Low carb / Low calorie diets

If you're trying to lose weight DON'T go on low carb / Low calorie diets, they may help lose weight fast but they are unhealthy

Replies

Skyblueyellow

Not true (concerning the low carb statement). We are all individuals. Some people need a low carb diet for medical reasons. I'm one of those people. Lowering my carbs and losing weight allows me to keep my diabetes in check while lowering my medications by 75%!

crzycatlady1

Nope. I lost around 50lbs by reducing my calorie intake, (a lower calorie diet). On top of losing the extra weight I also improved all my health markers and blood work panels. I'm now in maintenance and am in excellent health

WVWalkerFriend

Why are low carb diets unhealthy? What are you considering low carb?

tinkerbellang83

ania2704 wrote: »

If you're trying to lose weight DON'T go on low carb / Low calorie diets, they may help lose weight fast but they are unhealthy

Is low carb necessary to lose weight? No it's not.

Is it unhealthy? not necesarily. It might not be ideal for everyone.

Sweeping statements like the above are not helpful to anyone.

WinoGelato

Are you saying that neither low carb, nor low calorie is healthy? Or that the combination of a low carb diet in a calorie deficit isn't healthy? What's your definition of healthy? What are you basing these claims on?

ania2704

I'm basing these on my own personal experiences, i went on a low carb / Low calorie diet and i may've lost a lot of weight but these are my side effects:
- No period for half a year
- Always feeling cold
- Weak
- My doctor told me if i lose anymore weight, i will end up in a eating disorder clinic

These are my personal opinions and what i meant to properly say in my previous post is that you don't NEED to go on low carb or low cal diets to lose weight but it's your life, do what you want

WinoGelato

ania2704 wrote: »

I'm basing these on my own personal experiences, i went on a low carb / Low calorie diet and i may've lost a lot of weight but these are my side effects:
- No period for half a year
- Always feeling cold
- Weak
- My doctor told me if i lose anymore weight, i will end up in a eating disorder clinic

These are my personal opinions and what i meant to properly say in my previous post is that you don't NEED to go on low carb or low cal diets to lose weight but it's your life, do what you want

So do you think your issues were related to the low carb, or the low calories? What you describe sounds very typical for a VLCD - which may or may not be low carb. How low carb were you eating? How low calorie?

Don't get me wrong, I don't follow low carb and I'm a fan of eating at a modest calorie deficit appropriate for an individual goals - I'm just not a fan of sweeping generalizations and blanket recommendations. Saying don't go low carb/low calorie is not helpful advice without context.

WVWalkerFriend

OP it sounds like you're talking about a very low calorie diet. Low carb doesn't necessarily mean low calorie. If not eating carbs caused you problems then by all means eat them but I know plenty of people that find they operate better with fewer carbs. Everyone is different. My guess is if your doctor was worried about an ED, it was the lack of calories that was the problem.

nvmomketo

Hmm. No. Those poor long suffering Inuit, First Nations and Masai? They were healthier BEFORE plentiful carbs were introduced into their diets. And the Scandinavian countries in the past? They were so healthy that they grew to what almost appeared to be giant proportions on their low carb diets.

ania2704 wrote: »

I'm basing these on my own personal experiences, i went on a low carb / Low calorie diet and i may've lost a lot of weight but these are my side effects:
- No period for half a year
- Always feeling cold
- Weak
- My doctor told me if i lose anymore weight, i will end up in a eating disorder clinic

These are my personal opinions and what i meant to properly say in my previous post is that you don't NEED to go on low carb or low cal diets to lose weight but it's your life, do what you want

I've been on a very low carb diet for going on two years. Its the healthiest I've been in years. In the last year I actually gained almost 10lbs. I would say your problems had more to do with low calorie than low carb. Your symptoms sound like that caused by too low of calories.... or hypothyroidism.

I agree that most people don't need a low carb diet, although I think a large minority of the world could benefit from it.

I whole heartedly agree that people do not need a low calorie diet unless it is for some therapeutic reason.

crzycatlady1

ania2704 wrote: »

I'm basing these on my own personal experiences, i went on a low carb / Low calorie diet and i may've lost a lot of weight but these are my side effects:
- No period for half a year
- Always feeling cold
- Weak
- My doctor told me if i lose anymore weight, i will end up in a eating disorder clinic

These are my personal opinions and what i meant to properly say in my previous post is that you don't NEED to go on low carb or low cal diets to lose weight but it's your life, do what you want

Hang on here-how low was your calorie intake when all this happened? What are your current stats (height/weight)? And do you have a previous history with EDs that would cause your doctor to be concerned?

edit: grammar

ania2704

My calorie intake was about 1200 - 1300 kcal per day, I currently weigh 54kg and i'm 171 cm and no past history of EDs

WinoGelato

ania2704 wrote: »

My calorie intake was about 1200 - 1300 kcal per day, I currently weigh 54kg and i'm 171 cm and no past history of EDs

Were you also exercising while eating 1200-1300 cals/day?
Is the weight you are now, the weight you were when the doctor expressed these concerns?
How much weight did you lose and how quickly did you lose it?

Bob314159

Making generalized condemnations [without documentation] of eating styles may be unhealthy for other users who might thrive on them

crzycatlady1

ania2704 wrote: »

My calorie intake was about 1200 - 1300 kcal per day, I currently weigh 54kg and i'm 171 cm and no past history of EDs

If I'm converting correctly you're around 119lbs and 5ft, 6in. We're the same height and when I was first transitioning into maintenance I got down to 117lbs (bmi of 18.9). So you're at the lower end of a healthy bmi, but aren't considered underweight. 1,200-1,300 calories also isn't that crazy, especially if that's where you were at as you were getting closer to your current weight.

I'm assuming that you're now maintaining and not trying to lose any more weight? Your maintenance calorie intake will be higher (mine is around 1,800 calories and I'm 15 years older than you are). Also, most of us maintainers have a 3-5lbs window that we stay in, since weight naturally fluctuates daily/weekly.

Having been at a lower weight than you, I'm a bit surprised that you're having issues. I never lost my period or felt weak. I do get cold more often but that's because I have less fat on me (this is a very common complaint among those who've lost weight).

I still think it's really odd that your doctor would make that comment. Again, I was a bit lower than you and my doctor was very pleased, because my health markers/blood panels were stellar at that weight. You're within the healthy bmi range, so not sure what he/she meant. *unless I did conversions wrong and got your weight/height wrong*

singingflutelady

171 is 5'7

crzycatlady1

singingflutelady wrote: »

171 is 5'7

Ah, thanks! So, at the very low end of the healthy bmi range then? OP, you're not still trying to lose weight are you?

ania2704

No, now I'm trying to gain weight

noclady1995

I don't agree. I ate lower carb for almost a year and felt awesome. I ate my carbs through leafy greens and ate lots of berries, tomatoes and avocados. Still got plenty of protein and more healthy fats like coconut oil. I lost weight and loved eating that way because I never felt deprived because my sugar cravings basically went away. And things like my migraines actually were nearly gone. I didn't eat low calorie or I would have lost more. But I also don't believe that there's such thing as a one size fits all way of eating.

crzycatlady1

ania2704 wrote: »

No, now I'm trying to gain weight

When I got to my low point I went back and forth about what I wanted to do. I'm pear shaped and loved how my lower half looked at that weight, but my top half was looking pretty lean at that point. I decided to re-gain a few pounds and found my ideal spot at the 123-126lb range. Since then my weight has fluctuated from the low 120s, up to the low 130s (currently at 128lbs).

Nothing wrong with not liking where you're at and re-gaining a few pounds, and it's a fairly common occurrence that happens when people are transitioning into maintenance. Still a bit odd that your doctor said what he/she said though. At what weight did your period stop? Maybe that's what's concerning them?

cwolfman13

Low carb isn't unhealthy by default. Eating very low calories in unhealthy, but a proper deficit is just fine and is the only way you lose weight. My guess is that your issue is more related to the fact that you're 5'7" and basically tiny for your height. Also, you make no mention of your actual nutrition...in most cases, the issues you mention are correlated with improper nutrition in general...

Christine_72

ania2704 wrote: »

No, now I'm trying to gain weight

Thank goodness for that!

OP you're being scant on details in your posts.

Low protein and fat can also cause the same symptoms as you described.

I agree, 1200 calories is far too low.. But what was your starting weight, and what were your macros set at?

eviemac2017

Understanding of how appetite is regulated supports a low carb approach . The energy in/ energy out model on which calorie counting is based is now debunked. Carbohydrate excess and insulin resistance are driving the obesity epidemic. YouTube Tim Noakes or Gary Taubes.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

eviemac2017 wrote: »

Understanding of how appetite is regulated supports a low carb approach . The energy in/ energy out model on which calorie counting is based is now debunked. Carbohydrate excess and insulin resistance are driving the obesity epidemic. YouTube Tim Noakes or Gary Taubes.

gary taubes doesnt even have a degree in nutrition or anything else. hes a journalist. not very credible and dont know who the other guy is. but overeating is what is driving the obesity epidemic. I eat a lot of carbs and I still lose weight. and have no insulin issues.its all about a caloric deficit

crzycatlady1

eviemac2017 wrote: »

Understanding of how appetite is regulated supports a low carb approach . The energy in/ energy out model on which calorie counting is based is now debunked. Carbohydrate excess and insulin resistance are driving the obesity epidemic. YouTube Tim Noakes or Gary Taubes.

No.

Like pp said, I eat a higher carb diet and have a bmi of just under 21 (ie I'm not fat). I'm also a former prediabetic who now has normal glucose numbers and consistent, good health markers/blood work panels.

WinoGelato

eviemac2017 wrote: »

Understanding of how appetite is regulated supports a low carb approach . The energy in/ energy out model on which calorie counting is based is now debunked. Carbohydrate excess and insulin resistance are driving the obesity epidemic. YouTube Tim Noakes or Gary Taubes.

I wasn't aware that the fundamental energy balance of calories in/calories out had been debunked... better alert McGraw Hill that they need to publish some new science textbooks since one of the basic principles of thermodynamics has been invalidated on YouTube.

ania2704

At the start of my diet i used to weigh 116 kg and i don't know how much calories i ate at the beginning, i only started eating 1200 kcal a few months ago to lose more weight