Why is low Carb so hard..
andreacord
Posts: 928
Why is it so hard to go low-carb? I know I have to do an overhaul of my eating habits, I'm not perfect but I will take being able to eat healthy and sensibly and have an occasional treat and drop a pound a week over dropping several pounds a week and just eating protein and veggies. A "low carb" I guess is considered between 20-30 g, and my limit was set to 105 g, still pretty high but does anyone have any carb slashing tips? I'm sure I'm missing carbs that are right under my nose.
0
Replies
-
as a vegetarian i eat TONS of carbs....so to get my carbs closer to 50% of my daily limits, i swap high carb stuff for protein in my diet. Instead of 100 calorie packs of whatever, I'll have a 130 calorie protein shake or cottage cheese. Just doing swaps here and there helps a lot. You cant go wrong with protein either.
check out my diary for high-protein ideas.0 -
Why would you go low carb? Carbs (well, ones from good food like veggies or whole grains) are very important for a healthy well balanced diet. They are what give you energy. Everything in moderation so i still enjoy my carbs.
It is so hard to do because you have a lack of energy and your body craves them if you don't consume enough.0 -
You can lose weight without going low carb. Maybe it is not for you. Don't adopt any diet plan that is not sustainable because in order to maintain your weight loss, you have to continue with your new eating habits the rest of your life.0
-
Healthy carbs are good. Look for complex carbs with a low glycemic index. Your fat burning engine runs on carbs. (Your brain too) =o]0
-
Its tough because your body needs carbs to function properly and provide it with energy. You'll crave what you're lacking in your diet (kinda like how when you cut out TOO many sweets, you crave them more, y'know?).
0 -
If low carb is too difficult (I wouldn't want to do it) try going with low glycemic index instead. It's pretty effective and you can even eat things like sourdough bread in moderation.0
-
You can lose weight without going low carb. Maybe it is not for you. Don't adopt any diet plan that is not sustainable because in order to maintain your weight loss, you have to continue with your new eating habits the rest of your life.
People who are already insulin resistant can't. Not everyone is created equal. For me, lowering carb intake is not about weightloss but about staying healthy and not developing Diabetes type 2. So in that sense, i will darn well have to make it sustainable if I want to enjoy a good number of diabetes free years. So that was an easy decision.0 -
We did the Atkins in the passed and here are a few things I made a bit:
-pasta salad using low carb pasta noodles (throw in cubed cheese, meat of choice, olives, n make own dressing w/ oil and seasonings)
-chicken bacon wraps (low carb wraps, bacon, chicken, lettuce, cheese, & 1 Tbs ranch)
-your choice of a meat and mashed up (mashed potatoes) or grind up cawliflower (rice) can add a green veggie depending on where carb counts at
-crustless pizza- basically make a "crust" out of sausage or ground beef (cook it first) and than make ur pizza on top but watch the serving carbs on the sauce
-spaghetti using low carb pasta (dreamersfeild brand we've bought it at giant eagle and at acme) and no sugar added sauce (Hunt's "no sugar added")
-chicken alfredo using dreamers feild noodle (linguine is good suggestion) and ragu's alfredo sauce (its sold in a can size glass jar)
-mac'n'cheese- use dreamers feild your choise noodle but the do have w/e mac normally is and than ragu's cheese sauce same type container as alfredo (can add chx n brocoli if you like) also good to bulk up the cheese volume by melting in shredded cheese as the sauce has carbs but most shredded does not
-pizza pasta (kinda a pizza cassarole)- use noodles and sauce, add seasonings and mozzerella cheese- than make ur pizza w/e kind u'd like here are some optional low carb additions: peperoni, sausage, mushroom, black olives
-meat (summer sausage, peperoni, salami, u know the normal stuff), variety of cheeses, & "cracker" plate (sub crackers for pork rinds- diff flavors make it fun)
-pickles, black olives, pork rinds, string cheese, peporoni chips (microwaved peperoni), russel stover's sugar free candy (too much causes diarrhea tho) THESE are low carb snacks
-veggie tray (celery, broccoli, cauliflower, and ranch)
Most of these are not carb free but are low carb enough to eat on the induction phase of the diet (the strictest part of the diet).0 -
Healthy carbs are good. Look for complex carbs with a low glycemic index. Your fat burning engine runs on carbs. (Your brain too) =o]
the brain doesn't only use carbohydrates to function, it uses ketones too. Also, there isn't much difference between how simple carbs and complex carbs are processed by the body, so whole wheat isn't that much different from refined flour products. However, sustainability is important, but maybe start halving your intake in carbs? That means going back from 55% of your diet (such as is still recommended now, in spite of overwhelming emerging evidence that it is exactly this advice that has led to our current obesity crisis) to 30% of your diet. This also means more of your carbs will come from vegetables and not from grains anymore. Not a bad thing either. Going very low carb (20-30 grams/day) is ok for 2 weeks, to break carb eating/insulin/carb eating cycle, but then you should start growing towards that 30% by adding complex carbs. Good luck with that.
And again, precisely because people are insulin resistant, their "fat burning" mechanism doesn't function that well anymore.0 -
I think you're limiting yourself on carbs a bit too much. Honestly, just cut out bread and any processed carbs then you should have nothing to worry about. My highest limit is 150g. If you're interested in low carb, I so totally 100% recommend a book called "The Primal Blueprint". The author is amazing and explains every reason why a low carb high fat lifestyle is the best for our bodies.
Regardless of if a bread, pasta or any other starchy carb filled foods has a "low carb" alternative, like whole grain etc, our bodies and cells are not built to process grains and processed carbs like noodles and breads. 0 -
try cutting unnecessary carbs that are empty calories, like sugary drinks. but having complex carbs in your diets are extremely helpful when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet. personally, whoever came up with the whole 'carbs are bad' thing is really sending the wrong message. carbs = energy = work out = more muscle = less fat. or at least that's my opinion. i hope i helped!
0 -
Low carb while still eating grains (wheat, oats, rye, barley, etc.) and sugars fruits is hard because when you eat these "foods," you want more of them. Why? Because they have addictive properties and substances. Wheat proteins, for example, when digested release opioids -- the same substances in opium, morphine, oxycontin, heroin. If you eat some then you'll want more and more and more. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams and other root vegetables provide starchy carbohydrates but don't set off the addictive biochemistry for most people.
If you're interested in going low carb, try to find things to "cheat" with that aren't carbohydrate laden and perhaps are a little fattier than you'd normally eat.
I've been doing low carb for 9 months, lost 60 lbs, maintained it for 5 months, and am now working to move the scale number down another 25 notches. My energy, mental clarity, health and blood levels are all excellent, in fact better than when I was eating the recommended "balanced" diet. Low carb < 100 g, and even very low carb <50 g, is nothing to worry about for *most* people as long as you're getting enough protein.0 -
You can lose weight without going low carb. Maybe it is not for you. Don't adopt any diet plan that is not sustainable because in order to maintain your weight loss, you have to continue with your new eating habits the rest of your life.
People who are already insulin resistant can't. Not everyone is created equal. For me, lowering carb intake is not about weightloss but about staying healthy and not developing Diabetes type 2. So in that sense, i will darn well have to make it sustainable if I want to enjoy a good number of diabetes free years. So that was an easy decision.
Actually, diabetics can still eat carbs, they just have to learn how to stick to low glycemic carbs and to combine any high glycemic carbs with protein and fat to reduce their glycemic load. In my Advanced Nutritional Therapy class, we had to design a diabetic diet and maintain at least 45% carbs. The reason for this is because diabetics are at a much higher risk of renal (kidney) disease and heart disease then the rest of the population. (Literally 50% of the renal disease in the world was caused by diabetes and 75% of diabetics also have hypertension.) Anyone who has renal issues has to be on a protein controlled diet and anyone with cardiovascular disease has to be on a fat controlled diet. So, being able to keep their carbs higher helps to allow for declines later in life. Going on a low carb diet in the early stages of diabetes can increase the risk of renal and cardiovascular issues later in life because of the high protein and fat intakes. So, please be careful if you are already insulin resistant because we don't want to lose you to something else while you are worrying about diabetes.0 -
I assume you're talking about Diabetes Type 1 here, not Type 2? I'd go as far as saying that they are two completely different disorders. Diabetes type 1 is relatively rare, but type 2 has as its precursor insulin resistance and in that case, it does make perfect sense to go low carb, and 45% carb will cause the insulin resistance to persist.0
-
Why is it so hard to go low-carb? I know I have to do an overhaul of my eating habits, I'm not perfect but I will take being able to eat healthy and sensibly and have an occasional treat and drop a pound a week over dropping several pounds a week and just eating protein and veggies. A "low carb" I guess is considered between 20-30 g, and my limit was set to 105 g, still pretty high but does anyone have any carb slashing tips? I'm sure I'm missing carbs that are right under my nose.
Low carb is different for everyone, dependent on your current level of insulin resistance.
Low carb could be 100g of carbs a day for some and 30g a day for others.0 -
I assume you're talking about Diabetes Type 1 here, not Type 2? I'd go as far as saying that they are two completely different disorders. Diabetes type 1 is relatively rare, but type 2 has as its precursor insulin resistance and in that case, it does make perfect sense to go low carb, and 45% carb will cause the insulin resistance to persist.
No, even type II can have carbs. The person I had to design my diet for was actually a type II so I didn't even have the benefit of adjusting insulin dosage schedules to maintain glucose control. It's a lot harder to control blood sugar through diet when you can't just replace all the carbs with protein or fat, but it can be done and is safer in the long run for the other issues that plague diabetics later in life.0 -
I was on a diet that for three days I was not supposed to eat any carbs and on the 4th I could eat good carbs. It was hard and my body started screaming at me. I cannot cut carbs out. My body hates me if I do. So, instead, I eat fruit and veggies and whole grain most of the time. Carbs are not the devil. Your body does need them. Anything that tells you to eliminate (or close to) an entire food group (other than fats and oils ) is not good. Listen to your body. It will tell you more than you know! Good luck!!! :happy: 0
-
Umm Type 2 Diabetics can have carbs heck you can eat sugar if you choose to. Its truly about balancing what you eat. You can eat potatoes, rice, bread, pizza, cake, cookies, fruit and certain veggies. DIABETICS Can eat anything they want. Its eating balanced. If your going to eat Carbs you have to balance it with protein and veggies. If your gonna have a piece of cake, you choose that over your meal carbs.
I live with Diabetes, I have had control over my blood sugars for over a year now with how I eat, now that Im exercising along with how I eat my doctor is really impressed. Yes you have to think about what your eating but if you dont have to not eat carbs just make them the smaller part of your meal. Choosing whole wheat items and healthy things help tons.
As my Dietician explained that you shouldnt cut anything from your eating you just have to make healthy good choices and portion control is the key0 -
Good article in the LA-times talking about low-carb: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/20/health/la-he-carbs-20101220
Personally I am an advocate of reducing blood sugar and preventing insulin spikes. Really the only way to do this is reduce your sugar-intake (i.e. carbs).
It might be too far fetched to say this, but why is it that people are huge advocates of a low-fat diet, but if you anyone dares to say "low-carb" diet everyone comes out saying NOOO you must have a balanced diet. Doesn't make sense to me at all.0 -
I am an insulin dependent diabetic and am currently, with my doctor's full knowledge and support, low carbing. My diabetes has never been better and the weight is coming off.
I do think that the success of a low carb diet depends on the individual. It doesn't suit everyone and you definitely have to be in the right "headspace".0 -
Why is it so hard to go low-carb? I know I have to do an overhaul of my eating habits, I'm not perfect but I will take being able to eat healthy and sensibly and have an occasional treat and drop a pound a week over dropping several pounds a week and just eating protein and veggies. A "low carb" I guess is considered between 20-30 g, and my limit was set to 105 g, still pretty high but does anyone have any carb slashing tips? I'm sure I'm missing carbs that are right under my nose.
A low carb plan is not limited to just 20-30 grams of carbs per day. The whole premise of the grams of carbs is to eat green leafy vegetables, proteins and fats to rid your self of the carb and sugar cravings, then slowly add them back in.
A controlled carb plan is typically between 0 - 120 grams of carbs per day.0 -
Umm Type 2 Diabetics can have carbs heck you can eat sugar if you choose to. Its truly about balancing what you eat. You can eat potatoes, rice, bread, pizza, cake, cookies, fruit and certain veggies. DIABETICS Can eat anything they want. Its eating balanced. If your going to eat Carbs you have to balance it with protein and veggies. If your gonna have a piece of cake, you choose that over your meal carbs.
I live with Diabetes, I have had control over my blood sugars for over a year now with how I eat, now that Im exercising along with how I eat my doctor is really impressed. Yes you have to think about what your eating but if you dont have to not eat carbs just make them the smaller part of your meal. Choosing whole wheat items and healthy things help tons.
As my Dietician explained that you shouldnt cut anything from your eating you just have to make healthy good choices and portion control is the key
Wow, your dietician has the same mentality that my grandmothers dietician and guess what she was taking 5 shots per day, had both legs amputated and was living a very poor quality of life.
Carbs need to be DRASTICALLY cut if your Type 2 diabetic, your sugar levels may be in line but you are still creating an inflammatory body that continues to cause further damage to the body over time.
Here is a great article for reference, written by an R.N.A Low-Carb Diet Shown to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
Study Proves Very Low Carb Diet is Effective
From Debra Manzella, R.N., former About.com Guide
Updated March 20, 2009
Does a low-carb diet really help control or even reverse type 2 diabetes? According to a study from Duke University, a very low-carb diet (20 grams or less a day) gave participants better blood sugar control and more effective weight loss than participants who followed a low-glycemic reduced calorie diet.
Eighty-four people with obesity and type 2 diabetes took part in the study. During the study, both groups also had the supportive benefit of group meetings, nutritional supplementation and an exercise program. After 6 months, the low-carb group had lower hemoglobin A1c results, lost more weight, and 95% were able to reduce or even totally eliminate their diabetes medications. The reduced calorie group did lose weight, and 62% of them were also able to reduce or eliminate their medications, but the low-carb diet group had better overall results.
"It's simple," says Eric Westman, MD, director of Duke's Lifestyle Medicine Program and lead author of the study. "If you cut out the carbohydrates, your blood sugar goes down, and you lose weight which lowers your blood sugar even further. It's a one-two punch."
The low-carb diet used in the study is very restrictive on carb intake, with participants eating under 20 grams of carbs a day. This may be difficult for many people to stick to, but as Dr. Westman says, "This is a therapeutic diet for people who are sick," says Westman. "These lifestyle approaches all have an intensive behavioral component. In our program, people come in every two weeks to get reinforcements and reminders. We've treated hundreds of patients this way now at Duke, and what we see clinically and in our research shows that it works."
Keep in mind that there is more to these results than just diet. Both groups also exercised regularly as well. Diet combined with exercise is the cornerstone of diabetes management. Before starting any diet program, please talk with your doctor, or healthcare provider.
Source:
(Jan. 5, 2009). Low-Carb Diets Prove Better at Controlling Type 2 Diabetes . Retrieved February 19, 2009, from DukeHealth.org Web site: http://www.dukehealth.org/HealthLibrary/News/low_carb_diets_prove_better_at_controlling_type_2_diabetes[/link">0 -
I am an insulin dependent diabetic and am currently, with my doctor's full knowledge and support, low carbing. My diabetes has never been better and the weight is coming off.
I do think that the success of a low carb diet depends on the individual. It doesn't suit everyone and you definitely have to be in the right "headspace".
It's not that long ago when a carbohydrate reduced diet was the norm for treating diabetes. I really wonder at the wisdom of prescribing high carb items in the food plans of diabetics, then controlling the blood sugar with insulin. It would make more sense to reduce carbohydrates (not cutting them out, mind you) and limiting their intake to complex carbohydrates that don't cause blood sugar spikes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_diet0 -
Why is it so hard to go low-carb? I know I have to do an overhaul of my eating habits, I'm not perfect but I will take being able to eat healthy and sensibly and have an occasional treat and drop a pound a week over dropping several pounds a week and just eating protein and veggies. A "low carb" I guess is considered between 20-30 g, and my limit was set to 105 g, still pretty high but does anyone have any carb slashing tips? I'm sure I'm missing carbs that are right under my nose.
Cut back on your carbs (gram wise), until you see the scale moving in the downard direction. Try eating 50g of carbs and see how you make out. You might can lose weight with 50g. of carbs. Remember to deduct the FIBER count from the Actual Carbs to get your NET CARBS.0 -
I am an insulin dependent diabetic and am currently, with my doctor's full knowledge and support, low carbing. My diabetes has never been better and the weight is coming off.
I do think that the success of a low carb diet depends on the individual. It doesn't suit everyone and you definitely have to be in the right "headspace".
It's not that long ago when a carbohydrate reduced diet was the norm for treating diabetes. I really wonder at the wisdom of prescribing high carb items in the food plans of diabetics, then controlling the blood sugar with insulin. It would make more sense to reduce carbohydrates (not cutting them out, mind you) and limiting their intake to complex carbohydrates that don't cause blood sugar spikes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_diet
I often wonder that too. Those doctors, dieticians and other "medical professionals" are often in the pockets of the Big Pharmaceutical companies so they tend to want to keep their patients on medications..........
One medication breads another and on down the line until that person is on 10 or 15 meds. That is no way to live!!!0 -
For some great information, check out the documentary Fat Head. It contains great information that will help you re-think the way you think about food.
I resisted the low carb thing for a while. My dad is diabetic with a heart condition and had constant battles with keeping his blood sugar stabilized. For the past 6 months or so he has adhered to a very low carb diet and his diabetes has never been better controlled. My sister started Atkins a little while ago and I thought she was nuts. Then I saw the movie Fat Head last week and it all started to make sense.
I'm a self-professed sugar junkie, but I feel that this lower carb lifestyle change is imperative, especially given my family history and my expanding waistline. I'm pacing myself, trying to stay under 100 carbs per day (I had to adjust the default on the food diary here). I'm not sure how well I will do getting to 50 a day but it is a goal!
The main problem I have is I really don't like eggs and it's hard to get excited about having anything else for breakfast. I'll get over it!0 -
I think you're limiting yourself on carbs a bit too much. Honestly, just cut out bread and any processed carbs then you should have nothing to worry about. My highest limit is 150g. If you're interested in low carb, I so totally 100% recommend a book called "The Primal Blueprint". The author is amazing and explains every reason why a low carb high fat lifestyle is the best for our bodies.
Regardless of if a bread, pasta or any other starchy carb filled foods has a "low carb" alternative, like whole grain etc, our bodies and cells are not built to process grains and processed carbs like noodles and breads.
I REALLY second the recommendation of this book. I've lost 30 pounds by following these recommendations (before this site) so I know it works. Also, the author has a website I recommend you take a look at: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
As for why it's so hard? A high carb diet is actually addictive. Cutting them out causes you to go through withdrawal, the same as for any other drug that manipulates brain chemistry. Don't give up, it will work its way out!
Source for the "carbs addictive" stuff so you can read for yourself:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,476647,00.html
http://weight.insulitelabs.com/Addiction.php
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/ketones-and-ketosis/carbohydrates-are-addictive/
http://www.details.com/style-advice/the-body/201103/carbs-caffeine-food-cocaine-addiction?currentPage=1
By the way, I would say you are probably safe for weight loss in the 50-100 grams of carbs level every day. It works for me. You may need to cut lower though, since everyone's insulin resistance levels are different.
Good luck!0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 426 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions