To all the anti-low-carb folks, tell me this isn't healthy

Not sure if I'm going to eat this way for the rest of my life. Would like to try until I get down to my ideal body fat and then maybe do some serious strength training - would likely need to alter it.

hot tip, it is likely that you will not be overly happy with your appearance at your desired body fat if you do not include some resistance training. Unless you are going for the skinny fat look that is.

Yes, you can keep doing the low carb thing while resistance training. I just don't believe it is the most advantageous type of diet for strength gains. As a noob, you can pretty much do anything consistently and you'll get stronger though.

Eh, OP makes a thread complaining that other posters hate on low carb, and then scaremongers others with insulin resistance statistics, that aren't backed up by real studies, with no mention of cause and effect.

I'll pass.

Why do people get into e-rumbles over diets? I always find it humorous how defensive people get over types of diets, even when someone posts something that is totally innocuous. I am gluten free because of Celiacs, but still eat foods with gluten on occasion because bread is delicious. I don't eat meat because eating animals makes me feel sad and I enjoy candy because how can one not enjoy candy? I don't do fad diets because I love food and restricting myself is not something I am capable of but I wish I had the self control that others do....so maybe since we all exercise some control over our eating habits, we exercise some self control in being *kitten* and not attack each other of diets.

This is the internet. Some are just not happy unless they are arguing.

Not only healthy but delicious, filling, and an effective way to lose weight.

Breakfast - 3 egg omelet with spinach and green peppers
Morning snack - 23 almonds (1 oz)
Lunch - 6 oz roast salmon, large romain and tomato salad with 3 tbsp caesars dressing
Afternoon snack - 2 slices salami and 1 oz cheddar cheese
Dinner - 2 roasted chicken thighs with skin, 1 cup roasted cauliflower and 1 cup roasted broccoli with olive oil and parmesan
Desert - 1/2 cup of full-fat greek yogurt with 2 squares of 90% cocoa dark chocolate

Calories - 2000 Net carbs 28g, Protein 111g, Fat 154g

If you are smaller than I am (200 lbs) and need less calories, make it a 2-egg omelet, 4oz salmon, 1 chicken thigh, a little less veg/salad dressing and you can easily get under 1500. To get to around 1300 cut out a snack or desert

Why do you want someone to tell you something's unhealthy? Ahh so you want to start and argument now that's rather childish. There are no healthy unhealthy foods they all have there place and different people have different ways of using them to aid their health and weight loss. I'm sorry you can't except that.

I was under the impression that carbohydrates are brain fuel. I could be wrong, though.

Glucose is brain fuel.

The body can generate glucose from protein via gluconeogenesis in the absence of adequate carbohydrates. All vital functions, including the brain, that require glucose will receive it on even the lowest carb programs, or in the total absence of food. The rest of your functions, the majority, are fueled by ketones.

Whilst it's true, your body can do this, it's an intense process for it to do. This is generally why I'm "against" paleo-type diets... supply doesn't keep up with demand, and therefore your glycogen stores (particularly in the muscles) are always seriously depleted.

It doesn't matter if all you're doing is walking.

Except I lived on a low carb, high fat program during high impact aerobics, weight lifting, and generally living a very busy, active life.

The only problem I have with low carb is that it basically forbids you from eating all sorts of foods that are perfectly fine to eat. I think it's unsustainable over the long term to never have a bowl of ice cream, a big slice of pie, a couple of California rolls, etc.

I low carb as a basic lifestyle now, but don't forbid any foods. I eat whatever I want.

The only difference is that I don't eat cake, cookies, pie, ice cream, etc, every day. My overall diet is based on meats, veggies, dairy, fruits, and fat. And when I want those other foods, I have them. I did the whole "forbidden" thing and getting rid of the idea of guilt and "forbidden" foods was the final piece of the puzzle for me. I realized that I could indeed do a low carb lifestyle, which I actually thoroughly enjoy, the majority of the time and still have everything else the minority of the time.

I hate the idea of being a slave to food though. I hate the notion that people HAVE to have pop tarts, cake, and cookies. In the scope of our history on this planet that doesn't even make sense to me. During my days of strict low carbing one of the best lessons I learned, that I still carry with me today, is that I CAN live without sweets or higher carb foods, feel great, and look great. It was true freedom for me because I grew up on a high carb, typical American diet that led to mega obesity and I found very hard initially to live without.

Some people, like me, have learned to find the perfect sweet spot that works for them and have been able to transition. I get the best of both worlds. But there are people who LOVE living a low carb lifestyle, especially since there are so, so many options available culinarily. Seriously, look at a low carb recipe site at some point and tell me these people are restricted.

Not to mention the ones who low carb for their health, the ones who have reversed T2 diabetes and need to keep carbs low to keep the ravages at bay.

I get that it's not a plan that is fit for everyone. But I do find the push back (which isn't really strong in this particular thread) interesting. People can rave about how much they love eating that way, how great their health is, how satisfied and happy they are, and STILL have people spout out tired dogma and claim nonsense like nobody can sustain it.

No, you can't sustain it. There's the difference.

Except I lived on a low carb, high fat program during high impact aerobics, weight lifting, and generally living a very busy, active life.

Didn't say you can't do it, I really wasn't disagreeing with you. You definitely can... especially if your enthusiasm outweighs all else.

I'd say it's inadvisable for people who don't know the mechanism because, at the onset of storing excess glycogen back in the muscles, liver (plus other internal organs) and blood stream, when one begins to eat higher amounts of carbs, it appears that you may have gained weight back.

For people who don't realise this is completely natural, they'll usually equate carbs to the devil and decide they need to cut them out for good.

If you think you can eat this way for the rest of your life, then more power to you. I know for me though, restricting any kinds of foods will just cause me to fail, like the 95% who do so with long term weight loss. I'm in this for the long haul, and I WILL be part of the 5% that succeed, so I've learned how to keep eating the foods I enjoy, in a way that allows me to also maintain my almost 60lb loss. That's why I'm maintaining so well now and will continue to do so for many years to come

I feel you. You're strong, determined, and doing what works for you.

But that 90-95% failure rate is universal. It's the statistic for every single weight loss plan and maintenance plan.

Low carb/high fat.
High carb/low fat.
High protein/low fat.
IIFYM.
Calorie Counting.
Slow and steady.
Quick and fast.
Weight Watchers
Dukan.
Scarsdale.
Moderation.

Whatever the program, human beings are proving abysmal at losing weight, and even worse, keeping weight off when we do lose it.

That's why it's imperative that people individualize and find what works for them. It's the only fighting chance. That, and your awesome attitude, declaring that you WILL be apart of the 5%. I love that. That's my kinda language!

Looks delicious. However, on a diet like that, my colon would put up an "out of order" sign. Without whole grains, things move through my system V E R Y S L O W L Y. It can't possibly be healthy spending my life full of chit.

With whole grains and a mostly plant-based diet, my system is very happy. So I can't follow your example.

Except I lived on a low carb, high fat program during high impact aerobics, weight lifting, and generally living a very busy, active life.

Didn't say you can't do it, I really wasn't disagreeing with you. You definitely can... especially if your enthusiasm outweighs all else.

I'd say it's inadvisable for people who don't know the mechanism because, at the onset of storing excess glycogen back in the muscles, liver (plus other internal organs) and blood stream, when one begins to eat higher amounts of carbs, it appears that you may have gained weight back.

For people who don't realise this is completely natural, they'll usually equate carbs to the devil and decide they need to cut them out for good.

Yes, which is a huge problem. I mentioned earlier, many people who are low carbing aren't even educated on what they're doing.

And I wasn't immune to that myself. It just took a lot of trial and error.


Carbs are not bad. At all. I don't see any reason why a person can't exist on even a very HIGH carb lifestyle if it fuels their life well, keeps their weight in check, and doesn't cause any health problems.

Unless you have a specific disease, like diabetes, gluten intolerances, allergies, etc, I think we'd all do very well to stop villainizing food.

Technically we all live "restricted" diets. There is so much food choice in this world, and most people will die not tasting the majority of what the world offers. Find something that's comfortable and SANE to you, set it, and forget it.

Sounds good to me!

I have seen a person or two say that low carb isn't healthy.

But the vast majority of people, myself included, say that low-carb isn't necessary for the vast majority of people.

well, in some aspects, its not healthy, but that can be said for any eating plan, but the majority of us just dont feel the need to deprive ourself! and yes, no matter how much you deny it, your deprived when eating low carb... at some point, everyone wants a cookie, a poptart, a slice of cake... its just not ideal for long term maintenance...

Low carb not NO carb. A low carb diet you can still have carb. A no carb diet it restrictive. I suggest many of you have NO idea what a diabetic eats.

I could not live without carbs... Damn Mediterranean diet upbringing, it is contrary to all what is trendy these days

If you have found a diet that keeps you healthy and on track, why do you care what others think of it?