Low carb diet..your opinion

Options
Spitspot81
Spitspot81 Posts: 208 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My gym have advised me to go low carb to shift some body fat. My body fat is 27% so not horrendous, but does need to drop a bit.

They have advised 20% carb intake on a 1600 calorie intake, but since starting I have struggled. I am finding it hard to eat high protein and the lack of wholemeal fibre
Is causing me tummy troubles.

What are your views on low carb diets? I exercise 4 times per week with a mix of cardio and weights
«134

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    I like carbs, so it's a no from me!
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited November 2016
    Options
    If it's a woe that you enjoy doing and can realistically stick with for the rest of your life, then sure go for it. But, weight loss means nothing if you can't keep the weight off and for many people eating low carb is just not a sustainable method. Weight gain/loss/maintenance comes down to calories. Hit the correct calorie deficit for your weight loss goals and you'll lose the weight.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,679 Member
    Options
    It really depends on what you like to eat. Many years ago, I did a very strict ultra low carb diet. I couldn't stand it. I got so I couldn't eat eggs or chicken for several years. Many years later, I did Atkins, which is low carb but not as strict as the diet I had done before. I lost about 35 pounds with relative ease. However, I couldn't maintain the low carb for the long term, and eventually I gained the weight back. Next I did a semi-low carb diet, but with more flexibility. I lost 45 pounds and kept it off for several years. What I learned was that there were some carbs I could easily live without, but others that I really really missed - like fruit and whole grains. For me, cutting out sweets and simple carbs helps me lose weight and is pretty easy, but cutting out most or all carbs leaves me feeling very deprived.

    And as you noted, constipation is one of the more painful side effects of cutting out most carbs. When doing Atkins, I used Fiber tabs to take care of the problem.
  • colors_fade
    colors_fade Posts: 464 Member
    Options
    Low carb is just a simplified way for some people to get into a caloric deficit. For some people, it is too easy to overeat carbs, or not track accurately. They go low-carb, cutting out a huge portion of calories because they are no longer eating calorie-dense foods like pasta and bread, and they lose weight.

    I think low-carb is a useful tool for a very limited subset of people, but for most people, like me, it is insufficient and can lead to cravings, binge eating, and as you have noticed: stomach troubles.

    Instead of going low carb, what I've done is pay attention to the carbs I eat. Because the quality of your carbs makes a difference.

    Carbs that are high on the glycemic index spike insulin levels. This tells the body to prep for glycogen intake, and stops fat storage. In an effort to keep my insulin from spiking and try and maintain as low of level as possible (thus keeping your body in fat-burning mode on a deficit), I've switched to low glycemic carbs. You can Google just about any carb and get a GI number for it. Here's a decent primer on the subject.

    Low GI carbs digest slower and don't spike blood-sugar as much as higher GI carbs. Your body is more likely to remain in fat-burning mode for a longer period of time. And you may not get as much of a "sleepy" food hangover when you come down off the sugar rush of high GI carbs.

    But the bigger issue is satiation. I get to eat carbs that help keep me feeling full and keep my brain from feeling foggy. I don't go into carb-crazed cravings. And I don't have to eat boatloads of meat.

    Remember, a calorie deficit is what is necessary to lose weight. A whole lot of other factors affect what kind of weight you will lose (fat vs. muscle), and how you feel while losing it, which can be just as important for some people.

    I, personally, don't like to feel like I'm starving all the time, which is what it feels like to be on a low-carb diet, at least for me. And protein can spike insulin levels as well, so I'm all about having a balance between protein, fats and carbs, and doing my best to keep my insulin levels as low as possible.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
    Options
    It works for some, but not me. Find something that will work for you.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    Options
    Carbs are my fuel. Screw that.
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,365 Member
    Options
    I hardly ever ate pasta, love it but it doesn't like me. I did eat jasmine rice tho. I hardly ever eat rice, cuz it's hard to stop but what i do eat alot more of since mfp is bread. I always tried to avoid it but never lost weight but now it really sustains me, I have at least 1 or sometimes 2 slices a day
  • domesticlydiva
    domesticlydiva Posts: 19 Member
    Options
    My trainer advised carb, protein, fat combo at every meal & snack...portion control obviously & no more than 8 gm of sugar per meal/snack up to a max of 40 gm daily. Easy-peasy!! Really watch fruit portions esp. grapes, banana, pineapple...high sugar content. It's a balanced eating plan that is doable. To each his own though. Whatever works for each person as long as it works. :smile:
  • HairTie1
    HairTie1 Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    Forums are not the place to get advice like this. It's a bunch of mostly uninformed opinions or anecdotes. I recommend instead asking on a forum for advice on which books to buy to get scientific perspective on whatever your question may be.

    I would direct you to two sources that I have found to be EXTREMELY informative on this topic with both coming at it from a totally different perspective:
    1. "The Paleo Diet", Cordain -- Ground yourself in the science behind the foods that your body is genetically predisposed to use. Punchline: Its all about micro-nutrient density... macronutrients are mostly irrelevant if you generally eat the right whole foods. This theme of micro-nutrient density applies to whatever diet framework you choose to pursue.
    2. "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living", Volek, Phinney -- ground yourself on why a ketogenic (low carb) diet may be right for you and how to do it properly if you do choose to do it. My key takeaway is that you can't half attempt it and hope to succeed. You need to make a concerted effort to do it right and that means measuring and tracking and really testing whether or not it works for you. If you just reduce your carbs arbitrarily you set yourself up for wasted time and no objective information with which to make decisions on whether or not to stick to the lifestyle change.

    Both of these books have an alternative version written specifically for athletes who have unique nutrition timing needs that need to be addressed as well.

    Overall punchline: If its worth doing, do it right. Buy and read a book written by a credible author. Nobody on this forum has posted a single credential that gives you a reason to trust their opinion, anecdote, or experience.
  • toniblanton
    toniblanton Posts: 2 Member
    edited November 2016
    Options
    I started a low carb diet in 2014 - I have lost 200 pounds and I feel good physically and mentally . I will admit when I first started the low carb I had no idea what I was doing and just tried to eat nothing but protien - terrible idea - my hair started falling out from lack of good carbs and fat. I researched the GI and was just super confused and not in the mood to count numbers all day since I have a life (lol) so now I use this app to track what I eat - I just stay away from refined sugar, white bread and pasta and potatoes. I am sure that is a semi-low carb diet because I still eat fruit and vegetables and, on occasion, rice but it works for me. Everyone is different though. Oh, and my only credential is losing the equivalent of the weight of a grown human being. My doctor is aware that I cut out those foods and, as long as I am getting carbs that are good for me, she supports it. Ask your doctor - they give great advice.
  • Fayga
    Fayga Posts: 13 Member
    Options
    I wish I had only 27% body fat! Seriously though, you still need good carbs like those found in fruit and whole grains. Try Ezekiel bread, quinoa, and brown rice. Just use portion control. Very low carb is not maintained long term for most people.

Categories