Low Carb Diet

[6 Iron]

I am now on day ten. I have eliminated all carbs, save for green vegetables and some beans... no flour, sugar, potatoes, corn or grains. The low carb flu was not a myth...I had a fuzzy head, mild nausea and low energy for 3 or 4 days, but feel good now. My weight is/was pretty good, although I am happy to see my middle age paunch diminish a little already. I just felt I needed to get more serious about what I was putting in my body, particularly with a family history of type II diabetes.

I was hoping with a dedicated thread, others might comment on issues or concerns associated with this kind of diet.

[craigr]

When I stay low carb I will lose and/or maintain desired weight. If I go back to eating carbs like grains, white bread, sugar, etc. I am guaranteed to put weight on. I am now low carb again and feel good. I will cheat occasionally, but now very sweet foods do not taste as good to me. Usually they are far too sweet now.

[l82start]

i had good results with low carb and no flu type symptoms, some people may switch over easier than others (more Neanderthal genes maybe), i am back to eating carb's in limited amounts and my weight has stabilized, i am careful not to binge on them so my reset metabolism seems to be staying reset... 

[AdamA]

I'm a low-carb believer too, and I'm probably not as strict as a lot of people who do this.  I was very skeptical initially and thought low carb dieting was just a fad (it was a debate on this website some time last year that actually got me to change my thinking on this). 

I saw the movie "Fathead," and the guy ate no more than 100 grams of carbohydrate a day.  That's what I've been doing for the past six months or so.  I've lost a lot of weight (roughly 10-12lbs, and I wasn't that big to begin with) and I still occasionally eat fast food (just not the fries or soda).  I exercise a lot too, though.

[WildAboutHarry]

I have been on a low-carb diet for about 9 years.  I am pretty dedicated about avoiding the carb biggies - processed grains, breads, starchy vegetables, sugars, sugared drinks, etc.

I lost a bunch of weight early on (that was the original motivation for going on the diet), but have gained some of that back.  I attribute the gain to advancing age, wine (I'm hoping the French paradox is real), and simply eating too much.  Calories are calories, even if they are not from carbs

When I started the low-carb thing back in 2003 I dropped coffee and alcohol in addition to the carbs.  Had terrible headaches for about three days, which I attributed to caffeine withdrawal. 

I used to pop Tums frequently for heartburn.  I've probably eaten a dozen Tums since I've been on a low-carb diet, usually in association with a carb spike.

I recommend Gary Taube's book Good Calories, Bad Calories for an in-depth discussion of the science about the low-carb diet.

Dr. Mike Eades has blog that is also very informative about the science of the low carb diet.

[l82start]

I used to pop Tums frequently for heartburn.  I've probably eaten a dozen Tums since I've been on a low-carb diet, usually in association with a carb spike.

I recommend Gary Taube's book Good Calories, Bad Calories for an in-depth discussion of the science about the low-carb diet.

Dr. Mike Eades has blog that is also very informative about the science of the low carb diet.

Gary Taube's video lecture was one of the first things i looked at, also very informative..  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 7661765149
i had the same problem with heart burn and the same results, its gone away... 

[Gosso]

I'll propose an alternative hypothesis as to why we become fat.  Many believe that it is the "food reward system" that has been hijacked by the commercially processed foods/drinks.  This increases the dopamine that our brains secrete after eating the highly stimulating foods, which makes us crave more food/calories. 

I highly recommend that you read through this blog post (part II is HERE) by Dr. Stephan Guyenet.  There are a total of eight parts to his series on food reward.

The "Godfather" of the Low-Carb-Paleo-Diet, Dr. Kurt Harris, started off as a low-carber (he was heavily influenced by Gary Taubes and Mike Eades), then moved onto a whole foods diet.  Here is his series on "There is No Such Thing as a Macronutrient" Part 1, Part 2.

IMO, carbs are not inherently fattening when they are consumed in their natural state (fruit, rice, potatoes, etc.)...just look at China.  Personally I would first remove all processed food (highly rewarding food) from my diet, and see how that changes my hunger (weight).  If that is not enough, then try reducing the carbs.

[dualstow]

I like my carbs, but I'm into the Wheat Belly Diet, eschewing wheat.
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

I missed bread until I found the flax-and-egg wrap recipe in the same book.
Now I can make it in about ten minutes.

[SteveGo]

I dropped 30 pounds on low carb. These days I still keep a daily journal of intake at livestrong.com's MyPlate, and limit my carbs to 100g per day. I don't exclude anything but keep that total net carb number under control, along with a net calorie intake, which for me is about 1900 calories. Net calories = intake minus burned in exercise. I usually walk my trusty Lab, Buddy, a couple of miles a day, and if I do yard work or such, I count that too.

This has been working for me for a couple of years. If I slip up and put on some weight, I drop the carb intake, and the pounds come back off.

If you haven't watched "Fat-Head, The Movie," give it a look. It is great education and funny.

[flyingpylon]

Lots of great links in this thread... they are all sources I have been following over the last few years.  I have been on a moderately-low-carb diet since about 2009 and have seen a number of benefits (though weight loss in particular was not a primary concern for me).

Interestingly enough, in a roundabout way it was health/nutrition issues that brought me to the PP.  As I discovered that so much of the "conventional wisdom" about nutrition is a bunch of crap, I started to look around at other aspects of life where people were making huge unquestioned assumptions that didn't always stand up to scrutiny.  I think investing is definitely one of those areas... I was one of those people just plowing everything into the stock market and hoping for the best, but after the last ten years I decided I had had enough and needed to do something that ignored the marketing hype and just made more sense.

Seems like many of the people who are into low-carb have some of the same personality traits as many of the people who are into the PP in that they value personal freedom, don't necessarily take everything at face value, and appreciate the ability to make decisions independent of the herd.

[Lone Wolf]

Have any of the low-carbers here found that including carbs from fruit and vegetable sources gets in the way of your health and weight loss?  I understand very well the idea of limiting processed grains, sugary drinks, etc.  But I've never seen a guy get fat because he ate too many blueberries.

Full disclosure -- I consumed 468g of carbohydrates yesterday.  I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader as to whether I adhere to a low-carb diet.   

If you haven't watched "Fat-Head, The Movie," give it a look. It is great education and funny.

Loved that one.  A worthy response to Morgan Spurlock's pile of crapola in "Super Size Me".

[l82start]

Have any of the low-carbers here found that including carbs from fruit and vegetable sources gets in the way of your health and weight loss?  I understand very well the idea of limiting processed grains, sugary drinks, etc.  But I've never seen a guy get fat because he ate too many blueberries.

Full disclosure -- I consumed 468g of carbohydrates yesterday.  I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader as to whether I adhere to a low-carb diet.   

i don't think it gets in the way of health or weight maintenance at all, for quick weight loss total carb intake counts, and you need that number to be low to get your body thinking "burning fat is what i do" so when counting carbs to achieve that result, small amounts of veggies is one of the few options that wont put you over your daily number..

[Alanw]

I have an opposite weight problem having a very high metabolism (I think).  My problem is keeping my weight up.  I literally have to watch what I eat in order not to lose weight.  I can eat anything I want without putting on weight.  Let me first say what I don't eat.  I eat very little red meat, no alcohol, no caffeine, no processed sugar (only that in fruit) and I do not smoke.  I have to eat a lot of carbs and many days will have an Ensure Plus with 350 calories.  I do eat an ample supply of fruits and vegetables, most of which are organic but Italian and mexican foods are my staples.

The problem is trying to eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and low carbs without losing a few pounds.  I will also add that I exercise regulary (weight lifting and cardio) and have for may years.

I do realize this is a better problem to have than most of the rest of society but it is difficult when nearly all of my friends have a weight problem and are constantly battling their weight.

I guess this is a case of "be thankful for what you have".

[Gosso]

Have any of the low-carbers here found that including carbs from fruit and vegetable sources gets in the way of your health and weight loss?  I understand very well the idea of limiting processed grains, sugary drinks, etc.  But I've never seen a guy get fat because he ate too many blueberries.

Full disclosure -- I consumed 468g of carbohydrates yesterday.  I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader as to whether I adhere to a low-carb diet.   

i don't think it gets in the way of health or weight maintenance at all, for quick weight loss total carb intake counts, and you need that number to be low to get your body thinking "burning fat is what i do" so when counting carbs to achieve that result, small amounts of veggies is one of the few options that wont put you over your daily number..

I highlighted the common problem in the above statement that almost every single dieter runs into -- they want results NOW.  If your body is losing weight quickly it will probably be thinking this:

"What the heck is going on, I am not getting enough calories, I am very likely going to DIE, lets increase the alertness and energy of this person to hopefully get it to find some food, and when we do get that food I'm going to store as much of it as possible so that the next time we run low on food we'll have more reserve fat"

The body does not understand that it is an environment of abundant food.  Since most people go on and off diets constantly, they are just freaking their body out and telling it to store more fat for the next diet.  This in effect increases the "Body Fat Setpoint" that the brain controls.  The best way to lose weight for life is to lose it slowly...but that wouldn't sell very many books.

I have an opposite weight problem having a very high metabolism (I think).  My problem is keeping my weight up.  I literally have to watch what I eat in order not to lose weight.  I can eat anything I want without putting on weight.  Let me first say what I don't eat.  I eat very little red meat, no alcohol, no caffeine, no processed sugar (only that in fruit) and I do not smoke.  I have to eat a lot of carbs and many days will have an Ensure Plus with 350 calories.  I do eat an ample supply of fruits and vegetables, most of which are organic but Italian and mexican foods are my staples.

The problem is trying to eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and low carbs without losing a few pounds.  I will also add that I exercise regulary (weight lifting and cardio) and have for may years.

I do realize this is a better problem to have than most of the rest of society but it is difficult when nearly all of my friends have a weight problem and are constantly battling their weight.

I guess this is a case of "be thankful for what you have".

Sounds like you need more vices 

[Alanw]

Gosso,

I had plenty of vices in the past, most of which I have eliminated.  At my age, fewer vices and less stress seems to work best.

[l82start]

i don't think it gets in the way of health or weight maintenance at all, for quick weight loss total carb intake counts, and you need that number to be low to get your body thinking "burning fat is what i do" so when counting carbs to achieve that result, small amounts of veggies is one of the few options that wont put you over your daily number..

I highlighted the common problem in the above statement that almost every single dieter runs into -- they want results NOW.  If your body is losing weight quickly it will probably be thinking this:

"What the heck is going on, I am not getting enough calories, I am very likely going to DIE, lets increase the alertness and energy of this person to hopefully get it to find some food, and when we do get that food I'm going to store as much of it as possible so that the next time we run low on food we'll have more reserve fat"

The body does not understand that it is an environment of abundant food.  Since most people go on and off diets constantly, they are just freaking their body out and telling it to store more fat for the next diet.  This in effect increases the "Body Fat Setpoint" that the brain controls.  The best way to lose weight for life is to lose it slowly...but that wouldn't sell very many books.

with most diets i would agree completely.... with low carb however (i am not a dietary scientist so i may be a bit off in my explanation) you are triggering a metabolic "fat burning"  state, your body doesn't go into the fat storage business, it goes into the fat burning business, you eat fat and protein and that's what your body burns to fill its needs, i found i had no issues with hunger, in fact my appetite/portion sizes decreased during, and stayed smaller after the fat burning/weight loss stage, also my weight stabilized and had no yo-yo'ing after.. 
i probably shouldn't have made it seem like i was recommending setting "quick weight" loss as a goal "i don't", but i suspect most low carb dieters will find it to be pleasing a result of simply cutting the carbs...

[Gosso]

Gosso,

I had plenty of vices in the past, most of which I have eliminated.  At my age, fewer vices and less stress seems to work best.

I have also eliminated many vices (although I still keep a few around) and my health has greatly improved because of it.  I have the same "problem" as you where my weight remains somewhat stable regardless of what I eat or do (I think it's because I have good genes, was fortunate to be raised on good home cooking, and never purposely went on a diet, except for my short stint at low-carb where I lost 15 lbs by accident).  My interest in diet is mainly focused on mental health, auto-immune, energy, sleep, and overall well-being.  

with most diets i would agree completely.... with low carb however (i am not a dietary scientist so i may be a bit off in my explanation) you are triggering a metabolic "fat burning"  state, your body doesn't go into the fat storage business, it goes into the fat burning business, you eat fat and protein and that's what your body burns to fill its needs, i found i had no issues with hunger, in fact my appetite/portion sizes decreased during, and stayed smaller after the fat burning/weight loss stage, also my weight stabilized and had no yo-yo'ing after..  
i probably shouldn't have made it seem like i was recommending setting "quick weight" loss as a goal "i don't", but i suspect most low carb dieters will find it to be pleasing a result of simply cutting the carbs...

I wasn't directing the comments directly at your post but rather at the idea of "lose weight quick" books and whatnot.

You're correct that you will enter the "fat burning phase" on a low carb diet, because your body has no choice, and will begin using ketones to run your brain rather than glucose.  This is wonderful for quick weight-loss, but is this healthy long-term?  It seems a lot of people burn out after six months on a low carb diet (this is a complete generalization based on my reading of Paleo and Low Carb blogs/forums).

Here is a four part series where Paul Jaminet describes the dangers of Very Low or Zero Carb Dieting.  His main concerns are: mucus deficiency, gastrointestinal cancers, scurvy, kidney stones.  He then has another post where he discuses the potential damage to the thyroid that a very low carb diet can cause.

If anyone wants to go low/moderate carb, then I'd highly recommend the "Perfect Health Diet" by Paul Jaminet.  He seems the most balanced out of the low-carb crowd.  I personally eat more carbs and consume wheat/legumes occasionally.

[l82start]

i would be surprised to hear anyone recommending ketosis as a valuable long term state to be in, my understanding has been that you enter ketosis, lose weight, fix your blood sugar, change your appetite and metabolism then add carbs (in there best forms fruit, and veggies) back in and then allow yourself some limited junk as treats (cheat days) but not to the point you loose all the gains or wreck the readjustments you have made... 

[Lone Wolf]

I have an opposite weight problem having a very high metabolism (I think).  My problem is keeping my weight up.  I literally have to watch what I eat in order not to lose weight.  I can eat anything I want without putting on weight.  Let me first say what I don't eat.  I eat very little red meat, no alcohol, no caffeine, no processed sugar (only that in fruit) and I do not smoke.  I have to eat a lot of carbs and many days will have an Ensure Plus with 350 calories.  I do eat an ample supply of fruits and vegetables, most of which are organic but Italian and mexican foods are my staples.

Heck of a good problem to have, my friend!  Throwing in a few tablespoons of natural peanut butter (perhaps even in a shake or smoothie) might be another good way to get some additional calories in.

[Gosso]

i would be surprised to hear anyone recommending ketosis as a valuable long term state to be in, my understanding has been that you enter ketosis, lose weight, fix your blood sugar, change your appetite and metabolism then add carbs (in there best forms fruit, and veggies) back in and then allow yourself some limited junk as treats (cheat days) but not to the point you loose all the gains or wreck the readjustments you have made... 

That would be the best way to use a low carb diet.  In this case it is used as more of an intervention that allows the person to break the sugar and junk food habit.  Once they have gone through the pain and withdrawals, then add healthy carbs back into the mix, and a few cheats to keep them sane.  Unfortunately, this is not the common recommendation from the top low carb people, ie Gary Taubes, Mike Eades, Robb Wolf, Mark Sisson, Jimmy Moore, pre-2011 Kurt Harris.  I have never read Atkins book, but according to Wikipedia he does begin to ramp up the carbs after the two week "induction" phase, until weight stability is reached.

[l82start]

i could easily be wrong about what some experts are recommending.. i would still consider the diet to be "low carb" after you stabilize and add "some" carbs back in (certainly relative to the typical American diet)..    and the range of how many carbs you can add back in and still remain "near enough" to ketosis to maintain stability undoubtedly varies from person to person

[6 Iron]

i could easily be wrong about what some experts are recommending.. i would still consider the diet to be "low carb" after you stabilize and add "some" carbs back in (certainly relative to the typical American diet)..    and the range of how many carbs you can add back in and still remain "near enough" to ketosis to maintain stability undoubtedly varies from person to person

This is my plan. A slow introduction, first fruits, then small occasional servings of bread/beer, and see if I remain stable. Seems milk is a controversial topic for any diet including this one. I have not yet decided, although may add yogurt back.

[Alanw]

I have an opposite weight problem having a very high metabolism (I think).  My problem is keeping my weight up.  I literally have to watch what I eat in order not to lose weight.  I can eat anything I want without putting on weight.  Let me first say what I don't eat.  I eat very little red meat, no alcohol, no caffeine, no processed sugar (only that in fruit) and I do not smoke.  I have to eat a lot of carbs and many days will have an Ensure Plus with 350 calories.  I do eat an ample supply of fruits and vegetables, most of which are organic but Italian and mexican foods are my staples.

Heck of a good problem to have, my friend!  Throwing in a few tablespoons of natural peanut butter (perhaps even in a shake or smoothie) might be another good way to get some additional calories in.

Lone Wolf.  Thanks for the advice.  I do have a daily smoothy consisting of strawberries, blueberries, banana, papaya, organic apple juice and a big scoop of protein powder.  Morning is usually a big bowl of oatmeal with raisons and cinnamon.  Dinner is nearly anything I want.  In restaurants that list the calories of dinners, I usually chose one with higher calories.

I'm really not complaining and feel fortunate that I never had a weight problem.  The biggest problem is trying to maintain a healthy diet of whole grains, fruits and vegetables and stay at the weight I want.

[l82start]

a good interview with the wheat-belly DR. dualsow mentioned http://www.gnosticmedia.com/wheatismurder

[Gosso]

My biggest concern with the low carb crowd is how they can demonize all carbs.  IMO this is wrong and can lead to an overly restricted diet, that may lead to health problems down the road.

Richard Nikoley does a good job of summing up the topic of "carb-fear" in this recent post on Free The Animal.

When I went low carb for two months, my thyroid doubled in size, I developed a rash on my chest and back, my hair started falling out, and my joints began to hurt.  I thought it was the "carb-flu", except that it lasted for two miserable months.  I then thought it was an allergy to a new food, but could never pinpoint the cause.  Then through pure frustration I added more carbs (above 100 grams per day) and I instantly began to recover.  So if problems begin to arise then I'd try adding more safe carbs back into the diet, and not simply blaming it on detox, or carb-flu.  The carb-flu should typically last no more than two weeks.

So I am slightly biased against low carb.