What is with the low carb fad?

I'm just wondering what people's reasons are for doing low carb on here? Carbs are the body's preferred source of energy.. I understand it in prepping for competitions and the carb cycling with leaning out after building muscle but I can't understand why the average person would. Everybody I have known who did the whole 'low carb' diet for a while lost weight but it was just put back on later because it isn't a lifestyle you can stick to.. Just seems like a quick fix for some that is hard to maintain in the long run. Not trying to be rude or insult any who are doing it. I'm just curious about your reason's behind choosing it.

Its not a fad. There are hundreds of doctors I work for that recommend low carbohydrate intakes for patients with obesity, diabetes, PCOS, high blood pressure, etc....

Anyone can stick to a proper low carbohydrate lifestyle.

For me, Im medically required. I have a metabolic disorder they cant even pin a name to it... imagine being a guinea pig for research purposes because they dont know what to call it! LOL!!!!

Thanks to a low carbohydrate intake (all fresh foods, no junk, no processed, no potatoes, rice, corn, pasta, breads, flours, etc), Ive dropped weight, my A1C in just under 6 months time went from 11 down to 5.2 all from eliminating these foods. My overall cholesterol count went from 252 down to 117 - thats all with the food elimination list and always eating real foods.

Its perfectly healthy - but like any other style, its up to the person to be dedicated. The style didnt fail the person... the person failed the person. Thats what people keep forgetting... its a person's choice if they decide to fall off the wagon. They need to hold theirself accountable for the choices and actions they chose for theirself.

Low carb is not a fad... never has been and never will be. Ive seen some of my own patients come back with AMAZING results - and its because they chose to remain dedicated... and the end result is that they are much healthier.

There appear to be a lot of these threads lately and to be honest, I find it all very confusing.

As far as I know, the food pyramid is still the recommended way to eat, but correct me if I'm wrong. I have two young children at home and our family meals would be based on the food pyramid. Sure, we need carbs for our energy?

You're body can make carbs from protein if required. Lower carbs are not a problem at all. What is low, varies person to person however.

There appear to be a lot of these threads lately and to be honest, I find it all very confusing.

As far as I know, the food pyramid is still the recommended way to eat, but correct me if I'm wrong. I have two young children at home and our family meals would be based on the food pyramid. Sure, we need carbs for our energy?

You're body can make carbs from protein if required. Lower carbs are not a problem at all. What is low, varies person to person however.

I just can't imagine dropping all potatoes/rice/bread/paste - especially bearing in mind I have children to feed as well. (we're not overweight by the way, but merely interested in this subject)

No-one said about entirely dropping them in every case. I'd personally consider low carb for myself somewhere around 200g a day and for the average person 100g or so.

Of course there is naturally very low carb diets that work well and keep you from feeling hungry as well.

I dont think there is anything wrong with carbs. I mean as long as you dont overdue it. I just never have a carb after 6, they will stick with you all night and the next morning. So a big thing of pasta is not good for you right before bed for example.

I don't think that is true about eating late in the evening. I've lost 18 lbs so far since I started dieting and exercising. I'm deployed right now and I dont get off work until 7pm. I come home change for the gym and I am working out by 7:30 for an hour. I come back get get my shower stuff together and Im back in room between 9 and 9:30. I eat my LATE dinner while talking to my husband and Im asleep by 10:30. If eating carbs or dinner so late was bad, then why am I still losing weight?? Like I said, carbs and eating late is not a problem unless you are a couch potato

From my own research, low carb seems to be something that can be unhealthy if done long term. Low carb tends to mean high fat and high cholesterol.

For me, having lost 23 lbs and nearly to my ideal weight, it's much more difficult to lose those last few lbs. Right now I am alternating with 2 days of low carb and 5 days just regular balanced eating at a calorie deficit. This was suggested to me as a way to break my plateau. I am trying it and not finding it difficult.

My wedding is in 4 weeks, and so I really want to break this plateau before then.

Hope that helps!

No - that is a misconception. It is not a high fat/high cholesterol approach. If the person is making appropriate choices with a low carb intake, its extremely healthy. My total CHO is 117 and Ive been doing this for almost a year. So, sorry, youre wrong.

I don't get any of these fads. Just use the god damn food pyramid and you'll be fine

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha :laugh:

What she said. What is low carb?

I do lower carb because I have PCOS and am insulin resistant so my doctor told me that I need to keep my carbs low (around 30-35% of my diet depending on what works for me) and my protein high. I watch my fat intake (especially my saturated fats) and do cardio 6 days a week with light strength training 3 days. Again, based on the recommendation of my doctor.

For me, this isn't a fad. It's how I'll have to eat the rest of my life because PCOS doesn't go away. You can only treat it and without access to proper medication, I have to work even harder at treating it through diet and exercise.

Just use the god damn food pyramid and you'll be fine

The government got rid of the pyramid. Their new plate is dumb. I prefer this:

And here I thought Paleo people were mostly against grains and legumes.

poisons aren't really part of our plant fare. :P

I avoid nightshades (poisons) and grains (poisons)

From my own research, low carb seems to be something that can be unhealthy if done long term. Low carb tends to mean high fat and high cholesterol.

For me, having lost 23 lbs and nearly to my ideal weight, it's much more difficult to lose those last few lbs. Right now I am alternating with 2 days of low carb and 5 days just regular balanced eating at a calorie deficit. This was suggested to me as a way to break my plateau. I am trying it and not finding it difficult.

My wedding is in 4 weeks, and so I really want to break this plateau before then.

Hope that helps!

No - that is a misconception. It is not a high fat/high cholesterol approach. If the person is making appropriate choices with a low carb intake, its extremely healthy. My total CHO is 117 and Ive been doing this for almost a year. So, sorry, youre wrong.

I was restating what both my doctor and my nutritionist explained to me as I decided to eat very low carbs and also going by personal experience. You eat 117 carbs? That's great! I'm talking about eating 50 grams of carbs or less

It's also VERY true that many foods with a low carbohydrate value have a higher cholesterol and fat value. I'm glad that it works for you, and that you are able to do it in a healthy way. However, not everyone can, and I've witnessed more close friends hospitalized and ill because they ate little to no carbs.

But - the best way to approach it is to balance everything and listen to your doctor and, if you have one, nutritionist. Every body is different, right!

I love low carb and keto/paleo. As a celiac, I'm already gluten-free, so it's not that much of a stretch. Meats, vegetables and fats are so much more nutritious than "gluten-free" marketed foods, and I'm not a fan of spiking my blood sugar through high-carb grains. Going low carb is for life: it helps me stay on track with good-quality, nutritious food that tastes delicious. Right now I'm doing under 30 net carbs per day, but after awhile I'll up it a little. It works for me!

I've found that a lot of the low-carb confusion comes from there being no standard definition of a low-carb diet. I love my carbs, including whole grains. I never in my wildest dreams would say I eat a low-carb diet, but I've been in discussions about the pros and cons of it on these boards and then have someone mention something like 'staying under 150 carbs' as low-carb, or sometimes 'under 100'. I'm under 150 total carbs on a lot of days and on most days under 150 net carbs (which is all that really matters since fiber isn't absorbed).

Then others talk of eat really low carb, like 50 or something per day. These people usually are avoiding all grains.

There is plenty of evidence that eating whole grains is healthy, but I've never seen any that not eating grains is unhealthy, mostly because there isn't much research on that subject out there.

I like whole grains so I eat them, but everyone has to find what works for them. I do think you are correct that finding something you can live with long term is important.