Low carbs

hnyzthms
hnyzthms Posts: 393 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

I am thinking of doing low carb in take, well mainly cutting chips out, limit bread to 2 slices per wk. no crisps etc

However has anyone tried cutting carbs and had good results and also what should I set my carb allowance to per day?

Thanks in advance

Replies

  • SweeDecadence92
    SweeDecadence92 Posts: 218 Member
    I did it a few years ago. It'd go well for a few weeks then I would start to suffer serious fatigue issues. i even had blood tests because it looked like anemia. I can't say for sure if it was the carb restriction but when I reintroduced carb rick foods back into my diet the issue quickly subsided. During that time I didn't notice any increase in weight loss.

    Would not reccomend!
  • kikityme
    kikityme Posts: 472 Member
    To be fair, that's not actually cutting carbs, that's cutting junk.

    As a diabetic, my carbs are kept to 80-100g per day and my sugar is 6g per day. And that includes all carbs-even fruit/veg.

    For me, it works very well, and as long as I keep it even through the day, I have no side effects except I'm less hungry. The trick is to keep your carbs distributed throughout your meals, if I have 30 carbs for breakfast, I need to keep it close during lunch and dinner-that keeps blood sugar from spiking. Never have a carb without some protein and fat, that's easy enough, peanut butter on english muffin meets that requirement.

    A lot of people are going to jump on this, the low-carb is either loved or hated. But you can always try. I did get headaches at first, but that's cause I've had 40 years of baked potatoes and I had to get used to it. Now the smell of bread kind of grosses me out. Seriously-why does it smell like vinegar?
  • JoeyFrappuccino
    JoeyFrappuccino Posts: 88 Member
    I could never do low carb but many people have found it helpful. Cutting back on bread and chips isn't necessarily a bad idea, but you'll also have to limit things like fruits, vegetables, seeds and legumes. Carbohydrates are the primary macronutrient in many foods in those categories, and they contain some of the healthiest foods you'll find. Still, people have been successful with it and you'll get different opinions. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to replace whatever you cut out with something healthier. Your allowance for carbs should be based on your macronutrient ratio, I think most people would say low carb starts at fewer than 40% but there are people who cut back to practically none at all.
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
    You are thinking of going low carbs... why? what are you trying to achieve?
  • Oneladyhwk
    Oneladyhwk Posts: 1 Member
    Hi,
    I started doing low carbs about 12 weeks ago because I was so afraid of developing diabetes. It's in my family and I knew the way I was eating was going to eventually get me there. So I consulted with a health coach and started a program and have since lost 18 lbs. The way I am eating makes me feel great and has balanced me out. I feel like high carbs had me in a catch 22. The more I ate the more I wanted and I couldn't get free. I did a detox for 7 days just eating egg whites and limited fruits and plenty of raw veggies and it has done wonders for me. Now...no more cravings for the junk. That's the best part of all. I don't desire it anymore which is the worst of the battle.

    God bless!!!
  • SharonNehring
    SharonNehring Posts: 535 Member
    Like a previous poster, I am type 2 diabetic, so counting carbs is required. I aim for 100-130gms a day, the closer to 100 the better. And as also pointed out, this includes fruits, veggies, beans, nuts etc not just junk foods.

    I second the suggestion of always having protein with your healthy carbs. Apple or banana slices with peanut butter, greek yogurt with berries, cheese with crackers or nuts. Protein helps prevent the sugar spike (and subsequent drop which makes you hungry) and keeps you feeling full longer.
  • KarenE86
    KarenE86 Posts: 75 Member
    I cut out bread and pasta, but still get carbs from veggies and fruit. Personally, I find that bread is a waste of calories and I would rather use those calories on something else. I feel better not having bread/pasta and veggies instead. Its based on what your body needs though and what feels good to you
  • jjplato
    jjplato Posts: 155 Member
    I took a look at your diary, and saw two things: you're going over your calorie goal almost every day, and you're eating a lot of cookies, chips, candy, etc. These things won't make them fat by themselves if you still manage to eat at a calorie deficit, but they're obviously problematic when trying to lose weight because they are calorie-dense and not very filling, so it's easy to over-indulge.

    This is just my opinion, but I don't think you need to go low-carb per se. Do what you suggested and eliminate the "junk" and replace it with more filling carbohydrates like beans, oatmeal, whole-grain bread, sweet potatoes, and vegetables. You'll most likely find it easier to hit your calorie target each day. If you've got a sweet tooth, it may take a while to get used to not having that stuff, but over time your cravings will diminish, especially if you're not experiencing hunger pangs throughout the day.

    Good luck!
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Hi

    I am thinking of doing low carb in take, well mainly cutting chips out, limit bread to 2 slices per wk. no crisps etc

    However has anyone tried cutting carbs and had good results and also what should I set my carb allowance to per day?

    Thanks in advance
    Err Going low carb will make no difference if you don't stick within your calories which you don't seem to do now. You need to get that under control. There are reasons why some people find low carb useful but they still need to eat at a calorie deficit to lose weight which looking at your diary is the problem you are having
  • mahanaibu
    mahanaibu Posts: 505 Member
    To be fair, that's not actually cutting carbs, that's cutting junk.

    As a diabetic, my carbs are kept to 80-100g per day and my sugar is 6g per day. And that includes all carbs-even fruit/veg.

    For me, it works very well, and as long as I keep it even through the day, I have no side effects except I'm less hungry. The trick is to keep your carbs distributed throughout your meals, if I have 30 carbs for breakfast, I need to keep it close during lunch and dinner-that keeps blood sugar from spiking. Never have a carb without some protein and fat, that's easy enough, peanut butter on english muffin meets that requirement.

    A lot of people are going to jump on this, the low-carb is either loved or hated. But you can always try. I did get headaches at first, but that's cause I've had 40 years of baked potatoes and I had to get used to it. Now the smell of bread kind of grosses me out. Seriously-why does it smell like vinegar?

    what she said, with a couple of additions. It's helpful to think of low glycemic as well as low carb. Whole foods tend to be lower on the glycemic level because the fiber and other aspects make the body work harder to extract the sugars and thus they keep the blood sugar levels more stable. In other words, a 90-calorie apple is better than 90 calories of apple juice, which is just sugar water. Steel-cut oatmeal keeps blood sugar levels more stable than instant oatmeal. In other words junk food can be much more than potato chips.

    and if your calories are over...the cutting of carbs is going to be of very limited help.
  • toadg53
    toadg53 Posts: 302 Member
    I am low carb. Similar to a couple other posters, I am insulin resistant, a kind of pre-cursor to diabetes. My doctor told me to stay between 50 and 100 carbs a day. It's totally do-able. I get mine from vegetables, nuts, beans. No bread, no starchy vegetables. No junk. I allow myself a couple go to things. I stay away from processed food as much as possible. But it has to be a life style change, not a diet. That's the biggie.
  • kikityme
    kikityme Posts: 472 Member

    what she said, with a couple of additions. It's helpful to think of low glycemic as well as low carb. Whole foods tend to be lower on the glycemic level because the fiber and other aspects make the body work harder to extract the sugars and thus they keep the blood sugar levels more stable. In other words, a 90-calorie apple is better than 90 calories of apple juice, which is just sugar water. Steel-cut oatmeal keeps blood sugar levels more stable than instant oatmeal. In other words junk food can be much more than potato chips.

    and if your calories are over...the cutting of carbs is going to be of very limited help.

    That's a good point, I don't do glycemic index, but I didn't mention NET carbs, which is carbs minus fibre equals the net carb. So I do eat higher carb items like oatmeal because it's also higher fibre which technically lower the carbs.

Categories