Is a Low-Carb Diet for You? Most Likely Not.
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I have researched thoroughly on nutrition and macro nutrients and I am confident with my low carb lifestyle. Yes, you might feel your energy levels are low but it is only the first 3 weeks when your body is adapting to using fat as the main source of energy. Having said that, I would not create a topic on one blog post/ article to reject other diets. People are different and lifestyles are different. I am not an athlete, I don't need a big plate of pasta. My liver and muscles store enough glycogen, fat is an easier source of energy for my body as it is easier to convert than carbs and my insulin as well as other hormones are regulated.
People just don't sweat the small stuff, do what you feel is right for you and know why (i.e..research) why you are doing it. Listen to your main source: your body! Feeling great? Tons of energy? Greater skin? Losing weight?
Respect your fitness pal's journey and focus on your goals. It is a process. We are learning every day.
Obviously, you failed to read most of my replies where I stated that each person is different in there preference to a particular eating plan. The point of this post is to get folks to research before jumping on the bandwagon because their cousin said it was fantastic.
Good for you for finding something you can adhere to long term. Again, goals and activity level also determine the level of carbs some folks need.
No worries, I got that part but I was responding to this statement:
But, for the majority of people, carbs are needed for hormonal balance
That's fine, too. And if you've had you're health markers checked with no problems, great! That's not going to be the case for the majority of people. In every case, you will find outliers.
Would you elaborate on your comment that "carbs are needed for hormonal balance?". By "carbs" here I understand you are referring to a moderate carb diet.0 -
I have researched thoroughly on nutrition and macro nutrients and I am confident with my low carb lifestyle. Yes, you might feel your energy levels are low but it is only the first 3 weeks when your body is adapting to using fat as the main source of energy. Having said that, I would not create a topic on one blog post/ article to reject other diets. People are different and lifestyles are different. I am not an athlete, I don't need a big plate of pasta. My liver and muscles store enough glycogen, fat is an easier source of energy for my body as it is easier to convert than carbs and my insulin as well as other hormones are regulated.
People just don't sweat the small stuff, do what you feel is right for you and know why (i.e..research) why you are doing it. Listen to your main source: your body! Feeling great? Tons of energy? Greater skin? Losing weight?
Respect your fitness pal's journey and focus on your goals. It is a process. We are learning every day.
Obviously, you failed to read most of my replies where I stated that each person is different in there preference to a particular eating plan. The point of this post is to get folks to research before jumping on the bandwagon because their cousin said it was fantastic.
Good for you for finding something you can adhere to long term. Again, goals and activity level also determine the level of carbs some folks need.
No worries, I got that part but I was responding to this statement:
But, for the majority of people, carbs are needed for hormonal balance
That's fine, too. And if you've had you're health markers checked with no problems, great! That's not going to be the case for the majority of people. In every case, you will find outliers.
Would you elaborate on your comment that "carbs are needed for hormonal balance?". By "carbs" here I understand you are referring to a moderate carb diet.
They covered a large part of this in the article. It's for men and women. Easy to find by searching for the topic headers.0 -
Humans are a diverse bunch and the Inuit are a good example. Inuit traditional diets have been good to them for 30,000 plus years, so I would imagine healthy could be used as to that status. Not recently though, not since contact from the wonderful world of OZ.Think of eskimos - protein and fat and no carbs and they are healthy.
What?!?! Are you kidding??
ETA: Please furnish evidence that Eskimos are healthier than anyone else. Because... No.0 -
Actually it wasn't.
What we have here is confusion on what one person would consider low- carb compared to another. Much like asking 10 people to define clean eating. You'll get 10 different answers.
However, your body will convert muscle to energy at some point. The greater the carb reduction the greater this conversion will be. All the energy required isn't going to come from fat.
If you look at the carb intake in some of the studies cited in that article, some were are following very low carb diets and if anything found that the low carb diets were lean mass sparing (not the opposite). Many diets like Atkins and South Beach reintroduce carbs slowly over time, putting their carb intake at a higher intake than the ones used in those studies, meaning they are as a whole higher-carb than the ones looked at in that article. Not to mention, what your cited blog fails to account for is ketones in very low carb diets and how they are used in place of glucose for many (not all) bodily functions, with the result being a reduction in the amount of glycogen your body requires. You may also be forgetting that your body can obtain glucose from dietary protein. Simply put, almost all recommended low carb diets provide ample sources of glucose through carbs and protein for your body to use, and your body will not turn to burning up your muscle for energy with ample sources of available dietary glucose. Perhaps you're thinking of a no carb diet without adequate protein, but I personally don't know anyone that follows such a diet. But suggesting that a low carb diet in and of itself leads to muscle loss is simply nonsense, as numerous studies and logic suggest otherwise. Again, if this was true, protein-sparing modified fasts that are low in both fat and carbs would lead to massive catabolization of your lean body mass... and then they wouldn't be very mass sparing, would they?
Other than some older studies with poor controls, there's really nothing I've seen that suggests that consuming a lower amount of carbs in and of itself will lead to the loss of lean body mass. It's not even a major contributing factor when it comes to preserving lean body mass on a cut. I'm with you on suggesting that people research both the pros and cons of their diet, particularly if it's something like a very low carb diet where there body is functioning in a different fashion. However, on the other end of the spectrum, it doesn't help when people spread myths such as your body will catabolize all your muscle if you don't eat lots of carbs each day.0 -
I have researched thoroughly on nutrition and macro nutrients and I am confident with my low carb lifestyle. Yes, you might feel your energy levels are low but it is only the first 3 weeks when your body is adapting to using fat as the main source of energy. Having said that, I would not create a topic on one blog post/ article to reject other diets. People are different and lifestyles are different. I am not an athlete, I don't need a big plate of pasta. My liver and muscles store enough glycogen, fat is an easier source of energy for my body as it is easier to convert than carbs and my insulin as well as other hormones are regulated.
People just don't sweat the small stuff, do what you feel is right for you and know why (i.e..research) why you are doing it. Listen to your main source: your body! Feeling great? Tons of energy? Greater skin? Losing weight?
Respect your fitness pal's journey and focus on your goals. It is a process. We are learning every day.
Obviously, you failed to read most of my replies where I stated that each person is different in there preference to a particular eating plan. The point of this post is to get folks to research before jumping on the bandwagon because their cousin said it was fantastic.
Good for you for finding something you can adhere to long term. Again, goals and activity level also determine the level of carbs some folks need.
No worries, I got that part but I was responding to this statement:
But, for the majority of people, carbs are needed for hormonal balance
That's fine, too. And if you've had you're health markers checked with no problems, great! That's not going to be the case for the majority of people. In every case, you will find outliers.
Would you elaborate on your comment that "carbs are needed for hormonal balance?". By "carbs" here I understand you are referring to a moderate carb diet.
They covered a large part of this in the article. It's for men and women. Easy to find by searching for the topic headers.
Are you kidding? I finally looked at your source and the first couple of lines made me shut the whole thing down. Sorry, I really don't mean to be blunt here but you will have to convince me really hard on the reliability of this source. I find this kind of information really misleading and we really need to get educated on insulin resistance as diabetes is the new plague. People when you research, get rid of 99% and keep 1%. I explain:
Insulin: a SATIETY hormone? Really? Insulin regulates glucose in the blood stream and store the excess energy as fat. LEPTIN is the satiety hormone.0 -
Eaing Low carb has never been an issue with me. Possibly because I'm by nature not a big carb lover. Pasta is just flour and water, never understood the appeal of it. Hate potatoes and grains give me horrible pangs of death. I've eaten under 100G of carbs for going on 3yrs now. Currently I eat Keto under 30 net grams.. and again it has been no issue for me, I lift heavy, I do cardio, I feel great.
However all that being said, I never suggest to anyone that they go Keto or even low carb. Simply because the majority of people don't have a natural aversion to carbs. It will be a struggle and it won't be sustainable. However if you are in the minority like me it can be a very fulfilling way to eat.0 -
Humans are a diverse bunch and the Inuit are a good example. Inuit traditional diets have been good to them for 30,000 plus years, so I would imagine healthy could be used as to that status. Not recently though, not since contact from the wonderful world of OZ.Think of eskimos - protein and fat and no carbs and they are healthy.
What?!?! Are you kidding??
ETA: Please furnish evidence that Eskimos are healthier than anyone else. Because... No.
I won't dispute that.
Nowadays, "Eskimos" have the same issues as anyone else.0 -
No, that's not what happens when on a low carb diet and what, in your mind are the number of carbs where this is obvious, or in other words it's considered a physical law and undisputed, you know like you seem to be referring it as. Your relying on the fact that glycogen will be used as ATP and therefore protein turnover is blunted and somehow that negates gluconeogenesis, sorry to say that happens even when consuming carbs as well. What is important is adequate protein, resistance training and a deficit that minimizes protein degradation from the lack of existing adipose tissue. Not rocket science.
Good come back to a pretty biased OP.
You really want your body to break down muscle tissue to convert to glucose for energy? Not meCan you tell me why there are requirements by the body to have fat and protein but we can live well with absolutely no carbs? I suggest you get informed. As for needing carbs for exercise, that has been proven to be false. The body converts fat and protein to glucose just fine. Think of eskimos - protein and fat and no carbs and they are healthy. We eat a lot of carbs and this nation is getting fatter and fatter.
Nor do most people following low carb diets. Given that's not what happens to people on a standard low carb diet though, I'm not really sure what your point is.
Please supply links to studies that show this not happening.
Oh please. If you have no studies suggesting it DOES happen, don't start demanding citations that it doesn't happen. This is akin to me conclusively stating that raspberry ketones are the secret to weight loss and when you suggest otherwise, I demand studies proving raspberry ketones do not lead to weight loss. If we're going to play that game, please supply links to studies that show people getting adequate protein and calories, in a state of ketosis where ketones take the place of glucose for many brain cells (and thus your body's glucose requirements are lower), and yet their body decides to catabolize their muscle tissue into glucose anyways (for S&G I suppose?).
If you've looked into this subject at all, you'd realize that the primary factors that contribute to lean body mass retention are a) protein intake, b) resistance training and c) not going "too aggressive" with your caloric deficit, where "too aggressive" is probably a lot more of a deficit than most people think (one study suggests it's around 31 kcal/lb of fat per day). What's not on that list? A high carb intake. For that matter, if what you're suggesting is true (which it's not), then a protein-sparing modified fast wouldn't be sparing whatsoever because it lacks a high carb intake - and yet these VLCD's are used by doctors for rapid weight loss in obese patients where the body largely does not break down lean tissue for energy.
Perhaps if we were discussing a no carb diet you might see this taking place (even then it's suspect if your protein intake is adequate), but with regard to a standard low carb diet with adequate protein, you're just repeating an old myth. All that said, if you want to spend the next many hours reading studies, there's a review of studies with plenty of citations here http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/3/1/9#B5.
Actually it wasn't.
What we have here is confusion on what one person would consider low- carb compared to another. Much like asking 10 people to define clean eating. You'll get 10 different answers.
However, your body will convert muscle to energy at some point. The greater the carb reduction the greater this conversion will be. All the energy required isn't going to come from fat.0 -
I just started MFP, so for right now I'm just using the automatic settings. Some people who follow low carb diets readjust the auto settings because they think it needs to be lower in carbs and higher in protein. But I think it's fairly low on carbs as it is because in order to stay under your carb goal you really have to avoid processed/junk food and sugary snacks for the most part. For me personally I'm trying to cut down on carbs and get my protein up. I started today, and I can already see a huge difference. If I eat a bowl of pasta, for example, I'll be hungry an hour later. But I can eat a piece of meat for the same number of calories and be satisfied for hours. Plus, processed grains, even if they're "whole" grains, aren't really good for you anyway. If you eat a clean, whole foods diet, you're going to end up pretty low carb anyway, unless you just happen to enjoy eating a whole lot of fruit. In terms of the people who go super low carb and won't even touch a banana, I don't know if that's necessary but if that's what some people are into and it's working for them then good for them. Just do whatever works for you and don't worry about what everybody else is doing.
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I am low carbing currently for the simple fact that my blood sugar / insulin levels are way more stable and my hunger is completely in check. I am still eating in a deficit which is the most important factor to losing weight when it is all said and done. I will add more carbs when I am at goal gradually to prevent a huge carb rebound (will gain back 3-5 pounds no matter what)0
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Exactly, who in the hell calls Inuits, Eskimos. really. lol.
Humans are a diverse bunch and the Inuit are a good example. Inuit traditional diets have been good to them for 30,000 plus years, so I would imagine healthy could be used as to that status. Not recently though, not since contact from the wonderful world of OZ.Think of eskimos - protein and fat and no carbs and they are healthy.
What?!?! Are you kidding??
ETA: Please furnish evidence that Eskimos are healthier than anyone else. Because... No.
I won't dispute that.
Nowadays, "Eskimos" have the same issues as anyone else.0 -
This is just one of those touchy topics.I tried reading up on all ideas of what the "ideal" diet was before starting my LIFESTYLE change: I read somewhere where it pretty much stated that a person needs to choose a diet that they are willing to stick with for the rest of their life; this made perfect sense to me. For me, low carb is not something I can do indefinitely...love them way too much. By just tracking calorie and exercise, I'm seeing the results and weight loss I want. I just figured low carb generally means less calories...seems like carbs have more calories in them? And I know there's no denying that weight loss is basically calories in vs calories out. I think the OP just wants others to know that low carb isn't for everyone, and thats fine. I support anyone's diet as long as they are being healthy. I have family members who have great success with low carb diets, and enjoy the foods they eat. I just know that with me, I would probably have huge carb binges if I had to stick to low carb for a long time....and then just gain the weight back and have to go through that cycle over and over.....0
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YOUR LAST EDIT?0
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I do think a consistent carb diet could work really well for some, which I guess could be considered a "low carb" diet. I don't like the word "low carb" because the body needs a certain amount of carbohydrate to function for the brain and red blood cells. And I know the keto diet, but that is for extreme cases and should be monitored by a doctor.
For myself, I do not do low carb but I try to keep everything proportioned. I do think consistent carbs are important for both weight loss and maintenance.
Good luck everyone!0 -
I have researched thoroughly on nutrition and macro nutrients and I am confident with my low carb lifestyle. Yes, you might feel your energy levels are low but it is only the first 3 weeks when your body is adapting to using fat as the main source of energy. Having said that, I would not create a topic on one blog post/ article to reject other diets. People are different and lifestyles are different. I am not an athlete, I don't need a big plate of pasta. My liver and muscles store enough glycogen, fat is an easier source of energy for my body as it is easier to convert than carbs and my insulin as well as other hormones are regulated.
People just don't sweat the small stuff, do what you feel is right for you and know why (i.e..research) why you are doing it. Listen to your main source: your body! Feeling great? Tons of energy? Greater skin? Losing weight?
Respect your fitness pal's journey and focus on your goals. It is a process. We are learning every day.
Obviously, you failed to read most of my replies where I stated that each person is different in there preference to a particular eating plan. The point of this post is to get folks to research before jumping on the bandwagon because their cousin said it was fantastic.
Good for you for finding something you can adhere to long term. Again, goals and activity level also determine the level of carbs some folks need.
No worries, I got that part but I was responding to this statement:
But, for the majority of people, carbs are needed for hormonal balance
That's fine, too. And if you've had you're health markers checked with no problems, great! That's not going to be the case for the majority of people. In every case, you will find outliers.
The fact that you stated you are not an athlete means that your goals are different. I have no idea what your activity levels are, but you seem to have things where you like them.
Mmmm I see that you have just edited that post that goes back a while rather than answering my question on hormones. Why did you feel the last two lines were necessary "Fitness Pal"? It is ok if that is your only ammunition left.0 -
I have researched thoroughly on nutrition and macro nutrients and I am confident with my low carb lifestyle. Yes, you might feel your energy levels are low but it is only the first 3 weeks when your body is adapting to using fat as the main source of energy. Having said that, I would not create a topic on one blog post/ article to reject other diets. People are different and lifestyles are different. I am not an athlete, I don't need a big plate of pasta. My liver and muscles store enough glycogen, fat is an easier source of energy for my body as it is easier to convert than carbs and my insulin as well as other hormones are regulated.
People just don't sweat the small stuff, do what you feel is right for you and know why (i.e..research) why you are doing it. Listen to your main source: your body! Feeling great? Tons of energy? Greater skin? Losing weight?
Respect your fitness pal's journey and focus on your goals. It is a process. We are learning every day.
Obviously, you failed to read most of my replies where I stated that each person is different in there preference to a particular eating plan. The point of this post is to get folks to research before jumping on the bandwagon because their cousin said it was fantastic.
Good for you for finding something you can adhere to long term. Again, goals and activity level also determine the level of carbs some folks need.
No worries, I got that part but I was responding to this statement:
But, for the majority of people, carbs are needed for hormonal balance
That's fine, too. And if you've had you're health markers checked with no problems, great! That's not going to be the case for the majority of people. In every case, you will find outliers.
The fact that you stated you are not an athlete means that your goals are different. I have no idea what your activity levels are, but you seem to have things where you like them.
Mmmm I see that you have just edited that post that goes back a while rather than answering my question on hormones. Why did you feel the last two lines were necessary "Fitness Pal"? It is ok if that is your only ammunition left.
No, actually went to bed.
I have yet to say to anyone to not go low carb. All I've stated is that it's not for everyone and that proper research needs to be done before someone adopts it. Here is an article that talks more about hormones. Again, it's not against the idea. In fact, this article is actually for it if it's done properly.
https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/rules-for-successful-low-carb-diets
I also edited that post to show that your energy needs are going to be different than others. I train for powerlifting. Not sure what your activities look like, but I'm sure our energy needs are quite different.0 -
I have yet to say to anyone to not go low carb. All I've stated is that it's not for everyone and that proper research needs to be done before someone adopts it. Here is an article that talks more about hormones. Again, it's not against the idea. In fact, this article is actually for it if it's done properly.
And I think what we're saying is that we agree people should educate themselves and do proper research, but it's not clear how a biased article that focuses only on cons, overstating them in places and even misrepresenting them in others, without any mention of the pros of a low carb diet is helpful to such an education. If the goal is education, people should look at both the pros and the cons, as well as their own personal preferences (e.g., can you give up cereal, pasta, etc.) before making a decision. When others chime in by dredging up old myths that don't even make a lot of sense (e.g., your body will burn all your muscle for energy without carbs), now we're simply miseducating people about low carb diets.
I'm not saying everyone should do low carb, and in fact I suspect for most people it's a bad fit (read unsustainable). Even for people that want to do a low carb diet, I still think it's important to count calories and watch macros daily. But I simply see no benefit in misrepresenting the information we have in an attempt to dissuade people from even considering such a diet in the first place.0 -
I'm not saying everyone should do low carb, and in fact I suspect for most people it's a bad fit (read unsustainable). Even for people that want to do a low carb diet, I still think it's important to count calories and watch macros daily. But I simply see no benefit in misrepresenting the information we have in an attempt to dissuade people from even considering such a diet in the first place.
Perfect! That's all I really wanted from the beginning. I do happen to like the information from Berardi. However, the T-nation piece does a better job of staying balanced on the topic without trying to lean one way or the other.
The curriculum for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam does go into detail about gluconeogensis as a result of restricted carbs. However, the information is intended for athletes with enormous energy outputs on a daily basis. But, to what extreme would this actually occur?0 -
all I will say is that Low Carb is not some magical diet that is going to melt off fat; all it does, is allow someone to create a calorie deficit through eating less carbs….
For me, I need carbs for energy - lifting/running/etc - and I eat about 30% carbs and it has not hampered my progress at all…0 -
I love my carbs too much to go too low!!
Besides, They fuel me for my gym work outs, without them, I wouldn't have ANY energy!!!0
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