating that you can stick to for the rest of your life. If I want chocolate or pasta or bread, I eat it, but I make room for it in my calorie allowance.
I'm not arguing with everyone that disagrees with me. I'm asking them where they got their information from if they're going to make ignorant statements. And I asked for personal experiences. I have thanked numerous people that have commented on here and given me real information and opinions. And I completely agree with you on it about the long term thing. That's why I was wondering what other people have experienced. Like, can you eat low carb (and by low I don't mean 20 and under and anything drastic... just low), lose weight, and then slowly up your intake to maintain? That's what I plan on doing but I wanted to know what worked for other people. From my personal experiences, calories and exercise alone do not work. I was running miles a day during practice in high school and had weight training for an hour a day, plus games on the weekend, and was only eating around 1800 calories a day, and I still wasn't at the weight I wanted. Lowering my carbs seem to be the only thing that works but I've only been trying it out for about a month now.0 -
So how do you expect to eat low carb and low fat? It sounds like you're looking for an impossible diet. Carbohydrates and fat are the body's main sources of energy, if you aren't eating one, you need to be eating the other."Ok, but what about the dietary fat you eat in place of the carbs that your body burns instead of the stored fat? Or the protein that you eat that gets converted to glucose via gluconeogenesis to make up for the lack of carbs? You're seriously over simplifying the way the body utilizes energy. And of course, that also completely ignores the hormonal effects of cutting carbs, like the reduction in growth hormone, loss of lean tissue, and possible psychological effects as well.
Also, what do you mean by "how many of us are going to burn 2300 calories?" 2000 calories is what the average person burns in a day, I'm usually around 3000-3500 per day. You do burn calories even when you aren't exercising, after all... What science are you actually studying? "
I'm not really sure how to reply specifically to your quote, but you I don't really eat foods high in fat no matter what. And yeah, it will inevitably get converted to glucose... you need glucose to stay alive. But that conversion requires energy. There have been studies done showing that it does on rats and they lose more weight. I can try to find the specific studies if you'd like. And I don't believe cutting out carbs has "psychological effects". People don't need pasta and bread and processed food to function. I eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, which provides some carbs, but not as many as a full plate of pasta. And yes, I know you burn calories not doing anything. I think the last time I calculated the amount I burn not doing anything, it was about 1200. That means I'd have to burn an additional 1100 to be at the number the other guy was mentioning. And I'm studying biology for my undergrad... what are youuuu actually studying?
As for psychological effects, you don't have to "believe it." Do some research, carbs help regulate serotonin levels and other mood hormones, people on low carb diets are consistently found to be more depressed than people who eat higher carb in study after study. Low carb also leads to increased cortisol, as cortisol is one of the regulators of gluconeogenesis, and high cortisol leads to less fat burning and more lean mass loss.
Hahahah you need protein for serotonin production as well. You don't need 300g of carbs for that. By low carb, I don't mean 20g of less. Maybe I should have specified. Just low. 50-100 maybe. And you never answered, what if your degree in, oh wise one0 -
And you never answered, what if your degree in, oh wise one
Seriously, why be so rude? People have taken time to talk to you, debate with you.
There is no reason to this way.0 -
You should read a book called Wheat Belly... it is a total eye opener regarding bread and wheat
It's so well written! 0 -
You should read a book called Wheat Belly... it is a total eye opener regarding bread and wheat It's so well written!
I am GF so i dont eat wheat, bread or many grains but i certainly eat many carbohydrates and am not at all on a 'low carb' diet.
people seem to confuse the two a lot.0 -
And you never answered, what if your degree in, oh wise one
Seriously, why be so rude? People have taken time to talk to you, debate with you.
There is no reason to this way.
It was in reference to the condescending comment he made regarding what I'm studying, so I think it's completely in line....0 -
Keep it simple - lean meats, lots of egg whites, lots of fibrous veg (broccoli, spinach, etc), avoid refined carbs (white flour, sugar, etc). The thing about those foods is that none of them are calorie-dense which means that you can eat tons of food and never be hungry. You can't get fat eating broccoli - it's impossible, there are no calories in it. I ate a pound of chicken breast at lunch. Plus broccoli, and I'm still stuffed. I had 6 eggs for breakfast. With a slice of cheese. It was like 350 calories - nothing. So if you focus on the lean things, (organic is bogus btw) and try to hit your calorie targets, just by the nature of it you will be eating a low fat, low carb diet. I view it as a byproduct of retaining muscle and not just simply the goal of eating "low carb" because that is supposed to be the Holy Grail.
What this person said! I am on low carb diet (dukan diet), it is the only way I lose weight! I don't train seriously, but I do exercise for 30 minutes a day, I try and stick to protein and veg only. Remember, there are good carbs and bad carbs... Good carbs = veggies (yes, carbs in veg, not a lot, but still there) carbs in fruit, carbs in nuts etc. Bad carbs = refined, white, starchy rice, bread, pasta etc. I don't follow paleo but what they say makes a lot of sense when it comes to low carbs: If it is from an animal or came out of the ground, its probably good for you. And that includes potatoes, limited, but they aren't all that bad for you!0 -
You should read a book called Wheat Belly... it is a total eye opener regarding bread and wheat It's so well written!
I am GF so i dont eat wheat, bread or many grains but i certainly eat many carbohydrates and am not at all on a 'low carb' diet.
people seem to confuse the two a lot.
where do most of your carbs come from? and do you feel like they help you maintain/lose weight or do you look at calories more?0 -
Keep it simple - lean meats, lots of egg whites, lots of fibrous veg (broccoli, spinach, etc), avoid refined carbs (white flour, sugar, etc). The thing about those foods is that none of them are calorie-dense which means that you can eat tons of food and never be hungry. You can't get fat eating broccoli - it's impossible, there are no calories in it. I ate a pound of chicken breast at lunch. Plus broccoli, and I'm still stuffed. I had 6 eggs for breakfast. With a slice of cheese. It was like 350 calories - nothing. So if you focus on the lean things, (organic is bogus btw) and try to hit your calorie targets, just by the nature of it you will be eating a low fat, low carb diet. I view it as a byproduct of retaining muscle and not just simply the goal of eating "low carb" because that is supposed to be the Holy Grail.
What this person said! I am on low carb diet (dukan diet), it is the only way I lose weight! I don't train seriously, but I do exercise for 30 minutes a day, I try and stick to protein and veg only. Remember, there are good carbs and bad carbs... Good carbs = veggies (yes, carbs in veg, not a lot, but still there) carbs in fruit, carbs in nuts etc. Bad carbs = refined, white, starchy rice, bread, pasta etc. I don't follow paleo but what they say makes a lot of sense when it comes to low carbs: If it is from an animal or came out of the ground, its probably good for you. And that includes potatoes, limited, but they aren't all that bad for you!
Are you going to continue eating like that after you reach your goal weight, or are you going to start adding whole grains and things like that back into your diet after?0 -
Low carb diets are an unsustainable fad. There is no magic bullet. If your calories out are higher than your calories in, you will lose weight. Make the calories in healthy ones. Do your best to eat whole, mostly unprocessed foods but don't be fanatical about it. Log your meals every day, good or bad. Lean on your MFP friends for support. It will take time and effort to achieve your goals. The great thing about MFP is that it doesn't tell you what to eat, it just tells you what you are eating. Trust the process, it works.0
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http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
I agree with this. Mostly everyone on here only focuses on cal in/out but i do think the type of calories matters in fat loss also. Would you still lose weight eating 2000 calories of chocolate a day if you also burn 2000 calories a day? (just talking about losing weight, not nutritional value).Explain? I'm a science major, and I don't believe that is true. What I'm interested in is how it plays a role in thermodynamincs
I'm an engineer, so I share your curiosity to expand beyond Cal in/out, and I believe that the body works in far more complex ways than that. I've only been on this site for a day and it seems that the tribal knowledge here discounts cellular response to different types of stimuli and refers to calorie counting as the only factor in losing weight. I think there should be a clear distinction in losing weight versus losing fat, as I'm not concerned about the scale but more so what the calipers say.
If you're looking to do some research, check into John Kiefer. His works cited is always worth checking out and he backs everything up with scientifically reviewed publications.
You'd maintain
but if you are eating all chocolate calories, there is not a difference if you would eat all protein calories? i just find this strange.
Twinkie diet. He ate one can of vegetables, one protein shake, a multivitamin, and filled the rest if his daily calories with snack cakes, potato chips, sugary cereals, cookies, pastries, and other sugary foods. He stuck to a consistent calorie goal, and lost 27 pounds, and all of his health markers improved considerably.
It really is all about calories. Low carb is just another form of calorie restriction, that's really what makes it successful. Everything else is just smoke and mirrors.0 -
It seems like you have already formed an opinion on low carb diets, so I'm not sure why you are asking anyone else.
If you want low carb food ideas or recipes, check out this blog:
www.peaceloveandlowcarb.com
I think eating a balanced healthy diet is a better approach than cutting out a single group.
Questioning what you think you know is the essence of science :bigsmile:
Agreed for the balanced diet. Have tried low-carb, and it doesn't work in the long run! :sad:0 -
Wheat, rice, and sugarcane all come out of the ground. Just thought you'd like to know. There's no such thing as a "good" or "bad" carb, that's just mythical marketing that the diet industry uses to make money.
Keep it simple - lean meats, lots of egg whites, lots of fibrous veg (broccoli, spinach, etc), avoid refined carbs (white flour, sugar, etc). The thing about those foods is that none of them are calorie-dense which means that you can eat tons of food and never be hungry. You can't get fat eating broccoli - it's impossible, there are no calories in it. I ate a pound of chicken breast at lunch. Plus broccoli, and I'm still stuffed. I had 6 eggs for breakfast. With a slice of cheese. It was like 350 calories - nothing. So if you focus on the lean things, (organic is bogus btw) and try to hit your calorie targets, just by the nature of it you will be eating a low fat, low carb diet. I view it as a byproduct of retaining muscle and not just simply the goal of eating "low carb" because that is supposed to be the Holy Grail.
What this person said! I am on low carb diet (dukan diet), it is the only way I lose weight! I don't train seriously, but I do exercise for 30 minutes a day, I try and stick to protein and veg only. Remember, there are good carbs and bad carbs... Good carbs = veggies (yes, carbs in veg, not a lot, but still there) carbs in fruit, carbs in nuts etc. Bad carbs = refined, white, starchy rice, bread, pasta etc. I don't follow paleo but what they say makes a lot of sense when it comes to low carbs: If it is from an animal or came out of the ground, its probably good for you. And that includes potatoes, limited, but they aren't all that bad for you!0 -
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
I agree with this. Mostly everyone on here only focuses on cal in/out but i do think the type of calories matters in fat loss also. Would you still lose weight eating 2000 calories of chocolate a day if you also burn 2000 calories a day? (just talking about losing weight, not nutritional value).Explain? I'm a science major, and I don't believe that is true. What I'm interested in is how it plays a role in thermodynamincs
I'm an engineer, so I share your curiosity to expand beyond Cal in/out, and I believe that the body works in far more complex ways than that. I've only been on this site for a day and it seems that the tribal knowledge here discounts cellular response to different types of stimuli and refers to calorie counting as the only factor in losing weight. I think there should be a clear distinction in losing weight versus losing fat, as I'm not concerned about the scale but more so what the calipers say.
If you're looking to do some research, check into John Kiefer. His works cited is always worth checking out and he backs everything up with scientifically reviewed publications.
You'd maintain
but if you are eating all chocolate calories, there is not a difference if you would eat all protein calories? i just find this strange.
Twinkie diet. He ate one can of vegetables, one protein shake, a multivitamin, and filled the rest if his daily calories with snack cakes, potato chips, sugary cereals, cookies, pastries, and other sugary foods. He stuck to a consistent calorie goal, and lost 27 pounds, and all of his health markers improved considerably.
It really is all about calories. Low carb is just another form of calorie restriction, that's really what makes it successful. Everything else is just smoke and mirrors.
Interesting! Thanks for a link.... I like to actually read them for myself0 -
I've been on LCHF for 11 months now and about to cross the 100 lbs loss mark. Keto saved me from a fate worse than death: disabilities due to obesity.
Seriously though, for someone who's obese, it really is worth a try. And besides weight loss, there are a host of other improvements to the body. I wish I would have known how effective it is 25 years ago.0 -
"[/quote]
Wheat, rice, and sugarcane all come out of the ground. Just thought you'd like to know. There's no such thing as a "good" or "bad" carb, that's just mythical marketing that the diet industry uses to make money.
[/quote]"
Am I wrong in thinking that whole foods (Good Carbs) (brown rice, brown pasta, rye bread) "better" that white bread, white rice and white bread? (bad cards)
I.e slower release energy, less sugar, more fiber and so on?0 -
My sister is a low carb fanatic, she does a low carb diet a couple times a year, she does that because she can never keep the weight off once she goes back to eating normally (actually over eating, not just introducing carbs back into her diet). As for myself, I'm not interested in a fast weight loss macro nutrient restricted diet plan, especially after seeing my sister fail at it time after time.0
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