Anybody following a low carb way of eating?

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Thanks for the great link on this topic!

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I eat low carb (and I mean extremely low carb - like less than 20-30 grams, or 5-10% of my daily intake). For the life of me I couldn't figure out why eating low carb was the only way I could feel anything other than lethargic. I thought maybe I was wheat or gluten intolerant, but learned even potatoes in large amounts do the same thing to me... It kind of sucks because I love breads and pastas and potatoes (and will sometimes choose an upset tummy, and mid-day nap over abstaining from yummy foods)!

I had a bunch of blood tests done and learned that I'm lacking an enzyme that breaks down sugars or glucose (which is all that carbs are essentially). I'm not alone in this, and I'm certain there are plenty of other reasons why eating low carb is not a bad idea for a lot of people - potentially not everyone, but a LOT of people have a lot to gain here. Pick up the book called Grain Brain (You can actually download a free copy from Audible.com - a sister company to Amazon for an idea on what wheat & other grains alone can do to you...) Or any Anatomy & Physiology book, which will explain the way we utilize the foods we eat in detail...

In the meantime, some very basic facts on carbohydrate chemistry: carbohydrates and simple simple sugars block the satiation receptors in your brain, which is why you never seem to feel full when eating junk foods like chips (packed full of sugars). Eating sugars (which is all carbohydrates are) releases dopamine in your brain (your pleasure hormone) which causes you to crave more sugar. Ever notice how hard it is to skip bread with breakfast, or eat just one more chip out of the bag? It's because carbs are addictive, using the same chemical processes in your body that any addictive substance does...

While your brain does NEED glucose to function, not only does it need very small amounts, your body creates glucose from fats and proteins - it's call gluconeogenesis. There is split opinion in the research as to whether the glucose you create through gluconeogenesis is used in the brain, so eating some carbohydrates (in the form of green leafy veggies, etc) probably isn't a bad idea - but I am all for screaming that the huge amounts recommended are way off for most people...

Low carb diets really aren't that healthy. Your body actually needs carbs for fuel and having carbs in your body helps you with your workouts. For losing weight you should be around 50% protein/30% carbs/20% fats. I wouldn't ever go lower than 30% on carbs. I hope this helps!

Do you have any peer-reviewed studies to back up your claims? If not, then this is purely an opinion and not fact. I try to keep my net carbs at 20 or lower. I'm not dead yet. I feel WAY better on low carb and high fat and eating this way helped 30 lbs of weight fall off me that would not budge on a diet of high carbs and low fat.

i've eliminated all grains from my diet and it's helped me a lot. i am prone to migraines, and before i changed my diet, i was getting at least one migraine per week. i was averaging out about 6 per month and it was usually on weekends. now i get maybe one or 2 a month and i'm just a bit more sensitive to weather changes.

i still get carbs from vegetables and yogurt and i will have an occasional snack (who can say no to birthday cake?) but i aim to avoid anything that is bready, starchy, pasta-y, or grainy.

Hi! I've also just started back on a low-carb diet. I did it several years ago and lost 25 pounds, gained weight in the last year with caregiving/death of my dad. I would also like to be connected to others sharing a similar journey. Please "Friend" me if you are low carb also!
To all the people who think low carb is unhealthy, it has actually been proven to be just the opposite! There is some wonderful information on this. Dr Steven Parker has a great website where he advocates the Mediterranean diet; either low carb or not. He gives very scientific but understandable explanations on the advantages of each type and how to choose for yourself. I recommend anybody who is trying to follow a healthy approach to low carb dieting read his information: http://advancedmediterraneandiet.com/
Good luck to us all!

My Endocrinologist, which specializes in this sort of stuff, told me that the Mediterranean Diet is really the ONLY one that actually works. She said Atkins and Weight Watchers are the absolute WORST diets EVER and to stay far far away from them!!! Weight watchers doesn't even count certain calories!!! A calorie is a calorie and it doesn't matter where it comes from! Carbs also spike your insulin levels to a really unhealthy level and can even lead to Type 2 Diabetes. Take it from someone who is Insulin Resistant and eaten lots of carbs my whole life! There have been studies linking carbs to diabetes and even heart problems. Every carb turns to glucose, making your body produce an excess amount of Insulin to get rid of it. So you are absolutely right!!! It's funny that you brought up the Mediterranean Diet because I knew NOTHING about it till my Endo told me about it. Minus fish (cause I only eat crabs and shrimp being a Baltimorian LOL) I pretty much eat like that anyway and it's super healthy and proven time and time again. I have been amping up my tuna fish eating though since it's the only one I can actually stand to eat! LOL

Low carb diets really aren't that healthy. Your body actually needs carbs for fuel and having carbs in your body helps you with your workouts. For losing weight you should be around 50% protein/30% carbs/20% fats. I wouldn't ever go lower than 30% on carbs. I hope this helps!

Actually my Endocrinologist has shot this down too!!! She said normally you shoot for 3 meals/day 45 carbs/meal to be HEALTHY and maintain weight after it comes off. Weight leads to Insulin problems, meaning carbs will only halt your weight loss! Being that she IS A DOCTOR, I believe she's only telling me what's in my best interest...considering the fact that if she tells me mis-information and I follow it, i will end up w/Type 2 Diabetes since I'm currently Insulin Resistant.

I don't do low carb but try and cut the amount of carb I eat at night and get more for morning and lunch.

I did Atkins many many years ago and although I did lose a lot of weight at the time it left me terribly depressed. not sure if that was just the affect it seemed to have on me... so I decided this time that I wasn't going to do any "diet" that meant
keeping out a food group

good luck

My step sister has been following Atkins for a few years now and isn't even losing any weight. But she's one of those "fad dieters" are in convinced that it's healthy and won't try anything else!!! She's actually really unhealthy and suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome now and hardly does anything....it's all from the Atkins DIet but she won't listen to anyone.

Nothing shreds off the last 10 pounds like low carbing. I lost about 40 on carb deficit and when I stalled near the end I started cycling carbs. Pro body builders have been doing it for decades because it works and fast!

EXACTLY!!! My personal trainer even says this!!! LOL

Mark........I do eat carbs. I just try to get my carbs from complex carbs (such as veggies) as opposed to (what I call) quick acting carbs. I am not following Atkins or South Beach to the point where I keep my carb intake to 20g or less. I just more or less use it as a somewhat quideline. Basically, what I'm doing is "staying away from the "white" stuff and things made from them" ...i.e. potatoes, rice, sugar, flour, chips, cookies, cake, etc. That's not saying I will NEVER eat these things again because, let's be realistic, I know I will. I just need to learn portion control as I go along. For instance, instead of eating a whole sleeve of cookies.......have 1 or 2 just to take away the craving. Either way, it worked for me before so I'm hoping it will work again. Only this time I have to look at it as a life-style change and not just a fad to lose weight and then go back to the way I was eating. At 52 years old, it's getting harder and harder for this weight to come off..........:laugh:

If you are having sugar cravings and have extra weight, before trying any diet you should see and Endocrinologist though. That was my issue! I had my son via c-section and was diagnosed w/post partum depression a week later. So being that I wasn't working out hardly at all, I kept all the weight. As time went on I just craved sweet stuff for some reason! I didn't get it cause I usually preferred chips and dip or something salty and here I was eating a pack of Swiss Rolls when I woke up!!! I LOVE SWISS ROLLS!! But anyway....LOL So I started noticing that I wasn't so much gaining more weight over time, but I was craving sugar, and stayed around 208-210 no matter what I ate. When I moved out of my townhouse into my mother in law's basement, we were struggling pretty bad and I would starve myself so that my son could eat. He never went w/out food but I did. And even though I wasn't eating like anything, I was still the same weight. And when things got okay again and I was eating, it didn't matter what it was, I wasn't losing weight! And now my son is 4 years old and the post partum depression shouldn't still be an issue, but it is...I'm still depressed. So I went to the dr seeking answers. Found and Endocrinologist who immediately did a full blood panel...9 tubes of blood!!! She found that my Insulin Levels were EXTREMELY high and my AC1 was 6.1 and Type 2 Diabetes is a 6.4!!! So she immediately put me on Phentermine and told me I HAD to lose weight and I have to do it quick or I"m going to end up w/Type 2 Diabetes!!! She's a wealth of information on dieting, diabetes and weight loss! This specialist has saved my life!! I had no clue that anything was really wrong internally....I thought they were gonna tell me I was depressed just because I've never been overweight before....NOPE...it was a health problem all along!!! And yes, there is def a difference between good carbs and bad...u have that right on the nose. A carb is a carb and they do work in the same way, but the lower the Glycemic Index, the better it is for you and doesn't lead to Insulin spikes. And Whole Grains help to regulate your glucose leveles so definitely keep those in your diet...u should have those everyday!!!! I still LOVE sugar, don't crave it as much because of the Phentermine, but I do have those Crystal Light Lemon Tea Packs that you add to a bottle of water, and every now and again I'll have one of those. But the ONLY thing I've been drinking for the past 2 months is water, so I don't mind the Crystal Light as much...it's a pleasant change. That was something else I was conflicted about....Aspartame has been known to have some serious negative effects on your body, but every study was with ppl drinking it everyday and large amounts everyday. Nothing about once a day in a small amount or once every few days...like anything else, it's moderation. However, I haven't had anything w/sugar in almost 2 months except one of those "Who Knew" cookies that my son eats. They're a whole grain healthier alternative to a regular cookie...lets face it, he's a kid. He should have snacks....but not at the expense of his health in the long run. Here's the link to a wealth of information on carb based foods and how they affect your Glycemic Index to help you in this low carb thing: http://www.glycemicindex.com/

Good Luck w/everything and don't ever let anyone tell u carbs are always good. Like anything in life, moderation is the key.

I'm trying to lower mine this week I hope to lower them even more............

How 'bout NO-carb?

Reccommended for me because fatness led to diabetes, which we wanted to prevent by going no-carb as much as possible, but failed. Now going no-carb to lose it frantically. It's working ok, except for the occasional plateau moment.:grumble:.

There is nothing at all unhealthy about eating low carb, or doctors wouldn't prescribe low-carb diets to diabetics.

My sentiments exactly! Mine is working out just fine, thanks (unless you count the fact that there is the risk of an occasional plateau moment).

Fat doesn't make you fat, too many calories make you fat.

HFLC is great because for most people there is greater statiety with fat than with junk carbs (and sugar).

Definition of satiety - "a feeling or condition of being full after eating food."

Many people on HFLC diets think calories don't matter and they can eat what they want, as long as they cut out junk carbs and sugar.

But I believe that they are getting many fewer calories without knowing it. When you give up chips, and pretzels, and donuts, and cookies, and French fries, and fruit juice, and other junk carbs (and sugar), you are greatly decreasing your caloric intake.

So yes, for most people, I believe a HFLC diet makes sense for weight loss.

i'm not so sure this is the case. when you adjust the macros to low-carbing, the "junk carbs" are replaced by fats and proteins. you're not eating less, you're just eating differently.

My carbs are set at 35%, so around 122g. Been working very well with my diabetes.

30% carbs so about 250 grams per day. Unless there is a medical reason to go low carb, I really don't see the point.

How 'bout NO-carb?

Reccommended for me because fatness led to diabetes, which we wanted to prevent by going no-carb as much as possible, but failed. Now going no-carb to lose it frantically. It's working ok, except for the occasional plateau moment.:grumble:.

Not sure how one could go "no carb". Meat only I suppose?