Nutrition Anybody been on low carb for several years?

[Horstman]

I’m curious to know how people are doing on low carb for a prolonged period of time.

I’m not necessarily speaking of keto but it’s something I’m opened to trying. I’m thinking 100g net carbs or so.

My weight has crept up and although I hold it well, I don’t feel the best. Bloating and excess swelling is a thing for me, along with blood sugar issues where I’m hungry all the time and prone to large drops. My blood work is fine though. I do have a GI issue that excess fiber can cause problems so plenty of veggies over grains is helpful.

I recently have been cutting carbs and here’s what I noticed:

1. Less cravings, hunger doesn’t plague me
2. Swelling and bloat is way down
3. Energy levels are up, but maybe feel a little weaker

To be fair I was eating a decent amount of sugar but even bread and things like oats can get to me.

 

[mikhael]

I'm doing great. I'm on keto for about two years, and never felt better. Of course sometimes I eat some Carbs, but every time I slip to much in the carb-zone I fell like sh... Sleepy, full stomach, and overall no as good as on low-carb foods.
Like you wrote,

1. Less cravings, hunger doesn’t plague me
2. Swelling and bloat is way down
3. Energy levels are up, but maybe feel a little weaker

All is true.

 

[watchnerd]

Is <100 g low carb?

According to the Mayo Clinic, 20-57 grams of carbs is low carb:

A daily limit of 0.7 to 2 ounces (20 to 57 grams) of carbohydrates is typical with a low-carb diet. These amounts of carbohydrates provide 80 to 240 calories. Some low-carb diets greatly limit carbs during the early phase of the diet. Then those diets allow more carbs over time.

Can a low-carb diet help you lose weight?

Find out about low-carb diets, from what's off-limits to potential health benefits.

www.mayoclinic.org

I definitely do better with a moderate amount of carbs in my diet, but for me, more important is the type of carbs -- legumes, whole grains vs processed carbs.

For me, this is a natural consequence of following a 'low inflammation' diet.

But I'm not low carb by the definition of the Mayo Clinic.

 

[mikhael]

Is <100 g low carb?

I would say yes, but it's also import what kind of carbs.
Low-carb, or keto, doesn't matter as long as we keep the insulin level low.

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

I’m curious to know how people are doing on low carb for a prolonged period of time.

Ketogenic Diet

Due to a metabolic condition, I have been on the Ketogenic Diet since July 2016.

My Carbohydrate intake is 50 gram or less per day.

I’m not necessarily speaking of keto but it’s something I’m opened to trying. I’m thinking 100g net carbs or so.

100 Gram of Carb A Day

As per...

I would say yes, but it's also import what kind of carbs.

100 gram of carbohydrates per day is Moderately Low Carbohydrates.

Origin of Net Carbs

Net Carbs vs Total Carbs

Total carbs are the total carbohydrates in a food—made up of starches, dietary fiber, sugars, and sugar alcohols—where net carbs are the total carbs subtracted by the indigestible carbs such as fiber and sugar alcohols. People have transitioned to counting net carbs versus total carbs on...

peopleschoicebeefjerky.com

It’s important to note that the concept of net carbs is not an officially recognized value.

In an effort to capitalize on the low-carb movement, food manufacturers have invented this new category of carbohydrates — e.g. net carbs, active carbs, and impact carbs — as a way of promoting products that contain higher total carb counts as low-carb diet friendly options.
Most dietitians recommend focusing on total carb intake rather than net carbs as the true measure.

excess fiber can cause problems

Dr Paul Mason
'From fibre to the microbiome: low carb gut health'


Research by Dr Paul Mason shows that fiber is overrated.

The data on fiber is built on misinformation rather than facts.

I have the research reference that he mentions. It is an interesting read.

I recently have been cutting carbs and here’s what I noticed:

1. Less cravings, hunger doesn’t plague me
2. Swelling and bloat is way down
3. Energy levels are up, but maybe feel a little weaker

Breaking It Down

1) Less Cravings

Carbohydrates trigger hunger.

2) Swelling and Bloat.

That is one of the issues at time with fairily high carbohdrate intake.

3) Feel Weaker

Initially, decreasing carbohydrate intake can have a negative effect on training; if that is what you mean.

Adaptation

As with anything, some time is required to become adapted to lower carbohydrate intake; for that matter that is true with most things.

Ketogenic Diet Trraining

One of the issues and reason most individuals who go on a Low Carbohyrate Diet or Ketogenic Diet have wth traning is they continue to train as they did on a the Standard High Carbohyrate Diet. This is ineffective.

A different training approach is needed. It took me a year of research and experimenting to figure that out.

It has to with...

The Energy Sysems

Individuals on a Ketogenic Diet perform well when training is maintained in the Phosphagen or Oxidative Energy Systems.

Individual in sports or activities who reside in the Glycogenic Energy System don't perform well.

Post 5

The ketogenic diet + S&S combination

Hi guys! Just bought the Simple & Sinister book today and read through most of it. Really impressed with the rationale behind the program structure. I have been training with Kettlebells for the past couple months now and have been seeing a decent increase in strength. I intend to start the...

www.strongfirst.com

The information in this post examines it in more detail.

It provide information on how Ketogenic Diet individual and Low Carbers can effectively optimize Strength Training ( Maximum Strength, Power, Speed and/or Hypertrophy).

Personal Experience

Overall, I like the Ketogenic Diet. It took some time for me understand how it works and train on it.

I Don't Recommend Keto

With that said, I don't recommend the Ketogenic Diet. Most individual who try the Ketogenic Diet are never on the diet. That because they lack knowledge and don't understand the caveats necessary to make it work. They are never in ketosis.

I use a Blood Ketone Meter, Ketone Breath Analysizer and Glucose Meter to monitor my ketones and gather information on how certain foods affect my levels. Since I am anal, I have charted everything since 2016.

It has been and continues to be a learning process for me.

The Restricetiveness Of Keto

Secondly, due to the restrictive natue of the Ketogenic Diet, few can maintain it.

The harder you make something for someone, the less likely they are to stick with it.

For many individuals, Intermittent Fasting (a sibling of the Ketogenic Diet) can elicit similar results.

I am a proponent of Intermittent Fasting.

However, for Insulin Resistant Individual, decreasing Carbohydrate Intake is necessary.

As per...

Low-carb, or keto, doesn't matter as long as we keep the insulin level low.

Mikhael's on the money.

An Eating Plan You Can Live With

Diet is a four letter word that has a bad meaning.

As someone said, whatever you are eating is your diet; good or bad.

They preferred the term, Eating Plan"; which makes sense.

Simple Recommendation

Find an "Eating Plan" that you like and can live with.

 

[ShawnM]

Is <100 g low carb?

According to the Mayo Clinic, 20-57 grams of carbs is low carb:

Can a low-carb diet help you lose weight?

Find out about low-carb diets, from what's off-limits to potential health benefits.

www.mayoclinic.org

I definitely do better with a moderate amount of carbs in my diet, but for me, more important is the type of carbs -- legumes, whole grains vs processed carbs.

For me, this is a natural consequence of following a 'low inflammation' diet.

But I'm not low carb by the definition of the Mayo Clinic.

If I remember right, Atkins uses 100 grams as being low carb.

 

[watchnerd]

If I remember right, Atkins uses 100 grams as being low carb.

I thought Atkins was ketogenic, so that would likely be <30 grams of carbs.

 

[ShawnM]

I thought Atkins was ketogenic, so that would likely be <30 grams of carbs.

They re-branded themselves a few years ago.​

​

The 4 Phases of the Atkins Diet​

The Atkins diet is a weight loss diet that focuses on decreasing your carbohydrate input. This diet is divided into 4 phases.

If you want to know how to follow Atkins diet, you must have the knowledge of the Atkins diet phase sin detail. So, let’s discuss them one by one.

Atkins diet phases​

Here’s everything you need to know about the4 phases of Atkins diet.

1. Induction​

During this phase of the Atkins diet, you have to consume below 20 grams of carbs a day for two weeks. This is the phase where the weight loss process begins.

You need to increase the amount of fats and proteins in your diet in this phase while keeping carb consumption at the lowest possible level.

Having low-carb veggies with every meal is highly recommended.

2. Balancing​

This is the phase of the Atkins diet where you start to slowly include low-carb veggies, nuts, and some low-carb fruits in your diet.

The focus of this phase is to have a balanced diet schedule and minimize the number of prohibited foods.

3. Fine-tuning​

Once you are near your target weight, the third phase of the Atkins diet starts. This is the phase where you can shift to a high-carb diet gradually. The aim of this stage is to slow down the weight loss process.

This is achieved by the slow addition of carbs to the diet. You’ll need to keep an eye on your weight all this time so that you can stop adding more carbs once your weight stabilizes.

4. Maintenance​

In the final stage of the Atkins diet, you are allowed to consume as many healthy carbs as your body can process without gaining weight.

The aim here is to maintain your weight at the desired level without increasing or decreasing it.

The last phase of the Atkins diet will last many years and will become a part of your lifestyle to make sure that you maintain the desired body weight.

 

[Horstman]

300+ to 100g or so of carbs is a lot for me so 100g feels like low carb even though my some measures perhaps it isn’t.

The net fiber thing is interesting. Hard one to mentally break too as I’m conditioned to believe more is better, although my GI doctor thought it might actually bother me more to have excess fiber. All the products that pack in all those extra fiber are ultra processed anyway so I avoid them. All my fiber is from vegetables or fruit, and sometimes beans, lentils, and nuts.

Lower Energy levels are relatively easier to manage because as my job is sedentary. For training I just do S&S, ring work, and 5 miles a day of walking.

Keto is fascinating though. I’d love to see where we are at in a few years/decades in how it helps certain medical conditions including mental health.

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

I thought Atkins was ketogenic, so that would likely be <30 grams of carbs.

Atkins Is Not A Ketogenic Diet

The majority of individual think Atkins is a Ketogenic Diet, which it is not.

However, it employs Keto during its phases.

ShawnM does a great job of breaking the phases down.

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

Keto is fascinating though. I’d love to see where we are at in a few years/decades in how it helps certain medical conditions including mental health.

The Future Is Now

The use of the Ketogenic Diet for heath and medical condition is now being used.

"MAD. The Modified Atkins Ketogenic Diet"
This version is less restrictive than the macros for Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy.
However, even "MAD, The Modified Atkins Ketogenic DIet" is still too restrictive for most indiviual to be able to maintain it.

The Kegogenici Bible


This is Drs Jacob Wilson and Ryan Lower.

This book does a great job of examining many of the health conditions that can be improved with the Ketogenic Diet.

That is why I am on it.