Low Carb Diet

Not really boxing related, but I wanted to pick the brains of the guys in the nutritional know, as some of you on here know so much.

I've recently started dieting to lose weight, while also going gym etc, the plan is to get back in shape, then join a boxing gym. I can't join now as I'll just get laughed at when I'm getting dizzy in the warm up!

My question is around the diet I'm doing. I'm cutting out as many carbs from my diet as I can, keeping to 15g or less, some days I'll eat hardly any carbs at all. The diet suits me as I'm happy to live off of meat, cheese and fish. It's the only diet I am capable of doing, healthy eating just doesn't stick with me.

So the weight is now flying off, I'm suprisnigly not feeling weak at all, still full of energy and not struggling to work out. I've lost over half a stone already.

My question is, how bad is this diet for me? Long term am I putting myself at risk? If I keep this diet up for a month and lose the weight I want, am I going to need to be very careful when I reintroduce carbs to my system to increase the workouts, that the weight does not pile on again?

I did it last year when I got back into boxing. Lost 2 and half stone in 5/6 months. I started introduicing carbs back into my diet in the mornings only (cereal/wholemeal toast) did this for about a month or so and then upped my carb intake more and I have carbs with every meal now as im training pretty intense. I didn't suffer no side effects or fatigue through it and had great results but I suppose everyone is different.

I've gone no carbs a couple times with really good results. Usually it is something the wife and I do after the holidays to get back to our desired weights. Doing it with a disciplined exercise regimen led to 10 pound loss in two weeks last time. It is not a life style I can do for much longer than about 3 weeks though. If the goal is to drop some weight quick I think it works but of course if you fall back into poor eating habits the weight will come back. I never had any issue with stamina/weakness only that I felt hungry a lot more.

it will help you lose weight

im not sure its needed if you are putting a lot into your workouts

eat 3 sensible meals a day and train hard, you should lose weight quickly and healthily enough

It's the "sensible" meal parts I struggle with. This way I still get great food, while still losing weight.

Also if work etc gets too busy to get to the gym, then weight still falls off.

Weight will fall off, but so will the intensity that you can put into your work outs...

Long running affect is that you won't get the metabolism boost from being able to do intense cardio and the muscle gains that you get will be lower - again lowering how high your metabolism can be at rest and your strength and power.

If it's just aesthetic goals you have - fine.
if actual physical performance is a goal - forget about it...

If it's just 'weight loss' then fair enough... but make sure you know what you're doing... severely restricting a food group is a pretty big deal if you're not on the ball nutritionally.

What are you doing to replace the soluble/insoluble fibre and various vitamins and minerals that you are losing from eating less grains?

Bare in mind that a lot of people think that when they do these low carb diets, something clever is going on... infact all you have is a calorie deficit... and no wonder, that's what happens when you restrict any food group.

If your body needs 2500 calories a day and you eat 2000 calories of healthy, balanced meals... you'll lose weight

If you eat 2000 calories of shite food a day... you'd still lose weight! You just wouldn't be or feel as healthy, Often this is the case when people go low carb, less calories, but nutrients no better, sometimes worse than usual. Unless I'm wrong I'm going to guess that your fat intake isn't mostly made up of mono-unsaturated fats? Fish, Nuts, Olives, Avocados, seeds.

Little to no sat fat?

Cheese and meat are fine, but they can't form the entire basis of a healthy diet. You have to consider that you shouldn't have a 'diet'... just eating habits, cutting carbs completely is a pretty drastic weight loss measure... not a habit, eating a Mediterranean style 'diet' would be a habbit... something you can sustain that will give good nutrition to support you through life.

It's all cause and affect, if you suddenly got out of shape do to a binge, you can probably correct it with a binge... But as is more often the case with most people, if you are generally out of shape long term it is due to habits, lifestyle and attitude, a binge will only work short term... long term these must change for something healthy and sustainable to give permanent changes.

Heavily concentrated, refined simple carbs do cause an insulin spike... but that doesn't mean that complex whole grains do the same thing. Steer clear of the 'bad carbs' by all means.

Personally if I where you I would get a few sessions with a qualified and well recommended nutritionist to try and give you some ideas on how to make 'healthy eating' more appealing the hamster food.

Sorry if I sound like I reading you a riot act here... but severely restricted any food group is a pretty drastic thing to do for your health, there are several considerations that you need to make... and I'm not convinced I've even said them all.

Not to discourage you too much, if it works for you... great - keep it up. It does work for some (usually not long term!) but you should never do anything to affect your health based just off 'anecdotal evidence'

Pardon the pun, but there's some food for thought! ;)

Cheers mate. Appreciate the advice.

I actually did lag a bit in the gym tonight, but I'd kind of assumed that was because I'd over done with exercise over the last week. I've been aching every day.

I haven't even deliberately gone exercise made. Its just been a timing thing. Got offered to play football for a mates team, 40 minutes high standard 5 a side, plus gym a couple times and football again. But tonight was the first time I'd felt a little weak.

I've now lost 1 stone. Been on the food regime for about 2 weeks I think. My plan is to try drop another stone, then keep the exercise going and lead a healthier lifestyle. Once the weights off, try and just keep the balance neutral and not move.

Then I'll worry about getting fit and building muscle properly. The exercise now is mostly cardio and I just thought that all round exercise has got to be good. Can't be bad.

The truth us I probably need a lifestyle transfusion, but no matter how hard I try I can't. Where as with this I'm never hungry, the food tastes great and I lose weight. I needed something drastic as I was at least 2 stone over weight.

Couldn't do this forever, would prob clog my veins with beef and fat.



I tell you what, if Carlsberg made personal trainers, I'd have a fucking dream team with all if the good advice available on here. Do appreciate it.

I've enjoyed reading this thread as I too do boxing but my weight, despite different diets is an issue and I'm about 2 stone over weight so out of curiosity what's an ideal low carb diet for a day as it seems to have helped a good few people on here? Cheers

My diet is far from ideal. It's not the most healthy, but I am losing weight.

I'll have a couple of bacon and eggs, maybe a sausage too for brunch.

For dinner I'll have more meat, steak, burgers, gammon, omelette etc.

It's bad in all other ways apart from the waistline!

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Originally Posted by 0james0

My diet is far from ideal. It's not the most healthy, but I am losing weight.

I'll have a couple of bacon and eggs, maybe a sausage too for brunch.

For dinner I'll have more meat, steak, burgers, gammon, omelette etc.

It's bad in all other ways apart from the waistline!

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Is that giving you quick results? Is that similar to the atkins diet?

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Originally Posted by 0james0

My diet is far from ideal. It's not the most healthy, but I am losing weight.

I'll have a couple of bacon and eggs, maybe a sausage too for brunch.

For dinner I'll have more meat, steak, burgers, gammon, omelette etc.

It's bad in all other ways apart from the waistline!

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I've read the whole book mate and have been speaking with a guy on a forum that has been on Atkins for 6 years and every aspect of his health has im proved. Liver function, blood pressure, cholestrol. Hard as it is to believe, everything I have found points to the fact that Atkins looks like a very safe diet

Atkins gives you oily skin and bad breath doesn't it?

No bad breath, skin has actually been better than normal.

I feel good on it, I'm getting lighter and not suffering, so it's fine by me.

I play football once a week and feel noticeably better when running around.

Does the weght fall off quite quickly? Might give it ago starting this morning.....

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.

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Originally Posted by ono

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.

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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.

Ketosis isn't healthy long term on the liver.

nor the breath...

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.

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.

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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.

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

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Originally Posted by 0james0

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

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Exactamundo!

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Originally Posted by AdamGB

Ketosis isn't healthy long term on the liver.

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I haven't found any evidence to support that

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!

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Originally Posted by 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!

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How much you lost?

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!

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Originally Posted by BIG H

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Originally Posted by AdamGB

Ketosis isn't healthy long term on the liver.

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I haven't found any evidence to support that

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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"

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! :p

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! :p)

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. :)

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Originally Posted by 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! :p

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! :p)

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. :)

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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

I wish I could have a "my body is a temple" mentality.

Instead my body is dumping ground.

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Originally Posted by BIG H

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Originally Posted by 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! :p

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! :p)

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. :)

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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

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I know exactly where you're coming from, but I'm not just talking about my personal approach, but my approach with those who I train, many of whom used to be overweight.

These Low Carb diets are all about controlling blood sugar/insulin to help reduce the calorie retention that high blood sugar and the resulting high insulin levels that it gives. My approach has always been towards sensible eating and exercising.

Avoiding the awful carbs and exercising correctly will control insulin levels/sensitivity just as much as low carbing will for most people with the added benefit that you don't miss out on the various minerals, vitamins and fibre that you get from grains and you get fitter as you shed pounds. :)

That being said, although I have my views and methods I do try and keep a little open... there are wrong ways to do things but there are also lots of right ways, if it works for you it works. I'm always keen to emphasise caution when doing drastic cuts like this, if I seem like I am out right dismissing low carb diets then that is probably why.

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Originally Posted by AdamGB

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Originally Posted by BIG H

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Originally Posted by 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! :p

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! :p)

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. :)

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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

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I know exactly where you're coming from, but I'm not just talking about my personal approach, but my approach with those who I train, many of whom used to be overweight.

These Low Carb diets are all about controlling blood sugar/insulin to help reduce the calorie retention that high blood sugar and the resulting high insulin levels that it gives. My approach has always been towards sensible eating and exercising.

Avoiding the awful carbs and exercising correctly will control insulin levels/sensitivity just as much as low carbing will for most people with the added benefit that you don't miss out on the various minerals, vitamins and fibre that you get from grains and you get fitter as you shed pounds. :)

That being said, although I have my views and methods I do try and keep a little open... there are wrong ways to do things but there are also lots of right ways, if it works for you it works. I'm always keen to emphasise caution when doing drastic cuts like this, if I seem like I am out right dismissing low carb diets then that is probably why.

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I wish you were training me fella - coz I am fucking useless!! Got the gym part all sorted, but the food is crap. I could probably manage to lose weight the 'healthy' weigh, but it would take me 3 months to get to where I want to be and I have such a 'quick fix' want it now' mentality, that I just can't see the long term

Here's my diet:

If it has either swam, walked or has flown through the air: Eat it.

If it has grown from the ground: Eat it.

If man made it: Don't eat it.

Unless it's Sunday, then in moderation only. ;)

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Originally Posted by BIG H

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Originally Posted by ono

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.

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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.

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I know. That's why i said 'initial' you spaz ;D

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Originally Posted by ono

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Originally Posted by BIG H

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Originally Posted by ono

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.

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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.

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I know. That's why i said 'initial' you spaz ;D

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;D

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Originally Posted by BIG H

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Originally Posted by ono

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Originally Posted by BIG H

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Originally Posted by ono

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.

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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.

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I know. That's why i said 'initial' you spaz ;D

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;D

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To be fair, after re-reading, it was probably my fault. :-X

try a modified Paleo diet...eat some grains but don't go nuts

But go nuts for nuts! :D