Am I the only one who cannot hang with low-carb?

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  • kcdrake
    kcdrake Posts: 512
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    I have the same problem! Lunch and dinner require some form of carb or else I just get lethargic. Like, I can be full, but I don't have energy. I've just made the conscious decision to incorporate better carbs, like whole-grain/multi-grain breads, brown rice, etc. I've noticed I don't feel as bloated when I've had the 'better' carbs.

    Really, I say listen to your body and don't completely cut something out of your diet if it's something you enjoy. If you cut it completely out, that's when people start craving and binging.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    well said. I'm on my own 80 / 20 plan but sometime its less. I try and keep my carbs around 125grams a day.
    I started over a year ago and I love it. I feel much better not eating all the man made stuff. (I still eat it occasion) Marks daily apple was my first taste of it. When I did P90X the second time it was all Primal! My body fat went to 12%. Not bad for 47 years old

    Is 125 carbs daily considered low carb? I make no attempt to eat low carb but my average is pretty close to that, though some days spike much higher or lower.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,021 Member
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    There is absolutley none showing that eating low carb will make the general population healthier.

    Actually, there is. It's more the higher protein than lower carb, nevertheless, lots of studies showing the health benefits in isocaloric comparisons.

    Studies showing that eating a low carb diet will make the general population heatlhier? Such as?
    My comments was to envoke curiosity in general because blanket statements saying things like " absolutley none showing that eating low carb will make the general population healthier" is a bullseye waiting to happen. Like I said I believe it's the increased protein consumption that is the mediator and not so much the reduction in carbs, but considering a lower carb diet is also one that is higher in protein, the waters get a bit muddled. This study demonstrates the difference going from 60% carb consumption to 40%. Very low carb consumption comparisons are more dramatic when looking at the general population that is for the most part overweight and obese.

    http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/16

    And one from Lyle Mcdonald....a 4 parter.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/comparing-the-diets-part-1.html
  • ChipJDoty
    ChipJDoty Posts: 3
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    I don't like low carb either. Not gonna bash it because some like it, heck I've done it, got good results from it, I just think there's easier ways to structure your diet that are just as effective. Plus I think the most effective diet is the one you can stick to for the long haul and going low carb is just setting yourself up for failure for when you don't go low carb. My best results have come from holding a 40/40/20 macro ratio (protien/carbs/fats). I'm eating about 200g of carbs a day. I've been working out pretty hard lately (finishing a round of P90X now) and this ratio gives me the best of all worlds: never ever hungry, lots of energy, more strength and stamina than I had with low carb, dropping the fat like crazy, and better overall well being. And the real bonus is this is something easily sustained as long as I want. I don't feel like I'm dieting. Just make good choices as much as you can, eat complex carbs, no sugary junk, but an occasional slip up will be a lot less detrimental with this type of diet over low carb. Good luck!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,021 Member
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    I don't like low carb either. Not gonna bash it because some like it, heck I've done it, got good results from it, I just think there's easier ways to structure your diet that are just as effective. Plus I think the most effective diet is the one you can stick to for the long haul and going low carb is just setting yourself up for failure for when you don't go low carb. My best results have come from holding a 40/40/20 macro ratio (protien/carbs/fats). I'm eating about 200g of carbs a day. I've been working out pretty hard lately (finishing a round of P90X now) and this ratio gives me the best of all worlds: never ever hungry, lots of energy, more strength and stamina than I had with low carb, dropping the fat like crazy, and better overall well being. And the real bonus is this is something easily sustained as long as I want. I don't feel like I'm dieting. Just make good choices as much as you can, eat complex carbs, no sugary junk, but an occasional slip up will be a lot less detrimental with this type of diet over low carb. Good luck!
    Hey i eat 200g's of carbs a day as well, but it only represents about 25% of my caloric intake.:happy:
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I will never understand why people have to push what they do on everyone else.

    If it works for you, that's great. And there's nothing wrong with sharing your results with others. But the insistance that your way is the only way (because it works FOR YOU) is annoying. Everyone is different.
  • nickscutie
    nickscutie Posts: 303 Member
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    F low carb.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    There is absolutley none showing that eating low carb will make the general population healthier.

    Actually, there is. It's more the higher protein than lower carb, nevertheless, lots of studies showing the health benefits in isocaloric comparisons.

    Studies showing that eating a low carb diet will make the general population heatlhier? Such as?
    My comments was to envoke curiosity in general because blanket statements saying things like " absolutley none showing that eating low carb will make the general population healthier" is a bullseye waiting to happen. Like I said I believe it's the increased protein consumption that is the mediator and not so much the reduction in carbs, but considering a lower carb diet is also one that is higher in protein, the waters get a bit muddled. This study demonstrates the difference going from 60% carb consumption to 40%. Very low carb consumption comparisons are more dramatic when looking at the general population that is for the most part overweight and obese.

    http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/16

    And one from Lyle Mcdonald....a 4 parter.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/comparing-the-diets-part-1.html

    I would agree that most people who do low carb diets are probably eating high protein, but I'm not sure that is a given, unless you are talking percentages rather than total amount.

    The first link is to a study on diabetics, which soon may be the "general population" but now, thankfully, it isn't. I am at work now and only glanced at the second link, mostly looking for references. I didn't find any at a glance so will have to take a closer look later.
  • Ceebee37
    Ceebee37 Posts: 49
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    you can still lose weight and eat carbs!! I don't know why people tend to think they have to cut them out to lose weight. I ate bread, cereal, rice etc and lost 24 kilos ( 53 pounds) in 6 months and have kept it off. Long term I don't think cutting out carbs is good. It would be pretty hard to stick to it, and then if you decided to introduce them, you may gain the weight back. So, eat carbs, they are good for you!! Low carbers are just fad diets as far as I am concerened, but each to their own I guess!!
  • willnorton
    willnorton Posts: 995 Member
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    low carb done the right way is so easy....there are replacement foods for about any high carb food...you got to be creative....

    anything that you are hooked on I can give you a low carb replacement...

    give me a chance
  • dennydifferent
    dennydifferent Posts: 135 Member
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    I think it's just about impossible for people who don't "need" a low-carb diet to quite understand the incredible results it gives to those who do.

    8 months ago I was on a low calorie diet and doing endurance training. I felt, emotionally, as sad and low as I always had, and my weight loss was slowing down.

    5 months ago I went very low carb, high fat. I had two weeks of carb withdrawal symptoms, then I felt ok, and then, suddenly, I felt good. Really good. I feel better than I remember ever feeling in my adult life. My endurance, which initially took a nose dive, is back up and way beyond what it was. Better than that, the weight has fallen off me at a colossal rate.

    I too thought low carb was a fad, until I read the science behind it and did it for myself, knowing there would be side-effects and resolving to push through them. I really cannot express how much my well-being has skyrocketed, my energy levels, and my fitness. Just...wow.

    Perhaps if you don't have genes like mine- prone to extreme obesity and type 2 diabetes- it won't have such wonderful results for you. I've a sneaky suspicion it works best for certain "types" and not others. But when it works, boy does it work, and no amount of "calories in calories out" preaching will convince me otherwise.
  • Gkeller243
    Gkeller243 Posts: 2 Member
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    How did you break yourself from eating the carbs?? I literally CRAVE them and i would rather pass up a gourmet meal and have the hot bread instead!!
  • dancingthroughmylife
    dancingthroughmylife Posts: 4 Member
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    I can't do low-carb. I feel sick all the time.
  • veganbobatea
    veganbobatea Posts: 4
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    Oh my god, without carbs i would be a evil raging beast. Instead of focusing on how much you miss sugary foods and white pasta, try to incorporate more whole foods/healthy carbs like sweet potatoes, beans, fruit, and whole grains.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    I tried low-carb once, it ended after a few days with me eating an entire loaf of French bread. :laugh:
  • techgal128
    techgal128 Posts: 719 Member
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    You are not the only one. I can't do the low carb thing either. I figure, I'm not doing low carb "for the rest of my life" so why would I do it to lose 15 pounds. Carbs are not the evil some people make them out to be. Are there bad carbs? Sure, but all carbs are not created equal.

    You...I like you. I actually did low carb for about 3 months while being a vegetarian. I realized that my goal is not just to lose weight but to change my overall lifestyle. How am I supposed to get to the point of maintaining when I don't know how to eat normally?
  • Novus175
    Novus175 Posts: 80
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    For the people who do eat low carb (or no carb) what do you eat on a typical day? I'm just curious.

    I eat meat, dairy, veggies, and fruit. I occasionally include some form of starch/grain but rarely and in very limited portions. You're welcome to look at my diary.

    I'm not doing super low carb, Atkins-style. I average 65g/day and have (happily) been eating this way for a year and a half. In addition to low carb I eat wheat free because I am wheat intolerant. I don't miss anything I've removed or restricted from my diet. I'm healthier than I've ever been in my life. I've lost almost 60 pounds. And for me this is not a diet but a new way of eating.....I have no intention of ever going back to eating a "normal" 200-300g carbs a day.

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