low carb success stories

I did it for about six months-- had good results weight-wise, but my cholesterol count and blood pressure went through the roof. Beware the animal fats!

I am doing low carb and all of my blood test results are better than they were 6 months ago when I was eating high carb. Maybe I am eating more whole foods, and that's why, but I do use real butter, coconut oil, and bacon grease to cook. My blood sugar has gotten so much better too since I don't eat sweet stuff every day and I try not to eat processed foods. I'm not doing as low carb as I was for my initial 20 lb loss, but lower carb than what most would consider "normal", I have found I am less hungry all the time and my hormones are more balanced. It's not for everyone, but it has worked well for me.

does anyone have success with atkins southbeach or just plain low carb?? I feel like ive had most success with low carb just wanted some success stories

save me the neagative feedback dont care

I've had success but to be honest I wasn't really doing it specifically to lose weight.

I've been able to lose weight on almost any dietary lifestyle I tried, whether low-fat, low-carb, high-fat, etc. In order to lose weight you still always need to create a calorie deficit somehow; simply changing the foods is not what achieves weight-loss. You can still create an excess whether you're eating rice or bacon; eliminating one or the other is not going to cause faster loss, but depending on you individually, one or the other may fit into your lifestyle with a bit more ease.

However what I did find was that eating low-carb/high-fat kept me satiated for a great deal longer, meaning I was less likely to snack mindlessly or overeat. I realized that although I created a healthy deficit on low-fat, it was never going to be sustainable as I was always hungry, stopping to eat 5+ times a day so that I wouldn't flag or become edgy, and that certain foods particularly grains were not agreeing with my digestive system. Quite simply the lifestyle that worked for me was going to be one where I was fuller for longer, and had consistent energy levels - not short spikes. Most importantly, I wanted to FEEL good. Losing weight was going to be pointless if I still felt as bloated as a pufferfish.

During my year or so of eating lean, high-protein and high-carb, I often felt bloated and sluggish regardless of the strenuousness of my workouts. Oatmeal felt like a dead weight, brown rice or bananas gave a short burst of feeling great followed by an annoying comedown, and quinoa just made me bloated. Some foods such as starchy beans, tempeh and tofu had me gassy and feeling pregnant by the end of the night. I also wasn't losing weight consistently despite my workout efforts and eating at a deficit.

I noticed during a plateau, when I began a food journal, that I was consuming a hefty amount of fruit. A banana smoothie here, an apple there, berries for breakfast, mango for an afternoon snack... they added up to a lot of sugars, and a lot of calories. I rationalized that it was better than eating fatty calories. I ate NO butter and only lean meats and fish - pork was out of the question. I ate tons of beans - lentil, black bean, split pea. I only used two oils: coconut (sparingly) to cook, olive for salads. Perhaps the only thing that's remained the same is an abundance of organic vegetables, although I was still eating a variety of higher-glycemic and low-fiber veg such as peas and carrots.

I then tried something like Paleo for awhile, thinking I might be lactose intolerant. But I was kind of more just eating modest amounts of everything, like a 33/33/34 (fat/carb/protein). I ate a great variety of fruits and vegetables. Still kept it lean and low-fat, but reduce my sugars a bit. I had results on the scale, but many of my other problems were still lingering.

When I finally began a keto lifestyle a few months ago (that's low-carb, high-fat, MODERATE protein) coming from an already moderately-low carb lifestyle anyway (100g more or less, per day).

After conquering my lifelong fear of fat and starting to reduce my sugar and carb intake I began to see a lot of improvements not just on the scale but also in the way I felt. I began counting calories again and found that although I was eating until I was full each day, I struggled to even meet my calorie goal - I was simply just TOO FULL to even think about overeating! And my cravings completely disappeared. After a lot of tweaking and experimenting, what I've settled into for the past month or so has been so far the most successful intake for me:

75%/5%/20% (fats/carbs/protein)
-Based on my calculated BMR minus a deficit of around 500 calories a day, a total in the range of 1400-1800 calories; always aiming for a NET of at least 1250
-Total carbs between 30-50g, NET carbs (carbs minus fiber) 20g or less
-An abundance of fats both saturated and otherwise (no trans) coming from: avocados and avocado oil, coconut oil, animal fats, butter/ghee, eggs, most nuts, cheeses and heavy creams
-Pretty much unlimited veg (as much as I can actually eat) made up of things like: dark leafy greens, sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peppers
-The odd fruit comprising mostly berries, lemons & limes
-Lots of water (3+ liters per day)

I occasionally drink red wine or whiskey, and enjoy plenty of home-baked goods made with nut flours/meals and natural, low-glycemic sweeteners such as coconut sugar/nectar, date sugar, or stevia. In this way I don't miss cakes or breads at all. I've no problem eating out at restaurants; most are absolutely happy to replace fries, chips, potato, etc with extra veg or salad.

In the months that I've been doing keto, I have been 'working out' little to none at all, and my exercise has been the occasional lifting of weights, lots of walking, and very little jogging/running.

In the first week of keto I lost about 7lbs, in the second week 4lbs, then 2, and in the 5th or 6th weeks, stalled. I then got a fitbit and realized I was actually still not eating enough, and consuming far too much protein (this can also be counter-productive), and now using the method above, I've been losing on average of about 1lb per week. Sometimes a bit more, sometimes none at all. A few weeks I've actually gained, which I put down to a combo of indulgences (bloat) and hormones (also bloat), as it fell right back off in the following week or so.

Some benefits I have noticed since transitioning to keto:

-I am almost NEVER hungry and the word 'famished' has disappeared from my vocabulary, unless I've gone for a significant time period without food - 6-8hrs or more; this means I'm generally in a better mood!
-Increased sustained energy levels throughout the day; no more post-meal fatigue or 2-3hourly flagging
-Less brain fuzz; more alert; better concentration levels
-Clearer glowing skin; shinier hair
-Weight-loss; although MFP says 5lbs, I've actually lost around 15lbs. (gained weight back at the end of the year, then re-lost it after starting keto)
-Less sensitive, whiter teeth; presumably from my limiting of sugary fruits
-No cravings

Sorry for the long post, but just wanted to clarify that there's a lot more to the success of low-carb lifestyles than just 'eating less carbs'. As with any healthy lifestyle there's loads of factors, you just have to find the best balance for you!