Low Carb Diet

So I am starting a no carb diet but dont know much about it. I am trying to find or even plan a meal plan for the 2 weeks that I am going to do it. However its hard finding information about what to eat and exercise recommendations w/o having to pay buco bucks. I really want to lose 20 lbs by May and maintain that loss period and Im just confused about a lot with this no carb diet thing. Can someone give me some info, do's and donts, and let me know is it safe to exercise while doing this?

Replies

  • Nisha238
    Nisha238 Posts: 3
    Also what are these different phase thing about?
  • maggiecosmo
    maggiecosmo Posts: 47 Member
    From My experience if you are exercising its very hard to go no carb... i did go on the good carb's when i was planning to loose a lot of weight and it worked, brown rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa ....stay a way from all flour foods..Bread ETC and do the good carb's with portion control too... GOOD LUCK!
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    There is no magic diet. Eat at a reasonable calorie deficit and get some exercise. And you are gonna feel pretty crappy without eating carbs. If I may ask, why a no carb diet?
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    I've never heard of the no carb diet, sorry. Eating no carbs for two weeks sounds painful to me....I'd make sure to figure out how you're going to poop, because without any sort of fruits and veggies, it's gonna be painful.

    Exercise is also gonna be rough in that state.

    Losing 20 lbs in 5 or 6 weeks is pretty drastic. Safe weight loss happens at a rate of 2 lbs per week for those who are quite obese, and 1.5-1 lb per week for those who are overweight, and at an even slower rate for people who are pretty close to a healthy weight.

    My "don't" would be DON'T DO THIS.

    Do? Do eat healthy and at a caloric deficit, exercise regularly, drink water, sleep, relax and enjoy losing weight in a healthy manner.
  • Nisha238
    Nisha238 Posts: 3
    Ok then maybe I got the wrong info or going about it wrong. A low Carb or good carb diet seems better. I do watch what I eat and I recently got a 4 week pass to a gym so I will be going there to get some running in. I just started the Insanity work out at home as well. I just wanted information about the type of carbs to eat so I can plan my daily meals. I have seen info for no carb diet ie Atkins and Beach Body but I wanted more info before doing something harmful to myself
  • chirawan
    chirawan Posts: 1 Member
    Hi there! I've been on a no carb diet for about a month now. I have lost 13 lbs. My husband has lost 23 lbs. Search "keto" diet in google and you will learn a lot more. I'd try to explain it here, but honestly, it is A LOT to learn. I wouldn't be able to maintain it if it weren't for my husband's help. GL!
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
    No Carbs would kill me. i just got finished eating my lunch noodles because i am going to the gym tonight and like to eat carbs a few hours before. I don't think cutting out a whole food group is a good idea. Just portion control and senible. Good luck with whatever you choose. :flowerforyou:
  • corneredbycorn
    corneredbycorn Posts: 267 Member
    Neither Atkins nor Beachbody are no carb.

    I don't know much about Beachbody, but Atkins always has a minimum of 20 net carbs (total carbs - fiber = net carbs).

    Typical low carb plans have you back off of strenuous exercise at first because it's too much for your body to handle at once. After a month or two, then you start gradually adding it back in.

    20 pounds in less than two months isn't really realistic, even for a low carb diet where you initially lose a good bit of water weight. I have 15 pounds to lose and my projection is .5 lb per week.

    Also, if you're doing this as a diet, you will gain the weight back quickly. Low carb is one of those diets that you pretty much have to make a lifestyle. If you intend to eat bread or pasta or ice cream in the future, just back away now.
  • dimarston
    dimarston Posts: 9 Member
    Sounds like you might be thinking of the Dukan diet, which is low carb and has 4 stages. You can get the book pretty cheaply and there are some free web sites with good info. I lost 65 pounds in 5 months on this diet, and have kept it off for a year and a half now. I really liked the stages which help you transition back to normal eating. Some people will say negitive things about this type of diet, but it worked for me.
  • I think it is a good idea to still eat some carbs, just keep the amount low and make sure your carbs are nutrient and fiber dense such as fruits, yams etc. and you should be able to lose weight. Avoiding grains such as wheat, rice, corn etc. and simple sugar is a good way to lose weight from my experience, but everyone is different! Be sure to make meals based around protein and veggies, that way you won't be hungry all the time, and things like fruits and nuts make good snacks. I like to throw things such as chicken or fish, lemon juice or some kind of low sodium broth, and various veggies together in a baking dish and bake it together for however long the meat takes to cook. You can experiment with all sorts of different combinations and adding different seasonings and things, and it pretty much always turns out good and then you can take the leftovers for lunches the next day or two! When time is limited I also make things such as tuna/salmon salad with canned tuna/salmon and mayo, chopped onion, and seasonings. Making hard boiled egges in advance so they are easy to grab is also a good idea. You can brainstorm lots of good low-carb meal/snack ideas without neccesarily buying any books or anything!
  • msleanlegs
    msleanlegs Posts: 188 Member
    You don't have a lot of weight to lose, so 20 lbs by May is really not practical. Not saying you can't achieve it, but you'd have to take drastic measures to make a goal like that. And even if you are spot on with diet and exercise, sometimes weird things happen and the weight still doesn't come off like expected. Strive for a healthier lifestyle and enjoy the lbs you do lose, whatever they may be.

    As for a low carb diet, I've done them in the past and didn't lose any more weight than with a carb diet. If you like eating low carb, that's another thing. I eat lots of carbs (200+, sometimes over 300) and have been averaging 1 lb loss every 4 days. Not the fastest loss, but it's a sustainable diet and I feel good.

    Think about what feels good for your body, for your health, and stick to that.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    So I am starting a no carb diet but dont know much about it. I am trying to find or even plan a meal plan for the 2 weeks that I am going to do it. However its hard finding information about what to eat and exercise recommendations w/o having to pay buco bucks. I really want to lose 20 lbs by May and maintain that loss period and Im just confused about a lot with this no carb diet thing. Can someone give me some info, do's and donts, and let me know is it safe to exercise while doing this?

    Lots of butter and olive oil, stay away from things like eggs and veggies which have pesky carbs
  • RunForChai
    RunForChai Posts: 238 Member
    No carb is impossible. I am on a moderate carb [which is about 1/2 of what MFP gives me]. It is working great. I eat lots of protein [more than what MFP gives me]. I'm not hungry and am losing weight. Good luck.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    If you don't know anything about low carb diets, what on earth made you think it would be a good idea to go on one?
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
    People may refer to some no carb diets as one that eats very low carbs with high fiber. Being that the fiber will cancel the carbs. However, I really don't recommend these types of diets. Mainly because your body goes to carbs first for energy. Eating very low carbs will eliminate your body's first source of energy. Some people will argue that they feel great on low carbs, but I would argue they are happy with the weight loss and justifying it that way. Also, if you ever did increase carbs, you would see some weight gain.

    Nothing wrong with carbs, but if you are looking for complex carbs go with brown rice, oatmeal, wheat bread, sweet potatoes, etc.
  • bellyboosmom
    bellyboosmom Posts: 55 Member
    If you don't know anything about low carb diets, what on earth made you think it would be a good idea to go on one?
    ^^this
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Do: Figure out your BMR/TDEE, eat at a number between those.
    Don't: Jumpstart a nearly-impossible-to-maintain-0-carb-diet.
  • Kat5343
    Kat5343 Posts: 451 Member
    Ok then maybe I got the wrong info or going about it wrong. A low Carb or good carb diet seems better. I do watch what I eat and I recently got a 4 week pass to a gym so I will be going there to get some running in. I just started the Insanity work out at home as well. I just wanted information about the type of carbs to eat so I can plan my daily meals. I have seen info for no carb diet ie Atkins and Beach Body but I wanted more info before doing something harmful to myself


    I am supposed to be doing low carb. That has been the only way I have ever been able to lose weight. I am hypothyroid and have PCOS. Got to Atkins.com and there is information on all the phases. They urge you to eat your carbs in nonstarchy vegetables instead of white flour/pasta/wheat.. etc.

    Good luck
  • April_Christine
    April_Christine Posts: 66 Member
    I've never heard of the no carb diet, sorry. Eating no carbs for two weeks sounds painful to me....I'd make sure to figure out how you're going to poop, because without any sort of fruits and veggies, it's gonna be painful.

    Exercise is also gonna be rough in that state.

    Losing 20 lbs in 5 or 6 weeks is pretty drastic. Safe weight loss happens at a rate of 2 lbs per week for those who are quite obese, and 1.5-1 lb per week for those who are overweight, and at an even slower rate for people who are pretty close to a healthy weight.

    My "don't" would be DON'T DO THIS.

    Do? Do eat healthy and at a caloric deficit, exercise regularly, drink water, sleep, relax and enjoy losing weight in a healthy manner.


    Yes I agree!!! Take your time 20lbs by May is too quick.

    Also...do low carb...2 fruits, tons of veggies, 1-2 whole grains a day. Quinoa is my favoite! high in protein too! Oats are also a good choice. Good fats and lots o lean protein.
  • JessicaOnKeto
    JessicaOnKeto Posts: 364 Member
    I'm on a ketogenic diet, low carb, high fat diet myself. But it's NOT no carbs. I think that would be impossible... :ohwell:
    I try to keep my net carbs (carbs minus fiber) under 20-25grams a day and try to do 65% fat, 30% protein and 5% carbs of my calorie intake.
    My Diary is Public, so anyone and everyone can see what I eat, it may not be the most perfect example of keto/lowcarb, but It's what works for me at the moment Everyone and anyone, feel free to poke around/add me if you'd like. :bigsmile:
    My success is listed below, and my boyfriend has lost 51lbs on the Keto diet himself (he's been on it longer than i have) so it's been really really successful in our opinion.
    Add me if you have more questions or are interested in looking into it.
    BUT! Try to research it first if your still thinking about it, though, I would read www.theketogenicdiet.com first and see if it works for you. I would not recommend just jumping into something you really haven't studied, asked about and researched first. Low carb diets are NOT for everyone, but it does work out for some of us here. Good luck, :drinker:
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
    No carbs is a bit extreme. I target around 100g of carbs per day, about 100g of fat and 200g protein, though if protein and fat move around I don't really care.

    I also give myself one cheat day per week to eat what I want. Planning on a nice thin-crust pizza for my next one.
  • fishes305
    fishes305 Posts: 20 Member
    Go to Atkins.com it's free and there is all sorts of info. Also Google low carb diets there are meal plans and other info available.
  • desiv2
    desiv2 Posts: 651 Member
    Eat eggs, broccoli, cauliflower, non-root veggies, cheese, chicken, fish, steak, nuts, seeds.. :) Also, if you want to try it out go ahead.. and you can gain weight back when you go off any type of diet, when you go off a carb diet you will gain water weight.. because carbs (or what they turn into in your body) retain more water.... It's when you fall off the wagon and go on a feeding frenzy that you will gain real weight back and well.. you can do that with any diet. Keep in mind the rush of weight loss you get on a carb diet IS also water weight...it will slow down, however there are some benefits I've enjoyed like better skin and feeling more full/satisfied..

    Try looking into Paleo if keto isn't your thing, personally I plan on switching to paleo in the future.
  • endoftheside
    endoftheside Posts: 568 Member
    If you are looking to maintain the loss, something like Atkins may not be the best choice. It is really easy to gain the weight back when you add carbs back in. Most people don't follow Atkins all the way through to the maintenance phase (which is pretty involved). If you are serious about it, I would check out an Atkins book from the library and read the whole thing including maintenance and see if it sounds like something you could do long-term. My husband lost 50 pounds on Atkins and has kept most of it off for over a year, but it is an ongoing challenge to keep the carbs at the right level for him. I couldn't see myself maintaining on Atkins so I bailed on that and am back around to calorie counting and tweaking my macros to find something sustainable long-term for me.