Low Carbers - How "low" do you mean?
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can111
Posts: 63 Member
I've joined this group because I am interested in eliminating white sugar and white flour from my life. Now I've browsed through some posts and am astounded by the low carb goal that some of you reach for.
I've looked at my 2 recent days, which i consider great successes for me (no sugar/no flour)
Monday: overnight oats, banana, hamburger patty, cauliflower, 1/2 potato, brown rice, hawaiian chicken, bell pepper, hummus. 84 g protein, 178 carb, 1288 cal
Tuesday: overnight oats, raw spinach, tuna, medium avocado, olive oil, zoodles, spaghetti sauce, ground beef, mozzarella, milk, bell pepper, hummus. 76 protein, 118 carb, 1368 cal
Just wanting information from you ... Do you mainly eat meat and vegetables? Aren't you missing out on some nutrition? Looking at my 2 days, which you probably view as high carb, what else would you eliminate and why.
I'm pretty sure my overnight oats would not make your cut, but I love them. This is 50 carbs. I make them the night before, there are various recipes, but mine is oats, almond milk, 1/2 banana, cinnamon, chia seeds, almonds. I like that I can make the night before and i just grab and go. (eat cold).
What are the benefits of low carb vs. no sugar/no flour.
Have a great day everyone!
I've looked at my 2 recent days, which i consider great successes for me (no sugar/no flour)
Monday: overnight oats, banana, hamburger patty, cauliflower, 1/2 potato, brown rice, hawaiian chicken, bell pepper, hummus. 84 g protein, 178 carb, 1288 cal
Tuesday: overnight oats, raw spinach, tuna, medium avocado, olive oil, zoodles, spaghetti sauce, ground beef, mozzarella, milk, bell pepper, hummus. 76 protein, 118 carb, 1368 cal
Just wanting information from you ... Do you mainly eat meat and vegetables? Aren't you missing out on some nutrition? Looking at my 2 days, which you probably view as high carb, what else would you eliminate and why.
I'm pretty sure my overnight oats would not make your cut, but I love them. This is 50 carbs. I make them the night before, there are various recipes, but mine is oats, almond milk, 1/2 banana, cinnamon, chia seeds, almonds. I like that I can make the night before and i just grab and go. (eat cold).
What are the benefits of low carb vs. no sugar/no flour.
Have a great day everyone!
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Replies
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Everyone is different. This group is for all sorts of low carbers. You are probably seeing posts by people who are keto dieters. Typically that is under 50 carbs a day. Most (not all) keto dieters have some health issues they are addressing. Myself it's RA. I have much less inflammation when I keep my carbs super low. Other people might be diabetic or have stomach issues that resolve at lower carb levels. I have been eating approximately 30 carbs a day for over a year and so far no nutritional deficiencies have popped up. I usually use my carbs for non-starchy veggies, nuts, and dark chocolate. Plus the residual amounts of carbs in cheese and cream. Some find that eating super low carb keeps them from being hungry. I for one benefit from the satiety of a high fat diet. A sample day for myself might be a coffee with heavy cream for breakfast. A bunless cheeseburger for lunch. Chicken wings and a salad w/o croutons or onions and ranch for dinner. Maybe a square of 90% dark chocolate and some cashew butter for dessert. Comes to around 30 carbs.3
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Carb levels for 'low carb' range from 0 to 150g generally.
We have people of all different ranges participating in this forum.
I personally eat 25g net carbs or under daily. I also eat high fat as it provides satiety for me and I am satisfied with less food, therefore eating a a calorie deficit.
Carbs are the only macronutrient that is not essential. We need protein for our muscles and fat for our hormones.
Our bodies have the ability to run on ketones, which are produced by the fat that we eat.
Low carb is no sugar/flour but no sugar/flour is not necessarily low carb.
Some of our participants have reduced their need for diabetes medication or reversed their pre-diabetes diagnosis entirely. They have also improved their cholesterol markers and have reported increased energy and mental clarity.1 -
I eat under 20g and usually under 10g of carbs - have done so for 4 years in total (had about 3 months off 2 years ago after the great xmas disaster of 2014.
Whatever you want to do is fine, and certainly cutting white sugar and flour is a good idea but oats, bananas, rice, potatoes are all high carb foods. Sugar is sugar, in all it's forms. I would say eat the way that works for you but maybe don't call it low carb.0 -
We are all very different here. I am a Ketoer so 20 g and under for me. I could probably go up a bit but quite honestly, I know 20 works so I leave it alone. I eat as many veggies today as I always did. It's the starchy things I've let go of: potatoes, rice, corn, noodles. grits. I may even eat more veggies than I used to because I eat salad often now. So my carbs are used much the way @anglyn1 does.... cheese, veggies, nuts, chocolate and some Atkins products add to my list.
I never ate things like oats before so I'm not missing anything there that I wasn't before (if I'm missing something). Really the only thing for me that's changed is processed foods with carbs - sugar, flour, etc. and starchy side items. I can't even begin to think that I'm missing essential nutrients from them that I am not getting elsewhere.
The benefits for me have been: wt loss, better mood/affect, more energy, fewer to no cravings, intake of fewer cals by default. I just tend to eat less when I'm sticking to my plan, better gut health, no joint pain, decreased headaches...yep, this is a great way to eat for me!0 -
I've joined this group because I am interested in eliminating white sugar and white flour from my life. Now I've browsed through some posts and am astounded by the low carb goal that some of you reach for.
[ . . . ]
Just wanting information from you ... Do you mainly eat meat and vegetables? Aren't you missing out on some nutrition? Looking at my 2 days, which you probably view as high carb, what else would you eliminate and why.
[ . . . ]
What are the benefits of low carb vs. no sugar/no flour.
I'll start with "what else would [ I ] eliminate and why." That would be nothing. If this is working for you, then continue to do it.
I am at the lowest extreme. My goal is zero grams of carbs each day, that's total carbs. There's no fiber in my diet. I eat only meat. Sometimes I include some cheese, butter, eggs, or cream. My only plants consumed would be coffee and spices (in small amounts). I don't think this is necessary for everyone. It's the best for me.
Am I missing out on some nutrition? Nope. Although, I don't hit the RDA in some nutrients (no fiber and no vitamin C being the big ones). Still, everything is good.2 -
I stay around 20g carbs a day. Carbs are sugar, that is what your body processes most carbs as. I have non-diabetic reactive hypoglycaemia and oats and a banana would send my blood sugar sky high before it crashed down again making me unwell and unnaturally hungry. Eating below 20g carbs keeps my blood sugar level.0
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I lost all my weight at less than 50g carbs over 1.5 years. No micro deficiencies that I know of. Now I'm maintaining and I do around 100g a day. @Sabine_Stroehm is a "slow Carber." The keto folk are very verbal but there ARE moderate low-carbers around. We pop in here and there.
Where my mod-carb peeps at?
Some people find a lack of cravings and a level of satiety of keto-level carbs better and more sustainable than others. Those fighting insulin resistance, PCOS, T2D need that level to reverse their issues. Also as mentioned above, many find that ultra low-carb makes conditions more manageable or that it just better agrees with their preferences, digestion, and/or lifestyle.
And then others do just fine at Paleo, Primal, or other moderate low-carb levels like us.4 -
I did both keto and low carb. I found i had the same benefits if i stayed at or just below 100g of carbs as i did when i was at 40-50g. I don't have diabetes or any health conditions.0
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go with whatever works for you everybody is different. I stay under 20g and that been working well for me and I feel great.0
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I am keeping myself very low carb, 20gram net daily or less for the purposes of addressing PCOS, pre-diabetes, and insulin resistance. Oh, and the pesky side effect of the extra 40 pounds I seem to have accumulated from said metabolic derangements.
The amount of carbs that are going to be acceptable on a daily basis are really going to depend on your goals and how you think carbs affect you. For me I knew that if I wanted any chance of fixing my insulin resistance I needed as minimal amount of carbs as possible. It may be possible for me to increase my carbs at some point once I have lost the weight I want to and have no more evidence of IR.1 -
For me personally, saying no sugar no flour isn't enough. A banana becomes glucose in the blood just like flour or sugar so I see no difference.
I have no health issues but keto is the best thing I've done for my already pretty good health. I likely won't have to worry about diabetes or Alzheimer's and that's how I'm approaching it. Taking care of future me right now. I'm not going to wait until I get a diagnosis.3 -
baconslave wrote: »I lost all my weight at less than 50g carbs over 1.5 years. No micro deficiencies that I know of. Now I'm maintaining and I do around 100g a day. @Sabine_Stroehm is a "slow Carber." The keto folk are very verbal but there ARE moderate low-carbers around. We pop in here and there.
Where my mod-carb peeps at?
Some people find a lack of cravings and a level of satiety of keto-level carbs better and more sustainable than others. Those fighting insulin resistance, PCOS, T2D need that level to reverse their issues. Also as mentioned above, many find that ultra low-carb makes conditions more manageable or that it just better agrees with their preferences, digestion, and/or lifestyle.
And then others do just fine at Paleo, Primal, or other moderate low-carb levels like us.
Slow carber representing! Thanks baconslave. Yes. I lost my weight doing slow carb (not tim ferris, way way pre tim ferris) and have maintained +-5 for 14 years by eating slow carb. Im sure I'm lowER than the average SAD eater, but don't generally count carbs, or calories.
I'm mostly protein and veg. low sugar fruits, nuts, seeds, dairy...lots of avocado, nuts, etc. Hubs is a vegetarian, and most of my protein is fish, tofu and lean meats....
If slow resonates with you (limited added sugars, refined carbs etc), we have a "south beach and low glycemic" group as well.
cheers!0 -
I have hashimotos and have been struggling for 15 years to find a comfortable solution. Meds didn't help. Exercise hurt. By doctors I've been told to cut white foods out. I've been told to go gluten free. I've been told to do yoga. I've been told to eat lots of sardines and put palm oil in my smoothie. I've done tons of research myself to increase this and decrease that...
And then somehow, I found this forum and I found peace. I found peace in eating less carbs than has ever been recommended and I found peace in fat. I found peace in putting butter in my coffee, no matter how crazy that sounded to me. I've found peace in eating less than 20 grams of carbs a day.
And hallelujah, I can move my body. And I've learned I can go to the gym and I can go for a walk, all in one day. And I feel great.
But you know what? I found peace in all of this, but that doesn't mean that you will. Your body will tell you what feels best. If eating what you're eating feels good, do it! If it doesn't, try something new. You're the only one who can tell you what your body needs.8 -
I am mostly vegetarian, though I do occasionally have seafood. My meals are vegetables, nuts, dairy, eggs, etc. I just had oatmeal last night for dinner, though a bean&cheese version, not a breakfast version. My base goal for carbs is 15% which gives me about 100 carbs a day, though MFP gives me more as I exercise, and some days I do go over. As far as I know I'm not missing any nutrition in my diet, I do have trouble keeping my iron high enough to donate blood, but it's not low enough to qualify as anemic and I've had this iron problem longer than I've been vegetarian or low carb. My diary is open if you want to browse around, but I've been on an avocado and cottage cheese kick lately so don't judge!
oatmeal:
http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/savory-bean-and-cheese-oatmeal
When I make this again I will use butter on the veggies instead of oil (I used avocado oil, not olive oil last night), and I would add butter to the oatmeal and more salt/pepper - even with all the veggies (and they were well seasoned) the oatmeal part came out a bit bland.0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »baconslave wrote: »I lost all my weight at less than 50g carbs over 1.5 years. No micro deficiencies that I know of. Now I'm maintaining and I do around 100g a day. @Sabine_Stroehm is a "slow Carber." The keto folk are very verbal but there ARE moderate low-carbers around. We pop in here and there.
Where my mod-carb peeps at?
Some people find a lack of cravings and a level of satiety of keto-level carbs better and more sustainable than others. Those fighting insulin resistance, PCOS, T2D need that level to reverse their issues. Also as mentioned above, many find that ultra low-carb makes conditions more manageable or that it just better agrees with their preferences, digestion, and/or lifestyle.
And then others do just fine at Paleo, Primal, or other moderate low-carb levels like us.
Slow carber representing! Thanks baconslave. Yes. I lost my weight doing slow carb (not tim ferris, way way pre tim ferris) and have maintained +-5 for 14 years by eating slow carb. Im sure I'm lowER than the average SAD eater, but don't generally count carbs, or calories.
I'm mostly protein and veg. low sugar fruits, nuts, seeds, dairy...lots of avocado, nuts, etc. Hubs is a vegetarian, and most of my protein is fish, tofu and lean meats....
If slow resonates with you (limited added sugars, refined carbs etc), we have a "south beach and low glycemic" group as well.
cheers!
Here's the link to that:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/8279-south-beach-diet-and-low-glycemic-response-eating
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My personal "low-carb" is sub-20. However, right now I'm on a diet break between cutting stints, so I'm around 100g/day, most of it coming from dairy, broccoli, cauliflower, and a single bagel every morning with my sludge.0
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I am currently between 20-30g a day, but given my total caloric intake is around 3300, that is still well under 5%. I raised it from 10-20 after getting my BG under control. If I go any higher than 30-35, I notice my cravings start up, which is not a good thing because I can really pack away a lot of food very quickly.
As others have said, the level you choose should be based on what works for you. I made decent improvement with my BG and dropped a bit of weight pretty easily while at a higher carb level more similar to where you are now. I have just done better at this lower level. One of the speakers on the fat summit yesterday mentioned that for women, keto tends to not work as well long term as it does for men. She didn't really explain why she believed that, but I would just say YMMV. We all have to find that sweet spot for ourselves.
One thing I have removed and would suggest removing is fruit. I know the "experts" say it is healthy, but the more I read, the more I see how damaging fructose is. It has to be metabolized in the liver and has been linked to fatty liver disease in clinical studies. Fructose is the primary sugar in fruits. There are no micronutrients in fruits that are not in non-starchy veggies. Anti-oxidant levels in spinach are something like 30-60 times higher than what is in most fruit.
Table sugar is a 50/50 mix of fructose and glucose. High fructose corn syrup (the devil's juice) is a 55/45 mix of fructose and glucose. If you see anything with HFCS, avoid it like the plague. Even the mainstream experts agree there is nothing good about it. If a product says it is low fat or no fat, there is a good chance they have snuck in some HFCS or other sugar (just look for any ingredient ending in -ose) to make it palatable.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/4/895.full1 -
cstehansen wrote: »I am currently between 20-30g a day, but given my total caloric intake is around 3300, that is still well under 5%. I raised it from 10-20 after getting my BG under control. If I go any higher than 30-35, I notice my cravings start up, which is not a good thing because I can really pack away a lot of food very quickly.
As others have said, the level you choose should be based on what works for you. I made decent improvement with my BG and dropped a bit of weight pretty easily while at a higher carb level more similar to where you are now. I have just done better at this lower level. One of the speakers on the fat summit yesterday mentioned that for women, keto tends to not work as well long term as it does for men. She didn't really explain why she believed that, but I would just say YMMV. We all have to find that sweet spot for ourselves.
One thing I have removed and would suggest removing is fruit. I know the "experts" say it is healthy, but the more I read, the more I see how damaging fructose is. It has to be metabolized in the liver and has been linked to fatty liver disease in clinical studies. Fructose is the primary sugar in fruits. There are no micronutrients in fruits that are not in non-starchy veggies. Anti-oxidant levels in spinach are something like 30-60 times higher than what is in most fruit.
Table sugar is a 50/50 mix of fructose and glucose. High fructose corn syrup (the devil's juice) is a 55/45 mix of fructose and glucose. If you see anything with HFCS, avoid it like the plague. Even the mainstream experts agree there is nothing good about it. If a product says it is low fat or no fat, there is a good chance they have snuck in some HFCS or other sugar (just look for any ingredient ending in -ose) to make it palatable.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/4/895.full
This is part of the reason why I use potatoes and bagel for my CKD refeeds, and dextrose tabs for for TKD pre-workout sugar. Starches break down into two glucose, and dextrose is d-glucose. Seriously, *kitten* fructose. It's garbage for refeeds as well, as it doesn't do very well for restoring muscle glycogen either.0 -
Thank you all for your kind remarks!
I joined this group because I was amazed at the UNkind remarks in the general community toward low carb people. You know the comments I'm talking about!
I have a desire to eliminate white sugar and white flour. This is working for me. I found, even though some (most?) people can successfully eat SOME sugar, I cannot. Any sugar I eat just opens up a flood gate of sugar cravings for me. I never understand those people in my office that can have a candy jar on their desk. What are they super-human? I have found that some people can stop at 1. (I still think they are aliens).
I am still trying to discover if my sugar obsession is limited to refined white sugar. I would like to continue to eat fruit (fructose, right?).
I have never heard the term slow-carbers. Thanks for that tidbit. I will be checking that out too.
(I have had very little problem eliminating flour, especially since I discovered that veginator and make zucchini "pasta".)
Not one thing works for all .... that is for sure!
Have a rockin day everyone!
chris3 -
I lost 65 pounds eating less than 15g of carbs a day. It took me 9 months although I wanted it to take longer! The fat just fell off me. So, of course, I did the stupid thing and when I hit my goal decided I would add some carbs back in. I added the wrong carbs, like a dimwit. Now 20 pounds regained, I'm back on the sub-15g again. I don't eat fruit unless it's like one strawberry. Lots of green veggies, MEAT, eggs, cream, some cheese. The thing is, I feel so much better not eating carbs. It's like magic almost. I promise myself to be wiser this time when I hit my goal!!!4
