Low Carb Diet

[BIG H]

I'm with Adam with this one.

The initial weight loss from these kind of diets is mainly down to the dieter emptying his glycoegn stores due to him no longer consuming/not consuming enough carbohydrate. This is weight which will simply be gained again once a more natural diet is started.

Basically, the weight loss looks great on the scales, but you're not really ridding yourself of much bodyfat. Carbohydrate and water mainly.

Not true at all mate. Water and Glycogen stores are depleted in the 1st week after that you are losing pure fat in a way that you won't on any other diet. I don't like Atkins, but I have done a lot of research on it and spoken with people who have done long term. Atkins is not marketed as a quick fix diet, it is supposed to be a life long diet.

[AdamGB]

Ketosis isn't healthy long term on the liver.

[iceman]

nor the breath...

[AdamGB]

lol yeah... I'm of the frame of mind that if your breath/shit smell toxic then your insides aren't too healthy.

The approach I take with guys I train? I don't just want them to look fit and healthy... I want them to be fit and healthy... pointless just looking it but not being it.

[0james0]

My breath doesn't stink, but my mouth tastes gross in the morning and I'm brushing my teeth extra just incase. So I think it's safe to say my body is in katosis mode.

Can I ask a question?

Last weekend I had a bad diet weekend. I had some bread, pizza and naan bread amongst over carb full food items.

What happens inside when I have a mini carb binge? My body is in katosis mode so I'm sure it gets very confused. But what does it do when it has a sudden flood of carbs? Does it store them up (so storing fat?) or does it help the weight loss when I go carb free again?

My weight a week later is slightly under what it was a week ago, so I don't seem to have suffered on the scales.

Clearly I have no dietary techy know how, but I'm curious as to what is king on inside my body! Bear in mind I'm only interested in losing weight at this stage. The healthiness will come later.

[BIG H]

My breath doesn't stink, but my mouth tastes gross in the morning and I'm brushing my teeth extra just incase. So I think it's safe to say my body is in katosis mode.

Can I ask a question?

Last weekend I had a bad diet weekend. I had some bread, pizza and naan bread amongst over carb full food items.

What happens inside when I have a mini carb binge? My body is in katosis mode so I'm sure it gets very confused. But what does it do when it has a sudden flood of carbs? Does it store them up (so storing fat?) or does it help the weight loss when I go carb free again?

My weight a week later is slightly under what it was a week ago, so I don't seem to have suffered on the scales.

Clearly I have no dietary techy know how, but I'm curious as to what is king on inside my body! Bear in mind I'm only interested in losing weight at this stage. The healthiness will come later.

When you eat the carbs, your body switches fron Keytosis, i.e burning stored fat for energy and uses the Carbs to burn for energy (as Carbs are a much easier source of energy for the body) What this means is that the stored fat that was being used for energy is no longer being used and any fat you have been putting into your body (including the fat in the pizzas etc) is also not being used for energy and thus stored as fat.

[0james0]

So in essence it's twice as bad for my weight than usual when I now have carbs?

[BIG H]

So in essence it's twice as bad for my weight than usual when I now have carbs?

Exactamundo!

[BIG H]

Ketosis isn't healthy long term on the liver.

I haven't found any evidence to support that

[0james0]

I think I might have a 6 day on, 1 day off routine. Just to slow the weight loss and to ease carbs back in again.

Only 1/2 stone left to go!

[BIG H]

I think I might have a 6 day on, 1 day off routine. Just to slow the weight loss and to ease carbs back in again.

Only 1/2 stone left to go!

How much you lost?

[0james0]

I've lost a stone and a half.

Lost much less recently as I've not been exercising much. If I can get below 13 stone and sit there I'll be happy. 12 something is good enough for me.

Also if I do actually get good enough to fight someone for real life in boxing, then at least I'll be in a weightclass more my size, rather than me weighted up with fat and the opponent my weight, but made out of muscle. That is a long way off yet though, got to regularly go to a boxing gym first!

[AdamGB]

Ketosis isn't healthy long term on the liver.

I haven't found any evidence to support that

Where did you look... because typing 'Ketosis liver health' in google (let alone actual, published sources) throws up 100s of hits... only looked at the first one, which is from the NHS itself:

Ketosis - NHS Choices

"If left to build up, ketones can increase the acidity levels of your blood, which can affect your urine and may eventually cause serious damage to your liver and kidneys.
Your body may try to get rid of the excess amount of acetone through your lungs, which can give your breath a sweet, fruity smell that is sometimes mistaken for alcohol."

You'll hear different claims about the extent and risk of liver damage... but to say there's no evidence simply isn't true.

It's a divisive topic, but usually when you see a source completely denying any risk of liver damage... they normally have some finical interest in the whole low carb trend we've seen over the past few years.

Nothing wrong with increasing your intake of good fats and eliminating or reducing the amount of refined carbohydrates in your diet, but taking things to any extreme never good in the long run.

A lot of people have a tendency to assume that if it's not a low or no carb diet... then it must be a high carb diet.

To quote my Great Gran, who lived to 106 - "Moderation in all things"

[AdamGB]

That being said, I sure did enjoy the toast, peanut butter and whey protein porridge I had for breakfast, chicken, wholemeal bagel and salad that I had for my lunch, protein oat flapjack for a snack and sweet potatos and meatballs I had for dinner. Cottage Cheese on Rivita for supper is as close to low carb as you'll see me get!

Diet is probably on 35/35/30 split... give or take, just eat half based off what I know is good and half based off what I feel my body craves depending on my training etc

Try and get at least 20-30g of protein when ever I eat, eat only wholegrain cabrs (the less processed the better... OATS!) plent of nuts and oily fish when I can and constant fruit and veg. Nothing more complicated than that... no cycling, no breaks... just something healthy and sustainable.

Had my bodyfat tested today (don't normally monitor it but was testing our new B.I. scales at work) and it currently stands at 8%... considering training isn't as heavy at the moment due to a bit of sciatica must be doing something right!

For me, personally these low carb diets are an over reaction to the need to remove refined and highly concentrated carbs from your diet. It's like hitting a picture tack in with a sledgehammer (the only 'tyre' I beat with a sledgehammer is a tractor tyre! )

I get that they work for some people and not for others, but for me, my concern has always been overall health and fitness... not just 'weight'.

Like I've said before... if you have a lot to cut and it works for you then go for it... but only short time... I definitely wouldn't recommend it as a long term diet... but I guess that depends on your personal definition of health and fitness.

[BIG H]

That being said, I sure did enjoy the toast, peanut butter and whey protein porridge I had for breakfast, chicken, wholemeal bagel and salad that I had for my lunch, protein oat flapjack for a snack and sweet potatos and meatballs I had for dinner. Cottage Cheese on Rivita for supper is as close to low carb as you'll see me get!

Diet is probably on 35/35/30 split... give or take, just eat half based off what I know is good and half based off what I feel my body craves depending on my training etc

Try and get at least 20-30g of protein when ever I eat, eat only wholegrain cabrs (the less processed the better... OATS!) plent of nuts and oily fish when I can and constant fruit and veg. Nothing more complicated than that... no cycling, no breaks... just something healthy and sustainable.

Had my bodyfat tested today (don't normally monitor it but was testing our new B.I. scales at work) and it currently stands at 8%... considering training isn't as heavy at the moment due to a bit of sciatica must be doing something right!

For me, personally these low carb diets are an over reaction to the need to remove refined and highly concentrated carbs from your diet. It's like hitting a picture tack in with a sledgehammer (the only 'tyre' I beat with a sledgehammer is a tractor tyre! )

I get that they work for some people and not for others, but for me, my concern has always been overall health and fitness... not just 'weight'.

Like I've said before... if you have a lot to cut and it works for you then go for it... but only short time... I definitely wouldn't recommend it as a long term diet... but I guess that depends on your personal definition of health and fitness.

That's because you're not fat!! Try being so fat that you don't want to leave the house and have no desire or zest for life whatsoever. I'm not there now, but I have been and you'll do just about anything to lose weight and stock feeling that way, even if it at severe risk to your health.

P.S I am not saying this in a 'snotty' way, I'm just telling you how it is for some people