I CAN'T low carb

[Steala]

I've tried and it makes me depressed if I do it to the point of ketosis (tasting pear drops). Is there any benefit to having a low carb day occasionally (maybe twice a week) and having carbs the rest of the time?

If not, I'll stick to healthy eating, smaller portions etc, which works, but I am keen to have the fast losses that low-carbers have. Is it all about the ketosis?

I felt unbelievably unwell after 5 days low carbing. I did lose weight mind but just couldn't function.

So, I started using My Fitness Pal (app or on computer) and I track exactly what I've eaten. It gives you a daily allowance and I've stuck with it and I'm losing weight very nicely :). I've lost 11lbs in 3 weeks and I'm at target although would like to go a little lower now.

The few days I did manage low carbing made me very mindful of just how many carbs I had been consuming so I really watch them now. For example, if I have carbs for lunch (bread etc) then I won't have them for tea too, I just have meat and veg. I've cut out biscuits/cake/crisps - basically all the awful crap I was eating previously. I do eat a piece of fruit a day too.

Low carbing is very successful but I'm not certain it suits everybody. Maybe if I'd continued through the wall as such I'd have felt much better but I couldn't move without feeling dizzy and sick in the mornings and with 4 DCs to get up and out of the house it was a no brainer for me.

So, to answer your question, yes I'm sure some low carb days would help but you can do both - eat some carbs to avoid ketosis but still keep it low enough to lose weight (you wouldn't be able to eat high fat though if increased carbs).

I can't low carb either. I just don't want to enough to actually suffer through the resistance of cake .

I use MFP and calorie count, and as far as I can tell from my excessive reading of diet books, there's not a huge amount of benefit in having hugely reduced carbs on odd days, except that it will keep your calories down, most likely (unless you are a big meat eater). I aim for not-too-high carbs every day, with my food % goals on MFP set at 40% carb, 30% protein and 30% fat. I normally come our at more like 50% carb, 20% protein and 30% fat.

That's good advice. Thank you. I'll increase protein, keep fat lowish and keep carbs moderate, but concentrate on portion control. Interesting others felt awful too. I was crying on the sofa with no energy to do a thing. I lost weight too but I don't want to feel like that again!

I do moderate carbs, and it seems to work as well. Definitely not in ketosis (IMO there isn't anything special about being in ketosis - Tom Venuto in his book "burn the fat" explains why - basically the great weight loss on ketosis diets is primarily about appetite suppression and eating less as a result rather than being in ketosis per se, he says evidence if you were to eat say 3000 calories a day in ketosis you wouldn't lose. Also the other reason for great weight loss on ketosis diets is that eating carbs, esp the higher GI sort means you produce insulin which results in fat storage. Tim Feriss goes into this in more detail in his book the "4 hour body", and on his diet he allows some very low gi carbs like pulses as he says impact on blood sugar minimal.

So I have more carbs - from cottage cheese, natural yoghurt, 1 piece of fruit a day, and veg - pulses would also be ok in moderation. I keep carbs around 100g a day, and protein around 100g-120g a day. I think possible to get the same weight losses if you eat just enough clow GI and def not processed sugar / wheat.

Obviously because I am having more carbs than a ketosis diet I can't have as much fat, although I wouldn't describe my diet as especially low fat. I just wouldn't add butter to veg or eat fatty meats, etc, and I generally go for low fat yoghurt, although if I fancy a piece of cheese that's ok too.

I use myfitnesspal to monitor the protein, carbs (and calories).

I have been doing Patrick holford's GL diet. It is not the GI diet and so you are allowed complex carbs every day. It may suit you much better. I am enjoying it though I don't go as extreme as he suggests with supplements!! Very scientific base. Check the reviews on amazon- that's how I started. X

I'll have a look at that Peachy.
Forever, are wheat carbs the main to avoid? I think I might be a bit addicted to bread. Once I start, I can't stop. I'm similar with pasta, but that's easier to bulk out with veg etc and if I only cook a small amount, I'm not addicted enough to cook more!
Thank you for helping!

When I say wheat, I mean out of savoury carbs. I do understand that sweets are not the way to go!

Yes def avoid wheat carbs they are most addictive, but also cut down on other grains. Best carbs are pulses as very low gi.