Does low carbing work?

[Honeyporridge]

I have about a stone of baby weight to lose to get to my pre pregnancy weight and also would like to lose half a stone on top of that. Lost weight successfully on Cambridge before but obviously not suitable now.

Does reducing your carbs really work? Can't face counting calories or points or syns ...

[bronya]

It's working for my DH and he's not even being super strict. He's eating meat/cheese/eggs and fruit/veg. He says he feels great, is never hungry and that it's not hard at all. This is from a man who has always found the very idea of 'diet' terrifying, and who has about 2.5 stone to lose...

[ChickenMe]

@fatlazymummy I would prefer plantains (and potatoes and other non grain starches) over bread because they are unprocessed and personally I react badly to gluten which is a common allergen. Also I don't take issue with any food which arrives on my plate in its natural state (or as close to as possible).

In small portions - served unsweetened and not used when over ripe -plantains are not a problem but you would adjust your intake according to your goals. You defo would not eat a pile of them on a low carb diet -as you say they are very starchy - but they do contain some vitamins and minerals and are less likely to cause bad reactions than potatoes. When I was on 100g carb a day I could still factor in a few small potatoes/other starchy roots.

All veggies/fruits have the green light because of their nutrients but some are higher in carbs (esp some fruits) so you'd only have small amounts.
Also I find my blood sugar somewhat disrupted by bread, rice and oats (the worst!) and far less so by potatoes, plantains, squashes and co. Plantains aren't that easy to get hold of outside of cities so they are a treat now.

[CiderwithBuda]

Yes it works. And it doesn't have to be no carb. Or high protein. As others have pointed out you still have carbs. Just not the stodgy processed stuff that is no good for us. I have done Atkins and it works well but I didn't find it sustainable. But then again it's not meant to be! You are supposed to gradually increase your intake of carbs in the form of veg, salad, wholgrains.

Cutting out what I call crap carbs is not cutting out any food group that our bodies need. It works for me when I do it. Just need to do it again!

There is nothing unhealthy or wrong about replacing rice with cauliflower rice, mashed potatoes with mashed cauliflower or celeriac and pasta with courgette strips.

I'm starting again. Have just eaten a sandwich and feel bleurgh. I know I feel much better when I do it. Just need to figure out why I don't stick to it!

[Lacuna]

Yes it does work and for most people, if followed properly and sensibly, it's a very effective, delicious and easy way to eat.

If it doesn't suit you, that's fine, you do what works for you. But frankly I despair at a society wherein GPs are paid to recommend WeightWatchers, with its reliance on buying expensive, sugar-laden, processed foods, and yet those of us who go for a low-carb way of eating (ie veg, meat, nuts, eggs and dairy, fruit in moderation) are called stupid and faddy... But there we go, shows what a fucked-up attitude we have to eating.

Lowcarb diets are precisely that - LOW carb, not no carb. My brain functions perfectly well, thankyouverymuch, on less than 50g of carbohydrate per day (mostly from veg - why people think low-carb means 'cutting out a food group' baffles me). It's when I have more than that that I feel foggy, tired, irritable, bloated, etc.

I love low carb, but if people want to carry on eating low fat tasteless cardboard shite that's their lookout - just means more steak with garlic butter for me!

[fatlazymummy]

Plantains are 97% carbohydrates. It seems strange to reject something like bread (eg, wholewheat bread contains 67% carbs, 21% protein) in favour of something more 'carby' when you're on a low carb diet.
To answer the op, the diet that works best is the one that you can stick to long term. Therefore if you think you will enjoy that way of eating and find it satisfying then give it a go. Remember, it's important to think of making changes for life rather than a short term weight loss diet.

[MrsMarcJacobs]

I stuck to low carb veg and low carb fruits (no bananas or apples)

[MrsMarcJacobs]

yes, it does. I shifted my last very-hard-to-lose baby weight by low carbing and it was very effective. I didn't follow a diet, just investigated what weRe low carb foods and stuck to those. I did this for 5 days a week over 4 weeks and at the weekend allowed myself to eat what I liked. the first weekend was junk food but very quickly your appetite adjusts and your body sees normal carbs as a treat so a plate of pasta became desirable rather than a burger.

[ChickenMe]

Hi rock you can eat anything for breakfast - there are no rules- so you can be really adventurous.

I'm preg atm so not counting carbs and am a bit more fussy (nausea) but I used to have leftovers for breakfast sometimes.

In a more traditional sense you could have a cheese and meat platter, maybe with nuts and olives. I still now have home made salsa with eggs and bacon. The salsa takes the edge off it. It will last about four days in the fridge. You could have tricolore salad (mozzarella, avocado, tomato). You could make a guacamole if it was a weekend and you had time. Hummus with crudites? Have you tried fried plantain? It is starchy but a nice change from potato and its gentle on the stomach. You slice it and fry in butter. I also make omelettes with potato and other veg just not too much potato! Hard boiled eggs of course, salads, tuna Niçoise salad.

[Artandco]

I think excercise with general healthy diet is better tbh

Both times with babies I have never been so fit as would walk miles everyday to get baby asleep! So got fit and excercise easy myself.

Try baby in pram, fast walk for an hour minimum every day, ideally hour in morning and hour late afternoon.

Don't snack or eat typical 'junk'

[rockpink]

interesting thread! Do any of you have breakfast ideas for low carb?
I got so sick of scrambled egg and bacon that I wenr back to red alpen

[PetulaGordino]

No one is talking about cutting out a whole food group

Everyone is saying if you are going to do it make sure you are eating lots of veg (lots of carbs in there), some fruit and plenty of variety.

Obviously it wouldn't have worked for you and you've found what you need. That's brilliant. No reason though why other people can't explore other ways of eating that might work better for them

[poolomoomon]

I say this as someone who has lost close to six stone since the end of April and I am vegetarian so I eat A LOT of complex carbs. I eat a banana every single day, some days I eat two or three . No funny diets here, just good clean eating but a balanced diet- I eat pizza, cake, biscuits sometimes too but not often enough for it to cause me issues. I DID do the 5:2 diet in the beginning which was great for retraining my binge eating obese brain to learn when it was actually hungry and not just bored or emotional. However the fast days started to make me anxious and depressed so I had to stop. The weights still coming off! So it works. Carbs work.

[poolomoomon]

No it does not work in the long term, it is absolute bullshit 'science'. Our bodies need carbs for fuel, carbs are out ENERGY. Cut them out and you get various side effects, fatigue obviously being one and bad moods soon follow.

EAT CARBS. They are NOT evil. Complex carbs I am here referring to so Wholewheat bread, pasta, brown rice, potatoes, FRUIT! Because fruit is also a carb don't forget. Bananas are a massive carb, they're also an incredible energy source.

Just cut down on shit and move your body. It's as easy as that. Don't cut out a whole food group, just cut DOWN on things that have little to no nutritional value- I include white pasta and bread in this along with the usual suspects like pizza, chinese take out, cake, biscuits, chocolate and so forth.

Try yoga, Pilates, walking, running, swimming... Anything to move and tone your body. It will come off in its own time, I promise.

[sunflower49]

In my experience, yes it bloody does.

It also gets easier, and it becomes a way of life in a way. But I do it and have a day off if I need it, and I don't ultra atkins low carb, jsut avoid starches and high carb foods, I still eat nuts and veggies and certain fruits and have a glass of wine. Just avoid bread/pasta/couscous/potatoes. It makes for good cooking experience, too :)

It's the ONLY thing that worked on me.

[compostwoman]

June 30 2014 that is

[compostwoman]

I have lost 5 stones since June 30 by following The Harcombe Diet.

[Rosecottage888]

I do it for a quick fix if I've got an event coming up.

Usually have scrambled eggs with butter and pepper in the morning, cold chicken breast with carrot sticks, cucumber sticks and a shit load of grapes for lunch, then either a salmon fillet or bit of steak with a massive veg stir fry.

Still have the odd packet of crisps or small choc bar just to take away the sugar cravings and always manage to lose half a stone in 2 weeks, more if I'm running every other day.

[Littleen]

I did it for a few months, and I've never felt so ill and unhealthy -.- I did it "by the book", did lose weight but I just found it horrible to eat that way, so stopped. Gained back most of the weight, but have now lost quite a lot by eating healthy, normal food instead. Wouldn't recommend it at all.

[coolbeans]

Bogeyface - I agree; it is so unhelpful that the low fat message remains so prevalent.

It is changing but it is going to take years and in the meantime, there are people completely conned and harmed by food industry's advertising still pushing the low fat mantra.