[Radiojane]

Originally Posted by nelie

I shall disagree, there are plenty of healthy foods that aren't low carb including legumes, whole grains, some starchy vegetables (such as sweet potatoes). There is nothing wrong with low carb, and I say if someone wants to try it go for it but I've also seen a lot of people on this forum who get frustrated as they find low carb isn't for them and feel like they have failed.

True, but most people that haven't been watching what they eat or are making unhealthy choices regularly (pizza, chips, sugary treats or soda etc) are generally eating well above 250g of carbohydrates per day. A cup of sweet potato (baked) is 41g.

Even not counting carbs, I think most people would find switching to plant and protein based eating will result in a lower intake of carbs.

[nelie]

Originally Posted by Radiojane

True, but most people that haven't been watching what they eat or are making unhealthy choices regularly (pizza, chips, sugary treats or soda etc) are generally eating well above 250g of carbohydrates per day. A cup of sweet potato (baked) is 41g.

Even not counting carbs, I think most people would find switching to plant and protein based eating will result in a lower intake of carbs.

Yeah but this people eating pizza, chips, sugary drinks generally aren't trying to lose weight. You can also eat a low carb diet of only bacon. Most people that have lost weight through a moderate/high carb diet are eating quality carbs that are filling otherwise you burn through your calorie allotment quickly.

I personally eat a higher carb diet myself because it is what works for me, anywhere between 180 to 260 g per day.

[Garnet2727]

So what is low carb? I'm getting confused.

I don't generally pay much attention to carbs but they're tracked for me in My Fitness Pal. In looking back over my food diary, I'm generally below 200 but above 125. Is that high carb?

Sorry if this is a thread derail.

[nelie]

Originally Posted by Garnet2727

So what is low carb? I'm getting confused.

I don't generally pay much attention to carbs but they're tracked for me in My Fitness Pal. In looking back over my food diary, I'm generally below 200 but above 125. Is that high carb?

Sorry if this is a thread derail.

I think the answer depends. Some low carb diets dictate 50g or less, others say 100g. I think you are moderate to high. It is more of a percentage of your calories. Generally, carbs are around 60% of my calories, give or take.

[mariposssa]

@Garnet2727 I think you will get different answers from different people. I do a carb cycling plan with low, moderate, and high carb days. I eat 30-40 carbs on a low day, 100 on a medium days and have one meal on Saturday and Sunday where I don't count carbs at all. But, I also count and cycle calories. Saturday & Sunday are my higher calorie and higher carb days.

[sluggo88]

mariposssa are you doing the Chris Powell plan

[Matisse]

There are different definitions to low-carb diets. A meta-analysis done by Dr. Hu & al. defines low-carb diets as diets where less than 45 % of caloric intake is taken from carbs. So that is not especially restrictive. Here is the abstract from this research.
____________________________

Am J Epidemiol. 2012 Oct 1;176 Suppl 7:S44-54. doi: 10.1093/aje/kws264.
Effects of low-carbohydrate diets versus low-fat diets on metabolic risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.
Hu T, Mills KT, Yao L, Demanelis K, Eloustaz M, Yancy WS Jr, Kelly TN, He J, Bazzano LA.
Source

Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA.
Abstract

The effects of low-carbohydrate diets (≤45% of energy from carbohydrates) versus low-fat diets (≤30% of energy from fat) on metabolic risk factors were compared in a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Twenty-three trials from multiple countries with a total of 2,788 participants met the predetermined eligibility criteria (from January 1, 1966 to June 20, 2011) and were included in the analyses. Data abstraction was conducted in duplicate by independent investigators. Both low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets lowered weight and improved metabolic risk factors. Compared with participants on low-fat diets, persons on low-carbohydrate diets experienced a slightly but statistically significantly lower reduction in total cholesterol (2.7 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval: 0.8, 4.6), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (3.7 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval: 1.0, 6.4), but a greater increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (3.3 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval: 1.9, 4.7) and a greater decrease in triglycerides (-14.0 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval: -19.4, -8.7). Reductions in body weight, waist circumference and other metabolic risk factors were not significantly different between the 2 diets. These findings suggest that low-carbohydrate diets are at least as effective as low-fat diets at reducing weight and improving metabolic risk factors. Low-carbohydrate diets could be recommended to obese persons with abnormal metabolic risk factors for the purpose of weight loss. Studies demonstrating long-term effects of low-carbohydrate diets on cardiovascular events were warranted.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23035144

[nelie]

I went and looked at the abstract of 2 recent studies (late last year) and they didn't mention the carb count but they had high carb, moderate carb and low carb. I wish they would've said in the abstract how much each denoted. Anyway, they said that the difference wasn't the carb count in long term weight maintenance but protein count which is interesting.

Another study compared low carb (<20g) and high carb over a 6 wk period (very short period) and the weight loss difference was insignificant between the two groups but the only difference was the low carb group had an increase in LDL cholesterol. Although really 6 weeks is too short for a study, they should really be a year or more for weight loss and weight loss maintenance (IMO).

[mariposssa]

Originally Posted by sluggo88

mariposssa are you doing the Chris Powell plan

Sort of...it is a very similar plan to his with rotating carb days. But, I guess you could say it is customized to work better for me. He has some rules I don't follow and I have some of my own that aren't part of his plan. I was already doing carb cycling before I heard of his plan; but I adopted some of his ideas.

[Palestrina]

Originally Posted by Garnet2727

So what is low carb? I'm getting confused.

I don't generally pay much attention to carbs but they're tracked for me in My Fitness Pal. In looking back over my food diary, I'm generally below 200 but above 125. Is that high carb?

Sorry if this is a thread derail.

Low carb means that you eat SOME carbs and keep it to a minimum. Remember the food pyramid from yesteryear? That indicated that the bulk of our diet should come from starches. Breads, cereals, corn, potatoes, rice etc. Many of us grew up this way, it was the most economical way to feed a family. Most moms would dole out a big portion of carb with a pinch of vegetables and protein. Low carb living directs you to switch that up, limit the carbs in portion and up the ante on veggies and proteins.

If you do calorie count for even a few days you'll soon realize that carbs cost a lot of calories, that's how I learned my lesson. I would limit the carbs so that I could limit the calories. I could eat way more veggies and protein than carbs and stay under my limit.

[Matisse]

Strange, Nelie. Dr Hu & al. meta-analysis concludes the exact opposite. I guess that science has not come to a conclusion on the effect of low-carbs diets on LDL cholesterol.

Compared with participants on low-fat diets, persons on low-carbohydrate diets experienced a slightly but statistically significantly lower reduction in total cholesterol (2.7 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval: 0.8, 4.6), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (3.7 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval: 1.0, 6.4), but a greater increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (3.3 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval: 1.9, 4.7)

[nelie]

Originally Posted by Matisse

Strange, Nelie. Dr Hu & al. meta-analysis concludes the exact opposite. I guess that science has not come to a conclusion on the effect of low-carbs diets on LDL cholesterol.

Interesting! that is why no single study is proof

This was from Hernandez et al (they call it high fat here but they refer to it in the abstract as restricted carbs at less than 20 g/day)

CONCLUSIONS:
Weight loss was similar between diets, but only the high-fat diet increased LDL-cholesterol concentrations. This effect was related to the lack of suppression of both fasting and 24-h FFAs.

[JerseyGyrl]

I'm one of the rare, long term people on Atkins I've been dong Atkins 9 years and 4 months. I don't eat bread, rice, potatoes (with the exception of 1 sweet potato a week), pasta. I also don't typically eat fruit, with the exception of some occasional berries in the Summer.
I enjoy this way of eating and it works for me. That being said, its not for everyone.
I chose this way of eating because I knew it was something I could do long term (complete lifestyle change).

[Radiojane]

Originally Posted by nelie

Yeah but this people eating pizza, chips, sugary drinks generally aren't trying to lose weight. You can also eat a low carb diet of only bacon. Most people that have lost weight through a moderate/high carb diet are eating quality carbs that are filling otherwise you burn through your calorie allotment quickly.

I personally eat a higher carb diet myself because it is what works for me, anywhere between 180 to 260 g per day.

Which is my point. Generally when people begin to try to lose weight, they automatically lower their carb intake. If 260g of carbs works for you, that's great.

Diets are completely subjective. Aside from extremes where you completely slash out a food group or a macronutrient, there's very little you can do wrong. I think you'll find that most people doing low carb arent living on bacon.

[levoguette]

Originally Posted by Doxy

Anyways, from what I've read I should cut out carbs. Dammit! That means all the "good" stuff is gone! It makes it really hard having to eat meat and vegetables all the time. What can I do? Should I be going to calorie counting route instead? I just don't know! I also thrive on routine, would it be beneficial to eat the same things every Monday, Tuesday and so on? Like a weekly meal plan?

Anyone with a similar body type feel free to post any advice you have. Can I have a cheat day where I can eat carbs? Are some carbs good? I'm so lost! I'm not sure if I put this in the right spot or not, either. Sorry!

I did not read through the whole thread, so I'm not sure if anyone has already posted this, apologies in advance if so.

Before starting my weight loss, the majority of the foods I would eat were carbs. I love carbs, and I know that although I probably should give them up, if I did, at least all at once, I would very likely fall off the weight loss wagon asap and just become severely frustrated.

My first step was calorie counting, it does not have to be as hard as you think. There are a few websites were you can log in your calories and it will keep track for you, and if you have a smart phone it is even easier! I use LoseIt! on my iphone, it is free, and instead of having to punch in the calorie amounts you can scan the barcode of the food and put in how much you've eaten. I don't think it gets much easier than that!

My second step was started changing all of my carb options to whole wheat / grain instead of white carbs. I also tried making some of my more favorite recipes and swapping a sort of veggie in place of a carb. If you do some recipe searching online, you can find some pretty good swaps for certain carbs. (ie: spaghetti squash instead of just regular spaghetti, mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, zucchini substituted in traditional pasta dishes like lasagna, I've also even seen people use them as the base of a "pizza" instead of pizza crust, etc)

My third step was then to start being more mindful of the amount of carbs I was eating and limiting the amount of carbs I eat per meal and how I was balancing them out with other food groups.

I would not call my diet low-carb or anything near it, but hopefully as I continue to make changes I will get to a point where I've found that I do not care for carbs as much as I used to. I know it will be a long time before I reach that, but I think taking baby-steps has helped me stick with my diet goals.