The Carb Poll

[Tortoise]

Over time, I've gotten the sense that many, if not most, of the active posters on this forum have diets that restrict carbs to some extent. So I'm curious to see the breakdown.

(FWIW, I'm currently in the "no carb restrictions" category.)

[flyingpylon]

I waffle between low and moderate but I answered moderate. Without teenagers in the house it would be low(er).

[Mark Leavy]

I'm not above having an old fashioned with my dinner.

Last night was pretty typical. Lowish carbs.

dinner.jpeg (129.17 KiB) Viewed 3585 times

[Mark Leavy]

Why can't you just drink your whiskey straight, like a real man?

And wearing chaps. For us OG Permanent Portfolio folks.

[vnatale]

I chose moderate even though I am unlimited. Only because of the way responses were created with their examples.

By choice I do not, at home, eat bread, rice, anything with sugar (where sugar or one of its similars (e.g., corn syrup) is listed as an ingredient) in it because they are all inferior foods.

But I do eat a lot of fruit (definitely carbohydrates?) and some vegetables (also carbohydrates?).

This morning weighed in at 143.1 at about 5'8".

[vnatale]

I got some mixed nut butter from Trader Joe's. I had to add a teaspoon or so of honey and some extra salt to make it edible. I don't know how you do it, Vinny

This is my exact peanut butter I buy and eat - just peanuts:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wish ... l_huc_view

I get it on sale at Stop & Shop at half this Amazon price.

I also get salads with no dressings at restaurants.

My theory is that once you eat real food without all the "addons" that your taste buds are better able to taste the real food and enjoy it without needing all those "addons".

[D1984]

I got some mixed nut butter from Trader Joe's. I had to add a teaspoon or so of honey and some extra salt to make it edible. I don't know how you do it, Vinny

I also get salads with no dressings at restaurants.

Have you tried eating, say, lawn clippings instead? The lawn clippings would be cheaper (free actually) and probably taste just as good (or rather, just as not good) LOL.

[D1984]

I chose "no carb restrictions" as while I do sometimes have days where I don't eat that many carbohydrates, I don't aim for that or try to restrict carbs on purpose in any way.

The one exception is soda. I rarely drink diet sodas and I have maybe three or four regular sugar-sweetened cokes a year if that.

The only other thing I try to do is avoid eating too many high-PUFA foods which are IMO an even bigger problem than high refined sugar foods if eaten as too much of a percentage of one's daily calories

I generally eat either one or two meals a day and hardly ever snack between them (not trying to intentionally practice OMAD or anything but I don't see the point in eating a second--or third--meal unless I am hungry again). Also, I typically end up doing what amounts to IF as I usually end up eating within an 6-10 hour window without really consciously trying to.

I am approximately 165-168 lbs with clothes/belt/shoes/smartphone/wallet and around 160-163 without; this is at a height of closer to 6 ft 2 in than 6 ft 1.5.

[vnatale]

I got some mixed nut butter from Trader Joe's. I had to add a teaspoon or so of honey and some extra salt to make it edible. I don't know how you do it, Vinny

I also get salads with no dressings at restaurants.

Have you tried eating, say, lawn clippings instead? The lawn clippings would be cheaper (free actually) and probably taste just as good (or rather, just as not good) LOL.

Try a salad without dressings. You might like it!

[vnatale]

I chose "no carb restrictions" as while I do sometimes have days where I don't eat that many carbohydrates, I don't aim for that or try to restrict carbs on purpose in any way.

The one exception is soda. I rarely drink diet sodas and I have maybe three or four regular sugar-sweetened cokes a year if that.

The only other thing I try to do is avoid eating too many high-PUFA foods which are IMO an even bigger problem than high refined sugar foods if eaten as too much of a percentage of one's daily calories

I generally eat either one or two meals a day and hardly ever snack between them (not trying to intentionally practice OMAD or anything but I don't see the point in eating a second--or third--meal unless I am hungry again). Also, I typically end up doing what amounts to IF as I usually end up eating within an 6-10 hour window without really consciously trying to.

I am approximately 165-168 lbs with clothes/belt/shoes/smartphone/wallet and around 160-163 without; this is at a height of closer to 6 ft 2 in than 6 ft 1.5.

At first I thought we'd have similar BMI's. But you surpass mine! We are both on the lower end of "normal".

Me - 21.7
You - 20.9

[D1984]

I got some mixed nut butter from Trader Joe's. I had to add a teaspoon or so of honey and some extra salt to make it edible. I don't know how you do it, Vinny

I also get salads with no dressings at restaurants.

Have you tried eating, say, lawn clippings instead? The lawn clippings would be cheaper (free actually) and probably taste just as good (or rather, just as not good) LOL.

Try a salad without dressings. You might like it!

Naaah....too dry; tastes like pure chlorophyll, and besides....many of the micronutrients in vegetables are made more available by combining them with a fatty dressing (I actually don't eat salads that often but when I do I typically make an olive, MCT, macnut, or avocado oil dressing made with said oil + vinegar + herbs/spices/salt; I won't touch most store-bought Italian or vinaigrette dressings due to their PUFA content).

The one exception to the above rule about using an oil-based dressing is sometimes I'll instead use a mixture of Dale's, fish sauce, and nooch for a very umami/savory dressing.....but I'm still not eating a salad "dry" no matter what!

[D1984]

I chose "no carb restrictions" as while I do sometimes have days where I don't eat that many carbohydrates, I don't aim for that or try to restrict carbs on purpose in any way.

The one exception is soda. I rarely drink diet sodas and I have maybe three or four regular sugar-sweetened cokes a year if that.

The only other thing I try to do is avoid eating too many high-PUFA foods which are IMO an even bigger problem than high refined sugar foods if eaten as too much of a percentage of one's daily calories

I generally eat either one or two meals a day and hardly ever snack between them (not trying to intentionally practice OMAD or anything but I don't see the point in eating a second--or third--meal unless I am hungry again). Also, I typically end up doing what amounts to IF as I usually end up eating within an 6-10 hour window without really consciously trying to.

I am approximately 165-168 lbs with clothes/belt/shoes/smartphone/wallet and around 160-163 without; this is at a height of closer to 6 ft 2 in than 6 ft 1.5.

At first I thought we'd have similar BMI's. But you surpass mine! We are both on the lower end of "normal".

Me - 21.7
You - 20.9

Hmmm.....last time I checked mine calced out at around 21.2; did you use a height of 73.5 or a height of 74 inches?

I just now re-checked my weight with clothes and everything else and it came out at 166.3; alter subtracting the weight of the clothes/shoes/belt/Alcatel Tetra this puts BMI at around 21 or so.

I still wear the same size pants I wore in my junior and senior year of high school albeit now I have to wear a belt with them to keep them from falling off and back then I didn't; I don't think I'm actually much (if any) thinner than I was then (I started high school weighing around 161 with all my clothes/shoes--I was skinny and lanky--and graduated weighing 168 with them) but I've heard that clothing manufacturers have made sizes larger over the years so that what's now a size 34 was actually a 35 or 36 back 20 years or so ago.

Were you always as relatively thin as you are now or did you only get thin on your quasi-fruitarian diet? Also, do you get any animal protein on your diet or it all (mostly) from nuts/seeds? Do you eat soy products?

You had mentioned natural nut butter too...I actually like those--once you are generally used to the taste/texture of them Peter Pan tastes like someone mixed Crisco with your peanut butter and then added extra sugar for good measure--but if I buy the natural ones I pour all the oil off first turn then it upside down with a towel/paper towel under it to collect all the oil for an hour or so, and replace the oil with a high saturated or high monounsaturated fat neutral tasting oil (macadamia/refined avocado/MCT/Hi-oleic sunflower) because omega-6 PUFAs suck and peanut/almond/walnut/pecan oil is unfortunately loaded with them; sometimes it's easier just to get the hi-oleic PB2 powder and mix that with the oil; you can get hi-oleic peanut butter--imported from Asutralia or South America--but it's crazy expensive even before paying the shipping costs so I don't buy that kind; macadamia nut butter isn't full of PUFAs so it's fine but unless you add some kind of thickener it is almost too liquid to use like peanut butter).

[vnatale]

I got some mixed nut butter from Trader Joe's. I had to add a teaspoon or so of honey and some extra salt to make it edible. I don't know how you do it, Vinny

I also get salads with no dressings at restaurants.

Have you tried eating, say, lawn clippings instead? The lawn clippings would be cheaper (free actually) and probably taste just as good (or rather, just as not good) LOL.

Try a salad without dressings. You might like it!

Naaah....too dry; tastes like pure chlorophyll, and besides....many of the micronutrients in vegetables are made more available by combining them with a fatty dressing (I actually don't eat salads that often but when I do I typically make an olive, MCT, macnut, or avocado oil dressing made with said oil + vinegar + herbs/spices/salt; I won't touch most store-bought Italian or vinaigrette dressings due to their PUFA content).

The one exception to the above rule about using an oil-based dressing is sometimes I'll instead use a mixture of Dale's, fish sauce, and nooch for a very umami/savory dressing.....but I'm still not eating a salad "dry" no matter what!

The only thing I will ever use as a salad dressing at home is Gulden's brown mustard. Hate the yellow mustard but love the brown mustard.

[vnatale]

I chose "no carb restrictions" as while I do sometimes have days where I don't eat that many carbohydrates, I don't aim for that or try to restrict carbs on purpose in any way.

The one exception is soda. I rarely drink diet sodas and I have maybe three or four regular sugar-sweetened cokes a year if that.

The only other thing I try to do is avoid eating too many high-PUFA foods which are IMO an even bigger problem than high refined sugar foods if eaten as too much of a percentage of one's daily calories

I generally eat either one or two meals a day and hardly ever snack between them (not trying to intentionally practice OMAD or anything but I don't see the point in eating a second--or third--meal unless I am hungry again). Also, I typically end up doing what amounts to IF as I usually end up eating within an 6-10 hour window without really consciously trying to.

I am approximately 165-168 lbs with clothes/belt/shoes/smartphone/wallet and around 160-163 without; this is at a height of closer to 6 ft 2 in than 6 ft 1.5.

At first I thought we'd have similar BMI's. But you surpass mine! We are both on the lower end of "normal".

Me - 21.7
You - 20.9

Hmmm.....last time I checked mine calced out at around 21.2; did you use a height of 73.5 or a height of 74 inches?

I just now re-checked my weight with clothes and everything else and it came out at 166.3; alter subtracting the weight of the clothes/shoes/belt/Alcatel Tetra this puts BMI at around 21 or so.

I still wear the same size pants I wore in my junior and senior year of high school albeit now I have to wear a belt with them to keep them from falling off and back then I didn't; I don't think I'm actually much (if any) thinner than I was then (I started high school weighing around 161 with all my clothes/shoes--I was skinny and lanky--and graduated weighing 168 with them) but I've heard that clothing manufacturers have made sizes larger over the years so that what's now a size 34 was actually a 35 or 36 back 20 years or so ago.

Were you always as relatively thin as you are now or did you only get thin on your quasi-fruitarian diet? Also, do you get any animal protein on your diet or it all (mostly) from nuts/seeds? Do you eat soy products?

You had mentioned natural nut butter too...I actually like those--once you are generally used to the taste/texture of them Peter Pan tastes like someone mixed Crisco with your peanut butter and then added extra sugar for good measure--but if I buy the natural ones I pour all the oil off first turn then it upside down with a towel/paper towel under it to collect all the oil for an hour or so, and replace the oil with a high saturated or high monounsaturated fat neutral tasting oil (macadamia/refined avocado/MCT/Hi-oleic sunflower) because omega-6 PUFAs suck and peanut/almond/walnut/pecan oil is unfortunately loaded with them; sometimes it's easier just to get the hi-oleic PB2 powder and mix that with the oil; you can get hi-oleic peanut butter--imported from Asutralia or South America--but it's crazy expensive even before paying the shipping costs so I don't buy that kind; macadamia nut butter isn't full of PUFAs so it's fine but unless you add some kind of thickener it is almost too liquid to use like peanut butter).

I rounded your to 74 inches.

I graduated high school 1/2 inch taller than now, 130 pounds. 29" waist. My mother was a terrible cook so my freshman year of college I was always going for seconds and, usually, thirds. Plus all the soda you wanted to drink. It was like gourmet food to me compared to my mother's cooking. As a result I went up to 160 pounds.

But then I came back to 140 pounds when I left school.

The first time I was on my own and had little money...I'd eat no breakfast and no lunch. If I was feeling hungry and extravagant at 3:15 I'd buy one of those 15 cent pie things from a vending machine. Then supper was a 12 cent dented can of Campbell's soup and two toasted fluffer nutters. I was extremely healthy then, never being sick.

I've never hit 170 pounds. When the virus hit in March 2020 I was in the 155 range. My physical activity drastically reduced but my appetite and food intake also did which has brought me to where I now am.

At one point I hit a 35 1/2 waits which I thought was astounding at 155 pounds. Now I can again comfortably get into 32" pants. I remember reading for my size that every five pounds equals an inch on your waist.

Those jars that I showed you that I buy. It's easy for me to eat half a jar a day -- half a pound of peanut butter a day.

I'm a total vegan at home. Outside I'll eat things with cheese or eggs in it....my only animal protein sources. Eating out is a max of once a week these days. And, that is usually a Subway veggie wrap with hardly any slices of prevolone cheese in it.

I'm frugal to the hilt. So I stick to the brand (Teddie) that I showed above that I buy. I obviously love it.

[WiseOne]

I don't get it.

One person says they eat a lot of carbs but selected "moderate" in the poll.

Another says they eat very little carbs but selected "moderate" in the poll.

Maybe they cancel each other out???

I'm also interested in hearing whether people eschew grains (especially wheat) and industrial seed oils. Those are the real nasties here - out of proportion to their direct effects on driving up blood sugar & insulin. The USDA diet pushes these in particular as paragons of health foods.

[vnatale]

I don't get it.

One person says they eat a lot of carbs but selected "moderate" in the poll.

Another says they eat very little carbs but selected "moderate" in the poll.

Maybe they cancel each other out???

I'm also interested in hearing whether people eschew grains (especially wheat) and industrial seed oils. Those are the real nasties here - out of proportion to their direct effects on driving up blood sugar & insulin. The USDA diet pushes these in particular as paragons of health foods.

I responded the way I did because the category applied to me (no restrictions because they are carbohydrates) but then none of the examples in the parentheses applied to me which led me to thinking maybe I should respond as moderate. I was taking the example of what "No carb restrictions" meant, not what I'd have assumed it meant absent the examples.

No carb restrictions (bread, rice, and/or potatoes, and also some desserts and high-carb snacks)

[Tortoise]

Interesting results so far. Based on all the low-carb discussions here, I wouldn’t have guessed that almost 2/3 of the forum members are moderate or unrestricted carb-eaters. A “silent majority” of sorts.

Maybe we should start a thread to discuss all of the delicious carbs we enjoy.

[Kriegsspiel]

You didn't include an option for cyclic carb intake, so I just put moderate.

[Tortoise]

You didn't include an option for cyclic carb intake, so I just put moderate.

I added the option just now.

(EDIT: …aaaaand the votes are all gone. Apparently it reset when I added the carb cycling option. Oops. Sorry, everyone.

I’m starting to sympathize with the NYC poll workers who accidentally added over 100k fake ballots to the recent mayoral race.)

[SomeDude]

I’m starting to sympathize with the NYC poll workers who accidentally added over 100k fake ballots to the recent mayoral race.)

You been listening to Qannon huh? There is zero evidence there were any fake ballots. I mean, has anyone even been convicted yet?

[Mark Leavy]

I’m starting to sympathize with the NYC poll workers who accidentally added over 100k fake ballots to the recent mayoral race.)

I cycled from Old Fashioned to Margarita this evening. All of the fake ballots I manufactured this season were of the highest quality. Authentic, genuine, serial numbers matched the holograms.

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[doodle]

From the longevity studies I've seen and the scientists I've listened to...lately David Sinclair...what you eat by and large comes second to frequency of feeding in that smaller feeding window coupled with calorie restriction (while simultaneously maintaining complete nutritional intake) will deliver more health effects. The studies in our closet relatives as well as other animal studies seem to bear this out

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Owen (left panels) and Eeyore (right panels) are both 27 years old, but Eeyore, who has been fed a calorie-restricted diet for the past 20 years, looks more youthful in terms of facial features, coat, and posture.


As far as the composition of diet scientists like Sinclair eschew meat and simple sugars. Personally I think the keto diet (while potentially effective for losing weight) has longer term negative health ramifications that are being overlooked. Luckily we have a lot of individuals who are willing to be guinea pigs so we should have much more data in coming decades.

There are also humans like Herschel Walker who seem to deny the laws of thermodynamics by consuming one meal a day of mostly salad and bread yet have physiques at the age of 50 that could probably still compete in NFL.

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