Low Carb Diet

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msech
msech Posts: 32
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anybody done a low carb diet?? I have a family member who is doing a low carb diet and she has lost 12lbs in a week but I am not sure what low card diet she is doing. I am thinking about doing this but I am not exactly sure what I should be doing. Anybody have any ideas??

Replies

  • pisces271
    pisces271 Posts: 58 Member
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    I did Atkins awhile back - really got into it too - I lost alot of weight... and it came off pretty easy but sadly if you don't stick with it and the maintance phase it comes back even easier... it was probly the easiest to follow
  • MarieNevada
    MarieNevada Posts: 395 Member
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    the 12 lbs is water. i have done low carb and let me tell you, it's not something you can keep up for the rest of your life.studies have shown that initially the weight loss might be a little bit greater but over time (ie 1 yr) weight loss evens out and it ends up being about the same as a calorie controlled diet. It's much better to eat healthy across all food groups, complex carbs included. AVoid processed foods and white foods ie potatoes, white rice, white bread, white pasta, and most of all sugar. Adopt a life style you can sustain for the rest of your life, add exercise, watch your calories, keep your fat calories to about 20 to 25% of your total calories, make sure they are healthy fat calories and you will burn fat. Also every time you go off a low carb diet, if you try to go back on, it gets harder and harder to lose weight. Don't mess with your metabolism. Everything in moderation is still the best way to go. Take in less calories, expend more calories and you will lose weight.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    I follow the Primal Blueprint, which tends to be lower carb. Feel free to check out my diary. Warning: Yesterday was a baaaaad example.
  • msech
    msech Posts: 32
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    So just sticking with the low calorie diet I am doing now and losing the weight slowly instead of switching and losing it faster would benefit in the long run b/c I should be able to keep it off easier?
  • msech
    msech Posts: 32
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    So just sticking with the low calorie diet I am doing now and losing the weight slowly instead of switching and losing it faster would benefit in the long run b/c I should be able to keep it off easier?
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    When you go low carb, the first week you lose a ton. as someone else said, you're likely to gain it back. Unless you choose low carb for life.
  • msjenkalvoda
    msjenkalvoda Posts: 7 Member
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    I used the South Beach Diet in the past. I had really good luck with losing 35 lbs in 3 months. And that was with minimal exercise. I had wanted to take a bunch of weight off before I got into working out. It is, however, a very permanent lifestyle change. I went back to regular eating habits and gained all of the weight I had lost back and then some. I would NOT recommend a low-carb diet to anyone who is not looking to change their eating habits forever. It makes eating somewhere impossible, you always lack for snacks, and it just plain gets boring.

    Portion control and exercise is my new venture. I think it is healthier to think of habits to change rather than cutting out food groups altogether. Good luck in whatever you choose, I hope you find something that works for you.

    Jen
  • daynalee30
    daynalee30 Posts: 45
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    Hi there. I'm currently going "low carb" and I've used it to move from my 2 month plateau which has worked quite well. I know you can lose a lot of weight quite quickly if you keep your daily intake of carbs under 50g. But I myself am trying to go at a more consistent pace and without completely depriving my body of carbs. While eliminating breads, rice, and potato - I find I am comfortable just under 100g of carbs a day to lose 1-2 pounds a week with exercise. With this diet, you can eat a lot more fat and protein because when you do workout, that is what your body will work off first. So I will eat bacon and eggs quite often and be less strict with my meat portions.

    If you don't want to stick with a strict low carb diet, I would just make an effort to keep your carbs under 100g or 75g depending on your comfort level with the diet and the rate in which you want to lose weight. There is great information and recipes at http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/ to give yourself some variety.

    Good luck!
  • NoExcuseTina
    NoExcuseTina Posts: 506 Member
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    I eat lower carb...typically I try to keep my NET CARBS under 100 per day (sometimes I go over)...it is sustainable...I try to eat whole, unprocessed foods (which is along the Paleo philosophy) most of the time...lots of meat, lots of veggies...and I feel better when I do this 80+% of the time!
  • cheesesandwich
    cheesesandwich Posts: 79 Member
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    Obviously if you treat a an extremely low carb diet as a temporary change in diet and then go back to eating the way you always have, you'll gain weight back. That's true for ANY temporary change, not just for cutting carbs. Jesus christ.

    In any case, since I've started keeping a more watchful eye on my net carbs and lowered them a bit, I've managed to get past a frustrating plateau and lost several inches from my waist and hips. I've also stopped craving baked treats as much as I once did - I used to be one of those people who was quite capable of devouring several servings of bread or baked goods and coming away still hungry, but no more!
  • TK421NotAtPost
    TK421NotAtPost Posts: 512 Member
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    Low carb diet? Never heard of it... hehe, just kidding.

    If you feel that you are sensitive to carbs, then keeping your carb consumption under control (and setting your protein levels up) might not be a bad idea.
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
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    Hi,

    Please take a look at this video and you can make a comparison of the various diets compared by the authors by them! (that part comes in the end)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRgMM-OMnz0&feature=share

    You can read the article here:

    http://www.drmcdougall.com/med_hot_protein_diets.html
  • bassettpig
    bassettpig Posts: 79 Member
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    I follow the Primal Blueprint, which tends to be lower carb. Feel free to check out my diary. Warning: Yesterday was a baaaaad example.

    I lost weight several years ago on a "normal" but calorie restricted diet but since then have been slowly gaining it back in spite of training for and running 2 marathons a year after the weight loss, which did take place over about a 4-year period. I have been trying the same approach to lose again over the past maybe 2 years as I used back then and it simply isn't working this time around. I am also 51 now, so some new issues to deal with.

    I have been muddling about with Primal for several months and finally this week decided to get serious and actually follow the principles somewhat strictly. This is almost diametrically opposed to how I used to eat, being borderline vegetarian for much of my life. We'll see how this goes. I can say for sure that I feel less bloated after a few days.

    If you care to read up on Primal and/or Paleo ways of eating, the info is readily available online and at your local library too.
  • LikeNoOneElse84
    LikeNoOneElse84 Posts: 475 Member
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    I'm doing Atkins and have lost over 30lbs since March 1st. It works if you do right by it. You can't go low carb, lose the weight, and then go back to your old eating habits and expect the weight to stay off. Keep up with whole grains, fruit, veggies, and lean meats and I'm sure you will be fine. My mom did Atkins over 10 years ago, lost about 100lbs and has kept it off (give or take 10lbs). She has changed her eating habits. Yes, she does indulge in a slice of pizza or ice cream on occasion but its not an everyday thing and she doesn't go over board when she does eat it.
  • bluebird321
    bluebird321 Posts: 733 Member
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    Hi,

    Althought I agree with a lot of the basic concepts, I did some research and decided Atkins was not for me (my opinion). Instead, I decided to follow the primal/paleo type of diet and it seems to work for me since it mostly eliminates processed food, gluten sources, bad carbs and sugars from the diet.

    Please take a look at this video:

    I will say that Atkins does work for a lot of people.

    Presentation at Stanford University by Chris Gardner PhD who has been a vegetarian for 25 years.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eREuZEdMAVo

    He did a study comprised of four different diets, including Atkins. Atkins did come out on top.

    Do a lot of your own research -- everyone is different.
  • TK421NotAtPost
    TK421NotAtPost Posts: 512 Member
    Options
    Hi,

    Please take a look at this video and you can make a comparison of the various diets compared by the authors by them! (that part comes in the end)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRgMM-OMnz0&feature=share

    You can read the article here:

    http://www.drmcdougall.com/med_hot_protein_diets.html

    I like how Dr. McDougal talks down the entire insulin control quackery that seems to have infested so many of today's fad diets. But honestly speaking, he really isn't the most unbiased source. You know much more about him than I do...so I'm sure you understand his background and how he decided to become vegan. Once a person makes the decision to go vegan, the entire paradigm within which you view protein consumption is shifted. And so of course he is going to villify meats....the same way some low carbers villify carbs. My only point is...'Dogma sucks!" :smile:
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
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    the 12 lbs is water. i have done low carb and let me tell you, it's not something you can keep up for the rest of your life.studies have shown that initially the weight loss might be a little bit greater but over time (ie 1 yr) weight loss evens out and it ends up being about the same as a calorie controlled diet. It's much better to eat healthy across all food groups, complex carbs included. AVoid processed foods and white foods ie potatoes, white rice, white bread, white pasta, and most of all sugar. Adopt a life style you can sustain for the rest of your life, add exercise, watch your calories, keep your fat calories to about 20 to 25% of your total calories, make sure they are healthy fat calories and you will burn fat. Also every time you go off a low carb diet, if you try to go back on, it gets harder and harder to lose weight. Don't mess with your metabolism. Everything in moderation is still the best way to go. Take in less calories, expend more calories and you will lose weight.

    Exactly! Although there are certain medical conditions where a low carb diet is desirable, for the majority of us, it's no more effective than a well-balance, calorie controlled diet. AND it's very hard to maintain.
  • TK421NotAtPost
    TK421NotAtPost Posts: 512 Member
    Options
    I will say that Atkins does work for a lot of people.

    Presentation at Stanford University by Chris Gardner PhD who has been a vegetarian for 25 years.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eREuZEdMAVo

    He did a study comprised of four different diets, including Atkins. Atkins did come out on top.

    Do a lot of your own research -- everyone is different.

    Atkins or low carb does work for some people, I agree....but in that Stanford study, calories weren't controlled. In studies where calories ARE controlled, ketogenic low carb diets show no metabolic advantage over other moderate carb eating plans, provided your baseline protein levels are sufficient. :wink:

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