Low Carb Diet

[Yukari]

Has anyone tried it?  What's it like? How long do you have to be on it?

I am thinking of just reducing the amount of carb intake.  For example, just eggs and sausages for breakfast, but no toast or hash browns, etc.

I did some internet searches but too much contradicting information out there.

Anyone here have any experience?

[saevel25]

here has been a few studies showing that high carb diet leads to heart failure and other diseases, instead of high fat diets. I find alot of this related to the increase in insulin, as the main culprit.

So, i would say, stay away from sugars and high fructose corn syrup. Half of the calories in that is processed by the liver directly to fat. 55% from HFCS, and it can cause liver damage.

Basically i stay away from processed carbs, such as breads. I don't mind potatoes, rice, and some pastas, but i keep it to less than 50% my diet.

[Leftygolfer]

I've done it before.  Its fine.  It was the south beach style with limited carbs but not any.  I lost weight as well on it.  I don't know what your goals are and I'm not an expert, i've just always had to be diet conscious or I blow up like a balloon.  If you want to get stronger and leaner, there are variety of low carb made for that.  I've been to a nutritionist who helps people compete as well as normal people loose wieght.  If interested, I'll post the diet he gave me.  It was great while I was following it.  But during golf season, I don't go to the gym as much.

[newtogolf]

You have to be careful on low carb diets, as significantly reducing your carb intake can place your body into a state of ketosis.

Ketosis occurs when your body is deprived of carbs to the point where glycogen stores cannot be replenished.  When the glycogen stores are tapped out your body will begin to produce ketones.  Your body can run off of ketones perfectly fine, but some parts of the adult brain cannot and will initially use the ketones for fat synthesis.  After about 2 days your brain will begin to burn the ketones directly and fat (lipid) synthesis will be utilized only to fuel for only the most primitive part of the brain.  You can use Ketostix to test your urine and determine if your body is in a state of ketosis daily or multiple times per day.

During the first two days of entering ketosis your moods will change and you will likely be more irritable.  It's important to monitor your carb levels as you either want to take in enough carbs to stay out of ketosis or reduce your carbs to the point where you stay in ketosis.  Going in and out of ketosis places your body and mental state on a roller coaster that you, your family and friends will not be very happy with.

When I lost my weight I did three weeks on and one week off on the ketogenic diet.  I tested my urine daily to ensure I was maintaining a state of ketosis.  If you fall out of ketosis, it's best to wait a week before going back into it.  You must take in high levels of protein and additional fat to ensure your body is properly fueled and lean tissue isn't sacrificed to fuel your body.

[Grunnsetning]

I do not agree with taking in low carbs just to take in low carbs. I DO agree with cutting out junk food sugar though.

There is nothing better than just a clean diet. Take in a decent amount of everything but make it all natural clean foods and you'll be fine and feel better while doing it IMO.

[saevel25]

Here's my daily eating habits,

two eggs omlet with cheese, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, glass of V-8 Fusion lite

Banana and Peannut butter

1/2 cup of rice, 1/2 cup of Edamame, handful of Brocholli, 1 chicken thigh

1 chicken breast and veggies (or sometimes a bit of pasta)

This gets me through the day really well. I cook everything myself, so i know whats in it. It works out good.

[Yukari]

I thought banana was relatively high in carbs.

I have eliminated all potatoes, white rice, and bread.  Typically, I'll have a three egg omelet with sausages and bacon and bell pepper.  Then I'll have Carl's Jr.'s low carb hamburger with no pickles and light on mayo for lunch.  I'll have almonds throughout the day for snack.  Dinner varies a lot from chicken wings to steak (no potatoes or bread), etc.

[Zeph]

In the world of fruits, banana is one of the highest on carbs. But eating one or two each day won't kill you. Stay away from bread and stuff with too much flour in it, like pasta. Rice and potatoes are ok, but the best carb source is fruit, vegetables and berries. Which also provide lots of vitamins, which you need. Fruit also got lower amount of carbs than rice and potatoes. Of the three, rice got the most amount of carbs, pasta in second and potatoes in third. But again, potatoes is better than pasta. Get fat through milk, eggs, meat, oils and nuts. Proteins through eggs, meat, cheese (cottage), milk. Carbs through fruit and berries. Smoothies with fruit, cottage cheese and frozen berries is great. Vegetables are very low on carbs and calories, so you can eat a lot of it.

[Yukari]

I take it eating fruit during the day prevents one from entering ketosis state?  Do you have to achieve ketosis in order to lose fat or can you just reduce the amount of carb and get the same effect (slower--of course)?

I get my proteins from eggs, meat and protein drink that I take (low carb formula from Biotest).  I lift weights 3 days/wk and run 2 days/week (anywhere from 8 to 12 mile per day).  I play golf (walking, of course) at least once a week.

I have some six-pack definition, but there is that a bit of fat I can tell lies underneath the skin of my belly.  I am trying to get to more clearly defined six-pack.  Maybe that is too much to hope for...

[newtogolf]

If you take in less calories than your body burns each day you will lose weight regardless of being in a state of ketosis.  There are many conflicting reports and studies on the importance of carbs in the diet.  My reason for going on the ketogenic diet was because I was morbidly obese (400lbs) and if I didn't lose weight on my own I was going to opt for gastric bypass.  The diet that one should follow after gastric bypass requires high protein and severely limits carbs and fats, so I felt that it most closely resembled the diet I'd be on anyway.  If you don't have a lot of weight to lose, I wouldn't suggest it as it's quite drastic.

Given you don't have much weight to lose I'd suggest just cleaning up your diet.  Eliminate as much of white flour foods, junk food, beer and very salty foods.  I'd increase protein and limit overall caloric intake to about 500 calories below your BMR which is roughly 10x your body weight.  Six packs are built in the kitchen, not the gym and require you reach 15% total body fat or lower.  It's tougher for some men than others, as the midsection is where we're most likely to store fat.

Originally Posted by Yukari

I take it eating fruit during the day prevents one from entering ketosis state?  Do you have to achieve ketosis in order to lose fat or can you just reduce the amount of carb and get the same effect (slower--of course)?

I get my proteins from eggs, meat and protein drink that I take (low carb formula from Biotest).  I lift weights 3 days/wk and run 2 days/week (anywhere from 8 to 12 mile per day).  I play golf (walking, of course) at least once a week.

I have some six-pack definition, but there is that a bit of fat I can tell lies underneath the skin of my belly.  I am trying to get to more clearly defined six-pack.  Maybe that is too much to hope for...

[fmk123ster]

To the OP... it sounds like your thinking about an Atkins style diet. Take a look at south beach over Atkins.

Hope this helps

Frank

Fmk123ster

[gjsuicide]

Originally Posted by saevel25

Here's my daily eating habits,

two eggs omlet with cheese, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, glass of V-8 Fusion lite

Banana and Peannut butter

1/2 cup of rice, 1/2 cup of Edamame, handful of Brocholli, 1 chicken thigh

1 chicken breast and veggies (or sometimes a bit of pasta)

This gets me through the day really well. I cook everything myself, so i know whats in it. It works out good.

What do you weigh, 115lbs?

[gjsuicide]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

If you take in less calories than your body burns each day you will lose weight regardless of being in a state of ketosis.  There are many conflicting reports and studies on the importance of carbs in the diet.  My reason for going on the ketogenic diet was because I was morbidly obese (400lbs) and if I didn't lose weight on my own I was going to opt for gastric bypass.  The diet that one should follow after gastric bypass requires high protein and severely limits carbs and fats, so I felt that it most closely resembled the diet I'd be on anyway.  If you don't have a lot of weight to lose, I wouldn't suggest it as it's quite drastic.

Given you don't have much weight to lose I'd suggest just cleaning up your diet.  Eliminate as much of white flour foods, junk food, beer and very salty foods.  I'd increase protein and limit overall caloric intake to about 500 calories below your BMR which is roughly 10x your body weight.  Six packs are built in the kitchen, not the gym and require you reach 15% total body fat or lower.  It's tougher for some men than others, as the midsection is where we're most likely to store fat.

Six packs are also largely genetics and not necessary for good health.  The best way to use more calories than you eat is to exercise.  Just eat healthful foods and exercise, its so simple.

[Grunnsetning]

Originally Posted by gjsuicide

What do you weigh, 115lbs?

LOL.

I could live off of that with little exercise but add in trips to the gym and running in new orleans heat and I would be a stick.

The chicken would definitely help keep you full though IMO.

[Stretch]

I find it pretty easy to eat low carb when necessary -- which is when my weight creeps over 100 kg (222 pounds). Eggs for breakfast, chicken for lunch, steak for dinner. Beans with breakfast and lots of fresh veggies with the other two meals. No fruit, no dairy, no bread, no pasta, no beer (that part hurts). Couple weeks of that and I'm down 15 pounds or so to a reasonable weight (for me, I'm 6'7").

[Egypt44]

as we are discussing about low carb diet, Our Stone Age ancestors certainly roughed themselves for food. They butchered the kill during the marathon hunt that lasted for days. They wandered for miles to gather wild fruits, grains and nuts. If they wanted to eat something sweet, beehive was smoked out of the bees to get the honey. This was done by climbing up a tree or chopping it down. Hard way to food!

Studies indicate that human beings come into the world with hundreds of genes and associated hormones that regulate the energy-balance equation. Calories consumed by us on one side and calories burned, through physical activity and calories needed to keep the body healthy on the other. Anything left over transforms into body fat.

As a society we are in a state of nutritional crisis and in need of thorough remedies. Today more than 60% of adults in the U.S. are classified as overweight or obese.

Many children have become so heavy that pediatricians are now facing an epidemic of Type 2 diabetes and hypertension—diseases that are closely associated with the overweight and that were unheard of among youngsters just a generation ago.

Kelly Brownell, director of the Yale University Center for Eating and Weight Disorders says "Physical activities have been engineered out of day-to-day life, and the food environment grows worse by the day”.

For those who are overweight, or who have diabetes, the low-calorie and low-fat diets recommended do not work well. In fact, for diabetics, they can actually worsen the condition. The only diet that strikes at the real cause of obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, hypoglycaemia, and type 2 diabetes is a low-carbohydrate diet.

[saevel25]

The problem is, its hard to determine what you truely are eating, in calories, and what you are truely burning. Because your metabolic rate changes. I know some websites that said i needed to eat 3600 calories because that was my resting metabolic rate. That is insanity. I calculated my daily needs by activity, and it was about 2600 resting. That 1000 is huge. I am not sure that 1000 is true or not, some activities seemd idiotically high in calories per minute.

Also with carbs, its ok to eat veggies as much as you want, excluding root vegetables like potatoes. But greens, peppers, shrooms, ect... have at it. Just stay away from Legumes , sugars and grains. notice, corn is a grain..

The key issue is regulating your insulin levels, legumes, sugars and grains causes a spike in your insulin levels. This is because your body want to fight againts the spike in carbohydrates in your body. This has a bad effect on your body because it inhibits proper hormone production in your body. It causes you to become more hungry, faster. It also causes you to become insulin resistant, which can lead to diabetes. Also, these type of foods have high inflammatory characteristics, which leads to heart disease.

Things you want to eat;

Meats (pork, beef, poultry, fish), Veggies, Fruits (sparenly), nuts, dairy (high fat as possible, whole milk as the worst, drink sparenly), healthy fats (no trans fats, or partially hydrogenated)

Dont eat;

Grains, Beans/legumes, sugars, unhealthy fats

Saturated fats and cholesterol intakes has nothing to do with hearth disease. Heart disease has become a leading killer of people in the united states, even with many people going on low fat diets. The reason is they keep eating an insane amount of grains and sugars. These spike your system, which is not good. Insulin production is your bodies reaction to carbs, its to protect your body from them. Your body doesn't have an immediate response to fats or proteins. This leads to that our bodies are made to eat proteins and fats, rather than grains.

Also note, humans have been around for 2.5 million years. Grains have only been cultivated for 11000 years (rice in china). That means for 99.56% of the amount of time humans have been on earth, we have eaten proteins and fats as our primary source, with additions of eating veggies, fruits and nuts. only 0.44% of the time have we eated cultivated grains. Our bodies are not made to eat grains, processed foods, beans/legumes, sugars, or man made processed fats (trans fats)

[FB71]

Yep I've tried every major diet.  The low carb diet will get you know where. Honestly it seems to make sense at first glance..I've seen the studies the reported results etc., however truth be told you will last about 2-3 weeks, maybe even a month or 2.  I will tell you this, you will get VERY hungry, irritable and eventually binge on carbs,  then you'll go back on the diet, then binge on carbs again.  Eventually you will just decide to go back to you're regular eating regimen as it is comfortable and what your use to.  Later on you will start the whole research process on the internet or listen to a friend's advice on a new diet that sounds to good to be true...AGAIN.

If you really want to do something that actually has long lasting effects,  you need to make small adjustments in your diet.  for example, try adding one piece of fruit to your lunch every day.  and stick to that.  Don't worry about what you need to cut out or how many calories you need to eat..it's too technical, and really, who wants to complicate life more than it already is.  It's all about slowly reprogramming your body to appreciate and like healthy foods.  Try to eat foods that are intended for humans.  Train the Brain first!!  It takes time but it's well worth it.  Forget the whole yo yo diet thing..It's tiring and wasted time.  Eventually you'll be a mean lean wrecking machine.

I have lost over 120 pounds.  I am now in excellent shape (muscular and lean).  I weight train regularly and don't pay any attention to the those extreme fads, protein shakes and other useless products.  don't get me wrong the packaging is fun and it's exciting to see what it does to you're body, but seriously it really doesn't do much.  You mine as well purchase a bag of sugar, some wonder bread and a slurpee because it's all junk (lol)

Lastly don't aim to look like the guys on men's fitness (you mine as well try to be bill gates, or tiger woods).  Just be happy with making steps in the right direction and you'll eventually reach your potential.

Good luck mate, and if you have any other questions let me know.