Low carb diets
JordanElizabeth87
Posts: 16
I just finished reading this book called "Why We Get Fat and What to do About It." In the book, the author states that carbs make us fat. However, I've heard mixed reviews about low-carb diets. I was conisdering throwing out most carbs but there is no hard evidence that supports some of the authors claims. However, low carb diets are very limited on food selection.
I have ate whole grain breads and cereals while trying to change my eating habits (and have lost weight.) typically stay within the allowed amount of carbs on MFP.
Opinions on low carb diets?
I have ate whole grain breads and cereals while trying to change my eating habits (and have lost weight.) typically stay within the allowed amount of carbs on MFP.
Opinions on low carb diets?
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Replies
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i lost 50 lbs on a low carb diet that separated food. kept it off for years. it's challenging and everyone will know you're doing it but it can be done and it worked for me. it took me six full months to lose that weight and i got pretty good about knowing what to eat to not be hungry, there were no limits on portions just what was combined.
This time i chose a different way due to having a family now and the hassle of preparing different meals. good luck.0 -
I think reducing the amount of carbs/starch you eat will aid weight loss, because overdosing on these at each meal contributes to calorie excess. I don't see the point in cutting them out completely, as it hinders exercise/the feeling of having energy and being motivated to exercise.
Someone will come on here and post reams about carb free diet and insulin promoting fat burning, but we live in the real world... not something you can keep up!0 -
I just eat carbs with more nutritional value,fiber,and less sugar. Less processed foods for sure. My doctor says " If it's white it aint right "lol Anyway you have to find a comfortable fit with carb intake. If I eat too many carbs I get hungrier. Need to make choices that help keep us full and have energy. What carbs you don't use will more than likely be stored as fat. There has to be balance.0
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Read the links related to Gary Taubes in this thread - it may help with your decision:I just finished reading this book called "Why We Get Fat and What to do About It." In the book, the author states that carbs make us fat. However, I've heard mixed reviews about low-carb diets. I was conisdering throwing out most carbs but there is no hard evidence that supports some of the authors claims. However, low carb diets are very limited on food selection.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817143-insulin-low-carbs-gary-taubes-and-james-krieger0 -
I know when I eat low carb I lose a lot more weight, but honestly without carbs I would be tired and angry. I eat around 200g a day and am losing quite well...0
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No. Carbs don't make us fat. Do you think that all the lean people who eat plenty of carbs have special super powers?0
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If it was successful you would not need to do it again, right?i lost 50 lbs on a low carb diet that separated food. kept it off for years. it's challenging and everyone will know you're doing it but it can be done and it worked for me. it took me six full months to lose that weight and i got pretty good about knowing what to eat to not be hungry, there were no limits on portions just what was combined.
This time i chose a different way due to having a family now and the hassle of preparing different meals. good luck.0 -
I think carbs are an important part of the diet. Just chose to eat the right ones. If I get too low on carbs I can feel, that my lifting is not as strong as it could be0
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You can reduce your carbs without doing without certain foods altogether - it does come down to re-examining portion size.0
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No. Carbs don't make us fat. Do you think that all the lean people who eat plenty of carbs have special super powers?
Nice use of sarcasm there, that was definitely an informative and helpful response....0 -
I have a few friends who have gone extra low carb, 20g limit, and they have lost a lot of weight, the problem is that when you go back up they've tended to put half the weight back on (20g is a bit low to maintain). I've played with low carb diets before mainly because I just feel healthier and cleaner when I'm on them, personally. If you think it'd be something you want to do then give it a three month tester, if you think you're eating too few or too many then adjust as you feel appropriate. there isn't a set percentage for everyone so experiment. It may take longer than you want it to but in the long run it'll be easier.
Also, I found when I wasn't relying on carbs it forced me to experiment with new foods and meals that were all together a lot healthier anyway.
Hope this helps and feel free to add me or message
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No. Carbs don't make us fat. Do you think that all the lean people who eat plenty of carbs have special super powers?
Good call ^^^
You body neeeeds carbs to fill up the glycogen stores to give you energy and endurance. You can lose weight with carbs, there is no need to get rid of them. Try to eat carbs that arent processed like whole grains and your will be okay.0 -
Taking more calories than we use makes us fat. If you eat under your maintenance you will lose weight, regardless of what you are eating.
Cutting down or cutting out carbs will probably help you lose weight quicker, but in my opinion a diet that cuts out an entire macronutrient is not sustainable.0 -
No. Carbs don't make us fat. Do you think that all the lean people who eat plenty of carbs have special super powers?
Nice use of sarcasm there, that was definitely an informative and helpful response....
What sarcasm? This is common sense.
See my reply in the "top 5 foods not to eat" thread for examples of actual sarcasm.0 -
I just go by MFP's suggested carb goal. I go over now and again but my carbs include fruit and veg as well which, as I'm trying to increase the amount of fruit and veg I eat, is inevitable.
This is what I see at nearly all doctor's offices, it was in the dining hall at my primary school and when asked about weight loss, I was advised to eat following the portions on this chart. There must be something to it.
Of course, there are healthier carbs (ie, wholewheat versus white bread and rice) but you need them for energy so just make healthier choices when it comes to carbs - less sugary, processed carbs and more wholewheat carbs.
Also, make sure you follow something that you'll be able to maintain even after you reach your goal weight. Going low carb to lose weight is fine, but if you decide to stop losing weight and eat more carbs again there is the risk it could put it back on.0 -
This was all really helpful! In the past I have been able to eat whole grains, high fiber and still lose weight. When I eat bread I tend to only eat one slice during the meal or half a bagel which helps cut carbs but not totally get rid of them. I'm trying to make a lifestyle change in my eating habits. From what I've come across, low carb helps lose wieght but is extremely hard to maintain!0
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I was 100% on Medifast for 6 months up until December. Its essentially a low carb diet. Under 100 grams a day. The idea with that diet is that you put yourself into a mild state of ketosis, plus a calorie deficit, so you lose a ton of weight relatively quickly. In that time I lost the majority of this 100 lbs.
So my take on low carb is that it works, but you gotta eat the right stuff. Lots of protein for sure. But in my case, and a lot of other people on Medifast, we had a LOT of weight to lose. The weight loss has made it a lot easier for me to take on things I couldnt do before to improve my health. Exercising is a big one, less stress on your joints from your own body weight is a big helper.0 -
I have recently come back onto ultra low carb, after doing it for 3 months and then stopping over Xmas and New Year. Results? I lost upwards of 30lbs and in the 2 months I was back to eating carbs put on ~5lbs which can easily be attributed to water weight
What a lot of people don't choose to learn from ultra-low-carb diets is portion control. That is the number one thing I took from my period on Keto and it helped me massively. I can positively say I will never go back to eating lashings of mash potato or heaps of rice every again (I shouldn't of been anyway but thats a whole other argument), but the past 2 months has shown me that I can come off the Keto-way and still maintain around the same body weight.
This "extremely hard to maintain" rubbish that I see bandied around is a terrible argument as it is a MASSIVE generalisation, after the initial craving for chips and beer I soon realised not only was I no longer interested in those things, I actively went out of my way to avoid having to be around them.
Some people can maintain it some cant, ultimately 1 diet is not for everyone so if you are thinking that low carb will cut out too much of what you enjoy then maybe looking for a different diet will better suit you.0 -
Going low-carb was the best decision I ever made. I tried losing doing low fat/low cal and I found I was scraping the bottom of my Lean Cuisine dishes and just wound up frustrated and hungry all the time. Since switching to low-carb, I'm rarely hungry, get to eat delicious food all the time, am more clear-headed and energetic, and managed to lose all this weight without even feeling like I was dieting. I also never get heartburn anymore. My blood pressure is the lowest it's been in years (110 / 69) and my cholesterol is maintaining at normal levels. The only carbs I do eat are from fruit and veggies.
I've personally found it to be pretty easy to maintain, but I really enjoy cooking. In fact, I think switching to low-carb has made me a better cook, since you have to get creative to come up with substitutes for things like bread and pasta. Even if you hate cooking though, it's really easy to get food from restaurants and still remain low carb.
Even if you don't go strict low carb (or even at all), the best thing you can do is cut out white foods and sugar. Good luck with whatever you decide!0 -
Opinions on low carb diets?
Without going into too much detail even the Harvard School of Public Health recommends Low Carb/Normal Fat diets that are higher in protein. With normal kidney function it's been documented that up to 25 percent protein diets are safe. People do over that (including myself) and I'm typically in the 29-31 percent Protein range - not for muscle building, but to replace the carbs. I keep a fat content around 30 percent and find it's really hard to get lower (for me). I try to keep as much of the fat monounsaturated or polyunsaturated as possible.
Here's a link that might help:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fats-full-story/0 -
I'm highly active, aka exercise about 6 hours per week, and do heaps of walking in general. Low carb is the reason I regained all my weight back, as I was constantly hungry, tired and craving. If you are a very active person like myself, Low carbing is not a good idea.
IN SAYING THAT - I am sure it has worked for other athletic people who do Paleo etc. But purely for myself, it was a complete downfall and was very counterproductive0 -
As said before from a previous poster, low carb may not work for every one, but I do know that it has worked tremendously for myself, and for my husband. My husband weighed in at 320 pounds with sleep apnea, knee problems, acid reflux and general "plumbing" issues. Myself, I weighed in at my highest, 216 pounds and have suffered from PCOS since I was 11, and weight that never came off from anything I did.
I went into the Police academy in 2010 lagging behind every one else in my class, and I got a ton of crap from my fitness instructor as to why I wasn't losing weight. Couldn't convince him for the world that I was exercising ALL THE TIME, and eating what I thought was healthy (measured out fruits, vegetables, skim milk, low carb everything, multi grain, etc). Well, after graduation, I hit a depressive slump pretty hard, and it sucked. I discovered the ketogenic diet which was suppose to help with PCOS and anxiety/depression issues via Reddit, and my husband and I decided to give it a go.
It was probably the best decision we've ever made. All together, we've lost 80 pounds since September, and still counting. All of my husband's problems are gone, and my PCOS is for the first time in my life under control, and my depression has almost disappeared. We're energetic, and not starving like we were on low calorie/moderate carbohydrate diets. Once we hit our goal weights, we're switching to a paleo/clean diet.
I'm also moderately active once again. Will be running again soon as well. I've had no problems. It's all about keeping an eye on your macros and your vitamins.0 -
Forget peoples opinions. If you want to try it, please do. It can be a very effective tool. You will know in a week or two if it's for you.
Some of us do great on it and could absolutely care less what other people think.0 -
Forget peoples opinions. If you want to try it, please do. It can be a very effective tool. You will know in a week or two if it's for you.
Some of us do great on it and could absolutely care less what other people think.
Just quickly on this, you wont know "in a week or two" with the Ketogenic diet, infact you will likely be in the middle of whats coloquially termed "keto-flu" at this point. As your body is in carb-detox and so will be being very very grumpy
If you actively consider doing keto then please give yourself a month of working hard on it.
Just something to point out 0 -
I just finished reading this book called "Why We Get Fat and What to do About It." In the book, the author states that carbs make us fat. However, I've heard mixed reviews about low-carb diets. I was conisdering throwing out most carbs but there is no hard evidence that supports some of the authors claims. However, low carb diets are very limited on food selection.
I have ate whole grain breads and cereals while trying to change my eating habits (and have lost weight.) typically stay within the allowed amount of carbs on MFP.
Opinions on low carb diets?
Can I ask which bits you don't think are supported by hard evidence? Most of the claims in the book are supported by the references in the back, or you can search the using Google scholar if you need further evidence.
On another note, I know a lot of people in my life have done low carb before, but all they do is cut out starch and grains so are left feeling unsatisfied and fall off the wagon condemning low carb to the pile of fad diets they have tried and failed on. The point that Gary Taubes is trying to make is that you need increase your fat intake as well so that you feel satisfied.
I personally wouldn't do any other diet now that I'm doing Keto. I love it, I love the food and I love how good it makes me feel and how many health problems it will be solving for me in the future. If you honestly want to try it, and want to do it in a way that makes you excited about food I'd be more than willing to help you come up with a meal plan or point you in the right direction.0 -
there are so many reasons that you need good carbs in your eating plan from fiber to energy to vitamins..I've lost 154 pounds and am muscled without dietary extremes...plus variety makes the chance of lifestyle change permanance more likely..much more0
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I just finished reading this book called "Why We Get Fat and What to do About It." In the book, the author states that carbs make us fat. However, I've heard mixed reviews about low-carb diets.
...
Opinions on low carb diets?
I enjoyed the book a few months ago. It's highly fascinating and provocative reading. The stuff on insulin resistance is captivating, but he generalizes on carbs. Not all carbs are bad (there are simple and there are complex; slow, not low). Yes, we do need (the good) fat, but not as much as he thinks.
Michael Pollan wrote in his In Defense of Food that "Taubes is so single-minded in his demonization of of the carbohydrate that he overlooks several other possible explanations for the deleterious effects of the Western diet, including deficiencies of omega-3s and micronutrients in plants.”
Joel Fuhrman, "On a high protein diet, when we restrict carbohydrates so markedly, the body thinks we are caloric deprived and ketosis results. The body begins to lose fat, even if we are consuming plenty of high-fat foods, as Atkins recommends. Once you stop the diet, you'll gain it all back and more; if you stay on the diet, you risk a premature death. Take your pick."0 -
I believe Gary is specifically talking about refined carbohydrates in this book. He is not talking about vegetables and fruits and also other starches like sweet potatoes. I also believe it depends on your goals and your body. If you're lean, by all means eat more carbs. However, if you have fat to lose, lower them and monitor how you feel (hunger, energy levels, cravings) then adjust again. Don't be afraid to become your own chemistry experiment. This is how we learn. 0
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I believe Gary is specifically talking about refined carbohydrates in this book. He is not talking about vegetables and fruits and also other starches like sweet potatoes. I also believe it depends on your goals and your body. If you're lean, by all means eat more carbs. However, if you have fat to lose, lower them and monitor how you feel (hunger, energy levels, cravings) then adjust again. Don't be afraid to become your own chemistry experiment. This is how we learn.
Word!0 -
According to Bob Harper of the Biggest Loser you shouldn't cut out all carbs. You should eat complex carbs and limit them to breakfast and lunch. No carbs after lunch.0
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