thoughts on low carb diets?
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I'm with the many who have said that some love it, some don't, and that I don't think there's any reason it would be bad for your health. Or at least not unless you are one of the few who go so far as to cut out veggies.
I really liked doing about 30-35% carbs when I first started and wasn't that active and had lots of weight to lose. I found myself naturally increasing to about 40% carbs as I got more active, and I think at maintenance that may end up more like 50% carbs just because I don't feel a desire for more fat than I currently eat, I am finding that I feel like including more whole grains and legumes than I've been eating, and tend to eat more fruit in the summer, and I have no reason to eat more protein.
I did really well losing by basing meals around meat and veggies, but I've enjoyed more vegetarian styles of eating in the past and have found myself hindered in going back there because I've gotten used to this style, so I am actually thinking of focusing less on macros for a while and just see where I end up.
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iluvstrwbrries wrote: »I have been low carbing for over a decade.
Initially when you start you can expect 3-4 days of carb, sugar and caffeine withdrawal. Most people don't make it past the first day. You don't realize how addicted you are to c.s.c. until you don't eat them anymore. Look at it as a detox and you will get through it.
Once you're through that point, you will find your energy levels will increase . I get my carbs from vegetables and some fruit. I avoid refined sugar, bread, rice, pasta etc...for now.... We CAN eat what everyone else does but we do it in moderation.
And they key to being successful is to gradually add back the foods in a pyramid, this will re-train your body and your brain how to eat those foods... eventually we do add back in grains but a low carbers food pyramid looks different than the standard food pyramid.
That is the way I eat yet I've never thought of myself as low carb, just that I cook fresh food from scratch. Love that pyramid
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That's a reasonable looking pyramid (the original)!Low carb is quicker weight loss at the beginning....but that's basically water loss.
Opinion or fact? Peer reviewed published papers please.
There are peer reviewed published papers demonstrating how a high carb diet contributes to insulin insensitivity. Rising levels of insulin are not good for your health nor is a favourable environment for weight stability.
High carbohydrate diets contribute to inflammation that is believed to lead to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, and has been observed to be a factor in the development of insulin resistance.
A lower carb higher fat diet has been shown to reduce such inflammation.
The growing body of evidence plus simple observation of North Americans suggests there is every reason to reduce intake of highly refined (some would suggest all grains refined or not) and non-vegetable carbohydrate sources.
Some carbohydrate in our diets is essential. Most of the population in North America is getting far too much, and far too much from poor sources.
it's pretty well known that when you cut carbs your glycogen stores are going to drop...essentially water. And yes, most people who eat the SAD could most definitely stand to moderate their carbohydrate intake and most could stand to make better choices in RE to what carbs they eat...but that's completely different than going on a low carb diet.
most of my carbohydrate intake comes from legumes, lentils, steel cut oats, brown rice, potatoes and sweet potatoes, fruit, and veg...I'm by no means low carb...I don't have insulin sensitivities either.0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »iluvstrwbrries wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »iluvstrwbrries wrote: »I have been low carbing for over a decade.
Initially when you start you can expect 3-4 days of carb, sugar and caffeine withdrawal. Most people don't make it past the first day. You don't realize how addicted you are to c.s.c. until you don't eat them anymore. Look at it as a detox and you will get through it.
Once you're through that point, you will find your energy levels will increase . I get my carbs from vegetables and some fruit. I avoid refined sugar, bread, rice, pasta etc...for now.... We CAN eat what everyone else does but we do it in moderation.
And they key to being successful is to gradually add back the foods in a pyramid, this will re-train your body and your brain how to eat those foods... eventually we do add back in grains but a low carbers food pyramid looks different than the standard food pyramid.
Whose pyramid is this?
That one belongs to the FoodNetwork lol. There are others out there they vary but for the most part are the same.
They vary QUITE A LOT. And I've still never seen one quite like this.
It shows up on /r/keto a lot, referred to as the "keto food pyramid," though I don't know the original source.
With vegetables first, then meats, then fruit, then nuts, seeds and dairy? hmm. surprising. Thanks for this.0 -
Why does one have to do only one thing?SnuggleSmacks wrote: »Low carb is just another way to create a calorie deficit. It works for many people, and is too restrictive for others. But one thing to think about is when you reach your goal, what then? Do you keep eating low-carb and just increase your calories, or do you add those carbs back in? Will that make you gain all the weight back? Is it a better idea to restrict food groups for a while to lose weight, or is it a better idea to learn to deal with those foods in a healthy way and in reasonable portions so that you can continue to do that for life?
This^
Low carb is quicker weight loss at the beginning....but that's basically water loss.
I need a lifestyle change because losing the weight is just HALF the battle. Keeping the weight off for a lifetime is hard work. Pick the thing that is sustainable to you....before AND after.
I know folks who've used one approach for weight loss, and another for maintenance.
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »iluvstrwbrries wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »iluvstrwbrries wrote: »I have been low carbing for over a decade.
Initially when you start you can expect 3-4 days of carb, sugar and caffeine withdrawal. Most people don't make it past the first day. You don't realize how addicted you are to c.s.c. until you don't eat them anymore. Look at it as a detox and you will get through it.
Once you're through that point, you will find your energy levels will increase . I get my carbs from vegetables and some fruit. I avoid refined sugar, bread, rice, pasta etc...for now.... We CAN eat what everyone else does but we do it in moderation.
And they key to being successful is to gradually add back the foods in a pyramid, this will re-train your body and your brain how to eat those foods... eventually we do add back in grains but a low carbers food pyramid looks different than the standard food pyramid.
Whose pyramid is this?
That one belongs to the FoodNetwork lol. There are others out there they vary but for the most part are the same.
They vary QUITE A LOT. And I've still never seen one quite like this.
It shows up on /r/keto a lot, referred to as the "keto food pyramid," though I don't know the original source.
With vegetables first, then meats, then fruit, then nuts, seeds and dairy? hmm. surprising. Thanks for this.
Yep, the ongoing paleo/keto war, and that one shows up in the middle0 -
Ah, I see what you're saying. Thanks.Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »iluvstrwbrries wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »iluvstrwbrries wrote: »I have been low carbing for over a decade.
Initially when you start you can expect 3-4 days of carb, sugar and caffeine withdrawal. Most people don't make it past the first day. You don't realize how addicted you are to c.s.c. until you don't eat them anymore. Look at it as a detox and you will get through it.
Once you're through that point, you will find your energy levels will increase . I get my carbs from vegetables and some fruit. I avoid refined sugar, bread, rice, pasta etc...for now.... We CAN eat what everyone else does but we do it in moderation.
And they key to being successful is to gradually add back the foods in a pyramid, this will re-train your body and your brain how to eat those foods... eventually we do add back in grains but a low carbers food pyramid looks different than the standard food pyramid.
Whose pyramid is this?
That one belongs to the FoodNetwork lol. There are others out there they vary but for the most part are the same.
They vary QUITE A LOT. And I've still never seen one quite like this.
It shows up on /r/keto a lot, referred to as the "keto food pyramid," though I don't know the original source.
With vegetables first, then meats, then fruit, then nuts, seeds and dairy? hmm. surprising. Thanks for this.
Yep, the ongoing paleo/keto war, and that one shows up in the middle
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The thing is, eating low carb the way I do it...I have a hard time meeting 1000 calories a day..let alone the 1350 I have set up for myself..sometimes I will indulge myself and eat what I want and then my calories will go as high as 1500 but those days are rare.....
but most of the time Im sitting at home grumbling to myself " aw man, I need 50 more calories or my dairy wont post."
Im not understanding how low carb translates to not low calorie0 -
iluvstrwbrries wrote: »The thing is, eating low carb the way I do it...I have a hard time meeting 1000 calories a day..let alone the 1350 I have set up for myself..sometimes I will indulge myself and eat what I want and then my calories will go as high as 1500 but those days are rare.....
but most of the time Im sitting at home grumbling to myself " aw man, I need 50 more calories or my dairy wont post."
Im not understanding how low carb translates to not low calorie
It can if you're doing "lazy keto" where you don't measure or pay much attention to things. I gained after 13 years of maintenance that way, just a combination of not giving a damn because of other health stuff going on, and not lowering my intake from pretty active to basically bed ridden. I stayed in ketosis the entire time, but I put on quite a bit of weight over 2 years. Bacon is only your friend in moderation
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iluvstrwbrries wrote: »The thing is, eating low carb the way I do it...I have a hard time meeting 1000 calories a day..let alone the 1350 I have set up for myself..sometimes I will indulge myself and eat what I want and then my calories will go as high as 1500 but those days are rare.....
but most of the time Im sitting at home grumbling to myself " aw man, I need 50 more calories or my dairy wont post."
Im not understanding how low carb translates to not low calorie
It can if you're doing "lazy keto" where you don't measure or pay much attention to things. I gained after 13 years of maintenance that way, just a combination of not giving a damn because of other health stuff going on, and not lowering my intake from pretty active to basically bed ridden. I stayed in ketosis the entire time, but I put on quite a bit of weight over 2 years. Bacon is only your friend in moderation
I hate bacon lol, I will eat it but Im not a fan...or sausage either. I have never even heard of keto diet until I got back on this app. I think over time you just know what to eat. I was off low carbing for a few years. I dont low carb when Im pregnant or nursing a baby so I gained weight because I like to eat lol. Im not going to lie, I love food and I love good food....and I gained weight so here I am now...baby is three and weaned and time for me to get back in shape after letting myself go. *shrugs*0 -
Most papers I have read have all shown that low-carb has faster weight loss in the beginning, and the gap has narrowed at the end. In most cases, the gap no longer statistically significant.
Whether that early lead is the consequence of water loss, glycogen depletion, greater NEAT, higher TEF, or better adherence is mostly conjecture I believe.
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Those food pyramids are just wrong.
This is the Nutrition Australia Healthy Eating Pyramid.
http://nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/healthy-eating-pyramid
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I did not plan to go low carb but was just looking for a way to manage my arthritis pain without starting Enbrel injections. It was hellish for two weeks in my case at age 63 after abusing carbs for 40 years.
After a month my pain dropped from 7-8 to 2-3 on a 1-10 scale. After two months I started losing weight but started losing inches the first month.
8 months into LCHF it seems so natural with no desire to eat more than 50 grams of carbs daily and no desire ever to be fueled by carbs ever again. It took me a couple months to get the hang of living mainly on fats and about six months to gain a good understanding through practice.
I like Low Carb High Fat because I can eat more calories because on LCHF many at rest will burn 300+ calories more than when sugar fueled for some reason.
I agree with the point that most people can not walk away from sugar until it clicks it is going to kill you. That was why I had to quit carbs cold turkey after trying to taper off of carbs for two months was a total failure. Facing real cancer risk if I started Enbrel injections for pain manage was what it took me to leave sugar. Now I wish I had done it 40 years ago before all of the damage occurred to my body.
LCHF is so awesome for my health and now I can get up and down without help and stay on the backhoe digging for 10 hours without stopping to eat since I have good energy and do not require food every several hours like when I was a sugar burner. I do make sure I drink a lot of water.
If one has health issues start Googling the subject along with your health issues to see the potential of LCHF in your personal case.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »it's pretty well known that when you cut carbs your glycogen stores are going to drop...essentially water. And yes, most people who eat the SAD could most definitely stand to moderate their carbohydrate intake and most could stand to make better choices in RE to what carbs they eat...but that's completely different than going on a low carb diet.
Ah I see where the confusion here is, I don't disagree on early carb reduction water weight loss. The confusion is my fault, I skimmed over the following comment from TeaBea:Low carb is quicker weight loss at the beginning....but that's basically water loss.
... because my eye was focussed on this:I need a lifestyle change because losing the weight is just HALF the battle. Keeping the weight off for a lifetime is hard work.
Rightly or wrongly I took TeaBea's comments as simply dismissing lower carb approaches as being a short term fix.
I consider lower carbs + better carbs as long term fix. Lower carbs is situational - my carb intake was off the charts a year ago, even if half of them might have been better carbs.most of my carbohydrate intake comes from legumes, lentils, steel cut oats, brown rice, potatoes and sweet potatoes, fruit, and veg...I'm by no means low carb...I don't have insulin sensitivities either.
Sounds like our mealtimes.
I don't know what other folks consider "low" carb, I'm just aiming for lower carb and most especially reducing to the point of elimination, most days, carbs from refined grains and refined sugars. I still get > 100g of carbohydrates daily; on a less active day probably I generally balance out to 30 - 35% calories from carbs but on active days where my intake is higher I don't scale carbs up proportionately. It just isn't necessary. Although sometimes it's tasty.
This lower/better carb approach hasn't impacted my running at all. 5km fast or 16km slower, I feel solid all the way through.0 -
Those food pyramids are just wrong.
This is the Nutrition Australia Healthy Eating Pyramid.
http://nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/healthy-eating-pyramid
This seems like a pretty weird one to me.0 -
Not really wanting to derail, and nothing against people who control their carb intake for health reasons. I do it myself.
However. I also have a disease in a similar family that Gale has and take a drug similar to Enbrel. Gale routinely overstates the cancer risk from Enbrel as one of his reasons for going low-carb, and while that's fine being HIS choice, I would not want it to dissuade any lurkers from making their own choice.
Here are the facts. The risk is a FRACTION of a percent. When I compare that to the relief I get from the drug I take? Well, risk/benefit analysis says it's worth taking. You can cut your carbs AND take the drug for optimal health and functioning. My body is doing things I never thought it would.
http://www.enbrel.com/RheumPro/malignancy-rates.jspx
I control my carb intake to manage the fatigue levels that come with psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia/CFS. Too many carbs and I'm fatigued and too few and I'm fatigued. Hope that kept my post on topic enough.-1 -
I am eating reduced carb (max of 180 g daily out of 2100 calories) to treat T2 diabetes. I have also found that I have plenty of energy, I am rarely hungry, and I haven't had the issues with hair falling out and crepey skin that I did when losing while eating higher carbs. I get more satisfied with higher protein and fat but YMMV.0
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Those food pyramids are just wrong.
This is the Nutrition Australia Healthy Eating Pyramid.
http://nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/healthy-eating-pyramid
This seems like a pretty weird one to me.
Looks like classic fat demonization still ruling the roost.
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Those food pyramids are just wrong.
This is the Nutrition Australia Healthy Eating Pyramid.
http://nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/healthy-eating-pyramid
where's the shrimp on the barbie and Fosters? I'm calling bull *kitten*.0
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