Giving Up Carbs to lose Weight Good or Bad idea what do you think ?

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Replies

  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    11Templars wrote: »
    mpkpbk2015 wrote: »
    I read this article at this link https://www.eatthis.com/giving-up-carbs-side-effects-news/
    that talks about possible side effects of giving up carbs to shed pounds which include irritability, headaches, constipation, weakness, food cravings, keto flu (flu like symptoms).
    If you gave up or significantly reduced your carbs, or are doing keto - What has been your experience. Please share.

    Speaking only for myself here:

    I myself do a low carb and low cal diet when cutting every spring. (Generally about 30lbs in 4-5 months) For me personally, it's the easiest way to do it for me. For myself, I find the more rigid the routine, the easier it is for me to follow. Of course, Low carb is generally not a sustainable diet for most. But it has it's place in the restrictive diet regime for many.

    I myself haven't had any issues with "Keto Flu", as was said be others this is likely due to the sudden stoppage of sugar intake. I can be a bit "floaty" (brain fog) for the 1st week though.

    The 1st chunk of weight that comes off is indeed water, but there's no magic here, no formula needed. Most ppl when they do keto or any diet for that matter increase their water consumption in a big way. The more water you consume, the less water you retain. It's that simple. The evidence for this has been born out in countless studies. I myself drink 3-4 litres of water a day. Whether I'm dieting or not.

    In terms of constipation: Certainly if you're not consuming enough greens etc, this can be an issue. It's has not been for me personally, however I do supplement with bulk Psyllium Husk. You can get at most Health Food stores in bulk and it's cheap. Coupled with salads I eat with every meal.

    In terms of Keto being restrictive; All diets are restrictive by design. It's how they work. That being said, the best "diet" is the one you can stick to! If it's low cal, low carb, Carb Cycling, Intermittent Fasting, or whatever. You're only going to get out of it what you put into it. You're either dedicated to your cause, or you're not.

    Ultimately it's all about moderation, and healthy choices. Cutting out refined sugar, bread, packaged food etc, is only going to be a positive for us.

    Hope this helps in some small way. Regardless of our own experiences, I am sure we all want to see each other succeed in our goals.

    Thanks for sharing everyone.

    Thank you - very well put - eating like life you get out of it what you put into it. Yes, what you said helped me tremendously put things into prespective as I read and reread your post. Have a great day. And thank you for sharing. 👍
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    I used to do very low carb a long time back...staying below 20g carbs ( not net) and I lost a lot of weight and had great self control...didnt feel hungry at all. Then I got pregnant and Of course I couldn't sustain it then...and after I had my baby, with the stress and lack of sleep and focus, It was a rollercoaster and I ended up eating all the carbs and gained back everything and even more! Now I'm trying to keep it around 100g...but I still feel a huge lack of control. I think keeping my protein higher has helped with no side effects. I prefer salty and spicy food so sweets arent really a problem for me, but I love carbs way too much...not really sure how to stay within calorie deficit because of that! It's a daily struggle. If I eat a bit of rice I want ALL OF IT.

    Thank you so much for sharing, you are not alone in your struggle. I am helped with mine by blogging about it and with my accountability friends. But I still struggle or I wouldn't be here. Good luck on your journey and Peace be with you.🌹
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    I have never even attempted low-carb as it's something I could never maintain long-term. Also, not all carbs are created equal, so it's always odd to me how healthier carbs like broccoli and quinoa, for example, get lumped in with Twinkies.

    Having said that, I eat a lot less refined carbs or "white" foods than I used to, mainly because I think they're more filling.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    I have never even attempted low-carb as it's something I could never maintain long-term. Also, not all carbs are created equal, so it's always odd to me how healthier carbs like broccoli and quinoa, for example, get lumped in with Twinkies.

    Having said that, I eat a lot less refined carbs or "white" foods than I used to, mainly because I think they're more filling.

    Thank you for your insight and pointing that distinction out, I don't know why they lump them all in the same category either. Have a wonderful afternoon.✔
  • anawake13
    anawake13 Posts: 99 Member
    My nutritionist told me to lower my carbs but said our brains need some carbs to work efficiently. She said to remember healthy carbs come from fruit etc. Not doughnuts and candy. Lol She had my number for sure.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    anawake13 wrote: »
    My nutritionist told me to lower my carbs but said our brains need some carbs to work efficiently. She said to remember healthy carbs come from fruit etc. Not doughnuts and candy. Lol She had my number for sure.

    Yea there are good and bad carbs for sure. She sounds like my mom. Thanks for sharing. Have a good evening. <3
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    I have never even attempted low-carb as it's something I could never maintain long-term. Also, not all carbs are created equal, so it's always odd to me how healthier carbs like broccoli and quinoa, for example, get lumped in with Twinkies.

    I don't think they are. For low carbing, broccoli fits in fine (unless one is a big veg eater like me and struggling with some of the claimed keto requirements, but one can easily low carb and include any non starchy veg like broccoli, and if someone is low carbing I'd push them to get most carbs from non starchy veg). If one is merely low carbing and not trying to hit keto numbers, one can also fit in whole grains and whole food starchy carbs and the like. I think claims that quinoa is somehow superior to those foods are wrong (I think quinoa is fine but often overrated, but it would similarly fit). I'd classify Twinkies with dessert type junk foods that should be generally minimized and aren't that tasty anyway, but that would have little to do with low carbing--I'd say the same if not low carbing. And I don't know about Twinkies since I think there are way too many far superior dessert type foods (like gelato), but most of it is fat+carbs and weird to classify as simply "carbs." I like this very dark chocolate that is low sugar and carb but high cal and, well, a low nutrient dessert food, so even when low carbing I limit it.

    not to but in - but I think Twinkies are waste of dessert calories. If your gonna have dessert have something that at least taste like something other than cardboard with filling. Just my humble opinion. Sorry just had to say that now I will go away. Night ladies. <3<3
  • elmusho1989
    elmusho1989 Posts: 321 Member
    No need to give up carbs. Track your calories, exercise a bit and have a bit of what you like so its sustainable. No fad will stick as a lifestyle change.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    No need to give up carbs. Track your calories, exercise a bit and have a bit of what you like so its sustainable. No fad will stick as a lifestyle change.

    Right on - Fads come and go. There's a new diet, diet pill, challenge, cleanse every year. It's a billion dollar industry. And the only winners are the people inventing the newest thing. 👍

  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    mpkpbk2015 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    I have never even attempted low-carb as it's something I could never maintain long-term. Also, not all carbs are created equal, so it's always odd to me how healthier carbs like broccoli and quinoa, for example, get lumped in with Twinkies.

    I don't think they are. For low carbing, broccoli fits in fine (unless one is a big veg eater like me and struggling with some of the claimed keto requirements, but one can easily low carb and include any non starchy veg like broccoli, and if someone is low carbing I'd push them to get most carbs from non starchy veg). If one is merely low carbing and not trying to hit keto numbers, one can also fit in whole grains and whole food starchy carbs and the like. I think claims that quinoa is somehow superior to those foods are wrong (I think quinoa is fine but often overrated, but it would similarly fit). I'd classify Twinkies with dessert type junk foods that should be generally minimized and aren't that tasty anyway, but that would have little to do with low carbing--I'd say the same if not low carbing. And I don't know about Twinkies since I think there are way too many far superior dessert type foods (like gelato), but most of it is fat+carbs and weird to classify as simply "carbs." I like this very dark chocolate that is low sugar and carb but high cal and, well, a low nutrient dessert food, so even when low carbing I limit it.

    not to but in - but I think Twinkies are waste of dessert calories. If your gonna have dessert have something that at least taste like something other than cardboard with filling. Just my humble opinion. Sorry just had to say that now I will go away. Night ladies. <3<3

    Oh, 100% agree, but nothing to do with carbs.
  • oilphins
    oilphins Posts: 240 Member
    Being an avid runner, I can't cut carbs. I find the days I have lower carbs and go for a run, I have no energy as compared to when I have the amount of carbs I'm suppose to have. I find following my macros and eating my normal amount of calories keeps my weight maintained.
  • UKTexan
    UKTexan Posts: 10 Member
    I've always had a very strong insulin response to both whole and processed grains, fruit (yes even with the fibre) and potatoes (sweet and white). Even whole oat oatmeal with sugar free protein powder and nuts/seeds would leave me feeling hypoglycaemic by lunchtime. I'd also get quite bloated on bread products. Once I got an office job, my weight just kept slowly creeping up. Coffee and tea make me feel hypoglycaemic as well. Also, buckwheat, quinoa, all the 'good' carbs. If I try to lose weight by reducing calories and leave these foods in my diet, all I think about is food because I feel hungry and hypoglycaemic all day (yes, even when I eat back my exercise calories). All that does is set you up for overeating, your little willpower is sitting on top of millions of years of evolution telling you to eat, it won't last long.

    My Dad's side of the family (Northern European) all have this issue. My Mom's pound down bread and white sugar and feel fine. My partner is Chinese and eats carbs like they're going out of style (though he's both an accomplished hill cyclist and gets blood sugar dips).

    The only time I lose weight, reduce/eliminate hunger and prevent my hypoglycaemia is by cutting out these products. A calorie is a calorie in the sense that it provides a specific amount of energy. A calorie is not a calorie in the sense that some foods are more likely to provoke a stronger insulin response. Higher insulin levels impair hormone sensitive lipase, the enzyme responsible for getting your body to burn its own fat stores. It's like your body can't 'see' that it's got plenty of energy reserves, and just makes you tired and crave carbs because that's essentially all it can burn.

    I've noticed loads of other benefits as well:

    1. Stable energy
    2. Lower inflammation (my chronic plantar fascitis completely disappears after about 4 days)
    3. Stable mood
    4. Little to no anxiety
    5. A clear, focused mind after the initial adjustment (about 7 days for me).

    I don't eat this way as a fad because otherwise I feel sick on what national guidelines would call a 'healthy diet'. I drink broth (for sodium) if I start to feel achey or run down, and that fixes it. I supplement with two tablespoons of psyllium husk in the morning for fibre, no constipation. I also take a bit of carnitine, as that's been shown to help fat be utilized more efficiently by the mitochondria.

    I don't eat 'dirty keto' ie bacon, burgers and cheese all day because it makes me feel bad and the nitrites/nitrates in cured meat and aromatase in grilled meat come with their own health risks. I eat a non-starchy vegetable based diet with meat and cheese and keto baking if I want it.

    I should mention I am a nutritional therapist (see above for why I got into school in the first place! :) ) Not everyone on a vegan diet or high carb diet etc. experiences the same side effects I do; there's no one-size plan for every person in the world. There's also a low carb substitution for literally anything you can think of, if that's how you choose to eat.

    I also have no intention of living on meat and vegetables if I go on holiday etc. I eat pastries and pizza and drink wine and then go back to this way of eating when I get back home (which is probably a good idea because I will be retaining 6-8 pounds of water weight by that time).

    There's so much extremism in the health and fitness world. Eat keto and you can never have carbs ever again! You should be able to eat bread and potatoes and never feel hungry, you weakling! Calories in, calories out, you should be able to do cardio on 1200 calories even if you're weak from hunger and your vision is blurry and you want to cry from low blood sugar! I feel it's best to treat our bodies with compassion, and adhere to the diet that works best for us (long term!).

    That's my...well, probably more than two cents worth. Hope this helps!
  • Poobah1972
    Poobah1972 Posts: 943 Member
    edited February 2021
    I will say this about the Keto Flu.... It is real.

    Especially for anyone going into a low carb diet for the first time. That's why it is usually stressed to stay below 20 carbs per day for the first 2 weeks. This is so you pass through this transition time as quickly as possible, cause once your body switches over most of the symptoms you mentioned disappear... Namely irritability, headaches, weakness, fatigue, and yes even food cravings quickly diminish (at least for me and my fiancé). if you doing it right and following the rules, generally it doesn't take longer then 5 days to completely switch over, even less once you have done it a few times. And I don't even experience it all when I transitioned 5-6 weeks ago. Some people say it can takes weeks or more, but I personally believe said people might be eating more carbs then they are aware of. (just my opinion)

    Constipation can also be real... Never so bad for me that caused a concern. However I learned long ago, to just take a teaspoon of metamucil with my breakfast and that problem also dissappears. Now if you being extra stead fast, in eating fibre elsewhere, more the power to you. However this can be difficult, if also eating what would likely be a calorie reduced diet. So i say just do the metamucil and not have it be a concern.

    Another issue I have had... Potassium and salt are very important on low carb. I would always get muscle spasms and cramping issues. Taking a potassium supplement every morning this time around, I have had no such issues.

    And then there is gout. Gout can strike people on low carb diets.. Specifically if they are losing quite a bit of weight at a fast pass... I know it first hand. The cure, isn't a Prescription and it isn't changing your diet. Its simply being steadfast about drinking a ton of water. Uric acid in the blood is passed through the kidney's in your urine. If you don't drink the water you can't rid yourself of extra Uric acid which will begin to crystalize in your joints when concentrations reach a critical level. (Uric acid is by product of protein breakdown in your body.) Point is water will cure this problem completely.

    That's my 2 cent's anyway. :)
  • Poobah1972
    Poobah1972 Posts: 943 Member
    edited February 2021
    "Keto flu" isn't caused by "detoxing" from sugar or carbohydrates, it's actually an electrolyte imbalance.

    I've heard that before recently... But is this 100% fact? I see it being marketed by some electrolyte drink makers? But the timing and symptoms of keto flue and how all those symptoms leave at the onset of ketosis... Seem to tell me said symptoms are related more to your bodies stubborn switch to a Fat metabolism.

    If you hit low carb extremely hard for even just 3 days... I would suggest most people would be in ketosis in that time frame and feel better if not even more energetic as ketones levels rise (specially for those with lots of fat reserves...) I personally get revved up so high, it's hard to sleep for a few days after I'm in ketosis until my body finds some balance.. But man am i buzzing positively with extra energy for a few days.

    I also find that every additional time you move into ketosis get's easier and easier with less symptoms as your body is less resistant to the change.

  • Poobah1972
    Poobah1972 Posts: 943 Member
    edited February 2021
    cwolfman1 wrote:
    Yes...every gram of carbohydrate carries roughly 4 grams of water...when you reduce carbs to keto levels, you have a huge water dump resulting in electrolyte imbalances...that's basic human biology.

    I understand you definately dump that water and electrolytes... But that doesn't necessarily mean it correlates directly to the symptoms and there severity. Perhaps it correlates more to certain symptoms then others for instance. All I'm suggesting is there is more then just electrolytes involved as your body adjusts to a fat burning metabolism.. granted Electrolytes are important, without them your heart would stop beating. Eeek.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    UKTexan wrote: »
    A calorie is not a calorie in the sense that some foods are more likely to provoke a stronger insulin response.

    Has anyone ever claimed that all foods provoke the same insulin response though?

  • Poobah1972
    Poobah1972 Posts: 943 Member
    edited February 2021
    @cwolfman13

    Here's another example... when i was deep into low carb and had already lost massive amounts of weight, we instituted a rare cheat day (was a bad idea)... Anyway following said day I would gain about 20 pounds over the next 2 days. (As I have the capacity to hold extreme amounts of water weight associated with glycogen. Then over the next 2 days I would lose all of that water weight to be where i started. I would not experience any flu like symptoms over this time.. even though I was purging my body of glycogen related water retention. This suggests to me, it's not just about electrolyte levels an purging of water weight, and also about your bodies willingness to quickly and easily transfer back into ketosis? At least it seems logical to me.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    mpkpbk2015 wrote: »
    anawake13 wrote: »
    My nutritionist told me to lower my carbs but said our brains need some carbs to work efficiently. She said to remember healthy carbs come from fruit etc. Not doughnuts and candy. Lol She had my number for sure.

    Yea there are good and bad carbs for sure. She sounds like my mom. Thanks for sharing. Have a good evening. <3

    Typo the YEA should be Yes not Yea -