I have lost weight every way in the world, but I learned a long time ago, that very low carb/no carb is NOT the plan for me.
Sure, I can lose weight on it, but I am totally miserable the whole time. I would rather be fat than deal with that daily for the rest of my life, and I mean that whole-heartedly.
I am careful to keep my diet heavy with good proteins and fresh veggies, but it's important for me to keep carbs in there. I feel better and can face the self-imposed denial without any extreme emotional falterings.
I can face 1200 calories a day with some carbs MUCH easier than I could 3000 calories per day with no carbs.
PS- at first I missed those things but I no longer miss them and can totally see myself living without them... aside from the occasional pizza, haburger and tortilla.
I'm not impressed with people that can eat low-carb, our bodies simply are not made to digest SO much protein. Especially if you actively engage in any sort of intense sport, eating low-carb kills your energy. I do believe a pre-requisite for low-carb dieting is that the person must be somewhat sedentary. Then, I think they have energy to do their daily activities.
That being said, I wouldn't disagree with someone for choosing to eat a low-carb dinner.... It is simply when one eats a protein filled meal 3 times a day. I find that low-carb position just as extreme as a person saying they are on a "low-vegetable diet" or something silly like that.
I guess I see the fact that Insulin Resistance and Diabetes can both be better controlled with lower carb diets mother nature's way of saying that some people do indeed need to be low carb.
I can't manage to go low carb, I find myself STARVING if I cut my carbs too short, but I certainly don't dismiss it, nor find it overly extreme.
I'm not impressed with people that can eat low-carb, our bodies simply are not made to digest SO much protein. Especially if you actively engage in any sort of intense sport, eating low-carb kills your energy. I do believe a pre-requisite for low-carb dieting is that the person must be somewhat sedentary. Then, I think they have energy to do their daily activities.
That being said, I wouldn't disagree with someone for choosing to eat a low-carb dinner.... It is simply when one eats a protein filled meal 3 times a day. I find that low-carb position just as extreme as a person saying they are on a "low-vegetable diet" or something silly like that.
Most people don't understand low-carb. Very few low-cab diets are as high in protein or as low in carbs as you're implying. Even Atkins isn't so low, except during Induction (I do have low energy and other weird symptoms on induction-level, which is why I don't reduce carbs to induction-level).
There is no set definition for low-carb, and that's probably part of the problem. By one definition, any plan that contains less than 50% calories from fat or less than 200g of carb per day is low-carb, another definition is less than 40% or less than 100g, and even low-carber's themselves often squabble over the definition.
In both Atkins and Southbeach, and in most low-carb diets you begin adding carbs almost immediately. Atkins has you adding 5g each day of carbohydrates per week until you reach the point your stop losing (this could be 80g, or it could be 400g. Then you back off 5 to 10g so that you lose at a slow, but steady rate. People tend to forget or ignore this part of Atkins and assume it's the eat until you're gorged, prime-rib and bacon diet.
I was just as ignorant of low-carb diets when my doctor suggested I try low-carb for my IR. I thought he was nuts, because of what I thought I knew about low-carb.
I eat less meat and more vegetables on low-carb than I did on standard diets. Mostly because I was so hungry on high-carb diets that I ate more of everything. I was constantly hungry, and eating more only made me hungrier.
Most low-carbers who stick with it, eat plenty of carbs, they're just very choosy about where their carbs come from, making sure they come from sources that digest slowly and affect blood sugar slowly and gradually.
I'm surprised at how low-carb I do have to eat in order to lose weight. I use an exchange plan and have reduced starch exchanges (80 calories each) to 1 or 2, and fruit exchanges (70 calories) to 3-4 per day, and I don't limit nonstarchy veggies at all (usually I eat about 5 to 6 servings). This is higher than Atkins induction, but it's lower than many people on Atkins are eating a few months into OWL (the stage where you gradually add back carby foods. I'm not on Atkins, but it's the LC diet most people are familiar with, so I used it as a reference point).
I use an exchange plan because it helped (and helps) me compare the difference between different food plans. Comparing 1800 calories of high-carb and 1800 calories of low-carb, I learned that to lose weight on high carb, I have to cut my calories by about 500 more than if I choose low-carb.
Essentially to lose the same amount of weight I can eat 1300 calories of high-carb (and feel starved and have more flares of my skin and pain issues) or I can eat 1800 calories of much lower carb.
Essentially to lose the same amount of weight I can eat 1300 calories of high-carb (and feel starved and have more flares of my skin and pain issues) or I can eat 1800 calories of much lower carb.
Sounds like you are both insulin insensative and gluten intolerant. Glad to hear you've found a dietary plan that works!
Kaplods - I agree with JohnP. I'm glad you've found the diet that has worked for you and I hope anyone else who has the similar problems that you do benefits from your post.
I may have over-generalized to make a stronger point, but this is one topic that I am quite informed of. I am not ignorant of low-carb diets. But, even in my post, I conceded that, for example, a low-carb dinner could be a good idea - as many athletes use this approach to make it to their goal weight.
But, in all do respect, for women who do not have problems with their insulin and are not gluten intolerant - but feel the need to go on a low-carb diet because they here that celebrities have stopped eating carbs, or because many examples such as yourself on this forum are promoting it - those are the 'types' of people I was addressing. Next time I input my opinion, I will try to be mindful of others suffering from PCOS, etc., that is only fair, and include their exceptional position in my post.
For women like me, this low-carb mentality often leads to yo-yo dieting - trying to cut carbs, then 'failing'. There is also the issue of those who are not able to afford wholesome organic animal products loading up on antibiotics and hormones - and missing out on important vitamins and minerals that are often associated with carbs as well.
These are dangers that you have certainly thought through - but not everyone has or will. A lot of people in this forum are quite young. I have a strong personal conviction that a lot of us need to learn how to handle a moderate amount of carbs, instead of spending our life trying to avoid them or having negative thoughts about them.
I do high carb myself but I can't do refined carbs very well. 60-70% of my diet is carbs but again, minimally processed, etc. I can't do bagels, not even whole wheat ones. Beans, rice, fruit, veggies, etc are fine. I think this is due to my PCOS.
Also, insulin resistance/diabetes does not require a low carb diet. I think refined carbs are really the issue, from my experience. Also there is an interesting book called "Dr Barnard's diet for reversing diabetes". It is a high carb diet which Dr Barnard has used to reverse diabetes in many patients and control diabetes in others.
When I started my "plan," it was all very basic. I changed one simple thing at a time. At first I was just "cutting back." Then I had a had a very rudimentary calorie counting system. Eventually I plateaued and had to get better at calorie counting. Then I started exercising more.
Point being, I only changed things as I needed to, and I never changed it if it was working for me. Eating a high-carb diet works for me. I never felt the need to cut them out.
Like you, I only feel full and satisfied if I eat carbs. And this is such a personal thing because everyone's body is so different. I'm satisfied for hours after eating a bowl of oatmeal, but I have read several times on here that people can eat oatmeal and be hungry 10 minutes later. But I eat a lot of oatmeal, a lot of popcorn, a lot of sandwiches (on low-cal bread), potatoes, etc. I don't seek out the highest carb meals or anything, I just eat what I like and what I know will fill me up. I know that a bowl of popcorn will be more satisfying than a cup of yogurt. The carbs that I eat are complex (oats, popcorn kernels, whole grain flour, starchy colorful veggies, etc).
The trick to this whole thing is sifting through all the information, advice, expert opinion, and personal anecdote to find exactly what makes our minds and bodies healthy and support our weight loss (or maintenance). If high carb is working for you, go with it! Enjoy it!
It is sooo nice to see a carb loving thread when so many people seem to beat up on them
I don't think life would be worth living without carbs Like every single one of my favorite foods is carb heavy lol.
I will say that I do notice a huge change with whole grains vs refined.
But it does bug me when people act like carbs are evil. I think they play an important role and the key is balance. and what about fiber? Plus the whole Ketosis thing freaks me out and seems weird. But I will say to each their own.
I wonder though what people consider low carb?
I have PCOS & Diabetes my doctor put me on a diet where I can eat up to 200 carbs a day. Though I am usually around 150-180.
I would not consider that low carb at all lol. (Well low carb compared to how I would eat off plan perhaps lmao)
Every single one of us is different- for me going over 40% carbs = weight gain. But ven 40% carbs is a decent amount of carbs- I usually get about 100 grams of carbs a day and am able to lose weight that way. For some people who eat over 200 grams a day they'd think I barely eat any carbs but I do. Most of them come from veggies- but I still enjoy bread and pasta now and then- not on a daily basis like before but probably 1-2 times a week. I find over time the snacks I crave are not something like a pb and J sandwich but a cup of cauliflower with a bit of ranch dressing OR some celery with peanut butter, etc.
I don't agree with too much carb restriction- for the life of me I can't figure out how to get under 50 grams of carbs a day without getting bored- but more power to the people who can do it!
Sounds like you are both insulin insensative and gluten intolerant. Glad to hear you've found a dietary plan that works!
I'm not sure how you would come to that conclusion since I know people who are gluten intolerant and eat a high carb diet. You can definitely eat a high carb diet without gluten.
I'm not sure how you would come to that conclusion since I know people who are gluten intolerant and eat a high carb diet. You can definitely eat a high carb diet without gluten.
I'm not sure how you came to the conclusion that I don't understand the difference between eating carbs and eating gluten?
My response was for the person I responded to and only her based on the context of her post.
Like every single one of my favorite foods is carb heavy lol. 
