Question for all of you low carb. dieter's? I believe you do not count calories. So can you eat 3,500 calories a day & still lose weight? Have any of you actually counted how many calories you eat?

I find it hard to believe you can eat as many calories as you want & lose weight. I have always thought its all about the calories.

I don't want you to defend the carb diet. It would be nice to know the truth. I have tried your diet & I never counted calories but I don't think I was eating that many calories.

If that is the case what is the point of your diet. To eat unhealthy?

Chip

MissJellyBelly, Yes I did hear you can eat all of the protein you want. If that is not the case it makes since. Just don't know why anyone would go on such a hard diet.

Chip

My dietician told me if u dont feed ur body carbs every four hours then it stops ur metabolism and starts digesting muscles or something...does atkins and south beach still give u carbs? if so what kind?

Lol yeah i know... im completely clueless when it comes to those 2 particular diets im a calorie girl myself i just thought cause it was a dietician at the hospital and everything that they would have at least been a little right i dont know lol diets r confusing...

Carb Diets do work.........but if you have ever been on the diet, could you imagine staying on it???????? I can not. I remember being on it and 4 days after starting, I had the biggest craving for an apple, and I could not even eat one. Actually I do not really like apples. It worked, but I could not stay on it.

Fung, I agree with you, it makes no sense to be on a low carb diet. If you still having to watch calories, what is the point. Maybe people like to suffer. I'm one big meat eater to, but I like some variety.

chip

Your body can convert any form of caloric energy into fat. Its just more difficult and takes more energy to do so with protein.

Eating more protein will in fact burn more calories because your body needs more energy to break down the protein... People on low-carb diets should have checked advice from their doctor - there is a completely safe way to do it you just have to know the types of carbs that are OK to eat.
Any diet will not work for any person. And just because a low-carb diet does not work for you does not mean that it can't be suitable for another. I can't say that I coul do it but to those who can and who can do it properly and safely - Kudos!

elizab3th, I don't buy it. I'd like to see any study that says you will lose more weight with a low carb diet. A study thats not done by a low carb group or payed for by a low carb group. Besides its not healthy in the long term to cut your carbs.

Chip

I'm not a low carb fan either.
When you start to use protein as your main source of fuel when it's not intended to be you might strip it from the muscles where it's needed.
There's a balance in healthy eating and the majority of your calories should be coming from good carbs.
Just my .02
Then again, I'm a runner and Carbs are my best friends!! =)

I personally do not do a low-carb diet... I don't believe that cutting out food groups almost completely are good for your body, but if you do it properly - there are success stories. Lots of people have lost from these programs, obviously, or else they wouldn't be the big 'fad diet'... I run too lots so I like my carbs... in fact I love my carbs - you also have to remember though that there is a certain amount of protein that you should eat... an amount that's too much - if you're only feeding off of protein it will start to break down your own muscles, etc. Pretty much the healthiest thing to do is just to stick with a good # of calories per day and plain healthy eating. Weight loss can be simple if you can stay motivated and determined.

Ok... well here goes this is why low carbs diets are doomed to fail.

1. The craving factor.. for your whole life you have eaten carbs in your diet... take them away and slam... you are going to want them

2. Super high protein is rough on your kidneys if you do not drink enough water.. also your body can only use so much protein at once..

3. Miss alot of nutrients that are most easily given to you via carbs.

4. The lost weight is not always all fat... alot of it can just be water that gets used up processing the protein.

5. Weight gain after the "diet" is over seems to be inevitable

Ok.. Low carb diets are used very often for peak performance bodybuilders to shed those last few pounds before a competetion not to keep it off... So instead of using advanced techniques just start with the basics of eating Smaller meals more often throughout the day consisting of a helping of LEAN protein some carbs and a little bit of healthy fats, and once you have gotten to the point that you have less than 10% body fat then you can use low carb diets to lose those last few extra pounds...

MissJellyBelly, Sounds interesting, hard to believe though. But maybe he has found what everyone needs. Let us know how it goes.

Chip

Okay, I'm a bit late to the party, but I'd like to explain how it was explained to me: Yes, carbs are necessary for proper functioning, they are a great source of energy. However, about 99% of people have WAY too much carbs which then causes your body to basically become "resistant" to them (ie, the breakdown from carb > insulin > energy requires much more carbs to yield the same amount of energy). By going on a short-term carb-free diet (no longer than two weeks, ever) you can let your body recalibrate itself so that once you do start taking in carbs again you can use them more efficiently which means you need less to feel full again.

In general, people really don't need more than 50-100 grams of carbohydrates a day, and the less processed they are (such as fruit or whole grains as opposed to pasta or bread) then the less you need to eat to feel full for longer since they also have all the nutrients, and also fibre intact to further slowdown the digestion of it.

Some of this information I picked up admittedly from the South Beach literature, but I've had it confirmed by other sources on the internet and talking casually with health care and nutrition specialists.

Edit: To add to what MJ said above, I've also been told that because I'm of eastern european descent (ukranian mostly) that my "heritage" is especially prone to carb weight gain, but I've never had that confirmed anywhere else.

Beagle, Believe what you want. Bottom Line its all about the calories. Count your calories on your low carb diet. If your losing weight, your cutting your calories. Its not a healthy diet. Guess I won't be making alot of friends.

Sorry

Chip