Low-Carb hostility on MFP

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I've newish to the message boards, and it has been a bit of a shock to see the backlash against low carb dieting. Apparently anyone who does LC has to defend their choice and even come up with a medical justification for it. I *do* have a medical reason for it (PCOS), but why should I have to defend it at all? Lots of wrong information is being thrown around about LC as if it is fact.

I don't really have a question here, just happy to see there is a supportive group.
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Replies

  • tecallahan
    tecallahan Posts: 732 Member
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    Couldn't agree more. They are usually thinking about low carb/low fat -- which is somewhat dangerous. But Low Carb, Moderate Protein and High Fat is the combination that will drive your body to burn fat as fuel.

    If they bug you, tell them to read "Why we get fat and what to do about it" by Gary Traube. It's *not* a diet book -- it's a scientific/research book that contains all the statistics about low carb dieting and why calories in/calories out doesn't work for at least 50% of overweight people.

    If you are losing weight on the standard, so-called healthy diet - containing fruit, veggies, whole grains, etc. that's great. But if you can't lose weight on that type of diet than low carb is your alternative.
  • kelliott210
    kelliott210 Posts: 2 Member
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    Thank you for posting this. It is amazing to me how my body responds to removal of at least some carbs. After just 2 days of lowering my carbs (basically skipping the "whites"...sugar, bread, potatoes, rice and only eating low carb fruit like strawberries, blueberries and green veggies, i lost 2 lbs!).

    When I go lo-cal...not only do I starve but I also lose VERY slowly and laboriously. I am going to stick to it as a lifestyle change as well as a weight-loss plan in the new year. I am looking forward to posting with Like-Minded MFP friends!
  • agentscully514
    agentscully514 Posts: 616 Member
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    Nice to meet you all!
    My favorite LC myth I've seen around here is that LC makes you tired and sick. How stupid. When I did even EXTREME low carb, I felt absolutely fine, in fact I felt better than usual. I am an avid exerciser, and I was able to work out with no problem whatsoever. What a stupid load of crap.
  • tecallahan
    tecallahan Posts: 732 Member
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    Nice to meet you all!
    My favorite LC myth I've seen around here is that LC makes you tired and sick. How stupid. When I did even EXTREME low carb, I felt absolutely fine, in fact I felt better than usual. I am an avid exerciser, and I was able to work out with no problem whatsoever. What a stupid load of crap.
    Absolutely! I feel tired and fatigued when I am eating carbs!! It's a shame that the majority of society have bee brain-washed into this hogwash. There are a lot of over-weight people who give up because their diets don't work eating "healthy". Even doctors are in denial that low carb is an answer for some people. I am just lucky that my doctor has a sister that is obese and insulin resistant and her only solution to lose weight was low carb - so, my GP supports what I am doing and my dietician is guiding me.

    Still, I have bad thyroid issues and I'm not losing like many do on low carb -- but it's ok -- I am losing - just slower than most.
  • 2Bgoddess
    2Bgoddess Posts: 1,096 Member
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    I absolutely hear ya! People get all bent out of shape. I had to unfriend a few, got downright nasty.
  • anyonebutmehaha
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    yeah i sure have noticed the anti-LC mindset on MFP. lol add in that you eat "clean" and it gets even worse. sorry but i am not denying myself anything by not eating fast food and such~ they just don't have anything that i LIKE (as in enjoy or want) to eat there. is that so hard to believe? some seem to think so.
  • caligirl04
    caligirl04 Posts: 33 Member
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    So happy to meet everyone!! I too have to defend myself with the LC lifestyle, but it is what really works! About 4 years ago, I went on Atkins and it changed everything! I did not realize how bad my body responded to all of those carbs! I lost weigh, felt great, had a lot of energy and the first thing I notice was how I looked like someone deflated me! I took a job that has me sitting more and it seems someone is always bringing in some kind of treat, and the weight has slowly crept back on (20 lbs). So, I'm back at it and I've lost 3 lbs last week. Proof is in the pudding!

    I have discovered George Stella's cook books and WOW! There is a whole wonderful world of LC recipes and I can cook for everyone!

    Glad to know there are like minded, supportive LC people out there for support!! :drinker:
  • Don26
    Don26 Posts: 46
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    Same here, I have seen quite a bit of it. Everyone is different and some respond better to L/C, myself included. Unfortunately everyone thinks their way is best and insist on pushing their dogma. Can be frustrating at times but for the most part I just ignore it and do what I feel is right for me. The rest can go take a flying leap.
  • panyg
    panyg Posts: 597 Member
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    I tried to offer someone some advice about LC eating here a few months ago. At least 4 people gave some pretty insulting and offensive responses, telling me how I should be eating, judging my weight, etc. I just stopped posting in the thread and ignored them.

    I have spent 10 years on and off eating a low carb diet and I don't have to justify myself to anyone!
  • Kksd605
    Kksd605 Posts: 74 Member
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    I've spent the last 10+ years gaining weight and not being able to find/stick to a diet that I can lose weight on. FINALLY... I am on the Ideal Protein (low carb) diet and have lost 40lbs since September! I eat less without getting hungry when I eat mostly protein. Still dealing with cravings for certain foods (like ice cream), but it is lots easier on a low carb diet to consistently lose weight.

    Glad to know others feel the same!
  • MiMiofeight
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    I'm with all of you. I can not lose while eating the suggested carb intake. In fact when I tried following it for under a week I gained 3 lbs. Today I'm back to low carbs. Guess we'll just have to support each other.
  • adamswife01
    adamswife01 Posts: 95 Member
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    Hello All!! I am new to this group and so thankful that I found it. I can lose weight on a lo cal diet, but I never feel right. I am best on a low carb plan. I am trying to keep under 50 carbs per day, and I know that is high to some people. But that is my starting point. I will truly appreciate the support on this. Thanks Aimee
  • 2Bgoddess
    2Bgoddess Posts: 1,096 Member
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    Ugh, back in for a little low Carb love...got slammed again, I am so tired of every person who has managed to lose 15 pounds and suddenly have ABS thinking the must therefore be diet exercise and fitness gurus. Geeze Louise, why can't there be more than one way to do this??
  • TerrificTere
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    I am so happy that I have found others who are LC, my dr recommended it for my PCOS. I did Atkins a few years ago, and lost 70 + lbs, but gained it all back when I added carbs back in... Now I'm doing a modified Atkins, eating fruits which were a no-no on the beginning phase of Atkins.
  • firedragon064
    firedragon064 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    People who are attacking others on MFP , hostility, they are unhappy with their lives, have some kind of mental problem so they just find a way to make them feel good about themselves at other expenses. One good thing about internet, you can just ignore them. I don't event waste my time finishing read their posts. I come here for find support and make new friends. I can control MFP environment to get what I want.

    "Nobody has the power to hurt you without your permission"
    Mahtma Gandhi
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    Or here is a wicked one...

    The fact that people just dont understand that most of us who are on the LC wagon, are doing so under the advisement of our healthcare providers...

    Ive got three doctors all backing me up... two of which I used to work for, so basically I get the red-carpet treatment when I go in! LOL!

    I get really angry over the people who think this is just some fad that we are choosing to take on and 'not deal with real food'... Well, Id like to have people see what I went through when I almost went into Insulin Shock, and my liver was shutting down with a scorching case of Hepatitis because it couldnt handle the insulin overload!

    "Moderation is the key" is all fine and dandy if you are not battling things on the other side.... but, with me, moderation is a farce. I have an elimination list to follow and reading labels isnt an issue where Ive been doing that for some time now.... BUT, I wont put up with people taking jabs at me, or another person who is following the same suit as us.... I tend to be quite outspoken, I will admit, but Im not just gonna sit back and take crap...

    Ive often thought about making a Potato gun and doing a video to the "Moderation Police" and showing them what I think of their moderation! LOL!
  • auctoritas
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    I started keto back in September and it's been great. There are a few people on the MFP forums who I loathe to see posting about low carb - (CENSOR) and his clone (CENSOR) for example - they seem to be the worst of the bunch. Honestly I had no medical reason to go low carb other than the possibility of some insulin sensitivity (undiagnosed but suggested by my doc several years ago). I was just getting fat, and low carb seemed like a magic fix. And you know, it was a magic fix. Once I got all the carby junk out of my house and got my SO on board, it was just so easy to eat this way. I even started eating vegetables I never ate before. The weight started coming off steadily, and I felt so much better.

    This weekend I cheated hardcore - didn't worry about carb counts, had pizza and bagels and stuff. I was on vacation and the nature of the vacation made it really hard to bother with low carbing. Today, I feel like crap. My stomach was rumbling and horrible all weekend, I had headaches and was mostly miserable. I can't wait to get back to eating what feels right again - meat, veg, and fat. :D Screw the haters - they don't know what they're missing.

    I'll be low carbing for the rest of my life.
  • bmonahan115
    bmonahan115 Posts: 121 Member
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    I'm also another doing Low Carb for my PCOS, i will also start to supplement with D-chiro-Inositol, but mostly because I'm really ready to start my body for conception with my fiance within the next year or so. The VLC has made so many positive changes for me, so thankfully it's easier for me to shrug the a$%holes off. Also doesn't help most of my life i have very unsupportive family members, who thought when i was diagnosed with Celiacs that i was lying. So i can thank them for preparing me for "haters" haha. Glad to find this group tho! Makes me want o join the community on MFP again :)
  • agentscully514
    agentscully514 Posts: 616 Member
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    what a great thread! yes, for me it is an absolute necessity, urged by all of my doctors. it is the ONLY way that works for me.
  • dennydifferent
    dennydifferent Posts: 135 Member
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    What annoys me are the threads where someone asks a question, like a question about what their macro levels should be, or whether to worry that they're over MFP's sugar levels, and someone will ALWAYS say, "It's all about calories in, calories out. Just stay in a calorie deficit, the macros don't matter". And then someone will quote them and say "This".

    Of course if someone posts that they're in deficit but not losing, it's "Oh, you've gone into starvation mode".
    Not "Hmm, well maybe this calorie deficit thing isn't the whole answer, maybe something else is going on here". No, lets evoke the all-powerful get-out clause of starvation mode, also known as "you're doing it wrong." Eat less, but not too much less, and move more, but not too much more, and if that doesn't work, try eating more, or maybe less, and moving more, or differently, but always always blame yourself, never the diet. And if a low carber comes along and says wait a minute, just try cutting your carbs and eating when you're hungry, the thread descends into an argument.