Low carb dieters.. WHAT do you eat?!

savbentley
savbentley Posts: 103
in Food and Nutrition
Disclaimer #1: I think ridiculously low carb diets with regular exercise are generally stupid.
Disclaimer #2: I'm not planning on eating that way, this is pure curiosity because I've been researching nutrition quite a bit lately.


I work out pretty heavily. I eat like 160-200g of carbs a day. I see some people who say they eat between 30-60g. What my apparent ignorance here is how do you manage to take in even 1200 calories with that little carbohydrates without throwing your other macros totally out of whack? I have a fairly normal diet, it's not like I'm pounding pasta all day. Do ya'll not count carbs from fruits and veggies or something? Like I said.. I'm just curious.
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Replies

  • JenniferD83
    JenniferD83 Posts: 20 Member
    I imagine basically eggs and meat and not much else?

    I eat 100-150grams carbs/day, and I get those from veg/fruit/nuts and occasionally some legumes. I don't know how I'd manage to do less than 50 without severly cutting back my veges.
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
    I'd say eggs, meat, bacon, cheese. Fibrous green veggies. Coconut oil by the spoonful. Avocado.

    All that jazz.
  • Oaeneo
    Oaeneo Posts: 65 Member
    Disclaimer #1: I think ridiculously low carb diets with regular exercise are generally stupid...
    ... Like I said.. I'm just curious.

    If you don't know anything about it, how do you manage to be so opinionated?

    A quick google search will give you a list of low carb foods. You could even research keto diets and find out about how intelligent people following low carb diets are managing their macros. It isn't difficult and it certainly isn't stupid.
  • JenniferD83
    JenniferD83 Posts: 20 Member
    I'd say eggs, meat, bacon, cheese. Fibrous green veggies. Coconut oil by the spoonful. Avocado.

    All that jazz.

    Avo has heaps of carbs! I never realised until I started logging!
  • savbentley
    savbentley Posts: 103
    I imagine basically eggs and meat and not much else?

    I eat 100-150grams carbs/day, and I get those from veg/fruit/nuts and occasionally some legumes. I don't know how I'd manage to do less than 50 without severly cutting back my veges.

    I guess that'd make sense. I'd still think the fat intake would have to be pretty crazy high since most foods are either carb high or fat high. hm.
  • Oaeneo
    Oaeneo Posts: 65 Member
    I imagine basically eggs and meat and not much else?

    I eat 100-150grams carbs/day, and I get those from veg/fruit/nuts and occasionally some legumes. I don't know how I'd manage to do less than 50 without severly cutting back my veges.

    I eat a primary plant based diet, stay low carb (under 30g). It isn't difficult when you cut unnecessary sugars out of your diet.

    I eat at about 1400 cal/day and am fairly active with yoga and weightlifting.
  • ajourney2beme
    ajourney2beme Posts: 181 Member
    I eat between 50-80 carbs a day and mine come from all veggies and about 1 fruit a day.

    For the first meal in my day I usually have a scramble of bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes with an egg, sausage, and piece of bacon. Top with some salsa and guac.

    My next meal depends on what I feel like but usually a salad with EVOO & balsamic Vin with some sort of protein. Usually a hard boiled egg (if I only had 1 egg for breakfast) or chicken or steak or tuna (depends on what I want/have available).

    Usually a fruit between that meal and my next meal. Some nuts of some sort.

    My last meal of the day is usually some sort of protein with tons of veggies again, or a sweet potato (depending on how many carbs I'm at).

    It sounds kind of boring but I will make recipes like meatloaf and stuff and hide veggies in it etc.

    NOTE this is on a NORMAL day when I have things planned. Otherwise I just do what I can :D

    I really love fruit so having 1 a day is the most I want to cut back to. Sometimes i'll have more than 1 if I really want more. I'm not sure I could do less than 50g carb though, cause I really love all the veggies I get to eat, it makes me super full.
  • savbentley
    savbentley Posts: 103
    Disclaimer #1: I think ridiculously low carb diets with regular exercise are generally stupid...
    ... Like I said.. I'm just curious.

    If you don't know anything about it, how do you manage to be so opinionated?

    A quick google search will give you a list of low carb foods. You could even research keto diets and find out about how intelligent people following low carb diets are managing their macros. It isn't difficult and it certainly isn't stupid.

    I should have been more specific, I think it's stupid with strenuous regular exercise. Your body needs carbs for fuel with heavy exercise, that doesn't require knowledge of what a low diet carb consists of that's just fact.
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
    I'd say eggs, meat, bacon, cheese. Fibrous green veggies. Coconut oil by the spoonful. Avocado.

    All that jazz.

    Avo has heaps of carbs! I never realised until I started logging!

    ...it has, like, 8.5g of carbs per 100g. About 6.7g of that is fibre. That's aLOT?

    I'm lol'ing at avocados as a carb source.
  • Oaeneo
    Oaeneo Posts: 65 Member
    Disclaimer #1: I think ridiculously low carb diets with regular exercise are generally stupid...
    ... Like I said.. I'm just curious.
    Your body needs carbs for fuel with heavy exercise, that doesn't require knowledge of what a low diet carb consists of that's just fact.

    Not according to top scientific peer reviewed research on nutritional science. The human body requires very few carbs at all. But hey, you want to follow mainstream mythology, whatever.
  • JenniferD83
    JenniferD83 Posts: 20 Member
    I imagine basically eggs and meat and not much else?

    I eat 100-150grams carbs/day, and I get those from veg/fruit/nuts and occasionally some legumes. I don't know how I'd manage to do less than 50 without severly cutting back my veges.

    I eat a primary plant based diet, stay low carb (under 30g). It isn't difficult when you cut unnecessary sugars out of your diet. and for your information, legumes are carb heavy.

    I wasn't being snarky! I was honestly wondering...
    I only eat legumes occasionally, because I get sick of eating meat all the time. I realise they're high in carbs.
    I dont' eat sugar/honey/bread/pasta/potatoes/rice at all.
    Eg today my 100gr carbs come from tomato, avo, courgette, greek yoghurt, cauliflower, an apple, some berries and a banana. I realise I could cut down more by not eating fruit....but I'd love some tips for getting enough protein on a low-ish carb diet without eating so much meat.


    Edit to add I'm not aiming for under 100gr, just to stick around 100-150 without always relying on meat.
  • Tkwild
    Tkwild Posts: 116 Member
    "That's just fact".

    As someone who has eaten low-carb for a year, lost 25kg (60-ish pounds), works out just fine, I'd like to know where you get your "facts" from, cos clearly my body wasn't aware.

    What I eat - meat, eggs, cheese, green/ leafy veges, and limited amounts of berries. I eat less fat and more veg than my "normal diet" partner.
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
    Your body needs carbs for fuel with heavy exercise, that doesn't require knowledge of what a low diet carb consists of that's just fact.

    Not according to top scientific peer reviewed research on nutritional science. The human body requires very few carbs at all. But hey, you want to follow mainstream mythology, whatever.

    To name these "top scientific peer reviewed research" studies?...


    Your body doesn't NEED carbs, correct. But prefers them as a source of fuel for intense training, such as weight lifting, HIIT, etc.
  • hyenagirl
    hyenagirl Posts: 206 Member
    I do strenuous exercise all the time and I eat low carb (I'll eat a carb once a week for fun). Some people can get energy from the fat they eat. If you eat low carb, you raise your fat intake levels (as well as your protein). As far as micro nutrients go, you need to increase your sodium intake (especially if you're on low carb). You don't retain water like you do when you eat carbs and to keep this hormone balanced, you need to increase sodium.

    What did people get for fuel before agriculture was invented? Here's a better modern example, how do the Inuits get their energy? They don't eat carbs (they eat only animals with the occasional berry in the short summer), and they go kayaking for seals in icy sea water. That seems pretty strenuous.
  • Tkwild
    Tkwild Posts: 116 Member
    Your body doesn't NEED carbs, correct. But prefers them as a source of fuel for intense training, such as weight lifting, HIIT, etc.

    This may be true. I always think working out (at least in early LC days) that when normal people say "I hit the wall", that's where the low-carbers start. But it doesn't mean we can't work out, just that we have to be more determined - and your body does get used to burning fat instead of carbs!
  • Oaeneo
    Oaeneo Posts: 65 Member
    Your body needs carbs for fuel with heavy exercise, that doesn't require knowledge of what a low diet carb consists of that's just fact.

    Not according to top scientific peer reviewed research on nutritional science. The human body requires very few carbs at all. But hey, you want to follow mainstream mythology, whatever.

    To name these "top scientific peer reviewed research" studies?...


    Your body doesn't NEED carbs, correct. But prefers them as a source of fuel for intense training, such as weight lifting, HIIT, etc.


    Your body prefers them because they convert to fat easier. Your physiology wants to store fat,however, this biology is exactly what we are trying to work against to lose weight.

    Also, I am not citing any scientific sources for you. Google it yourself and maybe you will read them. I suggest JSTORE if you have a student account. Otherwise, google scholar is a great source for scholarly articles.
  • Eandretta96
    Eandretta96 Posts: 119
    Let's be honest here. The only reason people do low carb is because they think that's the "only way to lose weight." I used to do that and I can't imagine ever going back to that. People that have the mentality "oh carbs cause an insulin response. If I remove them, it's impossible to store fat." Your body turns protein into glucose.
  • savbentley
    savbentley Posts: 103
    http://www.fao.org/docrep/w8079e/w8079e0n.htm
    http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/carbs.html

    I found literally no information to back claims that carbohydrates are not important.
  • savbentley
    savbentley Posts: 103
    Let's be honest here. The only reason people do low carb is because they think that's the "only way to lose weight." I used to do that and I can't imagine ever going back to that. People that have the mentality "oh carbs cause an insulin response. If I remove them, it's impossible to store fat." Your body turns protein into glucose.


    Exactly.

    "Two recent studies in the Annals of Internal Medicine, however, report that individuals on a low-carb diet obtain the same amount of weight loss after a year as those on more traditional low-fat diets. It is important to note that, according to Dr. Donald Hensrud, Weight management specialist at the Mayo Clinic, that caloric intake is "the bottom line." All the carb cutting in the world won't matter unless caloric intake is also controlled. Dr. Ian Smith of Men's Health magazine reports that individuals on a low-carb diet are more likely to gain the weight back after stopping than any other diet. In addition, a 1995 study found that diets similar to Atkins are detrimental to complex cognitive performance and brain function after only one week.

    The bad news is the increased risk to an individual's health. For example, if the body is burning large amounts of fats without sufficient dietary carbohydrates, the body produces ketones. These ketones produce side effects such as headaches, dehydration, bad breath and nausea. Over time "health care professionals fear bone loss, muscle breakdown and kidney disease" as a result of low carb diet induced ketosis, reports Ann Saul Dudrich of the Tribune-Review.

    An additional side-effect of the low-carb diet is an increased risk for heart attack. Although two recent studies in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that low carb diets do not increase LDL or bad cholesterol levels long term, doctors still acknowledge the increased risk of heart attack. One of the authors of this study, Frederick F. Samaha, believes that "Odds are" a low-carb diet that is high in fat is going to increase the risk of heart attack"
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
    Your body prefers them because they convert to fat easier. Your physiology wants to store fat,however, this biology is exactly what we are trying to work against to lose weight.

    Also, I am not citing any scientific sources for you. Google it yourself and maybe you will read them. I suggest JSTORE if you have a student account. Otherwise, google scholar is a great source for scholarly articles.

    What a load of bollocks

    Carbs don't "convert" to fat any easier than protein or fat does. I hope these "scientific sources" aren't Gary Taubes or - god forbid - Jimmy Moore.
  • savbentley
    savbentley Posts: 103
    Your body prefers them because they convert to fat easier. Your physiology wants to store fat,however, this biology is exactly what we are trying to work against to lose weight.

    Also, I am not citing any scientific sources for you. Google it yourself and maybe you will read them. I suggest JSTORE if you have a student account. Otherwise, google scholar is a great source for scholarly articles.

    What a load of bollocks

    Carbs don't "convert" to fat any easier than protein or fat does. I hope these "scientific sources" aren't Gary Taubes or - god forbid - Jimmy Moore.

    It's such a typical "dieter" mentality. I really want someone to tell me it's beneficial to restrict yourself from eating ONE cup of whole grain rice or quinoa, that alone would push over most low carb dieters total daily carb intake.
  • turtlefitnessdad
    turtlefitnessdad Posts: 585 Member
    There are many reasons to go low carb beyond just weight loss. I don't do it myself but my wife has to. She, like many women, has PCOS and has to limit carb intake so she can get pregnent.
  • savbentley
    savbentley Posts: 103
    There are many reasons to go low carb beyond just weight loss. I don't do it myself but my wife has to. She, like many women, has PCOS and has to limit carb intake so she can get pregnent.

    If it's medically recommended by a doctor, I'd say it's safe to say it's a different story.
    Anyone else, I'd really like to see the result of them taking it up with a reputable nutritionist.
  • Eandretta96
    Eandretta96 Posts: 119
    I will admit I was sooo convinced that low carb was the "way." I would look at all these studies and I was convinced. To be honest though, low carb really was hell. Seriously, it's all about your calories. People try to make it so much harder than it has to be. As soon as I started counting calories, I began losing weight. Oh and then there were those carb binge days...
  • Eandretta96
    Eandretta96 Posts: 119
    Same with "you have to eat healthy to lose weight." It's good to eat nutrient dense foods but one of the reasons people quit their diets is because they think they have to eat salads all day. Once I started following IIFYM, dieting has just been so much easier.
  • sarahmonsta
    sarahmonsta Posts: 185 Member
    BACON!!!!!! hahah. Idk. I would go homicidal if I was on a low carb diet.
  • turtlefitnessdad
    turtlefitnessdad Posts: 585 Member
    In terms of just plain oll loosing weight i will say that it completly sucks. My wife has to be on a low carb diet as i said and for awhile this resulted in me getting a much less carb diet. It really is awful. No energy, no real anything. Just blah. I am sure many can say different but as the OP mentioned it just not needed. If you don't have a medical reason to avoid something then don't avoid it. If you can loose weight, and you can, without cutting out things then do not cut them out.
  • savbentley
    savbentley Posts: 103
    In terms of just plain oll loosing weight i will say that it completly sucks. My wife has to be on a low carb diet as i said and for awhile this resulted in me getting a much less carb diet. It really is awful. No energy, no real anything. Just blah. I am sure many can say different but as the OP mentioned it just not needed. If you don't have a medical reason to avoid something then don't avoid it. If you can loose weight, and you can, without cutting out things then do not cut them out.


    That's exactly my point, you just stated it way better LOL.
  • turtlefitnessdad
    turtlefitnessdad Posts: 585 Member
    In terms of just plain oll loosing weight i will say that it completly sucks. My wife has to be on a low carb diet as i said and for awhile this resulted in me getting a much less carb diet. It really is awful. No energy, no real anything. Just blah. I am sure many can say different but as the OP mentioned it just not needed. If you don't have a medical reason to avoid something then don't avoid it. If you can loose weight, and you can, without cutting out things then do not cut them out.


    That's exactly my point, you just stated it way better LOL.

    Yeah............I am totally cool like that. :wink:
  • letjog
    letjog Posts: 260 Member
    I'd actually agree with the OP that a 'diet' cutting out a whole food group is miserable and pointless.
    When I lost my weight I DID reduce the amount of carbohydrate I ate, in terms of portion sizes. And a few meals a week were starch-free.
    But I love exercising and like to have a diet that compliments this.
    Plus I don't want to stuff my face with meat and fat to compensate. And to have to restrict my veggies.

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