LCHF? What's it for?
4righteousnesssake
Posts: 276 Member
What exactly is the point of low carbs high fat? What is it supposed to accomplish?
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Replies
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Some people find it satisfying/satiating to eat that way. Just another WoE.0
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BecomingBane wrote: »Some people find it satisfying/satiating to eat that way. Just another WoE.
So it doesn't really have a supposed affect in weight-loss/muscle-growth?0 -
Better blood glucose control. No more spikes or lows.
LCHF is a fairly good muscle sparing diet but that it as far as I know. If anything, letting glucose be high and raising insulin might help with muscle growth. Then again, GH can increase with LCHF or fasting....
Those with insulin resistance tend to lose weight better if they eat LCHF and cut calories rather than just cutting calories.
Some find the diet reduces inflammation.
It can help some people but not everyone needs it.0 -
No. But some people find it an easy way to stay under calories.4righteousnesssake wrote: »BecomingBane wrote: »Some people find it satisfying/satiating to eat that way. Just another WoE.
So it doesn't really have a supposed affect in weight-loss/muscle-growth?
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4righteousnesssake wrote: »What exactly is the point of low carbs high fat? What is it supposed to accomplish?
Weight/fat loss
Reduced blood glucose & insulin
Improved liver function
Improved Trig/HDL ratio
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4righteousnesssake wrote: »BecomingBane wrote: »Some people find it satisfying/satiating to eat that way. Just another WoE.
So it doesn't really have a supposed affect in weight-loss/muscle-growth?
I'll give you my experience on it:
You DO get an initial weight drop, but it's all water weight retained when eating a diet rich in carbs. I dropped almost 13lbs in three days of just water weight.
I have experienced better sleep. Deeper sleep and I rarely wake in the night anymore.
I don't really get hungry through the day anymore. I eat whenever is convenient because I know I have to eat.
Morning aches and pains have pretty much subsided and disappeared.
As far as muscle growth goes, no. It won't help any better than any other nutrient rich diet. Weight loss is the same deal. It can help with controlling your eating habits, as it has for me, but I'm sure that's dependent on the person.
Many people on a LCHF diet strive to maintain their body in a state of ketosis where the energy being created is derived from fats instead of sugars. This has been beneficial for me when I do a fast. As I said, I don't really get hungry, yet I've got plenty of energy.
There have also been reported benefits for some such as the elimination of IBS in those that suffer from it and various other benefits, but this, again, is dependent on the individual.
The diet is not for everyone and not everyone will experience the same benefits from it. Just like any diet, it's whatever works for you. Right now, I enjoy eating like this and I enjoy the benefits. I probably won't eat a straight keto diet forever, but it's definitely had its up sides for me.
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For us, it is because certain foods cause inflammation. Maybe it doesn't cause inflammation in everyone, but if you are already prone, it does. My husband fell very ill, and to make a long story short, multiple doctors later they don't know what is causing it and ruled it an inflammatory disease. Doctors told him to cut out things like sugar, dairy, white breads/potatoes, grains, etc. He lost 21 pounds in the first week. Again, he is very sick, so part of the loss is the sick. But he drank low fat milk the other morning feeling a little better, and regretted it for several days. It affects his breathing significantly because he is so congested and inflamed. I am well and losing much slower at a rate of 5 lbs last week, but it does really help with cravings. I cannot say I have craved much sugar. The days I do have a craving I make avocado mousse. But I think the higher fat really satiates better . But ultimately, I would have lost 5 lbs the first week on a low fat diet, too, so it doesn't really accelerate weight loss. Whatever works for you and your lifestyle would probably be the way to go. For me, if I eat say a slice of bread, or a bowl of oatmeal, I seem to crave more the rest of the day. I REALLY love my breads. It is easier for me to just cut them out than to dwell on wanting them all the time.0
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Better health, especially as you age and your pancreas gets tired. More fat burned.0
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drwilseyjr wrote: »
Very true. There are a subset of people who don't see improvements in total cholesterol or triglycerides while on fat based diets. Some see how decreases in exercise performance and energy. But for some, it is an avenue for success.
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For me, it helps keep me fuller longer. Most of the time I eat dinner and then am not hungry until lunch the next day. It limits my cravings and snacking for me is essentially non-existent. I sleep better. I have more energy.0
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As I'm getting older, I like high carb foods such as lentils, oatmeal, beans, barley, quinoa, sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc. = Losing weight on them.0
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Better health, especially as you age and your pancreas gets tired. More fat burned.
Can you please provide me with information on how it would result in better overall health than eating a well balanced diet that is rich in whole food nutrition?
I constantly see this kind of fear mongering from you folks...that carbs are a detriment to our health...and never really see anything to back that up.
So please inform me as to how my oats, brown rice, quinoa, whole grain breads, legumes, lentils, etc are going to turn me into some kind of disease ridden person.
OP...some people just find it easier to eat this way to lose/maintain weight...just as I find it easier to just eat a well rounded, balanced diet that is rich in whole food nutrition...I don't log, so my WOE is how I keep things in order...that's it.
Also, if you have seizures LCHF would be highly beneficial.0 -
LCHF is one of the best diets for anyone who is diabetic, pre-diabetic or insulin resistant. Carbs turn into glucose in the body, glucose is basically poison to the above mentioned individuals, your body struggles to pull nutrition from it, and when it can't, it lets it float around in your blood or stores it as body fat. When your doctor prescribes you insulin or metformin (or any of the other medications) to counteract this, they are adding more poison to your body and only trying to counteract the damage you are doing by your way of eating. It's so irresponsible, when simple nutrition modification can have better results. When you follow a low carb diet, your body produces ketones to use as energy, and converts protein into the glucose needed by your brain (the only organ which needs glucose_ all other organs and body functions can run on fat).
Many people do not suffer one of the above issues, and they freely eat carbs at any level with no ill side effects. And still some of the non-afflicted follow LCHF nutrition because they feel better on it.
How do you know what category you fall into? Trial and error. Blood glucose monitoring. Food journaling. It's unique for each person, but worth exploring. Especially if you suffer from a metabolic disorder.0 -
So a person with diabetes should not be eating the way I do?
Lentils, oatmeal, beans, barley?
I just ate a sweet potato black bean chili. With 53 grams of carbs. 300 calories.
No oil/fat added. This is something a person with diabetes cannot eat?
Curious as can be. Would it be bad for them? Protein, serious fiber, lots of magnesium.
* I'm not anti-fat. I eat avocados and almonds. Again, just curious.
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JanetYellen wrote: »So a person with diabetes should not be eating the way I do?
Lentils, oatmeal, beans, barley?
I just ate a sweet potato black bean chili. With 53 grams of carbs. 300 calories.
No oil/fat added. This is something a person with diabetes cannot eat?
Curious as can be. Would it be bad for them? Protein, serious fiber, lots of magnesium.
* I'm not anti-fat. I eat avocados and almonds. Again, just curious.
The key is not to take advice from people that do not have a degree in Nutrition.
And your lunch sounds great and would be perfect for a diabetic.0 -
LCHF is one of the best diets for anyone who is diabetic, pre-diabetic or insulin resistant. Carbs turn into glucose in the body, glucose is basically poison to the above mentioned individuals, your body struggles to pull nutrition from it, and when it can't, it lets it float around in your blood or stores it as body fat. When your doctor prescribes you insulin or metformin (or any of the other medications) to counteract this, they are adding more poison to your body and only trying to counteract the damage you are doing by your way of eating. It's so irresponsible, when simple nutrition modification can have better results. When you follow a low carb diet, your body produces ketones to use as energy, and converts protein into the glucose needed by your brain (the only organ which needs glucose_ all other organs and body functions can run on fat).
Many people do not suffer one of the above issues, and they freely eat carbs at any level with no ill side effects. And still some of the non-afflicted follow LCHF nutrition because they feel better on it.
How do you know what category you fall into? Trial and error. Blood glucose monitoring. Food journaling. It's unique for each person, but worth exploring. Especially if you suffer from a metabolic disorder.
How does LCHF affect energy levels and brain fogging? I know quite a few cases of people being low on carbs and super energy depleted and having brain fog issues. Does upping the fat counteract/help with that?0 -
Thanks, all, for your various inputs and experiences.
What about your energy levels on low carbs? And brain fogging?0 -
I find if I accidentally eat low carb I get a headache and feel lethargic. I also find if I don't have a decent serving of carbs with a meal I just don't feel satisfied and keep looking for more food. And bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, etc make me happy
. I am 43, a healthy weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Different strokes... 0 -
4righteousnesssake wrote: »LCHF is one of the best diets for anyone who is diabetic, pre-diabetic or insulin resistant. Carbs turn into glucose in the body, glucose is basically poison to the above mentioned individuals, your body struggles to pull nutrition from it, and when it can't, it lets it float around in your blood or stores it as body fat. When your doctor prescribes you insulin or metformin (or any of the other medications) to counteract this, they are adding more poison to your body and only trying to counteract the damage you are doing by your way of eating. It's so irresponsible, when simple nutrition modification can have better results. When you follow a low carb diet, your body produces ketones to use as energy, and converts protein into the glucose needed by your brain (the only organ which needs glucose_ all other organs and body functions can run on fat).
Many people do not suffer one of the above issues, and they freely eat carbs at any level with no ill side effects. And still some of the non-afflicted follow LCHF nutrition because they feel better on it.
How do you know what category you fall into? Trial and error. Blood glucose monitoring. Food journaling. It's unique for each person, but worth exploring. Especially if you suffer from a metabolic disorder.
How does LCHF affect energy levels and brain fogging? I know quite a few cases of people being low on carbs and super energy depleted and having brain fog issues. Does upping the fat counteract/help with that?
Again, a LCHF diet does not jive with some people. There are reports from some people on a keto/LFHC diet of better mental clarity, but it doesn't happen with everyone.
There are many studies out there on the effects of ketones on the brain. I'll leave a link that discusses some of it. Ketogenic diets have been used to regulate symptoms of neurological diseases for years. If I remember correctly, it was shown to reduce seizures by some 50% in epileptic children.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209323/#!po=0.6944440 -
4righteousnesssake wrote: »Thanks, all, for your various inputs and experiences.
What about your energy levels on low carbs? And brain fogging?
In my experience, my energy level has become more constant throughout the day regardless of when or how much I eat. I do not have ups and downs. Mental clarity has remained the same if not, slightly improved.0 -
4righteousnesssake wrote: »Thanks, all, for your various inputs and experiences.
What about your energy levels on low carbs? And brain fogging?
It will really depend on the person and how the respond to little carbs. I know many who do well with fat and many othera who dont. I am the latter.0 -
I first got acquainted with the LCHF diet when I read 'Always Hungry' by David Ludwig, MD, PhD. (He is a Professor of Nutrition at Harvard, among other things) I certainly can't summarize his entire book, but it was convincing enough for me to give it a 2-week try, assuming I could make 2-weeks. It did look hard, but it really wasn't. That was over 3-months ago and I am still on it, really like it a lot. I was already doing the no refined sugar part (had been for 4 months), but in this phase I upped my fats and removed wheat and grains too just to see how it made me feel.
LCHF works amazingly well for my husband and I now. Although I do it while in ketosis, my husband is not in ketosis. I feel both of us have benefited greatly from this plan, and my husbands chronic IBS is finally GONE (err...remission?), which has been nothing less than a medical oddity with years of doctor after doctor trying to convince him they cant find anything wrong, ergo it was just psychosomatic mumbo-jumbo in his head. Or worse, they gave him drugs and drugs and more drugs. Turns out he had a wheat allergy all along, so that is gone from our diets completely now. I have since read quite a few other books and resources on the topic, and I am more and more convinced that sugars and grains do not add the health benefits our governments would like us to believe, especially at the recommended amounts of 6-11 servings per day.
But as many has stated, it is not for everyone. Not everyone has sensitivities to grains and sugars, but many do. Others have simply no interest in this WOE, which is totally cool. I am long past the point where I need to read 'proof of concept' anymore. I can check a lot of boxes on how much better I feel, how much I enjoy not having uncontrollable hunger pangs and blood-sugar swings...etc.0 -
4righteousnesssake wrote: »Thanks, all, for your various inputs and experiences.
What about your energy levels on low carbs? And brain fogging?
I went into ketosis, which can be a harder transition and tougher on energy and brain fogging then just doing LCHF. My husband (who is LCHF but didn't do keto) never complained at all about it. The transition didn't phase him in that regards, in fact I think he saw an immediate gain in energy and clarity because of his wheat related issues now being addressed. For me going into keto the first few weeks were not so great, and had some mega headaches. But I stuck it out, I wanted to see first hand if the benefits were real or not. Since then it's great - better than I expected. I jog in the morning, walk 3-5 miles per day, and stay more active throughout the day. Heck, my house is a lot cleaner now! I don't put off cleaning like I used too.
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drwilseyjr wrote: »4righteousnesssake wrote: »Thanks, all, for your various inputs and experiences.
What about your energy levels on low carbs? And brain fogging?
In my experience, my energy level has become more constant throughout the day regardless of when or how much I eat. I do not have ups and downs. Mental clarity has remained the same if not, slightly improved.
Completely agree. No fog, balanced energy all day and I'm never hungry.0 -
KarlynKeto wrote: »4righteousnesssake wrote: »Thanks, all, for your various inputs and experiences.
What about your energy levels on low carbs? And brain fogging?
I went into ketosis, which can be a harder transition and tougher on energy and brain fogging then just doing LCHF. My husband (who is LCHF but didn't do keto) never complained at all about it. The transition didn't phase him in that regards, in fact I think he saw an immediate gain in energy and clarity because of his wheat related issues now being addressed. For me going into keto the first few weeks were not so great, and had some mega headaches. But I stuck it out, I wanted to see first hand if the benefits were real or not. Since then it's great - better than I expected. I jog in the morning, walk 3-5 miles per day, and stay more active throughout the day. Heck, my house is a lot cleaner now! I don't put off cleaning like I used too.
All of that except that my house isn't cleaner.0 -
JanetYellen wrote: »So a person with diabetes should not be eating the way I do?
Lentils, oatmeal, beans, barley?
I just ate a sweet potato black bean chili. With 53 grams of carbs. 300 calories.
No oil/fat added. This is something a person with diabetes cannot eat?
Curious as can be. Would it be bad for them?
Depends on their body's response to it, if it quadrupled their blood sugar levels and it took 4 hours to come down then it wouldn't be doing them any favours.
If their pancreas and/or pharmaceuticals kept the rise low and brought it back down in a couple of hours then it wouldn't be an issue.
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4righteousnesssake wrote: »What exactly is the point of low carbs high fat? What is it supposed to accomplish?
It is one of many tactics/tools people use for fat loss. Works for some and not for others.
Also, sometimes for medical reasons...0 -
Great post!drwilseyjr wrote: »4righteousnesssake wrote: »BecomingBane wrote: »Some people find it satisfying/satiating to eat that way. Just another WoE.
So it doesn't really have a supposed affect in weight-loss/muscle-growth?
I'll give you my experience on it:
You DO get an initial weight drop, but it's all water weight retained when eating a diet rich in carbs. I dropped almost 13lbs in three days of just water weight.
I have experienced better sleep. Deeper sleep and I rarely wake in the night anymore.
I don't really get hungry through the day anymore. I eat whenever is convenient because I know I have to eat.
Morning aches and pains have pretty much subsided and disappeared.
As far as muscle growth goes, no. It won't help any better than any other nutrient rich diet. Weight loss is the same deal. It can help with controlling your eating habits, as it has for me, but I'm sure that's dependent on the person.
Many people on a LCHF diet strive to maintain their body in a state of ketosis where the energy being created is derived from fats instead of sugars. This has been beneficial for me when I do a fast. As I said, I don't really get hungry, yet I've got plenty of energy.
There have also been reported benefits for some such as the elimination of IBS in those that suffer from it and various other benefits, but this, again, is dependent on the individual.
The diet is not for everyone and not everyone will experience the same benefits from it. Just like any diet, it's whatever works for you. Right now, I enjoy eating like this and I enjoy the benefits. I probably won't eat a straight keto diet forever, but it's definitely had its up sides for me.
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