OMG CARBS ARE INDEED THE DEVIL HIMSLEF DISGUISED AS FOOD.

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katesnewbody
katesnewbody Posts: 62 Member
in Food and Nutrition
OK, I just keep seeing these stupid "no carb diet help pls" or "OMG I went over my carb limit what should I do??" Topics and just had to try and clear this up a little bit/.

http://www.drmcdougall.com/res_high_protein_diets.html

'Nuff said, honestly.

Why is it that people seem to think there's some special "trick" or shortcut to losing body fat? Why is it that people try to over-complicate weight loss by making up all these tricks and tips and fad diets (like the low carb or Atkins diets) that will supposedly just melt the fat off your body? Why would depriving your body of ANY crucial nutrient would be good, especially carbohydrates, which are the building blocks of energy?

I myself have lost a little over 20 pounds following calorie restriction combined with strength and cardio. It's really that simple, and almost anyone can do it. Expend more than your put in for a CONSISTENT amount of time;that is ALL you need to do. : )

So please everybody stop depriving yourself of carbs and fearing carbs; when you eat GOOD foods, like whole grains and fresh vegetables, your body will thank you, and you will get the result you want!
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Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    If we have to reduce calorie intake carbohydrates seems a good place to start, given that there are none we need to eat. Most folks can take 125g of carbs out of their diet (500 calories) and leave fats and protein alone.

    There's more energy in fat (9 vs 4) than carbs, and carbohydrates simply aren't a nutrient that you have to eat.

    20 or 30g of carbs in a day would be a vegetable intake beyond what many can manage, if sticking to the lower carb veg. So I can eat a pound of veg and be under 20g of carbs.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    Why would depriving your body of ANY crucial nutrient would be good, especially carbohydrates, which are the building blocks of energy?
    Well, if you're diabetic you probably want to control your carb intake.
  • Gregularity
    Gregularity Posts: 8 Member
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    It's so popular because cutting carbs is the easiest way to lose weight quickly. That is, the method for doing it is plainly obvious and it does produce results, and quickly. Long-term, though, it's no more effective and the people who think it's some sort of miracle will likely put the pounds on just as quickly as they were lost.
  • katesnewbody
    katesnewbody Posts: 62 Member
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    Oh control, yes! I'm talking about crazy fad diets, where you eat teeny tiny amounts of carbs, or no carbs at all, and people seem to think it will result in healthy, permanent weight loss!

    Also, I'm mainly talking about healthy people who start diets, not people with pre-existing medical conditions that require special care. : )
  • katesnewbody
    katesnewbody Posts: 62 Member
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    It's so popular because cutting carbs is the easiest way to lose weight quickly. That is, the method for doing it is plainly obvious and it does produce results, and quickly. Long-term, though, it's no more effective and the people who think it's some sort of miracle will likely put the pounds on just as quickly as they were lost.

    Exactly what I mean! : )
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    Why would depriving your body of ANY crucial nutrient would be good, especially carbohydrates, which are the building blocks of energy?
    Well, if you're diabetic you probably want to control your carb intake.

    *insulin resistant, not just diabetic, but yes, same sentiment. But other people shouldn't worry much about it. and no one *needs* to restrict to some magically super low number like 30 grams. (that i am aware of - insulin resistant people just have to manage the speed of digestion of carbs so they should stay away from flour based stuff like wheat/pasta and rice and stick to lower GI stuff)
  • stellarcanicula
    stellarcanicula Posts: 50 Member
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    Why is it that people seem to think there's some special "trick" or shortcut to losing body fat? Why is it that people try to over-complicate weight loss by making up all these tricks and tips and fad diets (like the low carb or Atkins diets) that will supposedly just melt the fat off your body?

    Cause people are lazy.
  • ChristiH4000
    ChristiH4000 Posts: 531 Member
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    I knew it! There's always carbs on one shoulder and an angel on the other shoulder whenever I'm faced with a tough decision or a moral/ethical dilemma. :wink:
  • sisterphonetica
    sisterphonetica Posts: 59 Member
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    I agree! Maybe as a society we could eat fewer carbs but they are by no means the Devil!

    Tonight I will be enjoying a peanut butter sandwich.
  • BeautifulScarsWECHANGED
    BeautifulScarsWECHANGED Posts: 749 Member
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    I have been counting calories in, calories out for over 2 years. I have stalled for the past year and a half. NOTHING worked. I am finally trying Atkins, and if you do your research before blasting low-carb plans, you'd know it doesn't elminate ALL carbs. The carbs just come from vegetables instead of bread. What's so wrong with that? Just because something works for you, it doesn't work for all of us. I am proud to say that Atkins IS helping me bust through this dreadful plateau, and I feel a million times better since starting the program.

    To each their own...I'm really tired of hearing people blast others choices.
  • BellaRenee08
    BellaRenee08 Posts: 15
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    the problem with all this is people who are on such strong low carb diets never really understand the difference between good carbs and bad carbs. Most of the people I know pretty much consider all carbs to be bad, which isn't the truth.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    What I would like to see is someone who advocates the low carb diet actually fully explain to me WHY it works and HOW it is sustainable for the long term!

    I've done a lot of research on it recently, so I do understand how it works, and how it can actually be a good thing for relatively quick weight loss. However, the same information is why it is NOT good for someone who wants to have a very active lifestyle!

    ETA: I'm going to add to this: Its scares the crap out of me to see so many people trying such things, without even having a full understanding of what the heck is going on inside their bodies that is causing the low-carb diet to make them shed the pounds so quickly!
  • aplusgeek
    aplusgeek Posts: 49
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    People often go on these diets not realizing that in order to be successful you have to commit to life long changes in your dietary habits. How long will most people last on a low carb or no carb diet? Not very long.

    Only make changes that you know you are able to stick to permanently.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    I have been counting calories in, calories out for over 2 years. I have stalled for the past year and a half. NOTHING worked. I am finally trying Atkins, and if you do your research before blasting low-carb plans, you'd know it doesn't elminate ALL carbs. The carbs just come from vegetables instead of bread. What's so wrong with that? Just because something works for you, it doesn't work for all of us. I am proud to say that Atkins IS helping me bust through this dreadful plateau, and I feel a million times better since starting the program.

    To each their own...I'm really tired of hearing people blast others choices.

    Do you know WHY it is working so well?
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    People always want a shortcut.
  • BellaRenee08
    BellaRenee08 Posts: 15
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    I have been counting calories in, calories out for over 2 years. I have stalled for the past year and a half. NOTHING worked. I am finally trying Atkins, and if you do your research before blasting low-carb plans, you'd know it doesn't elminate ALL carbs. The carbs just come from vegetables instead of bread. What's so wrong with that? Just because something works for you, it doesn't work for all of us. I am proud to say that Atkins IS helping me bust through this dreadful plateau, and I feel a million times better since starting the program.

    To each their own...I'm really tired of hearing people blast others choices.

    I've done atkins and a lot of people don't actually realize that atkins doesn't cut all carbs. Its about starting over then in the different phases you find the carb number that helps you either lose or maintain. I do agree, please do not do all their research and normally just start spitting out whatever they feel comfortable with. There is a lot of judgement on this site.
  • tashjs21
    tashjs21 Posts: 4,584 Member
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    I have been counting calories in, calories out for over 2 years. I have stalled for the past year and a half. NOTHING worked. I am finally trying Atkins, and if you do your research before blasting low-carb plans, you'd know it doesn't elminate ALL carbs. The carbs just come from vegetables instead of bread. What's so wrong with that? Just because something works for you, it doesn't work for all of us. I am proud to say that Atkins IS helping me bust through this dreadful plateau, and I feel a million times better since starting the program.

    To each their own...I'm really tired of hearing people blast others choices.


    Amen!! :drinker:

    Just like with anything else it would have to be a lifestyle change and not just a "quick" way to lose weight. I know that carbs are my downfall and if I eat more cleanly cutting way back on my carbs (never eliminating them completely) it works for me.

    What is wrong with that? There is no one right way to be healthy. As long as people aren't blasting you for eating carbs, why do you care?
  • PhilyPhresh
    PhilyPhresh Posts: 600 Member
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    Why would depriving your body of ANY crucial nutrient would be good, especially carbohydrates, which are the building blocks of energy?

    Actually fat is the building main block of energy...? The reason carbs become what our bodies use to fuel themselves is because the average diet has such an over abundance of them coming in. Carbs are necessary to stimulate proper brain function, but it really doesn't take that many to do it...
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    the problem with all this is people who are on such strong low carb diets never really understand the difference between good carbs and bad carbs. Most of the people I know pretty much consider all carbs to be bad, which isn't the truth.
    Especially with US food labelling which includes fiber in carbs, whereas UK / EU labels has fibre as a separate item. Makes discussion difficult without a common definition.
  • BellaRenee08
    BellaRenee08 Posts: 15
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    Why would depriving your body of ANY crucial nutrient would be good, especially carbohydrates, which are the building blocks of energy?
    Well, if you're diabetic you probably want to control your carb intake.

    *insulin resistant, not just diabetic, but yes, same sentiment. But other people shouldn't worry much about it. and no one *needs* to restrict to some magically super low number like 30 grams. (that i am aware of - insulin resistant people just have to manage the speed of digestion of carbs so they should stay away from flour based stuff like wheat/pasta and rice and stick to lower GI stuff)


    I control my carbs.. I am not diabetic but I have pcos. Almost all the women I know with pcos we count our carbs, it helps with our insulin resistance.
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