I have the hardest time with low carb diets.
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kayva91011
Posts: 19 Member
Hello! My name is Kayla!
Well I'm chubby and trying to lose weight. I tried to lose weight last year before I got pregnant with my son and I tried everything and the ONLY thing that worked was low carb. I dropped weight pretty fast. But now that I've had him I'm back to square one.
I know low carbing works for me but it's so hard. I was so ornery the whole time I was dieting! I constantly thought of food and craved carbs. I was short with my husband and kids. I also was exhausted. I work 12 hour shifts in Labor and Delivery so being exhausted all the time doesn't work out well with me! BUT low carb may be the only way my body looses weight.
Anyone else in the same boat? Suggestions?
Well I'm chubby and trying to lose weight. I tried to lose weight last year before I got pregnant with my son and I tried everything and the ONLY thing that worked was low carb. I dropped weight pretty fast. But now that I've had him I'm back to square one.
I know low carbing works for me but it's so hard. I was so ornery the whole time I was dieting! I constantly thought of food and craved carbs. I was short with my husband and kids. I also was exhausted. I work 12 hour shifts in Labor and Delivery so being exhausted all the time doesn't work out well with me! BUT low carb may be the only way my body looses weight.
Anyone else in the same boat? Suggestions?
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Replies
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You lose weight with a calorie deficit. Period.
The reason low carb appears to work quick is water weight. This isn't fat loss, I mean, if you keep it up and maintain a calorie deficit, you'll still continue to lose weight but there's nothing special about it. Weight loss isn't linear, so you'll always see day to day fluctuations. I go up like 5 lbs in a single day.
If low carb makes you feel badly. Don't do it!
Here's some reading to get you started but I've lost 53 lbs after having two kids and a considerable amount of body fat by eating at a moderate deficit and lifting weights. I haven't cut ANYTHING out of my diet and ate close to 250g of carbs while losing.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
if you still have issues, perhaps see a specialist about a medical condition. I know there are some conditions that carbs do effect, but otherwise it should not matter0 -
Craving carbs and feeling tired should only be short term effects of a low carb diet. After a couple days of low carb, your body should switch to ketosis, which is the process where your body uses fat for energy (both stored and dietary) instead of carbohydrates. When your body is fat adapted, feeling tired, cravings, crankiness, etc should all dissipate. These symptoms should only last about a week. Since you still felt this way, I think your problem was that you were still eating too many carbs. If you're only consuming carbs from vegetables, and keeping your fat intake high enough, you should not feel the way you've felt previously.
Additionally, you should not feel miserable while losing weight. Maybe low carb isn't the diet for you. Maybe your body does well on low carb because you aren't eating something else - possibly gluten or sugar. If you are unwilling to try what I suggested above, I would instead experiment with removing these two things. Possibly try a gluten-free diet, or a sugar free diet (not at the same time). These don't have to necessarily be low carb. It's possible to have success with these two options and not be as miserable as you were on a low-carb diet.
Good luck.0 -
Craving carbs and feeling tired should only be short term effects of a low carb diet. After a couple days of low carb, your body should switch to ketosis, which is the process where your body uses fat for energy (both stored and dietary) instead of carbohydrates. When your body is fat adapted, feeling tired, cravings, crankiness, etc should all dissipate. These symptoms should only last about a week. Since you still felt this way, I think your problem was that you were still eating too many carbs. If you're only consuming carbs from vegetables, and keeping your fat intake high enough, you should not feel the way you've felt previously.
Additionally, you should not feel miserable while losing weight. Maybe low carb isn't the diet for you. Maybe your body does well on low carb because you aren't eating something else - possibly gluten or sugar. If you are unwilling to try what I suggested above, I would instead experiment with removing these two things. Possibly try a gluten-free diet, or a sugar free diet (not at the same time). These don't have to necessarily be low carb. It's possible to have success with these two options and not be as miserable as you were on a low-carb diet.
Good luck.
This^^
i have had a similar experience but after a few days my cravings stopped and I wasnt as irritable.. Good luck!0 -
I will agree with the previous posters, you should not feel crabby or have craving on low carb. I was amazed what a difference eating enough healthy fats. It was definitely a switch in my thinking. My favorites are avocados, coconut oil (to cook with), olive oil (to drizzle on top or for salad dressings), grass-fed butter, ghee, and coconut milk. I don't LOVE the coconut flavor so I get refined coconut oil to it just adds a richness to my dishes without being coconut flavor and I use the milk sparingly.
I also agree with looking at different diet plans, maybe this one isn't for you. Good luck!!! Congrats on taking a step in the right direction!!!0 -
What do you mean by low carb? How low was it? Were you counting everything with a tool like MFP? What did your macros look like? How much of a deficit of Calories were you eating at?
As already said, I think you may have been eating too many carbs to see the actual benefit of a low carb diet. I also think you may not have been getting enough fat.
Yes, a lot of the initial weight loss on a low carb diet is water weight, but there is so much more that happens when you properly adapt to ketosis. You actually get MORE energy and are LESS irritable and depressed. Your body does not crave sweet things (you will probably find the taste disgusting). Your body will also be more ready to burn your stored fat for energy use since it is using ketones (from fat) for energy in many places it used glucose (typically from carbs). Hunger basically ceases to be a problem in most people.
Yes, Calorie deficit is generally a part of the weight loss, but low carb diets affect the amount of Calories you eat. It's a biological system you are trying to influence. For most people, what you eat >affects> how much you want to eat >which affects> how much you do eat >which affects> your weight. Change what you eat and you can affect your weight. This is a nice strategy for a lot of people.0 -
What do you mean by low carb? How low was it? Were you counting everything with a tool like MFP? What did your macros look like? How much of a deficit of Calories were you eating at?
As already said, I think you may have been eating too many carbs to see the actual benefit of a low carb diet. I also think you may not have been getting enough fat.
Yes, a lot of the initial weight loss on a low carb diet is water weight, but there is so much more that happens when you properly adapt to ketosis. You actually get MORE energy and are LESS irritable and depressed. Your body does not crave sweet things (you will probably find the taste disgusting). Your body will also be more ready to burn your stored fat for energy use since it is using ketones (from fat) for energy in many places it used glucose (typically from carbs). Hunger basically ceases to be a problem in most people.
Yes, Calorie deficit is generally a part of the weight loss, but low carb diets affect the amount of Calories you eat. It's a biological system you are trying to influence. For most people, what you eat >affects> how much you want to eat >which affects> how much you do eat >which affects> your weight. Change what you eat and you can affect your weight. This is a nice strategy for a lot of people.
Btw. Ketosis is unnecessary for fat loss.
http://www.weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319
"Now, you may be wondering why refined carbohydrates can be a problem. Many people think it’s due to the rapid spikes in insulin. However, it’s obviously not the insulin, because protein can cause rapid spikes in insulin as well. One problem with refined carbohydrate is a problem of energy density. With refined carbohydrate, it is easier to pack a lot of calories into a small package. Not only that, but foods with high energy density are often not as satiating as foods with low energy density. In fact, when it comes to high-carbohydrate foods, energy density is a strong predictor of a food’s ability to create satiety (i.e., low-energy density foods create more satiety). There are other issues with refined carbohydrate as well that are beyond the scope of this article.
The bottom line is that insulin doesn’t deserve the bad reputation it’s been given. It’s one of the main reasons why protein helps reduce hunger. You will get insulin spikes even on a low-carb, high-protein diet. Rather than worrying about insulin, you should worry about whatever diet works the best for you in regards to satiety and sustainability. "
ETA: the main point is. Do what works best for YOU. But one way is not superior to the other0 -
You say it works for you then you say you struggle and have no energy. So you are contradicting yourself. All you need is a calorie deficit to lose weight. Eat some carbs learn to eat all foods in moderation then you can eat like that for the rest of your life. You do not have to torture yourself to lose weight. I've managed to lose a little weight eating this way0
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As long as you're eating enough protein for your specific lean body mass and not exceeding it, the protein is not going to cause an increase in insulin. It's the excess protein that turns into glucose and causing the insulin spike.
Here's a great thread that explains the keto diet in depth including the research behind it.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1226809-the-ketogenic-diet-review-information-you-neededWhat do you mean by low carb? How low was it? Were you counting everything with a tool like MFP? What did your macros look like? How much of a deficit of Calories were you eating at?
As already said, I think you may have been eating too many carbs to see the actual benefit of a low carb diet. I also think you may not have been getting enough fat.
Yes, a lot of the initial weight loss on a low carb diet is water weight, but there is so much more that happens when you properly adapt to ketosis. You actually get MORE energy and are LESS irritable and depressed. Your body does not crave sweet things (you will probably find the taste disgusting). Your body will also be more ready to burn your stored fat for energy use since it is using ketones (from fat) for energy in many places it used glucose (typically from carbs). Hunger basically ceases to be a problem in most people.
Yes, Calorie deficit is generally a part of the weight loss, but low carb diets affect the amount of Calories you eat. It's a biological system you are trying to influence. For most people, what you eat >affects> how much you want to eat >which affects> how much you do eat >which affects> your weight. Change what you eat and you can affect your weight. This is a nice strategy for a lot of people.
Btw. Ketosis is unnecessary for fat loss.
http://www.weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319
"Now, you may be wondering why refined carbohydrates can be a problem. Many people think it’s due to the rapid spikes in insulin. However, it’s obviously not the insulin, because protein can cause rapid spikes in insulin as well. One problem with refined carbohydrate is a problem of energy density. With refined carbohydrate, it is easier to pack a lot of calories into a small package. Not only that, but foods with high energy density are often not as satiating as foods with low energy density. In fact, when it comes to high-carbohydrate foods, energy density is a strong predictor of a food’s ability to create satiety (i.e., low-energy density foods create more satiety). There are other issues with refined carbohydrate as well that are beyond the scope of this article.
The bottom line is that insulin doesn’t deserve the bad reputation it’s been given. It’s one of the main reasons why protein helps reduce hunger. You will get insulin spikes even on a low-carb, high-protein diet. Rather than worrying about insulin, you should worry about whatever diet works the best for you in regards to satiety and sustainability. "
ETA: the main point is. Do what works best for YOU. But one way is not superior to the other0 -
What do you mean by low carb? How low was it? Were you counting everything with a tool like MFP? What did your macros look like? How much of a deficit of Calories were you eating at?
As already said, I think you may have been eating too many carbs to see the actual benefit of a low carb diet. I also think you may not have been getting enough fat.
Yes, a lot of the initial weight loss on a low carb diet is water weight, but there is so much more that happens when you properly adapt to ketosis. You actually get MORE energy and are LESS irritable and depressed. Your body does not crave sweet things (you will probably find the taste disgusting). Your body will also be more ready to burn your stored fat for energy use since it is using ketones (from fat) for energy in many places it used glucose (typically from carbs). Hunger basically ceases to be a problem in most people.
Yes, Calorie deficit is generally a part of the weight loss, but low carb diets affect the amount of Calories you eat. It's a biological system you are trying to influence. For most people, what you eat >affects> how much you want to eat >which affects> how much you do eat >which affects> your weight. Change what you eat and you can affect your weight. This is a nice strategy for a lot of people.
Btw. Ketosis is unnecessary for fat loss.
http://www.weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319
"Now, you may be wondering why refined carbohydrates can be a problem. Many people think it’s due to the rapid spikes in insulin. However, it’s obviously not the insulin, because protein can cause rapid spikes in insulin as well. One problem with refined carbohydrate is a problem of energy density. With refined carbohydrate, it is easier to pack a lot of calories into a small package. Not only that, but foods with high energy density are often not as satiating as foods with low energy density. In fact, when it comes to high-carbohydrate foods, energy density is a strong predictor of a food’s ability to create satiety (i.e., low-energy density foods create more satiety). There are other issues with refined carbohydrate as well that are beyond the scope of this article.
The bottom line is that insulin doesn’t deserve the bad reputation it’s been given. It’s one of the main reasons why protein helps reduce hunger. You will get insulin spikes even on a low-carb, high-protein diet. Rather than worrying about insulin, you should worry about whatever diet works the best for you in regards to satiety and sustainability. "
ETA: the main point is. Do what works best for YOU. But one way is not superior to the other
When did I say ketogenic diets are necessary? Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. People can do whatever they want. OP just said she had a hard time on a low carb diet, I'm trying to help her not have a hard time.
To defend ketogenic diets: there's a lot to respond to but I'll respond to your quote at least. Ketogenic diets are not high protein for the reason you are describing. Also, there is more that ketogenic diets target than satiety. The satiety does come from the food, but it also comes from the conversion of body fat to ketones to provide energy. This article is quite an oversimplification of the argument it is trying to attack. The proposal is that ketogenic diets are healthy, not that insulin is evil.0 -
What do you mean by low carb? How low was it? Were you counting everything with a tool like MFP? What did your macros look like? How much of a deficit of Calories were you eating at?
As already said, I think you may have been eating too many carbs to see the actual benefit of a low carb diet. I also think you may not have been getting enough fat.
Yes, a lot of the initial weight loss on a low carb diet is water weight, but there is so much more that happens when you properly adapt to ketosis. You actually get MORE energy and are LESS irritable and depressed. Your body does not crave sweet things (you will probably find the taste disgusting). Your body will also be more ready to burn your stored fat for energy use since it is using ketones (from fat) for energy in many places it used glucose (typically from carbs). Hunger basically ceases to be a problem in most people.
Yes, Calorie deficit is generally a part of the weight loss, but low carb diets affect the amount of Calories you eat. It's a biological system you are trying to influence. For most people, what you eat >affects> how much you want to eat >which affects> how much you do eat >which affects> your weight. Change what you eat and you can affect your weight. This is a nice strategy for a lot of people.
Btw. Ketosis is unnecessary for fat loss.
http://www.weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319
"Now, you may be wondering why refined carbohydrates can be a problem. Many people think it’s due to the rapid spikes in insulin. However, it’s obviously not the insulin, because protein can cause rapid spikes in insulin as well. One problem with refined carbohydrate is a problem of energy density. With refined carbohydrate, it is easier to pack a lot of calories into a small package. Not only that, but foods with high energy density are often not as satiating as foods with low energy density. In fact, when it comes to high-carbohydrate foods, energy density is a strong predictor of a food’s ability to create satiety (i.e., low-energy density foods create more satiety). There are other issues with refined carbohydrate as well that are beyond the scope of this article.
The bottom line is that insulin doesn’t deserve the bad reputation it’s been given. It’s one of the main reasons why protein helps reduce hunger. You will get insulin spikes even on a low-carb, high-protein diet. Rather than worrying about insulin, you should worry about whatever diet works the best for you in regards to satiety and sustainability. "
ETA: the main point is. Do what works best for YOU. But one way is not superior to the other
When did I say ketogenic diets are necessary? Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. People can do whatever they want. OP just said she had a hard time on a low carb diet, I'm trying to help her not have a hard time.
To defend ketogenic diets: there's a lot to respond to but I'll respond to your quote at least. Ketogenic diets are not high protein for the reason you are describing. Also, there is more that ketogenic diets target than satiety. The satiety does come from the food, but it also comes from the conversion of body fat to ketones to provide energy. This article is quite an oversimplification of the argument it is trying to attack. The proposal is that ketogenic diets are healthy, not that insulin is evil.
Healthy is what works best for a person. I'm not going to spend one second feeling like crap when moderation works just fine. That's ultimately the point.
If OP has tried and failed keto. Perhaps she should try alternative routes. I'm not saying your route might not work but it is not the only route to the exact same ends.0 -
What do you mean by low carb? How low was it? Were you counting everything with a tool like MFP? What did your macros look like? How much of a deficit of Calories were you eating at?
As already said, I think you may have been eating too many carbs to see the actual benefit of a low carb diet. I also think you may not have been getting enough fat.
Yes, a lot of the initial weight loss on a low carb diet is water weight, but there is so much more that happens when you properly adapt to ketosis. You actually get MORE energy and are LESS irritable and depressed. Your body does not crave sweet things (you will probably find the taste disgusting). Your body will also be more ready to burn your stored fat for energy use since it is using ketones (from fat) for energy in many places it used glucose (typically from carbs). Hunger basically ceases to be a problem in most people.
Yes, Calorie deficit is generally a part of the weight loss, but low carb diets affect the amount of Calories you eat. It's a biological system you are trying to influence. For most people, what you eat >affects> how much you want to eat >which affects> how much you do eat >which affects> your weight. Change what you eat and you can affect your weight. This is a nice strategy for a lot of people.
Btw. Ketosis is unnecessary for fat loss.
http://www.weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319
"Now, you may be wondering why refined carbohydrates can be a problem. Many people think it’s due to the rapid spikes in insulin. However, it’s obviously not the insulin, because protein can cause rapid spikes in insulin as well. One problem with refined carbohydrate is a problem of energy density. With refined carbohydrate, it is easier to pack a lot of calories into a small package. Not only that, but foods with high energy density are often not as satiating as foods with low energy density. In fact, when it comes to high-carbohydrate foods, energy density is a strong predictor of a food’s ability to create satiety (i.e., low-energy density foods create more satiety). There are other issues with refined carbohydrate as well that are beyond the scope of this article.
The bottom line is that insulin doesn’t deserve the bad reputation it’s been given. It’s one of the main reasons why protein helps reduce hunger. You will get insulin spikes even on a low-carb, high-protein diet. Rather than worrying about insulin, you should worry about whatever diet works the best for you in regards to satiety and sustainability. "
ETA: the main point is. Do what works best for YOU. But one way is not superior to the other
When did I say ketogenic diets are necessary? Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. People can do whatever they want. OP just said she had a hard time on a low carb diet, I'm trying to help her not have a hard time.
To defend ketogenic diets: there's a lot to respond to but I'll respond to your quote at least. Ketogenic diets are not high protein for the reason you are describing. Also, there is more that ketogenic diets target than satiety. The satiety does come from the food, but it also comes from the conversion of body fat to ketones to provide energy. This article is quite an oversimplification of the argument it is trying to attack. The proposal is that ketogenic diets are healthy, not that insulin is evil.
Healthy is what works best for a person. I'm not going to spend one second feeling like crap when moderation works just fine. That's ultimately the point.
If OP has tried and failed keto. Perhaps she should try alternative routes. I'm not saying your route might not work but it is not the only route to the exact same ends.
A. It does not make you feel like crap. It makes you feel great.
B. OP probably didn't do keto properly. We are trying to figure it out, but those symptoms sound like what we've been discussing.
C. It's still up to the person. I think it's great and would help a lot of people, but it isn't necessary or for everyone. Again, OP probably didn't do things correctly and we are here to help.0 -
When did I say ketogenic diets are necessary? Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. People can do whatever they want. OP just said she had a hard time on a low carb diet, I'm trying to help her not have a hard time.
To defend ketogenic diets: there's a lot to respond to but I'll respond to your quote at least. Ketogenic diets are not high protein for the reason you are describing. Also, there is more that ketogenic diets target than satiety. The satiety does come from the food, but it also comes from the conversion of body fat to ketones to provide energy. This article is quite an oversimplification of the argument it is trying to attack. The proposal is that ketogenic diets are healthy, not that insulin is evil.
Healthy is what works best for a person. I'm not going to spend one second feeling like crap when moderation works just fine. That's ultimately the point.
If OP has tried and failed keto. Perhaps she should try alternative routes. I'm not saying your route might not work but it is not the only route to the exact same ends.
A. It does not make you feel like crap. It makes you feel great.
B. OP probably didn't do keto properly. We are trying to figure it out, but those symptoms sound like what we've been discussing.
C. It's still up to the person. I think it's great and would help a lot of people, but it isn't necessary or for everyone. Again, OP probably didn't do things correctly and we are here to help.
Oh, you know me?
Eating a low carb intake, does in fact make me feel badly. It's why I eat quite a bit of carbs. Because carbs aren't the enemy. They are a source of energy. I feel wonderful with carbs. This is where the "it's an individual thing" comes into play.
I'll be enjoying my lovely carbs now0 -
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Carbs aren't bad. Eat them. Just don't eat bad ones like plain ole white bread and pasta0
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Carbs aren't bad. Eat them. Just don't eat bad ones like plain ole white bread and pasta
Errr white bread isn't bad and pasta is DEFINITELY not bad. It's actually delicious.0 -
Have you tried carb cycling? Basically it is 2 days low(er) carb (you have some morning carbs), then one day regular carbs, then 2 low, then one regular and on day 7 you can eat as you want still watching calories of course. I use it to reset when I start going carb crazy.0
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It's hard because your body needs carbs for energy and it's your body's preferred energy source.
There are people on this site who prefer low carb diets and I personally see nothing wrong with it, so long as you remember that you still need to count calories.
Try counting calories instead and stick to the IIFYM method. You can eat anything you want but your daily goal is to meet your carb, protein and fat goals for the day. There are plenty of threads on this site that go into more detail about this,check it out.0 -
Carbs aren't bad. Eat them. Just don't eat bad ones like plain ole white bread and pasta
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OP it's perfectly possible that what has worked in the past won't work with your current lifestyle (12 hours shifts in Labor ward while tired doesn't sound like fun for you!).
Maybe just try something different for a few weeks and see how you feel? Lots of good suggestions here, from people who know far more than I do, but perhaps try working around something which is structured around convenient mini-meals or snacks where you can get the macros/calories you need but in smaller portions you can easily grab when you get a chance?
Good luck!0
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