Results from cutting carbs?

AI1108
AI1108 Posts: 488 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I recently read an article about how our bodies aren't designed to handle wheat and grains very well and that it causes tons of people to develop diabetes, as well as heart conditions. I wish I could find the article again but a cardiologist in the article explained that by getting his patients to cut carbs (besides fruits & veggies) from their diet, he found that patient after patient starting losing weight and getting leaner. I don't know how true it is or anything but it got me thinking.

How many people have cut a large majority of carbs from their diet besides fruits & veggies and seen a large difference in their weight loss and body composition?
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Replies

  • dragonbug300
    dragonbug300 Posts: 760 Member
    I've never been more energetic or lean than when I ate fewer carbs. I've known from previous lectures in biology and anthropology classes that humans are not designed to handle large quantities of wheat-and-grain products.

    In fact, today I re-started my low-carb commitment. It's really tough, considering that my friends and family pretty much eat the equivalent of a loaf of bread every day. But there is no doubt that I was happiest with my body composition when I ate almost no grains or wheat (or refined sugar, but that goes without saying).
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    I've heard a lot of really good things. My sister went gluten free and that alone made her lose a ton of weight. I doubt I will, though. My favorite foods are all carbs. =)
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    I've found that I just can't lose weight consistently on a low calorie, high carb, low fat diet. I have had great success cutting out almost all carbs but vegetables and berries. As I am getting closer to my goal, I've been trying to keep my daily carb intake to around 80-90 grams net, while still watching calories. It's working for me.
  • ctr04c
    ctr04c Posts: 3
    I have cut down on my carbs. At the end of six weeks, I have lost 15 lbs. I prefer this to counting calories.
  • kowskey
    kowskey Posts: 19 Member
    It's worth noting that we have been eating grains for centuries and widespread obesity is just recently a problem.
  • jmeeej
    jmeeej Posts: 125 Member
    Centuries is not long enough for an organism to adapt to something like a new food source like grains. Especially not to have it as 55 to 60% of your source of energy.

    The mostly likely cause for this obesity epidemic (according to most health "experts") is high carb/high sugar, high sodium diets and less activity.

    I've been following a Primal Blueprint for 7 weeks now and I can't believe how much better I feel. I wouldn't consider this a diet either....it's more of a lifestyle change.

    Forgot to mention.....I'm down 19.something lbs in 7 weeks and feel fantastic. Full or energy all the time, never hungry. I am stronger and thinner than I have in over 5 years.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
    Centuries is not long enough for an organism to adapt to something like a new food source like grains. Especially not to have it as 55 to 60% of your source of energy.

    The mostly likely cause for this obesity epidemic (according to most health "experts") is high carb/high sugar, high sodium diets and less activity.

    I've been following a Primal Blueprint for 7 weeks now and I can't believe how much better I feel. I wouldn't consider this a diet either....it's more of a lifestyle change.

    Forgot to mention.....I'm down 19.something lbs in 7 weeks and feel fantastic. Full or energy all the time, never hungry. I am stronger and thinner than I have in over 5 years.

    I agree with this.

    Cutting out the grains, legumes, most nuts and dairy leaves me with a great amount of energy, sleeping well, no long having any joint pain and inflammation (arthritis type symptoms), stable blood sugar readings and the extra benefit of losing weight.
  • jmeeej
    jmeeej Posts: 125 Member
    I still eat a decent amount of nuts for fat and protein sources.

    I have almonds or pecans nearly every day
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    It's worth noting that we have been eating grains for centuries and widespread obesity is just recently a problem.
    This may be true, but I think the growing amount of people with a wheat intolerance is indicative that it's not a preferred food source for human consumption when refined into white flour. I'm hearing about more and more people who need to switch to a gluten free diet due to Celiac's disease or other issues. I read recently that the number of people with a gluten intolerance has increased four-fold since the 1950's and this was from testing frozen blood from Air Force recruits and is not due to a better system of detection. Four times as many people are intolerant of wheat than 50 or 60 years ago. That makes about 15% of the US population which has at least an intolerance of wheat or gluten, if not an allergy or worse. And many people don't even realize it because the symptoms aren't always obvious.

    Additionally, modern wheat is very different from the wheat our ancestors ate. It's been hybridized so that the proportion of gluten protein has been increased enormously. The grains we are eating today are not the grains our ancestors ate. Also, in the past, most grains were mixed together with beans and nuts. Pure wheat flour has only been milled into refined white flour since about 200 years ago.
  • kowskey
    kowskey Posts: 19 Member
    Centuries is not long enough for an organism to adapt to something like a new food source like grains. Especially not to have it as 55 to 60% of your source of energy.

    The mostly likely cause for this obesity epidemic (according to most health "experts") is high carb/high sugar, high sodium diets and less activity.

    I've been following a Primal Blueprint for 7 weeks now and I can't believe how much better I feel. I wouldn't consider this a diet either....it's more of a lifestyle change.

    Forgot to mention.....I'm down 19.something lbs in 7 weeks and feel fantastic. Full or energy all the time, never hungry. I am stronger and thinner than I have in over 5 years.

    But... I have had very similar results just by limiting calories and eliminating processed foods. Whole grains are a part of my diet.

    To each his own, I guess.
  • dancingj2
    dancingj2 Posts: 4,572 Member
    I do not think grains are so bad. I think the overly processed carbs are. Twinkies and cakes are the problem, not whole grain bread or steel cut oatmeal.
  • jmeeej
    jmeeej Posts: 125 Member
    But... I have had very similar results just by limiting calories and eliminating processed foods. Whole grains are a part of my diet.

    To each his own, I guess.

    It's not for everyone. I told my buddy I would give it a go for 8 weeks and see what I think. I'm hooked.

    And while I do plan to continue this lifestyle for the foreseeable future, I will relax a little on how strict I am once I reach my fitness and weight-loss goals. I'll live an 80/20 lifestyle.
  • Donna_T_B
    Donna_T_B Posts: 24 Member
    I've been on a very low carb, low cal, high protein diet for the past 2 weeks and have lost over 9 pounds. The downside is, I am verrrrry tired. My doctor says that is because my body is not yet used to running on so few carbs, so I'm hanging in there.
  • tmaksparkie
    tmaksparkie Posts: 279
    This is how I lost all my weight and I have a ton of energy, sleep better, and never feel bloated. But you have to remember it is a lifestyle not something to do short term because as soon as you start eating those items again your body needs extra water to digest them so yes it is weight gain. I have done it been their and now know where and what my body likes.
  • jmeeej
    jmeeej Posts: 125 Member
    I've been on a very low carb, low cal, high protein diet for the past 2 weeks and have lost over 9 pounds. The downside is, I am verrrrry tired. My doctor says that is because my body is not yet used to running on so few carbs, so I'm hanging in there.


    Give it a week or two for your body to adjust to running on fats (ketones) and then you'll be all good :)
  • TK421NotAtPost
    TK421NotAtPost Posts: 512 Member
    Centuries is not long enough for an organism to adapt to something like a new food source like grains. Especially not to have it as 55 to 60% of your source of energy.

    The mostly likely cause for this obesity epidemic (according to most health "experts") is high carb/high sugar, high sodium diets and less activity.

    I've been following a Primal Blueprint for 7 weeks now and I can't believe how much better I feel. I wouldn't consider this a diet either....it's more of a lifestyle change.

    Forgot to mention.....I'm down 19.something lbs in 7 weeks and feel fantastic. Full or energy all the time, never hungry. I am stronger and thinner than I have in over 5 years.

    http://thespartandiet.blogspot.com/2010/10/its-official-grains-were-part-of.html

    I don't like linking blogs, but I'm at work right now and I don't have the links to the pubmed sites on which this information is based on.

    Any diet that cuts out processed sugar and replaces them with grass fed beef is A-OK in my book. But let's not pretend like the reason is because we are eating in a similar fashion as ancient humans were....

    Let's stop blaming the carbs for our obesity and start blaming the volume of food we consume. There are plenty of carb-consuming nations in the world that aren't nearly as fat as we are here in the States.
  • Riverofbeauty
    Riverofbeauty Posts: 205 Member
    2 years ago I lost the majority of my weight on the South Beach Diet (it's not known as a "low carb" diet, it's supposed to be "good carb") I became pretty anti-carb after that, thinking they were the reason they made me fat. Which is partly true, but once I started eating carbs again, I gained a third of the weight back.

    I've been counting calories for over 3 months now, and I exceed my carb limit everyday, but because 90% of them are "good carbs" (fruit, wholegrains etc) I have gotten down to my maintenance weight easily while still enjoying carbs.

    I think it's about what works best for you. I would be miserable without carbs. It's definitely an easy way to lose weight, but is it good in the long-term? Personally, no. But if you aren't a big carb eater, and could easily live your life without them, then go for it. I'm just glad I found a way to lose/maintain weight and still eat plenty of carbs!
  • yvonnej1
    yvonnej1 Posts: 904 Member
    I lost the weight I wanted to last year by changing to eating wholegrains and moderate levels of carbs, I had been maintaining for over a year like that yet but wanted to get just a bit leaner. For the last 6 weeks or so I have cut carbs down to between 50-100 grams per day, I'm eating hardly any grains, and I am noticing such a difference, my body fat is reducing and I feel great. I really wish I tried this last year when I wanted to lose weight but I'm not sure I was in the right frame of mind to give up carbs as I was a big fan of rice and pasta. I have to say though it is very liberating to get free from eating them as I just don't have those cravings any more, but I if I really fancy some pasta or bread once in while then I will because committing 100% to something primal blueprint is not for me at this moment in time. Cutting carbs needn't leave you with boring foods either, I'm really enjoying some of the higher fat alternatives you can get away with. Tonight I cooked a lovely cottage pie but used mashed cauliflower with butter and cheese for the topping instead of potato, it tasted superb :-)

    Low carb might not be for everyone, but I don't think you have anything to lose by trying it, I wish I had done years ago :happy:
  • Donna_T_B
    Donna_T_B Posts: 24 Member
    I've been on a very low carb, low cal, high protein diet for the past 2 weeks and have lost over 9 pounds. The downside is, I am verrrrry tired. My doctor says that is because my body is not yet used to running on so few carbs, so I'm hanging in there.


    Give it a week or two for your body to adjust to running on fats (ketones) and then you'll be all good :)

    Thanks! I've been checking periodically for ketosis and after 2 weeks, I'm not there yet. Actually, I haven't checked in the last few days. Maybe I am there and just don't know it. The sluggishness is getting somewhat better.
  • jmeeej
    jmeeej Posts: 125 Member
    If you're using Ketostix they won't really be all that effective after your body begins using the ketones for energy rather than spilling them out into your urine.

    Some people may take longer than others to adapt, but if you feel your energy coming up and your hunger subsiding, those are much better signs. Listen to your body.

    You may want to search "paleo ketostix" there are a few good reads on Marks Daily Apple as well as PaleoHacks

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