Do no carb diets work ?

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Okay so I was wondering if I eat no carbs for a whole month how much weight would I lose ? In a month of me just eating whatever but portioned I've lost 8 pounds so does eating no carbs speed up weight loss ? I've heard of people losing 25 pounds a month just for eating no carbs I'm just curious because then I would switch my diet to no carbs just to speed up my weightloss atleast for a month or two weeks maybe ?

Thanks

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Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    If you eat fewer cals than you burn, anything works. :)
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
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    That's not how it works.

    First off. No matter, it always boils down to calories in vrs calories out

    Then if you want to enjoy the benefits of a keto\low carb\ whole food diet you need to do some real research into what it is and how to accomplish it. It is a life style or a way of eating , not just a quick fat loss trick.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Do you mean no carbs at all, including things like fruits and veggies, or are you just talking about cutting things like bread and pasta?
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
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    Zero carbs is pretty much impossible, unless you eat absolutely nothing but animal-based protein, with no sauces or spices. Low-carb diets can work if you also maintain a caloric deficit...but then high-carb diets also work if you also maintain a caloric deficit. It is the deficit which causes weight loss, not the number of carbs.

    That being said, some people find that lowering their carb intake can help them maintain a caloric deficit by eliminating foods which they tend to binge on, and by allowing more room for proteins and fats which help with satiety.
  • ZulyPastor95
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    Just things like bread and pasta
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
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    Quit making it more complicated than it has to be. Just eat less than you burn. Preferably a non aggressive calorie deficit. Lost 53 lbs eating the same foods, just less. I focus on getting my macros for body comp and micros for health.

    ETA: under the assumption your end goal is to lose fat and not just weight, don't try to lose any faster than you are
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
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    *waits for it*


    8 pound loss in a month is perfectly fine. That's a 2 pound lost per week, which is the most that is recommended.

    25 pound loss in a month when you don't have a large amount of weight to lose is not realistic nor healthy.
  • Lemonvamp
    Lemonvamp Posts: 2 Member
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    I've been eating a low carb (less than 50 grams of non fiber carbs) diet since April. What I like about it isn't necessarily that it helps me lose weight, but when I eat fat and protein instead of carbohydrate I tend to feel more satiated with meals. Carbs-- especially grains, sugars and starches, have very little nutritive value. Carbos spike blood sugar, so eating them doesn't really satisfy hunger. Look up "ketogenic diet" and/or ask me if you want to know more.
  • iamwhoiam81
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    I wonder that myself. One of my co worker watch her carbs and it seem to work for her. I agree with Bombshell, exercising and watch your caloric intake. I just started, so haven't lost anything yet but i'm determine to stick with it. Congratulation on your 8lbs that's good:smile:
  • xxantiheroxx
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    Zero carbs is pretty much impossible, unless you eat absolutely nothing but animal-based protein, with no sauces or spices. Low-carb diets can work if you also maintain a caloric deficit...but then high-carb diets also work if you also maintain a caloric deficit. It is the deficit which causes weight loss, not the number of carbs.

    That being said, some people find that lowering their carb intake can help them maintain a caloric deficit by eliminating foods which they tend to binge on, and by allowing more room for proteins and fats which help with satiety.

    This is the best response so far.

    ketogenic diets are just like any (good) diet, it will work if you stick to it. Many people experience a honeymoon phase of a steep decline, but that is mainly water-weight, and that water is retained in most high carb diets. After that it is just normal weight loss and will depend on your caloric deficit.

    The reason proponents of ketogenic diets, like myself, swear by it is because once adapted to ketosis and off carbs most people are satiated most of the time and it is really easy to eat at a caloric deficit. In fact most of the time I have to force myself to eat more just to meet my recommended caloric intake for the day.

    Under 20g carbs, hit your macros on protein, and eat fat to satiety, but you still need to be at a caloric deficit to lose weight.

    Another bonus of ketogenic diets (I've found) is sustained and even energy throughout the day. I can get my workouts in and not be famished or need to "reload". There aren't many crashes like I've found in other diets (unless you cheat and get kicked out of ketosis, in which case you will probably crash and crash hard).

    The hardest part is the first week, where many people experience what is known as "keto flu".

    If you are serious about it you will need to cut out fruit as well. The diet consists mainly of greens, veggies, meats, fish, and nuts.

    You should read up about it if you are considering it to know exactly what to expect. There are many good communities for support for people who choose ketogenic diets. I recommend reddit's r/keto.

    It's not really something you can half-*kitten* and expect to see awesome results, but there are people who lose 30-40 lbs in 2 months. Those people tend to be men though. I usually see 15-20 in the same period for women, which is around the rate you are losing now, so I wouldn't get your hopes up about losing a bunch of weight quickly. It's not magic, it's a normal diet.

    The cons are that you cant eat bread or fruit or any starches really, and you need to check the carb content of everything that you put in your body, which is a turn off for a lot of people, and because breads are pretty much ubiquitous a lot of people cheat early on and fall off the wagon, never to get back on.
  • Oneironaut
    Oneironaut Posts: 43 Member
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    Yes, it all boils down to calories, but cutting out simple carbohydrates like bread, pasta, and rice is a very easy way to stay within your calorie limits. I like my carbs so I don't give myself such restrictions, but on days when I have less of them I feel like I have to almost force myself to eat more just so that I don't fall too far below my calorie goal.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Anything that creates calorie deficit will "work" if you can stick to it. I wouldn't be able to do a low carb diet. For one, I workout every day and carbs give you energy. Also I love carbs far more than protein. I would feel deprived on such a diet.

    But plenty of people have success with it. You have to decide whether you can be one of those people.

    Either way, as has been pointed out, 25 lbs in a month unless you're morbidly obese is not healthy or realistic. You'd likely lose a chunk of water weight starting out, which would come back as soon as you start eating carbs again.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    You're already doing a fantastic job, so just keep doing what you're doing.
  • Cam_B
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    I have PCOS and have to be VERY strict about my carb intake. When I was first diagnosed and given a care plan, it included a low-glycemic diet to regulate my blood sugar. I filled the gaps of my diet with protein. The first week I was very tired and had a constant headache. When you deprive your body of carbs as a source of energy that is is used to getting daily, it goes into shock. But after I made it through those first days, my body went into ketosis-a state where your liver no longer has access to carbs as an energy source and starts to use up your fat stores. You can go to Wal-Greens to get reagent strips to test your urine for it, but I could FEEL the difference. You are more alert-you have a stupendous amount of energy-your urine also smells very, very strong and your breath is kind of stinky/fruity-but all of these are side effects of a low-carb/high-protein diet.
    Now, I HAVE to do this to manage my disease. It's not fun, and it's not easy. Normal people can enjoy healthy weight loss while enjoying things like whole-grain pastas, breads, etc. If you don't *have* to do it, I wouldn't. You are just setting yourself up for failure later, because once you have lost the weight and resume normal eating habits, often people gain it right back. Carbs are a great source of energy and a super easy way to add fiber to your diet. You don't want to be blending flaxseed for protein smoothies every day, TRUST ME.
  • Cam_B
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    Amen. When I would get home from a long, difficult shift, I'd head STRAIGHT for the carbs-at eat the heck out of them. That's the problem many people have:they can't find moderation so it makes sense to them that they just eliminate it all together. Of course, we know it's impossible.
    It's a cycle that sooo many of us have gone through at one point. Education is the key.
  • Vexxe
    Vexxe Posts: 24 Member
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    Low carb certainly works and brings a huge number of health benefits. Weight loss isnt quite as simple as the whole calorie in/out theory. Your body responds to differwnt macronutrienst with differwnt hormones leading to different metabolic processes. If you are overweight it is usually down to hormonal imbalabces within the entire metabolism.

    To benefit from low carb you have to change your mindset abd approach the lifestyle with a different perspective on foodt Fat is where the bulk of your energy will come from. You need to stick to less than 50g of carbs for your body to adapt to burning fat as its main source of energy. This adaptation is called ketosis where the liver creates ketones to burn fat to use as its fuel source.

    Someone mentioned its unhealthy to lose weight quickly, this is false. There is absolutley no science to back it up. The only bad thing that you may experience is saggy skin if your were seriously overweight.

    Head iver to r/keto on reddit if you wish to research it yourself. There is a lot of money and research being pushed into studying the effects and benefits of liw carb at the moment. The best way to approach this lifeatyle is with an open mind and to keep yourself informed. Checkout r/ketoscience to stay informed.

    Keep calm and keto on. Yiur life will change for the better if you have the willpower and mindset to stick to it. Since I started I have never felt better and a lot of problems I had such as IBS has all but dissapeared. Also check out nusi.org to follow the current reseatch going into this. Its really quite astounding and groundbreakibg.