Another annoying question about carbs hit me with science

Yeah - I've lost about 150lbs of water! It's a wonder my skin held :laugh:
I recommend you read Atkins' book. He invented low carb.
Different things work for different people - I've tried most of them, and really low carb is the only thing that works for me.
Good luck :flowerforyou:

Here's what I've figreud out: a calorie is a calorie, but dropping carbs out might make you lose more because a) the thing you substitute carbs/grains with has less calories in it b) it's harder to binge on protein and fat (ever tried binging with steak vs. binging with toast? or felt unable to finish that McBurger, but the fries were still going down?) c) your body has to work harder to turn protein and fat into blood sugar and stuff that your muscles use.

I've lost 14lbs now (in 2 months) by switching things up a little: I love pasta, but instead of having a huge amount of pasta, some sauce with it and maybe a tiny side salad (if any at all), I have the same amount of sauce, a little bit of pasta (about 1/4-1/2 of what I used to have) and a large salad. This does NOT mean I'm cutting out all grains, carbs, white flour or anything like that - I'm simply minimizing the portion size and having a larger portion of veggies with it.

On water weight loss, I've heard from several friends who've done the low carb diet, that the reason they lose so quickly in the first couple of weeks is water weight, but after that the pace will slow down to a "normal" weight loss pace but they just find it easier to lose weight with the low carb diet because they feel it fills them up more.

Technically, if you eat under your TDEE you will lose weight, so in that respect, a calorie is a calorie.

But WHAT you use those calories on will determine your health, body composition, energy levels, hunger levels, etc.

A general rule is to make sure you get adequate protein and healthy fats in. .7-1 gram Protein per pound of Lean Body Mass is a minimum to help you keep as much muscle as you can. If you are lifting heavy, then you may require more.

Aim for .35-.5 grams of Healthy fats per pound of LBM, i.e. nuts, olive oil, avocados, etc. will help keep your hormone levels good, hair and skin moisturized and healthy, and aid in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins. Omega 3s will actually help you burn belly fat. They are also found in oily fish like salmon, etc. Omega 3s are found in many other foods.

Higher protein and healthy fats also keep you satiated longer, which will help you stay under your calorie goal.

The rest of your calories can be filled with carbs. High fiber carbs are preferred over simple, processed carbs and sugar. But it doesn't mean that you can never have any of the 'good stuff', you just have to have it in moderation.

As for the gluten controversy, yes, while it is true that only 1-2% of the population has true Celiac Disease, considerably more people have a sensitivity to gluten that can cause less severe, yet still very troubling and often painful side effects, such as bloating, stomach and intestinal pain, joint paint, fatigue, headaches, etc.
Apparently wheat today is not processed the same way as it was 50 years ago, and this change has caused many problems in a lot of people. I haven't read it, but there is a book called Wheat Belly, that I have heard explains this change very well.

Some people have the same symptoms with processed sugar. In addition to that, processed sugars and processed, low fiber grain products can cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin levels, which impedes fat burning, and then when your blood sugar drops and you 'crash', then you are left tired, hungry, and craving more sugar/carbs to get your energy back. The cycle can cause you to go over your calorie goal. It can also cause mood swings, and you might be depressed and frustrated and end up giving up trying to lose weight altogether, because "diets don't work".

People are different. Our body compositions are different. How we process certain foods can differ from each other. Our activity levels are different. Some people can eat high amounts of simple carbs and sugar and still lose weight without any problem. Some of us can't. It seems that many women have a higher sensitivity to carbs than men. This is especially true if you carry your weight in your midsection, are considerably overweight, and/or have a history of Type 2 Diabetes in your family. Of course you can also find some women who say they eat high amounts of sugar and lose just fine as well.

For me personally, a lower carb/ higher fat/ moderate protein diet works very well. I have all the risks for Diabetes, plus I have an autoimmune disease, arthritis, and PCOS. I feel better and have much less pain now than I have had in years. I can occasionally have some sugar or bread product and get away with it, but if I have too much, my body will certainly tell me about it.

Find what works for you, and learn moderation. Extreme black and white thinking is the downfall of many weight loss plans.

Oh, and as for dairy, I have no opinion on that, other than if it doesn't bother you and you enjoy it, then go for it. If you DO cut out dairy, then be sure you take a calcium supplement, and look for other high calcium foods to add to your diet.

I thought that the reason for low carb was the way the body burns calories. For instance, it burns carbs last- protein and fat first. So by eating low carb, the body burns fat. Is this not true? I am eating low carb right now (it will be somewhat temporary because I am trying to break a stall). Atkins induction-type thing.

Your body actually burns carbs FIRST, as they are more easily used for fuel. Therefore if you feed your body enough carbs, then it has no reason to burn stored fat. If you eat at a calorie deficit, then you will eventually run out of carbs for fuel at some point and then your body will use stored fat for fuel. By eating lower carbs, your body can burn thru those quicker and get to the fat burning sooner. Of course there is more complicated science behind this, but it is the general idea behind low carb.

I thought that the reason for low carb was the way the body burns calories. For instance, it burns carbs last- protein and fat first. So by eating low carb, the body burns fat. Is this not true? I am eating low carb right now (it will be somewhat temporary because I am trying to break a stall). Atkins induction-type thing.

Yes, the premise of eating lower carbs is that you're body will be forced to rely more heavily on fats for energy, rather than carbohydrates since they are no longer so readily available.

Seriously, people???

The water weight "lost" initially with a lower carb diet is due to the fact that your body actually needs to hold more water to process carbs. If you don't eat the carbs, your body gets rid of the water. it is not dehydrating itself in the unhealthy sense. If you start to eat more carbs, your body will retain water to process it. That is why you might start to feel bloaty after eating breads and pastas if you don't normally eat them.

There, science in layman's terms.

I am not diabetic or ever been diagnosed with a pre-diabetic condition.

If I keep my carbs around 35% not only am I less hungry than when I've higher but also lose weight faster at the same calorie level.

The major change in my diet since I started here almost a hear ago (and less 35 pounds - everything I needed to lose) - is lowering my carbs from 45% to 35%. That made it easy to eat more without going over calories.

I found the book Why We Get Fat, a summary of science of fat deposition and weight loss by the Science Editor of the NYTimes, helpful. It explained why this would be true. Essentially high glycemic foods (fast digestion, like carbs - especially liquid carbs) causes an insulin spike. During high insulin levels, you lower blood sugar by quickly storing it as fat and stopping breaking down fat into sugar. The more time your body spends doing that, the more you will store fat and the less you will burn it - even at identical calorie levels. It's what your body does to keep you from having dangerously high blood sugar levels. Long term, it will not only make you fat, it will also make you hungry and give you diabetes if you are vulnerable to it.

The NIH did a good review of diets last year and essentially came up with recommendations that mirror the book's.

You can go lower carb and lose weight faster, but long term, 35% is easy to maintain and does the same thing. This is a lifetime goal of weight maintenance, not a diet.

BTW, you probably saw the stuff in the news last week about high quantities of red meat creating a favorable environment for gut bacteria that mess up your heart. There's more to eating than any one component. If one reason for losing weight is reducing risk of heart attack and stroke, you may want to watch red meat intake as well.