Low Carb Diet Tips

tigersword

I eat very low carb. And I LOVE it!! I can say it isn't for everyone, though. And yes, if you come off a low-carb diet you WILL gain back weight, but for me I really enjoy the foods I eat and I don't see it as a diet because I never feel limited in what I can eat. I still allow myself cheat days on the weekend where I can "carb load", so I still get to eat all the foods I like!

Adding my 2 cents...
Cent 1, reading this thread made my head hurt.
Cent 2, adding some more science to the discussion. I'll try and keep it brief.

Food = Fuel. (duh!)

Food is made up of 3 macronutrients: Carbs, Fat, and Protein. Each of these macronutrients your body processes differently and are used as fuel.

This is a very dumbed down explanation of what happens when you eat low-carb:
When a person eats very low carbs for an extended period of time, their body switches its fuel source from glycogen stores to ketone-bodies. Ketone Bodies (or KBs for short) are what results when your body runs out of glycogen stores and starts metabolizing fat. These KBs become the main source of fuel, replacing glucose. Essentially your body is using its own fat stores as fuel. Your body has entered what is called the state of Ketosis. When a person eats carbs while in a state of ketosis, their insulin spikes and carries the glucose back into the blood, repleneshing the glycogen stores and "kicking" you out of ketosis. Once the body is kicked out of ketosis it can then take 24-60 hours (depending on how many carbs eaten, and the activity level of the person) to use up the glycogen stores and return to ketosis.

Fun Fact: Ketogenic diets (low carb-mid protein-high fat) were originally used to treat people with severe epilepsy, as the brain can efficiently use ketone-bodies for fuel.

I must say that I really love eating a ketogenic diet and I don't see myself going back to a carb-loaded way of life for a long time.

Resources!
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1494-reddit-keto
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZfJejOM8fJsX1iCilmnpp1qmT_KncJwWCR4-EsaEHc/edit?pli=1
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/keto.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq

Ketosis is a survival mechanism that the body uses to stay alive. The human body burns fat for energy every second of every day, regardless of whether you are in ketosis or not. In fact, the body burns fat much more efficiently and effectively when carbs are available, as the faster burning carbs allow for the slower burning fat to keep up with demand. Without carbs, the body tends to break down protein into glucose instead. So, either way, you're still burning both glucose and fat, it's just a matter of whether the glucose comes from the carbs or protein you eat. Personally, I'd rather the protein I eat be used as protein, so I eat carbs.

Belinda658

I call my under 120g low

dangerxbadger

No. Just no. Stop it. You are giving validity to the masses on here who claim low carbers don't know anything about proper nutrition.

if they saw my low carb diary I do believe I eat better then most non-carbers.. My diet is full of veggies nuts, good protein. They think low carbs means we eat bacon and cheese all day. NOT!

RIGHT?! I eat at LEAST 5 servings of veggies every. single. day. and also I eat fruit! WHO KNEW.

dangerxbadger

I eat very low carb. And I LOVE it!! I can say it isn't for everyone, though. And yes, if you come off a low-carb diet you WILL gain back weight, but for me I really enjoy the foods I eat and I don't see it as a diet because I never feel limited in what I can eat. I still allow myself cheat days on the weekend where I can "carb load", so I still get to eat all the foods I like!

Adding my 2 cents...
Cent 1, reading this thread made my head hurt.
Cent 2, adding some more science to the discussion. I'll try and keep it brief.

Food = Fuel. (duh!)

Food is made up of 3 macronutrients: Carbs, Fat, and Protein. Each of these macronutrients your body processes differently and are used as fuel.

This is a very dumbed down explanation of what happens when you eat low-carb:
When a person eats very low carbs for an extended period of time, their body switches its fuel source from glycogen stores to ketone-bodies. Ketone Bodies (or KBs for short) are what results when your body runs out of glycogen stores and starts metabolizing fat. These KBs become the main source of fuel, replacing glucose. Essentially your body is using its own fat stores as fuel. Your body has entered what is called the state of Ketosis. When a person eats carbs while in a state of ketosis, their insulin spikes and carries the glucose back into the blood, repleneshing the glycogen stores and "kicking" you out of ketosis. Once the body is kicked out of ketosis it can then take 24-60 hours (depending on how many carbs eaten, and the activity level of the person) to use up the glycogen stores and return to ketosis.

Fun Fact: Ketogenic diets (low carb-mid protein-high fat) were originally used to treat people with severe epilepsy, as the brain can efficiently use ketone-bodies for fuel.

I must say that I really love eating a ketogenic diet and I don't see myself going back to a carb-loaded way of life for a long time.

Resources!
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1494-reddit-keto
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZfJejOM8fJsX1iCilmnpp1qmT_KncJwWCR4-EsaEHc/edit?pli=1
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/keto.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq

Marry me?

redwngs13

I eat very low carb. And I LOVE it!! I can say it isn't for everyone, though. And yes, if you come off a low-carb diet you WILL gain back weight, but for me I really enjoy the foods I eat and I don't see it as a diet because I never feel limited in what I can eat. I still allow myself cheat days on the weekend where I can "carb load", so I still get to eat all the foods I like!

Adding my 2 cents...
Cent 1, reading this thread made my head hurt.
Cent 2, adding some more science to the discussion. I'll try and keep it brief.

Food = Fuel. (duh!)

Food is made up of 3 macronutrients: Carbs, Fat, and Protein. Each of these macronutrients your body processes differently and are used as fuel.

This is a very dumbed down explanation of what happens when you eat low-carb:
When a person eats very low carbs for an extended period of time, their body switches its fuel source from glycogen stores to ketone-bodies. Ketone Bodies (or KBs for short) are what results when your body runs out of glycogen stores and starts metabolizing fat. These KBs become the main source of fuel, replacing glucose. Essentially your body is using its own fat stores as fuel. Your body has entered what is called the state of Ketosis. When a person eats carbs while in a state of ketosis, their insulin spikes and carries the glucose back into the blood, repleneshing the glycogen stores and "kicking" you out of ketosis. Once the body is kicked out of ketosis it can then take 24-60 hours (depending on how many carbs eaten, and the activity level of the person) to use up the glycogen stores and return to ketosis.

Fun Fact: Ketogenic diets (low carb-mid protein-high fat) were originally used to treat people with severe epilepsy, as the brain can efficiently use ketone-bodies for fuel.

I must say that I really love eating a ketogenic diet and I don't see myself going back to a carb-loaded way of life for a long time.

Resources!
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1494-reddit-keto
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZfJejOM8fJsX1iCilmnpp1qmT_KncJwWCR4-EsaEHc/edit?pli=1
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/keto.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq

Ketosis is a survival mechanism that the body uses to stay alive. The human body burns fat for energy every second of every day, regardless of whether you are in ketosis or not. In fact, the body burns fat much more efficiently and effectively when carbs are available, as the faster burning carbs allow for the slower burning fat to keep up with demand. Without carbs, the body tends to break down protein into glucose instead. So, either way, you're still burning both glucose and fat, it's just a matter of whether the glucose comes from the carbs or protein you eat. Personally, I'd rather the protein I eat be used as protein, so I eat carbs.

The way you describe ketosis makes it seem like a bad thing. Yes, your body will enter a state of ketosis in survival situations (like starvation), but if you eat enough calories from fat and protein you don't have anything to worry about. I haven't heard about what you said about how the "body burns fat much more efficiently and effectively when carbs are available, as the faster burning carbs allow for the slower burning fat to keep up with demand.". I'm not disputing that that is untrue, I just haven't come across anything like that in any of the research I've done when I started looking into a ketogenic diet.

Personally speaking, I really love how my body feels when i'm in ketosis. I'm rarely hungry, as fat seems to keep me satiated for longer than carbs did, and I'm able to eat a good amount of food and still lose weight (check my diary if you're interested). I also feel like I have an endless supply of energy because there's always fat available for fuel. I never (or very rarely anymore) get tired during the day or risk dozing off at my desk at work like I used to (especially during that post-lunch period!). This is all how I feel personally and might not be the same for everyone else. But I never miss an opportunity to share my love of low-carb with others.

tigersword

Fat is a very ineficient, very slow fuel source. It takes the body a (relatively) long time to burn fat for energy. That's why glycogen stores are necessary, they provide the quick energy necessary for intense movements (lifting weights, jerking the steering wheel to avoid an accident, etc.) Fat burning becomes a much more efficient process when it can be burned in a one to one ratio with glucose.

And no, ketosis isn't bad at all. It's a perfectly normal state that the body enters into and out of on a regular basis. Forcing it to stay in ketosis is a survival technique, as the body isn't really intended to stay in that mode for extended periods of time.

Kyrithys

I followed a healthy low carb diet when I dieted for my wedding last year and lost a lot of weight as well as feeling better than I ever had. I have no idea if it's because I ended up eating less items containing gluten (I recently discovered I have a gluten intolerance) but my psoriasis had almost cleared up and my skin looked better than it had in a long time.

On the other hand though my diet wasn't exactly the same as the one posted by OP.
I tended to aim for between 50-70g carbs a day and had a day off per week where I could do things like have a massive bowl of chopped fresh fruit for lunch or a nice muffin with a coffee so I didn't feel too restricted and felt like I'd had a nice treat.

I found that I could safely eat lots of berry fruits throughout such as raspberries, gojis and blackberries etc as well as blueberries and still keep carbs down although eating the occasional banana when I was really craving something sweet didn't do me any harm. A teaspoon of honey was also a great way to stop that craving. Grapefruit, satsumas etc were also not too bad and eating plenty of nuts, seeds and green veg helped to provide plenty of fibre and vitamins.

I also occasionally had a couple of ryvita, continued to drink as much coffee as I've always done (I just reduced my daily milk allowance) and ate the occasional fried thing (shallow, not deep fried), I just used olive oil instead of other fats.

I've been gradually switching back onto this diet over the last week. I had a large lapse since my wedding (due to some bad events since the wedding including a family death I just comfort ate all the weight back on in pizza, chocolate and crisps ) but I am determined to get it back off and this seems to be what works for me.

I'm not saying this would work for everyone though. I agree with what someone else said earlier - different people cope better with different diets, it's about finding and sticking with what works and is comfortable for you.

ms_sparky

I've nothing again low carb if it works for people. That list looked ridiculous though.

I know I will never be a low carb diet person!

I said that too...before I was diagnosed with diabetes. Fruits mean something very different for me now, as they can spike my blood sugar. Whole grain and pastas...no longer an option. Trust me when I say, I looked at the "low carb" thing like you did at one time. I had friends who did the Atkins diet and I thought they were nuts! I still do to the extent that I don't believe in a "no carb" diet. Now that I see how carbs can literally kill me, I have a different perspective.

So, in order to keep my toes on my feet, and my feet on my body, I take the low carb thing more seriously.

timeformetofly

I've nothing again low carb if it works for people. That list looked ridiculous though.

I know I will never be a low carb diet person!

I said that too...before I was diagnosed with diabetes. Fruits mean something very different for me now, as they can spike my blood sugar. Whole grain and pastas...no longer an option. Trust me when I say, I looked at the "low carb" thing like you did at one time. I had friends who did the Atkins diet and I thought they were nuts! I still do to the extent that I don't believe in a "no carb" diet. Now that I see how carbs can literally kill me, I have a different perspective.

So, in order to keep my toes on my feet, and my feet on my body, I take the low carb thing more seriously.

Thank you this is exactly what I was trying to say earlier sugar and carbs and what it does to the body! Hang in there it is reversible and I know people that have even gotten off all their meds..

highervibes

I've experimented with Weight Watchers Online (which is a nothing off limits plan) and a low carb diet. on WW I was always hungry and obsessing over cravings. The fact is, junk carbs cause cravings. Cravings that eventually, will win over your "weak will" *sarcasm* The low carb diet makes me feel satisfied because of the higher fat content, and the missing carbs allow my body to burn its fat stores for fuel by entering ketosis as a PP so wonderfully explained.

That is a bad list of LC diet "tips" but the same way some people fill their calories with crap like 100 calorie packs of oreos, cheetos, baked chips or whatever, there are an equal amount of people filling their carb allotment with crap as well. Stick with ACTUAL food, pastured meat and eggs, mostly veggies and a little bit of fruit and nuts and you will do just fine.

You can have a bowl of corn flakes with no added sugar, or you can have a bowl of sugar with no added cornflakes. Biologically comparable to your body.

timeformetofly

I've experimented with Weight Watchers Online (which is a nothing off limits plan) and a low carb diet. on WW I was always hungry and obsessing over cravings. The fact is, junk carbs cause cravings. Cravings that eventually, will win over your "weak will" *sarcasm* The low carb diet makes me feel satisfied because of the higher fat content, and the missing carbs allow my body to burn its fat stores for fuel by entering ketosis as a PP so wonderfully explained.

That is a bad list of LC diet "tips" but the same way some people fill their calories with crap like 100 calorie packs of oreos, cheetos, baked chips or whatever, there are an equal amount of people filling their carb allotment with crap as well. Stick with ACTUAL food, pastured meat and eggs, mostly veggies and a little bit of fruit and nuts and you will do just fine.

You can have a bowl of corn flakes with no added sugar, or you can have a bowl of sugar with no added cornflakes. Biologically comparable to your body.

I find it hard to eat healthy with WW because they allow you all those veggie chips and I end of eating them for my points instead of good choices. on LC I eat more veggies, nuts, good protein, that keeps me full and satisfied. Just like you are saying.

hobsoloff

Nice post. Once again, I wish these forums had "like" buttons!

M

timeformetofly

yes, you will lose weight going low carb but you will eventually gain it all back once you actually eat a slice of bread

Umm, no. I see all the time in low carb thread people discounting it because they did it and gained the weight back or knew someone who did it and gained the weight back. Find me any diet that doesn't have that statistic since the stats say a majority of all people who lose weight gain it back within a year.

You gain weight back...not because you ate a slice of bread, but because you ate more calories than your body needed.

I lost weight back in the day doing low carb (60-80 carbs/day). When I got to goal...I maintained for 4+ years...and yes, had carbs again. I didn't gain all the weight back. I only gained some back (25 lbs of the 80+ lbs lost) when I stopped using my maintenance tools and ate more calories than my body needed...and stopped exercising. That doesn't mean low carb doesn't work. That means I was no longer using my maintenance skills..which if followed, do work.

Having said that. As a low carber...I would not eat most of the things on the OPer's list. I think it's a list of a bunch of really salty, overly processed, crappy food.

I eat Bead on my LC diet, it's all about choice I eat bread that has only 4 Net carbs. Just like any diet you give up things you like to loose, and if you do not have control over it you will gain weight back. I lost 25 pounds over a year ago, Never gained any of it back and now I'm taking it one notch lower and already have lost 15 more. another 5 and I will be at my goal weight. I like how I feel on LC.. that is one reason I did not gain any back in the past year. works for me. And I agree the list is not a good one.. I eat way healthier than that list.