Low-carb Diet

Question: Low carb diet? I'm on a low carb diet and have been eating Breyers Light Yogurt in the afternoons that have 15grams of carbs. Would that be considered low carb?

Answer: If you are still able to lose weight with these carbs then no problem.

Question: low carb diet? im wanting to start a low carb diet. not like the atkins where i have no carbs i want small amount of carbs and ones that are good. not like white bread. has anyone been or is on a low carb diet?

Answer: I live on a low carb diet because I cannot eat wheat, barley or rye. Most of my diet consists of low fat meat, vegetables, rice and cheese. There is no trick to this diet. Just buy chicken breast, turkey breast, pork tenderloin and beef tenderloin. If you need a treat eat a piece of fried chicken. Vegetables are great for you. Just don't fry them or prepare them with a lot of sugar. Brown rice is better than white rice on a low carb diet. If you have to have dessert, eat low fat frozen yogurt. They even have non-sugar varieties.

Question: Low-carb Diet?? I decided to change my diet to a low-carb diet. What are some good foods to eat? I know eggs, whole grain bread, salads, that sort of stuff... what else is there? I heard that a low-carb diet is great for weight loss and I'm just looking to speed things up (I work out 5x a week as well) Thanks in advance!

Answer: sorry, you name a lot of high carb foods.http://lowcarb4life.sugarbane.com/lowcarbfoods.htm

Question: Low-carb diet...? I am a 22 year old female, trying to drop about 20 lbs. If I were to follow a low-carb diet, what should my carb intake per day be?

Answer: i don't know a whole lot about it, but one thing i do know is to make it short term, low carb diets for very long periods of time isn't good for your body, especially if you are very active. As for the amount of carbs per day, my guess would be that it varies per person, but i am not positive about that. also i'm sure if you called your doctor and asked him/her, you could get an idea.

Question: Low CARB diet? I'm not trying to eat all meat here, but I'm trying to change my eating habits. Do low carb diets work? I have some weight I want to lose. Also, will they drain me of energy?

Answer: Loe carb diets will only work if you never go back to normal eating. as soon as you do, your body will store all the carbs and you will gain everything back (and more!). eat sensibly and do cardio workouts to lose weight. also, yes low carb diets drain your energy. carbs give you energy--> not eating them = tired. the best combination is a meal of protein, complex carbs and fiber. =]

Question: Low Carb diet? Meal ideas for low carb diets?

Answer: Steak & eggs. Pork chops & cottage cheese chicken stir-fry with bell peppers, celery beef stew without the potatoes grilled hamburger patties & sliced tomato scrambled eggs with 'penny weenies' (cut up hot dogs) BLT with lettuce as the 'bread' egg salad with mayo & chopped celery so many choices........

Question: What are some foods that would work well with a really low carb diet? What are some foods that would work well with a really low carb diet? Because I've started the diet today and the only really low carb things I can find are bacon, eggs, progresso, and crystal light. Thanks for the help!!!

Answer: Eggs, Chicken,Tuna, Salmon, and White Fish are good and if you are looking the best diet, i suggest doing what this mom did http://the-best-diet.net/ Combining the best diets to get the best result Hope this help,

Question: What is the most weight someone has lost in one month on low carb diet? I know it is not the best diet, so I don't need the negatives. I just want to know what is the most weight that someone has lost doing the low carb diet for one month, or two months by staying under 20 carbs a day. Thanks in advance!

Answer: Obese males lose the most weight usually about a pound a day the first month. Males aren't built for fat storage unlike females & any effort makes the fat melt off them. It should be impossible for males to even have excess body fat but a diet of continuous high refined carbs makes it possible. Females are built for fat storage & their essential body fat stores are 5x higher than a males. Females put on fat stores easily but the body doesn't like to release them. There is no better way to bring the body to the state of optimal health than with a low carb way of eating. Low carb doesn't cause high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high cholesterol, it cures it. It is actually dangerous to take meds that lower these levels and do low carb at the same time because the levels will become dangerously low. Carbohydrates trigger insulin. High insulin levels unbalance other hormones. Anything less that 9 grams of carbs per hour controls insulin and is considered low carb (up to 144 grams per day). U.S. government guidelines were changed 35 years ago to suggest we lower our fat intake & increase our carb intake. American society followed these recommendations & lowered their fat intake by 11% & increased their carb consumption. In this same time frame obesity, diabetes, heart disease are all at epidemic levels. Through their direct effects on insulin & blood sugar, refined carbohydrates are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes. A low carbohydrate diet is a high fat diet. The protein should only be a little higher than adequate. Although it is completely possible to live on a fat/protein only diet for long term (as proven by research done in a hospital setting) it becomes boring fairly quickly. Luckily many vegetables & some fruits, nuts & seeds are low in carbs & greatly expand the diet. Most long term low carbers eat as many, if not more non starchy vegetables than vegetarians. Glucose is the bodies preferred fuel (if you want to get technical, it actually burns alcohol most efficiently, but that doesn't make it any healthier for the body than carbs), the body can convert 100% of carbs, 58% of protein & 10% of dietary fat into glucose. The body can also be fueled by fat (dietary fat & fat cells) but only in the absence of carbs. The brain actually prefers* to be fueled by ketones (part of the fat burning process), it does require glucose also, but glucose can be easily converted from excess protein if needed or dietary fat. Fatty acids are the preferred substrate for the heart muscle. Plaque build up in the arteries is more attributable to carb consumption than dietary fats, which seems to be the conclusion of the following study. Carb consumption raises triglycerides & VLDL (bad cholesterol). Fats raise the HDL (good cholesterol). High triglyceride levels & low HDL levels are an indicator of plaque & glycation - the precursors to a heart attack & heart disease. http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/after-eating-effects-carbohydrates-vs.html Gary Taubes who wrote "Good Calories, Bad Calories" spent 7 years going through all the studies over the last century & dividing up the real science from the faulty science & concluded that low carb was the best way to control insulin levels which balances out other hormones & allows the body to function properly. His main points are: 1. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease or any other chronic disease. 2. The problem is refined carbs in diet, their effect on insulin secretion & the hormonal regulation of homeostasis. 3. Sugars - sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup specifically - are particularly harmful, the combination of fructose & glucose simultaneously elevates insulin levels & overload liver with carbs. 4. Through their direct effects on insulin & blood sugar, refined carbs, starches, sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes. They are likely dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer's & other diseases. 5. Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating. 6. Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter. 7. Fattening & obesity are caused by an imbalance in the hormonal regulation of adipose tissue & fat metabolism. 8. Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels fall, we release fat from fat tissue. 9. By stimulating insulin secretion, carbs make us fat. 10. By driving fat accumulation, carbs also increase hunger & decrease the amount of energy we expend in metabolism & physical activity.

Question: What does a low carb diet consist of exactly? I'm confused about what carbs are and what aren't...They say to eat a low carb diet if you want to lose weight..what are some low carb foods? Also, is it true that it takes 3 weeks for the body to get in a fat-burning mode? Because I want to lose 5 pounds this upcoming 3 weeks or so.. I read losing 1-2 pounds per week is recommended and healthy right?

Answer: A low carb diet generally means non-starchy carbohydrates only and no starchy carbohydrates. Animal protein is combined with non-starchy carbohydrates. You can find further information in a web search for Atkins diet and you can get a whole book on it from Health Stores.

Question: What kind of sweetener to use on low carb diet? Since processed sugar is out, what kind of sweetener can I use on a low-carb diet like South Beach or GI Index?

Answer: You can use honey or some kind of artificial sweetener such as saccharin or aspartame. They are marketed under the trade names "Sweet and Low" and "Equal".

Question: What's the difference between the Atkins diet and a Low carb diet? I would like to lose weight. I feel like I have to put myself on a "diet" because otherwise I'll have no clue what I can and can't eat, and what I should and shouldn't be doing. Whats the difference between a low carb diet, and going on the Atkins diet? Are they the same? If not, whats better? Thank you for your answers :)

Answer: Atkins tends to have you start out really low on the carb intake- something like 14 grams where others (Protein Power) start you at 20 grams. Depending on which you do might tell you to figure your protein intake a bit different as well. Again the amount is a rather small difference. Whichever low carb diet you do be sure to read the book or follow the diet EXACTLY. If you are eating a ton of fatty foods and then throw in too many carbs you will be sorry. Also be sure to eat the protein required because you will stop losing weight if you don't eat enough. Good luck! The first time I did Atkins I dropped 20lbs like it was nothing. The second time around I couldn't lose a pound to save my life.

Question: Does a low carb diet really work? How fast can you lose weight? Like how many pounds a week do you lose by going on a no carb/low carb diet?

Answer: They do work and have been the most popular diets for over 15 years. However, some of them that are extreme, such as Atkins, are tougher to follow and usually backfire with all the weight coming back on and then some. You need carbs, so any diet that says to eliminate them is a sham. However, you will want to cut down on the carbs so each meal proportion is roughly 50% Protein, 30% Carbs and 20% Fat. Also important is the type of carbs you eat. Instead of eating starchy complex carbs such as: breads, beans, pasta, potatoes and rice, eat fibrous bulky simple carbs like broccoli, spinach, green beans, cauliflower, greens, brussels sprouts and asparagus instead. You are safe if you stay with any green vegetable. The reason is because starchy carbs get turned to sugar within 20 minutes after eating them. This sudden sugar rush spikes your insulin level which prevents fat from burning. In addition, that excess sugar gets turned to fat rather quickly. Complex carbs take a lot longer to convert to sugar, so your insulin level doesn't spike and you have time to burn them off. Also, make sure the fats eat are mostly the mono-unsaturated type such as: olive and canola olives, avocado, peanuts and olives. Cut down on all animal fats. Your best source of proteins are skinless, boneless chicken and turkey breast, whitefish such as Cod, Halibut, Tilapia, Sea Bass, Red Snapper, Mahi Mahi, Ono, etc, avoid red meat as much as possible, but an occasional steak or some ground beef won't kill you as long as it's lean. If you can find it, try ostrich meat. It is red meat and tastes as good as beef, but is really super low in fat. Buffalo meat is a really lean red meat too. If you stick to about 1500 calories a day (three 500 calorie meals) with the aforementioned formula, you should lose between 12-15lbs per month safely and stand a better chance of keeping the weight off. Add 45 minutes a day of brisk walking and figure 15-20lbs per month. Add 45 minutes of cycling or jogging and figure 25-30lbs per month. A good example of a typical meal would be 6 oz chicken breast and 4 ounces of green beans and a glass of water. Pour a little olive oil over the chicken and beans, and season with salt/pepper and some basil. Other tips to remember: Drink mostly water and stay away from hi calories drinks Don't eat past 7pm Get plenty of sleep If you need a snack, an apple is your best bet Vitamin supplements are a good thing. Avoid processing your foods in blenders, juicers and food processors (protein smoothies are not your friend unless they are 90% proten) Take a break from the diet every 10 days or so and have a piece of pizza or burger. Make sure you run or walk it off shortly after. A similar diet plan to this is called The Zone, it's a good book to read. FYI, I lost 60lbs in 3 months on this diet.

Question: How is it possible to lose weight on low carb diet and exercise? To lose weight you have to burn more calories than you eat, but it seems you would have to exercise all day to burn calories if you are on the high cal high fat low carb diet. I ask this because I lost 30 lbs on the low carb diet with no exercise. Now I am back on low carb and exercising and I'm not losing the weight I did when I went on the diet the first time, but I thought if I added exercise my weight loss would sky rocket.

Answer: well if you want to add exercising into your weight loss plan this is a good idea that i do and i know it will sound silly but it works well i work at an office and after i started doing this everyone Else did too its pretty funny but when i have to take papers to someone or go to the bathroom or leave my chair for any reason i do an exercise all the way to my destination lets say going to the bathroom i do bunny hops all the way there or i do a slow run or squats or lunges etc. get creative and if you do it all day long you will lose a LOT believe me

Question: What are some of the best foods to eat on a low-carb diet? I want to do the low-carb diet; I usually get bored if the food that I eat isn't exciting. Please pass along recipies.

Answer: http://www.lowcarbfriends.com Definitely the best place I've found to get new recipes & support. There are recipes in the "Recipe Room" as well as throughout the threads. A lot of the folks there have been low-carbing for years and have lots of great ideas.

Question: What kind of workouts should I do on a low carb diet? I'm on a low carb diet because i want to lose weight, I run alot and I also lift weights. Now i stopped lifting weights because I didnt want to put on muscle weight just yet. So what kind of workouts should I do to drop the weight?

Answer: Acai Berry? Talk about crazy diets.... Anyway, a low carb diet isn't the way to go. It'll just drain your liver and muscle glycogen and cause you to feel tired for most of the day, cranky and genuinely out of it. The only people who might consider low carb diets are bodybuilders getting ready for a competition. A low carb diet isn't something for the long term to lose weight. The reason it's so popular is because it produces quick results. The problem is, that much of the weight lost on this sort of diet is a combination of muscle tissue and water weight. What happens is, when you restrict your carb intake, that also means your proportion of protein has increased. Excessive proteins are excreted. But, because, amino acids are charged, the drag along water with it, causing dehydration. Therefore, most of the weight lost on a low carb diet is water and/or muscle tissue (since your glycogen storages are depleted, your body will turn to muscle tissue as a source of energy). The key here is understanding the difference between losing "weight" and losing "fat". You want to lose fat. So, the main idea here is to find out how many calories you burn on a daily basis just by surviving. To do this, multiply your body weight by ten. Multiply this number by 1.2. Then, add about 600 calories to account for your cardio and weight training. So, I'm 165 lbs. 165 x 10 = 1,650 1,650 x 1.2 = 1980 1980 + 500 = 2480 So, in theory, I should be eating about 2,480 calories per day, spread out over 6 meals, to maintain my current body weight (these calories will come from lean proteins, complex carbs, fiber and unsaturated fats). To safely lose weight without losing muscle tissue, you need to create about a 20% calorie deficit. For me, 2480 x 0.8 = about 1980 calories. 1,980/6 meals = about 330 calories per meal over six meals. This is a great way to lose fat without losing muscle tissue. But, as with any diet like this, you'll hit a plateau. I'd suggest using the "zig zag" method. What I mean is, take 3 days on the "reduced" calorie plan, while the 4th day will be a high calorie day (or the number of calories required to maintain your current weight). This will prevent your body from realizing that you're under a calorie deficit. Over long periods of a reduced- calorie diet, your metabolism will slow to conserve energy and actually slow down the fat loss process. This "cycling" is crucial for optimal fat loss. But, a low carb diet isn't the answer (unless you're a bodybuilder getting ready for competition or you're trying to break a plateau temporarily). This sort of diet just isn't meant to be a lifestyle change - heck, your entire life runs off of carbs! Your brain runs off of glucose, your muscles run off of glucose, everything does (except the liver). You need to eat to lose weight, and that's the bottom line. Hope this helps out :) Good luck! Ryan

Question: How do you eat low-carb on a vegetarian diet? No medicine, pills, etc. What are foods you can eat on a low-carb diet?

Answer: When you choose to follow a Vegetarian LOW CARB (LC) diet, you have to make sure that you are getting enough “Complete Proteins”. Even if your morality says that killing things to eat them is wrong, this does not negate your body's need for the spectrum of Amino Acids from complete protein sources to make it healthy, and to drive your metabolism. So, Protein is always the first piece of your meal that you plan. In a healthy Protein Adequate LC diet, Protein must be around 30% of the Caloric Value that you ingest, and Eggs, Cheese, Soy, and Quorn are the best (i.e. “complete”) Vegetarian protein sources. (NB: If you have a Thyroid Problem, I would advise you to steer well clear of unfermented Soy products, as these have been proven to slow the thyroid. Soy On Line Service for more information) I just want to stop and really praise eggs here, There are hands down the best protein source you are going to be eating. The complete spectrum of amino acids, eggs are high quality protein, they also have the right amount and quality of fats, (and lecithin to aid in emulsifying it) and every mineral and vitamin you are going to need to live thrive and survive, bar Vitamin C, (Chickens can make their own!) in perfect proportion, in the perfect delivery system for our body to use it. Nuts and Seitan (a meat-texture substitute, prepared from Gluten) are good too, but are incomplete, so you have to work these in with other things, to make sure that the protein is complete when eaten. (Although some say that you can just make sure that you eat the right amino acids over the day... I haven't found enough evidence either way on that, and as a meat eater, not something I needed to research.) Next, Fats. This should be at least 60% of your Caloric intake. When eating Low Carb, you derive your energy from fat. You cannot use Protein as an energy source easily. If you try, the body protests, with symptoms of shakiness, and rolling blackouts. I also want to make the point that Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA) and Cholesterol are good for you. Think about it, your Body fat is saturated, and you use both SFA and Cholesterol to make hormones and to build your cell walls. If you have low cholesterol, you are more likely to have depression. The Medics don’t tell you that one! There is no point in eating a Low Cholesterol diet as the liver makes 80% of the Cholesterol that is needed. If we eat less, the Liver just ramps up production, but unfortunately it tends to make more LDL, rather than HDL, which isn't helpful! Dairy Products (Butter, Cream, Cheese and Eggs) and coconut oil are the main veggie sources of Saturates. In fact if you are Vegan, Coconut Oil is the only SFA available to you. NB: Cocoa butter is also a SFA, but it is very difficult to get hold of in Isolation, and this fact is not a good excuse to eat tonnes of high% cocoa solid choc! Even if it does taste nice ;-) By the way, Coconut oil is the best sources of short-chain saturates, which is one of the best muscle-fuels going. If you can, always fry in a SFA. SFA don’t oxidize, hence, no dangerous aging free radicals are produced when you use them. Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MFA), Olive and Nut oils. These are wonderful for you, and taste really good as well. Use in abundance over salads and in baking, but don't subject them to high heat, such as frying, if you can help it. Being partially unsaturated, they oxidize quite easily, and those horrid free-radicals are produced. What you have to avoid are Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PFA) and Transfats. Although we do need a very small percentage of PFA in our diet, (Flaxseed and Starflower(Borage) Oils being the best Vegetarian source of the PFA we need) PFA oxidize really easily, which significantly contributes to the aging process. Frying in Sunflower oil? Nothing worse for you! Stop it right now! Also, in a diet high in PFA, when the body incorporates them into cell walls instead of cholesterol, the membranes become softer, and break more easily, again, aging you before you time. Trans-fats. This is a term from Sterio-Chemistry. Molecules are considered either “cis” or “trans” depending on which way they rotate. All natural fats (apart from CLA, a naturally Saturated Fat that helps you burn off body fat, mostly found in grass-fed animal fats) are in the “cis” configuration. However, when a Liquid oil is hydrogenated, to product a solid (and cheap) fat, the molecules are predominately “trans”. Our bodies have no mechanism for excreting them, and so, will incorporate them in the cell wall in preference to real, “cis” fats (Silly body!). The cell walls can then break down really easily, another cause of premature aging. Transfats are the real cause of arteriosclerosis and heart problems. The less natural the food, the worse it is for you. Think about it, what would you rather have? Butter, which is just cream, churned until it goes solid, with a little salt added,