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Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

nytimes.com

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Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#151

Post by jehlakj »

basseq wrote: post #138
shanev wrote: post #17

The trick is to force yourself to do it for at least two weeks. Afterwards, pizza and bread will look disgusting. I experienced this when I followed a strict low-carb/paleo diet for 4 months. Many of my low carb friends have experienced the same thing. I lost 35lbs and got a six pack without working out. As soon as you introduce processed carbs back though, the addiction starts up again.

Afterwards, pizza and bread will look disgusting. YMMV. I went on a low/no carb diet for 3-4 weeks last year, never had terrible cravings or crashes , and still love me some carbs. I just love bread, pasta, pizza, etc. (e.g., food in general) too much, but it's a good way to monitor what you eat.

Most people have been on a moderately high carb diet for most of their lifetime. It's gonna take a little more than 3-4 weeks to shift your perspective.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#152

Post by ArlenBales »

hashable wrote: post #27
brianwawok wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

She may be correct. The 70% ratio that many Americans eat may not be great, but 30% or 40% carbs seems about right for me. I see the no carb movement much like the no fat movement of the 80s.

Except for the fact that carbs are the only macronutrient that are not essential and can be completely synthesized by the body via gluconeogenesis. There are essential amino acids that need to be sourced via food (protein). There are essential fatty acids that need to be sourced via food (fat). There are no essential carbs.

No carbs is really hard if you exercise, or are an athlete. I stick to a low carb diet, but I can't imagine cycling/running 50+ miles a week in combination with weightlifting every other day, if I didn't have the energy from carbs. Chicken breasts and vegetables just aren't enough for me. (Carbs for me is usually oatmeal breakfast and protein bar)

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#153

Post by sleavey »

nzygs wrote: post #103
abtinf wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> your body needs a fair amount of carbs every day This is factually wrong. The human body ~100 grams of protein, ~10 grams of fat, and zero carbs to stay healthy. The minimal amount of glucose required for brain function can be synthesized from protein intake. And carb deficiency is not associated with any impairment or disease.

> The human body ~100 grams of protein, ~10 grams of fat, and zero carbs to stay healthy Could you provide source (studies not blogposts or youtube videos) on this matter? Also what is your opinion on 80/10/10 or Okinawa diet? Okinavians used to get most of their calories from carbs and they had one of the longest lifespans in the world. All things considered I am not against the keto diet but the food that people on…

It's probably genetic. Some people can eat a high carb diet and feel fine, and not suffer the metabolic damage that others would. But that's definitely a minority of the world population. The Okinawans seem to eat a lot of a certain type of purple sweet potato which contains a good balance of vitamins and minerals, but they also have a strong social element - elders are highly respected and given responsibilities that keep them focused - and naturally they exercise a lot due to the terrain, so it's not just the food.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#154

Post by java_script »

teamhappy wrote: post #73
joelrunyon wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think anyone is for removing them entirely. But when you look at the obesity epidemic, there's certainly a case for tamping down on the avg American's intake.

But wouldn't it be much easier to just remove all the crap from your diet (soda, candy/chips, processed food, ...) and exercise every once in a while rather than monitoring your carb intake every day?

Why not just remove all the carbs from your diet and exercise every once in a while instead of monitoring your crap (pork rinds, slim jims, bacon, etc) intake every day :P

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#155

Post by sleavey »

overcast wrote: post #145
bonniemuffin wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure this varies between people, but for me, moderation in carbs doesn't work. Having a small scoop of ice cream or a little bit of pasta is completely unsatisfying, and in fact ignites a craving to stuff my face until my stomach hurts. It's like telling an alcoholic to just have one glass of wine a day-- yeah that would be great if it works, but it's not really helpful advice for some people.

Not sure I would equate that to alcoholism. How about rather than a scoop of ice cream every day. You have a bowl of it on Friday night watching a movie? Rest of the week, eat healthier. It's all about calories consumed, and used. You want to eat a ton of ice cream, go for it. Just be aware you've used up all of your caloric intake for the day.

Well, if you're in ketosis, a spoon of ice cream will probably not kick you out, but a whole bowl would. It would replenish your muscles' glycogen supplies, and you'd be running on sugar for the next few days and get no benefits from ketosis.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#156

Post by joelrunyon »

teamhappy wrote: post #73
joelrunyon wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think anyone is for removing them entirely. But when you look at the obesity epidemic, there's certainly a case for tamping down on the avg American's intake.

But wouldn't it be much easier to just remove all the crap from your diet (soda, candy/chips, processed food, ...) and exercise every once in a while rather than monitoring your carb intake every day?

Yeah - but when you look at most people's diet, it mostly consists of all that crap. Even the "healthy" stuff (think Naked juice, etc) is packed with sugar & simple carbs.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#157

Post by ksk »

johnwilkesbooth wrote: post #77
nathan-wailes wrote: post #24

Preface: Over the past 12+ years I have spent a fair amount of time learning about foods/diets, at first to try to get rid of my acne (which I was successful at), but then later to stay lean and stop any diet-related dips in my mood (which I was also successful at). What I want to say: Cutting carbs is difficult for most people because of two things: 1) withdrawal from the sugar-high that you get from eating high-gly…

> your body needs a fair amount of carbs every day, and people are cutting bad carbs without replacing them with good carbs, and thus experiencing an inescapable craving for carbs. I'm sorry but this is simply not true. Since switching to a ketogenic several months ago I have maintained a very low (< 15g / day) net carb intake and not only have I not experienced any adverse effects from this, I feel much better (bett…

That is rather rude. Your single data point (if we are to be generous and call it data) doesn't change the fact that an overwhelming majority, heck probably 99.9% of humans that ever lived included various sources of carbs in their diets (save famine and other such events), and our bodies have evolved to support such diets. We're here because our ancestors ate carbs. The long term effects of ketogenic diets OTOH are poorly understood. You should make it clear that you're pushing a position based on your opinion, not scientific consensus.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#158

Post by ashark »

kd0amg wrote: post #123
FussyZeus wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your foreign friends were onto it; the problem is that those carb-rich foods in the US are by and large CRAMMED with sugar, which doubles down the effect; carbs to trigger the insulin response, and sugar that the body can convert extremely efficiently to fat. Homemade pasta is incredibly healthy; you still should meter your intake of course, but for the most part it's very good for you (especially if you're doing a l…

Look at the ingredients in most box pasta sold in the US Do you have an example? All I have on hand says 1 gram of sugar per 2oz of dry pasta, with no sugar or corn syrup in the ingredients list.

News to me too. I don't think I've ever seen pasta with added sugar.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#159

Post by xiaoma »

abtinf wrote: post #46

I've posted these numbers before, but I'll post them again because they are so low as to be totally unintuitive: Normal human blood sugar [1]: 70-100 milligrams per deciliter of blood. Blood volume of average human [2]: 5.5 liters Thus, total blood sugar in non-diabetic human: 3.85 to 5.5 grams Density of glucose: 1.54 grams per cubic centimeter Thus, total volume of sugar in average human: 2.5 to 3.6 milliliters Vol…

>"A 12 ounce can of coke has 39 grams of sugar, or 7-10 times what the human body considers normal. It's a tremendous shock to the system"

Is it still a "tremendous shock" for someone in their 80's who's been drinking 5 per day for decades, like Warren Buffet?

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#160

Post by jshevek »

mrkstu wrote: post #146
beagle3 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What undesirable medical condition occurs as a result of zero carbs? I've never heard of one.

I (painfully) found out I was pre-disposed to gout only after going on a high protein diet. That said, if you're careful to avoid too many high purine meats, you can avoid that side effect.

There is a large number of ways that one can turn an exclusionary diet into an unhealthy diet - by what you choose to include. This doesn't make the exclusion unhealthy, or the excluded food necessary. Most ULC dieters I know are LCHF, while restricting their protein intake carefully. ULC is not high protein.
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