Weight Loss Support Give and get support here!

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 11-21-2007, 01:37 AM   #1  
Paleo-ish Girl
Thread Starter
 
Altari's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 942

S/C/G: 255.5/174/160

Height: 5'6"

Default Even more confused!!!

OK, so....I'll avoid my long tale. All I'll say is I got the link for this podcast from SlashDot and what the guy says about low carb diets being the magic bullet (my term, not his) makes a lot of sense. But it also confuses me even more. I don't know what to believe anymore! Carbs? Fat? Calories? Sugar? Starch? High Fructose Corn Syrup?

I know so many people who lost and kept off weight with Atkins. But then I also hear so many horror stories about it. *sigh*

The podcast is about 20 minutes long, and really interesting...

http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/media/2007-...7-11-17_01.mp3
Altari is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2007, 01:58 AM   #2  
it's always something
 
Suzanne 3FC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Posts: 11,615

Default

I know a lot of people that have lost weight successfully on high carb diets, and know plenty that lost on low carb diets. Ask 10 different people which is the best way to lose and you'll probably get 10 different answers. They all work equally, according to most studies. The only trick is finding one that fits your personal tastes and lifestyle, because that is the one you are going to stick to. According to the National Weight Control Registry, most people that lose weight and keep it off do so by doing their own thing instead of following one of the "popular" diets.

Personally, I'd suggest looking at your own goals and current health, and let that help guide you to what kinds of foods you should eat. Then make sure that the route you end up on is one that you enjoy, cause you'll be on it a long time

Have you experimented with many diets in the past?
Suzanne 3FC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2007, 04:48 AM   #3  
Senior Member
 
KforKitty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Posts: 812

S/C/G: 290/170/170

Default

I agree entirely with Suzanne. There's no 'magic bullet', no single way that will suit everyone. You need to find what suits you. When I started my current (yes there's been many) weightloss campaign I set myself some rules. What I'd discovered is that I'm great at sticking to a diet for months and months but any diet that's too restrictive and forbids or severely limits certain foods I enjoy I will always eventually revert back to eating those. I decided I would not eat things I don't like (e.g. cottage cheese) and stick to things I do like. I would include all food groups in reasonable proportions. So I calorie count and keep an eye on fat grams but eat what I enjoy and so far its working fine.

Kitty

Last edited by KforKitty; 11-21-2007 at 04:48 AM.
KforKitty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2007, 05:06 AM   #4  
Senior Member
 
timkerbelle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Scotland
Posts: 243

Height: 1.67m

Default

Personally I can't lose on a low carb diet. Back in the day when I occasionally ate meat I tried it a couple of times, because it was supposed to be so amazingly effective. I stuck it out for a couple of weeks, followed it to the letter and ended up a few lbs heavier and feeling completely sick all the time. I have however had success with a relatively high fat (but controled cal) diet. I do believe that we are all different, and the key is really to find something that suits your body and your tastes.
Like Kitty was saying - if you force yourself to eat stuff you dont like, and deprive yourself of things you love, no way will you stick with it longterm.
timkerbelle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2007, 06:58 AM   #5  
Senior Member
 
jellydisney's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 360

S/C/G: 155/118/118

Height: 5'2

Default

Ditto to all the responses so far. All the diets that are out there are just different methods to acheiving the same thing--calorie reduction which results in weight loss. A lot of people don't realize that cutting out carbs, fats, sugars, etc, is actually cutting calories--they just do it in different ways. Personally, I hate deprivation, so I just count calories. That way, no food group or food element is totally off limits. But you have to do what you think you can stick with.

Last edited by jellydisney; 11-21-2007 at 06:58 AM.
jellydisney is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2007, 07:45 AM   #6  
Made of Starstuff
 
Lovely's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: New England
Posts: 8,731

Default

Believe all and none of it.
The people above me have posted the truth. Scientifically speaking the only way to lose weight is to have less calories coming in than there are going out.
These diets are all methods by which one can do that. But, unless you can fit that diet into your lifestyle comfortably than it's not going to work for very long.

It all comes down to finding a plan that works for you, and that you can follow for the long haul. Take a good look at how you live your life, and what you like to eat. You may notice right away that certain plans just won't work, because they incorporate nothing of what you like. You may notice that you'll have to come up with your own modified healthy plan in order to achieve what you want.

Patience You can do this.
Lovely is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2007, 08:22 AM   #7  
Just Yr Everyday Chick
 
JayEll's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Florida
Posts: 10,852

S/C/G: Lost 50 lbs, regained some

Height: 5'3"

Default

I'm another one who counts calories, but doesn't restrict food groups necessarily. I do better, though, when I watch my carbs carefully, because carbohydrates can be a trigger for overeating for me.

What foods do you like, versus foods that you dislike? For example, lots of the chickies on 3FC are fond of egg white omelets, but I despise egg white. OTOH I like red meat and feel better when I eat it.

Most folks who succeed seem to find one plan and stick to it, modifying it as they go if needed.

Good luck!
Jay
JayEll is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2007, 10:04 AM   #8  
Just Me
 
nelie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Maryland
Posts: 14,707

S/C/G: 364/--/182

Height: 5'6"

Default

You do have to find what is best for you.

I lost a lot of my weight restricting most carbs, then I lost some weight including whole foods carbs, then I have finally decide to follow a plan that is mostly carbs. My favorite so far is really the plan that is mostly carbs. With my hypoglycemia/PCOS, I never thought I could successfully follow a plan that was mostly carbs but it works and I feel great. So now I question the advice that those with PCOS should follow a low carb plan, I think high carb will work if they are the right carbs.
nelie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2007, 10:16 AM   #9  
Senior Member
 
bargoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Davis, Ca
Posts: 23,149

S/C/G: 204/114/120

Height: 5'

Default

You are getting a lot of good advice . I agree the best plan for you is the one that you will follow, I have done many diets with success but have found calorie counting works best for me. Good luck.
bargoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2007, 12:30 PM   #10  
banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 830

S/C/G: Countdown to goal!

Height: 5'7"

Default

I was listening to an author on the radio (CBC to be exact) who is a scientific writer, and not a dietician. He has researched and explored the diet theories and history of dieting quite thoroughly and has come to the following conclusions:
1. Carbohydrates drive insulin, and insulin-response drives fat production. He says that this is scientifically proven. Fat and protien do not drive the insulin response.
2. The low-fat, high carb movement came out in the late 1970s. For decades and decades before, the common knowledge (if you will) about being fat meant that you were eating too many carbohydrates. As of the late 1970s, the thought that "fat made you fat" and high-carb, low-fat diets became all the rage.
3. Since the early 1980s, there has been an EXPLOSION in obesity rates. He feels that the higher obesity rates are directly linked to the high carb, low fat diet philosophies that have been prevalent only since the late 1970s.
4. There is a moral judgement placed on those who are overweight, instead of recognizing the physiological response to excess carbohydrates in a diet. Large people are seen as lazy and unmotivated INSTEAD of being people who are simply displaying the results of excess carb intake, and paradoxically, their excess carb intake is a result of the officially sanctioned high carb, low fat philosophy. In other words -- you can't win if you follow government guidelines because physiology and science is against you, and furthermore, you will be judged for failing!
I thought that these thoughts were profound, and controversial, too. The book is called "Good Calories, Bad Calories" and here is a link to a review of the author's work:
http://www.randomhouse.com/knopf/cat...=9781400040780
The most interesting thing I heard in the interview, is that the author begged, and I mean BEGGED for a thorough investigation of his results. He isn't trying to convince anyone, he just wants the scientific truth to come out. He isn't promoting any diet or eating plan. He has just investigated the science behind dieting as it exists in 2007.
Now, I know there is another thread on this, and I understand the controversy. So my point is NOT to say that he is right. It is just to say that there are many points of view on this subject, of which this is only one. And he has his detractors, for sure. So perhaps I've only ADDED to your confusion! Which I don't mean to do!!!!!
Maya

Last edited by freiamaya; 11-21-2007 at 12:38 PM.
freiamaya is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2007, 01:01 PM   #11  
focus creates results
 
Lekhika's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 476

S/C/G: 167/125/110

Height: 5'0"

Default

If I could add my two cents. I think the term diet in itself is setting any people up for failure. The term implies ( to me at least) a temporary change in your intake. What is necessary for permanent weight loss is the adaptation of a whole new way of thinking. Calorie restriction works because you're forced to really look and assess what you're putting in your body.

I started with the Fat Smash, moved on to a diet that includes lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, some fats (olive oil, butter sometimes) the only think I try to stay away from are refined carbs, sugar, flour, rice...And even those I allow once in a while. I think (as it's said here over and over again) you really have to find something that suits your lifestyle and your tastes. AND perhaps more importantly, something you can adapt into your life forever!

Best of luck in figuring out what works for you!
Lekhika is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 06:48 AM   #12  
Senior Member
 
jellydisney's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 360

S/C/G: 155/118/118

Height: 5'2

Default

I would be one of the "Good Calories, Bad Calories" detractors Maya.

Calories are calories, there are no good ones or bad ones. Carbs don't make people fat. Eating more calories than your body can burn makes people fat.

This guy is just hopping on the low-carb bandwagon to make a buck, because people like to hear the magic answer. "Oh, if I stop eating white bread and pasta, I'll be thin again." It's never that simple.

Not to say there aren't any valid points in what you posted--there is a social stigma placed on fat people. But with all sorts of people out there selling their diet plans and books, there's a lot of misinformation and "philosophy" floating around.
jellydisney is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 07:36 AM   #13  
Just Yr Everyday Chick
 
JayEll's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Florida
Posts: 10,852

S/C/G: Lost 50 lbs, regained some

Height: 5'3"

Default

Hey!

I read years ago about how excess carbs stimulate fat storage. I've also read that excess carb consumption over time can lead to insulin resistance. I think the author is wrong in thinking this information isn't "out there"--anyone can find it if they look. But it does seem to be true that the low-fat movement gained a lot of attention. So what happened was that heart patients got put on high-carb, low-fat diets and then ended up diabetic. Huh.

A calorie is a calorie, but nutrition is very complex.

Jay
JayEll is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 08:00 AM   #14  
Moderator
 
Heather's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 10,704

S/C/G: 295/225/back to Onederland

Height: 5'5"

Default

I'll jump in...

I have read some about the research and the problem is it is very difficult to do good controlled studies on people. You can even randomly assign people to different diets, but getting them to stay on them... tough! So, we don't know as much as we'd like. Do carbs cause an insulin response. I'd be willing to say yes here, but I think HOW that affects people varies. I believe some of the new research is suggesting that some people are affected more by this than others. These may be the people who are "triggered" by carbs. Those people might do best on a certain kind of diet that limits certain carbs, in terms of cravings. Weight loss in and of itself might be a different issue. But again, the research is difficult to do well.

As for me personally, I do calorie count and don't necessarily restrict foods. But in practice I don't eat a whole lot of "empty" calories: high fat/sugar. I like getting a bigger "bang" for my buck and they don't keep me full. I do find the less I eat of them, the less I crave.

I agree with the other posters that the plan that you can do long term is the plan to do! That said, I eat a lot more protein and a lot fewer carbs than I ever thought I would when I began this journey... my goals changed over time.
Heather is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 08:57 AM   #15  
Just Me
 
nelie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Maryland
Posts: 14,707

S/C/G: 364/--/182

Height: 5'6"

Default

I have to say from what I've read and seen, the low fat craze of the 80s really drove people to look for processed foods that were low fat or fat free. This in turn drove them to eat sugar filled processed foods with minimal fat.

When doctors in the 70s/80s said to eat a low fat diet, they didn't mean fat free twinkies. They meant foods such as fruits, vegetables, etc. The same thing has happened in the low carb arena, there are tons of low carb processed foods and generally if people rely on those for their food, then they will also gain as opposed to lose weight.

I've read studies where people have stopped their diabetes medication by eating a high carb, low fat diet. The catch? The foods are whole foods, not processed junk.

And it is difficult to study dietary effects because it is true that it is hard to have a group of people follow a dietary change for a long period of time.
nelie is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:23 PM.


We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.