How many of you feel that a low carb diet

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SunLove8
SunLove8 Posts: 693 Member
in Food and Nutrition
....helped you lose weight better? I did the Atkins diet a few years ago and I lost weight but was miserable the whole time, and I gained it right back after I began eating whole grains again. I've been eating healthy carbs, exercising and have been losing weight slow and steady, but to all you out there that eat some carbs but not everyday or everymeal; do you see a any difference in losing weight verses eating healthy carbs everyday and with every meal? Just curious! :wink:
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  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
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    IMO anything that requires you to cut out a food group is not plausible or sustainable. You need carbs to function. I don't understand why cutting them out should be a good thing.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    IMO anything that requires you to cut out a food group is not plausible or sustainable. You need carbs to function. I don't understand why cutting them out should be a good thing.

    This.

    For me, since joining MFP I have found that I was eating far too MANY carbs and not nearly enough protein, but that doesn't mean I intend to cut carbs out altogether. I just shifted my focus so that I was getting enough protein for a change, where I wasn't before. It's not realistic or healthy to completely eliminate carbs from your diet.
  • Naomi91
    Naomi91 Posts: 892 Member
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    I do use lower amounts of carbs on some days... but

    all of the extra weight you lose on a low carb diet is just water weight, which is why it is gained back so quickly once you start adding any carbs back in.

    There have been many studies on it, and the results have been very similar in the time frame of fat loss,
    and i completely agree, low carb makes me miserable!

    and with low carb, you are also losing more muscle mass vs a low calorie diet
  • MaryDreamer
    MaryDreamer Posts: 439
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    I completely agree with Meggon
  • laDOLCEvita7
    laDOLCEvita7 Posts: 191
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    I like the south beach diet a lot. Right now I keep alternating between the south beach diet and the flat belly diet. With low carb it is hard to have energy to work out, so on days i can do pilates or go walking ill do south beach, when i know im gonna have a bootcamp type class, ill eat flat belly diet. I do a few days on one then switch to the next. I think ultimately as long as your calories, sodium, fat and carbs are in alignment with what your allowed a day you will lose your weight. The thing I like about south beach diet is that they promote lean meat and a lot of seafood. When I am eating about 30-40 carbs a day I do not feel hungry.
  • clahut
    clahut Posts: 211 Member
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    I eat carbs every meal, and always have done. The difference now is that I choose healthier carbs and don't eat quite so many as I used to (cutting down on bread, for example).

    C
  • Jacquelyn913
    Jacquelyn913 Posts: 300 Member
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    I also tried atkins, I get very miserable with NO carbs at all. I dont think there is anything wrong with a low carb diet, not completely axing them out, but just eating the good carbs, like the ones in veggies and multigrain products. Cutting out white bread and any pasta thats not whole wheat or multigrain is the best thing you could do, not just for a diet but for a complete change.
  • cbirdso
    cbirdso Posts: 465 Member
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    IMO anything that requires you to cut out a food group is not plausible or sustainable. You need carbs to function. I don't understand why cutting them out should be a good thing.

    This.

    For me, since joining MFP I have found that I was eating far too MANY carbs and not nearly enough protein, but that doesn't mean I intend to cut carbs out altogether. I just shifted my focus so that I was getting enough protein for a change, where I wasn't before. It's not realistic or healthy to completely eliminate carbs from your diet.

    I also think this is good advice. The same applies to FATS. Any diet that relies on food substitutes, additives and artificial fillers in place of a balance of actual nutrients is long term fail material. I see so many dieters rely on small amounts of empty calories in place of unrefined carbs, fats, and protein then get frustrated because they cannot meet long term fitness goals.
  • SunLove8
    SunLove8 Posts: 693 Member
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    I like the south beach diet a lot. Right now I keep alternating between the south beach diet and the flat belly diet. With low carb it is hard to have energy to work out, so on days i can do pilates or go walking ill do south beach, when i know im gonna have a bootcamp type class, ill eat flat belly diet. I do a few days on one then switch to the next. I think ultimately as long as your calories, sodium, fat and carbs are in alignment with what your allowed a day you will lose your weight. The thing I like about south beach diet is that they promote lean meat and a lot of seafood. When I am eating about 30-40 carbs a day I do not feel hungry.

    Can you give me more info about the flat belly diet and what you think of it?
  • SunLove8
    SunLove8 Posts: 693 Member
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    I also tried atkins, I get very miserable with NO carbs at all. I dont think there is anything wrong with a low carb diet, not completely axing them out, but just eating the good carbs, like the ones in veggies and multigrain products. Cutting out white bread and any pasta thats not whole wheat or multigrain is the best thing you could do, not just for a diet but for a complete change.

    This is what I've been doing actually and I've been losing weight slow and steady. Just curious if some people may eat carbs in the morning before an exercise and then not eat carbs besides veggies and milk the rest of the day and how it worked for them.
  • vzepol
    vzepol Posts: 131 Member
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    It is not so much a low carb diet, but not eating processed simple carbs. Read the books like the South Beach diet that focus on ridding the body of the craving for simple carbs, then bring in complex carbs that are much better for your body. I keep my carbs between 100 - 125gm per day. If I use the GI rule carbs less fiber I average between 80 and 100gms per day.

    I am never hungry and am losing weight at a moderate pace.
  • cahira
    cahira Posts: 163
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    I do not do well on a low-carb diet. My husband does though. He eats mostly leaner meats and veggies - as he gets whatever I fix for dinner minus the starchy stuff. I don't really think you can say all the weight lost is water weight though. He's been doing his plan since mid September and he's lost over 50 lbs. I doubt he had 50 lbs. of water sloshing around in him!
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    Since reducing (not cutting out) carbs in our diets both my husband and I have lost weight. Our way of eating is lower carb (but not "low carb") and the carbs we do eat are whole foods as much as possible. We've drastically cut sugar and try to avoid it completely but we're still working on adapting to this way of life. Not only do we feel better but my husband (who doesn't count calories in any way, shape or form) has lost over 20 pounds in the last couple of months. He has never felt deprived or like he's on a diet either. He's now at the point where he's decided to make a little more focused attempt at getting healthier since my subtle changes have made such an impact on his waistline.

    I'm of the opinion that my whole family needs to be eating better, not just me "dieting" and the kids still get to eat crap. Nope. If it's a "healthy" way of eating we should all be doing it! Like I said though, I am not a "low" carber, just a "reduced" carber. I feel that whole foods and reduced sugar (without resorting to artificial sweeteners) are best for our family.

    But yes, reducing the carbs has had a tremendous impact not only on our weight but how we feel as well. As my husband put it, "I've realized that when I eat too many carbs (especially sugar) I feel hung over!" We both agreed we don't like that feeling. :)

    Edited because I just can't type today!
  • jimmydeanbakker
    jimmydeanbakker Posts: 333
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    The experts tell us that carbs should comprise 45 to 65 percent of one's diet.
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
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    I don't really think you can say all the weight lost is water weight though. He's been doing his plan since mid September and he's lost over 50 lbs. I doubt he had 50 lbs. of water sloshing around in him!

    I've read that 75-80% of the weight lost in the first week or so only of a highly restrictive low carb diet is likely to be water. If you follow the plan for only a week or two and then go back to the way you were eating before, then you'll quickly gain most of the weight back. I don't know why that should surprise anyone.

    I've added enough complex carbohydrate and natural sugar (fruit) back to my diet to have probably regained most, if not all, of the water weight I lost at the beginning. But because I stuck to the plan - because I added these foods back gradually and didn't over do it - my weight has continued on a downward trajectory. Water weight isn't an issue at this point.
  • SunLove8
    SunLove8 Posts: 693 Member
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    Since reducing (not cutting out) carbs in our diets both my husband and I have lost weight. Our way of eating is lower carb (but not "low carb") and the carbs we do eat are whole foods as much as possible. We've drastically cut sugar and try to avoid it completely but we're still working on adapting to this way of life. Not only do we feel better but my husband (who doesn't count calories in any way, shape or form) has lost over 20 pounds in the last couple of months. He has never felt deprived or like he's on a diet either. He's now at the point where he's decided to make a little more focused attempt at getting healthier since my subtle changes have made such an impact on his waistline.

    I'm of the opinion that my whole family needs to be eating better, not just me "dieting" and the kids still get to eat crap. Nope. If it's a "healthy" way of eating we should all be doing it! Like I said though, I am not a "low" carber, just a "reduced" carber. I feel that whole foods and reduced sugar (without resorting to artificial sweeteners) are best for our family.


    But yes, reducing the carbs has had a tremendous impact not only on our weight but how we feel as well. As my husband put it, "I've realized that when I eat too many carbs (especially sugar) I feel hung over!" We both agreed we don't like that feeling. :)

    Edited because I just can't type today!

    That sounds more like it. I competely agree with that. I think sugar is my problem because I do eat whole grains and watch out for anything refined, but sugar seems to be in EVERYTHING! Thank you for your thoughts and congrats on you and your family's successes :)
  • jcburroughs
    jcburroughs Posts: 16
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    This is what I've been doing actually and I've been losing weight slow and steady. Just curious if some people may eat carbs in the morning before an exercise and then not eat carbs besides veggies and milk the rest of the day and how it worked for them.

    I like carbs in the morning for the energy boost and then veggies and meat
  • tmaksparkie
    tmaksparkie Posts: 279
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    ....helped you lose weight better? I did the Atkins diet a few years ago and I lost weight but was miserable the whole time, and I gained it right back after I began eating whole grains again. I've been eating healthy carbs, exercising and have been losing weight slow and steady, but to all you out there that eat some carbs but not everyday or everymeal; do you see a any difference in losing weight verses eating healthy carbs everyday and with every meal? Just curious! :wink:

    Alright here is my answer, i have been low carb diet for 1year and yes I lost 113lbs but when when you are low carb for so long some people get the feeling of depression that is when my doctor said no more, something to do with the chemical makeup not sure but I weaned off the program I was on in 4 weeks and I did gain some weight back about 3-4lbs and yes that is water because you body uses more water to digest carbs. That being said I do not regret it and I now do light carbs not much bread,pasta,crackers or that stuff just oatmeal, veg, and brown rice and fruit of course. I would not of been able to lose this weight mentally if it was not for that program but I am at a healthy 155lbs and can exercise as much as I want. Best of luck
  • IsMollyReallyHungry
    IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,385 Member
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    ....helped you lose weight better? I did the Atkins diet a few years ago and I lost weight but was miserable the whole time, and I gained it right back after I began eating whole grains again. I've been eating healthy carbs, exercising and have been losing weight slow and steady, but to all you out there that eat some carbs but not everyday or everymeal; do you see a any difference in losing weight verses eating healthy carbs everyday and with every meal? Just curious! :wink:

    I definitely do. I try to do low carbs about 2 to 4 days a week and other days normal. I could eat eggs all day long but would not be something I could do for life. So I have my protien days and my regular days!
  • RussianLynx
    RussianLynx Posts: 83
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    The thing that always bothered me about Atkins was the uncontrolled fat intake. Promoting the need for protein with lean meats is one thing, but a diet that let's you eat a pound of bacon at every meal? That's messed up.

    I never trust any diet that won't let me eat fruit. Fruit might be the most perfect food ever invented.

    I don't eat much sugar at all and I avoid things made with white flour. A low carb diet makes me unbelievably miserable and it's not sustainable (for me) over any length of time. I just try to make sure that when I do eat carbs, they're from a whole grain or fruits and veggies.

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