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I'm not saying a low carb diet is the only way to go. Far from it. But from my experience it is the only thing that works for me. Just as we can't say that a low carb diet is the right answer for everyone, this statement is equally as dangerous to someone struggling with obesity. Giving them the idea that they can eat what they want as long as they limit portion sizes isn't true either. Everyone has to figure out what works for them. My body doesn't do well with carbs. I've tried most of the diets. The only one that worked for a little while was Weight Watchers, but eventually I began regaining the weight while still on the diet.
A low carb diet can be maintained for life fairly easily, btw.... once you are at your maintenance weight it is extremely easy to maintain. Because of the way I eat, there is rarely ever an instance where I feel hungry. I actually have to remind myself to go eat because I don't get hunger pains.
Here were yesterday's meals:
Breakfast - 2 pieces of bacon, and 2 scrambled eggs. 1 cup of coffee with 2 packets of splenda and a splash of half and half. - 5 g net carbs.
Lunch I actually forgot to eat because I was busy and never got hungry.
2pm - Drank a 15g protein shake because I didn't want to get hungry later. - 2g net carbs.
Dinner - Baked salmon with broccoli. - 12g net carbs.
My total carb intake for the day was 19g. I spent most of the day working in my woodshop and the evening moving furniture for a friend into a townhouse on the side of the mountain. I never once felt tired. As I said before, for me I have twice the energy that I used to have. The results this morning were that I was down 2 lbs.
At the beginning of the diet two months ago I was 234 lbs. As of this morning I am at 208 lbs.
The low carb diets do work, and are sustainable if someone chooses to go that path. It does require a lifestyle change and a willingness to limit intake of things that don't add much value. Some don't want to do that and I get it. But that doesn't mean they don't work or aren't healthy diets. If I decide that I really want a burger and fries, I have them. But I have found that after loading on carbs I feel sick and bloated for the remainder of the day and typically the next day. I just feel better while they are limited.
This is my experience as well.
My statement was absolutely not dangerous to someone struggling with obesity and I continue to stand by it. I WAS someone struggling with obesity since the birth of my children. At 40 years old I found myself carrying a whopping 221 plus pounds on a five ten frame. Sure I'm tall but even my above average height didn't mitigate a seventy pound weight gain. I was fat and out of shape. In the ten years of having a weight problem I tried and failed diets. I lost only to go right back up. I ultimately threw the 70 lb monkey off my back by yes practicing eating in moderation watching what I eat and becoming active. I decreased my caloric intake overall and I lost weight and inches. My body fat last I checked was 22.6% which is good for me. All of this while not going crazy about carb counts. So I don't just talk the talk I've walked the walk. I was obese. I lost weight and am healthy yet I still consume sugar and about once or twice a week I eat such things as hamburgers pizza whatever. The result is that a year later the weights still off and I'm still sane. I applaud your weight loss because the struggle is real as we age but my method and attitude towards weight loss is not more or less dangerous than yours. You lost weight due to a caloric deficit just like I did. Two sides of a same coin.
All this talk about the diet that works for them and not one person has mentioned their actual health. Who cares about your weight and how you lost or maintain it if your health is terrible. Yes this is the weight loss forum but it is a sub forum of "Health and Wellness". I mean cholesterol, trigylicerides, glucose, liver enzymes etc etc. Bad food cannot equal good health regardless of weight, so on weight alone you cannot justify it. A friend at work was feeling terrible lately. He's fairly young (35), not overweight but was fatigued and tired all the time. I recommended he go get checked. Yes, his cholesterol and Trigs were high but the true problem popped up on his liver enzyme tests. They were all very high with some over twice the upper limit of normal. Well it turns out he has a fatty liver. His wife bakes cakes for a living. Even his doctor told him cut out or severely reduce his intake of flour and sugar. That is the cause in his case. It may not be the same for everyone but the proof is in the pudding. Those foods cannot possibly be good for you under any circumstances. Many people cannot follow "portion control". Not only that, the consumption of these foods leave you wanting more and more and never being satisfied. It becomes a viscous circle.
All this talk about the diet that works for them and not one person has mentioned their actual health. Who cares about your weight and how you lost or maintain it if your health is terrible. Yes this is the weight loss forum but it is a sub forum of "Health and Wellness". I mean cholesterol, trigylicerides, glucose, liver enzymes etc etc. Bad food cannot equal good health regardless of weight, so on weight alone you cannot justify it. A friend at work was feeling terrible lately. He's fairly young (35), not overweight but was fatigued and tired all the time. I recommended he go get checked. Yes, his cholesterol and Trigs were high but the true problem popped up on his liver enzyme tests. They were all very high with some over twice the upper limit of normal. Well it turns out he has a fatty liver. His wife bakes cakes for a living. Even his doctor told him cut out or severely reduce his intake of flour and sugar. That is the cause in his case. It may not be the same for everyone but the proof is in the pudding. Those foods cannot possibly be good for you under any circumstances. Many people cannot follow "portion control". Not only that, the consumption of these foods leave you wanting more and more and never being satisfied. It becomes a viscous circle.
You bring up a good point. What is our health like. Well, I am one of those people that eat from all the food groups and my recent check up revealed that I have enviable cholesterol and blood pressure. Everything else was great as well. I could have good genes or it could be that I eat whole fresh foods and exercise. Probably both. But along with those healthy foods I eat ice cream, chocolate, foods made with white flour (gasp!), and the chip or two. And of course wine! But I eat and drink that stuff in moderation.
You can be perfectly healthy eating from all the food groups as long as you eat more of the good stuff than the bad stuff and exercise. Exercise is a key component to good health.
When I was eating primarily veggie and complex carbs, all my blood numbers were great (tri, chol, etc.), except my glucose kept edging into pre-diabetic territory. It also was great with my RA.
So I switched to a lower carb diet, more protein (like 70 carbs a day), and the glucose got better, but the other blood work got worse.
So a lot is finding the right balance. One difference is I have a few auto-immune problems, so that complicates it.
I am not overweight, have never been obese, and exercise 5 days a week (strenuously).
I really don't think a one size fits all is out there. I have never eaten a lot of junk food, or white flour, I'm lucky I like healthy food. For someone who eats junk, eliminating white food is an easy way to fix their diet, but a lot of people are capable of moderation, and can eat a variety.
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All this talk about the diet that works for them and not one person has mentioned their actual health. Who cares about your weight and how you lost or maintain it if your health is terrible. Yes this is the weight loss forum but it is a sub forum of "Health and Wellness". I mean cholesterol, trigylicerides, glucose, liver enzymes etc etc. Bad food cannot equal good health regardless of weight, so on weight alone you cannot justify it. A friend at work was feeling terrible lately. He's fairly young (35), not overweight but was fatigued and tired all the time. I recommended he go get checked. Yes, his cholesterol and Trigs were high but the true problem popped up on his liver enzyme tests. They were all very high with some over twice the upper limit of normal. Well it turns out he has a fatty liver. His wife bakes cakes for a living. Even his doctor told him cut out or severely reduce his intake of flour and sugar. That is the cause in his case. It may not be the same for everyone but the proof is in the pudding. Those foods cannot possibly be good for you under any circumstances. Many people cannot follow "portion control". Not only that, the consumption of these foods leave you wanting more and more and never being satisfied. It becomes a viscous circle.
I'll mention my health (in part). My Trigl is 56.0 mg/dL (normal less than 150), my HDL (good cholesterol) is 64.0 mg/dL (normal greater than 39), LDLc 33mg/dL (normal less than 130), glucose 93.0, sodium in normal range, potassium in normal range, calcium in normal range, albumin 4.0g dL (normal 3.7-5.2), billirubin .60mg/dL (normal .2-1.5). I take medication for my blood pressure. HBP runs in my family for generations. My obese status directly caused me to develop early onset hypertension. Losing weight was a little too late for me, I had to go on medication. But I take low doses of meds, as a result of the weight loss. For those who don't know, my current diet is probably 50% carbs, 30 protein, 20 fat. I eat mostly complex carbs, but I do regularly eat foods containing sugar. I eat meat, legumes, fruits, and veggies.
I do agree that weight isn't the end all be all, but losing weight, without question, is a good step in the right direction in terms of getting healthy. Far more people are overweight and unhealthy than the "skinny fat" or lean and unhealthy. Having your BMI and body fat% in the normal range has a direct correlation with health. Just like many people can't do portion control, I can't deal with removing an entire food group from the equation. And I'm not the only one who feels this way, obviously. My thin friend eats cake. she simply eats less of it. That's what people who have a "thin mentality" do. They eat less. Have you watched naturally think people? They eat smaller portions and tend to be active. I didn't have a thin mentality, and probably I never will. But I have embraced a mentality that satisfies my mental and physical health. Learning the art of portion control is no different than people having to deal with "keto flu". Once you figure out the art of calorie management, I *can* eat what I like for the most part. And no, I don't eat cinnabons every day and that type of stuff. There are some items I just don't eat any more, period, as I don't want to blow so many calories on one item. But if the desire is really there, maybe I will eat a Cinnabon. Just not a whole one.
As for wanting more and more, well yes, for sugary things. But for complex carbs, no, you can easily get full on a smaller portion, especially if paired with dense calories in fat/meat/legumes. 3/4 cup white rice, 1/4 cup beans = very filling for me. I am satisfied eating 1500 calories per day because that's what I'm accustomed to. you can train your body to eat less. your body doesn't need lots of food. low carb, keto, etc. diets are the same as they have you eating less calories. Maybe you do feel more full due to the calorie density of fat (9 grams). But I simply would get bored and disgusted with eating just meat, eggs, butter, bacon, seeds, and veggies. Sure, I'd be more full by default (after all 9 cals are greater than 4), but I absolutely wouldn't like it. If I eat just meat and veggies, I'm absolutely never full.
I'll mention my health (in part). My Trigl is 56.0 mg/dL (normal less than 150), my HDL (good cholesterol) is 64.0 mg/dL (normal greater than 39), LDLc 33mg/dL (normal less than 130), glucose 93.0, sodium in normal range, potassium in normal range, calcium in normal range, albumin 4.0g dL (normal 3.7-5.2), billirubin .60mg/dL (normal .2-1.5). I take medication for my blood pressure. HBP runs in my family for generations. My obese status directly caused me to develop early onset hypertension. Losing weight was a little too late for me, I had to go on medication. But I take low doses of meds, as a result of the weight loss. For those who don't know, my current diet is probably 50% carbs, 30 protein, 20 fat. I eat mostly complex carbs, but I do regularly eat foods containing sugar. I eat meat, legumes, fruits, and veggies.
I do agree that weight isn't the end all be all, but losing weight, without question, is a good step in the right direction in terms of getting healthy. Far more people are overweight and unhealthy than the "skinny fat" or lean and unhealthy. Having your BMI and body fat% in the normal range has a direct correlation with health. Just like many people can't do portion control, I can't deal with removing an entire food group from the equation. And I'm not the only one who feels this way, obviously. My thin friend eats cake. she simply eats less of it. That's what people who have a "thin mentality" do. They eat less. Have you watched naturally think people? They eat smaller portions and tend to be active. I didn't have a thin mentality, and probably I never will. But I have embraced a mentality that satisfies my mental and physical health. Learning the art of portion control is no different than people having to deal with "keto flu". Once you figure out the art of calorie management, I *can* eat what I like for the most part. And no, I don't eat cinnabons every day and that type of stuff. There are some items I just don't eat any more, period, as I don't want to blow so many calories on one item. But if the desire is really there, maybe I will eat a Cinnabon. Just not a whole one.
As for wanting more and more, well yes, for sugary things. But for complex carbs, no, you can easily get full on a smaller portion, especially if paired with dense calories in fat/meat/legumes. 3/4 cup white rice, 1/4 cup beans = very filling for me. I am satisfied eating 1500 calories per day because that's what I'm accustomed to. you can train your body to eat less. your body doesn't need lots of food. low carb, keto, etc. diets are the same as they have you eating less calories. Maybe you do feel more full due to the calorie density of fat (9 grams). But I simply would get bored and disgusted with eating just meat, eggs, butter, bacon, seeds, and veggies. Sure, I'd be more full by default (after all 9 cals are greater than 4), but I absolutely wouldn't like it. If I eat just meat and veggies, I'm absolutely never full.
I so agree. I get really full on a relatively small amount of complex carbs (like beans and rice) but I could eat a pound of meat with just veggies and not really feel satisfied. I too would be very bored and disgusted just eating animal foods. I enjoy eating from ALL food groups and just a small portion of animal products does me just fine.
I get really full on a relatively small amount of complex carbs (like beans and rice)
Beans are not carbs; they are mostly fiber and protein. Rice is a starchy carb, and not a complex one. Complex carbs would be something like whole wheat bread.
Beans are not carbs; they are mostly fiber and protein. Rice is a starchy carb, and not a complex one. Complex carbs would be something like whole wheat bread.
Depends on the bean. Soybeans are fat, protein, and then carbs. Most beans are mostly carbs. Black beans or lentils are both 70% or more carbs. Rice is a complex carb. Nutrition-speak will often call white rice a simple carb. That's factually completely incorrect. Starches are not simple carbs. Nutritionally, however, they do act similar to simple carbs hence why in nutrition-speak white rice or white bread are sometimes called simple carbs even though they aren't.
Depends on the bean. Soybeans are fat, protein, and then carbs. Most beans are mostly carbs. Black beans or lentils are both 70% or more carbs. Rice is a complex carb. Nutrition-speak will often call white rice a simple carb. That's factually completely incorrect. Starches are not simple carbs. Nutritionally, however, they do act similar to simple carbs hence why in nutrition-speak white rice or white bread are sometimes called simple carbs even though they aren't.
Yes, thank you! ^^^ Also, some carbs have what is called "resistant starch" - this has a very low glycemic index and fills you up but not out. I just found a great page describing it with some fantastic yummy vegetarian recipes that I cannot wait to try! I am not veggie, but have cut down my consumption of meats lately.
Yes, thank you! ^^^ Also, some carbs have what is called "resistant starch" - this has a very low glycemic index and fills you up but not out. I just found a great page describing it with some fantastic yummy vegetarian recipes that I cannot wait to try! I am not veggie, but have cut down my consumption of meats lately.
I've been consuming a lot of beans lately. I eat them with rice. I consider them a starch (so I adjust my starch to accommodate the beans) though they can be a meat equivalent.
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