Low carb or Low calorie

jikijo wrote: »

I have been on the LCHF/ketogenic diet for 2 months. I have lost 21lbs. My blood sugar levels are so level I no longer take meds for diabetes. So essentially this diet cured my diabetes. And my obesity:) I feel great! I am not hungry. As long as you eat enough fat you will not have to be hungry. The low calorie/low fat diets always fail because people are starving!

I think myself and the large number of people who have lost weight calorie counting without starving ourselves would take exception to your last sentence.

Low carb is a fantastic tool for a lot of people, however the only reason you lost weight was due to reducing your calorie intake regardless of whether you were counting them or not.

I love low carb diets. I feel better and not always hungry. My doctor told me that now they are discovering that low carb is the way to go. I don't remember which heart institute came out with a study but I think it was John Hopkins that fat and cholesterol is not the cause of plaque build up and heart disease. Sugar is.

rabbitjb wrote: »

jikijo wrote: »

I have been on the LCHF/ketogenic diet for 2 months. I have lost 21lbs. My blood sugar levels are so level I no longer take meds for diabetes. So essentially this diet cured my diabetes. And my obesity:) I feel great! I am not hungry. As long as you eat enough fat you will not have to be hungry. The low calorie/low fat diets always fail because people are starving!

Losing weight improved your health markers not your specific way of hitting a calorie defecit

Although of course the evidence shows differential effects based on dietary composition and improvements in blood glucose way faster than can be explained by weight loss :



from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.516.4496&rep=rep1&type=pdf using calorie deficit with 20% carbohydrate intervention vs 60% in controls. Obese Swedish diabetics. Group followed up in other papers to 44 months.

I did lower carb for a while and yes lost weight, but than my weight lose stalled and I ended up gaining 10 lbs back. I switched up my food and now eat a high carb, low fat diet and keep my calories were they should be and in a few weeks I lost what I put back on and have been losing weight every week since. You don't need to eat low carb to lose weight. I also find since I did this, I no longer crave foods, like salt, chocolate, caffeine etc and I only eat when I am hungry and have no problem stopping when I am full.

bellabonbons wrote: »

I don't remember which heart institute came out with a study but I think it was John Hopkins that fat and cholesterol is not the cause of plaque build up and heart disease. Sugar is.

Sorry but this is absolute insanity...

allaboutthefood wrote: »

So whole natural foods are bad and dead flesh is good? I found this and it sounds like they are trying to find a new drug to help people with high cholesterol purge it out. If this article is for real? I will keep looking for this sugar causes cholesterol info. But I really don't think I will find it. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/johns_hopkins_scientists_alter_fat_metabolism_in_animals_to_prevent_most_common_type_of_heart_disease

Do vegans/vegetarians really think that calling meat "dead flesh" will scare omnivores into compliance? That's rather funny because the Afrikaans word for meat is the English equivalent of flesh

bellabonbons wrote: »

I love low carb diets. I feel better and not always hungry. My doctor told me that now they are discovering that low carb is the way to go. I don't remember which heart institute came out with a study but I think it was John Hopkins that fat and cholesterol is not the cause of plaque build up and heart disease. Sugar is.

I doubt that. Johns Hopkins (Johns please) continues to recommend changes in exercise, weight reduction and "dietary changes including reduced fat, cholesterol, and simple carbohydrates (such as sweets), and increased amounts of fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, and lean meats."

High blood glucose can cause vascular damage over time - but it isn't the cause of plaque build up. It's a multifactorial event - the best thing you can do against it is ... exercise and weight loss. Dietary factors are secondary to that.

Sarahb29 wrote: »

Give your diet a chance, 3 weeks isn't a lot of time to notice much. If you continue to struggle then yeah try something else but keep in mind low carb does not mean you don't have to count calories, you still do. The difference is you're eating more fats and protein instead of carbs, and it's meant to keep you fuller for longer.

Do whichever works best!

Would like the point out, that the items with the highest satiety ratings are protein and fiber. And in some cases starches. Personally, fats do not fill me up.

sunniguy wrote: »

I'm on a high fat, low carb diet and I'm losing weight. In fact, I can eat ~2500 calories a day (from fat and protein) and I still lose weight.

Interesting enough, so do I and I follow fairly high carb.. but one's calorie range to lose weight, is mainly based on their body composition and activity level. And if you are looking at the thermal effect of food, fat is the lowest energy as it roughly burns 2-3%, carbs are 5-6% and protein is 20-25%.


In the end, none of this matters if the OP can't stick with a diet. Dietary adherence is the MOST important factor in a sustainable diet. It honestly doesn't matter what the science says, if you cannot stick with it.


OP, you can give it a try for a few months. But before you start, make sure you understand the requirements for increased sodium to help balance electrolytes and help offset some of the flu symptoms, and understand the balance between fats and carbs.

Personally, i struggle without carbs, but many people do very well with it.

Wow this looks like diet MMA...everyone has an opinion of what works and what doesn't, because what works for one may not work for the other..I tried vegan..felt weak..I tried lo fat. felt weak..i do lo carb..ATKINS..have lost 100 pounds look better and feel better than I ever have. i do NOT have high cholesterol or BP btw..but that's just what worked for me..Losing weight it trial and error but..in the end..it is simple..Calories in calories out keep the ones coming in lower than going out and you'll lose whether you sit down to a steak a bar of tofu or bowl of cocoa puffs. Whatever you chose to do..HAS TO BE MADE A WAY OF LIFE..not a quick fix diet or you will regain on ANY Way of Eating.