why do ppl do low carb for weight loss?

Low carb diets work because they force one to give up or severely limit things that many people love to snack and binge on. Sugars, chips, bread, crackers, pasta, etc. This is also why low carb diets have a statistically poor long term record. So before starting, you should ask yourself if you are prepared to limit or give these things up permanently. If not, you stand a good chance of become one of the statistics that gain all the weight back.

I still end up with something like 100g of carbs a day, but also like 60+g of fiber, so I don't get the sugar rushes, and don't feel hungry and it's easy to for me to maintain.

FYI, sugar rush is a myth... it doesn't exist

Anyone who has ever seen a little kid after eating a big piece of cake washed down with Kool-Aid knows that it does indeed exist.

I did a <20 G diet years ago and lost 75 LBs eating "whatever I wanted in terms of calories." I had always assumed I was eating 4-5K per day.

However, I wasn't tracking calories. When I do the math now, my calorie intake was in reality far less than I had assumed.

Breakfast
4 Large Eggs = 280 Calories
6 Pieces of Bacon = 240 Calories

Lunch
16 oz. Beef (ground or steak) = Approximately 700 Calories

Dinner
4 Chicken Thighs = 600 Calories
2 oz. Cheddar Cheese = 200 Calories


TOTAL = 2020

I was in my early 20s and started at around 350 LBs. My TDEE even without working out was in excess of 3500/day, meaning I could have multiple snacks throughout the day and still come in at a significant caloric deficit. I played a lot of basketball, baseball and golf as well.

I do agree that a low-carb diet when my activity level is uber low, does make me feel better, more energized, satisfied, etc. However, for weight loss, it is pretty clear that the only thing that matters is Cals in vs. out.

WTG, Steffiejoe, congrats!
Low carb suits me for the same reasons, and it annoys me that it's *still* seen as a "fad" diet. I also eat more veggies than I ever did before when every calorie counted & I had to choose.
Two members of my family are type 2 diabetes - I suggested low carb to them, gave them a cookery day at my house where we cooked up lots of yummy low carb things, and within 6 weeks these 2 people had stabilised their blood sugars and were able to ditch some medication.
One of them was my Mom....she also lost 2st, and a nurse told her "I have to say this in strictest confidence, but you are doing the right thing". You see, a low carb diet isn't endorsed yet, even though the results are clear.
Carbohydrates are an empty, nutrient-void food. The moment our bodies absorb them they are pure sugar.
WHY are we recommended to eat so much of the stuff?
Low carb WORKS, both for weight loss *and* health. Full stop.

Carbohydrates are not nutrient-void food. I understand that some people choose lower carb diets for a variety of reasons, but that's no reason to spread misinformation. Carbohydrates are a vital energy source (which is why even very low carbers still don't eat 0 carbs) and has important roles in the breakdown of fat, regulation of blood glucose, and protecting muscle tissue, among other things. http://www.sparknotes.com/health/carbohydrates/section2.rhtml

very low carbers still eat some carbs because in practical terms it is impossible to eat a truly 0 carb diet. Most people will still want to eat vegetables and some fruits because they have important micronutrients and fibre, and there are still small amounts of carbs in nuts and other foods.

Also I think this is why atkins kinds works but doesn't. It even restricts your intake of plants which seems a bit dumb. I think most low carbers now still eat plenty of veg.

Fiber is a carbohydrate. You eat veggies for the carb called fiber because it would be nice to be able to take a normal poop.

OK, so very low carbers eat some carbs because it seems impossible to eat 0 carbs in a practical fashion. Do you understand why this is true? It's because your body is set up to use carbs to help break down fats (which are vital also because they help us absorb vitamins and nutrients). If you don't eat carbs, you have to find a way to eat an incredibly greasy diet with all of your vitamins and nutrients being fat soluble. As Mark's Daily Apple puts it:

"The Inuit do, though, show us that an-all meat, zero carb diet has the potential to be healthy. It might even be desirable for certain people if (here comes the tricky part), as I said, they use organic range-fed whole animals – muscle meat, fat, organs, offal, stomach contents – to get the whole spectrum of fat-soluble nutrients and vitamins. All those thriving near-carnivorous traditional groups the zero carb crowd likes to throw around weren’t buying tubes of 80/20 Walmart beef and nothing else; they were eating spoiled organs, consuming stomach contents, fermenting full-fat dairy, drinking fish liver shooters, gnawing on still-beating bison heart, and feasting on a “guts and grease” diet. Stefansson’s oft-cited all-meat diet experiment wasn’t just muscle and fat; it was fried liver and brains, fish, and a whole host of animal products. As for the ground beef and water diets that seem popular in some ZC circles? You’re fooling yourself if you think that’s an optimum diet for health and longevity, and I’m not sure if some favorable lab numbers garnered after six months of eating nothing but burger mean much at all. Better than the standard American diet of chips, sodas, cookies, and rancid fats on top of the same burger meat? Maybe. Optimum? Not a chance. Let’s see what happens in thirty years. Staunch ZCer Danny Roddy’s strangely scurvy-esque symptoms following a purely pemmican diet should give you pause.

Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/zero-carb-diet/#ixzz2a4aY7Ass&quot;

Just saying that eating at least a few carbs seems pretty darn vital to me.

I have Hashimotos, an autoimmune thyroid disease. It causes me to gain weight, even while working out and eating at a calorie deficit. It took two years to figure out how the heck I was eating at a calorie deficit and gaining fat! We are taught that a 3500 calorie deficit equals 1 pound of weight loss. For most people thats true, but for some it doesn't work that way. One thing that helps manage Hashimotos weight gain is to keep the body burning fat instead of carbs by keeping the carbs very low.

Ditto for me. Hashimotos sucks for weight loss until you figure out what you can eat and not eat. For me, if I eat more than 20-30 carbs at a time my blood sugar will spike and that will cause my slow reacting pancreas to dump out a ton of extra insulin that isn't needed and then converted to fat...once I figured out what was contributing to my weight gains and resistance, I was able to successfully start a weight loss journey. I was just like this poster and would eat 1000-1500 (even tried more calorie intake, for those that think that's the cure for me, lol!) and GAIN weight while exercising. One month I logged everything I ate and ended up with an average of around 1200 calories a day. That month I gained 8 pounds. Watching the types of carbs and the amount of carbs I eat along WITH lower calories has been the cure for me FOR NOW. I hope to reduce SOME of the insulin resistance but know that more than likely I'll have to continue a lower carb lifestyle.

They think it's a quick way to lose weight, when really, as soon as you touch carbs again, you will probably blow up like a balloon

True; but the same with any diet - as soon as you revert to your old ways, the weight piles on with a vengeance. Low fat/low calorie is no exception.

I guess what I meant to say is there is no longevity in a low carb diet.

There's a 95% failure rate for long term weight loss success, regardless of what plan you follow. Only 5% of us will actually keep the weight off for more than five years-regardless if we follow a lower carb or lower calorie diet for weight loss and maintenance. I don't do a low carb plan (I don't really track anything), but low carb is no better or worse than a low calorie diet and for some people it does work better for them, and they can do it long term.

A great book to read, for more info on the studies that have been done, is Rethinking Thin, By Gina Kolata. One of the best books I've read about the realities of dieting/losing weight.

Not sure. Wondered this myself. I love carbs. All of them. Plus, when I tried out Atkins (back-in-the-day) I was so lethargic and yucky feeling that I couldn't stick to it for long. I find it easier to watch my caloric intake and be active. It works better for me!

This is a well known phenomenon known as "carb flu" or "induction flu". While your body is becoming fat-adapted you may not feel as good for a week or two, but if you stick it out you will feel a-m-a-z-i-n-g after that. Also for those doing induction you need to make sure to eat plenty of sodium (3-5 g/day), that will help prevent a lot of the yucky feelings. A couple of cups of salty broth added to your food intake would have done wonders.

Most of my adult life I've tried to avoid salt because I retain water SO easily. eat out gain 10 pounds by morning. no kidding. but I've been trying to make a point of adding reduced sodium salt to stuff for the potassium and iodine.

Have you looked into the amount of potassium you can get from natural foods without having to resort to eating salty stuff? I did this recently and was pretty surprised. The daily recommended for most people is about 3500mg/ day and you can get 925mg from a baked potato with skin on, 425mg from a banana, 290mg from a tomato, etc. I also have water retention and sodium issues and I was really excited to realize that I do not need to eat a ton of salty stuff in order to get plenty of potassium.

http://www.drugs.com/cg/potassium-content-of-foods-list.html

Many people who are on low carb are there because all of those things you mentioned spike insulin levels. We can't eat potatoes and bananas without adverse effects. Tomatoes are ok for some people and others can't do those either. While in theory yes all of those things are healthy, for people who have to watch insulin levels and blood sugar they are terrible!

I don't eat low carb, but I do try to balance breads; grains.

When I was pregnant with my now 6 year old, I seemed to not tolerate cakes/cookies--baked goods. Still kind of the same thing. I also find that if I have cereal or toast for breakfast, I get hungry later to the point where I am shaking. I tend to have eggs for breakfast.

I often pass on the cookies/cupcakes that students bring in for their birthdays (kids from other classes come in and offer). if I do take one, I'll give to my own child. If I eat it, I get sluggish and a stomach ache. I typically pass on birthday cakes, too.

I eat fruit and vegetables...I don't limit any of those.

Low carb (e.g. under 50g carbs/day) is a huge deviation from standard eating habits. However, being aware of and reducing carb intake is a very easy way to reduce caloric intake.

Different strokes for different folks. I could never do it myself but everyone is different!