For how long can you safely reduce/cut out carbs?
vacherin
Posts: 192
Hi everyone
I recently reduced carbs for 5 days (didn't completely cut them out - still ate them in the form of fruit and pulses) and, although I didn't lose any lbs on the scales, I seemed to lose a lot of flab and am now much firmer where I used to be wobbly. Clothes are much looser, and the jeans that didn't fit me last year now fit! And this was despite exercising only moderately (2 cycle rides and 1 short run in those 5 days). I truly feel that I actually lost FAT, as opposed to just losing water, or food being expelled from the other end (sorry to be graphic), or whatever.
I was wondering for how long you could/should safely eat in this way (and by this I mean both "How long is safe according to experts?" and "How long have YOU personally managed before collapsing in a gibbering heap?"). I am very tempted to try it again but don't want to do myself any long-term damage. Also, is it possible to maintain a proper exercise regime (running 4 times per week) whilst eating in this way, or are grainy carbs essential for sports?
Many thanks for your help
Vacherin xxx
I recently reduced carbs for 5 days (didn't completely cut them out - still ate them in the form of fruit and pulses) and, although I didn't lose any lbs on the scales, I seemed to lose a lot of flab and am now much firmer where I used to be wobbly. Clothes are much looser, and the jeans that didn't fit me last year now fit! And this was despite exercising only moderately (2 cycle rides and 1 short run in those 5 days). I truly feel that I actually lost FAT, as opposed to just losing water, or food being expelled from the other end (sorry to be graphic), or whatever.
I was wondering for how long you could/should safely eat in this way (and by this I mean both "How long is safe according to experts?" and "How long have YOU personally managed before collapsing in a gibbering heap?"). I am very tempted to try it again but don't want to do myself any long-term damage. Also, is it possible to maintain a proper exercise regime (running 4 times per week) whilst eating in this way, or are grainy carbs essential for sports?
Many thanks for your help
Vacherin xxx
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Replies
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There are no molecules in the group "carbohydrates" that we have to eat, unlike protein and essential fatty acids / minerals / vitamins.
So the answer is in general "a very long time". Over 2 years in my personal experience, with less than 30g per day of what Americans would call "net carbs" (ie carbohydrates on food labels minus fiber on the label).
I recently read a book about low carb performance sports which said carbohydrates are not essential to sports and made the point that endurance sports need more calories than the body can store as carbs. I'm aware that there's a whole sports nutrition industry and followers that will say otherwise."low carb athletic performance" in a search engine will feed your curiosity.0 -
I have gone several months severely restricting carbohydrates (except for one day a week where I would indulge) and lost nearly 50 lbs while dramatically improving physical fitness and sports performance. I'd say if it works for you and you're feeling good and seeing results, go for it.0
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as a sidenote, though, I did eventually ditch that plan and settle on more of a straight calorie counting strategy because I found I was just feeling too (psychologically) deprived0
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I ate on the South Beach diet phase 1 plan for about six months and lost 80 lbs. Would have kept going if I hadn't got pregnant. lol I had no ill side effects from it.0
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There is no dietary requirement for carbohydrate. It's the only one of the three macronutrients that is not essential for survival. In the absence of glucose the body can use ketones for energy.0
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It depends on what you mean by "reduced carbs". I cut back on carbs, I consume between 100 - 150g/day. I eat some whole grains & complex carbs (whole grain bread, rice, sweet potato, etc.), but stay clear of simple carbs (white bread, white rice, potatos). I've been doing this for about 10 months now. I also walk on the treadmill (moderate pace) a mile a day for 6 days a week. I haven't fallen over yet.
Low Carbers get around 50g/ day or even less. That seems dicey to me, I couldn't sustain a daily carb level that low for a long period of time.
Disclaimer: I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination.0 -
if you think about it, humans never ate refined carbs, only fruit and vegetable based ones, for thousands of years. not me personally, but my mother lost 60lbs in under 6 months following the dukan diet which severely restricts all carbs, only allowing veg every other day and no other form. i followed it for 3 months and had no ill effects and good weight loss. i just missed summer fruits too much.
if you feel healthy reducing carbs, then go for it. i've just started cutting out refined sugars as well as wheat gluten but allowing the natural carbs from fruit etc. only 1 day in and i'm expecting a bit of a crash tomorrow, but i'm hopeful that long term it will be beneficial.0 -
Some people do this as a lifestyle, and as with any lifestyle you should research it and live it mindfully if you choose to do so.
Depending on how severely you want to restrict your carbs, you may be entering the realm of ketosis, and you'll want to read up on the nutritional requirements (expectations, balance between fat and proteins, nutrients required, water needs, etc) of that lifestyle. Just like you're doing today on MFP since you are already tracking carbs and protein and fats, but in different proportions.
I'd recommend visiting any one of thousands of Atkins sites (there are tons of similar plans, Atkins is just a name that pretty much everyone knows) and doing a little research about one of the possible ways of approaching it properly.0 -
You should be asking your own personal doctor about this. Every BODY is different...by the way i lost 70lbs eating carbs and normally 1,600 cal a day 30min work outs0
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I have been doing low to no carbs for a very long time (20+ years). Started with Protein Power, then Atkins then you name the diet as long as it says no carbs it seemed to work for me. However with age comes a bit of wisdom (at least on how my own body reacts).
With regards to cutting out bread, baked goods, white rice, sugar, cookies, pizza, french fries, etc... that all makes a ton of sense and I know I can remove those from my diet forever and I'll feel better and have much more energy. When I've gone off the diet and added back those "comfort" foods I gained weight no matter how much I excercised.
However I've also overdone it where I ate nothing but meat and cheese and definitely did not feel as good. Working with a nutritionist I've greatly increased my vegetable intake (as an example added Spinach to my egg white and chicken apple sausage) and do allot more chicken and fish and less red meat (but red meat is good especialy if you can find grass fed).
So the challenge for me is to get enough fiber and in a low carb diet the best way that I've found for myself to do that is to add green steamed vegetables to every meal if possible.
Best of luck!0 -
Thanks for the replies - and sorry, I should have been clearer in terms of what I meant by "reducing carbs". I didn't measure the actual amount of carbohydrate I was eating or anything, but my daily diet would consist of something like:
Breakfast - blueberries, full fat live yogurt and nuts
Lunch - large avocado with hummus and/or falafel
Dinner - salmon with asparagus and spinach, or some sort of home-made bean stew in tomato sauce
Snacks - fruit, nuts, seeds
Drinks - water (still and sparkling), fruit juice (but only once a day and EXTREMELY diluted), green tea, oolong tea
No pasta, bread, rice, oats, potatoes, refined sugar or honey, or junky carbs such as biscuits or cakes. And no booze!
My previous diet would have been: The same breakfast but with oatmeal sprinkled on, something rice-based for lunch such as risotto or kedgeree, and a similar dinner but with a potato or pasta accompaniment.
Had I lost weight on the scales and muscle tone, I would have stopped the diet. But I actually look leaner and more toned - I have the arms and shoulders of a javelin thrower despite not even doing any weights!0 -
I've been on a moderately low carb diet for quite some time (150g per day) and I've felt way better than I used to when I thought I needed carbs (especially the bad ones) for fuel. All I do now is have some fruit if I need that extra burst of energy before sports or a workout. You should be fine as long as you're getting enough nutrition from your meals. Both in terms of calories and vitamins/minerals.0
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That sounds sensible and great to me. Good luck. The key is to find that healthy balance and make it a life style chang. thanks for your input . enjoyed reading.0
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This isn't truly low carb; you're getting a moderate amount of carbs in the fruits and vegetables you're eating. Looks like a very sensible diet. Are you doing paleo? It looks pretty similar.0
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Forever....your body does not need breads, pastas, ect. I have been low carb for quite awhile now. I eat berries, nuts, eggs, meats and veggies...I'm still alive and kickin and I feel WONDERFUL!0
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You should be asking your own personal doctor about this. Every BODY is different...by the way i lost 70lbs eating carbs and normally 1,600 cal a day 30min work outs
I disagree with this. Doctors are not necessarily nutritionists.0 -
GREAT new menu!!!! Add me if you'd like
Thanks for the replies - and sorry, I should have been clearer in terms of what I meant by "reducing carbs". I didn't measure the actual amount of carbohydrate I was eating or anything, but my daily diet would consist of something like:
Breakfast - blueberries, full fat live yogurt and nuts
Lunch - large avocado with hummus and/or falafel
Dinner - salmon with asparagus and spinach, or some sort of home-made bean stew in tomato sauce
Snacks - fruit, nuts, seeds
Drinks - water (still and sparkling), fruit juice (but only once a day and EXTREMELY diluted), green tea, oolong tea
No pasta, bread, rice, oats, potatoes, refined sugar or honey, or junky carbs such as biscuits or cakes. And no booze!
My previous diet would have been: The same breakfast but with oatmeal sprinkled on, something rice-based for lunch such as risotto or kedgeree, and a similar dinner but with a potato or pasta accompaniment.
Had I lost weight on the scales and muscle tone, I would have stopped the diet. But I actually look leaner and more toned - I have the arms and shoulders of a javelin thrower despite not even doing any weights!0 -
You should be asking your own personal doctor about this. Every BODY is different...by the way i lost 70lbs eating carbs and normally 1,600 cal a day 30min work outs
I disagree with this. Doctors are not necessarily nutritionists.
Neither are MFP users. Of the two, you are better off asking you doctor.0 -
I've just reduced my carb intake the last 3 days, upped my fat intake as well as (trying) protein, and I feel great! Haven't felt hungry in between meals really - will eat some sunflower or pumpkin seeds, maybe - but I feel even better than I did before.
Like others have said - people never used to have breads etc to eat - and they survived and prospered. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here today. lol0 -
You can certainly reduce the amount of carbs forever and still manage not to die (contrary to some views on this site). That being said you should be getting some carbs through the form of vegtables as a cornerstone of a low carb diet, with some fruits and generally avoiding anything processed, refined and packaged as a general rule.
Oh, and most grains are pretty much garbage, as is soy. Avoid those things as part of a carb reduction to get rid of the bloat and internal inflammation that most people actually get from gluten. Soy is stright up garbage IMO, messes with hormones, inhibits thyroid function in some people and is overconsumed by Americans especailly since they put it in just about everything processed these days (good luck finding even breakfast sausage in the grocery store these days without soy in it :mad: )0 -
It is extremely difficult (as in, nearly impossible) to cut out carbs safely for long. While it is true that our bodies can survive without carbohydrates, foods such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains contain that contain carbs also contain a myriad of other nutrients that our bodies need.
Whether or not you can safely reduce them long term would depend on how much you are reducing and what you are replacing those calories with.
It's also important to remember that "surviving" just means not dying. It does not guarantee health, satisfaction or happiness.0 -
I don't listen to "experts". They don't know me, they don't know my body. I don't listen to doctors because they know nothing about nutrition. Those "experts" say "meat rots in your colon" and meat is digested before it even gets to your colon (bean, grains, and vegetables "rot" in your colon and your feces is mostly non-digested food stuff like dead cells).
I plan on doing it for life. I barely do any exercise and have great looking muscles. The more I eat the more I end up moving and being active. Eating a good amount of fat in on sitting makes me hyper - a full fat can of coconut milk will have me bouncing off the walls. If I up my calories my energy levels increase within a couple of days. (I do a lot of N=1 experiments these days).0 -
Personally, I could do it indefinitely. I suffer from binge days occasionally, but that's usually from stress/emotional factors rather than cravings, then I get on the ball again after a day or two. I work out 6 days per week, have no energy troubles, so I say if it's working for you and you can sustain it - go for it. Been doing it since January 2nd without problems.0
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This isn't truly low carb; you're getting a moderate amount of carbs in the fruits and vegetables you're eating. Looks like a very sensible diet. Are you doing paleo? It looks pretty similar.
Um ... I have no idea what paleo is, so no! I originally started doing Marylin Glenville's Fat Around The Middle diet which was recommended to me by a friend. That particular diet states, amongst other things, cutting out starchy/grainy carbs at evening meals, and I just wondered out of curiosity what would happen if I cut them out of all meals. I had expected something horrendous (fatigue, poor skin, constipation, dark clouds, ravens circling, apocalypse, that kind of thing) but was completely floored when I looked and felt better, not least because I really did feel I had lost FAT. And I didn't care one but that the scales never budged.0 -
There are no molecules in the group "carbohydrates" that we have to eat, unlike protein and essential fatty acids / minerals / vitamins.
So the answer is in general "a very long time". Over 2 years in my personal experience, with less than 30g per day of what Americans would call "net carbs" (ie carbohydrates on food labels minus fiber on the label).
I recently read a book about low carb performance sports which said carbohydrates are not essential to sports and made the point that endurance sports need more calories than the body can store as carbs. I'm aware that there's a whole sports nutrition industry and followers that will say otherwise."low carb athletic performance" in a search engine will feed your curiosity.
I find this very interesting, and I agree that classical sports nutrition is all about the carbs. But it might also be worth thinking through what kind of carbs are worth eliminating - e.g., I doubt anyone has improved their health by eliminating spinach and kale, sweet potatoes, or summer squash. But if you're talking about high-sugar and high-starch carbs, that's a different story: fruit (lots of sugar - easy to over do it), rice, breads, and of course all the yummy/bad-for-you stuff like cake and brownies. I'm pretty sure you can go brownie free for life (although what sort of life would that be?)0 -
Avoid those things as part of a carb reduction to get rid of the bloat and internal inflammation that most people actually get from gluten
Celiac disease effects less than 1% of the population. Even the poorly-defined condition known as "gluten-intolerance" effects at most 10%.
This is not "most people" by any stretch of the imagination.0 -
It is extremely difficult (as in, nearly impossible) to cut out carbs safely for long. While it is true that our bodies can survive without carbohydrates, foods such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains contain that contain carbs also contain a myriad of other nutrients that our bodies need.
Whether or not you can safely reduce them long term would depend on how much you are reducing and what you are replacing those calories with.
It's also important to remember that "surviving" just means not dying. It does not guarantee health, satisfaction or happiness.
NEED is a pretty strong word. While nobody is going to run off (at least most likely) and go hang with Inuits in the Arctic, the fact that their diet is comprised pretty much completely of protein and fat. Traditional Inuit diets derive, at most, 35-40% of their calories from protein, with 50-75% of calories preferably coming from fat. The Arctic can't support agriculture on any scale and lacks forageable plant matter for much of the year, so really no grains or vegtables there. Many Inuit routinely live well into their 70s, 80s, 90s and some over 100 years.0 -
Thanks for the replies - and sorry, I should have been clearer in terms of what I meant by "reducing carbs". I didn't measure the actual amount of carbohydrate I was eating or anything, but my daily diet would consist of something like:
Breakfast - blueberries, full fat live yogurt and nuts
Lunch - large avocado with hummus and/or falafel
Dinner - salmon with asparagus and spinach, or some sort of home-made bean stew in tomato sauce
Snacks - fruit, nuts, seeds
Drinks - water (still and sparkling), fruit juice (but only once a day and EXTREMELY diluted), green tea, oolong tea
No pasta, bread, rice, oats, potatoes, refined sugar or honey, or junky carbs such as biscuits or cakes. And no booze!
My previous diet would have been: The same breakfast but with oatmeal sprinkled on, something rice-based for lunch such as risotto or kedgeree, and a similar dinner but with a potato or pasta accompaniment.
Had I lost weight on the scales and muscle tone, I would have stopped the diet. But I actually look leaner and more toned - I have the arms and shoulders of a javelin thrower despite not even doing any weights!
Can I come over for dinner?0 -
Don't get your "low-carb" info from the Atkins site. Get it from Primal Blueprint.com, chriskresser.com, gnolls.org, Hyperlipid (this guy has been doing VLC for quite a few years.)etc. Look at Primal/Paleo sites. (Atkins just pushes their low-carb crap that is still highly processed unhealthy "healthy" food like substances).
Our body has its own antioxidant making system. And fruits/vegetables aren't all they're made up to be (I treat them as a garnish more than a meal - I eat them but I don't go out of my way to get them). All plants contain toxins. And too much can be detrimental (fructose is a toxin in the body - this is why it gets shunted to the liver and disposed of so quickly - so tell me how unlimited fruit is healthy?). There isn't a single nutrient in a fruit or vegetable that you can't get somewhere else. (and when you remove grains, legumes, and sugars from the diet your vitamin C needs go down. The Inuit live on protein/fat ONLY yet they don't suffer scurvy).
And I wish I could find the link of the martial arts expert who has been Paleo for 15 years (less than 100g of carbs a day). He is a highly trained athlete that runs on FAT!!0 -
You should be asking your own personal doctor about this. Every BODY is different...by the way i lost 70lbs eating carbs and normally 1,600 cal a day 30min work outs
I disagree with this. Doctors are not necessarily nutritionists.
I agree with this. Most doctors don't know squat about nutrition, and I think most nutritionists have an agenda, as well. (And remember, just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they aren't out to get you...)
And I seriously do think most nutritionists have an agenda...0
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