Has anyone tried low-carb?

blueycheesy
blueycheesy Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm told it's really effective, but also seems pretty difficult... any thoughts?

Replies

  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I'm pretty sure there is a low-carb group here, if you want to check it out. I have done low carb, and it was tough for me. I never got over feeling the 'flu' that they talk about.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    go in the search part up top, and you can read for days about low carb topics.
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    The "flu" is detoxing from carbs. I find it very easy to follow my low carb plan and it is very effective. I have so much more energy and have lost fat and very little lean body mass because of all the protein I eat and the weight training I do. The body has no need of any carbs but you will die if you don't eat enough fat or protein yet people think a high carb diet is good for them - go figure!
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    Blah blah blah....carbs are not toxic....
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    I did it for 9 months, glad I did it because it sorted out my cravings but I am now on a more balanced thing with just as good results.

    I also eat more nutrient dense foods as a by-product.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I can't think of anyone who's ever done low carb...not a single soul...but I've heard they are the devil.

    carbs_are_of_the_devil.jpg
  • Safiyandi
    Safiyandi Posts: 151
    I'm doing a targeted ketogenic diet, I'm having a much easier time maintaining muscle (along with heavy weightlifting) than I did on a 40/30/30 diet. Weight loss is no faster than on the balanced diet, but I do have considerably more energy with the keto. If I weren't concerned with maintaining muscle, frankly, I wouldn't bother, just because meal planning and working out ratios is a pain.
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
    I do LOWER carb. Works for me!
  • Ottawa_Randy
    Ottawa_Randy Posts: 42 Member
    Did it twice (Protein Power and Atkins). It worked great for weight loss but was a dog during maintanance as I approached goal and I ended up giving into cravings as you up your carb allowance. Never slipped back to my worst but month by month a large portion of the weight crept back.
    Would not knock it for sure and if your bloodésugar is out of whack it really beneficial as well. Another plus was I had my best LDL-HDL readings ever.
  • KD0BIK
    KD0BIK Posts: 44 Member
    Yep...low carb here.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    The "flu" is detoxing from carbs. I find it very easy to follow my low carb plan and it is very effective. I have so much more energy and have lost fat and very little lean body mass because of all the protein I eat and the weight training I do. The body has no need of any carbs but you will die if you don't eat enough fat or protein yet people think a high carb diet is good for them - go figure!

    This is patently false. The 'flu' is from decreased energy while your body switches gears from primarily glucose burning to fat burning and can sometimes take a few weeks to clear up. Too long for me.

    And your body needs carbs. There are plenty of carbs in fruits and vegetables.
  • Daerina8
    Daerina8 Posts: 35 Member
    Low carb here as well :) do a group search and look up keto and also check out http://www.reddit.com/r/keto

    It's difficult for the first week or two and then (if you don't cheat) the cravings subside. For a proper keto diet you want to aim for 20g or less per day, but there are calculators that can help you figure out exactly how many carbs you should have per day to stay in ketosis, read over the FAQ on the keto subreddit for more info.

    The "flu" is due to an imbalance of your electrolytes and is easily counteracted by making sure you get enough potassium, magnesium, and sodium in your diet. i take a magnesium and a potassium supplement once a day and make sure I get plenty of salt in my diet (a lot of people drink one or two cups of chicken broth to get their sodium intake up) and nearly a month into keto I haven't had the "keto flu" yet.
  • lucydavs
    lucydavs Posts: 1 Member
    Did it about 2 years ago, and lost about a stone pretty quickly. The best shape I've ever been in. Totally leaned me out.... see my pic! I slowly started bringing carbs back in, and then I was just eating them whenever I wanted - 2 years later I'm about 2 stone heavier :(

    So back on it again. 2nd week in. Aiming for 40g a day. Feeling pretty tired and weak in the mornings, but I know it'll phase out soon :)
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    Did it about 2 years ago, and lost about a stone pretty quickly. The best shape I've ever been in. Totally leaned me out.... see my pic! I slowly started bringing carbs back in, and then I was just eating them whenever I wanted - 2 years later I'm about 2 stone heavier :(

    So back on it again. 2nd week in. Aiming for 40g a day. Feeling pretty tired and weak in the mornings, but I know it'll phase out soon :)

    So - you did it once, it backfired and you gained it all back - so it did not work in a sustainable manner....And now you are going to do the same thing all over again???:huh:
  • Daerina8
    Daerina8 Posts: 35 Member
    Did it about 2 years ago, and lost about a stone pretty quickly. The best shape I've ever been in. Totally leaned me out.... see my pic! I slowly started bringing carbs back in, and then I was just eating them whenever I wanted - 2 years later I'm about 2 stone heavier :(

    So back on it again. 2nd week in. Aiming for 40g a day. Feeling pretty tired and weak in the mornings, but I know it'll phase out soon :)

    So - you did it once, it backfired and you gained it all back - so it did not work in a sustainable manner....And now you are going to do the same thing all over again???:huh:

    It doesn't matter how you lose weight, whether the conventional calorie counting and exercise method or keto or keto and exercise, if you stop and go back to your old habits you'll start gaining weight...
    Keto *is* a diet you can go on for your entire life if you have the commitment to your own personal health, and for a lot of people it works :)
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I'm told it's really effective, but also seems pretty difficult... any thoughts?

    DId it for about a year. It was a useful way of getting diet under control, but at the end of the day, it is super easy to overeat when your diet consists of fats and proteins.

    I no longer do it, and am able to be much more active/fit, and am losing weight more consistently.
  • kayla0037
    kayla0037 Posts: 4
    I was on a very low carb diet for about 7 months last year. The diet made me feel amazing and for the first time in my life, I loved to exercise and go shopping. I lost 80 pounds and have now regained it all back, plus 10 more pounds. My idea going in was that I knew I couldn't do low carb for the rest of my life, so I would stay on the diet until I was at a reasonable weight and then switch to eating healthy overall. That didn't work out like I planned, as I just went back to eating terrible. My cravings came back after I quit the diet, and it got to a point where I craved carbs all the time, worse than before I lost the weight. Throughout the past year, I went back to low carb for a couple weeks here and there, but have realized that I could never do it again. The thought of eating hamburgers without a bun makes me ill now.

    Unless you can live without pizza, bread, and spaghetti for the rest of your life, I highly suggest not going on it. A low carb diet is more limited than some people think.

    Something I'd also like to point out is that when you're doing low carb, your cravings practically disappear. A lot of times, you don't even want to eat dinner. So, in the end, you are actually doing a calorie restricted diet anyway. So, why not eat your favorite fruits and yogurts?
  • littleknownblogger
    littleknownblogger Posts: 67 Member
    FWIW:

    The human body does not need carbohydrate intake, ever. There are Essential Fatty Acids, which means that we need fat in our diets. There are Essential Amino Acids, which means that we need protein in our diets. There are no "essential carbohydrates", because we are perfectly capable of manufacturing our own carbohydrates.

    There are whole periods of time (like the Great Ice Age) when no trace of vegetable matter is found in the human diet (and yes, there is a whole science dedicated to the study fossilized human feces). The introduction of high-calorie carbohydrate sources like grains and legumes (let alone processed foods like pasta) gave rise to a host of diseases, from type 2 diabetes to osteoporosis and tooth decay (try to find it among the Inuit aborigines, who eat 90% fat), to most cancers.

    Certainly, some (non-processed) vegetable matter daily is good for you--we are omnivores, after all. But that is a matter of vitamin availability. We do not need carbohydrates from external sources.
  • kellyskitties
    kellyskitties Posts: 475 Member
    I have done in the past and I remain, many days, aware of the carb counts because HUbster carb counts for diabetes management. I have to keep up with meals that are for us both so he can make his choices to fit his needs.

    I do keep my carb setting around 100 (which is not VLCD level) but is less than the average American eats. I think that is plenty for me. Although I don't always pay it attention.

    When I did it in the past I never had carb flu. I had exponentially more energy. I also love meats and veggies (most all) which is the basis of low carb. (be sure to get your veggies in - it ain't about living on bacon). I lost weight - and found it very do-able. My problems came up with convenience and constantly being presented with "temptations."

    I have fared fare better with the keeping under 100 and trying to hit a protein/fiber count while under calorie goal. Not burning it up weight loss wise, but am doing it very comfortably. 100 carbs most days is plenty.
  • ronrstaats
    ronrstaats Posts: 294 Member
    Been doing it for 28 months now. Lost 150 in the first 13 months to hit my goal of 185. Currently at 195 but I changed up the diet a little to include more carbs and protein wile I work out. So part of the weight gain has been from building muscle from working out the last year. Some of the gain is from a few times of getting away from low carb while I was on vacation and out of town for work.

    I never thought it was all that hard to do. There are a lot of support groups and recipes sites out there.

    Good luck with what ever WOE you choose.
  • hannah_d1989
    hannah_d1989 Posts: 57 Member
    I went low carb for several months. I did lose some weight. But now I have added in more carbs but I exercise a lot more intensely than when I was on low carb. Although I still find it beneficial to not eat carbs after lunch...Other than vegetables of course.
    Low carb does take time to get use to!

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