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Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

nytimes.com

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Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#101

Post by inerte »

147 wrote: post #84
mcone wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife is a Type-1 diabetic and I'm fairly confident that there's no such thing as a "zero carb" diet. She's had several endocrinologists tell her that she needs to eat carbohydrates. This is definitely something we need to survive! More importantly, there are naturally occurring carbohydrates in most unprocessed foods (greens, vegetables, beans, etc). Obviously "refined carbohydrates" are different — that's the sug…

I was diagnosed type 2 diabetic and went on keto with almost no carbs for 5 months and am now borderline not diabetic / pre diabetic.

"Almost" no carbs is very different than OP's triple assertion of "you're mistaken", "not required" and "zero".

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#102

Post by shadykiller »

Being an Indian, I was raised on a diet with the major macro-nutrient as carbohydrates (wheat and rice), it was hard to switch to a low carb ketogenic diet. But once I switched the health benefits were tremendous - 30lb weight loss and prediabetic symptoms gone.

Also, ketogenic doesn't mean you completely give up on carbs. I take about 2-3 cups of green vegetables everyday. These veggies have very low amount of carbs < 10-20gms. Rest is fiber which has no glycemic load. Also, once you are keto-adapted, all the craving for carb goes away as your brain is well fed on Ketones - much cleaner fuel when compared to glucose.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#103

Post by nzygs »

abtinf wrote: post #51
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 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 eat. Animal based fats, usually heavily processed meats like bacon, sausages etc on which there are peer reviewed studies that show their correlation to cancer and heart deceases. Most of the information can be found here: https://nutritionfacts.org/ the videos linked have their sources provided in the description. And those are mostly peer reviewed studies as well!

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#104

Post by Ixiaus »

mcone wrote: post #75
hashable wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> your body needs a fair amount of carbs every day, I think you're mistaken. Carb is the only macronutrient that is not required. The body can make glucose via gluconeogenesis. Take someone who has not eaten a single carb for a month and measure their blood glucose level and you will find a stable 90mg/dL. This is why Type-1 diabetics still need insulin (although much much lesser than otherwise) in spite of being on…

My wife is a Type-1 diabetic and I'm fairly confident that there's no such thing as a "zero carb" diet. She's had several endocrinologists tell her that she needs to eat carbohydrates. This is definitely something we need to survive! More importantly, there are naturally occurring carbohydrates in most unprocessed foods (greens, vegetables, beans, etc). Obviously "refined carbohydrates" are different — that's the sug…

There is no essential carbohydrate, the body can derive any glucose it needs from essential fats and proteins.

That said, I'm keto and find it difficult to stay under 30 grams of carbohydrates per-day simply because carbs are in so many foods. I've, a few times, gone "strict" keto i.e 10g< of total carbs per day which includes indigestible fiber and I (anecdata coming at you) felt great.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#105

Post by abtinf »

mcone wrote: post #75
hashable wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> your body needs a fair amount of carbs every day, I think you're mistaken. Carb is the only macronutrient that is not required. The body can make glucose via gluconeogenesis. Take someone who has not eaten a single carb for a month and measure their blood glucose level and you will find a stable 90mg/dL. This is why Type-1 diabetics still need insulin (although much much lesser than otherwise) in spite of being on…

My wife is a Type-1 diabetic and I'm fairly confident that there's no such thing as a "zero carb" diet. She's had several endocrinologists tell her that she needs to eat carbohydrates. This is definitely something we need to survive! More importantly, there are naturally occurring carbohydrates in most unprocessed foods (greens, vegetables, beans, etc). Obviously "refined carbohydrates" are different — that's the sug…

Their advice is wrong and deadly.

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achie...

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#107

Post by otabdeveloper1 »

E6300 wrote: post #42
jonnathanson wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My mother simply does not understand what a "carbohydrate" is, let alone the relationship between starch and sugar, or why things like mashed potatoes are not low-carb. ("But I didn't use any butter in them, so they're low-carb!") When left to her own devices, she will consistently confuse and/or conflate carbs and fats. I think this is because she's from a generation that totally bought into the war on fat, and rais…

Well, fat certainly is worse than carbs, as far as weight loss is concerned. Fat contains twice the calories per gram compared to carbohydrates or protein, that's why things like cheese and oil are a big no-no if you're trying to lose weight. Butter is alright as long as you don't take a big ol' chomp out of a stick.

Gasoline is more caloric than fat, but subsisting on a diet of gas won't make you obese, quite the opposite.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#108

Post by cko »

Ixiaus wrote: post #66
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…

The body does not need exogenous carbohydrates, there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. Carbs are a useful tool but they are also easy to abuse. The body is perfectly capable of deriving carbohydrates from essential fats and essential proteins. Beyond the physical addiction there's also a lifestyle addiction, this is a similar problem chronic cigarette smokers who want to quit encounter. Sometimes they d…

I though that fats cannot be broken down into glucose, but ketones.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#109

Post by jonnathanson »

E6300 wrote: post #72
khuey wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That diets like paleo and keto work is pretty strong counter evidence to this position.

The only diet that works is caloric restriction. You can follow any fad diet you want, but if you don't expend more calories than you ingest you're not going to lose weight. Replace all the carbs in your equilibrium diet with the same amount of fat per mass and you're going to start gaining weight. It's as simple as that.

You're missing the point of the low-carb theory. It's not claiming that you should eat above a deficit. It's arguing that a pure energy-deficit view of dieting is wildly impractical. Longitudinal evidence of dieters over 2-20+ year windows will routinely point out that people cannot stick to calorie-deficit diets, cannot estimate calories, etc.

Modern nutritional science is also showing that the way food is digested and metabolized in the body is strongly influenced by a complex hormonal interchange -- and whether organs like the liver or the gut are predominantly responsible for macronutrient metabolism has a significant effect on, for lack of a better word, "effective calorie counts" in foods. The macronutrient composition of what we eat clearly affects our hormonal reaction, which clearly affects feelings of hunger and satiety. To ignore these feedback loops in favor of strict energy-deficit reductionism is a bit like saying that anyone not programming in binary is wasting his or her time.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#110

Post by rhinoceraptor »

PeterStuer wrote: post #63

If you are going to cut out carbs, but then switch to binging on high calorie foods such as cheese (the true crack-cocaine of food addiction) or nuts, don't expect any results. Some claim that cutting carbs 'naturally' leads to taking in less energy. This might be true for some, but certainly not for all.

Ketogenic foods are very energy dense. But once you are in nutritional ketosis, you will naturally have a moderated appetite.

Yesterday, I ate 4 eggs fried in butter (~500 calories), and three cans of sardines (spot across lunch and dinner, ~1000 calories). I also walked about 20,0000 steps, about 10,000 of those was weighted with 30 lbs.

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