Low Carb Diet - very successful!

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Notice I did not say "no carb" or Atkins. LOW Carb. No bread, pasta, potatoes of any kind or rice. Go moderate on fruit.

I am five weeks into this program and I've dropped two and a half stone. I eat plenty of protein, eggs, meat, fat and vegetables - tons of them. I've been favouring wine instead of beer, in moderation.

Seems to be a very successful method and I am rarely hungry and i look really great. Hope to get my abs through as a 48 year old! When the weight plateaus I will mix it up with carb and no carb days.

Good tip I have found is to cook three days worth of beef/chicken breasts etc up front so you're never searching for your food. Buy in bulk from your butcher and buy some kebabs etc for variety. Get some jerk paste to spice things up. It does not need to be expensive.

My son put me onto this and it is very, very good. He has lost three stone on it!

Anyone else tried this? Clearly cannot remain on this forever but I really think a general cut down in carbs is the answer to weight problems many of us have. If I find myself creeping back up in weight I will go on low carb again for a week to shake the fat off again.
 
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I'm doing the Paleo diet thing, which is pretty much the same.
I've lost 2 stone, though over a longer period and really only need to drop another before I'm back to where I was a decade ago.
I do seem to have hit a wall on the loss though, but most of that will be due to only eating once a day.

Biltong, steak, chops, boerewors and droewors are my absolute favourites, with stir-fried chicken following, so they do me nicely. Loads of nuts (except peanuts and other such pulses), veg, fruit in moderation, eggs (but no milk or cheese), coconut everywhere.

Some pretty good stuff and I'm coming up with loads of fancy new cooking ideas. That and having more braais than ever before!
 
The main reason you've lost weight is that you're eating less calories.

Personally I like carb cycling but I'm quite in tune with the hormonal responses that this offers and is a rather more advanced form of diet manipulation which I wouldn't expect a beginner to try.

However I need carbohydrate to give me the energy for the training I do, and carbs give you good efficient fuel.

I don't get the whole paleo thing either, it's like the scientology of diet to me.
 
Yes Freefaller, I acknowledge that it is because of the calorie deficit. Ultimately, all weight loss is based on that principle. But with low carb IT JUST WORKS!

I have been struggling a little getting really lean these last few years even though I was fit enough. And for me, and I suppose many others like me, I think i know why. It's because just generally cutting back on calories, smaller portions etc is a very difficult thing to do mentally but cutting out on a group of food is much easier to handle.
 
The main reason you've lost weight is that you're eating less calories.

I don't get the whole paleo thing either, it's like the scientology of diet to me.
I don't buy into the Paleo Manifesto or anything like that. I'm mainly doing it so the Mrs will stick to hers... and for the extra droewors, of course! :cool:

Near as I cared to listen, Paleo is something about cutting out complex carbs, or processed carbs & sugars - The ones that store up. Ketones, I think they store as?
By doing this, you force your body to burn these ketone things and so burn off body fat instead of storing it and getting porky.

But certainly I'm eating significantly more (including high-calorie things like fruit) than I have in recent years *and* doing zero exercise. Before, I was into walking, hiking, camping, boxing, martial arts, drumming and running around forests and fields with machine guns, as well as exercising two Collies.
Today, I'm biking everywhere and sitting on my arris playing Elite. I have a very sedentary job, where I only get up to pee, smoke and get coffee (all in one trip) and the Mrs walks the dogs as she needs to lose the weight more.

How come I'm suddenly losing the pounds?
 
Yes Freefaller, I acknowledge that it is because of the calorie deficit. Ultimately, all weight loss is based on that principle. But with low carb IT JUST WORKS!

I have been struggling a little getting really lean these last few years even though I was fit enough. And for me, and I suppose many others like me, I think i know why. It's because just generally cutting back on calories, smaller portions etc is a very difficult thing to do mentally but cutting out on a group of food is much easier to handle.

So you cut out some calories, and you lose weight? Who would have thought!!! ;)

I'm glad that it's worked for you and long may you continue on your dietary edification. :)
 
Can't diet on low carb (flexible dieting all day long jeff), removes too many foods I enjoy and in all the studies where protein intake is matched you never see any advantage. Plus gym performance gets worse, and since maintaining weight on the bar is even more important than protein intake for preserving lean body mass when in a deficit for any appreciable amount of time, that's another big no since I only want weight lost to come from fat and water.
 
I don't buy into the Paleo Manifesto or anything like that. I'm mainly doing it so the Mrs will stick to hers... and for the extra droewors, of course! :cool:

Near as I cared to listen, Paleo is something about cutting out complex carbs, or processed carbs & sugars - The ones that store up. Ketones, I think they store as?
By doing this, you force your body to burn these ketone things and so burn off body fat instead of storing it and getting porky.

But certainly I'm eating significantly more (including high-calorie things like fruit) than I have in recent years *and* doing zero exercise. Before, I was into walking, hiking, camping, boxing, martial arts, drumming and running around forests and fields with machine guns, as well as exercising two Collies.
Today, I'm biking everywhere and sitting on my arris playing Elite. I have a very sedentary job, where I only get up to pee, smoke and get coffee (all in one trip) and the Mrs walks the dogs as she needs to lose the weight more.

How come I'm suddenly losing the pounds?

I doubt you'd be cutting out complex carbs.

Cutting out processed foods is good but that's not exclusive to paleo but just being sensible with what you're eating. :) If you get enough fibre in your diet it offsets sugar anyway as it reduced the glycemic load.

Ketones are more related to Atkins-esque by reducing carbohydrates from your diet to such a level that your body is using ketones for energy rather than via the glycolysis process. This happens to everyone overnight usually, but low/zero carbs can incite this process for longer periods of times.

Fruit isn't high calorie really, unless you're talking about things like avocado which is mainly fatty calories.

So you're now biking, so using calories there.

Also eating protein is important to have with carbs as insulin helps the metabolism of protein more efficiently.

As I said above, good luck on your continuing journey. :)
 
This happens to everyone overnight usually, but low/zero carbs can incite this process for longer periods of times.
I guess I'm having different results because I don't eat often enough and putting my body into starvation mode?

So you're now biking, so using calories there.
Sorry, lemme rephrase - Motorcycling!!
About the only time I burn calories there is in reversing the bloody thing!

Also eating protein is important to have with carbs as insulin helps the metabolism of protein more efficiently.
I'm sure I do get some... just not the hefty ones like breads, grains, potatoes, rice, noodles, beans, etc.

As I said above, good luck on your continuing journey. :)
I'm mainly just supporting the Mrs in hers, but it's all good innit! :)
 
I guess I'm having different results because I don't eat often enough and putting my body into starvation mode?

Myth.

72 hours without food for metabolic rate to begin to slow.

Short term meal frequency has no notable effect on metabolism or initiating 'survival' mode.
 
There is no such thing as starvation mode.

Your body doesn't know the difference between calorie restriction for the purpose of losing weight, and starving to death, so the longer/harder you diet, the more your body will try and compensate by doing various things like shutting down non-essential functions (libido etc) and unconsciously making you move about less to spare energy. Obviously as your weight goes down your overall TDEE will go down too, a little because there's less of you but even with severe starvation studies (Minnesota Experiment etc) there isn't a massive drop in metabolic rate which would wipe out a big deficit completely.

Water retention can mask fat loss short term, but ultimately the 'you need to eat more to lose more bro, you're in starvation mode!' is lol, since physics doesn't lend itself to being tricked, and this phenomenon only seems to exist in the developing world where food is in abundence and tracking intake is notoriously inaccurate. There are a lot of people going without food in parts of the world who have no issue with not losing weight:

img-thing
 
The main reason you've lost weight is that you're eating less calories.

Personally I like carb cycling but I'm quite in tune with the hormonal responses that this offers and is a rather more advanced form of diet manipulation which I wouldn't expect a beginner to try.

However I need carbohydrate to give me the energy for the training I do, and carbs give you good efficient fuel.

I don't get the whole paleo thing either, it's like the scientology of diet to me.

Agreed.

The whole Paleo thing is widely discredited by science so i don't know why anyone does it. Since the palaeolithic era humans have evolved quite successful to digest milk/dairy and wheat. Seems to be a popular deit with Neanderthals.
 
If your main goal is weight loss I am firmly of the belief that you do whatever works for you. Personally for me it was a combination of gym and the "Harcombe diet" (basically just unprocessed food and never mix carbs and fat meals).

If low carb works for you, awesome. :)
 
Agreed.

The whole Paleo thing is widely discredited by science so i don't know why anyone does it. Since the palaeolithic era humans have evolved quite successful to digest milk/dairy and wheat. Seems to be a popular deit with Neanderthals.

It hasn't relay been discredited.

Most people have evolved to digest dairy, but not all. Many don't know they are and can have a life time of minor inconveniences and symptoms. With out realising they are intolerant. My mum was only diagnosed as lactose intolerant last year at the age of ~67.

As for wheat, that's a more complicated subject. Two things. Very few people have evolved with all the enzymes. However I haven't seen a break down of which are important or how many or which ones you ideally need.
Secondly, wheat products in this and most countries are dire, even if you try to source your own it's hard. There's very few suppliers of sprouted grains, and few people do long slow ferments on products. Both of which are really needed for wheat products. We've lost what are ancestor did and/or learnt in the name of speed and cost. Not just sprouted and long ferment times, but things like corn should be treated with lime before making cornmeal from, which again the majority don't do these days.

Like most diets Paleo is very fragmented, but it's also makes it easy for people by decluttering the complexity. It's easier to say don't eat diary/wheat. Than to say get DNA tested, then find x and then process it in yz.

There's a lot of, not that you can't eat and survive on grains, but they are sub optimal food and when we have such easy and diverse larder why subject yourself to it daily and in typically huge quantities.

Nutrition in general we have almost no scientific knowledge atm. The few bits of actual clinical trials have very bad methodology and the majority of the advice is old and made by invested groups which science is slowly proving wrong. Or from meta data, which again is next to useless.

As soon as I have some spare money I will be getting my DNA done. Health is an interesting area, that is at it's infancy.

When you take that into account things like Paleo make far more sense than the official guidelines, even if it's not actually accurate.

On top of that I firmly belive that different people require different diets. And will respond differently.
 
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There's evidence that our ancestors did eat grains, and since when does a paleo brownie become okay, but eating a potato suddenly becomes bad? It's daft. :p

Also remember that our foods have changed DRAMATICALLY since our neanderthal ancestors, in its production, farming, genetic composition etc...

Eating non processed food, and good quality meats, fish, grains, veg and fats are just common sense, why it should be titled paelo seems odd. Even good quality and "organic" meats and fish, and veg are nothing like they used to be. So that point is somewhat moot.

Just be honest with yourself. Eat well, and be active, and get the right macro nutrients and right number of calories in you'll achieve your goals. It does mean you have to make sacrifices, or at least be honest that you won't get there as quick if you allow yourself a lack of discipline.

Quite a fun article on it:

http://www.bodyforwife.com/paleo-is-the-scientology-of-diets/
 
As I said fragmented. And I agree all the crap substitutes aren't good.

Just because we can survive on a large range of foods, doesn't mean they don't cause issues or are optimal. We also consume grains significantly different to what they did as I said, which alters them a fair amount. We've also been consuming diary for likely far longer time than grains, and yet ~5% still can't handle lactose and in all likelihood far higher than that with undiagnosed people suffering minor symptoms.

Because most people like to clump things into categories, that's why such things have names. And Paleo and other diets are essentially clean eating.

And no it really isn't a fun article. It's another piece of crape opiniated article. Just like a lot of Paleo and every other diet out there.
I especially like the bit he causally relates starvation and early death to the diet.
 
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I'm only commenting here because it's on the first page.

Low carbs, no fat, juice, whatever.

If you're losing weight it's down to one simple fact, you're eating less calories than you're using consistently to the point your body is burning fat supplies to keep the energy coming.

You can do this in a healthy way or in a fad way that will have you eating heaps of fat to keep you interested.

In all seriousness, you want to cut down on carbs in general if you're trying to lose fat since carbs are essentially sugars if we're going to take a simplistic approach to it- protein is essential for your body, and certain fats are also key to a fully functioning body.

I say:

Carbs in the morning only (some sort of oats or wheat, along with a decent intake of protein (approx 50g).

Lunch should be protein and greens only (you will not be able to eat more than 500 calories of this without feeling full so it serves that purpose too).

Dinner should be light on carbs but don't turn down a bit of potato or rice to make your dinner look like a meal. Again, heavy on the greens and protein.

Do that every day for a month and you'll lose a few kilos at least (with or without exercise, best to combine it with weight lifting to avoid losing too much mass though).
 
As I said fragmented. And I agree all the crap substitutes aren't good.

Just because we can survive on a large range of foods, doesn't mean they don't cause issues or are optimal. We also consume grains significantly different to what they did as I said, which alters them a fair amount. We've also been consuming diary for likely far longer time than grains, and yet ~5% still can't handle lactose.

Because most people like to clump things into categories, that's why such things have names. And Paleo and other diets are essentially clean eating.

And no it really isn't a fun article. It's another piece of crape opiniated article. Just like a lot of Paleo and every other diet out there.
I especially like the bit he causally relates starvation and early death to the diet.



No such thing as "clean" eating.

It is a fun article and with respect I don't take it seriously, but I can see the humour in it - you need to lighten up ;).

As I'm sure you've studied nutrition and physiology as well (or is that someone else?), you know that although the basics of metabolism are fairly static, there are many factors that affect body composition and hormonal balances which contribute directly to this. More and more knowledge is being discovered and shared with the nutrition professionals and dieticians - I'm lucky that when I did my studies I made friends with full time dieticians/nutritions so often have access to interesting research. :)
 
I'm only commenting here because it's on the first page.

Low carbs, no fat, juice, whatever.

If you're losing weight it's down to one simple fact, you're eating less calories than you're using consistently to the point your body is burning fat supplies to keep the energy coming.

You can do this in a healthy way or in a fad way that will have you eating heaps of fat to keep you interested.

In all seriousness, you want to cut down on carbs in general if you're trying to lose fat since carbs are essentially sugars if we're going to take a simplistic approach to it- protein is essential for your body, and certain fats are also key to a fully functioning body.

I say:

Carbs in the morning only (some sort of oats or wheat, along with a decent intake of protein (approx 50g).

Lunch should be protein and greens only (you will not be able to eat more than 500 calories of this without feeling full so it serves that purpose too).

Dinner should be light on carbs but don't turn down a bit of potato or rice to make your dinner look like a meal. Again, heavy on the greens and protein.

Do that every day for a month and you'll lose a few kilos at least (with or without exercise, best to combine it with weight lifting to avoid losing too much mass though).

500 cals of protein doesn't keep me full (it;s only 125g chicken breast!) :D However adding fibre and veg/greens will always help make you feel fuller.

Personally, I need carbs to perform at my best in the athletically (i.e. at the gym, and other forms of exercise).

Why do you need to go light on carbs at dinner?

Essentially people just need to understand their calories, their macros, and eat a balanced diet getting all essential macro and micro nutrients in and be active (it won't do any harm ;)). As you said, everyone is different and need to work out what works for them. Starting off understanding what calories are, what macros are. How active they are. Taking their bodyfat measurements, and understanding what their BMR - calories just to exist. You burn calories by breathing, sleeping, working, using your brain, and your body repairing itself and just being "on" i.e. not dead. Then you have to add activity, if you sit all day, never move then of course you won't need much more than your BMR, if you're active, i.e. you walk, go up and down stairs, you may need a little more.

When it comes to dropping weight, you need to taper down the calories gently - i.e. try 200cals for a few weeks (this is an average of 200 cals less per day over a week period - so if one day you over eat it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things). If no effect, taper to 400cals for a few weeks, and re-evaluate etc... I wouldn't go much beyond that unless you are grossly over eating. As your body will gently lose weight which is far more manageable.

If you're overeating by 1000+ calories with a calorie intake of 4000 cals, and you suddenly drop to 2000 cals, you're going to do yourself more harm than good and lose a lot of lean tissue as well which you do not want.
 
Yeah I did this before, and I know exactly how amazing it feels to lose weight so quickly. In the end I found it boring and it wasn't long before I put some of the weight back on.
 
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