Low Carb. Diet question

my bit

I am on a very low carb diet and have always got good results eating less carbs in the past. (put on all my weight due to pregnancy)

My body will not let go of weight unless i cut down the carbs, even with 7 days of hard core exercise.

I belive the theory is that if you keep feeding your body carbs you will never get to use the fat storage unless you do endless amounts of exercise. While you exersice you first burn the carbs you have eaten, so why not skip the carbs and let your body melt the fat.
 
i definitly agree with the different diets and numbers for different people as someone said earlier, and im interested in that short low carb effect, it sounds agreeable. Im wary of any kind of specified nutrient cutting, as usually theyre celebrity inspired or money grabbing and well..enough said sort of. But there are many posts about low carbing on here, i dont believe its for everyone, but carbs do to need to be monitored. Everything in moderation right? But that said, i know that carbs are definitly my downfall, and strangely enough i feel like im succeeding more so with a diet if my daily carbs are low.
I wonder, has this forum ever had a diet test, like say a group goes on one plan and another with a different and so on..and give them say a month and see who not only has the best results, but stuck with it and felt the best in the same conditions after so long? Then another month off the diet to check maintainability. Id like to see that.
I dont know..thats probably heaps common :p
Good luck all :)
I think MissJellyBelly summed it all up on this one..Knowledge is power, no matter what your doing:cool:
 
Have to agree with pro low carb people. I am on a low carb diet, however its not high protein. Protein is included, portions are weighed and what can I say? No cravings, loads of energy, sleeping better. I stuck to this originally for 5 months, and stopped when prenant. Contrary to popular belief there is a way of reintroducing carbs without regaining of weight, and going back to overdosing on them. I lost 40 kgs in that 5 months, and everyone only had positive things to say about my skin, my health and my energy and zest for life. Yes, the calories arent high, but I've been on very low cal diets, and exercises - cardio, and aerobically for 2 hours a day,(for months on end, and eating carbs) when I was 14 years younger than I am now, and got to a certain weight, and no more would come off. At that stage I was still over weight and my clothes were not getting looser. By the way, when I switched to this program, I didnt introduce the carbs the right way, due to unexpected pregnancy, however three years later I have only gained 20 of th 40kgs I lost, and am currently losing that and feeling fantastic. I do drink 3 litres of water a day. The organizers of this program have stressed the importance of this for the kidneys, even though I'm not eating HUGE amounts of protein.
I say do what works for you and your health.
 
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I've done Atkins before. And had mixed results.
First off let me clarify that when your body is deficient in Carbohydrates it switches to Fat deposits, not protein. Muscle loss during Atkins is often found in those who overdo the diet, when the diet suggests 20c a day, they eat 5c a day. See the problem? When you eat that little food your body switches to "Fight or Flight" mode, metabolism is haulted, energy dimineshed..

I did Atkins when I was 16, I was deeply impressed with how fast I could lose weight. I could lose 10lbs a week! But it had some drawbacks, the biggest one being some very hard cravings, next being the loss of energy-I could barely walk through a grocerie store without getting lightheaded and dizzy, and last was the price, it seemed everything that was low in Carbohydrates was expensive. :(

But after some hard-to-beat cravings I accomplished my goal of losing 23 lbs. I've kept it off for 2 years. :)
 
Low CARB and calories.

Hello everyone,

Interesting disscussion.
By eating less carbs we automatically decrease the amount of calories we eat. Part of the reason is because we end up eating less, due to the stabilization of the blood sugar and hence the decrease in the cravings. One of the first things that we notice is the lack of appetite and the feeling of fullness.
However, carbs are necessary and the should be included in the diet but, having said that, these should be the "good" carbs or the ones with the least glycemic index ( fiber is a big one).

Good Luck
 
I tried low-carb. And I lost weight and I gained it back plus some. I had routine blood work done before I was on atkins, and I had some done before I started my new plan - I never had problems with my cholesteral before. Before starting my new plan - I cried at how bad it was and also my blood sugar are now very high. My doctor blames the extreme low carb, high fat, high protein, high cholesteral and high calorie diet on this.

While my current plan is low in calories, it is also balanced in carbs, fat, fiber and is balanced in protein vs. the amount of calories I am consuming. I feel better on this plan than I did when I did atkins. And, I'm losing weight easier. My weight loss is doctor-monitored but I'm losing, when I follow strictly about 4-7lbs a week. I a bit more weight off of my joints and I will begin some exercise.
 
Hi all! New member here.

I just started the low carb diet. I've been on it before and it worked. Lost about 25lbs in 3 months. However after I left my job and decided to take time 'off' from school for about 6 months the loafing took it's toll and I got it back.

My friend went on it at the time with me and he lost about 60lbs. Looks like a different person today and has kept the weight off for 2 years.

It's not a no carb diet but a low carb one. I do alot of lifting at work and I take vitamins in addition to eating very low carbs.

It works. I've seen it.

Tuna, Chicken, salads diet coke, water, vitamins and the occaisional wee little carb. It works. I stay way from bread, potatoes, pasta, snack foods etc.

And exercise which I get at work.
 
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Must admit that I have tried the low carb diet (3 years ago) but I just could not go without vegetables....leading to constipation and bad breath :eek: , so I just cut out eating anything white that was high in carbs and I didn't really eat any bread....I dropped the lbs and felt good.....I'm trying something like that now.:D It's hard too, and smelly not to eat enough of the right carbs. The guy I was dating was on it at the time and for the first time in years he stunk, and couldn't go to the toilet because of the lack of fibre....then he started using laxitives...say no more. :( . He ended up puting it back on again too....but then we have all been there.
 
For me I don't follow any particular formula like the Atkins way etc.

I just stay away from most 'nasty carbs' as I call them. We all know what foods will make us fat. We don't need a dietician to tell us that eating pizza and spagheti and bread will help keep the weight on.

On the other hand a salad is not a bad thing.
 
I lost alot of weight on low-carb diet and once you realize that it works, giving up bread and fruit becomes very easy. The worst thing about it is when you start the diet for a few days you are exhausted. Once that burns off, it is pretty amazing to see how carb dependent we all are. The calorie counting is a logical thing. If you gorge on anything you won't lose weight. However, if you give up carbs and eat chicken breasts, lean meats, and exercise, it is the fastest way to lose weight, and in my opinion, feel better. I've tried other diets but to me the low-carbs is best IF you have willpower to give up junk.
 
Low Carb Diets is for Everyone

Low-carb diets may trump low-fat in lowering blood pressure.

Yes, Low Carb Diets are for Everyone.

Although the vast majority of people could benefit from reducing their intake of sugar and refined grains (e.g. white flour), individuals vary in their tolerance for carbohydrates. In a recent study reported in the journal Obesity Research , people with insulin resistance had better results in terms of weight loss and improvement in health factors such as triglyceride levels on a low-carb diet, while the insulin-sensitive group had better results on a high carb/low fat diet.


:lurk5:
 
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I do not want to imply that low carb is the way to go for everyone but I would like to dispel the ideas that low carb diets are out and out unhealthy because right now the short term studies are showing equal or greater weight loss and greater improvement of overall triglycerides in low carb dieters than in conventional low calorie, low fat, diet followers.

For instance, a BMJ (British Medical Journal) article published in 2003 reviews studies of low carbohydrate diets and their effectiveness:

In one of the studies, a one year, multicentre, randomised controlled trial, 63 healthy obese men and women (mean body mass index 34) were randomly assigned to follow either Dr Atkins’ diet or a high carbohydrate diet based on the Department of Agriculture’s "food pyramid" (60% of calories from carbohydrates, 25% from fat, and 15% from protein).

Participants following the Atkins diet lost significantly more weight than the other group at three months (P=0.001) and at six months (P=0.02), although at one year the difference was not significant. Decreases in serum triglyceride concentrations and increases in HDL cholesterol were greater in the Atkins diet group. LDL cholesterol concentrations did not differ significantly.

In the other study, a six month trial, 132 severely obese patients (mean body mass index 43) were randomised either to a diet with only 30 grams of carbohydrate a day, similar to the Atkins diet, or to a high carbohydrate, low fat diet, with frequent counselling. Thirty nine per cent of patients had diabetes and 43% had the metabolic syndrome. Mean weight loss in the low carbohydrate diet group was 5.8 (SD 8.6) kg, compared with 1.9 (4.2) kg in the low fat diet group (P for difference=0.002).

Serum triglyceride concentrations decreased by 20% (SD 43%) in the low carbohydrate group, whether or not the patients were taking lipid lowering drugs, compared with 4% (31%) in the low fat group (P=0.001). Total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol concentrations did not differ significantly between the groups.
Click to expand...

I can provide a link to the original article if anyone wants it, though you have to register to view the full text.

Low carb does not currently seem (can we really be sure about anything in the world of science?) dangerous or evil as many people point out and I feel, personally, that if someone can lose weight on low carb (sticking to the diet is a whole other thing entirely, of course) - then why shouldn't they? As far as I can see, obesity - proven to be highly detrimental to long term health - is more worrying than a low carbohydrate diet given the current evidence.

Of course these are only 2 studies I've mentioned here but there seems to be more and more evidence of the benefits of eating low carb. For instance, the recent aforementioned publication showing that a low carb diet faired better in reduced blood pressure than that of a low fat diet in combination with the obesity drug orlistat.

Additionally - I have heard many people give (granted it's anecdotal) evidence that is possible to follow a low carb plan to shift weight and then readjust to a more carb inclusive diet for long term maintenance...

How things pan out in long term (as in 10yr+) studies - we'll have to wait and see.
 
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I've been low-carbin' it for almost a year now and I've never felt better, slept better or had more energy. I eat no bread, no fruit, I do eat sugar-free jell-o ;-) and I keep it low-fat. No, I don't eat everything I want, but this works for me. When I have an emotional eating moment - and I'll occasionally give in to one although rare - I eat nuts (preferably almonds) or sugar free jello or a thick protein shake ... as opposed to ice cream, cheesecake or whatever. The motivation? Since my protein is low-fat, I'm leaner than I've ever been and I don't get those mad moments when I'm so hungry I'll put anything in my mouth - the carb surge!
 
Low carb diets are a long term train wreck. In order to be healthy every person should be eating 40% complex carbs-30% lean proteins-30% healthy fats. The right Carbs are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber that you cant get with protein and fat. I agree it takes 3 times the amount of calories to burn protein then carbs in the thermogenesis process of eating/digestion (metabolic process) and it is a sound way to lose weight, however it is not the right way to do it for life. You are depriving your body of the proper nutrients it needs for long term health/detoxification and to fight against certain cancers. Colon cancer first and foremost as well as others. There have been many studies on this.
Balance with all thing is whats important.
Also most people have exercising wrong which is an important part of weight loss/gain.
Constantly fluctuating your intensity during workouts as well as doing them different times and different days will give you greater chance to build muscle and increase the physical activity process of weight loss. Only 25% of your metabolism is made up of physical activity. 60%-70% of your metabolism is basal metabolism or simply what your body burns just keeping you alive. 10% is from eating & digesting or thermogenesis.
Once you understand that you can then change how your body burns calories.
 
I believe we have been having this discussion over and over in other threads..I'm not sure if I should repost all the studies and information I've found or not..
 
I agree its all about cutting calories.
However exercise is also crucial. To many people just eat right and don't exercise.
So if there big and shaped like a Pair they will be thinner and still shaped like a Pair if they do not exercise and tone..
 
low carb

well im doing low carb and find its really brillo as im not hungry anymore,was allways starving a few hours even after a big dinner,now i have fish veggys steak eggs salads.doing low carb cuts the hunger i started 1 month ago and im down 1 stone 5 lbs still have a long way to go but i know i can do it now its the best diet iv ever been on plus my doctor says its the perfect diet my blood preasure is down my colsteral is back to normal back down to 4 it was 9 so im very happy,hope to hear from you all soon take care.
 
You need to exercise together with exercise with those 3500 calories for sure.
If you are following a good exercise routine, a healthy male will actually need that much amount of calories to gain any sort of muscle mass.
 
someone told me that you can eat carbs all you want. but in return, you must burn it all. i think he is suggesting to exercise a lot if you eat many carbs to burn it all. is that true?
 
you could eat a diet of 100% carbs. If the 100% carbs' calorie total is less than the calories you burn in a day, you will lose weight. Is it healthy? Heck no. It's like a 100% protein diet ot 100% anything diet.

We are built to eat many things. It's why we are omnivores. We need certain things from all the food groups so the key is balance. To lose weight, the other key is moderation.
 
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