The all falmous low carb diets- thoughts?

hipsgalore

So, my total for carbs according to MFP goals is 165 g.
Should I feel guilty about this? Is this too much carbs? are carbs bad for me?
I only worry because Atkins and other similar diets, do not like carbs and restrict to 19 g or something crazy like that, but I know they work.
I am a carb worry-holic now, and would like to know, is 165 g carb per day too much?
BTW: just in case you're wondering, I am NOT on Atkins or any other diet, I'm just paying atttention to my calories and eating sensibly, but was wondering about carb count.

miqisha

Hello

I dont think thats high...MFP has mine at 238....I dont go over it .....however carbs are good....there are good carbs and bad carbs

Try and stick to whole grain carbs....brown rice, whole grain bread etc

The Atkins diets work, when you are on it...however people usually put the weight on when they stop...so dont use that as your comparison

This is a lifestyle change....so stick to eating habits you can live with

Goodluck

stylistchik

you need some carbs. remember this is not a 'diet' it is a lifestyle change. could you really eat 19g carbs everyday for life? no. could you eat 165g carbs everyday for life? probably. In a 2,000 calorie diet 300g carbs is recommended so you're way below that. You should be fine as long as they're healthy whole grains, veggies and fruit carbs not white sugary carbs.

albanin

165g carbs isn't bad especially if you eat lots of fruits and veggies because those contain carbs. I'm on a gluten free diet, and I always eat all of my carbs in all different forms! Good luck!

July24Lioness

Hello

I dont think thats high...MFP has mine at 238....I dont go over it .....however carbs are good....there are good carbs and bad carbs

Try and stick to whole grain carbs....brown rice, whole grain bread etc

The Atkins diets work, when you are on it...however people usually put the weight on when they stop...so dont use that as your comparison

This is a lifestyle change....so stick to eating habits you can live with

Goodluck

Umm, Atkins or any of the other low carb plans are also lifestyle changes. They are not meant to go off.

July24Lioness

you need some carbs. remember this is not a 'diet' it is a lifestyle change. could you really eat 19g carbs everyday for life? no. could you eat 165g carbs everyday for life? probably. In a 2,000 calorie diet 300g carbs is recommended so you're way below that. You should be fine as long as they're healthy whole grains, veggies and fruit carbs not white sugary carbs.

Please do research before speaking..............

19 grams of carbs on Atkins is only for 2 weeks. You start adding in carbs after the 2 week induction phase..............

Atkins Nutritional Approach is also a lifestyle change and you incorporate all the stuff back into your eating.

July24Lioness

I believe personally that 165 grams of carbs per day is way too many, but that is based on research I have done through my own reading. Here is the chart I adhere to..............

wjassell

I recently started cutting my carbs to to 100g per day I am a 225 lb male. It has been working well for me so far I was on a 40/40/20 diet last time I did P90X and only lost 6 lbs the entire program, I have lost 9 in the first 30 days this time. You should try different things to figure out what works for you. The level of fat I am supposed to eat is staggering to me after switching from a low fat diet. I just try to stick to animal fats and Nuts for my fat intake.

hipsgalore

I will aim for between 50 and 100 g of carbs per day. That way, maybe I will be okay.
Thanks for the info.

July24Lioness

I recently started cutting my carbs to to 100g per day I am a 225 lb male. It has been working well for me so far I was on a 40/40/20 diet last time I did P90X and only lost 6 lbs the entire program, I have lost 9 in the first 30 days this time. You should try different things to figure out what works for you. The level of fat I am supposed to eat is staggering to me after switching from a low fat diet. I just try to stick to animal fats and Nuts for my fat intake.

That is the same way I eat.

Animal fats are yummy and so are nuts.

Lparault

I have been taking a college course on nutrition. It is a biology course and really goes in depth into the way your body processes food chemically and what have you. Taking this course has scared the bejabbers out of me, especially regarding low-carb diets. Glucose is the basis of every chemical, cellular and metabolic activity in which the body partakes. When we get too little carbs, the body has to resort to breaking down proteins (mainly muscle tissue) to create a glucose alternative. Contrary to what Atkins says, when the body starts throwing ketones it is from protein breakdown, not fat burning.

Healthy carbs are whole grains, fruits, brown rice, and vegetables; unhealthy carbs are processed sugar, white potatoes, refined white flour. I do believe that too many carbs can increase your tendency to gain weight, but too few can be quite harmful as well.

If you want to cut back on your carb grams eliminate the unhealthy carbs and see what happens. If you aren't satisfied, then gradually reduce a few more grams until you feel better.

LuckyLeprechaun

I have been taking a college course on nutrition. It is a biology course and really goes in depth into the way your body processes food chemically and what have you. Taking this course has scared the bejabbers out of me, especially regarding low-carb diets. Glucose is the basis of every chemical, cellular and metabolic activity in which the body partakes. When we get too little carbs, the body has to resort to breaking down proteins (mainly muscle tissue) to create a glucose alternative. Contrary to what Atkins says, when the body starts throwing ketones it is from protein breakdown, not fat burning.

Healthy carbs are whole grains, fruits, brown rice, and vegetables; unhealthy carbs are processed sugar, white potatoes, refined white flour. I do believe that too many carbs can increase your tendency to gain weight, but too few can be quite harmful as well.

If you want to cut back on your carb grams eliminate the unhealthy carbs and see what happens. If you aren't satisfied, then gradually reduce a few more grams until you feel better.

this is much more sensible than the drastic all or nothing approaches out there-



and didn't cavemen die at the ripe old age of about 30? if they were lucky?

ScarletTarah

I don't think the 169 is all that high that is what I am at as well and i like falling under and I rarely go over, but I can't stand the idea of denying myself a banana because it will send me over my carbs I think as long as you eat sensibly it all works out.

weaklink109

I don't think the 169 is all that high that is what I am at as well and i like falling under and I rarely go over, but I can't stand the idea of denying myself a banana because it will send me over my carbs I think as long as you eat sensibly it all works out.

You hit the nail on the head. I have lost pounds on Atkins, but because I do like some carbs and was not willing to follow it "for life" they all returned and brought a few of their friends. I do limit my carbs, but I LIKE bread, and sometimes pasta (both whole grain) and a little brown rice, and I know I can't follow a program that doesn't allow me to incorporate them into it. And, I also like bananas.

For those willing to adopt the low carb lifestyle by choice, or for health reasons ie- diabetes or other conditions, I wish them well. "lioness" is a good source of info on this lifestyle and I know it has helped her with many issues, and she is willing to stick to it for the long haul, so it works for her.

I know myself well enough to know that my brain equates "low carb" with "deprivation" and the reason I have done so well in the last year is that I am making permanent changes in eating habits that I can sustain for the rest of my life.

Good luck to all, regardless of whether they are low carb or not.:flowerforyou:

July24Lioness

I don't think the 169 is all that high that is what I am at as well and i like falling under and I rarely go over, but I can't stand the idea of denying myself a banana because it will send me over my carbs I think as long as you eat sensibly it all works out.

You hit the nail on the head. I have lost pounds on Atkins, but because I do like some carbs and was not willing to follow it "for life" they all returned and brought a few of their friends. I do limit my carbs, but I LIKE bread, and sometimes pasta (both whole grain) and a little brown rice, and I know I can't follow a program that doesn't allow me to incorporate them into it. And, I also like bananas.

For those willing to adopt the low carb lifestyle by choice, or for health reasons ie- diabetes or other conditions, I wish them well. "lioness" is a good source of info on this lifestyle and I know it has helped her with many issues, and she is willing to stick to it for the long haul, so it works for her.

I know myself well enough to know that my brain equates "low carb" with "deprivation" and the reason I have done so well in the last year is that I am making permanent changes in eating habits that I can sustain for the rest of my life.

Good luck to all, regardless of whether they are low carb or not.:flowerforyou:

You weren't doing Atkins if you were doing a plan that didn't allow you to incorporate bread or whole grain pasta.....as it is introduced back into the plan on Phase 2, going up the card ladder.

Thanks for the compliment.........

July24Lioness

I have been taking a college course on nutrition. It is a biology course and really goes in depth into the way your body processes food chemically and what have you. Taking this course has scared the bejabbers out of me, especially regarding low-carb diets. Glucose is the basis of every chemical, cellular and metabolic activity in which the body partakes. When we get too little carbs, the body has to resort to breaking down proteins (mainly muscle tissue) to create a glucose alternative. Contrary to what Atkins says, when the body starts throwing ketones it is from protein breakdown, not fat burning.

Healthy carbs are whole grains, fruits, brown rice, and vegetables; unhealthy carbs are processed sugar, white potatoes, refined white flour. I do believe that too many carbs can increase your tendency to gain weight, but too few can be quite harmful as well.

If you want to cut back on your carb grams eliminate the unhealthy carbs and see what happens. If you aren't satisfied, then gradually reduce a few more grams until you feel better.

That is incorrect. Ketones break down fat, not protein.

unknownndoll

i have read MANY MANY MANY times that AT FIRST you will loose more weight on a high protein carb restricted diet due to WATER WEIGHT LOSS but that in the long run it is no more successful than anything else out there. ( i believe its on web md and Mayo clinics website also... if you google it there are many articles on it, they recommend regular sensible dieting, and calories in calories out). On the actual atkins forums i read some people not losing weight even in the induction phase (less than 20 carbs per day). Just my thoughts on my research. Plus Atkins has become slightly more complicated, having to count net carbs and making sure that 12-15 carbs are from certain veggies etc. You can not have fruits or nuts in induction, you can only in phase 3 add them back in, and only certain ones.

July24Lioness

i have read MANY MANY MANY times that AT FIRST you will loose more weight on a high protein carb restricted diet due to WATER WEIGHT LOSS but that in the long run it is no more successful than anything else out there. ( i believe its on web md and Mayo clinics website also... if you google it there are many articles on it, they recommend regular sensible dieting, and calories in calories out). On the actual atkins forums i read some people not losing weight even in the induction phase (less than 20 carbs per day). Just my thoughts on my research. Plus Atkins has become slightly more complicated, having to count net carbs and making sure that 12-15 carbs are from certain veggies etc. You can not have fruits or nuts in induction, you can only in phase 3 add them back in, and only certain ones.

I did the Atkins plan with the 2002 book and did not lose water weight, unless I had 98 pounds of water weight to lose. I don't believe web md nor the mayo clinic because they have big pharma agendas.

I can point out a LOT of people that are on Atkins or any other low carb plan, have lost the weight and kept it off. I even know marathon runners that are on Atkins.

artschoolgirl

I think you should do everything in moderation & decide what would work for you. I know for me, I could never go on a carb restricted diet because I enjoy my my whole grains & lots of fruits and it's just not something I could stick with 100%. I think you need to make a personal decision to decide if you can cut back that much on carbs or if you are better off following set guidelines & working it off at the gym. Personally, for my workouts I need a good carb boost beforehand. Best of luck!

HealthyChanges2010

i have read MANY MANY MANY times that AT FIRST you will loose more weight on a high protein carb restricted diet due to WATER WEIGHT LOSS but that in the long run it is no more successful than anything else out there. ( i believe its on web md and Mayo clinics website also... if you google it there are many articles on it, they recommend regular sensible dieting, and calories in calories out). On the actual atkins forums i read some people not losing weight even in the induction phase (less than 20 carbs per day). Just my thoughts on my research. Plus Atkins has become slightly more complicated, having to count net carbs and making sure that 12-15 carbs are from certain veggies etc. You can not have fruits or nuts in induction, you can only in phase 3 add them back in, and only certain ones.

I did the Atkins plan with the 2002 book and did not lose water weight, unless I had 98 pounds of water weight to lose. I don't believe web md nor the mayo clinic because they have big pharma agendas.

I can point out a LOT of people that are on Atkins or any other low carb plan, have lost the weight and kept it off. I even know marathon runners that are on Atkins.

Were you able to keep that 98 lbs off since 2002?

sandara

I went to a dietician for diabetes education and they recommended (for me) 140 to 160 grams of carbs a day. And that is considered low enough to control my diabetes but still healthy according to my dietician. But that was based on my body size, etc.

jurgitafit

In my opinion, each person needs to find his/her own balance. So, there is no rule that applies to all the people. I learned it the hard way since I always tried following some low-carb diets and realized each time I feel terrible. I felt weak with very low carb diets, but at the same time, if I didn't watch my carb intake, I could get too addicted to carbs and eat them non-stop. This is no good.

So, I have finally discovered my own techniques. I started feeling my own body instead of following some written rules about what carbs and how many carbs I should eat. I feel great if I get carbs from veggies and fruits (especially fresh), and do not feel good when I get too many of them from added sugars, breads, etc. What a relief to discover this! :happy: :happy:

So if you feel fine at 165grams, and you're getting those carbs from healthy sources, I see nothing wrong here. If it's not broken, why fix it, right? Just be happy!

Find what works for you. This article was a great eye-opener to me:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/carblevel.htm

SkinnyOJ2010

On a course i went on recently, they said your diet should be made up of 55-60% carbs ... hmmm i'm not really too sure about this statistic. The traditional method is one quarter of plate carbs, one quarter protein and half veg ...

AnnieeR

I completely agree that you need to listen to your body and work out whatever is best for you because absolutely no one plan fits everyone. I cut out white/startchy/sugary carbs but still eat brown rice, millet, quinoa, bulghar, etc. and occaisionally rye or whole wheat bread - I find that I don't get energy crashes or hunger spikes that way. I was eating a lot more whole wheat bread but realised it was making me feel really uncomfortably bloated so I switched to salads with lean protein rather than sandwiches for lunch and I feel much better. But honestly everyone is different - experiment with different proportions and go with whatever makes you feel best!

Barneystinson

I have been taking a college course on nutrition. It is a biology course and really goes in depth into the way your body processes food chemically and what have you. Taking this course has scared the bejabbers out of me, especially regarding low-carb diets. Glucose is the basis of every chemical, cellular and metabolic activity in which the body partakes. When we get too little carbs, the body has to resort to breaking down proteins (mainly muscle tissue) to create a glucose alternative. Contrary to what Atkins says, when the body starts throwing ketones it is from protein breakdown, not fat burning.

Healthy carbs are whole grains, fruits, brown rice, and vegetables; unhealthy carbs are processed sugar, white potatoes, refined white flour. I do believe that too many carbs can increase your tendency to gain weight, but too few can be quite harmful as well.

If you want to cut back on your carb grams eliminate the unhealthy carbs and see what happens. If you aren't satisfied, then gradually reduce a few more grams until you feel better.

this is much more sensible than the drastic all or nothing approaches out there-



and didn't cavemen die at the ripe old age of about 30? if they were lucky?

Well, also consider in ancient times the highest rates of disease weren't from the popular neolithic death agents of diabetes, heart disease, and elevated cancer rates. That didn't really come into play until the rise of modern agriculture and affluence in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. We're just now finding the ancient Egyptians (of affluence, anyway) suffered from quite a malady of diseases, maybe tied to their indulgent diets: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/851/eg11.htm.

You'd be much more likely to die at a young age of the following in ancient times (before the rise of modern agriculture and modern society as we know it): being mauled to a bloody pulp by a predator, hypothermia, famine, eating something poisonous, tribal war, getting clubbed in the head, or injury (which, without care was most likely fatal in those days). John Locke's Social Contract didn't fully exist in those days, so if you wanted to nail your brother's wife, he was basically entitled to beat your head with a rock and kill you. Sure, there were nomadic societies, but there was not a lot of protection from the elements, an angry opposing tribe, or predators.

So, what's my point here? Modern medicine is a beautiful thing and I don't think we can contribute a caveman's death solely to his propensity to dine on bone marrow and raw, freshly killed meat. The death rate in the middle ages was even higher thanks to lack of sanitation and widespread disease. Grok the caveman probably had a higher quality of life than someone living in modern Europe during the time of the Black Plague.

And...I'm not saying grains are to blame here, no. But, overindulgence of anything - especially foods of empty nutrition, the ever-increasing amount of "sweetness" in our food supply, lack of movement...those are some pretty negative things that have accompanied the growth of modern society. And if we look at the basis of more traditional societies - modern day tribes in Brazil - we don't see them dropping dead at age 30. They may have a higher propensity to be killed by a predator like an anaconda, but their diet is in a more natural state than the remainder of the modern world, and no doubt they're not plagued by so many of our modern-day "lifestyle" maladies. And other societies of long lifespan DO eat grains (think Okinawa, Japan which has a concentration of centurians) or Mediterraneans, or the French. BUT, they also don't shun dietary fat, meat, and/or fish. They simply eat in moderation, have less stress, and move much more (even at an older age) than the majority of Americans.

Barneystinson

Sorry about the thread derail guys...carry on!

dragonfly__

Carbs are out bodies main source for energy, they also support kidney function. You need them they are not "bad" for you. The problem is the source, you want fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Carbs should not be refined flours and sugars. Like others have said, you will have to find your balance as to what works best for you. As far as the "low carb" diets go, DH and I both did the South Beach diet several years ago and were very successful. However we gained it all back and for him he gained back even more. I now just watch what I eat and do my best to keep it balanced and don't really count anything but calories.

rogers8702

as other posters have said it depends on the person. i have cut my carbs down to 50-100 and i feel great. i have IBS and i have realizzed the whole rains reaked havoc on my digestive system. bloating and feeling yucky. and at 50-100 if i still wanted a bowl of oatmeal or pasta i could have it.

again it depends on what your body needs. i agree with the lower carbs. i did a 20 or less years ago and was succesful but as soon as i went back to eating junk again, i gained it back.

"you are, what you eat"

July24Lioness

I have been taking a college course on nutrition. It is a biology course and really goes in depth into the way your body processes food chemically and what have you. Taking this course has scared the bejabbers out of me, especially regarding low-carb diets. Glucose is the basis of every chemical, cellular and metabolic activity in which the body partakes. When we get too little carbs, the body has to resort to breaking down proteins (mainly muscle tissue) to create a glucose alternative. Contrary to what Atkins says, when the body starts throwing ketones it is from protein breakdown, not fat burning.

Healthy carbs are whole grains, fruits, brown rice, and vegetables; unhealthy carbs are processed sugar, white potatoes, refined white flour. I do believe that too many carbs can increase your tendency to gain weight, but too few can be quite harmful as well.

If you want to cut back on your carb grams eliminate the unhealthy carbs and see what happens. If you aren't satisfied, then gradually reduce a few more grams until you feel better.

this is much more sensible than the drastic all or nothing approaches out there-



and didn't cavemen die at the ripe old age of about 30? if they were lucky?

Cave men didn't die due to illness and such. They died at young ages due to falling victim to bigger animals. There is much research that their bones were stronger and no signs of illness.

We haven't evolved that much for our bodies to handle grains. Grains are nothing but irritants to the human body.

July24Lioness

i have read MANY MANY MANY times that AT FIRST you will loose more weight on a high protein carb restricted diet due to WATER WEIGHT LOSS but that in the long run it is no more successful than anything else out there. ( i believe its on web md and Mayo clinics website also... if you google it there are many articles on it, they recommend regular sensible dieting, and calories in calories out). On the actual atkins forums i read some people not losing weight even in the induction phase (less than 20 carbs per day). Just my thoughts on my research. Plus Atkins has become slightly more complicated, having to count net carbs and making sure that 12-15 carbs are from certain veggies etc. You can not have fruits or nuts in induction, you can only in phase 3 add them back in, and only certain ones.

I did the Atkins plan with the 2002 book and did not lose water weight, unless I had 98 pounds of water weight to lose. I don't believe web md nor the mayo clinic because they have big pharma agendas.

I can point out a LOT of people that are on Atkins or any other low carb plan, have lost the weight and kept it off. I even know marathon runners that are on Atkins.

Were you able to keep that 98 lbs off since 2002?

I have kept off about 50 pounds of the 98 I lost. I started doing a low carb lifestyle (Atkins) in 2003 when I found out I had PCOS, diabetes, and bipolar disorder.

I gained a lot of weight back due to going through a lot of stressful things in my life............marital problems, layoffs, relocating from Virginia back to Illinois, near fatal car accident.

I wouldn't have gained it back if I didn't go through life changes......but I handled my stress by turning to food, which is not good for someone who is diabetic.

Last fall I switched from Atkins to Primal Blue Print because I found when I get to the point in Atkins (Phase 2, On going weight loss) that when I reach the carb ladder to start adding in grains, beans and legumes I stalled out my weight loss or gained a couple of pounds.

But it is not hard to keep the weight off doing a low carb lifestyle. You just have to want to eat natural and oragnic (if you can afford it) and it takes a lifestyle change to do it.

That is not to say I will never have cake again, it just will not be often. It will be only 1 or 2 times a year, when I choose to have it.

JimROCDS

I'm a long time low-carber, and have done Atkins successfully.

The thing is, there are only about 30% of the population, who can eat just about anything they want, and not gain weight.

The other 70% have to watched what they eat and for most, its too many carbs.

Carbs are necessary for a healthy lifestyle, even Dr. Atkins specifies this. However, they must be from good sources and
must not contain too much sugar.

The first phase of Atkins which is 14 days, you are limited to 20g's per day, of carbs. After that, you being to add 5 gs per week, until you stop loosing weight. This is your threshold.

For me, its 45-55 gs per day. Doesn't matter if I'm under my calorie count, if I add more than 55gs of carbs, I will begin to put back the weight.

Every person is different and they have to find their own carb threshold.

I'm on pre-maintenance level now, and I am adding breads, pasta and other favorites, but I have to remain vigil in watching not only carbs, but my calories as well.

As Lioness said, go off any diet and you'll gain back the weight you loss. Its how you became overweight in the first place.

Jim