Why do people choose to do LCHF?

24

Replies

  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    I think when people think of carbs they think of breads, baked goods, pizzas and donuts. Those arent real carbs. Real carbs are fruit, veg, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and other grains. If you eat carbs in their whole form without blending them, refining them or adding sugars and salt, they will not make you ravenous. They will fuel you and make you happy
  • TxTiffani
    TxTiffani Posts: 799 Member
    I've done Keto a few times because I've seen lots of success stories where people didn't count calories, but it's not sustainable for me because I like a lot of volume when I eat. That makes it hard because you have to severely restrict veggies and fruit due to their carb content. I could (and do) easily eat several cups of broccoli for under 100 cals but it would be over half the day of carbs:( and love an apple as a snack for less than 100 cals but more than a full day's worth of carbs! So, you end up eating more fat which may satiate some people but not particularly for me. As a short female at 5'0 I just found it hard to stay at the calories I need to be at without being able to use the amount of veg I typically like bulk my meals with.
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    I think when people think of carbs they think of breads, baked goods, pizzas and donuts. Those arent real carbs. Real carbs are fruit, veg, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and other grains. If you eat carbs in their whole form without blending them, refining them or adding sugars and salt, they will not make you ravenous. They will fuel you and make you happy

    Sorry, but this is not true of everyone. If it works for you, that's great, but don't assume yours is the only correct way to eat. It does not matter to my insulin resistance if it's a piece of fruit, quinoa, or bread--any of those will spike my blood sugar and I'll be starving and get the shakes within an hour. I do not have those problems on a low carb diet. Your way would not work for me, and maybe mine would not work for you. There is no one right way to eat.
    I think when people think of carbs they think of breads, baked goods, pizzas and donuts. Those arent real carbs. Real carbs are fruit, veg, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and other grains. If you eat carbs in their whole form without blending them, refining them or adding sugars and salt, they will not make you ravenous. They will fuel you and make you happy

    Sorry, but this is not true of everyone. If it works for you, that's great, but don't assume yours is the only correct way to eat. It does not matter to my insulin resistance if it's a piece of fruit, quinoa, or bread--any of those will spike my blood sugar and I'll be starving and get the shakes within an hour. I do not have those problems on a low carb diet. Your way would not work for me, and maybe mine would not work for you. There is no one right way to eat.

    Well, for one- I didnt say that there was one right way for everyone. But to bring it to the science, a plant-based diet free of oil, low in fat, and free of salt, oil and sugar (SOS,) is the only diet in the world that has ever reversed diabetes. Check out Dr.Neal Bernard an T. Colin Cambell. The thing is, you cnt keep eating fat and animal products if you want the whole foods plant based diet to work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktQzM2IA-qU
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I do the opposite. I eat a high carb vegan diet, low in fat. I get to eat tons of food and always feel full. The main thing thats important is eating WHOLE FOODS and nothing processed. Whatever diet helps you eat whole foods is the best diet for you

    I think avoiding refined and highly processed foods is very important to maintaining good health.
  • Low carb does not necessarily equal keto. But to answer the question I choose low carb because I feel my best when my carbs are lower. I keep them under 150 g a day. I do my best not to have more than 30 g of carbs at any meal or snack. They make me sleepy, hungry, and I have a lot more water weight on higher carbs. No matter what our dietary choices are, almost anything could be unhealthy when not done right. The body needs meaningful nourishment. I strive for that.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I did keto and low carb, the benefits for me was a reduced and manageable appetite, and my cravings disappeared. It made weight loss effortless.
    As for people gaining weight when they reintroduce carbs... I regained a couple pounds of water weight which dropped back off after 2 weeks.
    I didn't regain all the weight i had lost because i continued to stay in a deficit.
  • kq1981
    kq1981 Posts: 1,098 Member
    I tried it because I wanted a fast weight loss. Lost 6kg within a few weeks and put it alllllll back on and then some when I realised it was an unsustainable lifestyle for me and my kids (working single mum, busy kids). It was to much prep and restriction for me. I'm Italian, GIVE ME PASTA!!!!!! each to their own, but honestly mfp is the best thing I've done for myself and my girls. Good luck all
  • fasterpssycat
    fasterpssycat Posts: 30 Member
    Everyone's body is different. I used a paleo/primal diet to jumpstart a hundred pound weight loss and used it to cut my taste for sugar, which worked really well. But it isn't sustainable for me forever. Some people can adopt it as a lifestyle and it works for them. I personally feel drained and tired and foggy without some amount of carbs from starches. I like potatoes and giving them up forever would make me hate life, which is not the point of adopting a healthy lifestyle. From my personal observations, it seems to work extremely well for a lot of men I know, but it takes longer and can have a few roadblocks for women. Our chemistries are different. Estrogen does goofy stuff that can make weight loss harder. One of the reasons I started to fall away from it was because a lot of the literature and commentary is from super buff dudes who just don't have the same biology I do. Recently found the Paleo for Women blog and it's got me reconsidering a modified version. I personally feel that extremes are generally not great and this kind of macrorestriction borders on obsessive eating/disordered eating, but I was anorexic for years so I'm sensitive to anything that may reinvigorate those tendencies.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    My chiropractor was telling me he just started doing it, he explained (and I also saw it in Runner's World magazine) that some runners do it so that their bodies will get used to using fat to fuel instead of carbs. The idea is that by the time you go to run the full marathon your body is used to this and you don't have to eat energy gels/use Gatorade throughout the race, and you avoid hitting the wall. I can't think of any other reason to do it though, doesn't seem like it's worth it for weight loss alone since you can still lose weight without going through all that.

    I don't understand, because just doing long runs or rides at low intensity will also "train" your body to use fat for fuel.

    Maybe, but perhaps they don't want to do the runs at low intensity.

    If you don't include long runs in your training plan, your marathon probably isn't going to be very successful -- even if you are on a ketogenic diet. Getting through 26.2 miles is probably going to require some kind of long run experience -- even if your body is good at using fat for fuel.

    If you don't want to do long runs, marathons probably aren't the best recreational choice.

    I didn't say that the people following this plan for marathon training aren't doing long runs, I said maybe they don't want to do low-intensity runs. To be low enough in intensity to be in the "fat burning" zone, assuming it's not a myth, for me as a 29 year old female, I would have to do a long run with my heart rate at 118 to 138 beats per minute. That's much lower than my usual long-run heart rate, which is about 160 bpm even when I've slowed to a minute and a half over race pace. If I ran slow enough to be between 118 and 138 I wouldn't be hitting any PRs any time soon.

    Long run = low intensity run. You can't burn a match for five hours.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    I can see the benefits to a low carb diet but believe too many who follow it make some unhealthy food choices. I have read many who load up on saturated fats choosing the fattiest cuts of meat possible, having copius amounts of cheese and butter while consuming bacon daily and having heaps of processed meat. While fat has got an unnecessary bad rap in the past eating so much saturated in a day can increase you risks of heart disease so these people should be looking at more plant based fats for optimum health. Some are also not getting enough fibre which can do long term damage to the digestive system. Eating too much processed meat can increase your risk of bowel cancer.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited March 2017
    My chiropractor was telling me he just started doing it, he explained (and I also saw it in Runner's World magazine) that some runners do it so that their bodies will get used to using fat to fuel instead of carbs. The idea is that by the time you go to run the full marathon your body is used to this and you don't have to eat energy gels/use Gatorade throughout the race, and you avoid hitting the wall. I can't think of any other reason to do it though, doesn't seem like it's worth it for weight loss alone since you can still lose weight without going through all that.

    I don't understand, because just doing long runs or rides at low intensity will also "train" your body to use fat for fuel.

    Maybe, but perhaps they don't want to do the runs at low intensity.

    If you don't include long runs in your training plan, your marathon probably isn't going to be very successful -- even if you are on a ketogenic diet. Getting through 26.2 miles is probably going to require some kind of long run experience -- even if your body is good at using fat for fuel.

    If you don't want to do long runs, marathons probably aren't the best recreational choice.

    I didn't say that the people following this plan for marathon training aren't doing long runs, I said maybe they don't want to do low-intensity runs. To be low enough in intensity to be in the "fat burning" zone, assuming it's not a myth, for me as a 29 year old female, I would have to do a long run with my heart rate at 118 to 138 beats per minute. That's much lower than my usual long-run heart rate, which is about 160 bpm even when I've slowed to a minute and a half over race pace. If I ran slow enough to be between 118 and 138 I wouldn't be hitting any PRs any time soon.

    You don't have to run at the "fat burning" zone in order to get the benefits of a long run. Long runs, even when your heart rate is faster, help adapt how your body fuels the run. A long run, because the pace has to be sustainable for 90+ minutes, is low intensity even if your heart is beating faster than what some chart is showing for an "ideal" range.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator

    WinoGelato wrote: »
    I do the opposite. I eat a high carb vegan diet, low in fat. I get to eat tons of food and always feel full. The main thing thats important is eating WHOLE FOODS and nothing processed. Whatever diet helps you eat whole foods is the best diet for you

    I'm on team moderation and firmly believe that the best diet is one that an individual can adhere to in order to achieve their goals, potentially improving their overall health, and be satiated and happy with. For me, that's a diet that includes a variety of foods, many of which are whole foods but many of which are processed to varying degrees, which is typical of most commercially available foods. That helps me achieve the criteria that I outlined above.

    I'm curious about the "nothing processed" criteria in your suggestion above. How is the Greek yogurt I ate this morning, or the bag of frozen green beans that I cooked with dinner tonight, hindering my health?

    I wouldnt eat greek yogurt because of how bad dairy is for you but thats just my perspective. Frozen green beans arent processed, theyre just frozen.

    Also, Im not just talking about weight loss, im talking about health. For me, my blood tests are perfect ever since I started eating a whole foods plant based diet. But if youre healthy, losing weight, and have no medical concerns then just keep doing what youre doing. :) I was sick so I need to take my health very seriously and its the best decision ive ever made. I never mean to be pushy, I just want to share this amazing way of eating because it makes weight loss effortless and my life joyful. :)

    How is dairy bad for you?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    OP, low carb can be healthy or unhealthy... but that is determined by how you implement it. It's no different than other diets. I will note, and this is largely anecdotal, I have seen more people hospitalized with deficiencies from the inability to implement a vegan/vegetarian diet than any other so far. The biggest issue I see from LCHF is inability to manage electrolytes causing increase flu like symptoms.


    But for me, more carbs = satiety, especially starches. My ideal meal is meat + starch.
  • BrunetteRunner87
    BrunetteRunner87 Posts: 591 Member
    My chiropractor was telling me he just started doing it, he explained (and I also saw it in Runner's World magazine) that some runners do it so that their bodies will get used to using fat to fuel instead of carbs. The idea is that by the time you go to run the full marathon your body is used to this and you don't have to eat energy gels/use Gatorade throughout the race, and you avoid hitting the wall. I can't think of any other reason to do it though, doesn't seem like it's worth it for weight loss alone since you can still lose weight without going through all that.

    I don't understand, because just doing long runs or rides at low intensity will also "train" your body to use fat for fuel.

    Maybe, but perhaps they don't want to do the runs at low intensity.

    If you don't include long runs in your training plan, your marathon probably isn't going to be very successful -- even if you are on a ketogenic diet. Getting through 26.2 miles is probably going to require some kind of long run experience -- even if your body is good at using fat for fuel.

    If you don't want to do long runs, marathons probably aren't the best recreational choice.

    I didn't say that the people following this plan for marathon training aren't doing long runs, I said maybe they don't want to do low-intensity runs. To be low enough in intensity to be in the "fat burning" zone, assuming it's not a myth, for me as a 29 year old female, I would have to do a long run with my heart rate at 118 to 138 beats per minute. That's much lower than my usual long-run heart rate, which is about 160 bpm even when I've slowed to a minute and a half over race pace. If I ran slow enough to be between 118 and 138 I wouldn't be hitting any PRs any time soon.

    You don't have to run at the "fat burning" zone in order to get the benefits of a long run. Long runs, even when your heart rate is faster, help adapt how your body fuels the run. A long run, because the pace has to be sustainable for 90+ minutes, is low intensity even if your heart is beating faster than what some chart is showing for an "ideal" range.

    So if all of this is true, and low intensity runs will train your body to use fat for fuel, as the first poster said, and all long runs are low intensity, then why doesn't everyone who trains for a marathon's body adapt to burning fat for fuel instead of carbs? Then everybody who has trained for a marathon could show up on race day and not need any gels or gatorade.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    My chiropractor was telling me he just started doing it, he explained (and I also saw it in Runner's World magazine) that some runners do it so that their bodies will get used to using fat to fuel instead of carbs. The idea is that by the time you go to run the full marathon your body is used to this and you don't have to eat energy gels/use Gatorade throughout the race, and you avoid hitting the wall. I can't think of any other reason to do it though, doesn't seem like it's worth it for weight loss alone since you can still lose weight without going through all that.

    I don't understand, because just doing long runs or rides at low intensity will also "train" your body to use fat for fuel.

    Maybe, but perhaps they don't want to do the runs at low intensity.

    If you don't include long runs in your training plan, your marathon probably isn't going to be very successful -- even if you are on a ketogenic diet. Getting through 26.2 miles is probably going to require some kind of long run experience -- even if your body is good at using fat for fuel.

    If you don't want to do long runs, marathons probably aren't the best recreational choice.

    I didn't say that the people following this plan for marathon training aren't doing long runs, I said maybe they don't want to do low-intensity runs. To be low enough in intensity to be in the "fat burning" zone, assuming it's not a myth, for me as a 29 year old female, I would have to do a long run with my heart rate at 118 to 138 beats per minute. That's much lower than my usual long-run heart rate, which is about 160 bpm even when I've slowed to a minute and a half over race pace. If I ran slow enough to be between 118 and 138 I wouldn't be hitting any PRs any time soon.

    You don't have to run at the "fat burning" zone in order to get the benefits of a long run. Long runs, even when your heart rate is faster, help adapt how your body fuels the run. A long run, because the pace has to be sustainable for 90+ minutes, is low intensity even if your heart is beating faster than what some chart is showing for an "ideal" range.

    So if all of this is true, and low intensity runs will train your body to use fat for fuel, as the first poster said, and all long runs are low intensity, then why doesn't everyone who trains for a marathon's body adapt to burning fat for fuel instead of carbs? Then everybody who has trained for a marathon could show up on race day and not need any gels or gatorade.

    Because you vary intensities and your body utilizes both sources of fuel throughout the race. It's not just a linear source.
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