Low Carb Diet

[0james0]

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?

[southpawwolves]

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.

[VictorCharlie]

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.

[erics44]

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

[0james0]

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.

[AdamGB]

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!

[0james0]

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.

[Jaymitch81]

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

[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!

[Jaymitch81]

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!

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

[BIG H]

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!

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

[Jaymitch81]

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

[0james0]

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.

[Jaymitch81]

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

[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.