Switch to low carb for a week??

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kh79
kh79 Posts: 33
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all!
I'm going on vacation for a week with all inclusive. That means it's not that easy to count calories.
It would be easier to go low carb for that week, since there's less need to know exactly the calories, weight on stuff etc etc.

BUT my question to is: Will it mess up my metabolism, body and digestion to switch to that only for a week? Not thinking I'm gonna go 'no carb' or extremely low carb, I just don't want to add the weight on one week, that I spent weeks to take off.
Easier to leave carbs out than counting calories when u don't know how the food is prepared...

What would u guys do?

Replies

  • Mysling101
    Mysling101 Posts: 1
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    I think it's rather healthy! If you think about it, 10.000 years ago it would be completely normal for the body to sometimes not be eating as much as usual. Be it smaller intake of carbs, fats or whatever; your body will most likely respond very well to it, and you'll be keeping your body guessing, so it doesn't get too.. you know, spoiled :b
  • 1horseygirl1
    1horseygirl1 Posts: 98 Member
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    sounds like a good idea, the thing is with going low carb you wont be as hungry and less likely to be tempted.

    have a great holiday
  • digitalsteel
    digitalsteel Posts: 374 Member
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    Don't worry, science backs you. If you have any questions, I have lots of experience ;)
  • EvelynForsyth
    EvelynForsyth Posts: 272 Member
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    I have started doing lower carb recently. As little bread as possible, no white rice, no pasta etc and have found that i've lost 1lb in 3 days (thats how long i've been doing it) whereas it took me a month to lose 3lbs before! It could be a lovely coincidence and i am having to think a lot more about what i eat as i used to eat a lot of bread before but i can't see why it would be a bad thing for you.

    Have a lovely holiday :drinker:
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
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    I'd just go on holiday and enjoy myself... after all that's what a holiday is all about. Why put yourself through unnecessary stress when you're supposed to be relaxing and having fun!

    Even if you don't know the absolute calorific value, you probably know what foods are calorie dense and those which are lighter.

    Grilled chicken, lean meats and salads (easy on the dressings) and fruit and veg. It won't mess up your metabolism, but it might be fun letting it enjoy foods you don't normally eat.
  • digitalsteel
    digitalsteel Posts: 374 Member
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    low carb can only work if you remember one thing. Do not attempt a low fat diet.

    Focus on saturated and monounsaturated fats as well as protein, those are what will make this work.
  • timbarry
    timbarry Posts: 1 Member
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    Switching to a low carb diet can be a nice boost to your body, but it depends on your normal level of calorie discipline. For example, if losing weight is your priority and you replace SOME (not all!) of your carbs with lean proteins, plus exercise, as long as you are burning more calories during the course of the day than you are eating, you will do just fine.

    But at the end of the day, you must do what is sustainable for the long run. So this part requires that you be honest with yourself. If you make it through a week doing low-carb, but then crash and burn and eat everything in the pantry for the week after, then don't bother. It isn't worth the emotional effects of the 14 day yo-yo.

    Lastly, your body can/will only process a maximum of 1.7p protein/kg of your body weight during the course of any given day....and that is if you are an elite athlete or a marathon runner, for example. That roughly translates to one gram of protein per pound that you weigh at the MAX. Any more protein than that and your body will 'convert' it into a carb and store any extra as fat anyway.
  • digitalsteel
    digitalsteel Posts: 374 Member
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    Switching to a low carb diet can be a nice boost to your body, but it depends on your normal level of calorie discipline. For example, if losing weight is your priority and you replace SOME (not all!) of your carbs with lean proteins, plus exercise, as long as you are burning more calories during the course of the day than you are eating, you will do just fine.

    But at the end of the day, you must do what is sustainable for the long run. So this part requires that you be honest with yourself. If you make it through a week doing low-carb, but then crash and burn and eat everything in the pantry for the week after, then don't bother. It isn't worth the emotional effects of the 14 day yo-yo.

    Lastly, your body can/will only process a maximum of 1.7p protein/kg of your body weight during the course of any given day....and that is if you are an elite athlete or a marathon runner, for example. That roughly translates to one gram of protein per pound that you weigh at the MAX. Any more protein than that and your body will 'convert' it into a carb and store any extra as fat anyway.

    I need to interject, it is physically impossible for your body to convert protein into a carb. However rare, to much protein can cause uric acid toxicity, assuming your body cant process it like the average human can.

    On second note, you do not need to monitor calories on a low carb diet, eating low calorie, low carb, low fat in some combination will cause it to fail.
  • kh79
    kh79 Posts: 33
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    Thanks everyone!!

    I think I will go have a nice holiday without thinking TOO much on it. Normaly I eat healthy dieting or not, and I eat very little carbs anyways. I will choose the healthy things of the table, but I will also treat myself something now and then!! It's my holiday after all!!! ;)

    Combined with a couple of rounds in the pool every day I think it will be nice.

    Goal is to not gain anything while being there, just maintain my weight.

    Thanks again for responding, ur all great!!
  • Motivationrequired
    Motivationrequired Posts: 106
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    I've tried to not eat wheat (pasta, bread etc.) now on Day 10 and found it soooo hard I'm always hungry!!!

    Good luck though, I did it as I'm always bloated, am still eating rice though!!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Low carb is a lifestyle choice, not a way to lose weight. Science has shown (I can pull out the studies for anyone who wants them, but it'll take a little while since I don't have them at my finger tips) that low carb diets do not cause you to lose weight any faster than a balanced diet with a calorie deficit over the long term (6 months and longer). There may be other advantages to it depending on your specific body, but there may not, low carb isn't something you should just "do for a week" it's something you research, test, and correlate to your own biochemistry after study, trial, and reason (I.E. taking weeks or months to research it in relation to your body).
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    It depends where you're going. In Italy or France you could starve!
  • Anweena
    Anweena Posts: 45 Member
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    Well, when I tried to just cold turkey go low carb, I got extremely irritable and depressed. I slowly recovered and now do low carb without too much grief, but it took a few weeks. So, if you want to enjoy your vacation, maybe try not to go too militant. But thats just my experience, every body is different....
  • LowCarbForLife
    LowCarbForLife Posts: 82 Member
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    Well, when I tried to just cold turkey go low carb, I got extremely irritable and depressed. I slowly recovered and now do low carb without too much grief, but it took a few weeks. So, if you want to enjoy your vacation, maybe try not to go too militant. But thats just my experience, every body is different....

    What likely happened to you is not unique. I believe it was probably due to your body's Serotonin production slowing down when you lowered your carb total. The connection between Serotonin levels and mood is well documented. I have seen studies which show that women are more sensitive to this effect when going low carb and hence they seem to get the worst of the so-called "carb flu". It will get better and drinking plenty of water, eating a lot of healthy fat, and getting plenty of sleep will all help the situation improve.

    There are some possible ways to naturally improve Serotonin levels such as exposure to bright light like hours of sunlight and regular exercise which can improve mood but the studies are still ongoing. There are drug therapies but that would not be my personal choice if I was in that situation. I was lucky to never have any adverse reactions when I first went "cold carb" except some mild headaches for the first week which Advil took care of effectively.

    Serotonin improvement strategies: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/serotonin-boosters/

    To the OP, low carb for a week is not a good strategy because a good portion of your initial weigh loss is only going to be from water depletion as your body uses up its glycogen stores which tend to hold water. You will lose some body fat too but when you go back to a high carb diet you'll likely regain all the water. If weight is your sole concern you'll likely end up disappointed imo. I love low carb but it best works as a lifetime lifestyle change. If you are just looking for a quick way to drop a few pounds then I think there are better methods out there.

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