How to low carb but not be on Atkins?

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Hi everyone,

So I am interested in people who eat low carb to lose weight but are not doing atkins.

How many carbs do you eat?

I see MANY actresses/dancer/whatever saying when they want to get in shape the eat no carb no sugar.

I just wonder if they literally mean no carbs and sugar (like atkins) or something more moderate.


Thank you.
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Replies

  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
    edited October 2014
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    I was not aware that atkins equated to no carb or no sugar. As it happens, people can pull off "no sugar," though I wouldn't to, but "no carb" is significantly more difficult.

    And for people who do go low carb, the amount of carbs they eat is largely personal.

    I don't see anything wrong with going low carb as long as it's sustainable for the person trying it; it wouldn't work for me. As a generality, I'd guess low carb is probably 50-100g per day or lower, with people having their own personal definitions.

    It should be noted that you still need to be in a caloric deficit, regardless of how you distribute your macronutrients.
  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Many here will pooh low carbing. But if you are set on doing it, the Paleo type of eating is not as strict, they allow some fruit and they seem to go for 100-150 grams of carbohydrate a day. But again, most here will tell you it's all about calories. Wishing you great success though!
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,789 Member
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    I reduce my carbs but don't count the actual grams, and I suspect if I did my diet wouldn't fit the standard definition of "low-carb." All I do is drastically reduce or eliminate white and/or processed carbs (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes -- the usual suspects) and make sure 90% of my vegetables are leafy or watery rather than starchy. I plan my meals around protein first, then a lot of veg, then a good serving of fat, and I use carbs as "filler" if I have calories left over. I do eat fruit but try to keep it to one or two pieces a day, and not every single day. This can take a lot of forms, like swapping two large pieces of bread for a sandwich thin or low-carb wrap, serving spaghetti squash or zoodles instead of linguine, or simply having an extra ounce of chicken and cup of veggies to fill my plate instead of rice or potatoes.
  • Alyjacck
    Alyjacck Posts: 43 Member
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    That makes alot of sense steve.

    I like the idea of still having fruits and vegetables because I'm not really wanting to eat meat. Only eggs and cheese I'm ok with..

    I don't know maybe low carb is not for me.
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,789 Member
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    I sort of got cut off earlier (posting from work, easily distracted), but I wanted to mention that I also watch for "hidden carbs" like added sugar in places it doesn't need to be, starches used as filler ingredients, etc. It sounds tedious but it basically just means I check labels briefly for a few key words and suffixes (-ose is a big one for sugars, as an example) and try to buy items without added carbohydrates. I don't mind them if I'm buying or making something that's naturally carblicious -- which I do sometimes, because carbs are delicious -- but I don't want them sneaking in where they don't belong. Pasta sauces and whole-grain breads are the biggest offenders I can think of offhand in this category, but you'll find added sugar and starch in a surprising number of foods that wouldn't otherwise be carby.

    I checked a few days of my diary and it looks like I'm clocking anywhere from 50-200g of carbs eating the way I described in this post and the last. An average day is around 80g, so I guess I do fit the definition of "low-carb." The higher days are fairly infrequent (once every week or two), and it looks like they usually result from alcohol consumption. I lost 65lbs last year doing this and I'm back after a break to lose 30 more.
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
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    Alyjacck wrote: »
    That makes alot of sense steve.

    Except that it's nonsense. He's conflating dietary fat and adipose tissue.






  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
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    steve098 wrote: »
    Alyjacck wrote: »
    That makes alot of sense steve.

    Except that it's nonsense. He's conflating dietary fat and adipose tissue.






    Wrong again. It's all in Guyton's.

    OP, don't let these fitness guys steer you in the wrong direction. My original post is spot on should be your touchstone.

    LULZ.

    Please point to the specific page in your pirated text.

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    steve098 wrote: »
    Alyjacck wrote: »
    That makes alot of sense steve.

    Except that it's nonsense. He's conflating dietary fat and adipose tissue.






    Wrong again. It's all in Guyton's.

    OP, don't let these fitness guys steer you in the wrong direction. My original post is spot on should be your touchstone.

    PSA: Disregard this poster, it's a known fraudulent account using a stolen profile picture.
  • xmichaelyx
    xmichaelyx Posts: 883 Member
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    steve098 wrote: »
    All weight loss approaches have the same goal.

    That is to get their bodies into a predominantly fat-burning state while running a calorie deficit.

    Straight Atkins finds you always in the mode because all you eat is fat and protein- no carbs.


    Wrong on 2 counts:
    1. Atkins isn't "no carbs"
    2. Atkins doesn't guarantee a caloric deficit.

    I wish the Ignore function was still here -- I added this clown to my ignore list after seeing him be wrong in every post.

    Even his profile pic is phony.
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
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    Hypothetical situation:

    Person A has $500 in cash and $500 in his bank account.

    Person B has $100 in cash and $900 in his bank account.

    Both must spend their cash before using the money in their respective accounts. Thus person B is in "account burning mode" longer.

    Each person makes purchases totaling $800 dollars. Steve's rationale would have you believe that Person B has less money in his account at the end of the day.

  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
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    steve098 wrote: »
    Alyjacck wrote: »
    That makes alot of sense steve.

    Except that it's nonsense. He's conflating dietary fat and adipose tissue.






    Wrong again. It's all in Guyton's.

    OP, don't let these fitness guys steer you in the wrong direction. My original post is spot on should be your touchstone.

    Please don't listen to Steve. He's a poser who likes to pretend he's a doctor.

    First, Atkins is not NO CARB. You're fooling yourself and not understanding Atkins or low carb eating if you truly think its NO carb and NO sugar.

    Running a deficit is what you need to lose weight, not this "fat burning mode". Low carb is a WAY to achieve a deficit and is my personal preferred way of eating to get myself to a deficit. I don't necessarily eat Atkins, more like keto/extended "induction". The carbs I do eat are from veggies and a small amount from cheeses and some sauces.

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Alyjacck wrote: »
    Hi everyone,

    So I am interested in people who eat low carb to lose weight but are not doing atkins.

    How many carbs do you eat?

    I see MANY actresses/dancer/whatever saying when they want to get in shape the eat no carb no sugar.

    I just wonder if they literally mean no carbs and sugar (like atkins) or something more moderate.


    Thank you.
    First you need to learn that Atkins isn't "no carb". :-) You have a very warped sense of what Atkins is. GOOGLE IT.

    To answer your question, they just eat lower carb. Many on the low carb group here aren't on Atkins. Many who consider themselves low carb on the PCOS group aren't on Atkins.
    Just just eat lower carb.
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
    Options
    steve098 wrote: »
    Hypothetical situation:

    Person A has $500 in cash and $500 in his bank account.

    Person B has $100 in cash and $900 in his bank account.

    Both must spend their cash before using the money in their respective accounts. Thus person B is in "account burning mode" longer.

    Each person makes purchases totaling $800 dollars. Steve's rationale would have you believe that Person B has less money in his account at the end of the day.

    Well, it's good to see you are trying.

    Have you downloaded your copy of Guyton's yet?

    What we're really talking about here are levels of glycogen. Levels can very by a factor of two in some people.

    The point is that when they reach a certain percentage, then the switchover will occur.

    Generally that percentage is around 70%.

    So it is not an absolute figure, but a relative figure.

    Apart from conditions of extreme exercise, the body will always maintain an emergency store of glycogen for instantaneous power demands.

    Still encouraging piracy, I see.

    Please point to the chapter and page you are misrepresenting.

  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
    Options
    steve098 wrote: »
    Hypothetical situation:

    Person A has $500 in cash and $500 in his bank account.

    Person B has $100 in cash and $900 in his bank account.

    Both must spend their cash before using the money in their respective accounts. Thus person B is in "account burning mode" longer.

    Each person makes purchases totaling $800 dollars. Steve's rationale would have you believe that Person B has less money in his account at the end of the day.

    Well, it's good to see you are trying.

    Have you downloaded your copy of Guyton's yet?

    What we're really talking about here are levels of glycogen. Levels can very by a factor of two in some people.

    The point is that when they reach a certain percentage, then the switchover will occur.

    Generally that percentage is around 70%.

    So it is not an absolute figure, but a relative figure.

    Apart from conditions of extreme exercise, the body will always maintain an emergency store of glycogen for instantaneous power demands.

    Well its funny to see you don't even understand what Atkins is. I mean, its pretty basic that Atkins is LOW carb not NO carb. Someone with your supposed "expertise" should know that.


  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    Options
    It's not that funny, because he's a fake account trying to get a rise. Just report him and move on.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    Alyjacck wrote: »
    Hi everyone,

    So I am interested in people who eat low carb to lose weight but are not doing atkins.

    How many carbs do you eat?

    I see MANY actresses/dancer/whatever saying when they want to get in shape the eat no carb no sugar.

    I just wonder if they literally mean no carbs and sugar (like atkins) or something more moderate.


    Thank you.
    First you need to learn that Atkins isn't "no carb". :-) You have a very warped sense of what Atkins is. GOOGLE IT.

    To answer your question, they just eat lower carb. Many on the low carb group here aren't on Atkins. Many who consider themselves low carb on the PCOS group aren't on Atkins.
    Just just eat lower carb.
    okay, WHY did you flag this as abusive? Seriously?
  • Alyjacck
    Alyjacck Posts: 43 Member
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    dbmata wrote: »
    steve098 wrote: »
    Alyjacck wrote: »
    That makes alot of sense steve.

    Except that it's nonsense. He's conflating dietary fat and adipose tissue.






    Wrong again. It's all in Guyton's.

    OP, don't let these fitness guys steer you in the wrong direction. My original post is spot on should be your touchstone.

    PSA: Disregard this poster, it's a known fraudulent account using a stolen profile picture.

    Ok thanks for telling me that. Not looking to buy any books.. Just want advice from people in the same boat.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,956 Member
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    steve098 wrote: »
    All weight loss approaches have the same goal.

    That is to get their bodies into a predominantly fat-burning state while running a calorie deficit.

    Straight Atkins finds you always in the mode because all you eat is fat and protein- no carbs.

    That is NOT AT ALL TRUE.

    Atkins has 4 phases. You DO eat carbs, just at a rock-bottom level in the beginning, 20g or less, usually in the form of leafy greens and other green veggies. A small amount of cheese. And protein and fats. After the induction level, you go slowly up the ladder adding in other low-carb foods. Nuts, legumes, berries, and etc, until you reach the last phase, where you add until you figure out your personal carb threshold where you begin to gain.

    Check out Atkins website. They have all the food lists for the Phases on there.




  • Alyjacck
    Alyjacck Posts: 43 Member
    Options
    MelRC117 wrote: »
    steve098 wrote: »
    Hypothetical situation:

    Person A has $500 in cash and $500 in his bank account.

    Person B has $100 in cash and $900 in his bank account.

    Both must spend their cash before using the money in their respective accounts. Thus person B is in "account burning mode" longer.

    Each person makes purchases totaling $800 dollars. Steve's rationale would have you believe that Person B has less money in his account at the end of the day.

    Well, it's good to see you are trying.

    Have you downloaded your copy of Guyton's yet?

    What we're really talking about here are levels of glycogen. Levels can very by a factor of two in some people.

    The point is that when they reach a certain percentage, then the switchover will occur.

    Generally that percentage is around 70%.

    So it is not an absolute figure, but a relative figure.

    Apart from conditions of extreme exercise, the body will always maintain an emergency store of glycogen for instantaneous power demands.

    Well its funny to see you don't even understand what Atkins is. I mean, its pretty basic that Atkins is LOW carb not NO carb. Someone with your supposed "expertise" should know that.




    I sort of understand the atkins. I really didn't want to do that diet. I was trying to see if something with a little more carbs would still cause people to lose lbs...

    Atkins is too dramatic for me. It is something I did when I was a teenager and I felt dizzy and not well. Plus if you don't follow it your whole life you gain back all the weight plus some.

    I think if I aim to do moderate low garbs like no pasta or bread and eat fruits veggies and eggs it would be easier.

    The paleo suggestion seemed kinda great!