no carb diet is FAILURE

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Replies

  • sks120
    sks120 Posts: 2 Member
    Carbs are essential to the human body. We don't produce them and our body needs them.

    Carbs are a nonessential nutrient. Glucose can be produced via gluconeogenesis from amino acids (protein). Essential nutrients are fats and protein.


    Your CNS needs glucose to function adequately, and gluconeogenesis cannot produce enough glucose for that over a long period of time. You don't want your muscles breaking down! It's much better to get carbs from things like whole grains, fruits, veggies, and legumes. By the way, essential nutrients include several vitamins/minerals that are found in carbohydrate sources!
  • Beautifulsoull
    Beautifulsoull Posts: 136
    Couple of days out of the week my carbs may go over 150, esp. if I make peanut butter cookies and I eat them like crazy like I did earlier last week. But I usually tend to keep my carbs under 150 each day. I use to be a bread freak and now I might have a slice of bread every once in awhile. I'm more on whole wheat tortillas wraps now. Get your good carbs from your veggies and fruits. Limit the package foods as much as possible. Start learning how to cook your favorite freezer meals/package meals from stratch. You know exactly whats in it and how much.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Carbs are essential to the human body. We don't produce them and our body needs them.

    Carbs are a nonessential nutrient. Glucose can be produced via gluconeogenesis from amino acids (protein). Essential nutrients are fats and protein.


    Your CNS needs glucose to function adequately, and gluconeogenesis cannot produce enough glucose for that over a long period of time. You don't want your muscles breaking down! It's much better to get carbs from things like whole grains, fruits, veggies, and legumes. By the way, essential nutrients include several vitamins/minerals that are found in carbohydrate sources!

    FTR, I am not advocating a low carb or no carb diet and the drawbacks of not having carbs as part of your diet are noted by you. A no carb diet is less than healthy and a low carb diet works for some and not for others. It is not my choice. That does not however change carbs to what is counted as an essential nutrient by the medical and scientific communtiy.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    Carbs are essential to the human body. We don't produce them and our body needs them.

    Carbs are a nonessential nutrient. Glucose can be produced via gluconeogenesis from amino acids (protein). Essential nutrients are fats and protein.

    Fats, protein, electrolytes, carbs, vitamins.

    Edit: The body uses carbs to make glucose

    carbs are not essential. that said, there is nothing bad about them. they are a ready source of energy and it's probably a good idea to eat some amount of carbs throughout the day if you don't have any medical condition that warrants excluding them.

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/5/951.2.full
  • abrahamsitososa
    abrahamsitososa Posts: 716 Member
    Carbs are essential to the human body. We don't produce them and our body needs them.

    Carbs are a nonessential nutrient. Glucose can be produced via gluconeogenesis from amino acids (protein). Essential nutrients are fats and protein.

    Fats, protein, electrolytes, carbs, vitamins.

    Edit: The body uses carbs to make glucose

    carbs are not essential. that said, there is nothing bad about them. they are a ready source of energy and it's probably a good idea to eat some amount of carbs throughout the day if you don't have any medical condition that warrants excluding them.

    Yes carbs are essential. There's no time for me right now to debate this. But it was nice listening to your guy's opinions.
  • MichelleLaree13
    MichelleLaree13 Posts: 865 Member
    Eat tons of vegetables. Stay away from fatty meats!
  • Bailey532
    Bailey532 Posts: 65 Member
    My thoughts exactly! I did Atkins for quite some time. Loved it. Now I eat my carbs at breakfast and lunch. No carbs after that. Trying it for a day sin't going to tell you anything. When I did low carb (almost impossible to eat NO carbs) if I ate carbs I got a horrid stomachache and sometimes even threw up from it.
    Wow... you tried for a WHOLE DAY and now you've given up?

    It works for some. Not for you but that's okay. Like Mokey41 says, log your food, stay in your calorie budget. Calories in vs. calories out = the answer.

    If you really want answers instead of passing judgement based on your one day of testing run a search on topics like "healthy diet', "low carb diet", "vegetarian diet" ~ whatever you fancy. Spend some time reading and learning. That will get you much better results.

    Good luck. It's a journey, a lifestyle change; no quick fix answers will last.
  • blu_meanie_ca
    blu_meanie_ca Posts: 352 Member
    BTW.. frozen veggies are a great option. They are more cost effective, and often picked riper than fresh veggies. It's really a 50/50 over cooked vs fresh. Cooked vegitables loose some fiber/nutrients, but, what is left is easier for your body to absorbe. So, which ever you like better. Canning robs food of almost all of it's nutritional value due to the very high heat it is subjected to.

    Almost everything has carbs. If you try for a 0% carb load you'll find yourself with very little to eat. If you are concerned about your blood sugar levels then aim for no more than 120 net carbs a day (although, you don't even need that many).
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Carbs are essential to the human body. We don't produce them and our body needs them.

    Carbs are a nonessential nutrient. Glucose can be produced via gluconeogenesis from amino acids (protein). Essential nutrients are fats and protein.

    Fats, protein, electrolytes, carbs, vitamins.

    Edit: The body uses carbs to make glucose

    carbs are not essential. that said, there is nothing bad about them. they are a ready source of energy and it's probably a good idea to eat some amount of carbs throughout the day if you don't have any medical condition that warrants excluding them.

    Yes carbs are essential. There's no time for me right now to debate this. But it was nice listening to your guy's opinions.

    You can insist on this all you want but it is incorrect. Feel free to google essential nutrients. The facts are pretty easy to find. An essential nutrient is one that cannot be sythesized by your body. As has been mentioned, glucose can be sythesized from amino acids.
  • abrahamsitososa
    abrahamsitososa Posts: 716 Member
    Do you know the difference between simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates?
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Do you know the difference between simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates?

    Of course. Is this some kind of trick question?
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Definition of essential nutrients:

    "An essential nutrient is a nutrient required for normal body functioning that either cannot be synthesized by the body at all, or cannot be synthesized in amounts adequate for good health (e.g. niacin, choline), and thus must be obtained from a dietary source. Essential nutrients are also defined by the collective physiological evidence for their importance in the diet, as represented in e.g. US government approved tables for Dietary Reference Intake.[1]

    Some categories of essential nutrients include vitamins, dietary minerals, essential fatty acids, and essential amino acids. Different species have very different essential nutrients. For example, most mammals synthesize their own ascorbic acid, and it is therefore not considered an essential nutrient for such species. It is, however, an essential nutrient for human beings, who require external sources of ascorbic acid (known as Vitamin C in the context of nutrition)."

    Does anyone see carbohydrates listed here?? You probably can't get vitamin C or other micronutrients without them but they are not listed. I didn't create the definition, I just copied and pasted it. This is the standard medical defintiion.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    Definition of essential nutrients:

    "An essential nutrient is a nutrient required for normal body functioning that either cannot be synthesized by the body at all, or cannot be synthesized in amounts adequate for good health (e.g. niacin, choline), and thus must be obtained from a dietary source. Essential nutrients are also defined by the collective physiological evidence for their importance in the diet, as represented in e.g. US government approved tables for Dietary Reference Intake.[1]

    Some categories of essential nutrients include vitamins, dietary minerals, essential fatty acids, and essential amino acids. Different species have very different essential nutrients. For example, most mammals synthesize their own ascorbic acid, and it is therefore not considered an essential nutrient for such species. It is, however, an essential nutrient for human beings, who require external sources of ascorbic acid (known as Vitamin C in the context of nutrition)."

    Does anyone see carbohydrates listed here?? You probably can't get vitamin C or other micronutrients without them but they are not listed. I didn't create the definition, I just copied and pasted it. This is the standard medical defintiion.

    Going to have to vote with mamapags here as it is true that your body can make blood glucose (your body's primary fuel along with fatty acids) out of just about anything you decide to put into your mouth. Now, as he has noted, it could be difficult to impossible to get some micro-nutrients from a diet that excludes carbohydrates but you can be well-nourished on a diet that excludes sugar (devoid of micronutrients) and wheat (vegetables and fruits can provide all of the nutrients it provides--and then some). In addition, there are many other grains that are at least as nourishing.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    I'm doing low-carb and so far it's been great, and I've had a lot of variety in my diet and I have been feeling full and satisfied. I try to aim for under 100 grams a day.

    No-carb seems super difficult.
  • tekwriter
    tekwriter Posts: 923 Member
    If you want to reduce the carbohydrate in your diet, try reducing some of the white carbs, bread, pasta and white rice. You can minimize the over processed carbs and rely on whole grains and fruits for your carbs.
  • weloveourboys
    weloveourboys Posts: 133 Member
    The whole "war on carbs" really grinds my gears. Your body NEEDS carbs for energy. They serve a vital function. To cut them out is faddy and not a healthy long-term eating plan. Around 33% of your calorie intake should come from carbs.

    I agree with this - except I get around 55-60% of my diet from carbs, and I'm healthy and fit, and trim to boot. Carbs rock, especially for people who do endurance sports.
  • upgetupgetup
    upgetupgetup Posts: 749 Member
    I was seriously mentally compromised near the middle of the week and a half I did something like this.

    You could do 1 piece of bread with breakfast, 1 serving grainy carb for lunch & dinner each. Or cut one out of the last two meals.
  • benflando
    benflando Posts: 193
    Find a good carb source for you. Everyone is different. People react differently with different foods. I KNOW, it's not fair. For me personally, its rice cakes, popchips, brown rice, spinach, berries.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    No-carb seems super difficult.

    In addition to being quite unhealthy. I know a couple of people now who stayed below 20 grams of carbohydrates for a number of months. They lost a lot of weight but they both became ill, were counseled by their docs to go off the diets and both ended up regaining most of the weight that they lost.

    It is dangerous to go below 60 grams of carbs per day long term. You can experiment with carb levels between 60-200 grams. When I stay around 100 grams to 150 grams, I don't get hungry even when my calories are below what MFP says I should be eating per day (1,620). On my heavier exercise days, I try to bump up my carbs toward 175 grams but I find it difficult to eat that many carbs (since I don't eat sugar or wheat).
  • Yafai001
    Yafai001 Posts: 4
    No-carb seems super difficult.

    In addition to being quite unhealthy. I know a couple of people now who stayed below 20 grams of carbohydrates for a number of months. They lost a lot of weight but they both became ill, were counseled by their docs to go off the diets and both ended up regaining most of the weight that they lost.

    It is dangerous to go below 60 grams of carbs per day long term. You can experiment with carb levels between 60-200 grams. When I stay around 100 grams to 150 grams, I don't get hungry even when my calories are below what MFP says I should be eating per day (1,620). On my heavier exercise days, I try to bump up my carbs toward 175 grams but I find it difficult to eat that many carbs (since I don't eat sugar or wheat).

    Can you provide proof that it is dangerous to go below 60 grams of carbs per day? I've been doing that for well over a year now and I am doing just fine.
  • Yafai001
    Yafai001 Posts: 4
    The whole "war on carbs" really grinds my gears. Your body NEEDS carbs for energy. They serve a vital function. To cut them out is faddy and not a healthy long-term eating plan. Around 33% of your calorie intake should come from carbs.

    I agree with this - except I get around 55-60% of my diet from carbs, and I'm healthy and fit, and trim to boot. Carbs rock, especially for people who do endurance sports.

    Most people don't understand that a low-carb and/or a carb free diet is a way of curbing peoples immense appetites through fats, greens and proteins. While fats and greens should be the higher portion of your meal and proteins the lesser, the idea of this is to help drop the weight and start eating in a smaller (but healthier) fashion. As a T2 diabetic, "Keto" has helped me immensely with my weight and maintaining my energy levels. Your body doesn't "NEED" carbs. It is simply the easiest source of energy. But fruits rock to be fair, hah.
  • birdiecs
    birdiecs Posts: 237 Member
    I've found restricting anything too greatly sets me up for a backlash. Settled in at around 100gm of carbs a day and thas been working for me.
  • jml_25
    jml_25 Posts: 18 Member
    instead you should try a natural low carb diet. Where you include a couple of whole grains and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. I think that it is the refined carbs that get us.
  • skydiveD30571
    skydiveD30571 Posts: 281 Member
    Carbs are essential to the human body. We don't produce them and our body needs them.

    Carbs are a nonessential nutrient. Glucose can be produced via gluconeogenesis from amino acids (protein). Essential nutrients are fats and protein.

    Fats, protein, electrolytes, carbs, vitamins.

    Edit: The body uses carbs to make glucose

    carbs are not essential. that said, there is nothing bad about them. they are a ready source of energy and it's probably a good idea to eat some amount of carbs throughout the day if you don't have any medical condition that warrants excluding them.

    Yes carbs are essential. There's no time for me right now to debate this. But it was nice listening to your guy's opinions.

    You can insist on this all you want but it is incorrect. Feel free to google essential nutrients. The facts are pretty easy to find. An essential nutrient is one that cannot be sythesized by your body. As has been mentioned, glucose can be sythesized from amino acids.

    This is from Lyle McDonald and is on his website bodyrecomposition.com. He tends to know his stuff:

    "Remember from the last chapter what the two requirements of an essential nutrient are

    ■That nutrient is required for the proper function of the body.
    ■The body can’t make that nutrient in sufficient quantities.

    The second criterion is the reason that dietary carbohydrate is not an essential nutrient: the body is able to make as much glucose as the brain and the few other tissues need on a day-to-day basis. I should mention that the body is not able to provide sufficient carbohydrate to fuel high intensity exercise such as sprinting or weight training and carbs might be considered essential for individuals who want to do that type of exercise.

    So how is the glucose made? The answer is a biochemical process with the unwieldy name of gluconeogenesis, which simply means the making of new glucose. This process primarily occurs in the liver. When necessary, the body can make glucose out of a number of other substances including glycerol (which comes from fat metabolism), lactate and pyruvate (which comes from carbohydrate metabolism), and certain amino acids (from protein).

    Which brings me back around to the topic of protein as a fuel source for the body. Readers may have read that “carbohydrates spare protein” and this is part of the basis for that claim: when carbohydrates are being eaten in sufficient quantities, the body has no need to break down protein for fuel. By extension, when carbohydrates are being restricted for whatever reason, some proportion of protein will be used to make glucose, leaving less to be used for building blocks. This has an important implication for dieting, namely that protein requirements go up when you’re restricting either calories or carbohydrates."
  • pandia17
    pandia17 Posts: 35
    I think it's harder to cut carbs out of your diet than most people think! I used to think, "Oh, I 'll give up bagels, and rice and popcorn." but then I'd eat fruits and veggies with carbs in them! No clue. I think it's best to stick with foods that have good carbs in them and stay away from white flour items and processed crap. I eat quinoa, whole wheat cous cous, whole wheat tortilas, etc. and limit those items so I'm not overloading on them. Otherwise I stick to proteins and veggies and fruits as much as possible. Is it a perfect diet? Lord, no! I still eat stuff I probably shouldn't, but tracking everything on here makes me face what I am putting in my mouth. And some things that I thought were OK are definitely not. Ha. Kinda makes you rethink certain foods. :)

    This is a trial and error process - you live and you learn! Good luck!

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