Is it safe to permanetly stay LCHF (Low Carb/High Fat) as a lifestyle?

bekah818 · January 2018

I started a low carb high fat diet a few days ago after being inspired by the Keto Diet. I don't think I'm 100 % keto or perhaps I may be considered "moderate or liberal' keto since I consume close to 90 grams of carbs per day. ( I haven't given up Chobani yogurt yet which is a bit high in carbs,13 grams per cup) but other than that I eliminated all bread, grains, pasta, and rice. My carbs primarily come from the non-starchy veggies I eat and some mixed nuts ( feel free to look at my diary, the last three days is what's most current). But anyways-- I just wanted to say that so far I am really loving this LCHF Diet. Although I do get hungry quickly, I do find that the meals so far are very satisfying. I have not experienced 'The Keto Flu' from the lack of carbs, but I do have frequent urination (which is so annoying) which i read was a side effect from going on a low carb diet... I know it's only been a few days, but I'm loving this so much that I think I want to eat this way permantely.

I feel this way because over the years I've always struggled with my weight. I would diet and exercise, lose the weight and gain it all back. Most recently in the last two years, I went from 160lbs (which I know might be too much weight for some women, but it looks fantastic on me, I'm 5'7). Today, embarrasingly, I weigh 230. I gained 70lbs!! It always bothered me and even made me depressed because I never felt like I 'ate that badly'. I don't like juice or soda, I drink my coffee black and I'm noit big on eating out at fast food restaurants. So why the heck do I gain weight so easily!? Fine, i haven't been working out, but still, 70 lbs?! I even had a nutritionist tell me one time after telling her how much I gained weight so quickly, she said that I may have a 'Thyroid issue'... * eye roll *. Needless to say- I do NOT have any thryoid issues, and I know you must be thinking "she's in denial if she thinks she doesn't eat bad. I mean how else could someone gain that much weight within a year or two?' Thanks to MFP- I had an 'Aha!' moment. Before starting this LCHF diet, out of curiously, I logged what I would typically eat on a daily basis, and when I tallied up my calories, I was shocked at how much carbs I consumed in a day. I was consuming 300 carbs a day!! Keep in mind I work in an office, so I'm pretty much sedentary, which doesn't help

Here's a typical example of how I normally ate:

Breakfast: Oat Meal with sliced fruit, usually bannas and strawberries/blueberries) Which isn't terribly, but very high in carbs

Lunch: Turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat with a bag of sun chips and a small spinach salad (again, high carb meal)

Dinner: Brown rice (I never stuck to the serving, I'd usually have 2-3 servings on one plate) with chicken and some mixed veggies

Snacks in between meals: Perhaps some tortilla chips & Salsa, Frozen yogurt or ice cream, a few oreo cookies (okay maybe not a few, I always ate like 6, LOL)

When I totaled all of this up, I was consuming close to 3,000 calories, and 300 carbs plus I was sedentary. I logged this on Jan 2nd 2018, if you're curious to see the totals for yourself. It didn't feel like I was eating 3,000 calories, but it was definitely a rude awakening to see that, I was. So yes, I was in denial. Although i wasn't eating mcdonalds, I was eating badly

I know carbs aren't completely terrible, and your body needs them. But beacause of my history with it, I am strongly considering doing this LCHF diet as a permanent way of life. I swear, I feel like my body thrives off of storing carbs and turning it into fat, lol. Even at my smallest, I always had a little pouch that I was self- concious about, which I now believe has to do with my carb intake. I've read up on others that have stories like mine, and switched to LCHF permanetly and Becoming gluten free and avoiding grains. I've even discovered so many fun recipes that I can't wait to try.

It's only been a few days, but at my last weigh in, I already lost 6lbs. 64 more to go! I want to be 160 again.

Any one doing this as a way of life? Or do you think its completely nuts? I know some people who could never give up carbs, and yet their bodies don't store fat the way mine do...I'm not aiming for no carbs, just keeping it low on a daily basis, like under 100 grams. Thoughts?

MegaMooseEsq · January 2018

I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't be safe so long as you're still getting all your nutritional needs. As far as I know, there aren't any essential nutrients unique to carbs, so technically your body doesn't "need" them, although they are a super efficient energy source. You'd probably want to be careful about getting enough fiber.

bekah818 · January 2018

Thank you for your feedback! I'm learning that now about carbs not being "essential nutrients".

PAV8888 · January 2018

Your aha moment should read, I think: Holly *kittens*, I eat 3,000 Cal a day when an average number of calories per day for a mythical average woman is about 2,000?

it really does not matter WHAT your extra 1,000 calories a day consisted off (fat, protein, or carbs), it is the 1,000 EXTRA Calories that end up getting converted to fat, not that 1200 of them come from 300g of carbs.

If you can control your calories better by doing what you're doing, more the power to you. But don't go after a mythical boogeyman that hinders you from discovering EXACTLY which items you would rather give up because they are not worth the calories.

I think you will discover that your satiety response and desire to over-eat 400g of plain boiled potatoes will be quite different than your response to eating 400g of my favourite McDonald's fries, dripping with a bit of extra oil so that they can better catch some extra salt.

BhangraPrince · January 2018

kommodevaran · January 2018

I believe low carb, even keto, like any other diet or lifestyle, is healthy if you do it right and unhealthy if you do it wrong.

I believe ketosis is something you either are in or not, and that 90 grams of carbs is too much to be in ketosis.

I also believe you don't have to be in ketosis or go low carb in order to lose weight.

I also believe 1450 calories is too low for you at your current weight, and you're not short either.

You don't need to eat "badly" to gain weight - just a little more than you burn every day and it adds up over time.

You aren't imagining things, but there's also nothing special about you - human bodies are great at ingesting, storing and saving energy. 3000 calories isn't hard to eat if you eat tasty, semi-digested, calorie dense food.

300 grams of carbs is only 40% of the energy in a 3000 calorie diet, and that's less than what MFP suggests as a start.

Do you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance?

nvmomketo · January 2018

bekah818 wrote: »

I started a low carb high fat diet a few days ago after being inspired by the Keto Diet. I don't think I'm 100 % keto or perhaps I may be considered "moderate or liberal' keto since I consume close to 90 grams of carbs per day. ( I haven't given up Chobani yogurt yet which is a bit high in carbs,13 grams per cup) but other than that I eliminated all bread, grains, pasta, and rice. My carbs primarily come from the non-starchy veggies I eat and some mixed nuts ( feel free to look at my diary, the last three days is what's most current). But anyways-- I just wanted to say that so far I am really loving this LCHF Diet. Although I do get hungry quickly, I do find that the meals so far are very satisfying. I have not experienced 'The Keto Flu' from the lack of carbs, but I do have frequent urination (which is so annoying) which i read was a side effect from going on a low carb diet... I know it's only been a few days, but I'm loving this so much that I think I want to eat this way permantely.

90g of carb may have you in ketosis most of the time if you time carbs around exercise, otherwise most people find eating under 50g will have them in ketosis most of the time. Some with insulin resistance may need to go lower to be ketogenic all of the time. At 90g of carbs, you are probably in ketosis some of the time.

As to the bolded, keto flu is a lack of electrolytes due to lower insulin which causes water (and electrolyte) loss.\, hence the frequent urination. To prevent the keto flu you need at least 3000-5000mg of sodium a day. A teaspoon of salt has 2300 mg of sodium in it so many people find they need to supplement with broth, salt tablets, or even just eating some salt with water.

bekah818 wrote: »

Here's a typical example of how I normally ate:

Breakfast: Oat Meal with sliced fruit, usually bannas and strawberries/blueberries) Which isn't terribly, but very high in carbs

Lunch: Turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat with a bag of sun chips and a small spinach salad (again, high carb meal)

Dinner: Brown rice (I never stuck to the serving, I'd usually have 2-3 servings on one plate) with chicken and some mixed veggies

Snacks in between meals: Perhaps some tortilla chips & Salsa, Frozen yogurt or ice cream, a few oreo cookies (okay maybe not a few, I always ate like 6, LOL)

When I totaled all of this up, I was consuming close to 3,000 calories, and 300 carbs plus I was sedentary. I logged this on Jan 2nd 2018, if you're curious to see the totals for yourself. It didn't feel like I was eating 3,000 calories, but it was definitely a rude awakening to see that, I was. So yes, I was in denial. Although i wasn't eating mcdonalds, I was eating badly

I know carbs aren't completely terrible, and your body needs them. But beacause of my history with it, I am strongly considering doing this LCHF diet as a permanent way of life. I swear, I feel like my body thrives off of storing carbs and turning it into fat, lol. Even at my smallest, I always had a little pouch that I was self- concious about, which I now believe has to do with my carb intake. I've read up on others that have stories like mine, and switched to LCHF permanetly and Becoming gluten free and avoiding grains. I've even discovered so many fun recipes that I can't wait to try. It's only been a few days, but at my last weigh in, I already lost 6lbs. 64 more to go! I want to be 160 again.

Any one doing this as a way of life? Or do you think its completely nuts? I know some people who could never give up carbs, and yet their bodies don't store fat the way mine do...I'm not aiming for no carbs, just keeping it low on a daily basis, like under 100 grams. Thoughts?

Weight gain in general is caused by too many calories. If you are eating too many carbs, and you may be if you are eating 300g (or 1200 kcals) a day, then cutting carbs is probably an easy place to start. You don't want to cut protein because it helps promote lean mass retention, so cutting carbs or fat is the best option.

I too went with cutting carbs becuase that's what I overeat, and because low carbs is better for insulin resistance and possibly for lowering inflammation in autoimmune diseases. I cut carbs low almost 3 years ago.

bekah818 · January 2018

kommodevaran wrote: »

I believe low carb, even keto, like any other diet or lifestyle, is healthy if you do it right and unhealthy if you do it wrong.

I believe ketosis is something you either are in or not, and that 90 grams of carbs is too much to be in ketosis.

I also believe you don't have to be in ketosis or go low carb in order to lose weight.

I also believe 1450 calories is too low for you at your current weight, and you're not short either.

You don't need to eat "badly" to gain weight - just a little more than you burn every day and it adds up over time.

You aren't imagining things, but there's also nothing special about you - human bodies are great at ingesting, storing and saving energy. 3000 calories isn't hard to eat if you eat tasty, semi-digested, calorie dense food.

300 grams of carbs is only 40% of the energy in a 3000 calorie diet, and that's less than what MFP suggests as a start.

Do you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance?

You’re right! It’s very easy to consume 3,000 a day. I don’t know if I have a gluten intolerance or celiac disease. And I’m considering even consulting with a doctor to make sure I’m dieting correctly. All I know is that I gain weight so easily and it’s frustrating

The_Ta · January 2018

Any health effects of long-term keto?

Depends

If you have any kidney damage, high protein will further the damage.

High fat can lead to high blood lipids which are implicated in heart disease.

For either, see your doctor.

Carbs don’t make you gain weight. Too many calories make you gain weight. Too many handfuls of nuts can easily take you over your daily calorie requirement. Keto can help you lose weight, but you still don’t know how to portion your carbs when you’re around them.

kommodevaran · January 2018

bekah818 wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

I believe low carb, even keto, like any other diet or lifestyle, is healthy if you do it right and unhealthy if you do it wrong.

I believe ketosis is something you either are in or not, and that 90 grams of carbs is too much to be in ketosis.

I also believe you don't have to be in ketosis or go low carb in order to lose weight.

I also believe 1450 calories is too low for you at your current weight, and you're not short either.

You don't need to eat "badly" to gain weight - just a little more than you burn every day and it adds up over time.

You aren't imagining things, but there's also nothing special about you - human bodies are great at ingesting, storing and saving energy. 3000 calories isn't hard to eat if you eat tasty, semi-digested, calorie dense food.

300 grams of carbs is only 40% of the energy in a 3000 calorie diet, and that's less than what MFP suggests as a start.

Do you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance?

It’s very easy to consume 3,000 a day. All I know is that I gain weight so easily and it’s frustrating

How is that frustrating? Your body does what it's designed to do. Everyone would gain weight on excess calories. You have eaten an excess of around 1000 calories per day for two years, which explains the gain of 70 pounds.

I don’t know if I have a gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

If you have it, you will have a suspicion.

I’m considering even consulting with a doctor to make sure I’m dieting correctly.

That's not how it works. You should indeed consult a doctor if you have medical concerns or issues. You can even have blood drawn if you suspect you're having deficiencies. But dieting is extremely straightforward - eat less, move more. If you follow MFP's instructions, which is pretty much just to eat the calories suggested at setup, you're dieting correctly.

lemurcat12 · January 2018

bekah818 wrote: »

I started a low carb high fat diet a few days ago after being inspired by the Keto Diet. I don't think I'm 100 % keto or perhaps I may be considered "moderate or liberal' keto since I consume close to 90 grams of carbs per day.

90 is probably not keto, although if you are quite active or have a quite high TDEE it could be.

Bigger issue -- what different does it make? If 90 g is comfortable for you, that's a good number, keto or no. No real reason to push for keto -- there's a good rant about this by a low carb nutritionist that I would find if I had more time right now.

I think it's premature to worry about doing it permanently, but if you eat a healthy diet and have no counter-indicating test results, I'd say sure, why not? I do think there's some evidence that no human diets seem to be consistently keto (which wouldn't bother me if I found keto enormously beneficial and had no bad test results), but lower carb diets are common enough -- I don't think there's any evidence that macro percentage (as long as you get enough fat and protein -- and you don't need a ton of either), are going to matter much. Other things about the diet matters. So a moderate to low carb amount like 90g or even lower carb? Sure, just (IMO) also eat your veg and get enough protein and eat a healthy diet in general.

Quit comments on the prior diet:

Breakfast: Oat Meal with sliced fruit, usually bannas and strawberries/blueberries) Which isn't terribly, but very high in carbs

For me this would not be filling -- I try to have protein and veg with all meals, and the protein here is low. Bigger issue is portion control -- this can be high or low cal, depending on portion.

Lunch: Turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat with a bag of sun chips and a small spinach salad (again, high carb meal)

Probably lower protein, sandwiches often are, and I'd personally not normally have bread and chips in the same meal since they are essentially both the same thing -- but some do and are happy. It's a matter of finding what you find filling.

Dinner: Brown rice (I never stuck to the serving, I'd usually have 2-3 servings on one plate) with chicken and some mixed veggies

I watch servings of things like rice, since I don't find them that filling (and they aren't a love of mine). Again, it sounds like you weren't watching portions or finding what is filling.

Snacks in between meals: Perhaps some tortilla chips & Salsa, Frozen yogurt or ice cream, a few oreo cookies (okay maybe not a few, I always ate like 6, LOL)

I don't snack since it doesn't help me with satiety -- again, this seems like an issue of not eating thoughtfully or mindfully.

When I totaled all of this up, I was consuming close to 3,000 calories, and 300 carbs plus I was sedentary. I logged this on Jan 2nd 2018, if you're curious to see the totals for yourself. It didn't feel like I was eating 3,000 calories, but it was definitely a rude awakening to see that, I was. So yes, I was in denial. Although i wasn't eating mcdonalds, I was eating badly

Yeah, I get it, there was a time I thought I wasn't eating that much and when I wrote down what I was eating I realized I was. Healthy choices, mostly, but a lot, and snacking in a way I was in denial about too. (My higher cals were from mindless portions of side starches AND extra fat, so it wasn't about macros -- I fixed my meals by adding some more protein and not changing fat and carb ratios, I don't think, and yet had a schedule and way of eating that was sating to me on 1200 -- although I later decided 1200 was silly!).

I know carbs aren't completely terrible, and your body needs them. But beacause of my history with it, I am strongly considering doing this LCHF diet as a permanent way of life. I swear, I feel like my body thrives off of storing carbs and turning it into fat, lol.

But you just explained you were overeating by a lot. That's why you were gaining.

It seems really premature to assume something is going to be forever, but low carbing is totally fine and if it's more sating, that's great. Probably other things would also be more sating, but if you are liking low carbing, go with it. Just don't assume you need to go ever lower if this is working fine for now.

bekah818 · January 2018

@lemurcat12 thank you for this. I'll definitley keep this all in mind. This was very insightful. If you ever find that rant you mentioned earlier by a low carb nutrionist, I'd love to read it. Also, it's funny how you said "rice doesn't fill you up" and how oatmeal doesn't either. Reading your comments made me realize, for me it's definitely a culture thing. Being West Indian, Rice is a big part of what we eat, and there's no such thing as sticking to a serving, we always pile it on! Same goes for oatmeal, I didn't stick to portions with that either -- so you're right, not having portion control was a big part of my weight gain. I guess it is a little early to say that I want to do this LCHF diet permantely, but I'm worried that if I don't, I'll go right back to how I was before. In the last 7 years, I've had dramatic weight loss 3 times, and gain it all back 3 times...this will be my 4th time. I'm not at my goal yet, but I know I'll get there.. my problem is staying there once I reach my goal. Which is why I'm trying to make this a permanent life style change. Perhaps I'll compromise a little, but there's no doubt in me that somethings gotta give.

lemurcat12 · January 2018

I found it! Warning, super long: http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2016/12/ketogenic-diet-rant.html

Orphia · January 2018

bekah818 wrote: »

I guess it is a little early to say that I want to do this LCHF diet permantely, but I'm worried that if I don't, I'll go right back to how I was before. In the last 7 years, I've had dramatic weight loss 3 times, and gain it all back 3 times...this will be my 4th time. I'm not at my goal yet, but I know I'll get there.. my problem is staying there once I reach my goal. Which is why I'm trying to make this a permanent life style change. Perhaps I'll compromise a little, but there's no doubt in me that somethings gotta give.

Sounds like you've been doing a lot of yo-yo dieting. I'm inclined to think you might be doing more of the same, by depriving yourself of things you love to eat and are part of your culture.

A lot of successful people here recommend dieting the way you plan to eat for the rest of your life, by just eating what keeps you happy and healthy within your calorie limit. That method works in maintenance. The sooner you learn how to stick to your calorie limit, the better.

I'm not a fan of any diet. Every person likes different things, but sticking to your calorie limit works for everyone. Fad diets, starvation diets / crash diets lead to yo-yo-ing.

It's up to you whether you want to try another diet. Good luck.

ADoribs · January 2018

I wanted to wish you lots of luck and give you a real hopeful story since lots of these comments seem negative.

I have also been a life long dieter and struggled with food. I have been counting calories for much of my life.

I was given the book "Why we get fat" and after I read it decided to try a low carb ( not completely keto) approach.

I have been at it 3 months now and lost 13lbs without counting calories and mostly without feeling hungry. This approach has really worked for me better than anything Ive tried. I hope you will have good luck as well.

megs_1985 · January 2018

It seems going too low carb might interfere with your lifestyles and culture too much. What happens when you go to a family get together? Will you refuse the food because it’s high carb? Wouldn’t it be better to portion it and still
Be able to enjoy it? If you want to try it short term then ok but 90g isn’t too low. I had 105g today without thinking about it and it included a scone and bread. You should enjoy your diet (as defined as your way of eating for your lifetime) and fit it into your daily life.

GlorianasTears · January 2018

Trust me its never good to do any type of diet for too long!

WinoGelato · January 2018

ADoribs wrote: »

I wanted to wish you lots of luck and give you a real hopeful story since lots of these comments seem negative.

I have also been a life long dieter and struggled with food. I have been counting calories for much of my life.

I was given the book "Why we get fat" and after I read it decided to try a low carb ( not completely keto) approach.

I have been at it 3 months now and lost 13lbs without counting calories and mostly without feeling hungry. This approach has really worked for me better than anything Ive tried. I hope you will have good luck as well.

Which are the comments you felt were negative, because reading through them, they seem really balanced and thoughtful...

PikaJoyJoy · January 2018

WinoGelato wrote: »

ADoribs wrote: »

I wanted to wish you lots of luck and give you a real hopeful story since lots of these comments seem negative.

I have also been a life long dieter and struggled with food. I have been counting calories for much of my life.

I was given the book "Why we get fat" and after I read it decided to try a low carb ( not completely keto) approach.

I have been at it 3 months now and lost 13lbs without counting calories and mostly without feeling hungry. This approach has really worked for me better than anything Ive tried. I hope you will have good luck as well.

Which are the comments you felt were negative, because reading through them, they seem really balanced and thoughtful...

Not to mention insightful and truthful. No idea were negative comes into play.

AnvilHead · January 2018

ADoribs wrote: »

I wanted to wish you lots of luck and give you a real hopeful story since lots of these comments seem negative.

I have also been a life long dieter and struggled with food. I have been counting calories for much of my life.

I was given the book "Why we get fat" and after I read it decided to try a low carb ( not completely keto) approach.

I have been at it 3 months now and lost 13lbs without counting calories and mostly without feeling hungry. This approach has really worked for me better than anything Ive tried. I hope you will have good luck as well.

Why We Get Fat was written by Gary Taubes, who is a laughingstock amongst actual evidence-based researchers. It's a bunch of tinfoil hat woo based upon cherry-picked study results and pseudoscience. Taubes has outright said that even if faced with actual science which directly proved him wrong, he would not change his mind or recant upon all the woo he has spouted.

As to the OP's question, a low-carb and/or keto diet (as with any other diet) can be as healthy/unhealthy or safe/unsafe as one makes it. There's nothing inherently "unsafe" about it, but on the other hand there's plenty of science which conclusively proves that there is no "metabolic advantage" of a keto/low-carb diet over any other diet, with calorie and protein intake held equal.

kommodevaran · January 2018

GlorianasTears wrote: »

Trust me its never good to do any type of diet for too long!

You'd have to define both "diet" and "too long" for this to make sense. "Too long" usually, but not always, has the implicit meaning "long enough to cause negative effects". "Diet" (as a noun) has two different meanings - "what you eat" and "a prescribed and more or less structured meal plan with a certain purpose, usually weightloss".

Is it safe to permanetly stay LCHF (Low Carb/High Fat) as a lifestyle?

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