why do ppl do low carb for weight loss?
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For me, I choose to do slow carb. The carbs that I do eat have a lot of fiber. So I still eat bread, just whole wheat. I will eat sweet potatoes over regular potatoes because of the fiber content. Fiber one cereal, lots of beans, and high fiber pasta, and vegetables. I have hard time getting away from whit rice but I try to keep it to a minimum. The only sugar I eat is from fruit and vegetables. The idea is to not use energy produced by carb intake but insteead use my stored energy (Fat). So far I lost 51 lbs. of it.
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I think a lot of people don't fully realize the benefits of going low carb or the health risks with eating refined sugars and grains. I was the same way for pretty much my entire life, until I did some research. Now I still eat tons of non-starchy veggies and some fruit because it has a low glycemic index and doesn't elevate sugar levels like breads, rice, pasta, sugar, etc..
The reasons I do high fat (160g+ a day) and low carb (sub 25g net carbs a day).
1) Your body does not need carbs in any way shape or form.
2) Fats are healthy (and yummy)
3) It reverses, corrects and prevents diabetes, metabolic syndrome, etc.
4) it can prevent Heart Disease
5) it improves cholesterol
5) It can treat and prevent Alzheimer's (aka, Type 3 Diabetes. where brain becomes insulin/glucose resistant)
6) prevents or slows Cancer and tumor growth. cancer loves glucose, can't use ketones.
7) more energy during the day
8) steady energy all day (no energy swings or post lunch afternoon sluggishness)
9) neuronal stabilization and better mental focus all day long
10) brain is more efficient on ketones than glucose
11) ketones prevent epileptic seizures, and migraines
12) you burn fat as fuel 24 hours a day while in ketosis (umm, awesome?)
13) fat is more satiating
14) preserves LBM
15) blunts appetite
But to each his own. It might not be for everyone. If you are an ectomorph and have trouble gaining weight, then maybe you don't need to go to this extreme. But if you feel like metabolic calculators that tell you to eat X calories and you will loose X weight (like on MFP every-time you submit your daily food log) and they are never right for you. Chances are your body is partitioning the carbs you eat into your fat at a higher rate than someone who can eat tons of food and never get fat. So why not eat low carb? might be a better question.0 -
I'll have to do some digging around and see if I can find the info, but there's a study that's discussed in depth in the book Rethinking Thin, where two groups were put on Atkins vs the low calorie diet that's done at university weight loss clinics. The book was published before the study was completed. However, I read the follow up for the study in an article and the low carb group actually did have a very slight better success rate-still an overall failure, like those in the low calorie group, but some of the low carbers were able to stick with it long term vs. almost no one sticking to the low calorie diet. Off to do some googling to see if I can find the article!
If it's the study I think you're referring to, then it showed that participants on all the different diets ended up deviating towards the median in the long term (the low-fat/Ornish folks added fat back to the diet by 6 months. The low carbers upped their carbs by 6 months. That sort of thing. When the data was analyzed in depth, the only real statistical difference was that the people with insulin resistance were slightly more successful on low carb diets.)
Video of analysis of the study discussing the results at Stanford University's medical school
http://youtu.be/eREuZEdMAVo?t=39m27s 0 -
My husband did Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint and lost 45 and has kept it off for almost 2 years. Although he was very strict during the initial weight loss he now eats chips,cookies,drinks beer and doesn't gain weight. Obviously he doesn't eat them every day but he's proven that cutting carbs equals sustainable weightloss. I've recently got on board and have lost 12 pounds in 2 weeks and my energy is better than when I was eating unhealthy carbs. The hunter/gatherer diet works for us because we're willing to put in the effort to make it work. Not everyone can give up carbs though.0
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I know that for me it's not the amount of carbs but the type of carbs. If I eat veggies - those come with fiber, they fill me up, and I feel great. If I eat bread, on the other hand, or sugary sweets - I get a sugar rush, then a crash and I want more, more, more and it's very difficult for me to control how much I eat. And obviously healthy fats and proteins are good for you too, so I have plenty of room for those foods as well if I'm not overdoing carbs.
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. I don't really have to weigh things like that - I'm not going to overeat raw green beans or whatever to the point where I gain weight, so I can estimate and it comes out close enough. When I was eating starchy carbs, I'd really have to strictly watch portion sizes to keep it under control and felt hungry all the time.
I realize not everyone suffers from the same cravings and such. So if you can eat those things in moderation without a struggle, I wouldn't sweat it. If you're constantly craving more, it might be worth looking into reducing sugary/starchy carbs to see if it makes things easier for you. Sounds like you don't need to worry about it, but maybe the above helps make it make sense why some people do.
Through trial, error and successes, I do best steering clear of breads, pasta and starchy veggies as well. My daily carb intake usually ends up somewhere between 80 to 100g's per day. It works for me and also keeps me from having to measure and weight meticulously. It's really really difficult to overeat raw broccoli.
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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
Why would you need added salt if you're not on a low carb/high protein diet?
I avoid all salt when I am not on a low carb diet because i retain water too badly. I do get some just from regular sources then, you only need the salt in the diet and added potass when you're on a diet like this.. .0 -
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.
Studies schmudies.. as far as success rates go. Why are the people in studies on diets? Cause they get paid by the people doing the study to go on that diet. they're poor people generally who are getting paid. They aren't doing it because they have the drive.
It's also a small select group. there is no way to know the actual numbers of dieters in the wild. Regardless it doesn't matter how many fail or succeed on any particular diet because they aren't YOU.
the real issue isn't the diet, it's the dedication. if you go on a diet thinking you can go back to doing what you were doing before it just isn't going to work regardless of the diet. if you honestly are looking at it as a lifestyle change that's a different story. Citing studies for this kind of thing is just pointless.
you're dooming yourself to failure if you only go by rhetoric.0 -
the real issue isn't the diet, it's the dedication. if you go on a diet thinking you can go back to doing what you were doing before it just isn't going to work regardless of the diet. if you honestly are looking at it as a lifestyle change that's a different story. Citing studies for this kind of thing is just pointless.
^ This0 -
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
Why would you need added salt if you're not on a low carb/high protein diet?
I avoid all salt when I am not on a low carb diet because i retain water too badly. I do get some just from regular sources then, you only need the salt in the diet and added potass when you're on a diet like this.. .
Or when you are on a diuretic for a condition like high blood pressure. Low potassium can be a real issue due to the extra water loss. It's also known that people who have problems wtih retaining a lot of water weight can sometimes reduce it by making sure they are getting plenty of potassium while reducing their sodium intake and drinking extra water.0 -
My husband did Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint and lost 45 and has kept it off for almost 2 years. Although he was very strict during the initial weight loss he now eats chips,cookies,drinks beer and doesn't gain weight. Obviously he doesn't eat them every day but he's proven that cutting carbs equals sustainable weightloss.
I don't think anyone is suggesting that low carb is not sustainable for anyone. Just that most do not sustain it.
But, if your husband now eats a lot of carbs, how did he prove that low carb is sustainable for him? It sounds more like he proved he doens't need to give up carbs to maintain a healthy weight.0 -
I think a lot of people don't fully realize the benefits of going low carb or the health risks with eating refined sugars and grains.
Luckily there is SOOOOO much wiggle room between those 2 extremes.0 -
the real issue isn't the diet, it's the dedication. if you go on a diet thinking you can go back to doing what you were doing before it just isn't going to work regardless of the diet. if you honestly are looking at it as a lifestyle change that's a different story. Citing studies for this kind of thing is just pointless.
^ This
I'm pretty sure a lot of the numbers on diet failures are derived from looking at people who have done weight loss programs on their own and how they fared in the long term, not just designed studies like this, so I think the numbers are pretty valid. That said, I agree with you about lifestyle change. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was "Don't do anything to lose weight that you aren't willing to do for the rest of your life to keep it off."0 -
It is simple physiology that a low carb diet would lead to decreased glycogen reserves and anaerobic performance. However it depends on your goals. Obviously not many people are training for maximal strength using compound resistance exercises otherwise they would immediately notice the difference between being carbed up and being low carb (~100 or less).0
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the real issue isn't the diet, it's the dedication. if you go on a diet thinking you can go back to doing what you were doing before it just isn't going to work regardless of the diet. if you honestly are looking at it as a lifestyle change that's a different story. Citing studies for this kind of thing is just pointless.
^ This
I'm pretty sure a lot of the numbers on diet failures are derived from looking at people who have done weight loss programs on their own and how they fared in the long term, not just designed studies like this, so I think the numbers are pretty valid. That said, I agree with you about lifestyle change. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was "Don't do anything to lose weight that you aren't willing to do for the rest of your life to keep it off."
Any long term diet study is unlikely to be controlled. It's nearly impossible to find a large enough group of people willing to be sequestered and have their diet strictly controlled for a year or more. It's always done via survey.0 -
It is simple physiology that a low carb diet would lead to decreased glycogen reserves and anaerobic performance. However it depends on your goals. Obviously not many people are training for maximal strength using compound resistance exercises otherwise they would immediately notice the difference between being carbed up and being low carb (~100 or less).
On the other hand, if you have a career where you work in an office at a computer for ten hours a day, have to commute home, cook dinner, clean the kitchen, etc, you may not have the hours a day necessary to deplete glycogen stores resulting from consuming 300g of carbs a day.
Different people have different lifestyles, different bodies, and different needs.0 -
the real issue isn't the diet, it's the dedication. if you go on a diet thinking you can go back to doing what you were doing before it just isn't going to work regardless of the diet. if you honestly are looking at it as a lifestyle change that's a different story. Citing studies for this kind of thing is just pointless.
^ This
I'm pretty sure a lot of the numbers on diet failures are derived from looking at people who have done weight loss programs on their own and how they fared in the long term, not just designed studies like this, so I think the numbers are pretty valid. That said, I agree with you about lifestyle change. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was "Don't do anything to lose weight that you aren't willing to do for the rest of your life to keep it off."
Any long term diet study is unlikely to be controlled. It's nearly impossible to find a large enough group of people willing to be sequestered and have their diet strictly controlled for a year or more. It's always done via survey.
Believe it or not, that is actually kind of my point. The controlled studies can give you a good look at "if we take X number of people and make them do X diet for X days, how much weight do they lose and can they keep it off?" Useful information. Looking at real people in real life gives you the ability to say "if we look at the average person and let them diet at their own discretion, how much weight do they lose and can they keep it off?" Also useful information. I think that both items give us very valid information about how hard it is to be successful on weight loss programs, but looking at average people doing their thing has the advantage of showing us success rates in real life, aka "what will happen when real people try this for real and not because they're being paid to do this for a study." I'm pretty sure that the overall figures of weight loss failure are derived from looking at both types of information and I think that is a good thing.0 -
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.
Ummmmmmm....."standard eating habits" I am thinking of all the documentaries where they cameras zoom in on 'average' Americans big, fat wobbly butts, huge bellies overhanging the belt, severely obese children with TYPE 2 DIABETES and heart issues.....
and I think "standard eating habits" ????
Great post----reminds me what I did to NEED mfp. STANDARD EATING HABITS oh yeah, love this one.0 -
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.
Ummmmmmm....."standard eating habits" I am thinking of all the documentaries where they cameras zoom in on 'average' Americans big, fat wobbly butts, huge bellies overhanging the belt, severely obese children with TYPE 2 DIABETES and heart issues.....
and I think "standard eating habits" ????
Great post----reminds me what I did to NEED mfp. STANDARD EATING HABITS oh yeah, love this one.
I ate pretty "standard' too and got fat as ****. Maybe I should just go back to that because my 30g carb-a-day diet is such a huge deviation.0 -
For some people "low carb" is bumper sticker weight loss. They don't need to learn anything except, carbs are bad..... really, really bad. These "people" don't want to (or don't think they need to) learn anything about food ..... just carbs are bad..... really, really bad. Just cut out 1 thing .... and all their problems go away.
This was the low fat diet thing back in the day .....when all fats were created equal and ....fats were bad..... really, really bad.0 -
For some people "low carb" is bumper sticker weight loss. They don't need to learn anything except, carbs are bad..... really, really bad. These "people" don't want to (or don't think they need to) learn anything about food ..... just carbs are bad..... really, really bad. Just cut out 1 thing .... and all their problems go away.
This was the low fat diet thing back in the day .....when all fats were created equal and ....fats were bad..... really, really bad.
I like how you put quotes around the word 'people' like they're not real or something. That made me laugh.0
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