Low-Carb diets?

anna_jane48
anna_jane48 Posts: 9
edited October 4 in Food and Nutrition
So my roomie and I are thinking about starting a low-carb diet. We would be starting out at 20 carbs/day and adding 5 per week. Does anyone have suggestions or success stories about doing this? I would love to hear them!

Replies

  • Frappuzzino
    Frappuzzino Posts: 342 Member
    So my roomie and I are thinking about starting a low-carb diet. We would be starting out at 20 carbs/day and adding 5 per week. Does anyone have suggestions or success stories about doing this? I would love to hear them!

    Unless you have a health condition permitting it, I wouldn't recommend that low carb of a diet for anyone. Carbs are essential, as long as their source is not from processed foods.
  • beaversprings
    beaversprings Posts: 49 Member
    I've been doing low carb for three and half months now (10 percent carb/45/45 fat and protein). I've lost 50 pounds. It is especially good if you are addicted to carbs. Just make sure to take multi-vitamin and eat whole foods, not processed.
  • gradgal01
    gradgal01 Posts: 46 Member
    That's... pretty intense. I've been doing the paleo/primal thing (aka nothing processed, no grains, no beans), and I still eat well over 50 g carbs/day. I've been having some success eating the way I do, and I feel healthy, so you can look into this... but I think Atkins might be the only one (off the top of my head) that cuts out fruits/vegs so strictly to get you were you think you should be.
  • Pocket_Pixi
    Pocket_Pixi Posts: 1,167 Member
    If you think you can handle 20g carbs a day than I say there is no harm in trying it. Do make sure you eat veggies (they do have carbs but they are good), I like tha Primal/paleo thinking that was mentioned before. I just recently made the decision to go low carb so I cannot say if I have been successful or not but I do know many people who have, I am eating between 50 - 100g carbs a day and in the last few weeks I have noticed my weight slowly going down.

    Do take a multi-vitamin though so that you do not start lacking any nutrition.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
    So my roomie and I are thinking about starting a low-carb diet. We would be starting out at 20 carbs/day and adding 5 per week. Does anyone have suggestions or success stories about doing this? I would love to hear them!

    Check out Sugar Free Sheila.................she has been maintaining this lifestyle for like 10 years.

    http://www.sugarfreesheila.com/
  • reneeot
    reneeot Posts: 773 Member
    Read atkins site - the different phases. simililar to what you are saying. Suggestion also on what carbs to start adding and which ones to add in last.
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    There can't be any exercising with this low carb diet right?

    I tried a low carb diet while lifting. I ended up getting hamstring cramps while driving.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    You're much better off learning to eat a balanced diet and limiting your total caloric intake. 20g of carbs per day is very restrictive.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    Carbs are not an essential macronutrient.


    OP-

    Are you just trying to cycle your carbs or you doing a keto diet?
  • Jesung
    Jesung Posts: 236 Member
    From what I understand, low-carb diets tend to be more effective with obese individuals vs someone within normal BMI range. If you've been eating a lot of sugary, processed food while gaining weight, I would try out low carb.
  • Schuyler
    Schuyler Posts: 78 Member
    There can't be any exercising with this low carb diet right?

    I tried a low carb diet while lifting. I ended up getting hamstring cramps while driving.

    I'm currently doing a low carb diet (modified south beach, under 75g of carbs a day) and I workout 6 days a week. You don't have to cut your workout routine if you're a moderate exerciser.

    20g of carbs means you won't be eating many veggies or dairy. Try under 50 to start. You'll be amazed how easy it is to stay under that when you cut out bread, rice, pasta, sweets, etc. Good luck!
  • auctoritas
    auctoritas Posts: 204
    I'm pro-low carb but this is not the forum to ask about it in. :P You'll get a lot of flak. Myself, I've lost 11 pounds so far and am feeling pretty good on a <20g carbs/day diet - but it requires high fat to function. My aim for macro nutrients is between 65/30/5 and 70/25/5 - fat/protein/carbs. The bulk of my carbs come from vegetables, especially leafy greens (which I need to eat more of but story of my life ;3).

    The upside is that a lot of people experience more clarity of thought, more energy, and better cholesterol reports. Some downsides include bad breath or gas, but not everyone experiences those. I didn't.

    You CAN exercise on a low carb diet - you either need to increase your caloric intake in fat if you find yourself too tired, or you can carb load (on fruits, not refined sugars and flours :P) before a workout for the extra energy, but only if you're doing really intensive exercise. You also need to drink a LOT of water.

    It's not inherently better or worse than a diet higher in carbs, but some people find they actually react poorly to carbs in general, and going low carb improves their health. It's not for everyone, and some people do better on high carb diets. Give it a shot, keep an eye on your macronutrients, and stick with it for more than one week. When you get off carbs, your body freaks out for a bit and you'll feel sluggish and sick for a few days (keto flu). You just need to get acclimated to using ketones for fuel instead of carbs. After the induction phase you'll feel much better.

    Edit: For carb limits, on low carb diets you subtract fiber from the total amount, so if you consume 50 carbs and 30 of that is fiber, you're still at the 20g carb mark. Also, 20g of carbs is like 3 or 4 cups of broccoli, which is a lot. I haven't had a problem with not hitting the carb limit. Dairy is also fine, just stick to heavy whipping cream and hard cheese, both are relatively low in carbs.
  • Gigi_licious
    Gigi_licious Posts: 1,185 Member
    Unless there is a medical reason or your body just doesn't handle carbs well (as far as the way you feel when you eat them) then I would say don't do it. Of course, I am carb sensitive and I still eat the crap out of them. But if you're doing it solely for weight loss purposes, don't deprive yourself. You can lose weight and still eat carbs. All my hawt friends eat carbs all the time.

    Edit to clarify that I voted don't do it only because I'm anti banning food groups unless medically necessary. However, I don't believe carbs are a necessity. I eat them because they taste good.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    All my hawt friends eat carbs all the time.
    Not this one...
  • pnieuw
    pnieuw Posts: 473
    Unless there is a medical reason or your body just doesn't handle carbs well (as far as the way you feel when you eat them) then I would say don't do it. Of course, I am carb sensitive and I still eat the crap out of them. But if you're doing it solely for weight loss purposes, don't deprive yourself. You can lose weight and still eat carbs. All my hawt friends eat carbs all the time.

    Edit to clarify that I voted don't do it only because I'm anti banning food groups unless medically necessary. However, I don't believe carbs are a necessity. I eat them because they taste good.

    I just checked my carbs from May 1 to Aug 31, when I dropped 30 pounds. I ate an average of about 300g of carbs a day, on a 2,000-2,400 calorie a day. I balance my diet, fat, carbs, etc. but I don't restrict one area over another.

    I personally could never do low carb. Too many foods I'd have to give up, and I'm pretty happy where I'm at.
  • tjnahm
    tjnahm Posts: 73 Member
    I started my low-carb lifestyle on June 22, 2011... just under four months ago and I have lost 86lbs in that time frame and I absolutely LOVE what I eat. Meat, Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Veggies, Fruit, Nuts, and limited Dairy.

    Read up on it first, investigate Primal / Paleo lifestyles, and live a new life better than you ever dreamed of on this earth!

    :)
  • Gigi_licious
    Gigi_licious Posts: 1,185 Member
    All my hawt friends eat carbs all the time.
    Not this one...

    Correction : quite a few of my hawt friends eat carbs all the time. But this shows you can also have pretty boobies without them.
  • Sh1tsRainbows
    Sh1tsRainbows Posts: 1,227 Member
    one word for you: BACON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :flowerforyou:
  • unicorn19girl
    unicorn19girl Posts: 56 Member
    Rather than cutting carbs that drastically, you might want to think about just eating cleaner carbs like lots of veggies and fruits and whole grains like oatmeal. Just avoid the processed carbs and processed sugary foods. Good Luck!!
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    I do best with low carb meals. But I am not dieting, I choose lots of fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats and fish. Just change your life. I think South Beach is about the only one that comes close to healthy. I like MFP.
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
    Rather than cutting carbs that drastically, you might want to think about just eating cleaner carbs like lots of veggies and fruits and whole grains like oatmeal. Just avoid the processed carbs and processed sugary foods. Good Luck!!

    Why? If she wants to cut carbs she can cut them. I agree 20g a day is REALLY low, but under 50g is completely manageable. This allows fruits and veggies. You don't need to eat whole grains to be healthy. Protein, fruits and veggies make a perfectly balanced diet.
  • Shannonigans84
    Shannonigans84 Posts: 693 Member
    I feel best eating low carb and 20g a day is very do-able. Give it a try, no harm in that :smile: Add me if you'd like to check out my diary.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    I have had great success on low carb diets. You may want to look for some more guidance that just picking the number you want to have to ensure you are eating the right combinations of foods. You should be able to find some plans online or you could reach out to some on this post who eat low carb to get some advice. You want to ensure your other macros are good, and you may need to up the fats in your diet as well.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    You may want to look for some more guidance that just picking the number you want
    Yep...don't do the diet until you've done the research!
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