Why Do YOU Eat Low Carb?
Replies
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Sugar is toxic.
Carbohydrate is rare in nature and our biology is designed to store it when we come across it.
Insulin (triggered by carbohydrate) suppresses important hormones like Ghrelin and Leptin, that control hunger and satiation.
Carbohydrate causes an imbalance of good and bad cholesterol and prevents the body from regulating it appropriately.
Carbohydrate causes hardening of arterial walls, causing clogged arteries that cholesterol attempts to repair. This becomes a chronic issue and is commonly blamed on cholesterol and fat.
Carbohydrate can cause insulin insensitivity leading to diabetes and other chronic issues like metabolic syndrome.
Many types of cancer are accelerated in growth by carbohydrate because cancers develop insulin receptors.
Carbohydrate effects the brain the same way many addictive drugs do.
Carbohydrate addicts suffer with withdraw symptoms when they quit cold turkey.
Also, Carbohydrate is 100% NOT NECESSARY IN THE DIET. We only need fat and protein.
So why eat it unless you have a specific purpose and a means to use that carbohydrate effectively.
Sugar is not toxic...0 -
I eat low carb most of the time because I can usually eat a larger volume of nutrient dense food for the same cals as I would be eating high carb, cal dense foods. Also, carb dense foods are usually my binge foods, I'm slowly learning to eat them in moderation and I think, for me personally, eating low carb has helped that.
With that being said, I up carbs if its the week before a race and also, the bread with my Jimmy John's #5 today was delicious.0 -
Because carbs made me unhealthy. I eat ketogenically now where I get about 65% calories from fat, 30-35% from protein and 5% or less from carbohydrates. My running endurance has gone up, running speed has gone up, I'm able to do chin ups and pull ups for the first time ever, and my cholesterol, blood pressure and everything else improved. I'm basically a carnivore, and in perfect health without fruits, vegetables, grains or supplemental vitamins. Just meat, cheese, butter, coconut oil and some almonds once in awhile. Digestion has drastically improved as well. No GERD anymore, it's a lot easier to poop, I stopped snoring... Basically, everything in my life is better since I stopped eating carbs.0
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I tend to gravitate toward meats, vegetables, fruits and nuts because that's what I like to eat. Probably why eating Paleo works so well for me. If im at a party or buffet, hey as long as they have chilled shrimp, cheese and loads of veggies/fruits that's cool with me. I don't want the crackers and bread. I feel bogged down and sluggish when eating a lot of starchy carbs. I'm not on any diet, but I've been tracking my macros in MFP and they actually end up being around 50% protein, 25% fats (or more) and the rest in carbs. I'd rather eat a good sized steak and a large fresh salad or brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc than pasta.0
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1. I feel like crap when I eat too much bread/pasta type carbs... bloated, tired, blah
2. I have PCOS and insulin resistance and eating GOOD carb, lower carb works best
3. I eat good carbs -- like quinoa, millet, farro, teff, amaranth, gluten-free oats
Protein makes you feel and stay full longer....
My MFP settings are 30% carb, 40% protein, 30% fat.0 -
I'm trying the Paleo approach, which cuts all grains/pastas/rice, sugar (obviously, right?). I try - and generally do - keep my daily carbs in the 70-90 range, and they all come from fruits and veggies. Not in the order, either. Oh, yeah, and I do allow my self the occasional adult beveridge: red wine, some tequila.
I'm not doing any endurance training right now, just power lifting. I actively manage my protein (up up up) and my carbs (down down down) and let my fat intake float. So far, it seems to be working, along with the 5x5 program.0 -
Ugh. You folks do realize there's no metabolic advantage to doing low-carb diets. The only reason to go low-carb would be if you have some sort of medical reason or you're trying to release some extra water retention and glycogen via glycogen depletion workouts.0
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I do endurance racing as well, and even during race season, I do NOT eat a high carb diet. Many endurance runners are beginning to eat higher protein diets for sustained energy as well. It just depends on the person.
I have PCOS as well, and my body just can't handle a high amount of carbohydrates (insulin issues). I also have a gluten sensitivity, so there's that. I eat a balance of 40% protein/30% carbs/30%fats, with the majority of my carbs coming from vegetables, only a couple servings of fruit a day, and that's about it. I feel a million times better when I am not eating starches, I have more energy, my weight is controlled, my skin looks better, just everything about removing starches from my diet makes things better for me. My doctor told me that women with PCOS should try to follow the American Diabetic Association diet guidelines to control insulin levels (if you have insulin resistance), and I've found that to be SO helpful with everything.
That said, that's JUST me. I know plenty of people who can eat bread all day long and be just fine, lose weight, have energy, etc. It just doesn't work for me. I actually have noticed better time and endurance in my race training since moving to a higher protein diet.0 -
Carbs are quick fuel that the body will burn before it will burn fat stores because it is more efficient. If you have a lot of carbs then the body never gets around to your fat stores. Enough of a calorie deficit and it will get to the fat eventually, but it does take longer. The carbs also raise your insulin levels. They make me crash energy wise after a short while and I'm hungry again. Eating yet more carbs at that point keep your insulin levels yoyoing which isn't healthy and can lead to insulin resistance. Protein with some fat keeps me full for hours. Complex carbs such as fruits and vegetables get absorbed slower and paired with some protein and fat, wont spike your blood sugar and are acceptable. I try to limit my net carbs (carbs - fiber which will be found in fruits, veggies, and beans but not so much in french fries and white bread) to around 100 a day.0
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I went on the Atkins diet a few years back and lost 50 pounds. But I felt awful and miserable pretty much the whole time. Once I went off the Atkins I gained weight back-but only 30 pounds. I think the Atkins is indicated for those who are morbidly obese (like i was). The risk from doing the Atkins diet was less than having all that extra weight. realistically though, expect to gain back a lot of weight, but, hopefully, not all. Might be a good starting point to lose weight fast, but then you have to adopt a healthy lifestyle to keep the weight off...0
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My goal is low-ish carbs because I have PCOS & mild insulin resistance. If I don't stay on top of my carbs & sugars my weight fluctuates greatly (10+ pounds in 1-2 days). To keep things consistent I choose to follow this type of plan & have seen better results since switching things up. Definitely don't think it's for everyone, and it's pretty difficult to do long-term, which is why I'm not SUPER strict about it...just more mindful than most.0
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This is pretty much nonsense.
[/quote]
Not according to plenty of scientific studies.
Sugar is not toxic...
Ask a diabetic how its not toxic when they end up in the hospital losing limbs and having organ damage.
I'm just answering the OP's question. Believe what you want. I have nothing to gain if the OP believes this or not.0 -
Sugar is toxic.
Carbohydrate is rare in nature and our biology is designed to store it when we come across it.
Insulin (triggered by carbohydrate) suppresses important hormones like Ghrelin and Leptin, that control hunger and satiation.
Carbohydrate causes an imbalance of good and bad cholesterol and prevents the body from regulating it appropriately.
Carbohydrate causes hardening of arterial walls, causing clogged arteries that cholesterol attempts to repair. This becomes a chronic issue and is commonly blamed on cholesterol and fat.
Carbohydrate can cause insulin insensitivity leading to diabetes and other chronic issues like metabolic syndrome.
Many types of cancer are accelerated in growth by carbohydrate because cancers develop insulin receptors.
Carbohydrate effects the brain the same way many addictive drugs do.
Carbohydrate addicts suffer with withdraw symptoms when they quit cold turkey.
Also, Carbohydrate is 100% NOT NECESSARY IN THE DIET. We only need fat and protein.
So why eat it unless you have a specific purpose and a means to use that carbohydrate effectively.
This is pretty much nonsense.
I'll have to agree. Please show me the research that brought you to this conclusion, and by "research" I mean at least 5 separate reports from universities of medicine, sport medicine practitioners, and/or professional coaches who have published material.
A lot of what people seem to be describing about the changes they have experienced from cutting out carbs (which also seem to be primarily starches and grains) sound a lot like they have recovered from food intolerance symptoms, which is often related to wheat, gluten, potatoes, etc.
I cut out a lot of allergenic foods recently (I'll be taking the blood test very soon) and I experienced the exact same thing all of you had when you cut out carbs - More energy, less bloating, lost a ton of weight (10 lbs in my first week, no activity changes), clearer head, better sleep, etc, yet I will still eating 60% of my calories as carbs!
So far, I'm not buying it.0 -
So please, elaborate on your reasoning. I'm very curious to know why YOU chose to do it, and how it's working out for YOU.
Four words, mainly. One....diabetes. Two, three and four.....it works great.
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I do it to help control my blood sugar. Also I have no problem running half marathons/endurance training on a very low carb diet. Typically, 50% of my calories comes from fat.0
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This is a good reason why people should not pick up Gary Taubes books.0
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Diabetes, plus some food intolerances (wheat and corn amongst others) make low-carb an easy choice for me. I get my carbs (50-75 g) from mainly vegetable sources0
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I keep my carbs at 30% and I don't eat potatoes, white flour, pasta, corn. I eat a ton of veggies, berries and some fruit. I eat whole grains like oatmeal and quinoa. I do this because I am a diabetic and I have learned what foods raise my blood sugar and what foods are ok for me. I probably eat between 70 and 110g of carbs a day which is high for some low carb diets but much lower then USDA or MFP recommends. I do it because it works for me and keeps me healthy. My results so far have been all the proof I need.0
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Because I'm incredibly insulin sensitive, I eat carbs and I bloat, feel ****ty and get migraines and gain weight. I do eat them. Sometimes.
I lift weights, run, cycle, swim all with under 100, and sometimes under 50 gms of carbs a day and feel fine.0 -
Ask a diabetic how its not toxic when they end up in the hospital losing limbs and having organ damage.
So is peanut butter toxic to everyone because some people have an allergy?0 -
Sugar is toxic.
Carbohydrate is rare in nature and our biology is designed to store it when we come across it.
Insulin (triggered by carbohydrate) suppresses important hormones like Ghrelin and Leptin, that control hunger and satiation.
Carbohydrate causes an imbalance of good and bad cholesterol and prevents the body from regulating it appropriately.
Carbohydrate causes hardening of arterial walls, causing clogged arteries that cholesterol attempts to repair. This becomes a chronic issue and is commonly blamed on cholesterol and fat.
Carbohydrate can cause insulin insensitivity leading to diabetes and other chronic issues like metabolic syndrome.
Many types of cancer are accelerated in growth by carbohydrate because cancers develop insulin receptors.
Carbohydrate effects the brain the same way many addictive drugs do.
Carbohydrate addicts suffer with withdraw symptoms when they quit cold turkey.
Also, Carbohydrate is 100% NOT NECESSARY IN THE DIET. We only need fat and protein.
So why eat it unless you have a specific purpose and a means to use that carbohydrate effectively.
This is pretty much nonsense.
Yup!0 -
I eat all sorts of carbs! If by carbs you mean veggies, fruits, nuts, legumes... Sometimes, I even have a bit of potato or bread. Not often. I've got PCOS and Insulin Resistance. It sucks, yeah, but I've learned to deal with it. I make faux mashed potatoes with cauliflower.0
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I have PCOS and it's the only thing that keeps my hormone levels(which had been insane) and blood sugar levels low. Otherwise, the Dr will put me on meds. If I can fix it through diet I will take that over meds any day. I am not on Atkins by any means. I still eat fruit so I consider myself on a "lower carb" diet. I keep mine at about 25-30%.0
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I really like meat so im low carb kinda by default.0
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This is a good reason why people should not pick up Gary Taubes books.
I liked his books. His larger book, Good Calories Bad Calories is packed full of referenced research. OP, this is a good place to start.
Some people knock him, but everyone has their critics weather is rational or not.
Dr. Lustig goes in depth as to why sugar is toxic. I would suggest you read his book and or watch his YT videos.0 -
Nothing to contribute here, I just found it too ironic that, while reading this thread, there was an ad for a girl nomming on a huge slice of rye bread on the right-hand side of my browser...
Oh, MFP. *limp wave* You so funny.0 -
This is a good reason why people should not pick up Gary Taubes books.
I liked his books. His larger book, Good Calories Bad Calories is packed full of referenced research. OP, this is a good place to start.
Some people knock him, but everyone has their critics weather is rational or not.
Dr. Lustig goes in depth as to why sugar is toxic. I would suggest you read his book and or watch his YT videos.
So clearly you agree there are "good calories" and "bad calories" then?0 -
This is a good reason why people should not pick up Gary Taubes books.
I liked his books. His larger book, Good Calories Bad Calories is packed full of referenced research. OP, this is a good place to start.
Some people knock him, but everyone has their critics weather is rational or not.
Dr. Lustig goes in depth as to why sugar is toxic. I would suggest you read his book and or watch his YT videos.
Unfortunately they have both been readily refuted. I would suggest you look into the counterpoints as to why both of the above gentlemen are completely missing the boat.
EDIT: In a previous thread, when I could clearly tell that you were spouting Taubes nonsense, I tried to point you in the right direction with Krieger's referenced and researched rebuttal. You either chose not to read it, or you disagreed with it and didn't comment further.0 -
If I don't eat carbs I'm one moody son of a *****!!... & eating them hasn't effected my weight loss either!!0
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This is a good reason why people should not pick up Gary Taubes books.
I liked his books. His larger book, Good Calories Bad Calories is packed full of referenced research. OP, this is a good place to start.
Some people knock him, but everyone has their critics weather is rational or not.
Dr. Lustig goes in depth as to why sugar is toxic. I would suggest you read his book and or watch his YT videos.
So clearly you agree there are "good calories" and "bad calories" then?
Good luck Joe.0
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