Low-carb eating: reporting in

Humans survived all this time because we breed like crazy, not because of calorie counting or fad diets. You are right to be suspicious about the food pyramid, though. It seemed very suspicious to me that they recommend so much dairy. It seems like too much and in the years past they recommended much less than that. I'm sure the dairy lobby has had something to do with it since the food pyramid is used as the basis for school lunches and other government programs involving food.

Thanks for the link! I have always wondered why quackwatch seemed to support, at least indirectly, pharmaceutical scams (especially of the psychiatric nature) when there is no good reason to.

DreamStalker wrote:

nobody wrote:http://www.quackwatch.org/06ResearchProjects/lcd.html

Here. Quack on this ...

http://www.raysahelian.com/quackwatch.html

Nobody, your analysis of the calories situation is oversimplified. A low carb diet might also strike you as odd because you have a 'metabolic type' that can handle a reduced calorie diet. There are some people that actually thrive on the high (complex) carb, low fat diet. (Everyone needs protein, but people who work better on a low fat diet also tend to be able to use lower grade protein sources like chicken, fish, eggs, etc.) There are also body types (the 'protein types') that are intolerant of most carbs, including many complex carbs. Those people need plenty of high quality protein (red meat, etc.) and more fat.

What most people don't realize is that, especially for the protein type people, is that minimizing carbohydrate intake helps the body properly metabolize fat. A very low carbohydrate diet actually prevents the body from storing dietary fat, forcing the body to use up its own fat. Since fat is the most calorie-rich food, people on a strict low carb diet can have a very high caloric intake, sometimes 5,000 calories/day or more of protein and fat and still lose weight. I, for instance, would have to eat 5 pounds of red meat a day to reach a point where I would gain weight on a low carb diet. (I normally eat about 2.5 pounds of a mix of red meat and chicken). I can easily lose 10 or more pounds a month, and feel great doing it.

Another thing that protein type people struggle with is a very strong hunger drive. This might be remnants of a primitive drive to get you to go out and hunt. Trying to simply eat less does not work well because you get overpoweringly hungry. This tends to be less of a problem for the 'carbohydrate types' for some reason. As a result, it often takes increased portion sizes to keep a protein type from being hungry. In my experience, this hunger drive slowly abates as one loses weight. But in my book, a diet where I can eat until I am not hungry all the time is far more likely to be sucessful than one where I am experiencing strong hunger all the time.

In the end, there is no 'one size fits all' diet/lifestyle, despite what the Government tells you.

I don't believe that anyone (who is mostly sedentary or even getting moderate exercise) could lose weight by eating 5000 calories per day. So how big are you?

I lost 35.6 pounds in 7 weeks (12/19/09 - 2/6/10) by restricting my carbs to less than 40g/day.

This week, I experimented with raising my carbs (beans and veggies) and promptly overdid it. My appetite came back, my energy levels dropped, and I retained 5 pounds of water. It's taking me a couple days to wring that water back out of my system and start feeling good again.

I just can't tolerate any significant amount of carbs. But hopefully I'll still be able to lose a pound or two this week by my Sunday weigh in.

There will always be people who think of low carb as a "fad diet"...maybe these people also think that type2 diabetes is "fictional" or a "mental disorder"? But the concept that you can "eat less and exercise more" is ludicrous and obviously doesn't work for most obese people.

Carbs are my kryptonite. I have a BS in biology, an MS in biochemistry, and I am the world's most reknowned expert in the field of "My Own Body". These credentials make it easy for me to ignore people who criticize low carb diets.

In then north end of Toronto (Thornhill/Richmond Hill) Dr. Poon and Dr. Brown both run rapid weight reduction clinics for those with other issues that are referred by their family MD's and their programme is one of very low carb and high protein. My wife was on insulin, lost 150 pounds in a year and a bit and no longer medicates for diabetes. I lost 50 pounds on the program.

But be aware that there are side effects and drawbacks and it should be undertaken with medical supervision; constipation is a huge side effect and you need to monitor this on a daily basis and take a number of supplements to maintain your blood chemistry; this requires regular monthly bloodwork.

For diabetics it will give you scads of energy as protein is broken down in the body much more slowly than carbs and it will keep your sugar levels low - they need to be closely monitored and the medications you have been taking for diabetes need to be rapidly adjusted while you are on this type of diet. It can KILL you. Only under medical supervision please and thank you.

One thing is for sure and that is (a) it is an easy diet to follow: you just eat lots of protein and green veggies, and (b) it is a tough diet to follow as you need it to be monitored and it does remove the 'good stuff' from your menu. You will indeed lose weight fast; even while you are sleeping.

Good luck. We are going back on it as we have put a few too many pounds back on as of late and need to get back on track and medically supervised. Your potassium intake is one of the biggies but don't even attempt to self direct this one. Expect great things but expect to put some effort in.


Good luck again.

Just got recent labs in the mail. Results from blood tests after 6 weeks of low carb:
Total Cholesterol: Down from 227 to 191
Triglycerides: Down from 157 to 100 (yay, hopefully this will give my inflamed fatty liver some relief)
LDL: Down from 154 to 135
Fasting Blood Glucose: Down from 101 to 92 (surprised this didn't drop more)

As expected, everything is moving in the right direction (even though I'm eating saturated animal fats and cholesterol-laden eggs).

TSSleepy wrote:Just got recent labs in the mail. Results from blood tests after 6 weeks of low carb:
Total Cholesterol: Down from 227 to 191
Triglycerides: Down from 157 to 100 (yay, hopefully this will give my inflamed fatty liver some relief)
LDL: Down from 154 to 135
Fasting Blood Glucose: Down from 101 to 92 (surprised this didn't drop more)

As expected, everything is moving in the right direction (even though I'm eating saturated animal fats and cholesterol-laden eggs).

Congrats!

I have about 5 weeks til my Berkley lipid lab panel on low-carb/high saturated fat diet.

Just thought I would add I have been on a low fat 1200 calorie a day diet for 11 months and have lost 220 pounds I started out at 430 pounds I now weigh 210 pounds. I have not restricted my carbs I try to follow the rule of every meal I try for around 40 grams of carbs, 20 grams of protien and 5 grams of fat. I workout 6 days a week, 3 of which are cardio and 3 are weightlifting and take Sundays off. I eat 5 small meals a day. When you say you are restricting your carbs how much are you ?

I'm eating somewhere between 30-50 gms carb most days, sometimes more, sometimes less. Moderate protein, high sat fat; gonna switch to high-pro and mod sat fat for a bit and see if that might get me past the stall I'm back in (durned thyroid still wonky with TSH=5.91). VAT Cholesterol Profile says my LDL particle size is the large fluffy safe kind & my Lp(a)=6. My TC has dropped 33, Tri dropped 62, HDL up 13. Vitamin D=66. Nicest is my RBC and Hemocrit are finally in the normal range, so body is not compensating for oxygenation deprivation...yippee!

OzarkTurtle, good for you! Apparently, you are a 'carb type', and the high carb, low fat diet is working for you. I also see you are working out a lot; a lot of 'carb type' people tend to be athletic.

TorontoCPAPguy, if you have no other health issues, a low carb diet can be freely practiced. You alluded to some of the problems; constipation is definitely one of them. As far as keeping your blood values in check, what specifically are they checking? The two critical vitamins are Calcium (which is best taken as a calcium/magnesium/zinc preparation) and vitamin C. Since we cannot gnaw bones like our animal predator friends can, we need to get the calcium by supplemntation. As for vitamin C, only a few animals cannot synthesize vitamin C; man is one of them. If you watch these three things (and are otherwise healthy), and drink lots of water, you will do well.

TSsleepy and Muse, Inc. congratulations on your great blood work!

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2 cups Yogurt=18 carbs per cup and 120 calories. = 36 Carbs & 240 cals total for recipe.
1 ½ cups milk= 12 Carbs per cup and & 80 Calories =18 Carbs & 120 cals total for recipe.

¾ cup Splenda= 0 Carbs & 0 Calories.

2 tbsp Davinci=18 Carbs & 80 Calories total for recipe.

The entire contents comes to 6 cups with a total of 440 Calories and 72 Carbs. Compare this to the same amount of Blue Bell Vanilla which totals 2160 Calories and 252 Carbs. Everyone’s gas millage varies of course but personally, if I consume much over 120 Carbs per day, I get high blood sugar readings.

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OzarkTurtle wrote:

It's the Respironics/Resmed market research guys.

nobody wrote:I don't believe that anyone (who is mostly sedentary or even getting moderate exercise) could lose weight by eating 5000 calories per day. So how big are you?

My husband, 5'11" tall, with a 33" waist and a 33" inseam, eats 6000 calories a day on a desk job.

Drop him to 5000 calories, and yeah, he'll lose weight.

His idea of breakfast is 3-4 eggs, 3-4 strips of bacon, a well-buttered English muffin, about 10 ounces of OJ, and in 2-3 hours, he'll be hungry again.

I've decided that he does the eating and by a most unfair psychic osmosis, I gain the weight.

I am jealous.
Still fighting this flu. It is now bronchitis and I am on antibiotics.

I got to try and get some real groceries tomorrow. Nothing fresh left in the house.