Best low carb diet to follow for beginners
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kim0913
Posts: 51
I am new to the low carb dieting.....so new that I haven't started yet as I am very confused as to where to begin?? I have about 20 more pounds I would like to lose and I am having a difficult time losing the remaining weight so I thought I would give the low carb a try. Looking for suggestions on the best way to begin. Do I follow Atkins, South Beach or do I just limit my carbs to a certain amount. Any help would be appreciated.
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I would do atkins... just be careful cause you will gain back your weight you lose and possibly more when you go off of it... I have been on it before and am trying it again cause it does work. 2 weeks of 20 carbs a day. It is not alot but you will be amazed at what you can eat that is low carb. My fridge is stocked up with heavy whipping cream, cheese, bacon, eggs, salad stuff, meats, green beens, spinach... just stay away from carbs, sugar, breads, white rice... if you just stay at 20 carbs youll drop weight fast and if you stick with it youll lose alot in just a short amount of time. I did it for 6 months a while back and lost 36 lbs... i did have cheat moments but I got right back on. you can have slim jims and almonds(smokehouse are my favorite), sugar free sodas and drinks. use artificial sweeteners for coffee or tea if you use sugar. Good luck to you:) oh and i have lost 4 lbs in just a few days(about a lb a day)0
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You don't really NEED a diet plan. I don't have one. I just follow a certain macro ratio that makes me happy (65-70% fat, 25-30% protein, and less than 20g carbs/day). Really all you need to do is start cutting your net carbs below, say, 80-100g/day. Of course you can go lower - <20g is to enter into ketosis, where your body uses fat over anything else for its energy, and that necessarily means you need to consume a lot of fat.
I think Atkins would be a fine place to start if you really need a plan. But no matter which way you go, you can't really go into low-carb half-heartedly, so don't forget to remove all carby things from your house and aim to get the bulk of your carbs in the form of leafy greens
As for the weight gain when you come off it, it's because you shouldn't get off it, or you should have a really good exit plan on reintroducing carbs very slowly. The weight gain is from overloading your body with glucose when it isn't used to glucose at all.0 -
Atkins.com is a good site to check out. It has lots of tools and shows you what you should eat and how to do it.0
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Thank you very much! I think I will check more into the Atkins to kind of give me a guide 0
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You don't really NEED a diet plan. I don't have one. I just follow a certain macro ratio that makes me happy (65-70% fat, 25-30% protein, and less than 20g carbs/day). Really all you need to do is start cutting your net carbs below, say, 80-100g/day. Of course you can go lower - <20g is to enter into ketosis, where your body uses fat over anything else for its energy, and that necessarily means you need to consume a lot of fat.
I think Atkins would be a fine place to start if you really need a plan. But no matter which way you go, you can't really go into low-carb half-heartedly, so don't forget to remove all carby things from your house and aim to get the bulk of your carbs in the form of leafy greens
As for the weight gain when you come off it, it's because you shouldn't get off it, or you should have a really good exit plan on reintroducing carbs very slowly. The weight gain is from overloading your body with glucose when it isn't used to glucose at all.
To be honest, this recommendation should really come from her doctor if this is the right method.
What works for one person may not work well for the next, and in some rare cases, detrimental.
I would definitely suggest a discussion between you and your primary care physician, registered dietician or perhaps a specialist who knows about your individual medical care....0 -
I did Atkins a few years ago and it worked! Loved it! After my divorce and a job change, I now have approximately 30 lbs to loose. I am starting back on Atkins and incorporating more exercise. I LOVE George Stella's cook books and web site. You should check him out. Good luck! I'm with ya! :flowerforyou:0
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If you do any "diet" and then go back to your old way of eating, you will gain the lost weight back. I'm not sure why Atkins gets singled out so often.
It's kind of like saying "If you stop doing the thing that keeps the weight off, and start doing the thing that makes you gain weight, you'll gain weight".
I guess what people mean is "you'll have to watch your carb intake for the rest of your life". Which is true. But since unlimited carb intake made me obese, I REALLY don't mind! 0 -
I registered on atkins (thanks for the post) this does give me a guideline of how to get started. My doc would be proud:) I am proud.0
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Good for you. I think Atkins is a great place to start. I have tried South Beach and for some reason I find it much more difficult than Atkins and don't lose as well. I think perhaps there's too much flexibility with South Beach and I tend to suffer from carb creep.0
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I've done Atkins in the past, and I do eat LC but it isn't towards a specific plan - but Atkins would be the closest. Also, when I first did Atkins YEARS ago, I didn't have a problem gaining weight back after I went back to a moderate/high carb diet. BUT I also worked out 5 times a week, and still watched my portions. I just think low carb is healthier, and sadly my favorite foods are all carby LOL.0
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I suspect we're all carb addicts here! I'm in the same boat - did Atkins a few years ago, lost 30 lbs, then came carb creep and with it weight creep. So I'm on Atkins again, and I think I have a better understanding that I can't go back to carbs :sad: That being said, I like Atkins because of the structure, especially during the weight loss phases.0
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If you do any "diet" and then go back to your old way of eating, you will gain the lost weight back. I'm not sure why Atkins gets singled out so often.
It's kind of like saying "If you stop doing the thing that keeps the weight off, and start doing the thing that makes you gain weight, you'll gain weight".
I guess what people mean is "you'll have to watch your carb intake for the rest of your life". Which is true. But since unlimited carb intake made me obese, I REALLY don't mind!
THIS x100000000000
I'm so sick of hearing that Atkins will make you gain weight faster when you go off of it like something else won't. If I was eating way under calories needed and suddenly went back to eating 2-3k calories a day I'd probably gain weight too. If I was eating low fat and added fat back in along with all the sugar that they use to make low fat food palatable (barely IMO) I'd gain weight. If I cut portions and then went crazy I'd gain weight.....
Fact of the matter is, for most people I know that are low carb/primal/paleo, there is no going off the diet, because it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle and much more satisfying than anything else out there for me personally.0 -
I highly recommend reading the book _Dr Atkins' New Diet Revolution_. It's the "guide" for the Atkins plan. It will explain to you why and how low carb works, what ketosis is and why "just one little cheat" is highly detrimental and not worth it at all.
I've read it twice now, both times before starting the Atkins way of eating, and I feel so much more in tune with what's going on than I perceive a lot of "low carbers" to be (not trying to be catty - there are loads of you out there who are informed! You're in this thread!)
Plus, the book is very motivating.
All in all, it just helps to understand "why low carb?" instead of just "what is low carb?"0
