Need to lose 50 Pounds and I am going Low-Carb

SanteMulberry

enjoy staying fat....low carb is bad news..let me know how gaining weight feels!:)

I have been eating lower carb for three years and have not gained an ounce in all that time (and have lost a lot of weight, as you can see). When I followed a strictly low-calorie format, I was constantly frustrated, hungry and exhausted. You were saying?

crimsontech

What many people don't seem to understand about going Low-Carb is that your liver stores 3-5 pounds of glycogen and water. When you go low-carb, that storage gets depleted (leading to a rapid initial weight loss) in the first few days. Once you re-introduce a "normal" amount of carbs (go off the diet), you will gain that 3-5 pounds back when the liver replenishes its glycogen storage.

When people see that rapid re-gain and don't understand what it is, they would understandably panic and that leads to either going back to low-carb for life, or thinking the diet didn't work and going back to overeating, then gain it all back.

Low Carb works great for many people, especially the insulin resistant. You just need a sensible plan to get to maintenance levels, and that's true of ANY way you decide to lose weight.

I lost about 20 pounds in 3 weeks of low carb/low calorie dieting under a doctor supervision (500-800 calories/day, it was pretty intense and hard to maintain). I continued keeping my calories around 1500-1800 after quitting the low carb aspect and I was able to keep that weight off and continue to lose after that.

I have PCOS and may or may not be insulin resistant. (My fasting blood sugar was tested at 83 a couple weeks ago but I may decide to take that one test where you drink a super-sweet drink and test your blood sugar over a specific time period to see whether I'm insulin resistant or not. Diabetes runs in my family and I'd like to avoid it for as long as possible, preferably forever.)

SanteMulberry

What many people don't seem to understand about going Low-Carb is that your liver stores 3-5 pounds of glycogen and water. When you go low-carb, that storage gets depleted (leading to a rapid initial weight loss) in the first few days. Once you re-introduce a "normal" amount of carbs (go off the diet), you will gain that 3-5 pounds back when the liver replenishes its glycogen storage.

When people see that rapid re-gain and don't understand what it is, they would understandably panic and that leads to either going back to low-carb for life, or thinking the diet didn't work and going back to overeating, then gain it all back.

Low Carb works great for many people, especially the insulin resistant. You just need a sensible plan to get to maintenance levels, and that's true of ANY way you decide to lose weight.

I lost about 20 pounds in 3 weeks of low carb/low calorie dieting under a doctor supervision (500-800 calories/day, it was pretty intense and hard to maintain). I continued keeping my calories around 1500-1800 after quitting the low carb aspect and I was able to keep that weight off and continue to lose after that.

I have PCOS and may or may not be insulin resistant. (My fasting blood sugar was tested at 83 a couple weeks ago but I may decide to take that one test where you drink a super-sweet drink and test your blood sugar over a specific time period to see whether I'm insulin resistant or not. Diabetes runs in my family and I'd like to avoid it for as long as possible, preferably forever.)

I have a lot of diabetes in my family and I felt quite certain that my younger brother contracted Type II diabetes from his excessive soda consumption (probably a gallon a day at its worst) in addition to eating cake, cookies, pie, etc.. I decided to go sugar-free to see if it would make a difference in my hypertension and blood sugar that was edging higher. My blood pressure returned to normal after about three weeks of the lower carb/ sugar-free diet (and I had been taking two medications at the maximum dose). I was confirmed in my decision to go sugar-free after reading a book called, "The Fat Switch" by Richard J. Johnson, M.D. (head of the renal division at the University of Colorado medical center). Written for the public, Dr. Johnson reports on some of the peer-reviewed research they are doing. In the research, fructose is examined as the "fat switch" that he and his colleagues feel that it is. He believes that excessive sugar consumption (sugar, i.e. sucrose is 50% fructose) and especially high fructose corn syrup (the sweetener in soda) is behind the epidemic of obesity, hypertension, fatty liver and Type II diabetes. He cites the role that fructose plays in the animal world when an animal is storing fat for periods when food will be scarce (ex. black bears gorging on massive quantities of wild blueberries rapidly adding fat for the winter hibernation, even fish eating the fruit that drops into the water in certain locales, in preparation for the dry season). Dr. Johnson believes that fatty liver, and Type II Diabetes are the "normal" state of an animal preparing for food scarcity. The problem that we humans have is that, if you are always "preparing" and the food scarcity never comes, you are looking at the accumulation of a lot of fat over time. He also reports on the problem of fructose metabolism causing the elevation of uric acid and its connection to hypertension and renal disease.

Not only have I lost 56 (out of a possible 80 or so pounds that I would like to lose) but my blood pressure is normal without medication and my blood sugar is typically on the lowish side. My triglycerides are low and my cholesterol looks great in spite of eating eggs nearly every day.

SanteMulberry

I'm cutting with 495 carbs a day. You jelly?

You're 30, you're male and you obviously have a lot of muscle (and work out a lot). How does that compare to the 40-something female who is much smaller of build, and who has a stress-filled life keeping all the plates spinning. She often grabs food on the way to chauffeuring, shopping, and working at her sedentary job. She will just as often skip taking care of herself in favor of taking care of her family--out of necessity, not because she wants to. We all have different bodies and different circumstances. What works for one will not necessarily work for another Even if I worked out a couple of hours a day, which is not feasible for me anyway, I can guarantee that I would put on body fat at 495 grams of carb a day.

tmauck4472

good luck but that has never worked for me...mainly because if u dont do low carb basically forever you will gain back the weight FAST...

That is not true... That is nothing to do with low carb... That is the same reason why every diet fails... People lose commitment and focus and fall back into bad habits and that's why they put on weight. Low carb is a very effective way to lose fat and there is no reason why it can't be sustainable in the long run providing you remain committed, which is what is required for any healthy diet and lifestyle.

For the WIN

tmauck4472

I'm low carb to but to be honest I eat fruit and veggies just not pasta's and breads.

noexcuses84

That is not true... That is nothing to do with low carb... That is the same reason why every diet fails... People lose commitment and focus and fall back into bad habits and that's why they put on weight. Low carb is a very effective way to lose fat and there is no reason why it can't be sustainable in the long run providing you remain committed, which is what is required for any healthy diet and lifestyle.
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This!
I am diabetic and have just started to follow low carb so my sugars don't go through the roof. I can tell u it does get easier with each new day! and I am actually eating less because I am staying fuller for longer. My snacking in between meals has greatly reduced but my calorie intake is still sufficient for my needs.
I recommend reducing ur carbs over a week or so, I had headaches for the first couple of days, but now, nothing.
I hate the word Diet, for me it has a negative effect. You need to go into this with the goal of a complete lifestyle change.
As for it taking longer in the kitchen: I don't really find I am spending longer in there, but it depends on what ur cooking on a day to day basis.
Feel free to add me, my diary is open to anyone

missmegan831

I've lost 55 pounds on Low Carb/Keto and I find its easier to cook at home..quicker.. have some meat on the grill and a side veggie, some hard boil eggs, cream, nuts, etc.. Best wishes on your low carb journey and feel free to add me for support if you like.

jonnythan

You're 30, you're male and you obviously have a lot of muscle (and work out a lot). How does that compare to the 40-something female who is much smaller of build, and who has a stress-filled life keeping all the plates spinning. She often grabs food on the way to chauffeuring, shopping, and working at her sedentary job. She will just as often skip taking care of herself in favor of taking care of her family--out of necessity, not because she wants to. We all have different bodies and different circumstances. What works for one will not necessarily work for another Even if I worked out a couple of hours a day, which is not feasible for me anyway, I can guarantee that I would put on body fat at 495 grams of carb a day.

It's about calories, not carbs. You are absolutely 100% convinced beyond any shred of reason that carbs make older ladies fat because of their hormones or whatever, but it's absolutely 100% not true.

Keep avoiding anything sweet for the rest of your life. That's fine. But don't try to convince any of us that you will get fat if you eat some ice cream while staying within your calorie goals.

jenilla1

...if u dont do low carb basically forever you will gain back the weight FAST...

Exactly. Temporary diets generally eventually fail. Whatever you do to lose the weight needs to be something you can keep up with for the rest of your life. Low-carb would be ok IF you intend on eating that way forever. The only person I know who has lost weight AND kept it off long term using low-carb is the one guy who has stayed low-carb. All the others lost quickly and easily but then gained it all back and then some as soon as they stopped. :flowerforyou:

doublen675

I can vouch for a moderate carb diet. I've been doing Paleo for the last few months after being stuck for several months doing a typical diet but with lots of grains and such. I'm in the 80-120 carb a day range and I'm losing weight pretty quickly. I do workout 3-6 days a week though and I lift pretty heavy. That helps.

SanteMulberry

...if u dont do low carb basically forever you will gain back the weight FAST...

Exactly. Temporary diets generally eventually fail. Whatever you do to lose the weight needs to be something you can keep up with for the rest of your life. Low-carb would be ok IF you intend on eating that way forever. The only person I know who has lost weight AND kept it off long term using low-carb is the one guy who has stayed low-carb. All the others lost quickly and easily but then gained it all back and then some as soon as they stopped. :flowerforyou:

Yeah, the forces that sent them into low-carbing in the first place are likely going to return as soon as they begin eating as they did formerly. Leptin resistance does not end just because you lose a lot of weight. In terms of leptin-resistance, women are already at higher risk because they have 2 to 3 times the amount of leptin AT THE SAME LEVEL OF BODY FAT AS A MAN! Leptin resistance precedes and predicts insulin resistance and, if not taken in hand through increased exercise and a lower carbohydrate diet, will eventually result in fat gain and potential Type II diabetes, fatty liver, hypertension, etc.

SanteMulberry

I can vouch for a moderate carb diet. I've been doing Paleo for the last few months after being stuck for several months doing a typical diet but with lots of grains and such. I'm in the 80-120 carb a day range and I'm losing weight pretty quickly. I do workout 3-6 days a week though and I lift pretty heavy. That helps.

Weight lifting is very important because it increases insulin sensitivity and that is your friend in the battle to keep your blood sugar down and ward off weight gain.

LovelyLibra79

I've done low carb..but eating the "right carbs" works for me! no white stuff in my diet now! good luck on your journey!

SanteMulberry

You're 30, you're male and you obviously have a lot of muscle (and work out a lot). How does that compare to the 40-something female who is much smaller of build, and who has a stress-filled life keeping all the plates spinning. She often grabs food on the way to chauffeuring, shopping, and working at her sedentary job. She will just as often skip taking care of herself in favor of taking care of her family--out of necessity, not because she wants to. We all have different bodies and different circumstances. What works for one will not necessarily work for another Even if I worked out a couple of hours a day, which is not feasible for me anyway, I can guarantee that I would put on body fat at 495 grams of carb a day.

It's about calories, not carbs. You are absolutely 100% convinced beyond any shred of reason that carbs make older ladies fat because of their hormones or whatever, but it's absolutely 100% not true.

Keep avoiding anything sweet for the rest of your life. That's fine. But don't try to convince any of us that you will get fat if you eat some ice cream while staying within your calorie goals.

Well, first of all, I calculate that 495 grams of carbohydrate would use up WAY more than my calorie allotment (495 x 4 calories per gram = 1,980) and that wouldn't even get me any fats or protein. So my statement is entirely true.

As for the occasional ice cream, I still would have a difficult time working it in. And, in my case, because I have other medical issues, I really don't WANT the sugar. I simply cannot afford the calories for ice cream and still expect to have reasonable nutrition addressed. And many women are in the same category. I follow a "lower" carbohydrate plan (65 to 110 grams per day) as I do not feel that further restriction would be advisable for me.

SanteMulberry

"...It's about calories, not carbs. You are absolutely 100% convinced...that carbs make older ladies fat because of their hormones or whatever, but it's absolutely 100% not true..."

No, you don't quite understand. It isn't just many older women who have the problem--it is everyone who has blood sugar issues (and many many obese people have them). I am no longer obese--now I am merely overweight, but I have NO doubt at all that I would be right back where I started if I went to a "normal" level of carbohydrate consumption even if I restricted my calories. You forget that I have long restricted calories. I am on carbohydrate restriction, by necessity, for the rest of my life.

I, like many, many people must control my carbohydrates in order to control my blood sugar. One who is obese, is likely to have leptin-resistance and that sets up a metabolic cascade that can get to be like a runaway train. Restricting carbohydrates puts the brakes on.