Frustrated? Carb in , Carb out?

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  • Kingeight
    Kingeight Posts: 36 Member
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    Okay so it came off as I was trying to push carbs down your throats.

    I was more like wondering about how or why people do the low carb diets. I do understand that you sometimes need low carb do to health issues. I mean I have days where I am lower in carb but my macro is 168g daily for weight maintenance. If I go super low my mood is just really crappy as I've witnessed with other people who do the low carb lifestyle. I just feel like doing the Atkins way is odd because a carb is our brains fuel and it is a macro after all. That's all.

    “Fat is the perfect fuel, Dr. Michael Eades wrote on his blog. “Part of it provides energy to the liver so that the liver can convert protein to glucose. The unusable part of the fat then converts to ketones, which reduce the need for glucose.”

    Dr. Eades continues. If “you’re following a low-carb diet…the protein you eat is converted to glucose….If you keep the carbs low enough so that the liver still has to make some sugar, then you will be in fat-burning mode….How low is low enough? Well, when the ketosis process is humming along nicely and the brain and other tissues have converted to ketones for fuel, the requirement for glucose drops to about 120-130 gm per day. If you keep your carbs below that at, say, 60 grams per day, you’re liver will have to produce at least 60-70 grams of glucose to make up the deficit, so you will generate ketones that entire time.”
  • LBNOakland
    LBNOakland Posts: 379 Member
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    Some interesting discussion. So glad everyone is acting maturely and debating not disrespecting! :smile:

    My totally non-scientific experience with low-carbs. I lost 30 pounds in 3 months with Atkins. It worked but I didn't learn how to eat healthy. I could buy 2 big macs and just eat the meat and not feel guilty. Really? Of course, I gained it all back plus some. I also screwed up my thyroid so losing weight since has been a nightmare.

    I have also tried SouthBeach, which I think is a much healthier alternative since it focuses on low fat meats and complex carbs. Atkins was too crazy about eating ANY greasy burger, etc.

    Bottom line for me, I have to count calories. I do tend to focus on protein because I have started lifting. But I don't throw out any food group completely because I know I won't stick to that for life. I am trying to learn a new lifestyle, not a temporary diet fad. If I want chips, I eat them but I rarely eat a hamburger bun. Guacamole is great on a burger!

    Everyone's body is different and you have to find what works for you. Sometimes, the battle is in your head, not your stomach anyway. But it is still a battle!

    Anyway, I really just wanted to appreciate that you all are having a great debate without it getting ugly. That rarely seems to happen on here!! These discussions are what help people like me, who are still a work in progress, not the drama and name calling!! Carry on!! :flowerforyou:
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    Boxed and processed foods are bad.

    You're fruit and veggies better be coming off the tree/out of the ground/off the bush, because otherwise they are "bad" since they typically come in some sort of container.

    I love carbs, will eat a lot of carbs, and keep living my life.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
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    :laugh:
    threads like these help me weed out the d-canoes with my handy dandy ignore button....you guys arrre awesome!
  • Mythril
    Mythril Posts: 146 Member
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    I am currently on a low carb diet. I have PCOS and my doctor told me that because my body stores all of my food as fat rather than using it for energy it causes my reproductive system to not work properly, my blood sugar to drop and for me to get shaky. I found this out the hard way when I had surgery and my body was trying so hard to heal that I was shaking 10 minutes after I just ate. It was scary. I decided to go low carb while dieting to see if I could fix my body's insulin resistance and then gradually introduce whole wheats and grains into my diet when it did. I know that it seems like nonsense but really it's important for me. When regularly dieting I did not lose weight and I felt miserable. Now I have already lost 9 lbs and it's only been 2 weeks. My mom was just diagnosed with diabetes which came as a shock because she never eats. Now I have to make sure that I'm not going that same route. I love cake, so this is hard for me. But I'm making it work, and I'll have cake again someday. If only to splurge once in a great while. I also love bread, pasta and the like. Mmm. But I know that if I want to be healthy I'm going to have to put those things on hold for a while.
  • erikkmcvay
    erikkmcvay Posts: 238 Member
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    Out of curiosity I did the math on my protein for today and as it was a pretty heavy cardio day, as mentioned before, I upped my protein in the usual fashion (protein bar snack pre-lunch and protein shake x2 post lunch) and it came in at 28% of my daily caloric total.

    My fat was 32% which put me at 40/28/32 for the day.

    So for non workout days (day's I don't burn 1000+ cals doing a long ride) I'm closer to 55/25/20 though my previous day I met goal (slightly less) I was at 52c/20p/28f

    Strangely enough the fat is coming from places you'd least expect it like oats and chia though more came from spagetti that day and salad dressing as well as a protein bar.

    I think the thing is we 'THINK' we're getting a certain balance but unless you spend more time calculating what you're getting you may not actually know -- that's been my experience.

    So I have my levels set one way but through regular diet I tend to get less carbs then I realize -- and it sounds like I'm eating a TON of carbs! lol
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    Carbs might be your best friend, but they aren't everyone's.

    I thrive on low carb/high fat. My body feels better, I have plenty of energy, my skin looks incredible, I've not had such much as a cold in the nearly 10 years since I made it my primary form of eating (and not even sticking 100% to it for chunks of time), and I always lose on it, always, without counting a single calorie. It's taken me a long time to find balance with it though, to be able to de-villainize carbs and eat a primary low carb life while indulging in sweets from time to time. I however only occasionally eat bread, or cereal, or pasta, etc, and I don't miss those things at all and I don't crave them. Sweets are my only nutritional achilles heel, and low carb goes a long way toward killing those cravings.

    I do not feel good eating high carb. Not even tons of healthy carbs like a high volume of fruits or supposedly healthy "whole grains". Even though I've kept perfect blood sugar, carbs make me feel sluggish. I have to meticulously count calories while high carbing and eat well below even my BMR in order to move the scale in any considerable direction. High carb left me hungry, while low carb (and IFing) have helped give me damn near unreal control over appetite and hunger.

    I think people who have no issue at all with higher carb eating, and feel good eating that way, are left scratching their heads because they can't fathom that other people's bodies might be just a little different than theirs are. But those of us who thrive on lower carb lifestyles really aren't going to dive head long into cereal and pasta just because it makes YOU feel better and you can't see beyond your own experience.

    All people should do what's best for them, period.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    it's complete foolishness if you workout with any kind of intensity though...no glycogen stores = no energy to kill it while training.

    The first, and last, time I succeeded at being a runner it was when I first started low carb/high fat felt great. My earlier efforts to do so on a higher carb/low fat program proved a huge failure. I do up to 45 miles of power/speed walking a week, sometimes in 10-11 mile increments, and can add in sprints with no problem on low carb. I can lift heavy on low carb. This simply is untrue for all.

    Your body adapts. The BEGINNING of a low carb transition can be terrible. And many people never make it through the transition so they equate the symptoms, and the temporary weakness, as an indication of how it will always be. But there are people who do make it past and perform beautifully on a low carb way of eating. All of us aren't walking around weak, tired, and in need of coffee to stay alert and push hard on a workout.
  • Yardtigress
    Yardtigress Posts: 367 Member
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    I eat all my carbs as veggies, fruits, brown rice(small portions), sweet potatoes ( small portions), quinoa(small portions) and nuts. I am a diabetic and I chose not to eat breads, potatoes(white), white rice and pasta. I eat 30 carbs approx per meal and 15 carbs per snack. I find if I eat bread or crackers or anything like that, soon I am eating cake and more bread and so on and so forth. If I eat all that stuff my blood sugar is very high and I get so hungry that I can't stop myself. If I eat veggie carbs, protein, and good fats, I stay full longer and don't crave sweets. I do eat low GI fruits. If you can eats all those type of carbs and still lose more power to you. I'm more interested in blood sugar control and weight loss.
  • ngyoung
    ngyoung Posts: 311 Member
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    Many reasons low-carb is catching on so much is that for a significant amount of people who have tried to follow the standard recommended diet they never had any success. They've had too much metabolic damage from eating processed junk for so long that they are insulin resistant.

    Going low carb has been the answer for those people and even others who have not damaged their bodies can still have success eating the same way. Either way the ones that are most successful are usually those that start eating real natural foods and cut out all the nutrient defficient processed junk.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    it's complete foolishness if you workout with any kind of intensity though...no glycogen stores = no energy to kill it while training.

    The first, and last, time I succeeded at being a runner it was when I first started low carb/high fat felt great. My earlier efforts to do so on a higher carb/low fat program proved a huge failure. I do up to 45 miles of power/speed walking a week, sometimes in 10-11 mile increments, and can add in sprints with no problem on low carb. I can lift heavy on low carb. This simply is untrue for all.

    Your body adapts. The BEGINNING of a low carb transition can be terrible. And many people never make it through the transition so they equate the symptoms, and the temporary weakness, as an indication of how it will always be. But there are people who do make it past and perform beautifully on a low carb way of eating. All of us aren't walking around weak, tired, and in need of coffee to stay alert and push hard on a workout.

    You may find this interesting :)

    http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2013/03/13/2013-nsca-personal-trainers-conference-looking-back-at-my-debate-with-dr-jeff-volek/
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    You may find this interesting :)

    http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2013/03/13/2013-nsca-personal-trainers-conference-looking-back-at-my-debate-with-dr-jeff-volek/

    I'm gonna love reading this debate, thanks.
  • thesophierose
    thesophierose Posts: 754 Member
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    The Atkins diet seems like it's really iffy. I mean how much can you really eat when you can only net like 20g of carbs. I don't see how that would be healthy at all, on your body functions especially your brains and metabolism. Since both, normally, unless you have some medical issue... like some carbs.

    I'd say it's okay to be lower carb, like 100g. But anything less for a long time would wreak havoc on your brain function because carbs are brain energy in the right sense anyways.

    I actually enjoy this topic because I like finding out how people do on these restricted diets... o.O

    I also have a hypothyroid and messed up hormone levels so carbs help me manage them out.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    The Atkins diet seems like it's really iffy. I mean how much can you really eat when you can only net like 20g of carbs.
    20g of net carbs (for Americans) is a pound or more of low carb veg. To that you can add a pound of steak, a pound of fish, half a pound of butter, 4 ozs of nuts. That enough calories for you ?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    there is no debate. what i said was factually correct. it may not be what the low-carbers want to hear, but it's factually correct.
    Can't beat an open mind. What is your definition of "fad" then ? I'm assuming it's not time related as Atkins published his book about 1970 and Banting's pamphlet was more than a century ago.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
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    Carbs might be your best friend, but they aren't everyone's.

    I think people who have no issue at all with higher carb eating, and feel good eating that way, are left scratching their heads because they can't fathom that other people's bodies might be just a little different than theirs are. But those of us who thrive on lower carb lifestyles really aren't going to dive head long into cereal and pasta just because it makes YOU feel better and you can't see beyond your own experience.

    All people should do what's best for them, period.

    :heart:
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
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    Low carb has been around since the late 60s. Since you are so uninformed, you shouldn't comment on things you know nothing about. It is not a fad diet. Now the diet you are recommending is by your standards a new fad diet because it hasn't been around as long as low carb. Take a look at past food pyramids.

    And for the person who thought she burned 1600 calories of protein, that is also incorrect. Excess protein is converted to glycogen and then burned. If you eat more protein at a meal than the body has an immediate need for, it is stored but not as protein.

    I think we all need to get to know our own bodies and figure out how they function best. For me it's low carb. We should never judge someone's weight loss efforts based on ours. If you are going to make comments, be informed not just shooting out a bunch of boloney without facts to back it up.
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    Low carb has been around since the late 60s. Since you are so uninformed, you shouldn't comment on things you know nothing about. It is not a fad diet. Now the diet you are recommending is by your standards a new fad diet because it hasn't been around as long as low carb. Take a look at past food pyramids.

    And for the person who thought she burned 1600 calories of protein, that is also incorrect. Excess protein is converted to glycogen and then burned. If you eat more protein at a meal than the body has an immediate need for, it is stored but not as protein.

    I think we all need to get to know our own bodies and figure out how they function best. For me it's low carb. We should never judge someone's weight loss efforts based on ours. If you are going to make comments, be informed not just shooting out a bunch of boloney without facts to back it up.

    you low carb nutters are ridiculous, do you know that?

    the definition of "fad" diet has to do with which diets are currently in vogue because they are being promoted in the popular media and the multi-billion dollar weight loss industry. whether or not anyone or any group of people have eaten a low carb diet at any point in the history of the human race is irrelevant to this point.

    pet rocks were once a fad, and yet this planet has been covered by rocks for billions of years and humans have been collecting and using rocks since before recorded history.

    it makes no more sense for me to argue your ridiculous semantic point with you than it would be to argue with you about whether the sky is blue or the earth isn't flat.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • erikkmcvay
    erikkmcvay Posts: 238 Member
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    The problem seems to be (re: fad diets) that when humans believe in something (or seriously want to) they don't like being told, in any way shape or form, that they may not be right. Fads of all kinds tend to be this way.

    Furthermore, most 'low carbers' eat more carbs then they realize and/or have problems related to too little dietary fiber as I posted above.

    Then there are the 'paleo' dieters who seem to ignore that most Paleo people were rife with parasites which had the benifitical effect of consuming plaque while causing all sorts of other issues and most often starved for periods of time because getting a lot of protein was very difficult. During those periods of starvation they ate CARBS! In fact, they generally ate more carbs then not but they gathered them. It wasn't until the Human race started farming grains that the numbers exploded which is a clear indication o success. I might also add that humans began to live longer then also.

    Sure, you can eat low carbs and you can diet on protein (I'm not saying you can't) but there are plenty of examples of Atkins diets failing (heck Atkins himself died of heart disease/heart attack if I remember correctly).

    I suggest watching the Movie 'Hungry For Change' and perhaps 'Forks Over Knives' (I'm not an advocate of veganism but I believe they make many good points) as well as 'Fat Sick and Nearly Dead' and perhaps you'll understand.

    Admittedly though, my carb intake while high, is lower then I thought it was and I'm most often hitting 40/30/30 ratio then not but I don't consider that remotely low carb since carbs are the largest portion of my daily caloric intake.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    The Atkins diet seems like it's really iffy. I mean how much can you really eat when you can only net like 20g of carbs. I don't see how that would be healthy at all, on your body functions especially your brains and metabolism. Since both, normally, unless you have some medical issue... like some carbs.

    You didn't describe the Atkins plan. You described your ignorant interpretation of the plan. And don't worry, that's common, even among people who believe they're doing Atkins.

    The Atkins 2-week induction limits carbohydrates to 20g in an effort to quickly help you transition into using fat as your primary fuel source over glucose.. After the initial 2 weeks the plan runs across a few phases, each designed to slowly reintroduce carbohydrate until each individual finds a level that allows them to either lose weight, or maintain weight, and still be healthy. No foods are off limits on the plan, they are just all slowly reintroduced back in so that each person can find what works best for them.

    Also you might not realize this, but there are plenty of people who function beautifully on 20-30g of carbs per day. You're having trouble accepting this fact because you're a high carb eater and can't fathom realities beyond your own.

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