Why does Atkins, very low carbs, feel so GOOD? (doctor, weight loss, hormone)

[SD4020]

If rice is such an "empty calorie" why does most of the world use it as a major staple of their diets? Well over half of the worlds population use rice as a staple.

[Pikantari]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

So many people are uninformed about the low-carb way of life ... *sigh*

Low-carb is not depriving your body of anything. You're still eating carbs; you're not over-consuming grains, especially refined grains, and sugars.

My body gets plenty of carbs (I average about 50-75 grams per day) from oatmeal -- the only grain that doesn't trigger cravings for me -- or a whole-wheat English muffin, one or 1 1/2 servings of fruit, and vegetables. Refined wheat is an occasional treat -- I'm certainly not going to beat myself up over a piece of pizza every couple of weeks or so -- and rice is nothing but empty calories. I don't need them.


If you were not eating vegetables on a low-carb diet, you weren't doing it right.

I had not made it to the level where you eat vegetables. It was a no carb diet, not a low carb diet. I ate only meats and fish as well as eggs. Nothing else.

[sayulita]

For a moderate low carb diet, what is the average number of grams of carbs one can consume?

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Luckyd609

I seriously doubt its how we are supposed to eat. Just because someone writes a book does not make them an authority. If its how people are supposed to eat then why do most people who attempt low carb end up failing.

Carbs are not the enemy. Junk food, highly processed simple carb crap is. Nothing bad at all, and everything good eating whole grains. Low carb, high protein is just not that good for ones body.

I'm not trying to be rude here, really...but I felt a discrepancy in your post.
If someone "just writes a bk"...who happens to be an MD with thousands of
patients, hours of research like testing their blood....they r not an authority...

However,we are supposed to believe you that "low carb, hi pro is just not that
good for one's body".

This doesn't ring true for me....with all due respect...can u sight any research on this?
The doctors that wrote Protein Power have something to say about this I would think, also.
The Epiloque in Protein Power is quite informative on this if no one has time
to read the whole book.

The MD's credentials are also noted in both Books...Atkins and PP.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by sayulita

For a moderate low carb diet, what is the average number of grams of carbs one can consume?

I guess after a week or 2 only of no or a couple of carbs...you increase by
5 gram increments....usually you level off at 40~60 daily carbs to maintain your weight....
I would imagine you could have lots more if you were exercising.

[Pleroo]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

I guess after a week or 2 only of no or a couple of carbs...you increase by
5 gram increments....usually you level off at 40~60 daily carbs to maintain your weight....
I would imagine you could have lots more if you were exercising.

I think you're right about what Atkins considers moderate. It's been a while since I read the book.

I vaguely recall reading (I believe on Mark's Daily Apple site) that the average American diet was somewhere in the vicinity of 300gr+ of carbs per day. A moderate carb diet would be in the range of 70-120. Low carb would be under that, and very low carb under 20, I think.

But that's just somebody's opinion. I don't know if there is an "official" range.

[Luckyd609]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

I'm not trying to be rude here, really...but I felt a discrepancy in your post.
If someone "just writes a bk"...who happens to be an MD with thousands of
patients, hours of research like testing their blood....they r not an authority...

However,we are supposed to believe you that "low carb, hi pro is just not that
good for one's body".

This doesn't ring true for me....with all due respect...can u sight any research on this?
The doctors that wrote Protein Power have something to say about this I would think, also.
The Epiloque in Protein Power is quite informative on this if no one has time
to read the whole book.

The MD's credentials are also noted in both Books...Atkins and PP.

Lots of MD's write about diets. They all have differing viewpoints. The only one they all have in common is that they want to sell as many books as possible.
So you love low carb. Great! It works for some. Not so easy to do in the long run. Very few keep it up for more than a year or two, if even that. Stick with what you like, but really, you should try some unbiased research. It might be eye opening.

[sayulita]

Originally Posted by Pleroo

I think you're right about what Atkins considers moderate. It's been a while since I read the book.

I vaguely recall reading (I believe on Mark's Daily Apple site) that the average American diet was somewhere in the vicinity of 300gr+ of carbs per day. A moderate carb diet would be in the range of 70-120. Low carb would be under that, and very low carb under 20, I think.

But that's just somebody's opinion. I don't know if there is an "official" range.

Thanks! Although losing weight would be great, I'm just trying to lower my blood sugar. I've cut way back on carbs but still have around 40-100 each day. I hate it, because I do love my starches. Sweets are not a problem for me, but starches are.

[stepka]

Originally Posted by Luckyd609

Atkins is notoriously hard to stay on for any significant period of time. Thats not to say that some do quite well, but it is a very small percentage.

I agree with this that it is hard to maintain. I lost quite a lot of weight on it one time but then took a trip to Italy and had lost my focus when I got back so the whole thing went right back on. A couple of years later I stopped eating sweets--just that and nothing else and lost quite an amount of weight that way and though I've gained about 10 lbs back, I'm still 20 lbs lighter even though I still eat sweets--just not as much.

Originally Posted by Luckyd609

If its how people are supposed to eat then why do most people who attempt low carb end up failing.

Carbs are not the enemy. Junk food, highly processed simple carb crap is. Nothing bad at all, and everything good eating whole grains. Low carb, high protein is just not that good for ones body.

I believe they fail b/c high carb is ingrained in our culture and carbs are cheap. I know you don't go to those all-you-can-eat type places but if you did you'd know that over 90% of the food is high carb. Also, as a juvenile diabetic nurse mourned to me one time--carbs are so easy! You can just grab a box of crackers or a snack cake or a piece of bread, but with meat you've got to go home and cook it or pay premium for it in a restaurant.

Originally Posted by SD4020

If rice is such an "empty calorie" why does most of the world use it as a major staple of their diets? Well over half of the worlds population use rice as a staple.

Again cheap, reliable, and easy. Ingrained into the culture. Proteins are much more labor intensive in every way.

Originally Posted by sayulita

For a moderate low carb diet, what is the average number of grams of carbs one can consume?

I'm thinking under 100 gms carbs/day but keeping veggies in the diet and dropping the grains. Also look for low glycemic fruits and veggies. Apparently watermelon has more sugar than candy.

Originally Posted by sayulita

Thanks! Although losing weight would be great, I'm just trying to lower my blood sugar. I've cut way back on carbs but still have around 40-100 each day. I hate it, because I do love my starches. Sweets are not a problem for me, but starches are.

Originally Posted by The Help Desk

Low carb means no insulin cycling, which is why it feels so good. It's how we're supposed to eat.

Well I think we were made that way. We're omnivorous but for most of human prehistory we ate meat b/c much of it was spent in the ice ages. It does seem as if a lot of people have blood sugar levels that are whack-a-doo in this society and junk food and easy carbs must surely have a lot to do with that but also lower nutrition b/c I remember people ate a lot of sugar when I was growing up too, but now they're just getting bigger and bigger.

And yes, anything that keeps your blood sugar under tight control has got to be better for your health than having it all over the place.

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

So Low-carb is not depriving your body of anything. You're still eating carbs; you're not over-consuming grains, especially refined grains, and sugars.

My body gets plenty of carbs (I average about 50-75 grams per day) from oatmeal -- the only grain that doesn't trigger cravings for me -- or a whole-wheat English muffin, one or 1 1/2 servings of fruit, and vegetables. Refined wheat is an occasional treat -- I'm certainly not going to beat myself up over a piece of pizza every couple of weeks or so -- and rice is nothing but empty calories. I don't need them.

If you were not eating vegetables on a low-carb diet, you weren't doing it right.

What I've found to be true for myself is that I'm better off skipping breakfast. I love oatmeal but any carbs early in the day will leave me hungry well before lunchtime and I get way hungrier after having eaten breakfast than if I skip it. I don't even miss it at all.

My thought is this and it's kind of insane though. What if you had someone who has really bad sugar levels and maybe even just dx'ed diabetic and they don't want to take the meds. They must lose weight right away and they've got to turn that blood sugar train around but they've been having trouble losing weight. What if they were to go on an extremely low carb diet for at least a few days even if they plan to lose it later by counting cals? Atkins did mention that if you're really having trouble, just eat cream cheese or macadamia nuts for a couple of days but my thought is coconut oil since it has ketogenic properties. I suppose it could make you sick though by shocking your body. Well I wasn't planning on doing this but I have a friend who is desperate to lose 100 lbs and she isn't diabetic but her blood sugar isn't good and she swears she eats only a little. I'm trying to get her to journal. So that thought was hypothetical.

So my diet is not low carb though I totally believe it's better for you. I log into my fitness pal though and try to keep carbs about 100 gms lower than what is allowed--it's all I can do these days since I have no time to cook.

[rohirette]

Of course low, steady levels of insulin feel good. You don't have to have pathological sugar levels to notice the feel-ousy roller coaster after eating a stack of pancakes with syrup and a glass of OJ.