Low carb

[rcjordan]

Most of you know the low carb diet stuff about blood sugar spikes and all the rest, but I'll add a couple of comments.

I'm been using low carb off-on for about 15 years now. I have a lifelong history on high-normal blood pressure which, surprisingly, didn't really go up much with my weight OR down with my salt reduction.  I just dropped added salt because I quickly became acclimated to lower levels.

I've also had IBS since my 30's.  That DID escalate with my weight. Low carb is pretty much the anti-diet for treating IBS.  But, by day 3 of a good low carb diet, my IBS just goes away.  Others report the same sometimes, but docs (in general, not my doc. I've beaten him into submission) still recoil at the idea that fat isn't the super-evil culprit in 1st world foods.   The other thing that drops off about day 3 or 4 is my appetite. I come from a family of guys that ate huge meals, always have since I was in high school. That caught up with me in my 30's, too (see connection to IBS there?). For a diet to largely kill my appetite is a big deal. Frankly, I'm still kind of shocked as to how little food it takes to live.

Low carb works for me. I've documented that it does not work for Louise, even when she's very, very strict.  What does work for her is Jane's (ukgimp) fasting diet.

[buckworks]

> the idea that fat isn't the super-evil culprit

I finally started losing weight when I stopped trying to eat low-fat.

[littleman]

I remember when I went low carb the first time and it felt like I hit something magical.  I didn't have to count calories, just take the carbs out of my diet, eat when I want and lose weight.  I know it doesn't work for all people, but it sure does for me.  I've read that in general men tend to respond better to low carbing than women.

I've read a ton on the subject over the last few years.  There are lots of theories as to why it works, but I think the main takeaway is that carbs get processed by the body quickly which causes insulin spikes and leaves you hungry shortly after -- this is why people say they are hungry shortly after eating Chinese food, or why people feel they have room for desert after eating a big helping pasta.  Protien and fat, on the other hand, tend to take longer to digest and create a sense of satiety which discourages eating.  Protein also has a 20% overhead, so if you eat 100 calories in protein you only take in 80 calories.  The one thing I think a lot of people don't get enough of when they are on a low carb diet is fiber due to the lack vegetables, but there is no need to do so as long as you avoid the starchy ones.

I've been eating low carb for eight years now and my blood work profile is really good, triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL and HDL are all very much in the healthy range.  My liver has been fine since the time I lost my first 20 pounds.

[rcjordan]

Now be watching for good science articles about research that indicates that artificial sweeteners are just about the same as sugar when it comes to weight-loss  and *maybe* type 2 diabetes.  It's surfacing fairly regularly now in my feeds.  I also recently read an article -though unconnected to the above- may explain why.  More on that if I can find it.

>fat

I asked my doc about how doctors feels about the new evidence clearing fat as a boogie man. He said that they are now very torn as they've been taught this as mantra for decades now. He says they have a knee-jerk reaction to it and need to learn to get over it.  This type of group mindset has been exposed before, plenty of times. One of the most recent big ones was the final acceptance that Helicobacter pylori could cause stomach ulcers, letting stress off the hook.  

[rcjordan]

<added>
Here's a version of that article I mentioned above. In short, they are using Pavlovian response to train the body to use less medicine but react as if it is getting the full dose.  It's working.  So.... It's not much of a stretch to say that the taste of sweet has already trained your body to add fat.

http://mosaicscience.com/story/medicine-without-the-medicine-how-to-train-your-immune-system-placebo

[Travoli]

Our food supply didn't include this much sugar until a few hundred years ago. The human machine hasn't enough time to adapt.
Glycemic index is an important part of this, IMHO. 100 calories of chickpeas is processed much differently than 100 calories of sugar.
That said, it's good to be selective with your fats also.

[littleman]

Yeah Travoli, I am sure you are right that glycemic index is a big part of it.  Natural sources of carbohydrates are almost always bound with fiber, which slows down digestion, but we strip the fiber out and add extra sugar into most of the processed carbs today.

Even though I restrict carbs myself I don't advocate it for my kids, I tell them to eat natural, unprocessed foods.  If they avoid all the junk I spent most of my life eating they should be just fine.

[bill]

I did the whole Intermittent Fasting combined with low carbs for a little more than a year. It started affecting my brain after a while I think. I had trouble remembering things and wasn't able to focus well. It was great for the slimming down process and the doctors loved all of the results, but I think I went a bit overboard. I am interested in getting back into a somewhat toned down version of my previous routine though. The IF stuff is easy, but low carbs in Japan is a bit of a challenge.

[rcjordan]

Japan have celery & dill pickles? Meat if really expensive in JP, right? How about eggs?

[bill]

They sell celery one stalk at a time, and dill pickles are something I can only dream of. (Occasionally find tiny jars of them for exorbitant prices in import shops) Eggs however are plentiful, and good quality.

Beef is pricey here for semi-decent cuts. I spent a lot on pork and chicken as a backup...and lots and lots of salmon and tuna.

[Rupert]

Bill. Whale springs to mind, but not sure if its PC here.  Its not in my home. 

Never thought sweeteners might do that.  interesting.

I am finally cutting out the toast tomorrow for breakfast, and going back to hated porridge. Sad.

Bill, Can you get Tofu?

[DrCool]

I have thought about low carb but there are just too many carb laden foods I just wouldn't want to give up. Even if I don't always eat a ton of them all the time not having the option for stuff like hamburgers, pizza, donuts, sandwiches, etc. would make it a no go for me.

The one thing that I have had work for me is Weight Watchers. My wife did it before we got married so when we got married we started and I dropped 20 pounds in about 2 months. She goes to the meetings and all that but for me I just keep track of what I eat and eat less. Basically it mostly just helps me with portion control. I can have pasta but not a giant mound of it. Some Doritos are OK but just a handful and not half a bag. Problem is, every time we start it and get rolling my wife gets pregnant and we have to stop since they don't allow pregnant women to do it. And if she's not doing it I'm not going to do it.

[Rupert]

Well thats it then.  You will have to cut out sex.

[buckworks]

>> carb laden foods I just wouldn't want to give up

Look for realistic substitutes, and frame your thoughts about eating with enjoyment not sacrifice.

Don't think "I am sacrificing a loaded hamburger," think "I am enjoying this meatball stew."

We humans have a strong tendency to eat what is put in front of us and enjoy it well enough. So take advantage of that. Make a point of eating your "virtuous" things first and don't let yourself get too hungry. That will head off a lot of cravings before they even get started. It's a lot easier to prevent a craving than having to fight it.

>> but not a giant mound of it

Yes. The occasional indulgence IS okay. The keyword being "occasional".

[Brad]

Low carb worked for me based on previous threads posted here.  I lost a lot of weight.  I couldn't sustain it though, I started dreaming of pancakes, waffles, potatoes, pizza, donuts (hey those donuts can get mean in your nightmares.)

But mostly, I missed beer: Stouts, Porters, ales they all called to me.