Anyone a low-carber?

[alicia91]

I feel SO MUCH better when I low-carb. I also lose weight without as much hunger when I'm following it religiously. But it's just hard to stick with because it's not as convenient as just grabbing something. But I guess that's laziness on my part because I could make some things ahead of time. I know it's controversial, but I believe in the research that supports it.

I was going to start Atkins today but I ate some leftover Hershey kisses so I guess I'll start tomorrow.

 

[Mort Belfry]

You don't need to lose weight.

 

[Tigerlily]

I tried the whole low carb thing with Medifast and I felt horrible. I was cranky and SO hungry! Dinner was the best part. Salad with carb free dressing and steak or chicken. Also since I work out so much it was very draining not to have any food to keep me moving.

Watching your fat and calorie intake along with exercising is a better plan imo.

 

[alicia91]

You don't need to lose weight.

Aw, thanks Mort, but I'm a good 30 pounds overweight. I just hide it well (photocropping)

Well, no wonder you didn't do well Jen - that Medifast plan is extreme! I'm just trying to eat lots of veggies, lean meats and stay away from sugar. Grains and fruits are Ok but I like to limit them. My blood sugar has been creeping up over the years and doc said no more than 40% of my daily intake from carbs.

Tried Weight Watchers last year and failed miserable. Just can't deal with all the "accounting." Don't wan't to have to do math when I eat.

 

[Randomnity]

Wow, 40% is a fair bit for carbs, isn't it? Although I don't actually know how much calories are in something like potatoes or rice, I just go by portion size...so maybe it's deceiving. I try to go 1/2 plate veggies, 1/6-1/4 plate meat, 1/3-1/4 plate carbs. Ideally, of course...in reality it isn't often like that. But that seems like the most reasonable strategy for me, anyway.

/knows nothing about losing weight, only healthyish eating

 

[scantilyclad]

i don't necessarily do the low carb thing, but i do watch my carbs, i don't like to consume ridiculous amounts of them. I'd say i'm on a regular carb diet.

 

[CzeCze]

I don't really understand the low carb thing or many other diets with fixed ratios for food. Too much reading makes me go and if I have to think about it that much, I'll end up not doing it.

I tried low-carb when Atkins first hit. I ordered the 2 week start kit. DIS-GUS-TING. The food consisted of microwaveable mush in varying shades of brown with specks of orange that passed for veggies. And powdered shakes.

I am firmly anti-powdered shake for diets.

There is a cook on the Fitness channel who specializes in low-carb cooking. Uses a lot of Splenda and grills a lot of meat and serves with a simple salad. I could do that.

On top of being puzzled by ratios, I'm lazy when it comes to eating out. I'd be interested in using a meal delivery service and I noticed most have 'low carb' options.

I think TJ's/SJ's probably have the best chance for success on a diet, especially ones that include a lot of rules on food combining. I think personality type and diet fit and success are definitely related.

 

[alicia91]

Wow, 40% is a fair bit for carbs, isn't it?

Yes, Atkins recommends less in the weight-loss phase (as a percentage of calories - not total volume of food!). But under this plan(and many other low-carb plans) vegetables are counted as carbs, so it's not just starches. Most low-carb experts (like the low-fat advocates) want us to move towards eating more vegetables. Low-carbing is mostly about removing REFINED starches.

I tried low-carb when Atkins first hit. I ordered the 2 week start kit. DIS-GUS-TING. The food consisted of microwaveable mush in varying shades of brown with specks of orange that passed for veggies. And powdered shakes.

Are you sure it wasn't Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig?

If not, I don't know what this is all about since none of these things are allowed on the Atkins plan as spelled out by Dr. Atkins himself. No processed foods, no shakes etc. Well, it's probably due to the fact that after his death, the company was sold and the new group has added some of this low-carb junk which completely goes against his philosophy. Very sad.

I think TJ's/SJ's probably have the best chance for success on a diet, especially ones that include a lot of rules on food combining. I think personality type and diet fit and success are definitely related.

This is so true! I have no discipline at all when it comes to staying on a program. I want immediate results but I don't have the patience or whatever it is trait that helps you stay on a diet plan. Probably a J thing I agree.

I have an idea - how about I write a book called "Dieting - the MBTI Way - the new plan that is customized to your personality - success is guaranteed since it's based on science. One size does not fit all!"

 

[Sandy]

I am not a good dieter. I had tried Atkins for 3 days and I got tired of eating steak, cheese, and eggs. I wanted some bread, and I hated that I couldn't have it! No, low carbs is a good idea, but portion control works the best for me.

 

[alicia91]

I've been on plan since this morning but I'm not thinking of doing a less radical lowish-carb plan rather than this one. It's been less than a day and I'm already struggling.

 

[Sandy]

I've been on plan since this morning but I'm not thinking of doing a less radical lowish-carb plan rather than this one. It's been less than a day and I'm already struggling.

Dieting is hard... hang in there, Alicia! (((hugs)))

 

[Ender]

I need more carbs I think.. I'll take yours?

 

[scantilyclad]

I feel really skeptical about low carb diets. I know a lot of people who have gone on them and had a lot of success, but as soon as they started eating a regular amount of carbs again, they gained the weight back quickly, and sometimes put on even more weight.

I've found that it is very easy to lose weight if you reduce your calorie count. i've lost 20 pounds in 2 months and i did it by eating up to 1500 calories a day, and also reducing my fat grams by a lot. I also switched to only eating whole wheat, or whole grain products when necessary, because they are full of fiber and better for your heart.

Really you can still eat a lot of what you want, as long as you eat it in moderation, and stay on a low fat/low calorie diet.

Also it's impossible to keep weight off unless you exercise. Don't fall for diet fads like the low carb type of things, i don't think they are necessarily good,and if there is a chance that you could gain that weight back very quickly..all your hard work is wasted!

It is ultimately about lifestyle changes and it doesn't make a lot of since to be on a low carb diet for the rest of your life!

 

[Grayscale]

the concept of losing body fat has been around since the dawn of man. it's called calorie deficit.

 

[CzeCze]

Yes, Atkins recommends less in the weight-loss phase (as a percentage of calories - not total volume of food!). But under this plan(and many other low-carb plans) vegetables are counted as carbs, so it's not just starches. Most low-carb experts (like the low-fat advocates) want us to move towards eating more vegetables. Low-carbing is mostly about removing REFINED starches.



Are you sure it wasn't Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig?

You know, thinking about it I think it was 'The Zone'. DIS-GUS-TING. Horrible waste of money. The food literally was not edible, it was more fit for a fall-out shelter than eating in the free world. I did get a follow-up call and e-mail to check on my progress so I guess someone, somewhere, did care -- or at least wanted to give that appearance.

Kudos to you if low-carb makes you feel better. Being somewhat new-agey and accustomed to hybrid Western/traditional 'eastern' medicine -- I believe that individual bodies can be very different from one another. I'm sure science could come up with a more exact answer, but people's bodies just react to the same foods, kind of foods, food ratios, timing of meals, etc. differently. Which is why it is very true that you can eat the same meals as your spouse or siblings but react to the food differently.

In most 'food chemistry' diets I've seen, it's recommended to cut out all foods and start introducing groups of food in to see their effect on your body. Frankly, when it came to finding the glycemic index or response in me, this was WAAAAAYYY too much trouble. So was measuring your food -- though it is actually a very sound practice.

 

[alicia91]

Even with low-carb diets you need to reduce your calories. It's still basic science. THe idea however behind them is that since carbs turn to sugar in your bloodstream and you then get an insulin response to clean up the sugar and in many cases in overweight people the insulin makes the blood-sugar too low. Then your body craves more sugar and starch. When you are young and healthy it's probably OK to deal with this, but when you are older and have been having this reaction you eventurally become Insulin Resistant which is the precursor to Type 2 Diabetes. That's why the Diabetic diet is low-carb - no blood sugar swings. My doc believes that I'm mildly Insulin Resistant at this point and need to get it under control or I'm headed for Type 2.

The unfortunate thing about some of the low-carb diets is that their authors have 'sold-out'. Atkins, South Beach and The Zone are a few that come to mind - the authors all clearly promote all-natural, whole,non-processed foods yet when they become famous they begin selling their version of processed food or they sell their name to someone who makes it - dinners, bars,shakes etc. I guess there is a huge demand for convenience foods.

 

[Ivy]

I think low-carb CAN be okay if you don't rely on meat and cheese, and if you don't eschew fresh fruit. IMO the ideal diet would be based on lots of veggies and fruits, with beans and nuts for protein, and grain products would be limited but not forbidden. Meat and cheese would be used as condiments but not main dishes.

 

[shum]

we are doing the atkins thing right now. and it is totally working. saturday was our day off and we ate french fries, bread and 3 donuts each. i ended up with excema like dry skin on my eyelids and he felt so sluggish that he had to go to bed unusually early.

last nite we had tacos and they were extremely satisfying. i made the taco shells by frying cheddar cheese into crispy rounds then cooling them over the double sink divider to bend them. they turned out way better than normal corn based shells and didnt crack along the bottom.

 

[alicia91]

think low-carb CAN be okay if you don't rely on meat and cheese, and if you don't eschew fresh fruit.

I pretty much agree with you but I'm not so sure about the fresh fruit. I believe that you can get the exact same nutrients and fiber from fresh vegetables with a lot less sugar (and therefore less insulin response). But berries and low-glycemic fruits are fine in moderation (for those that are carb sensitive).

I think Atkins gets a bad rap and many have the mistaken impression that it's all meat and cheese or my personal favorite - buttered bacon

 

[Metamorphosis]

I think low carb diets can be successful, but only when you are carb cycling or it is a very short diet. When you get talking about little-to-no carbs...then I guess it's still ok if you don't like energy and you plan on being on the diet for the rest of your life. Otherwise, look forward to rebound.