Low Carb? Totally Confused!

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shilohron
shilohron Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started doing the low-carb thing but now am reading that is is unhealthy.
I am eating an average of 120 calories a day with about 25 g of carbs. Now I don't know what to believe.

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  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited September 2016
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    shilohron wrote: »
    I started doing the low-carb thing but now am reading that is is unhealthy.
    I am eating an average of 120 calories a day with about 25 g of carbs. Now I don't know what to believe.

    I hope you mean 1200 calories a day (but 1500 calories is default minimum for men) ..... (carbs are 4 calories ea. x 25 = 100).

    Unless you have medical issues with regards to carbs, there is no need to do a low carb diet. Plenty of people lose weight eating moderate or even high carb.

    Weight loss is about calories. Reducing your calories. Elimination diets are one way to reduce calories, moderating portions is another.

    Do you plan on using low carb as part of your maintenance plan? Because losing weight is just step 1. Keeping the weight off is step 2. A HUGE number of people have trouble here. Find some things that you can moderate forever, or figure out a new strategy when you get to goal. For me, I'd rather not start over.

    Here are a couple great newbie threads.........

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1
  • illgetbetter
    illgetbetter Posts: 3 Member
    edited September 2016
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    I'm doing the low carb diet, as well. I'm trying to keep to 60-80 carbs a day while keeping up to at least 800 calories a day. By next week hopefully, I'll increase to 1,000 calories, to 1,200 calories while keeping to 60-80 carb range and just make healthier choices. Mayo clinic recommends that a low carb is 60-100 carbs and that the 30 carb one that some weight loss programs want aren't healthy. Low calorie is a definite thing for weight loss, so try balancing it out. Eat more and stay around a healthy low-carb range instead of one that is extremely low.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    shilohron wrote: »
    I started doing the low-carb thing but now am reading that is is unhealthy.
    I am eating an average of 120 calories a day with about 25 g of carbs. Now I don't know what to believe.

    In what way have you heard it's unhealthy? Also, if you're only eating 120 calories per day...well, you have bigger fish to fry than low carb being healthy or not healthy...

    Low carb is pretty unhealthy for me, particularly keto as I have higher levels of uric acid in my blood and am susceptible to gout...low carb and keto in particular would just up those levels and cause problems and likely chronic gout.

    I follow a lower purine diet (I don't worry about plant purines...they don't bother me) which means I eat higher carb...things like oats, legumes, lentils, potatoes, and sweet potatoes are among the staples of my diet among other assorted fruits and veg. I eat meat 3-4 days per week, but only for one meal which is usually dinner and we have salmon, cod, or halibut more often than not.

    There is nothing inherently wrong with carbs and if you note my short list above, there are many (that's only a few) nutritionally sound sources of carbohydrates. Going low carb is simply one of many ways of achieving an energy deficiency...you're practically cutting out an entire macro so in most cases that is going to result in a calorie deficiency. Some people do well with this, others do not...I would be one of those others that do not.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    illgetbetter wrote: »
    I'm doing the low carb diet, as well. I'm trying to keep to 60-80 carbs a day while keeping up to at least 800 calories a day. By next week hopefully, I'll increase to 1,000 calories, to 1,200 calories while keeping to 60-80 carb range and just make healthier choices. Mayo clinic recommends that a low carb is 60-100 carbs and that the 30 carb one that some weight loss programs want aren't healthy. Low calorie is a definite thing for weight loss, so try balancing it out. Eat more and stay around a healthy low-carb range instead of one that is extremely low.

    . . . are you, do you mean to say you're eating 800 calories a day? or is this a typo or did you mean as a percentage of 800 of my calories or something....????
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    CoffeeNCardio wrote: »
    illgetbetter wrote: »
    I'm doing the low carb diet, as well. I'm trying to keep to 60-80 carbs a day while keeping up to at least 800 calories a day. By next week hopefully, I'll increase to 1,000 calories, to 1,200 calories while keeping to 60-80 carb range and just make healthier choices. Mayo clinic recommends that a low carb is 60-100 carbs and that the 30 carb one that some weight loss programs want aren't healthy. Low calorie is a definite thing for weight loss, so try balancing it out. Eat more and stay around a healthy low-carb range instead of one that is extremely low.

    . . . are you, do you mean to say you're eating 800 calories a day? or is this a typo or did you mean as a percentage of 800 of my calories or something....????

    This confused me as well. 800 calories is scary low........
  • MamaGraff
    MamaGraff Posts: 39 Member
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    I just started back on low carb. A few years ago I lost lots of weight doing this. I started back yesterday because in the past three years, I have gained between 10-12 pounds. I eat around 20g of carbs a day. I also take multi-vitamins, potassium, omega pills and calcium magnesium. Once you get your body into ketosis, you will feel amazing! This could take about three days.
    You will sleep better, have more energy and you will lose quickly.
    With me saying this, low carb isnt for everyone. I am not a big fruit eater so eggs, salads and veggies are a good thing for me. After a few days of your body adjusting, you wont even be hungry.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    shilohron wrote: »
    I started doing the low-carb thing but now am reading that is is unhealthy.
    I am eating an average of 120 calories a day with about 25 g of carbs. Now I don't know what to believe.

    Low carb high fat can be healthier for some people than a "balanced" diet is. It depends on the individual, their health (insulin resistance) and genetics (like those few who find fat raises their risk of CAD).

    Like any diet, LCHF or keto is as healthy as you make it. Someone living off pork rinds and bacon may not eb as healthy as one who eats a higher quality of food. I've eaten around 25g of carbs per day for a year and a half and it improved my health quite a bit. A typical day includes meats, full fat dairy like cheese or whipped cream, veggies (like a big salad, broccoli casserole, nuts, and raw veggies with a dip), and eggs, with the occasional fruit and root vegetable.

    I'm of the opinion that grains and sugar are not great for most people's health though. Neutral foods at best. I'm biased. ;) Many would disagree with me and say grains and sugars contribute to their health. I know I am not one of those.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    25 grams of carbs is 120 calories, so when the OP says 120 calories I think they are refering only to carb intake in a day not their total intake which they don't specify.

    OP I hope you enjoy being dizzy because I think eating that few carbs crashes in blood sugar are going to be hard to avoid.

    There is no reason to go to such extremes, so why do it?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    25 grams of carbs is 120 calories, so when the OP says 120 calories I think they are refering only to carb intake in a day not their total intake which they don't specify.

    OP I hope you enjoy being dizzy because I think eating that few carbs crashes in blood sugar are going to be hard to avoid.

    There is no reason to go to such extremes, so why do it?

    Actually, I can think of one reason...seizures...but likely isn't an issue for the OP.
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
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    Low carb is not unhealthy if it is done right. Some people think they can safely go NO carb which is absolutely a terrible thing to try. staying within 100-150 g of carbs a day is good. It's low but not too low. I find that I can easily maintain this level of carbohydrates. This is the range where I feel the best. I am not sleepy in the day time now as I used to be, the bags under my eyes are gone, I had a red area on my cheeks that has also gone away among other pleasant results. At this range of carbohydrates you can still have certain treats if you like. Cookies or ice cream, maybe pizza do fit within the 100-150 g range. I don't eat much of these simple carbs unless it's a female thing these days. My cravings have diminished considerably.

    If you cut your carbs to an extremely low range you will likely feel like garbage for a good while. Also it's hard to maintain an extreme low. If you want to do a very low carb day or two, say 50 g or less mixed with a few 100 g days and 125-150 g days you may like it better. Since you get the very low to the moderate in there which means more freedom on some days.

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    25 grams of carbs is 120 calories, so when the OP says 120 calories I think they are refering only to carb intake in a day not their total intake which they don't specify.

    OP I hope you enjoy being dizzy because I think eating that few carbs crashes in blood sugar are going to be hard to avoid.

    There is no reason to go to such extremes, so why do it?

    Quite the contrary. When people go low enough in carbs they start to make ketones which is used for the primary fuel source. No more swings in blood sugar.

    I used to have reactive hypoglycemia with visible shaking and even fainting if I didn't eat every 2-3 hours. Now that I am very low carb, that never happens anymore.
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
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    nvmomketo wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    25 grams of carbs is 120 calories, so when the OP says 120 calories I think they are refering only to carb intake in a day not their total intake which they don't specify.

    OP I hope you enjoy being dizzy because I think eating that few carbs crashes in blood sugar are going to be hard to avoid.

    There is no reason to go to such extremes, so why do it?

    Quite the contrary. When people go low enough in carbs they start to make ketones which is used for the primary fuel source. No more swings in blood sugar.

    I used to have reactive hypoglycemia with visible shaking and even fainting if I didn't eat every 2-3 hours. Now that I am very low carb, that never happens anymore.

    Also the transitional hypoglycemia can be avoided by doing a slower transition into the keto range by lowering carbs at a 5 -10 g a week.
  • Aquawave
    Aquawave Posts: 260 Member
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    For more info, try visiting dietdoctor.com, learn the facts and decide for yourself.

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