Success with Low-Carb, High Calorie diet?

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arumia
arumia Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Many years ago I did strict Adkins and lost some weight. Since new research has come out since then, I'm curious if anyone on MFP has had any success with a low-carb, high-cal diet - based on the philosophy that you could eat more calories and still lose weight as long as you cut carbs (I haven't looked up the research recently, so I'm not sure that's even accurate).

Right now, I'm doing a standard diet based on exercise and a calorie deficit for weight loss, so this is only for curiosity's sake.

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  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    the current Atkins program is based on a calorie deficit as well as carb restriction :-

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  • Sailorwind
    Sailorwind Posts: 158 Member
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    My boyfriend's been doing this for months. Basically the only real carbs he eats are in cheeses. He eats as much of everything no-carb as he wants (and he can eat a LOT of meat and bacon and cheese and salad) and he lost 30 pounds initially, then gained maybe 10 pounds back, then lost 10 then stalled and is now down 15 more pounds from this summer. It works, but to make it work he has to have an insane amount of sodium a day (He literally drinks at least one mug of chicken broth a day and pours salt all over everything) and you have to stick with it. One bad cheat day and it takes him two weeks to re-set his metabolism. I'm not sure how it'll work when he switches to maintenance mode, but he should be almost there. He seems way skinny to me.
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
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    I'm a strong advocate of carbohydrate moderation and give Dr. Atkins lots of credit for opening up people's eyes to how the body stores and oxidizes fat, but when pushed to the wall, even Dr. Atkins would've conceded that calories matter.

    The idea that I could limit my carbs to under 100 grams, but eat 5,000 calories a day and still lose weight and body fat, is patently absurd.

    The true success of low carb dieting comes from not needing to eat a lot because it's easy to be sated eating protein and fat. Additionally, of course, glycogen stores are always low, so the body oxidizes fat resulting in favorable body compositions. Likewise, insulin spikes are rare, so the body is not in fat storage mode.

    My research shows that 50 grams of carbs a day is a practical minimum because it helps spare lean mass during weight loss by limiting gluconeogensis, where the body converts amino acids (protein) to glucose, when needed. For those who engage in glycogen depleting exercise, the so-called "sweet spot" appears to be between 50 and around 160 grams a day.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    Why don't you focus on cutting out grains, while still eating fruits and vegetables (which provide lots of vitamins and minerals in ways that allow them to be properly absorbed)?
  • barenda_101
    barenda_101 Posts: 18
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    The Atkins approach is low carb high fat, not low carb high calorie. The premise is that you avoid large changes in blood sugar that make you feel like you're hungry and that you can eat fewer overall calories of high fat/very satisfying food than you can of high carb/low fat food and still be full. The induction phase of Atkins is also known as the ketogenic diet. I think a lot of your questions can be answered here: http://www.reddit.com/help/faqs/keto
  • barenda_101
    barenda_101 Posts: 18
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    My research shows that 50 grams of carbs a day is a practical minimum because it helps spare lean mass during weight loss by limiting gluconeogensis, where the body converts amino acids (protein) to glucose, when needed. For those who engage in glycogen depleting exercise, the so-called "sweet spot" appears to be between 50 and around 160 grams a day.

    Many people also use carbohydrate cycling or targeted carbohydrate intake to allow for effective work out and muscle recovery without keeping sugars in your blood stream for any longer than needed. Google search 'targeted ketogenic diet' and 'cyclic ketogenic diet' for more information. Many people find that 25-50g of dextrose taken right before a workout is sufficient.
  • pamsgottalose
    pamsgottalose Posts: 8 Member
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    I am also trying to watch my carbs....Keeping them 75 or less a day.. Hasnt been hard but the choices I have seem limited. I dont really eat alot of meat..no pork..so kinda hard.But I am gonna do it. Started also high interval aerobics 1hr a day ..so between both, hopefully I can lose weight
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
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    My research shows that 50 grams of carbs a day is a practical minimum because it helps spare lean mass during weight loss by limiting gluconeogensis, where the body converts amino acids (protein) to glucose, when needed. For those who engage in glycogen depleting exercise, the so-called "sweet spot" appears to be between 50 and around 160 grams a day.

    Many people also use carbohydrate cycling or targeted carbohydrate intake to allow for effective work out and muscle recovery without keeping sugars in your blood stream for any longer than needed. Google search 'targeted ketogenic diet' and 'cyclic ketogenic diet' for more information. Many people find that 25-50g of dextrose taken right before a workout is sufficient.

    Yes: an apple and two tablespoons of honey, within 1 hour of working out, typically does it for me.
  • Amyding115
    Amyding115 Posts: 120
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    I have done the low-carb, high calorie diet. The immediate results are amazing but next to impossible to maintain, even with exercise and moderation. However carb restriction is an obvious aid to weight loss. I have found that the choice of carbs makes a difference. I have almost completely removed all wheat and stick primarily to potatoes, rice, and fruit for carbs. Simply doing this reduces the amount of carbs I consume in general but does not remove them completely from my diet.

    Low carb, high calorie is simply a diet. Diets are temporary and so are their results. It requires a lifestyle change to lose weight as well as maintain those results.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    I've been eating low carb (50g carbs/day or less) since July 4. I've lost 16 lbs, so it's going pretty well. I follow the Paleo/Primal ways of eating, for the most part. I don't eat any grains or starches, no sugar, no dairy (I am allergic), no legumes. Just meats, eggs, veggies, and a bit of fruit--mostly berries. I eat lots of full fat, and from real products--organic butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil. I exercise 5 or 6 days per week.

    I don't see how weight loss would happen if you were to keep carbs low and eat as much as you wanted. I still count calories pretty carefully. The Atkins Diet is good, but it doesn't direct you to eat as much as you want, as far as I recall. Atkins and other low carb ways of eating are sustainable--many people find them quite agreeable and stick with them. I personally feel so much better eating this way that I have zero interest in returning to my previous way of eating.

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