Low Carb diet worth it?
olyjok
Posts: 133 Member
I have researched this topic a bit and have no idea what the truth is. Looking for some hands on experiences good or bad. I am very active with running and will be lifting soon.
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Replies
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No. You feel drained and moody.
I'm currently cutting weight at 248 carbs a day- and I feel great and my strength is up. I'll never do low carb dieting again.
At the end of the day, calories matter the most.1 -
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Try it and see. It has worked for me before and it seems to be working even better this time around. The only time I get issues is when I'm at the heaviest end of ketosis, I just want a bit more energy than I usually get in that range.0
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It depends on many things. I can not, will not stay on a low calorie diet if I am hungry.... That being said I find that I am not hungry eating low carb. Like all things though low carb means different things to different people. I suggest you go to the low carb group here on MFP. Read the Low Carb Launch Pad. Then decide for yourself, low carb but not crazy low carb is working for me.0
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It's the only thing that's ever worked for me. I'm very low carb. (less than 20) Never hungry. Don't crave grains or sweets anymore. More than halfway to my goal. I also lift and have no problems gaining muscle. Good luck with whatever you choose.0
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Low carb or Keto? Keto has worked really well for me over the past 5 - 6 weeks having lost 13lbs so far. After the first couple of weeks and you become adapted, you have increased energy and decreased appetite. It doesnt work for everyone but if you can make it through the initial phase, you will enjoy the benefits. You can also have different variations of Keto depending on whether you are lifting or just losing weight. There are some good articles around
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If I go below 40%, I don't have much energy. But then, you can choose which kind of carbs you eat. I prefer fruits and rice to pasta and bread.
Eating more than 25% of protein has helped me curb my cravings and relentless appetite. I also noticed I'm losing faster if my protein intake is higher.
That said, the best is to play with it and observe how you feel according to what you eat.0 -
GarryA1987 wrote: »Low carb or Keto? Keto has worked really well for me over the past 5 - 6 weeks having lost 13lbs so far. After the first couple of weeks and you become adapted, you have increased energy and decreased appetite. It doesnt work for everyone but if you can make it through the initial phase, you will enjoy the benefits. You can also have different variations of Keto depending on whether you are lifting or just losing weight. There are some good articles around
Thank goodness one of us had the sense to warn about that darn low carb flu! Yeah, the first week or two can be pretty bleh. I usually don't feel fully fantastic until around week three.0 -
LCHF/keto is one of those things where you love it or hate it. Some people love it, have a lot of success, and find it very sustainable. Most....don't. But, if you're one of those for whom it works, then it might be an excellent choice for you. As most others on this thread have said, try it and see - it's really the only way to know if it's "worth it," since that's not a one-size-fits-all thing. If you're going to try it, do try really hard to give it a good 2 weeks if you can, though - there definitely are some symptoms of giving up carbs that do subside after usually 3-7 days but up to about 14 days for some people.
For me, personally, I've dabbled in it a good bit, but it's not something that would ever work for me long-term. Through a lot of trial and error, I've found that keeping my carbs lower than most MFP-ers but not keto-low (in the ~100g per day range, give or take a bit depending on exercise) works best for me.0 -
Depends on the person, and if you're doing it correctly. Read these:
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10039052/please-do-not-open-for-now-lp01
A lot of people do it wrong, then complain that it didn't work. If your intention is to lose to your gw, then go back to a high carb diet the next week, don't bother. With keto (20-30g or less) you'll lose your carb cravings after a week or two, so you probably won't want to increase them later anyway. With regular lc (50-150) you may still have the cravings, but you have more room to work them in if you absolutely have to have them.
The upside is you don't get hungry as long as you eat correctly, so a lot of things that used to seem like impossible temptations stop being tempting at all.0 -
Depends on the person, and if you're doing it correctly. Read these:
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10039052/please-do-not-open-for-now-lp01
A lot of people do it wrong, then complain that it didn't work. If your intention is to lose to your gw, then go back to a high carb diet the next week, don't bother. With keto (20-30g or less) you'll lose your carb cravings after a week or two, so you probably won't want to increase them later anyway. With regular lc (50-150) you may still have the cravings, but you have more room to work them in if you absolutely have to have them.
The upside is you don't get hungry as long as you eat correctly, so a lot of things that used to seem like impossible temptations stop being tempting at all.
Very good links. Thank you ! I'm operating on a average of 60 grams of carbs a day. Well most days. Last weekend was not good. I might try to slowly take them away to 20 grams. That might ease the Keto Flu. Not looking for a quick fix just a better way of living. Not to many people posting negative experiences on this post.0 -
What do you mean by better way of living? In what context?0
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Depends on the person, and if you're doing it correctly. Read these:
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10039052/please-do-not-open-for-now-lp01
A lot of people do it wrong, then complain that it didn't work. If your intention is to lose to your gw, then go back to a high carb diet the next week, don't bother. With keto (20-30g or less) you'll lose your carb cravings after a week or two, so you probably won't want to increase them later anyway. With regular lc (50-150) you may still have the cravings, but you have more room to work them in if you absolutely have to have them.
The upside is you don't get hungry as long as you eat correctly, so a lot of things that used to seem like impossible temptations stop being tempting at all.
Very good links. Thank you ! I'm operating on a average of 60 grams of carbs a day. Well most days. Last weekend was not good. I might try to slowly take them away to 20 grams. That might ease the Keto Flu. Not looking for a quick fix just a better way of living. Not to many people posting negative experiences on this post.
Keto flu is easy to avoid - drink a lot of water, make sure you're getting enough sodium, potassium, and magnesium, and keep some bone broth or chicken broth on hand (if you have no objection to artificial sweeteners, MIO is like keto gatorade). If you start to feel headachy or otherwise flu-ish, drink a cup of broth. You should be fine in about an hour. Go easy on exercise the first week until you get used to the reduction, but since you're already low, it shouldn't be that drastic of a change for you.0 -
The only way I would consider low carb as an option would be if I was far less active than I am. I think less active individuals can definitely benefit from going low carb...if you're active, it's completely unnecessary and counterproductive to fitness goals.0
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Depends on the person, and if you're doing it correctly. Read these:
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10039052/please-do-not-open-for-now-lp01
A lot of people do it wrong, then complain that it didn't work. If your intention is to lose to your gw, then go back to a high carb diet the next week, don't bother. With keto (20-30g or less) you'll lose your carb cravings after a week or two, so you probably won't want to increase them later anyway. With regular lc (50-150) you may still have the cravings, but you have more room to work them in if you absolutely have to have them.
The upside is you don't get hungry as long as you eat correctly, so a lot of things that used to seem like impossible temptations stop being tempting at all.
Interesting information here.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »The only way I would consider low carb as an option would be if I was far less active than I am. I think less active individuals can definitely benefit from going low carb...if you're active, it's completely unnecessary and counterproductive to fitness goals.
2x
and medical conditions0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »The only way I would consider low carb as an option would be if I was far less active than I am. I think less active individuals can definitely benefit from going low carb...if you're active, it's completely unnecessary and counterproductive to fitness goals.
I didn't find that to be true at all. I still prefer low carb because I'm not tempted by extraneous junk food while eating that way but I ended up giving up on it because it was just too much of a hassle with a family who wasn't interested in switching with me. A few years ago I reached my goal weight on 20-40g per day while training for and running half marathons. I had plenty of energy and it wasn't counterproductive at all.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »The only way I would consider low carb as an option would be if I was far less active than I am. I think less active individuals can definitely benefit from going low carb...if you're active, it's completely unnecessary and counterproductive to fitness goals.
You may have a good point! There is so much information on this subject It gets me dizzy. My main goal is to burn 3,200 calories a week. That's just walking and running. Not sure what the weight room will do.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »The only way I would consider low carb as an option would be if I was far less active than I am. I think less active individuals can definitely benefit from going low carb...if you're active, it's completely unnecessary and counterproductive to fitness goals.
How do you know this?
From The Big Lebowski
I'm active, 1-2 hours/day. I logged 57 hrs active physical activity in the past month. In fact, since I no longer have to feed my body every few hours because of low glucose, last bikeride was for 4.5 hrs WITHOUT energycrashing or bonking. So in my experience LCHF diet helps my fitness goals.
I can't speak for anyone else. I still would guess that people like Ben Greenfield who is a tri-athlete, would probably not do low carb, if he thought it would be bad for his athletic aspirations.
http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/05/low-carb-triathlon-training/
Edit: for clarity. Oh, I forgot. I even did a sprint up to 95% maxpulse at the end of that 4.5 hours ride.0 -
Foamroller wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »The only way I would consider low carb as an option would be if I was far less active than I am. I think less active individuals can definitely benefit from going low carb...if you're active, it's completely unnecessary and counterproductive to fitness goals.
How do you know this?
From The Big Lebowski
I'm active, 1-2 hours/day. I logged 57 hrs active physical activity in the past month. In fact, since I no longer have to feed my body every few hours because of low glucose, last bikeride was for 4.5 hrs WITHOUT energycrashing or bonking. So in my experience LCHF diet helps my fitness goals.
I can't speak for anyone else. I still would guess that people like Ben Greenfield who is a tri-athlete, would probably not do low carb, if he thought it would be bad for his athletic aspirations.
http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/05/low-carb-triathlon-training/
Edit: for clarity
Personal experience...
also, while many athletes do some low carb training, most don't train like that all of the time.
Personally, I like having my rocket fuel...and again...outside of certain medical conditions it's completely unnecessary to low carb...carbs aren't the devil. I can tell you right now I run a better cyclocross race carb loaded than not...sure I can still ride, but not like I can when I'm loaded.0 -
Foamroller wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »The only way I would consider low carb as an option would be if I was far less active than I am. I think less active individuals can definitely benefit from going low carb...if you're active, it's completely unnecessary and counterproductive to fitness goals.
How do you know this?
From The Big Lebowski
I'm active, 1-2 hours/day. I logged 57 hrs active physical activity in the past month. In fact, since I no longer have to feed my body every few hours because of low glucose, last bikeride was for 4.5 hrs WITHOUT energycrashing or bonking. So in my experience LCHF diet helps my fitness goals.
I can't speak for anyone else. I still would guess that people like Ben Greenfield who is a tri-athlete, would probably not do low carb, if he thought it would be bad for his athletic aspirations.
http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/05/low-carb-triathlon-training/
Edit: for clarity. Oh, I forgot. I even did a sprint up to 95% maxpulse at the end of that 4.5 hours ride.
So... pit one athlete against the vast majority of athletes ? Yes, there are outliers.. but the vast majority of studies out there point to the fact that carbohydrates are EXTREMELY beneficial for those that are training or exercising vigorously compared to low carb or no carb diets.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Foamroller wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »The only way I would consider low carb as an option would be if I was far less active than I am. I think less active individuals can definitely benefit from going low carb...if you're active, it's completely unnecessary and counterproductive to fitness goals.
How do you know this?
From The Big Lebowski
I'm active, 1-2 hours/day. I logged 57 hrs active physical activity in the past month. In fact, since I no longer have to feed my body every few hours because of low glucose, last bikeride was for 4.5 hrs WITHOUT energycrashing or bonking. So in my experience LCHF diet helps my fitness goals.
I can't speak for anyone else. I still would guess that people like Ben Greenfield who is a tri-athlete, would probably not do low carb, if he thought it would be bad for his athletic aspirations.
http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/05/low-carb-triathlon-training/
Edit: for clarity
Personal experience...
also, while many athletes do some low carb training, most don't train like that all of the time.
Personally, I like having my rocket fuel...and again...outside of certain medical conditions it's completely unnecessary to low carb...carbs aren't the devil. I can tell you right now I run a better cyclocross race carb loaded than not...sure I can still ride, but not like I can when I'm loaded.
This is such a sensationalizing argument. Nobody has said carbs are the devil, and everything everyone does on this site is unnecessary. It's all done by choice and personal preference, so people who feel the need to single out one combination of things some people choose to do as somehow "less than" feels more like proselytizing than giving advice.0 -
@cwolfman. You did a blanket statement. Just because you couldn't make low carb work for you, does not mean "it's completely unnecessary and counterproductive to fitness goals". If you had been clearer it's YOUR experience, all is fine. But you didn't now, did you.
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Ben Greenfield sure takes a ton of supplements. Is this common with LCHF?0
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Foamroller wrote: »@cwolfman. You did a blanket statement. Just because you couldn't make low carb work for you, does not mean "it's completely unnecessary and counterproductive to fitness goals". If you had been clearer it's YOUR experience, all is fine. But you didn't now, did you.
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LolBroScience wrote: »Foamroller wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »The only way I would consider low carb as an option would be if I was far less active than I am. I think less active individuals can definitely benefit from going low carb...if you're active, it's completely unnecessary and counterproductive to fitness goals.
How do you know this?
From The Big Lebowski
I'm active, 1-2 hours/day. I logged 57 hrs active physical activity in the past month. In fact, since I no longer have to feed my body every few hours because of low glucose, last bikeride was for 4.5 hrs WITHOUT energycrashing or bonking. So in my experience LCHF diet helps my fitness goals.
I can't speak for anyone else. I still would guess that people like Ben Greenfield who is a tri-athlete, would probably not do low carb, if he thought it would be bad for his athletic aspirations.
http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/05/low-carb-triathlon-training/
Edit: for clarity. Oh, I forgot. I even did a sprint up to 95% maxpulse at the end of that 4.5 hours ride.
So... pit one athlete against the vast majority of athletes ? Yes, there are outliers.. but the vast majority of studies out there point to the fact that carbohydrates are EXTREMELY beneficial for those that are training or exercising vigorously compared to low carb or no carb diets.
Can you just accept that we are different. I don't slag your diet. Why would I if you mean it's working FOR YOU. Be a little generous. There isn't a one size fits all. Your goals are not the same as mine. I only care about MY fitness goals. What other people choose to do for THEIR goals, I don't care. End of story.
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The problem I have with keto or real low carb is that for most people (there are always exceptions) it isn't a lifestyle change. Most people on this website want to lose the weight and keep it off. I have yet to meet one person (and I know a lot) who have done low carb, lost the weight and not gained most of it back. It's very difficult to maintain for life.1
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Foamroller wrote: »LolBroScience wrote: »Foamroller wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »The only way I would consider low carb as an option would be if I was far less active than I am. I think less active individuals can definitely benefit from going low carb...if you're active, it's completely unnecessary and counterproductive to fitness goals.
How do you know this?
From The Big Lebowski
I'm active, 1-2 hours/day. I logged 57 hrs active physical activity in the past month. In fact, since I no longer have to feed my body every few hours because of low glucose, last bikeride was for 4.5 hrs WITHOUT energycrashing or bonking. So in my experience LCHF diet helps my fitness goals.
I can't speak for anyone else. I still would guess that people like Ben Greenfield who is a tri-athlete, would probably not do low carb, if he thought it would be bad for his athletic aspirations.
http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/05/low-carb-triathlon-training/
Edit: for clarity. Oh, I forgot. I even did a sprint up to 95% maxpulse at the end of that 4.5 hours ride.
So... pit one athlete against the vast majority of athletes ? Yes, there are outliers.. but the vast majority of studies out there point to the fact that carbohydrates are EXTREMELY beneficial for those that are training or exercising vigorously compared to low carb or no carb diets.
Can you just accept that we are different. I don't slag your diet. Why would I if you mean it's working FOR YOU. Be a little generous. There isn't a one size fits all. Your goals are not the same as mine. I only care about MY fitness goals. What other people choose to do for THEIR goals, I don't care. End of story.
How did this become about you...you aren't the OP. Opinions have been stated on the matter and that is all...
I'm a former competitive athlete...I hang out with a whole bunch of amateur and a handful of professional/semi professional athletes...overwhelmingly, these very active people benefit from carbohydrate intake. It's not exactly rocket science here...carbohydrates are like rocket fuel for your fitness.
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The problem I have with keto or real low carb is that for most people (there are always exceptions) it isn't a lifestyle change. Most people on this website want to lose the weight and keep it off. I have yet to meet one person (and I know a lot) who have done low carb, lost the weight and not gained most of it back. It's very difficult to maintain for life.
You gain weight by eating too many calories. LC isn't some magic bullet that turns fat off and then back on if you go off of it. Your friends gained weight because they ate too much food.0 -
I low carbed for about a year and half. It works great and really does curb your appetite. I eventually just grew bored with it and tired of having to prepare different meals from the rest of my family. IMHO, there are way too many foods on the forbidden list and I swear I was going to grow feathers and start clucking if I had to eat One. More. D@mn. Egg. Now I just count calories and eat anything and everything, I just eat less than before. I personally find this an easier long term strategy to stick to .0
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