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Starch (Carbs) Is the Devil! ... So is sugar!

CzeCze

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That's a big one, it soothes my concern that "omg I'm gonna clog my arteries" by eating all that sat. fat. Other articles, including this one tweeted by Dr. Eades adds an anecdote: http://www.ajcn.org/content/94/6/1433.abstract?etoc
Just seems that it's not the villain the CSPI made it out to be, and I've had good luck with eating a high-fat diet so far.

Not sure how parallel this is but I eat a lot of eggs and haven't been concerned about the 'it causes high cholesterol'. I read something way back that said how people mixed up the cholesterol in shrimp and eggs for the kind of cholesterol that fills your arteries?

And [MENTION=736]nanook[/MENTION], dang son it sounds like you have a lot more going on than simple metabolism issues. I know you are against 'fad diets' but some of things you mention sounds like the inspiration for the guy who went totally on vegetable smoothies for 100 days or something. In the movie "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead". I would look into the pH of food if I were you. Instead of concentrating on burning calories at this point I'd look into healing the other issues going on with inflammation and allergies. And potatoes and white bread (in croissants) are still potent 'white starches' that are no-nos in low carb diets.
 

CzeCze

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That's a big one, it soothes my concern that "omg I'm gonna clog my arteries" by eating all that sat. fat. Other articles, including this one tweeted by Dr. Eades adds an anecdote: http://www.ajcn.org/content/94/6/1433.abstract?etoc
Just seems that it's not the villain the CSPI made it out to be, and I've had good luck with eating a high-fat diet so far.

Not sure how parallel this is but I eat a lot of eggs and haven't been concerned about the 'it causes high cholesterol'. I read something way back that said how people mixed up the cholesterol in shrimp and eggs for the kind of cholesterol that fills your arteries?

And [MENTION=736]nanook[/MENTION], dang son it sounds like you have a lot more going on than simple metabolism issues. I know you are against 'fad diets' but some of things you mention sounds like the inspiration for the guy who went totally on vegetable smoothies for 100 days or something. In the movie "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead". I would look into the pH of food if I were you. Instead of concentrating on burning calories at this point I'd look into healing the other issues going on with inflammation and allergies. And potatoes and white bread (in croissants) are still potent 'white starches' that are no-nos in low carb diets.
 

Rail Tracer

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Not sure how parallel this is but I eat a lot of eggs and haven't been concerned about the 'it causes high cholesterol'. I read something way back that said how people mixed up the cholesterol in shrimp and eggs for the kind of cholesterol that fills your arteries?

http://www.medicinenet.com/your_cholesterol_profile_-_in_depth/page12.htm

Certain foods and "genetics" play a role. So, if you are genetically prone to having small cholesterol sizes in your arteries, it is a lot better to keep the saturated fat to a minimum. Probably the only way to find out if you are prone to small cholesterol size is to get scanned.

Either way, keeping away from saturated fat does no harm. It means you don't have to worry as much about cholesterol levels whether you are part A or part B.
 

Winds of Thor

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If you eat clean all week, with exercise routinely, then reserve one day for eating whatever you want, you'll probably keep losing fat. Or you'll lose even more than on average. If the body is used to clean meals (no fat, no sugar) then one day you eat whatever you want, it will react to the junk and probably ramp up your metabolism higher.

EDIT: The reason the body will gain it back is because it's always trying to maintain its 'set point' and equilibrium. It doesn't want to change. So if you go with no fat, no sugar, it doesn't have a choice. Then, on the one day, you shock the body with junk food that it's not expecting. And it overreacts and...1.) you end up losing more fat, plus 2.) you get to eat whatever you want! (within reason lol). Don't come back to me after eating a gallon of ice cream when you're hyper or something and tell me it didn't work! Haha! :) Yes this is from first-hand exper.
 
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WhoCares

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For myself, what wasnt working for me was just wheat and dairy. I can eat rice to my hearts content but no gluten grain. I went strict low carb for 22 weeks and shifted absolutely nothing. Once I added rice back into my diet I lost weight at high speed. I've kept it off for a decade now.

Carbs in and of themselves are not the devil, often its a food intolerance instead. I had no idea gluten was a problem for me because it didnt cause pain and I had been raised upon it my whole life. I absolutely love bread but it doesnt love me back. it bloats me horrendously and gives me cellulite within 24hrs of eating it.
It took a lot of trial and error to figure this but but sure enough milk and bread are the only foods that cause me to gain weight.
 

Fidelia

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I've been off gluten since October and lost 25 pounds without trying. I have cut back on sugar and cut out Coke, but didn't notice immediate results. I have two friends at school that have quit white sugar entirely and lost very significant amounts of weight without doing anything else.

I'm planning to cut out white sugar for two months when September begins (it's hard in the summer with lots of company and travelling) and will document what happens. I've started exercising regularly and haven't noticed any results yet, despite it being about three weeks (walking briskly for two hours a day or walking an hour and doing a 20 minute workout video like Jillian Michaels or an hour long stretching/callenetics video). Mostly right now I'm just trying to establish the habit and then will get more intense with it during the school year.

I discovered that I do have a problem with milk as well as gluten - weight consistently goes up by several pounds if I drink it and I drop the weight again when I quit. I've discovered that a lot of allergies to things result in water weight, so if you have rapid unexplained weight gain/cellulite, that might be worth checking out.

I'm experimenting with the idea of using more fats in my diet (including butter) and having more cooked veggies instead of raw. (Fat is supposed to help you absorb certain vitamins like A and D more effectively).
 

sprinkles

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People who gain weight; give me your bodies!

I have never been able to gain weight. :( I get a surprising amount of grief about it from people.

Like 3/4s of my family are all concerned about their weight and dieting and can get sensitive if it is mentioned but who do they always critique? Me. Excuse me for being able to get away with eating a sandwich now and then because I don't eat like I'm five people instead of one rather small framed person.

Tell me your secrets so I can stop hearing about it.
 

Rail Tracer

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People who gain weight; give me your bodies!

I have never been able to gain weight. :( I get a surprising amount of grief about it from people.

Like 3/4s of my family are all concerned about their weight and dieting and can get sensitive if it is mentioned but who do they always critique? Me. Excuse me for being able to get away with eating a sandwich now and then because I don't eat like I'm five people instead of one rather small framed person.

Tell me your secrets so I can stop hearing about it.

LOL, I would like to know their secrets too. I can't seem to gain weight without going into extremes.

I seem to always hit a certain plateau when it comes to weight. rarely gaining any, never losing any below the plateau.

I tell them, I can eat whatever I want.... but... I WANT TO GAIN WEIGHT! GIVE ME SOME OF YOUR FAT!
 

scantilyclad

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Oh I know this is an old thread, but since I didn't bump it, I'm going to comment! I totally agree about carbs. I used to think low carb diets were wacky, until I read Good Calories, Bad calories and Why We Get Fat and What to do About it. I started a ketogenic diet (high fat/low carb) about 8 months ago, and I have very very easily dropped 70 pounds. It's become a very maintainable lifestyle for me. I don't plan to stay ketogenic forever, but the benefits of low carb are so numerous that I definitely plan to limit my sugar intake and bread/pasta/rice and fruit intake for the rest of my life.
 

Giggly

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But... potatoes are so good. :cry:
 

CzeCze

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Oh I know this is an old thread, but since I didn't bump it, I'm going to comment! I totally agree about carbs. I used to think low carb diets were wacky, until I read Good Calories, Bad calories and Why We Get Fat and What to do About it. I started a ketogenic diet (high fat/low carb) about 8 months ago, and I have very very easily dropped 70 pounds. It's become a very maintainable lifestyle for me. I don't plan to stay ketogenic forever, but the benefits of low carb are so numerous that I definitely plan to limit my sugar intake and bread/pasta/rice and fruit intake for the rest of my life.

Congrats!

Can you share a sample menu of what you eat on a typical day?

But... potatoes are so good. :cry:

If they don't affect you negatively, keep eating 'em girl!
 

ChocolateMoose123

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I don't buy into diets and I don't think the low carb fad is any different. Yes. It works but who wants to deprive yourself? No one. And truth is, people end up eating around their cravings and consume more. It's not maintainable for life to eat like that and you'll gain it back - become depressed - repeat then gain again.

Count your calories. Read labels! You will lose weight! Plan meals accordingly. You will find that you will naturally eat better because you are planning your meals. You want pasta? Ok. A serving size is 200 calories. Deduct that from your daily allowance.

Soon, you'll eat more protein and less empty carbs naturally because it's less calories and fills you longer. Add fibrous fruits and veg.

Also, work out. If you burn more than you consume you lose weight. Diet alone is not going to do it because you'll starve yourself eventually because you will plateau with diet alone. Work out 30 min a day and thats around 300 calories. That substitutes a meal.

It's hard work but it works and it will soon become a lifestyle. You want something you can maintain for life. Also, you should be losing around 1-2 pounds a week if you are doing it right. Forget this fad stuff.
 

gromit

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Based on the reading I've done, it seems like the healthiest "general" diet would be maybe 1/2-2/3 plants with a good chunk being leafy ones, with the rest maybe equal parts meat and healthy sources of carbs.

This is definitely what makes me feel best on a day-to-day basis (although replace "meat" with "protein" like eggs or something).
 

scantilyclad

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Congrats!

Can you share a sample menu of what you eat on a typical day?

Sure! Here are a few things I eat fairly often. I eat such a huge variety of things so that I don't get bored, so I'd never be able to list them all, but I totally want to.

Breakfast: I don't really eat breakfast. I usually have a couple cups of coffee with heavy cream.
If I do eat breakfast I usually make a flax muffin. It only takes one minute in the microwave and they are ultra good. I can also make almond meal/flax meal pancakes, and they are amazing, but they take too much prep and I'm lazy.

Lunches:
  • A salad with spinach, chicken or steak, bacon pieces, olives, cheese and usually ranch dressing or a creamy italian dressing.
  • Tuna salad with full fat mayo, jalapenos and whatever else sounds good. I just eat it with a fork.
  • If I'm feeling extra lazy I'll just throw about 3 oz of salami and a few pieces of cheese in my lunch bag and just eat that.

Dinner:
  • Tacos. I make my own taco seasoning, and I use cheese slices baked in the oven as "shells". If I'm too lazy to make the shells I just make a taco salad. I load it with guacamole, sour cream, spinach,cheese etc etc
  • Hot wings. I usually make my own, because they are cheap and not too difficult to make. I make a butter/ frank's red hot sauce and they are delicious. I dip in ranch. Sometimes I have some celery on the side for a bit of fiber.
  • For a pasta substitute sort of thing I like to saute some mushroom, spinach, chicken,bacon and broccoli in an Alfredo sauce with a bit of a Cajun seasoning. GOOD.
  • Pizza. I make a crust with almond meal and a variety of cheeses. I only use a tiny bit of sauce and top it with whatever I want that is low in carbs.

Snacks:
Almonds in moderation
Sunflower seeds
cheese
pepperoni and cream cheese
beef jerky
pork rinds
kale chips (homemade not breaded)
flax crackers
fried cheese (i just fry the cheese in a pan, no breading)
pickles
olives
jalapeno poppers
cheese crisps

I eat so much fat that I'm never hungry, and sometimes I don't even eat over 900 calories (although I average about 1500 calories), because I'm just not hungry. I used to binge eat all day long going from something sweet, to something savory and then back to something sweet. I know that some people think that my diet is not good, but it really has been wonderful for me. My whole life has changed. I was even able to stop taking a lot of medications. YAY. I feel amazing. I have more energy than I ever imagined and I'm happy. I also went from 44% body fat to 23% body fat. :D I have about 25 more pounds to lose. I don't miss anything, and I do not feel deprived. I feel healthy for the first time in my life. I probably blabbed on too long, but I'm very passionate about it haha.
 

Cimarron

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spirilis said:
Well it does seem that carbs' negative effects do go away with exercise (in my own experience as I mentioned above), and exercise should eliminate the need for the liver to produce fat out of the excess carbs (see the link I posted way above from Dr. Davis's heart scan blog) that supposedly trigger heart disease, so I can agree with the premise of using carbs with exercise. But for those of us who don't exercise, or don't do it all the time, I think it's worth considering low-carb.
That is mostly what I think, for now. To keep in mind the relation of the input-and-output. If you take in energy through food, use that energy if you don't want to gain weight.

Also, [MENTION=1464]LadyJaye[/MENTION] and [MENTION=1456]Domino[/MENTION]: for anti-inflammatory benefits, flax seed oil is a great choice because it has the highest omega3 count (by far) compared to hemp, sunflower, soybean, pumpkin, canola, and olive.

I haven't tried flax seed oil, but I heard it doesn't taste the best... You may want to hide it.:D
I can tell you from working with flaxseed oil that it smells delicious. I always love that chance to catch the scent. But don't know about the taste. :unsure:
 
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Lexicon

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I can tell you from working with flaxseed oil that it smells delicious. I always love that chance to catch the scent. But don't know about the taste. :unsure:

I have a bottle of flaxseed oil capsules, and while none have ruptured, it smells fishier than my bottle of fish oil capsules.. is this normal?
 

Cimarron

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I have a bottle of flaxseed oil capsules, and while none have ruptured, it smells fishier than my bottle of fish oil capsules.. is this normal?
Hmm actually, yeah, my boss smelled something I would have called "fish oil," and he said it was "flaxseed oil," by scent recognition. The scent I'm thinking of might be coming from something other than the oil, but it's there when you crush up the seeds, and it's not there when the seeds are whole. (And usually, something's main scent comes from its oil component.) Plus there are two main different types of flaxseed. Oh well, there goes my advice. :dry:

The kind I'm thinking of has an earthy, rich smell. :D Or as people who know horses say "It smells like horse food," because they use flax in that.
 

spirilis

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Hmm actually, yeah, my boss smelled something I would have called "fish oil," and he said it was "flaxseed oil," by scent recognition. The scent I'm thinking of might be coming from something other than the oil, but it's there when you crush up the seeds, and it's not there when the seeds are whole. (And usually, something's main scent comes from its oil component.) Plus there are two main different types of flaxseed. Oh well, there goes my advice. :dry:

The kind I'm thinking of has an earthy, rich smell. :D Or as people who know horses say "It smells like horse food," because they use flax in that.
Yeah I'd believe fresh flax oil right out of the seed smells good. It also oxidizes quickly/easily due to its numerous double-bonds, so pre-canned flax oil in capsules probably smells far less "fresh"...
 

mathemagician

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Low carb has worked very well for me. I have followed a slow-carb diet for about a year, keeps me lean. I followed a less than 30 grams of carbs per day diet (ketosis) this summer in hopes of getting below 10% body fat. I lost some fat, but not as much as I was hoping. From my experience Slow-carb is much more maintainable and results in higher athletic, cognitive, and emotional performance. In fact I would say that I feel much better eating slow-carb than eating sugars, starches and other simple carbohydrates.

I am very active, and always have been since I was young (intense most days). My Carb needs might be higher than most. But, if you live a sedentary lifestyle you might be better off living off of ketones.
 

swordpath

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If your diet is causing you to eliminate every trace of fat from one's body, not only does that not necessarily mean it's ideal but it's probably not even good for you. Eliminating carbs altogether or even just significantly sounds like a poor plan.
 
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