Resources and suggestions for a low-carb diet
March 17, 2016 4:34 AM Subscribe
I'm a late-30s female interested in trying a low-carb diet. I'm kind of intimidated by the wealth of information out there, some of it contradictory, and I don't know what to trust. Looking for suggestions of best practices.
I have about 20 pounds of post-pregnancy weight that have stuck around since having my child around three years ago. I've been exercising regularly for a couple of months and have felt fitter and happier. My exercise is about 5-6 times a week but it's not exactly high-intensity: every other day is a walk/jog for about 30 minutes, and on alternating days is a quick interval sprint on the stationary bike followed by about 20-30 minutes of weights. I also walk about a mile every day to and from work. I'll probably be tweaking my workout over time but this question isn't about that; I'm just providing the context of my level of activity because I think it may matter in terms of evaluating diet.
Also in that vein, I have no other health problems to speak of.
I'm thinking of going low-carb because despite being pretty good about the exercise, I haven't lost any weight and my diet isn't great. The main problem is that I have an incredible sweet tooth and am constantly fighting cravings for snacks (especially sugary ones). Given that (as I understand it) low-carb diets are meant to even out one's blood sugar and help with that kind of craving, I thought doing one would be worth a try. Especially because I do like my meats and vegetables and I don't think giving up breads and pasta would be too difficult (refined sugar might be another story). For what it's worth, I have previously tried giving up refined sugars only, keeping other carbs: managed to do so for about three months but it really sucked and the cravings only kept increasing over time, so I abandoned the effort.
Though I've googled around for tips and common pitfalls with a low-carb diet I'm pretty intimidated and with a very busy full-time job and a small child I don't feel like I have the time to research this thoroughly. So I thought the hive mind might help.
Some specific questions.
1. How low to go?
I've found that some people (e.g., here suggest that if you're trying to exercise while doing low-carb, you should really make sure that you have some carbs before then (or maybe once a week? it seems to vary) or else you will have long-term problems with various things. But then, a lot of that advice seems geared to people who are much more serious about exercise than I am, like serious triathletes. And other people suggest that if you aren't being very exacting about going actually low-carb (like, below 100g per day, or even 50g) you won't see almost any of the benefits. But then again, it does seem sensible to me that long-term depletion of carbs could have serious consequences and I would like to avoid that if possible. Any advice on how to balance these competing concerns? I have no idea who is an authority or most sensible on the topic.
2. How long to go?
Suppose I'm really good at adhering to the diet. How long should I really stick to it in order to make sure I've given it a fair shake at working for me - i.e., working through the "low-carb flu" at first, etc. One week? Two? A month? I would like to have a clear end point at which point I will evaluate whether this is effective and worth it, but I don't want to prejudge it or bias it by choosing an inappropriate time point. (By "effective" I mean that I end up feeling okay and not constantly craving things, and that my weight and energy level are at least as good if not better than now). Conversely I don't want to make it so long that I have a hard time motivating to stay on it. I know I can maintain anything for two weeks, for instance. A month? Two? The longer it is before I can expect to see benefits or determine whether it's for me, the harder it will be. This too is something that different people seem to say very different things, and I can't tell if I'm just finding the wrong people or what.
3. Can I really mess up my metabolism if I go on it and then off it again?
One of the reasons I've tried to avoid going on diets is I think they can very easily have long-term pernicious effects on one's metabolism, as the body goes into "famine" mode and then packs on calories when you slip. But since low-carb doesn't mean calorie deprivation that seems like less of a concern. But then I don't know anything; is it? I ask because I'm currently thinking about this diet in a "give it a try for X days" sort of way, rather than thinking that for sure it will be how I'll live the rest of my life. But I want to make sure that if I do that I'm not setting myself up for more problems down the road.
4. What non-obvious issues should I be aware of?
Again, the googles have led to people all pointing out things I wouldn't have thought of but I have no idea how much to believe. For instance, some suggest that I need to up my sodium intake (just at first? always? I've read conflicting advice). Another thing is things like dark chocolate. Some suggest that it or, say, dry white wine are okay in moderation, others suggest that at least for the first N weeks (where N = ??) you should avoid those entirely and only phase them in gradually. I don't know what other non-obvious things there are that I haven't found out, so I'd love some tips about that sort of thing.
Anyway, many thanks for your help here. I'm interested either in specific answers to these questions based on your experience or expertise, or links to good, trustworthy resources that I can refer to.
I have about 20 pounds of post-pregnancy weight that have stuck around since having my child around three years ago. I've been exercising regularly for a couple of months and have felt fitter and happier. My exercise is about 5-6 times a week but it's not exactly high-intensity: every other day is a walk/jog for about 30 minutes, and on alternating days is a quick interval sprint on the stationary bike followed by about 20-30 minutes of weights. I also walk about a mile every day to and from work. I'll probably be tweaking my workout over time but this question isn't about that; I'm just providing the context of my level of activity because I think it may matter in terms of evaluating diet.
Also in that vein, I have no other health problems to speak of.
I'm thinking of going low-carb because despite being pretty good about the exercise, I haven't lost any weight and my diet isn't great. The main problem is that I have an incredible sweet tooth and am constantly fighting cravings for snacks (especially sugary ones). Given that (as I understand it) low-carb diets are meant to even out one's blood sugar and help with that kind of craving, I thought doing one would be worth a try. Especially because I do like my meats and vegetables and I don't think giving up breads and pasta would be too difficult (refined sugar might be another story). For what it's worth, I have previously tried giving up refined sugars only, keeping other carbs: managed to do so for about three months but it really sucked and the cravings only kept increasing over time, so I abandoned the effort.
Though I've googled around for tips and common pitfalls with a low-carb diet I'm pretty intimidated and with a very busy full-time job and a small child I don't feel like I have the time to research this thoroughly. So I thought the hive mind might help.
Some specific questions.
1. How low to go?
I've found that some people (e.g., here suggest that if you're trying to exercise while doing low-carb, you should really make sure that you have some carbs before then (or maybe once a week? it seems to vary) or else you will have long-term problems with various things. But then, a lot of that advice seems geared to people who are much more serious about exercise than I am, like serious triathletes. And other people suggest that if you aren't being very exacting about going actually low-carb (like, below 100g per day, or even 50g) you won't see almost any of the benefits. But then again, it does seem sensible to me that long-term depletion of carbs could have serious consequences and I would like to avoid that if possible. Any advice on how to balance these competing concerns? I have no idea who is an authority or most sensible on the topic.
2. How long to go?
Suppose I'm really good at adhering to the diet. How long should I really stick to it in order to make sure I've given it a fair shake at working for me - i.e., working through the "low-carb flu" at first, etc. One week? Two? A month? I would like to have a clear end point at which point I will evaluate whether this is effective and worth it, but I don't want to prejudge it or bias it by choosing an inappropriate time point. (By "effective" I mean that I end up feeling okay and not constantly craving things, and that my weight and energy level are at least as good if not better than now). Conversely I don't want to make it so long that I have a hard time motivating to stay on it. I know I can maintain anything for two weeks, for instance. A month? Two? The longer it is before I can expect to see benefits or determine whether it's for me, the harder it will be. This too is something that different people seem to say very different things, and I can't tell if I'm just finding the wrong people or what.
3. Can I really mess up my metabolism if I go on it and then off it again?
One of the reasons I've tried to avoid going on diets is I think they can very easily have long-term pernicious effects on one's metabolism, as the body goes into "famine" mode and then packs on calories when you slip. But since low-carb doesn't mean calorie deprivation that seems like less of a concern. But then I don't know anything; is it? I ask because I'm currently thinking about this diet in a "give it a try for X days" sort of way, rather than thinking that for sure it will be how I'll live the rest of my life. But I want to make sure that if I do that I'm not setting myself up for more problems down the road.
4. What non-obvious issues should I be aware of?
Again, the googles have led to people all pointing out things I wouldn't have thought of but I have no idea how much to believe. For instance, some suggest that I need to up my sodium intake (just at first? always? I've read conflicting advice). Another thing is things like dark chocolate. Some suggest that it or, say, dry white wine are okay in moderation, others suggest that at least for the first N weeks (where N = ??) you should avoid those entirely and only phase them in gradually. I don't know what other non-obvious things there are that I haven't found out, so I'd love some tips about that sort of thing.
Anyway, many thanks for your help here. I'm interested either in specific answers to these questions based on your experience or expertise, or links to good, trustworthy resources that I can refer to.
You might take a look at this book: Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes. He scientifically explains why the low carb diet works and suggests that previous theories about weight loss are flawed.
posted by sarajane at 6:21 AM on March 17, 2016
posted by sarajane at 6:21 AM on March 17, 2016
'scientifically' is a problematic claim there - plenty of critiques available which drill into the evidence of Taube's book (& previous one), and many like it. This is the point though: no one knows. Claims to know are flawed or financially-motivated.
posted by AFII at 6:24 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by AFII at 6:24 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I think that the best response to the glut of contradictory information that you have found is to walk away from it. Don't do anything drastic, cut out the bread and rice and pasta except on special occasions or when it would be rude to refuse to eat what's put in front of you, try pretty hard to eat fewer desserts and don't sweeten your coffee, and then see how you feel about that after what seems to you to be a reasonable amount of time. (Also, no beer.) Don't expect rapid weight loss, and don't call it a failure at any particular time. Weight might come falling off, or it might not, but try to create a new pattern that is sustainable rather than grueling and that does not require your constant attention.
posted by sheldman at 6:41 AM on March 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by sheldman at 6:41 AM on March 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
"The Zone" has always made sense to me. It is moderate protein, carbs are from vegetables and fruits. In a sense it is cutting out refined sugar and starches.
posted by H21 at 6:41 AM on March 17, 2016
posted by H21 at 6:41 AM on March 17, 2016
As to question #2, my wife went low-carb for almost a year before our wedding. She likes the structure of it.
If you're unsure about it, I would suggest carb cycling. Chris Powell has some helpful information about that. He seems to have redone his website, so I can't find the link anymore, but you should be able to Google it.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:43 AM on March 17, 2016
If you're unsure about it, I would suggest carb cycling. Chris Powell has some helpful information about that. He seems to have redone his website, so I can't find the link anymore, but you should be able to Google it.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:43 AM on March 17, 2016
Best answer: If you go two weeks without eating any sugars or yeast, you will most likely get the results that you want. It sounds like you have baby fluff, which happens when our guts get off track due to having to care for a baby. Probiotics might help you with your sugar cravings. Once you go cold turkey and reset your body, you can start adding in healthy sugars and occasional yeast (you will bloat every time you have yeast).
The bloating can be treated and will make you feel so much better about your weight. Consider keeping some of the weight. Your body is going to want to hold on to it because it is preparing for the possibility of another pregnancy. It will give up after awhile and the weight will slide off. Just deal with the fluff for now.
posted by myselfasme at 6:43 AM on March 17, 2016
The bloating can be treated and will make you feel so much better about your weight. Consider keeping some of the weight. Your body is going to want to hold on to it because it is preparing for the possibility of another pregnancy. It will give up after awhile and the weight will slide off. Just deal with the fluff for now.
posted by myselfasme at 6:43 AM on March 17, 2016
Best answer: Check out r/keto and r/xxketo . They're both great sources of information regarding keto, which is a low carb, high fat diet. It's true that LCHF diets still work on the basis of calorie restriction; however, it is easier to restrict your calories when you're not suffering from blood sugar spikes and crashes associated with eating carbohydrates. With respect to the "low carb flu", it is totally avoidable if you manage your electrolytes. You lose a lot of water weight in the first week or two, which can put your electrolytes out of whack and make you feel crappy. If you manage it proactively, you can avoid it.
Check out the two subreddits, they both have an FAQ in the sidebar that gives you more information, starting menu plans, and the like. I will tell you, aside from losing weight, my body overall feels better when I'm not eating carbs. A lot of people report similar findings.
posted by bluloo at 7:44 AM on March 17, 2016 [10 favorites]
Check out the two subreddits, they both have an FAQ in the sidebar that gives you more information, starting menu plans, and the like. I will tell you, aside from losing weight, my body overall feels better when I'm not eating carbs. A lot of people report similar findings.
posted by bluloo at 7:44 AM on March 17, 2016 [10 favorites]
Metabolism/health-wise, it might be worth keeping tabs on your thyroid function and fasting blood glucose if you are going very low carb. I suspect it varies from person to person, but some people have reported thyroid problems and I personally had blood sugar stuff going on when staying under 50g/day for more than a couple of weeks. (Specifically, my blood sugar tends toward the high side, which was one reason I was watching my carb intake, and the first couple of weeks my fasting blood sugar lowered as expected, but then it started rising again, and ended up about as high as it was to start, which was discouraging enough to make me quit.)
I think 2 weeks is long enough to get you through carb flu (drink water and eat salty stuff), and many people lose a fair amount of water weight in those first two weeks as well.
posted by instamatic at 8:41 AM on March 17, 2016
I think 2 weeks is long enough to get you through carb flu (drink water and eat salty stuff), and many people lose a fair amount of water weight in those first two weeks as well.
posted by instamatic at 8:41 AM on March 17, 2016
Seconding getting your thyroid and fasting glucose checked before embarking on a low carb diet. I'm not aware of anyone who's hosed their thyroid via low carbing, but an underactive thyroid can inhibit weight loss on its own. And a high fasting glucose level may mean that your health professionals would recommend a low carb diet anyway.
There's no magic single number for carbs -- it really does depend on where you see results, and how you feel. A lot of low carbers don't differentiate between food types -- i.e., sugar in candy is the 'same' as sugar in pasta. Some incorporate glycemic index into their food choices. At any rate, the "it depends" factors are part of the reason people get fighty and opinionated, like you've seen.
If you want to try an approach that's not usually regarded as controversial, South Beach might be a good place to start. There are three phases that gradually reintroduce carbohydrates, so it might give you an initial idea of what works best for you. It's also not that hard to shop for -- you can totally ignore the SB branded foods.
posted by gnomeloaf at 9:44 AM on March 17, 2016
There's no magic single number for carbs -- it really does depend on where you see results, and how you feel. A lot of low carbers don't differentiate between food types -- i.e., sugar in candy is the 'same' as sugar in pasta. Some incorporate glycemic index into their food choices. At any rate, the "it depends" factors are part of the reason people get fighty and opinionated, like you've seen.
If you want to try an approach that's not usually regarded as controversial, South Beach might be a good place to start. There are three phases that gradually reintroduce carbohydrates, so it might give you an initial idea of what works best for you. It's also not that hard to shop for -- you can totally ignore the SB branded foods.
posted by gnomeloaf at 9:44 AM on March 17, 2016
Best answer: I also use the keto subreddits for general information and recipe ideas (I'm not as hardcore about it as they are, but it gives you an idea of what to look for when planning meals, what to avoid, how people handle Keto flu, etc)
Everyone reacts a bit differently when they start ketosis (what I have the most experience with as far as low carbing). I generally adjust pretty quickly, but I love salty foods. I mostly kept up with my barre class the first week, and felt really good about everything by the second. My husband takes a bit longer to adjust (about a week), and tends to really feel the 'keto flu' effects for several days. I think he took a few days off, but was almost back to his normal workout routine by the second week. My friend, an aerobic instructor (which may not be relevant, she had co-workers who low carbed), didn't last a day on it. Homemade chicken stock can help with the Keto flu.
And yeah, the primary benefit for us is that you feel fuller longer on fewer calories. It also helps make sugar more sweet and less compulsive, for me at least. If I have a can of coke, I enjoy about half of it and then am done, just don't want anymore. (I'd say this took about two solid weeks of low carb to achieve).
If you do the Keto route, the trickiest thing for me at first was to make sure you're getting enough fat. If you don't, then your body doesn't go into ketosis. I also found I had to be very aggressive for the first two weeks in keeping my carb intake down, so fruits or carrots were out. I would track everything I ate. But after the first few weeks, I could have carrots as a snack once in a while. Eventually I also found I didn't need to track everything I ate, just eat when I'm hungry. I feel like it took about 2-3 weeks to reach this point if feeling like I naturally made the right call.
Once we're in and settled into ketosis (for us about two solid weeks), we also tend to have a cheat day a week: nothing overboard, so we're not going out of our way to have carbs, but we also don't work hard to avoid them (so if we go out to dinner we'll order a hamburger if it sounds good). Some people can cheat the whole weekend, others say they can't at all, so it's a personal thing. If I'm focused on losing weight, I find I can really only do one cheat meal a week, whereas my husband can do a whole day and stay on track. We both find that having a bit of cheating makes it easier to maintain (it doesn't feel like a diet as much). We're also not hardcore a out staying in ketosis 24/7, and get back into within a day.
I did South Beach with my sister in college. First phase was keto-like, iirc. The book gave you meals to make, so that was easy as far as planning your grocery list, etc.
The nice thing about keto (and I think low carbs in general, not sure though) is the loss of water weight at the beginning. Even when you have keto flu, you're getting positive feedback on the scale, so it helps keep you from being discouraged.
So for me, I felt like 1.5-2 weeks was when I started to really feel good about the diet (I felt like I was losing weight, not hungry, just felt good in general), but maybe about 6-8 weeks to reach the point where I had a good balance of occasional "cheat" meals and when/how often to have them, what that meant for weight loss vs maintenance. At that point it wasn't a "diet" so much as how I eat. Since it works well for me, I found it really easy to stay on it.
posted by ghost phoneme at 11:30 AM on March 17, 2016
Everyone reacts a bit differently when they start ketosis (what I have the most experience with as far as low carbing). I generally adjust pretty quickly, but I love salty foods. I mostly kept up with my barre class the first week, and felt really good about everything by the second. My husband takes a bit longer to adjust (about a week), and tends to really feel the 'keto flu' effects for several days. I think he took a few days off, but was almost back to his normal workout routine by the second week. My friend, an aerobic instructor (which may not be relevant, she had co-workers who low carbed), didn't last a day on it. Homemade chicken stock can help with the Keto flu.
And yeah, the primary benefit for us is that you feel fuller longer on fewer calories. It also helps make sugar more sweet and less compulsive, for me at least. If I have a can of coke, I enjoy about half of it and then am done, just don't want anymore. (I'd say this took about two solid weeks of low carb to achieve).
If you do the Keto route, the trickiest thing for me at first was to make sure you're getting enough fat. If you don't, then your body doesn't go into ketosis. I also found I had to be very aggressive for the first two weeks in keeping my carb intake down, so fruits or carrots were out. I would track everything I ate. But after the first few weeks, I could have carrots as a snack once in a while. Eventually I also found I didn't need to track everything I ate, just eat when I'm hungry. I feel like it took about 2-3 weeks to reach this point if feeling like I naturally made the right call.
Once we're in and settled into ketosis (for us about two solid weeks), we also tend to have a cheat day a week: nothing overboard, so we're not going out of our way to have carbs, but we also don't work hard to avoid them (so if we go out to dinner we'll order a hamburger if it sounds good). Some people can cheat the whole weekend, others say they can't at all, so it's a personal thing. If I'm focused on losing weight, I find I can really only do one cheat meal a week, whereas my husband can do a whole day and stay on track. We both find that having a bit of cheating makes it easier to maintain (it doesn't feel like a diet as much). We're also not hardcore a out staying in ketosis 24/7, and get back into within a day.
I did South Beach with my sister in college. First phase was keto-like, iirc. The book gave you meals to make, so that was easy as far as planning your grocery list, etc.
The nice thing about keto (and I think low carbs in general, not sure though) is the loss of water weight at the beginning. Even when you have keto flu, you're getting positive feedback on the scale, so it helps keep you from being discouraged.
So for me, I felt like 1.5-2 weeks was when I started to really feel good about the diet (I felt like I was losing weight, not hungry, just felt good in general), but maybe about 6-8 weeks to reach the point where I had a good balance of occasional "cheat" meals and when/how often to have them, what that meant for weight loss vs maintenance. At that point it wasn't a "diet" so much as how I eat. Since it works well for me, I found it really easy to stay on it.
posted by ghost phoneme at 11:30 AM on March 17, 2016
Anecdata alert:
I've done reduced carb, and I've done very low carb (net carbs 20-30g per day), and the latter was easier for me to adhere to by far, in terms of cravings, satiety, and general sense of health and well-being. I worked physical jobs up to 65 hours a week for the first year I was doing keto, and did not bump up my carb limits at all. My energy suffered for a couple of weeks, but came back as long as I kept hydrated and made sure I had some salty broth and took my vitamins. After that, it was better than it had been in years. You'll feel it most when you try to sprint.
I always advise that people give it three months, if they can: I lost 25lbs the first month, 5 the second month, and then 15-20 per month after that. Obviously I had more to lose than you, but I've seen many people who were much thinner who have also done beautifully, just at a slower pace. I kept a caloric deficit, but not every day, and not on purpose. I ate what I was hungry for, as long as it kept me under 30g, and most of the time that was all I needed to do. The cleaner I ate, the faster I lost. I drank alcohol only very occasionally. It always stalled my progress, although not more than a few days. Plus, as you may have read, alcohol tolerance goes way down, so one drink was more than enough.
Going in and out of keto doesn't seem to have harmed me, although I didn't do cheat days because they tended to reset many of my cravings. Every few weeks, I might have some fruit that's high in carbs or some non-keto dessert, and that seems to have one day or so worth of stalling effect.
The sodium thing relates mostly to energy levels and depleted electrolytes, so you carry some bouillon cubes around with you and drink a cup of broth as needed. I didn't eat chocolate except as an occasional treat. All the special stuff should wait until you're secure in the diet (and not the two-weeks-in-and-I'm-feeling-great-so-I'm-going-to-change-the-thing-that's-been-working false security, but the real kind that comes later).
Dieting is hard. I did/do not find keto especially hard, especially when I could go cry into a plate of bacon (kidding, mostly, I don't eat that much bacon). Other people are the problem, once you've adapted. If it's working, if you're feeling and seeing improvement, shrug at them and keep going.
posted by notquitemaryann at 3:57 PM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
I've done reduced carb, and I've done very low carb (net carbs 20-30g per day), and the latter was easier for me to adhere to by far, in terms of cravings, satiety, and general sense of health and well-being. I worked physical jobs up to 65 hours a week for the first year I was doing keto, and did not bump up my carb limits at all. My energy suffered for a couple of weeks, but came back as long as I kept hydrated and made sure I had some salty broth and took my vitamins. After that, it was better than it had been in years. You'll feel it most when you try to sprint.
I always advise that people give it three months, if they can: I lost 25lbs the first month, 5 the second month, and then 15-20 per month after that. Obviously I had more to lose than you, but I've seen many people who were much thinner who have also done beautifully, just at a slower pace. I kept a caloric deficit, but not every day, and not on purpose. I ate what I was hungry for, as long as it kept me under 30g, and most of the time that was all I needed to do. The cleaner I ate, the faster I lost. I drank alcohol only very occasionally. It always stalled my progress, although not more than a few days. Plus, as you may have read, alcohol tolerance goes way down, so one drink was more than enough.
Going in and out of keto doesn't seem to have harmed me, although I didn't do cheat days because they tended to reset many of my cravings. Every few weeks, I might have some fruit that's high in carbs or some non-keto dessert, and that seems to have one day or so worth of stalling effect.
The sodium thing relates mostly to energy levels and depleted electrolytes, so you carry some bouillon cubes around with you and drink a cup of broth as needed. I didn't eat chocolate except as an occasional treat. All the special stuff should wait until you're secure in the diet (and not the two-weeks-in-and-I'm-feeling-great-so-I'm-going-to-change-the-thing-that's-been-working false security, but the real kind that comes later).
Dieting is hard. I did/do not find keto especially hard, especially when I could go cry into a plate of bacon (kidding, mostly, I don't eat that much bacon). Other people are the problem, once you've adapted. If it's working, if you're feeling and seeing improvement, shrug at them and keep going.
posted by notquitemaryann at 3:57 PM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: My opinion is that you need to obsess less about the details. There is no One True Way to do a low carb diet. The thing is that even if an issue has actually been scientifically studied (and most of it has not), every person's body is different. Only you can find out through trying what is going to work best for you. For example, low carb diet for ME does not work through calorie restriction. I can eat a ton of calories as long as it's all meat, vegetables, fruit, and dairy. We're talking full fat yogurt with tons of fruit for breakfast, and lunch and dinner being huge portions of meat and vegetables, with cheese, milk, etc. and I can even eat the occasional ice cream, and still lose weight. It just works for me. But I am not you. I have insulin resistance and PCOS, so that probably has something to do with the way I respond to a low carb diet.
But basically I think you're getting too bogged down in specific numbers and specific diet calendars and worrying that whatever you choose is somehow going to affect you for life. No, it won't! And a lot of the stuff is more mental/emotional than about effect on your body. Mentally and emotionally a lot of people like to start off with something more restrictive (i.e. no alcohol, no dark chocolate) and then loosen it up, because your resolve is best at the outset. If you really need a strict program to adhere to then choose a program that will lay out all the rules for you. I've done the Whole30, and that will definitely tell you exactly what you can eat and how much of it, and it's 30 days, so voila, all your questions answered. They've got some science to back up their approach in their book.
If you don't really care about having a strict rules based approach, just do something general. The thing I usually do is say: if it's meat or vegetables, I can eat as much of it as I want to, and for the most part this goes for fruit too. If it's dairy I'll eat some of it depending on its carb content, and any other "low carb" carbs, I'll eat depending on carb content, with my guide being that 10-20gm carb per serving is 'medium carb' and not very good, less than 10 carbs per serving is decent. I use an online guide to glycemic index and load as a resource.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 12:00 PM on March 18, 2016
But basically I think you're getting too bogged down in specific numbers and specific diet calendars and worrying that whatever you choose is somehow going to affect you for life. No, it won't! And a lot of the stuff is more mental/emotional than about effect on your body. Mentally and emotionally a lot of people like to start off with something more restrictive (i.e. no alcohol, no dark chocolate) and then loosen it up, because your resolve is best at the outset. If you really need a strict program to adhere to then choose a program that will lay out all the rules for you. I've done the Whole30, and that will definitely tell you exactly what you can eat and how much of it, and it's 30 days, so voila, all your questions answered. They've got some science to back up their approach in their book.
If you don't really care about having a strict rules based approach, just do something general. The thing I usually do is say: if it's meat or vegetables, I can eat as much of it as I want to, and for the most part this goes for fruit too. If it's dairy I'll eat some of it depending on its carb content, and any other "low carb" carbs, I'll eat depending on carb content, with my guide being that 10-20gm carb per serving is 'medium carb' and not very good, less than 10 carbs per serving is decent. I use an online guide to glycemic index and load as a resource.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 12:00 PM on March 18, 2016
Also, IANYD, but I don't think you need a thyroid panel before you start a diet. Thyroid tests are supposed to be for people having actual symptoms of hypothyroidism, not as a screening test for whether a diet strategy is going to work for you or not. If you were trying diet and exercise and it wasn't working, then that could make sense, but right now you admit that you're eating a bad diet, and you cannot out-exercise a bad diet.
Look at the numbers and you'll see - diet is far more important than exercise for weight loss. Exercise is nice but without diet being on track it is extremely hard or impossible to lose weight.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 12:03 PM on March 18, 2016
Look at the numbers and you'll see - diet is far more important than exercise for weight loss. Exercise is nice but without diet being on track it is extremely hard or impossible to lose weight.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 12:03 PM on March 18, 2016
You asked for tips and pitfalls too. My best tips are to have a strategy ready for how you are going to stick to your diet. Your personal strategy, again, depends on what you are going to find the most difficult and what you can stick to. That's kind of why I like Whole30, because it's about your emotional relationship with food and meals and not just some kind of math equation with calories, because that's not how human beings work in real life. The best diet plan isn't actually a good plan if it isn't something you can actually be happy adhering to, because it won't last.
For me, I had to decide on certain foods I was going to eat when going to restaurants (for example, at breakfast always an omelet, that is the rule for me because everything else I like is carb-tastic), and I have to avoid Italian restaurants completely. I have to eat before going to parties or work events with free food, and bring my own snacks, because free food is much more difficult for me to resist than food I have to pay for. I have to keep all high carb stuff out of my house. If it's in my house I'll find an excuse to eat it. However, I can keep dark chocolate around. I like dark chocolate as a small treat once in a while, but I don't love dark chocolate, so I will not eat the whole box. I don't need to quit wine, because I only drink a glass of red wine maybe once a week - not enough to affect my diet significantly. For me, Granny Smith apples and peanut butter or Greek yogurt and blueberries are a tempting dessert and filling, but some other staples of low carb diets like bags of nuts for snacks aren't interesting to me at all and would not be motivating as a treat. I don't really want a steak or a bowl of bacon, I'd rather have a piece of cheese if I'm getting hungry and need a low carb snack. Your food calculus will be different. Figure out what you can keep in your house and what you can make/bring for yourself that will ensure success in your strategy.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 12:14 PM on March 18, 2016
For me, I had to decide on certain foods I was going to eat when going to restaurants (for example, at breakfast always an omelet, that is the rule for me because everything else I like is carb-tastic), and I have to avoid Italian restaurants completely. I have to eat before going to parties or work events with free food, and bring my own snacks, because free food is much more difficult for me to resist than food I have to pay for. I have to keep all high carb stuff out of my house. If it's in my house I'll find an excuse to eat it. However, I can keep dark chocolate around. I like dark chocolate as a small treat once in a while, but I don't love dark chocolate, so I will not eat the whole box. I don't need to quit wine, because I only drink a glass of red wine maybe once a week - not enough to affect my diet significantly. For me, Granny Smith apples and peanut butter or Greek yogurt and blueberries are a tempting dessert and filling, but some other staples of low carb diets like bags of nuts for snacks aren't interesting to me at all and would not be motivating as a treat. I don't really want a steak or a bowl of bacon, I'd rather have a piece of cheese if I'm getting hungry and need a low carb snack. Your food calculus will be different. Figure out what you can keep in your house and what you can make/bring for yourself that will ensure success in your strategy.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 12:14 PM on March 18, 2016
Best answer: i too am overwhelmed by all the contradicting health/nutrition info, but i can offer you my personal experience with low carb high fat diet. i used r/keto and r/xxketo to get a good sense of the basics. then i just dove in.
it took me about a week or two to feel noticeably different, and the result was awesome: i felt clearheaded and steady all day. no more dying of hanger, no more 3pm crash, no more brain fog.
it has obliterated the constant cravings for food.
i'm a 30 year old woman with pcos and an underactive thyroid. the ketogenic method has been shockingly easy and successful for me.
i think it has been easier to be very strict with it. it feels different from counting calories. it's not, "boo hoo, i'm on a diet and i can't eat that tasty but 'bad' food," rather, it's, "i am a person who lives this lifestyle, and that muffin/pizza/biscuit just isn't part of my life at all." like, it completely closes off this whole pandora's box of tempting tasty things, and that makes calorie-minding SO much easier.
i AM still eating at a caloric deficit, but because i also eat a lot of fat, i dont feel hungry or deprived.
my tip for starting: once i had decided i was going to do it, i set aside some time to pull up nutrition info for my favorite weekday lunch spots; i picked a couple of go-to lunches plus thought about some groceries--snack and dinner options, and then i hopped into it.
i made some mistakes the first week. like, i forgot about hidden carbs in salad dressings, or didn't think a tiny clementine would have eleventybajillion carbs. pro tip: don't sweat it, don't beat yourself up.
finally: i agree with treehorn bunny. don't let all the little details paralyze you! if this is something you want to do, start with the easiest thing--cut out packaged/processed snacks, and obvious sources of carbs like bread/pasta.
good luck to you!
posted by iahtl at 6:22 PM on March 18, 2016
it took me about a week or two to feel noticeably different, and the result was awesome: i felt clearheaded and steady all day. no more dying of hanger, no more 3pm crash, no more brain fog.
it has obliterated the constant cravings for food.
i'm a 30 year old woman with pcos and an underactive thyroid. the ketogenic method has been shockingly easy and successful for me.
i think it has been easier to be very strict with it. it feels different from counting calories. it's not, "boo hoo, i'm on a diet and i can't eat that tasty but 'bad' food," rather, it's, "i am a person who lives this lifestyle, and that muffin/pizza/biscuit just isn't part of my life at all." like, it completely closes off this whole pandora's box of tempting tasty things, and that makes calorie-minding SO much easier.
i AM still eating at a caloric deficit, but because i also eat a lot of fat, i dont feel hungry or deprived.
my tip for starting: once i had decided i was going to do it, i set aside some time to pull up nutrition info for my favorite weekday lunch spots; i picked a couple of go-to lunches plus thought about some groceries--snack and dinner options, and then i hopped into it.
i made some mistakes the first week. like, i forgot about hidden carbs in salad dressings, or didn't think a tiny clementine would have eleventybajillion carbs. pro tip: don't sweat it, don't beat yourself up.
finally: i agree with treehorn bunny. don't let all the little details paralyze you! if this is something you want to do, start with the easiest thing--cut out packaged/processed snacks, and obvious sources of carbs like bread/pasta.
good luck to you!
posted by iahtl at 6:22 PM on March 18, 2016
iahtl, I have good news for you. A Clementine only has 9g carbs, about eleventybajillion less than you thought! You can eat Clementines!
To the OP: that reminded me - be sure to be familiar with the difference between glycemic load and glycemic index. Some folks will give you the impression that you can't eat carrots, for example, because of their glycemic index. You don't need to worry about glycemic index. There's a more complicated scientific explanation for why glycemic load is the important number, but I'll just leave it at that.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 2:29 AM on March 21, 2016
To the OP: that reminded me - be sure to be familiar with the difference between glycemic load and glycemic index. Some folks will give you the impression that you can't eat carrots, for example, because of their glycemic index. You don't need to worry about glycemic index. There's a more complicated scientific explanation for why glycemic load is the important number, but I'll just leave it at that.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 2:29 AM on March 21, 2016
Response by poster: Wow, thank you everyone.
I decided to just go ahead with it and try things out, keeping in mind many of your wonderful comments and suggestions. I figured I'd start by making sure I was under 50g so that if it didn't work for me (i.e., end up with me feeling good and hopefully losing weight) I would know it wasn't because I wasn't cutting enough.
I never had the "keto flu" or anything like that. The first day, in fact, I felt so energetic and amazing that I did like twice my normal workout and sort of felt like I was on a drug high most of the day. That evened out a bit the second day, but I've now gone almost a week and have had hardly any cravings at all. I miss foods, but it's clearly purely psychological: the crippling sugar cravings and hunger pangs are just ... gone. I've been sure to stay hydrated and eat salts but by far the hardest thing has been trying to figure out new habits that work logistically: nothing about the actual eating (or not eating, as the case may be) has been difficult. I am eating a lot less and it's pretty easy!
And I haven't really noticed any negative effects on energy or togetherness or anything. It seems a bit odd to me that I skipped all of the initial negative effects you hear about, but I've never heard anything suggesting that that's a bad thing, so I guess I'm just lucky. I checked my weight about five days in and dropped four pounds already -- which is more than I have ever dropped on any diet already. And it's felt truly painless.
That all said, I know I can't keep this up (50g or less) for my whole life, because the thought of never having an ice cream again just kills me (and I don't think this level is necessarily healthy either - I'm being cautious enough that I'm even avoiding fruits right now). So I think my longer-term strategy is going to look something like this:
(a) Stick with this for about three weeks, long enough to have internalised it and to make sure it really is working;
(b) Start incorporating fruit in there, still hovering between 50-100g a day. Do this for a few more weeks.
(c) Start giving myself a "cheat day." See how that goes in terms of whether that diet is now sustainable as a lifestyle thing, while still having good outcomes.
(d) Adjust as necessary.
Anyway, this has all been really great for me and I'm mainly sad that I didn't try it sooner. Thanks for all the advice and the encouragement to just go out and try something!
posted by fluffysocksarenice at 3:31 AM on March 27, 2016
I decided to just go ahead with it and try things out, keeping in mind many of your wonderful comments and suggestions. I figured I'd start by making sure I was under 50g so that if it didn't work for me (i.e., end up with me feeling good and hopefully losing weight) I would know it wasn't because I wasn't cutting enough.
I never had the "keto flu" or anything like that. The first day, in fact, I felt so energetic and amazing that I did like twice my normal workout and sort of felt like I was on a drug high most of the day. That evened out a bit the second day, but I've now gone almost a week and have had hardly any cravings at all. I miss foods, but it's clearly purely psychological: the crippling sugar cravings and hunger pangs are just ... gone. I've been sure to stay hydrated and eat salts but by far the hardest thing has been trying to figure out new habits that work logistically: nothing about the actual eating (or not eating, as the case may be) has been difficult. I am eating a lot less and it's pretty easy!
And I haven't really noticed any negative effects on energy or togetherness or anything. It seems a bit odd to me that I skipped all of the initial negative effects you hear about, but I've never heard anything suggesting that that's a bad thing, so I guess I'm just lucky. I checked my weight about five days in and dropped four pounds already -- which is more than I have ever dropped on any diet already. And it's felt truly painless.
That all said, I know I can't keep this up (50g or less) for my whole life, because the thought of never having an ice cream again just kills me (and I don't think this level is necessarily healthy either - I'm being cautious enough that I'm even avoiding fruits right now). So I think my longer-term strategy is going to look something like this:
(a) Stick with this for about three weeks, long enough to have internalised it and to make sure it really is working;
(b) Start incorporating fruit in there, still hovering between 50-100g a day. Do this for a few more weeks.
(c) Start giving myself a "cheat day." See how that goes in terms of whether that diet is now sustainable as a lifestyle thing, while still having good outcomes.
(d) Adjust as necessary.
Anyway, this has all been really great for me and I'm mainly sad that I didn't try it sooner. Thanks for all the advice and the encouragement to just go out and try something!
posted by fluffysocksarenice at 3:31 AM on March 27, 2016
Response by poster: In case anyone is still reading this, I have another question. I've been keeping up with it, with basically the same effects (still yummy, still losing weight, about 9 pounds now)...
... but then last night starting puking, over and over again. Puking until only bile was left, and then less frequency but still severe abdominal pain and puking up bile. I was very thirsty and craving ice cream, so I ate that and then a banana, and threw much of the ice cream up but not the banana and feel a lot better (though still pretty crap).
I googled around about whether this can happen on a low-carb diet and found some scary links about ketoacidosis. How do I know if this is something that I should be worried about, as opposed to it just being a stomach flu? (fwiw nobody else in my family has gotten anything, but I've always been more prone to flu than them) I see that I could get ketone strips, but I'm not sure they would still be accurate now that I've had some carbs... Should I go to a doctor or is that an overreaction?
Sorry, I feel really pathetic about this but I am not my best at evaluating the necessity of doctor visits and I'm especially not my best right now.
posted by fluffysocksarenice at 10:03 PM on April 3, 2016
... but then last night starting puking, over and over again. Puking until only bile was left, and then less frequency but still severe abdominal pain and puking up bile. I was very thirsty and craving ice cream, so I ate that and then a banana, and threw much of the ice cream up but not the banana and feel a lot better (though still pretty crap).
I googled around about whether this can happen on a low-carb diet and found some scary links about ketoacidosis. How do I know if this is something that I should be worried about, as opposed to it just being a stomach flu? (fwiw nobody else in my family has gotten anything, but I've always been more prone to flu than them) I see that I could get ketone strips, but I'm not sure they would still be accurate now that I've had some carbs... Should I go to a doctor or is that an overreaction?
Sorry, I feel really pathetic about this but I am not my best at evaluating the necessity of doctor visits and I'm especially not my best right now.
posted by fluffysocksarenice at 10:03 PM on April 3, 2016
Response by poster: Oh and some of the links mentioned some case of a breastfeeding woman who got ketoacidosis, and they said that breastfeeding was not a good idea on a low-carb diet. I hadn't mentioned it but I'm still breastfeeding my two-year-old once a day (not a lot but still)...?
Ugh, I have to say I'm pretty freaked out now.
posted by fluffysocksarenice at 10:14 PM on April 3, 2016
Ugh, I have to say I'm pretty freaked out now.
posted by fluffysocksarenice at 10:14 PM on April 3, 2016
Hey hope you are feeling better by now. IANAD, but I am a long time low carber and your illness sounded to me like a regular illness, not low carb related. But, how did it turn out?
posted by TheClonusHorror at 12:34 PM on May 6, 2016
posted by TheClonusHorror at 12:34 PM on May 6, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
It is really important to keep that in mind because the answer to most of your questions is: nobody knows. Anyone who says they know for sure is probably mistaken or trying to sell you something. That said.
1. Measure your performance. I do about the same level of exercise as you albeit less frequently and I am miserable as hell without some nice free blood sugars during exercise. I've found that a high-sugar snack shortly before exercise, or a slightly slower-release carb a 60-90 mins before makes me better able to work out harder, and I at least compensate for the snack vs. not eating before hand and working less hard. Plus it feels less shitty and so it's worth it for me. If not eating carbs means you, like me, feel sweaty and crap during exercise and thus work less, it's not a good thing. If you are robust and love the fat-burn bit of exercise then whoop, don't worry about it. The risk here is that you drop your rate/time just a bit because you've got low blood sugar and therefore you stop benefitting from the lower calorie diet (this is how diets fail, it's the small stuff half the time).
2. This is a 'how long is a piece of string' question. I don't really do diets, but for new habits that are daily I'd probably last 2 weeks on something that made me miserable before quitting. If it was less frequent I'd go longer. You have to make this call, although I honestly think that 1 month of a daily habit that is awful is unecessary punishment.
3. No. There is no such thing as 'famine' mode, in the way you're describing it. If you're putting fewer calories in, then your body will respond by making you feel tired and lethargic. You'll work out a bit less energetically, you'll fidget less, you'll sleep longer, you'll take the lift, not the stairs - that is what's meant by 'metabolism' in this context. That's how diets fail, again, not with biochemistry but with subtle changes in habit. Half the secret of a successful diet/exercise plan is finding the one that makes you satisfied enough to push against your body's attempts to make you move less.
4. None. Again, this is so personal that the advice you're finding is just guesswork and bullshit. No one, absolutely no one, has any good solid reason to tell you - you specifically - that wine is OK in week 2 but not week 3. They just can't. Sorry, you'll have to play it by ear.
tl;dr = ymmv, sorry not to be more specific.
posted by AFII at 5:37 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]