Please Post Your Carb Restriction Success Stories for Weight Loss and/or Insulin Resistance

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GoPerfectHealth
GoPerfectHealth Posts: 254 Member
edited March 2015 in Food and Nutrition
Hello,

I am interested in hearing from people who are restricting carbs to support weight loss and/or to treat insulin resistance or diabetes.

I am considering lowering my carbs, but not sure if I can be happy going much lower than 100 grams per day. I love my bananas and apples!

I often hear people talk about going lower than 100 grams as if this is a magical number. I would love to know if staying under 100 but not going as low as 20-50 helped your weight loss and/or insulin resistance.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. No debates about the merits of carbohydrate restriction vs. IIFYM or CICO please, just stories.



Replies

  • mrsoski
    mrsoski Posts: 19 Member
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    Hi! I have had lots of success with what is probably considered a moderate carb intake. A registered dietitian I worked with recommended that I never eat carbs without pairing them with protein in a 2/1 ratio. In other words, for every 30 grams carb I eat, I should eat 15 grams protein with it. I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks daily, totaling about 120-150 grams of carb per day. I have been very successful in weight loss and managing my energy levels with this way of eating. I'm down almost 50 pounds with another 15 to go. Please feel free to friend me. Best of luck to you!!
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    There is no magical number. Of course your age, height, current weight, level of activity, etc.. all play a part in what your macro nutrients should be.

    I have currently lowered mine below 100 and I feel soooooo much better. I too also upped the protein (I actually started weight lifting three weeks ago) so all of this was a must to break a stall and ensure that I lose body fat .... got to get this "skinny fat" in check... LOL
  • Sugarbeat
    Sugarbeat Posts: 824 Member
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    If you haven't already you may want to check your sugar levels after eating bananas and apples. I love them, too, but they make my blood sugar skyrocket. Have you ever been to bloodsugar101.com? They have good suggestions on finding the foods that benefit you the most, as each person is different. Basically you remove high carb foods from your diet for a few weeks. Then you test an hour after you eat, and then 2 hours after you eat to see how the food affects you. Several otherwise healthy foods are not healthy for me, but I didn't know until I did this. As far as the number of carbs goes, its individual. If you are happy and healthy on 100gr, stick to it. I, personally feel better when I hit below 100. Right now I'm maxing out, most days, at around 75. I'd like to get it a little lower on average.
  • GoPerfectHealth
    GoPerfectHealth Posts: 254 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Sugarbeat. A few weeks ago I had my fasting blood sugar tested. First it was 108. The second time it was 103 (FYI - I had started walking more). My A1C level was 4.8 which is normal. I have not really spoken with my doctor much about these results. I have not tested my blood sugar levels or anything like that. I DO want to avoid diabetes through diet and exercise. I will check out that site. Also, I have been eating higher than 100 grams, but considering reducing my carbs because my weight loss is slower than I think it should be with meticulous calorie counting and walking and I'm wondering insulin resistance is involved. Thanks!
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
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    When I started eating a low carb diet my goal was just to keep my carbs under 100g but I found I do much better (normal appetite, energetic, no symptoms of low blood sugar) with my carbs right around the 50g mark but usually under. Too much more than that, too often, and all of the symptoms of poor blood sugar control come back.

    I didn't notice any difference in weight loss from a moderate carb intake when I was just counting calories, to carbs under 100g, to carbs under 50g that didn't correspond with the amount of calories I'm eating.
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
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    I have not done it for that purpose, but...you might be interested in one of the things I came across on food that help diabetes, potentially.

    Recent research has found that a lot of the native foods in the deserts of the southwest
    USA seem to have properties that help keep blood sugar levels more stable (there is even speculation that a move away from this diet - due to governmental influence - has contributed to the rise in diabetes on the reservations here).

    Some of the foods tested are mesquite flour (it's a legume), and prickly pear cactus pads and fruits. Might be worth seeing what the research says, see if introducing these foods might have a positive impact, you know? :-)
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I'm like the first poster. I eat moderate carbs. If you count net, I probably net around 100. I do it to manage to the fatigue that is a symptom of two chronic medical conditions I have. Too many carbs seem to aggravate it, as does to few. I also make sure to watch my calories carefully and I monitor my protein and fat intake so that I get enough of those to feel sated.

    I've lost 27 pounds since late November.
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I did carb restriction for over a year. I went as low as 40 grams of a carbs a day. It was hard in the beginning, but I got used to it. I lost the weight I wanted to. I went from prediabetic to having a really great A1C of 5.0. My doctor said she wished all her other patients had the blood sugar levels I do now. My cholesterol and other labs are great too. Right now I eat about 50 grams of carbs a day, so I'm not as restrictive as I used to be but still I consume much less than the average person. I increase the intensity of my exercise if I go over that threshold.
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
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    Sugarbeat wrote: »
    If you haven't already you may want to check your sugar levels after eating bananas and apples. I love them, too, but they make my blood sugar skyrocket. Have you ever been to bloodsugar101.com? They have good suggestions on finding the foods that benefit you the most, as each person is different. Basically you remove high carb foods from your diet for a few weeks. Then you test an hour after you eat, and then 2 hours after you eat to see how the food affects you. Several otherwise healthy foods are not healthy for me, but I didn't know until I did this. As far as the number of carbs goes, its individual. If you are happy and healthy on 100gr, stick to it. I, personally feel better when I hit below 100. Right now I'm maxing out, most days, at around 75. I'd like to get it a little lower on average.

    This is good advice. I was "only" prediabetic but I got myself a blood glucose monitor and strips. Test yourself after eating various things. You'll be surprised at what spikes your blood sugar. By doing this I found the happy medium where I can have my carbs and not have blood sugar that's elevated.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    Much depends on what you mean by carb restriction. Do you actually have a medical issue? If so, find out what level you need from your doctor. It is not terribly difficult to each moderate carbs, just make lower carb choices each time you eat.

    It is hard to eat nearly zero carbs, and to do that will require careful planning and careful tracking. There isn't an advantage to such an extreme diet unless you have been advised that you NEED to eat that way by a doctor, because it will require you to cut out a lot of healthful foods like fruits and vegetables.

    I was formerly a misinformed person who felt the Atkins diet had magical properties, even though it is actually just an extreme diet to accomplish caloric restriction. So I've eaten very low carbs during the induction phase. It sucked and it was silly for me, since I didn't have any medical issues that warranted eating that way. Live and learn.
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
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    whodidntante wrote: »
    Much depends on what you mean by carb restriction. Do you actually have a medical issue? If so, find out what level you need from your doctor. It is not terribly difficult to each moderate carbs, just make lower carb choices each time you eat.

    It is hard to eat nearly zero carbs, and to do that will require careful planning and careful tracking. There isn't an advantage to such an extreme diet unless you have been advised that you NEED to eat that way by a doctor, because it will require you to cut out a lot of healthful foods like fruits and vegetables.

    I was formerly a misinformed person who felt the Atkins diet had magical properties, even though it is actually just an extreme diet to accomplish caloric restriction. So I've eaten very low carbs during the induction phase. It sucked and it was silly for me, since I didn't have any medical issues that warranted eating that way. Live and learn.

    False. I'm at 22g/day and half my food is veggies and fruit.

    For OP, mine is related to inflammation and other issues, not IR, but I maintained for 13 years with it, gained some back when I stopped paying as close attention to measurements when I cooked, have since lost a little over 40 again. Best advice for you is to research thoroughly before you start. Depending how low you want to go, there may be initial side effects if you don't drink enough water or keep your electrolytes up the first several days.

    Also, stick to plain, basic foods for the first month or so. There are tons of websites out there with recipes for almond flour cakes, cream cheese pancakes, low carb faux Reeses eggs, etc. Most people seem to have a harder time transitioning to lose their carb cravings if they start using those right away.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    False. I'm at 22g/day and half my food is veggies and fruit.

    A single medium apple has more than 22 grams of carbs.

  • angellak
    angellak Posts: 68 Member
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    How much fat is everyone getting?
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
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    whodidntante wrote: »

    False. I'm at 22g/day and half my food is veggies and fruit.

    A single medium apple has more than 22 grams of carbs.

    And? I didn't say I ate apples. So far today I've had avocado, spinach, tomato, onion (twice), mushrooms, jalapenos and strawberries.
  • BeTheChange352
    BeTheChange352 Posts: 253 Member
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    I can't chime in for the diabetic aspect but I do have general experience with playing around with carbs. I've lost weight just fine while doing normal amounts of carbs and moderate amounts, right around 100g a day seems to be my sweet spot now, but there are also days where I only get up in the 70s or 80s. I don't notice a difference between these ranges. I was on WW in high school and my days consisted of lots of fruits/vegetables and breads/grains, and lower fat protein sources, lost 40 pounds with that plan. now I'm doing moderate carbs but I've upped my fats and protein considerably. I notice a big difference in terms of bloat, sleep quality, and energy on the days I control carbs, so that is my preferred plan for right now.
  • GoPerfectHealth
    GoPerfectHealth Posts: 254 Member
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    Thanks for the feedback everyone!

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