low carb diet- really?

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pondmermaid
pondmermaid Posts: 43 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I asked a friend who lost a lot of weight what her plan had been and she replied "just a low carb diet" and went on to tell me that she didn't do any calorie counting just stayed below %15 of her daily calories allotted for carbs.

I have been thinking about this as I look at the breakdown of percentages of carbs, fat and protein on MFP. Just want to clarify for folks just starting a healthy weight loss program. Yes, this is a strategy for weight loss but it is actually a healthier solution to target those empty carb calories that inflate our total calorie count and cause weight gain: sugars, excessive bread intake, cereals, excessive white rice, snack foods etc...........Not veggies and fruits which also have carbs but are not the enemy here.

Of course my friend was also counting calories or she wouldn't have know what her intake of carbs was. She just didn't think of it that way. I am not faulting her am just thinking of how to properly give our bodies good nutrition.

I know this a no brainer for most folks but am thinking of beginning members who are trying to decipher the ins and outs of all these diet strategies.

Comments from members?
sorry for the long message!

Replies

  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    Yes, this is a strategy for weight loss but it is actually a healthier solution to target those empty carb calories that inflate our total calorie count and cause weight gain: sugars, excessive bread intake, cereals, excessive white rice, snack foods etc...........Not veggies and fruits which also have carbs but are not the enemy here.

    No particular food item is the enemy. Caloric deficit = weight loss.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Yes, this is a strategy for weight loss but it is actually a healthier solution to target those empty carb calories that inflate our total calorie count and cause weight gain: sugars, excessive bread intake, cereals, excessive white rice, snack foods etc...........Not veggies and fruits which also have carbs but are not the enemy here.

    I would agree that if one is eating a lot of grains which have had the bran and germ removed and/or added sugars, it would be beneficial for most to eat less of those. But that wouldn't necessarily mean going low carb. It could just mean going "better carb".
  • losingweightfindingme
    losingweightfindingme Posts: 109 Member
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    I guess my take on the low-carb thing is that I could never make it work for me and my fitness goals. My goal is not only to lose weight but gain muscle. Muscle naturally takes more calories to maintain than fat does. Muscles are our natural calorie incinerators...and also have a longer-lasting afterburn of calories after a workout. They keep burning calories even when we've stopped working out for the day...which is awesome. The crux of the situation is that muscles need carbs to burn off the fat and calories. Without the carbs, the muscles are forced to break themselves down in order to survive/thrive. So with a low carb option, yes you are losing weight but you are also naturally breaking down your very own built-in calorie incinerators. You starve your own internal furnaces. This is all as explained to me by a nutritionist friend of mine...so I may not have everything right but I did understand that the body needs a certain amount of carbs to build muscle...and more muscle = more calories burned per day for maintenance.

    I personally couldn't do a low-carb diet because I've got a kidney disorder that can actually shut my kidneys down if i get an excess of protein running around in my system. I can enter a ketoacidotic state and it can cause organ shutdown. I think it's all about finding a happy balance between the nutrients. I think the important thing when choosing carbs for any diet is to choose natural sources of carbs (whole unrefined grains, fruits, veggies, ets). and to avoid the processed sources of carbs (refined sugars, white breads, white rice, processed foods).

    But, that's just my 2 cents on the deal...far be it from me to say that my way is the right way...but I've found something that is working for me.
  • pondmermaid
    pondmermaid Posts: 43 Member
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    thanks for the great replies! I have been somewhat worried about folks focusing on number of calories and reducing weight rather than focusing on what the body needs in terms of nutrition. That is one of the things that MFP is great for- listing up not just carbs, fat and protein but also vitamins and iron. Great info. on muscle function!
  • corneredbycorn
    corneredbycorn Posts: 267 Member
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    What she probably meant is that she tracks to make sure she's at 15% of carbs or less, but she doesn't pay attention or care about the overall calorie amount. Usually people who eat low carb don't have issues staying low in calories because fat and protein are very satisfying so they feel full sooner and stay content for longer. There are always exceptions, of course, but that's just the general trend. And no, what was said above about needing carbs to keep muscle is absolutely not true. There are people all over the world who eat little to no carbs and aren't suffering from muscular deterioration. The body does, however, need protein to build muscle (as that's pretty much all muscle is). Carbs can also help for quick energy, but they aren't necessary.

    I have my ratios set to 50/25/25 f/p/c. It worked well for me in the past, but then I freaked out about not following the ever famous MyPlate and tried to follow conventional wisdom (low fat, high carb). I was miserable because I was always hungry and gained weight again. I flipped my ratios back and I'm feeling good again. It helps that my favorite foods are high in fat, but low in carbs. My only high carb pleasure is pasta and I can easily fit it in if I plan around it.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,017 Member
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    If your a carbbaholic, then low carb works like a champ, and how low would be dependent on how easily your influenced by overeating carbs and or certain carbs.
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
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    Don't really need to count calories to know you're getting less that 15% of them from carbs. Just eat things that aren't carb sources a eggs, meat, dairy, etc.
    Probably what your friend did, I'd guess.
  • Bumbeen
    Bumbeen Posts: 263 Member
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    Yes, this is a strategy for weight loss but it is actually a healthier solution to target those empty carb calories that inflate our total calorie count and cause weight gain: sugars, excessive bread intake, cereals, excessive white rice, snack foods etc...........Not veggies and fruits which also have carbs but are not the enemy here.

    No particular food item is the enemy. Caloric deficit = weight loss.

    What about transfats?
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    Yes, this is a strategy for weight loss but it is actually a healthier solution to target those empty carb calories that inflate our total calorie count and cause weight gain: sugars, excessive bread intake, cereals, excessive white rice, snack foods etc...........Not veggies and fruits which also have carbs but are not the enemy here.

    No particular food item is the enemy. Caloric deficit = weight loss.

    What about transfats?

    You can still lose weight on an all trans-fat diet, if you are in a calorie deficit.

    Of course, it sucks for your body and your health will go down the tubes...but you can still lose weight doing that. It explains why my ex-best friend has never been above 115 pounds even though she eats junk food all day. It's just that she only eats about 1000 calories or less of that junk food.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    thanks for the great replies! I have been somewhat worried about folks focusing on number of calories and reducing weight rather than focusing on what the body needs in terms of nutrition. That is one of the things that MFP is great for- listing up not just carbs, fat and protein but also vitamins and iron. Great info. on muscle function!

    Don't put too much trust in the vitamins/iron on MFP. Some people don't bother putting those in when entering foods and just stick to the calories, fat,carbs and protein. I found that out with calcium missing from dairy a few times when logging myself.
  • sculawstudent
    sculawstudent Posts: 26
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    I avoid carbs usually (been bad lately) but sometimes have pasta/rice or potato or crispbread in small portions and apart from the crispbread as natural as possible. I cant stand normal bread YUK never eat it anymore, a wrap is the closest thing I can have and that is only if there is no other choice and only if I am VERY hungry, I would rather starve than eat a sandwich. This is not really to lose weight, It is more that carbs make me feel bloated and then I get depressed and eat more of everything else so its more a weight loss tool than actually causing the loss...
  • Bumbeen
    Bumbeen Posts: 263 Member
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    Yes, this is a strategy for weight loss but it is actually a healthier solution to target those empty carb calories that inflate our total calorie count and cause weight gain: sugars, excessive bread intake, cereals, excessive white rice, snack foods etc...........Not veggies and fruits which also have carbs but are not the enemy here.

    No particular food item is the enemy. Caloric deficit = weight loss.

    What about transfats?

    You can still lose weight on an all trans-fat diet, if you are in a calorie deficit.

    Of course, it sucks for your body and your health will go down the tubes...but you can still lose weight doing that. It explains why my ex-best friend has never been above 115 pounds even though she eats junk food all day. It's just that she only eats about 1000 calories or less of that junk food.

    So trans-fats are bad for you, but it's not possible that other foods are not? Or that other foods may hinder fat loss through some affect on hormone levels?
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    Low carb diets aren't for everyone. Do what works for you. If you want to give it a try then try it out. You might like it you might not...everyone is different, and there are a million ways to lose weight. Just find the trick that works for you and stick with it.
  • animemoon5
    animemoon5 Posts: 55 Member
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    I did a low-carb diet for awhile, several years ago... =x This was before I heard of Atkins, and I was actually reading some dated 1970's diet book... It basically said to eat "all you want" and until you are "Thoroughly stuffed" of meats, cheeses, eggs, olives etc, so long as you didn't have any fruit, certain veggies, breads or "Carb foods" .... It eagerly said "Go ahead! Gorge yourself! As long as you don't get any carbs you'll lose weight! Enjoy 4 eggs, slathered in cheese, with bacon piled on top!"

    Well of course I got excited.... and then proceeded to do just what the book said, I gorged myself on as much cheese eggs and meat as I could possibly do.... and yes I totally lost weight.... 20 lbs in two weeks...... However I felt sick, miserable, had no energy and well the old saying, "You are what you eat" .... ;p yeah I felt as gross as the food I was eating..... I never lasted past two weeks, I wanted bread, and I wanted an ice cream cone.... I gave up the diet and not only did I re-gain the 20lbs I lost, but I gained about 15 more all within a month or two....

    Right now, I'm watching my carbs, but I'm not eliminating anything from my diet, if I really crave bread, I'll have it if it's within my calorie budget.... However I've learned protein really does keep me full, that good foods stretch much further than sugars or refined flour.... so I'm trying to do switchouts, if I can go without the bread, I will, if I can have potatoes instead of pasta, I do so... but I'll never go back to 0 carb gorge yourself on meat diet again...
  • tweak222
    tweak222 Posts: 40
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    Caloric Deficit + Balanced Diet = Happy Healthy Individuals, I feel great, my caloric goal is around 1450 which is fairly low but I try to eat my burned calories back. Sometimes it drops around 1200 however I try to keep my meals balanced which helps me to continue to feel great even when I'm a little low on the calorie intake. I urge anyone who is on a low calorie diet to really beef up the nutritional value. That's where the money is ;) You'll lose weight with a caloric deficit but you'll feel great if you balance your diet! That's what I'm in this for, feeling great! Looking great is simply a plus! :)

    Those little micro nutrients in raw foods make a big difference! (they do for me anyway). I love what my mom says about the grocery store, "The second you leave the produce section is when you lose all nutritional value." It's not true for EVERYTHING past that section but it is a great rule of thumb!

    If you eat toxic foods and still have a calorie deficit well you'll probably lose weight but you will feel "ugh" the whole time and flake out of the diet. (It's happened to me on several occasions) I pay particular attention to the little things but they make a big difference!

    As for the carbs, I definitely try to replenish those after an intense P90X workout where I burn 900+ calories. I'll eat some carbs and some protein so my body has what it needs to recover! If you're only dieting to lose weight well a low-carb diet makes a lot of sense! Just don't forget the little things, your body will thank you for it.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    Yes, this is a strategy for weight loss but it is actually a healthier solution to target those empty carb calories that inflate our total calorie count and cause weight gain: sugars, excessive bread intake, cereals, excessive white rice, snack foods etc...........Not veggies and fruits which also have carbs but are not the enemy here.

    No particular food item is the enemy. Caloric deficit = weight loss.

    What about transfats?

    You can still lose weight on an all trans-fat diet, if you are in a calorie deficit.

    Of course, it sucks for your body and your health will go down the tubes...but you can still lose weight doing that. It explains why my ex-best friend has never been above 115 pounds even though she eats junk food all day. It's just that she only eats about 1000 calories or less of that junk food.

    So trans-fats are bad for you, but it's not possible that other foods are not? Or that other foods may hinder fat loss through some affect on hormone levels?

    Please don't poke me into a debate. I'm too cranky...

    I was simply trying to help the other poster explain a little about what he wrote. :flowerforyou:

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