One week experiment... low carb to low fat!

snowbike

I just want to reiterate my post as I think this may have been lost in the noise.

You WILL GAIN WEIGHT in the short term when switching from low to med carbs.

Please 366to366 go back and read my post .

One week will NOT be enough.

dalemckeown

Much of the food in today world is processed. Find me some chocolate or sweet which is readily available on the shelf which hasn't bee processed.

Perhaps you are reading too much into dieting? Just putting it out there that stress and anxiety can cause loss of appetite as well as weight gain. I don't know you, but its a possibility at least.

Atkins has long been known as a diet that will loose weight short term, but as soon as you start eating carbs again the weight piles back on.

Erikalynne18

Perhaps it's just your curiousity with how your body with react, or maybe you are trying to search for " the answer", but I don't think a week will do much. You might see changes, but they won't be completely reflective of "which diet is best?". If you are truly curious, I would give this at least a month Cause any changes you see in a week might just be your body reacting to changes in general, instead of reacting to a "better diet option".

Personally I don't agree with these types of diets. Even the 1200 calorie diet MFP recommended, it worked but it wasn't something I could continue forever! I need something that I can continue long term and most of these diets just won't cut it! A (reasonable) calorie deficiant was the answer for me

But best of luck!

714rah714

RULE 1: DRINK A GLASS OF WATER BEFORE EACH MEAL: NO EXCUSES
RULE 2: DON'T DRINK YOUR CALORIES
RULE 3: EAT PROTEIN AT EVERY MEAL OR STAY HUNGARY AND GROUCHY
RULE 4: SLASH YOUR INTAKE OF REFINDED FLOURS AND GRANI
RULE 5:EAT 30-50 GRAMS OF FIBER
RULE 6: EAT APPLES AND BERRIES EVERY SINGLE DAY
RULE 7: NO CARBS AFTER LUNCE
RULE 8: LEARN TO READ FOOD LABELS
RULE 9: STOP GUESSING PORTION SIZE
RULE 10: NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
RULE 11: GET RID OF WHITE POTATOES
RULE 12: MAKE ONE DAY A WEEK MEATLESS
RULE 13: GET RID OF FAST FOODS AND FRIED FOODS
RULE 14: EAT A REAL BREAKFAST
RULE 15: MAKE YOUR OWN FOOD
RULE 16: BANISH HIGH SALT FOODS
RULE 17: EAT YOUR VEGGIES, JUST DO IT
RULE 18: GO TO BED HUNGARY
RULE 19: SLEEP RIGHT
RULE 20: EAT SNACKS IN BETWEEN MEALS, DON'T LET YOUR BODY GO INTO STARVE MOOD, IT WILL STORE YOUR FAT IF YOU DO.

Lots of nonsense, but I like the fact that I'll have to fly to Hungary in order to get some sleep.

366to266

Lots of nonsense, but I like the fact that I'll have to fly to Hungary in order to get some sleep.

Aw come on, SOME of them are quite good advice!

2, 4, 8, 10, 15, 19 are good!

366to266

Snowbike! I am hearing you!

I just want to reiterate my post as I think this may have been lost in the noise.

You WILL GAIN WEIGHT in the short term when switching from low to med carbs.

Please 366to366 go back and read my post .

One week will NOT be enough.

I think you may have misunderstood. The EXPERIMENT runs for a week. If all my fears about this diet turn out not to come to reality, I will continue on it for the rest of my life.

Switching from a very low carb diet to a normal carb diet you WILL put some weight on short term.
Eating more carbs will normalize your muscles glucogen stores and your body will store about 3g of water for every gram of glycogen.
This may be significant water gain if you have allot of muscle. ( can see 2-3 lbs when carb loading)
This is why atkins has a fast loss early on in the diet, its basically staving the muscles of glycegen which causes water loss ... not fat.
Switching to a more balanced diet will help you feel more energy when exercising and hence burn more fat and be more sustainable.
One cavet is ; keep your protein at around 1g per 1lb of Lean body mass (100 -150 gr) to prevent muscle loss and keep hunger down. Also make sure you eat carbs 1-2 hours before exercise to maximize your energy.

So, you are supportive of my new diet in principle? You just want me to do it for longer -- is that right? If so, I cannot do it for longer until I have done it for a week. If I am ravenous, bingeing, dizzy, have no energy, crave sugar, have digestive problems, I will ditch it and go back to Atkins for life. If I am doing OK, I will continue.

But I really appreciate the warning that if I GAIN weight, it is because of the glycogen. When would my weight start dropping then, after this initial increase?

Thanks for the advice about protein. I guess I have to continue eating about 100g protein a day. But now it will be boiled eggs, ham, cheese and fish instead of fatty red meats.

TwinkiesNKetchup

I really recommend the perfect 10 diet which is a low carb/lower fat diet with lots of healthy variety. You can also try marksdailyapple.com which is also way more healthier than Adtkins. Good luck!

366to266

Hi Wehrkip

I didn't think mark's daily apple was a diet - I thought it was a blog! Have been to the site many times and never seen a diet sheet.

I will google the perfect 10 diet. Thanks!

tjphelps73

RULE 1: DRINK A GLASS OF WATER BEFORE EACH MEAL: NO EXCUSES
RULE 2: DON'T DRINK YOUR CALORIES
RULE 3: EAT PROTEIN AT EVERY MEAL OR STAY HUNGARY AND GROUCHY
RULE 4: SLASH YOUR INTAKE OF REFINDED FLOURS AND GRANI
RULE 5:EAT 30-50 GRAMS OF FIBER
RULE 6: EAT APPLES AND BERRIES EVERY SINGLE DAY
RULE 7: NO CARBS AFTER LUNCE
RULE 8: LEARN TO READ FOOD LABELS
RULE 9: STOP GUESSING PORTION SIZE
RULE 10: NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
RULE 11: GET RID OF WHITE POTATOES
RULE 12: MAKE ONE DAY A WEEK MEATLESS
RULE 13: GET RID OF FAST FOODS AND FRIED FOODS
RULE 14: EAT A REAL BREAKFAST
RULE 15: MAKE YOUR OWN FOOD
RULE 16: BANISH HIGH SALT FOODS
RULE 17: EAT YOUR VEGGIES, JUST DO IT
RULE 18: GO TO BED HUNGARY
RULE 19: SLEEP RIGHT
RULE 20: EAT SNACKS IN BETWEEN MEALS, DON'T LET YOUR BODY GO INTO STARVE MOOD, IT WILL STORE YOUR FAT IF YOU DO.

^^^^ THIS and I would suggest cardio exercise four days a week.

da_bears10089

"If I am ravenous, bingeing, dizzy, have no energy, crave sugar, have digestive problems, I will ditch it and go back to Atkins for life."

Atkins for life sounds straight up miserable. Why cut out ANYTHING from your diet? It took me a long time to understand this. More important than cutting out all "bad food" in your life, is learning to enjoy it in moderation. Will i have a chocolate chip cookie if someone brings them to work? Abso-f*cking-lutely. If i want some boneless wings from Buffalo Wild Wings, will i get them? YES. But instead of eating 12 of them... maybe i will get 5 or 6.

ifaber

I think this is AWESOME for you to try! I was basically doing Atkins at the end of January for a week or so, then I decided to up my carb intake and calorie intake because my energy levels were too low to effectively do my workouts at a moderate/high intensity. I won't lie, when I made the switch I had every intention of only eating healthy food but I didn't. Cake, fast food, and soda crept into my diet and while I have always been under my calorie goal, I didn't lose another pound. In fact I was slowly gaining by the ounce ( I did introduce strength training in my workout routine though and that may have something to do with the gaining possibly).

This week, I am re-focusing, only eating nutritious whole foods and since I am in the recovery week of P90X, I am instead doing Jillian Michaels dvds. I have since lost 3 lbs since this Monday. Even when I was taking in a wide range of calories from low to moderate on low carb, I didn't continuously lose. The appetitie control and sweet cravings diminishing was GREAT, but in the end, I knew my body wasn't made for low carb long term. But some people's are and that's fine too. I hate when people bash another person's dietary preference and I will NEVER do that, unless its a ridiculously low cal intake or something stupid like that.

Anyway, after two days of eating wholesome foods, I feel the difference and my body is now releasing water/weight/whatever you wanna call it. Everyone's body doesn't process food in quite the same way, I'm sorry. I don't think its ONLY calories in vs calories out because I work my behind off in my workouts most times and have been under my calories and my body wasn't responding as well. Now that I am giving it the RIGHT FOODS (including over 100g of carbs a day), it is finally releasing whatever it was holding on to! Let us know how you feel after this week. You may even need two weeks to see how you are really affected! Good luck! Nothing but positivity for you over here from me to you!

BogQueen1

If you are feeling under the weather there is no reason you can't add in a few pieces of fruit to your Atkin's plan for a few days until you feel better. Berries, at your stage, should be perfectly allowable on Atkin's anyway, as well as melon. If you are really feeling poorly, try a chicken soup, with chicken, broth, many veggies, and maybe a bit of wild rice if you wish, or maybe some sweet potatoes, for a break without going back to low fat.

Also: you're doing it wrong. Atkin's shouldn't be an excuse to binge on fatty red meats, as you seem to imply you are doing. You should be focusing on fish, chicken, seafood, turkey, pork, and ALL sources of protein, and additionally, a decent amount of fresh produce. I can understand the meat fatigue, which is why induction and extreme reduction only lasts for two weeks. Afterwards... add in berries! Add in plain yogurt! There's no reason you can't, as long as you count each carb.

I do not believe in low fat diets, to be perfectly honest. Your body needs fat to survive at the most basic level, as fats are a vital component of cell membranes and necessary for the processing of many different vitamins. Fats also help us with that feeling of satiation, and improve mouth feel, and palatability of foods. Enjoy natural fats. Butter, olive oil, coconut oil. Avoid processed margarines and things like that.

Anyway, I've seen some people jump in with both feet and agree with you, and others disagree with you, and the people who disagree bring up many valid points. To see any lasting change, you will have to try this for much longer then a week. Also, I have found Atkin's to be an effective tool for clearing your system of processed sugars and cravings, but not really sustainable long term. If you are already finding dis-satisfaction, then this won't be sustainable for you for the rest of your life, and you may end up forcing yourself to eat like this until your body and mind totally rebel and you go on a massive carb binge, and regain a ton of weight. I've been dithering around, trying different things on here for a few months now. Different calorie levels, eating back calories, more protein, less protein, etc. I finally seem to have found something that is working as the scale is dropping consistently now, and this is a way of eating I can sustain for a long time. Don't be afraid to experiment with different things until you find that balance of 'this works for me and I can sustain it'. It doesn't have to be all or nothing in a desperate effort to lose every pound as fast as possible.

366to266

Lahoe:

Atkins for life sounds straight up miserable. Why cut out ANYTHING from your diet? It took me a long time to understand this. More important than cutting out all "bad food" in your life, is learning to enjoy it in moderation. Will i have a chocolate chip cookie if someone brings them to work?

You clearly still don't understand this. Let me help you. For SOME people (carb-sensitive, sugar-addicted, perhaps those who are hypoglycaemic or hyperinsulinaemic, or just have addictive personalities) a small amount of "bad food" is a "trigger" which leads to a binge and a return to readdiction.

Think of an alcoholic. When an alcoholic gives up alcohol he cannot just weeks later start having "the odd glass of wine" like millions of other people do. He isn't like others. Recovering alcoholics have to stay on the wagon.

You crow that you can eat a few cookies. I can't, and moreover, I don't want to. Wheat is just yukky to me these days. Causes me so many problems it's just not worth it.

Aschindler:

Also: you're doing it wrong. Atkin's shouldn't be an excuse to binge on fatty red meats, as you seem to imply you are doing.

1. I'm not "doing it wrong".
2. I do not binge on ANY foods. Where on earth did you get that idea?
3. Red meat is NOT banned on Atkins! Have you actually ever read any of Atkins's books? Clearly NOT. Red meats are most definitely allowed.
4. And you worry about them being "fatty"? You evidently have no concept of Atkins at all - it is a HIGH FAT DIET. 65% fat.
5. Pork, which you recommend instead of red meat, IS a red meat!
6. You criticise fatty meat, then you suggest I eat fat like butter for example. This makes no sense. They are all animal fats.

366to266

@Ifaber

I decided to up my carb intake

Cake, fast food, and soda crept into my diet

while I have always been under my calorie goal, I didn't lose another pound.

Holy moly! A cautionary tale!

This week, I am re-focusing, only eating nutritious whole foods

I hate when people bash another person's dietary preference and I will NEVER do that, unless its a ridiculously low cal intake or something stupid like that.

Anyway, after two days of eating wholesome foods, I feel the difference and my body is now releasing water/weight


Everyone's body doesn't process food in quite the same way,

I don't think its ONLY calories in vs calories out because I work my behind off in my workouts most times and have been under my calories and my body wasn't responding as well. Now that I am giving it the RIGHT FOODS (including over 100g of carbs a day), it is finally releasing whatever it was holding on to!

Nothing but positivity for you over here from me to you!

Thank you so much for your post ifaber. This is truly useful information. May I see your list of what you call the "right foods" please? The trouble is, everyone's definition is different.

One of the things I started focusing on in January was perfect nutrition, and making EVERY bite of food "pay its way" in terms of nutrition. And this mean NO.. absolutely NO eating for entertainment or purely for the pleasure of it on my tongue. And this is why I have not been tempted to eat cookies or chocolate for 47 out of the 49 days. I have looked at a cookie and thought "What will that thing do for me?" and the answer is, it will use up more than my carb allowance for the whole day, it will poison my system with sugar and wheat - and I actually do not want it.

Even IF I do eat low fat low calorie I will never eat wheat or sugar or chocolate again. It's pointless.

ifaber

Absolutely @366to266! Here is a list of what a typical day would be of the RIGHT FOODS for me. I sticking to all natural, mostly nutrient dense foods for now. I'm not a big bread or pasta person (unless I am eating out which I don't do too often). I also only eat eggs and seafood as an animal protein source and I'm not big on eating a lot of it either, but that's my personal preference and not one I think everybody should do. There are lots of lean protein choices to choose from, I just choose not to eat the others for now and haven't for a year and a half now.

I love all kinds of nuts and vegetables, like tonight I will be making a bok choy and broccoli stir fry using some coconut oil to saute them and some spices. Sounds yummy to me!

I honestly never thought I would be so excited about the foods I'm now eating and enjoying. I have made it a goal to eat this way forever, but that's not to say I won't indulge in the OCCASSIONAL cake or ice cream, but even then I will try to make the healthiest choice possible by experimenting with other types of flours like coconut flour and almond or flax meal. Anywho, enough of that, below is a typical day so you can get an idea of what I mean!

Meal 1 - Veggie Omelet with no cheese and an orange
Tomatoes
Onions
Freshness
Cara Cara Orange
Eggs

Meal 2 - usually about 1.5 oz of almonds
Banana
Almonds

Meal 3
Baked Tilapia Filet
Black Eyed Peas
Sweet potato

Meal 4
Blueberries
Egg Whites
Bananas
Strawberries
Almonds

SkimFlatWhite68

I replied in your blog.

366to266

Frankly, I cannot decide what to eat any more.

I spent 3 hours this morning reading the thread about calorie consumption and I am more confused than ever.

snowbike

So, you are supportive of my new diet in principle? You just want me to do it for longer -- is that right? If so, I cannot do it for longer until I have done it for a week. If I am ravenous, bingeing, dizzy, have no energy, crave sugar, have digestive problems, I will ditch it and go back to Atkins for life. If I am doing OK, I will continue.

But I really appreciate the warning that if I GAIN weight, it is because of the glycogen. When would my weight start dropping then, after this initial increase?

Thanks for the advice about protein. I guess I have to continue eating about 100g protein a day. But now it will be boiled eggs, ham, cheese and fish instead of fatty red meats.

I am supportive of any diet where you eat less calories than you burn to lose weight (unless silly deficits).

Just dont get disheartend when you gain some water the first few days. After a couple of weeks you will be back losing again.

vytamindi

RULE 1: DRINK A GLASS OF WATER BEFORE EACH MEAL: NO EXCUSES
RULE 2: DON'T DRINK YOUR CALORIES
RULE 3: EAT PROTEIN AT EVERY MEAL OR STAY HUNGARY AND GROUCHY
RULE 4: SLASH YOUR INTAKE OF REFINDED FLOURS AND GRANI
RULE 5:EAT 30-50 GRAMS OF FIBER
RULE 6: EAT APPLES AND BERRIES EVERY SINGLE DAY
RULE 7: NO CARBS AFTER LUNCE
RULE 8: LEARN TO READ FOOD LABELS
RULE 9: STOP GUESSING PORTION SIZE
RULE 10: NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
RULE 11: GET RID OF WHITE POTATOES
RULE 12: MAKE ONE DAY A WEEK MEATLESS
RULE 13: GET RID OF FAST FOODS AND FRIED FOODS
RULE 14: EAT A REAL BREAKFAST
RULE 15: MAKE YOUR OWN FOOD
RULE 16: BANISH HIGH SALT FOODS
RULE 17: EAT YOUR VEGGIES, JUST DO IT
RULE 18: GO TO BED HUNGARY
RULE 19: SLEEP RIGHT
RULE 20: EAT SNACKS IN BETWEEN MEALS, DON'T LET YOUR BODY GO INTO STARVE MOOD, IT WILL STORE YOUR FAT IF YOU DO.

Lots of nonsense, but I like the fact that I'll have to fly to Hungary in order to get some sleep.

...and how about that starve mood! I hate being starve moody!

norghost

Frankly, I cannot decide what to eat any more.

I spent 3 hours this morning reading the thread about calorie consumption and I am more confused than ever.

Overthinking can be dangerous. I waste so much time on that. I did two weeks lowcarb (keto) so far in February but I just missed rice, potatoes and the lesser consequence of an occasional "cheat" too much so now I eat carbs again. The important part however is I still counts my calories and I except to keep dropping fat.

My advice is to keep tracking your calories through whatever storm you go through and you will steadily drop weight. Experiment however you like with the amount of calories and the makeup of them, but just keep tracking the cals and try to keep them below your maintenance. I don't know what exercise is possible at your current state, but just generally moving around makes a big difference. Walking around the house, doing dishes by hand etc.