anyone here low carb?

hopeless · 03-02-2004, 02:01 AM

In high school, I really watched what I ate, even though I didn't need to. Eventually I realized how stupid that was and vowed not to diet....ever. But, now I'm wondering about low carbing. I mean, I know I don't need to lose weight (5'4", about 112 lbs.) but I might benefit from keeping blood sugar lower, thus lower insulin. I'm also taking met, and I know some women didn't see results until they low carbed.

So, I'm just wondering if anyone here low carbs, and how it's going for you. My main symptom I'm trying to aleviate is hair loss.

I just don't think I want to "diet".... Not to mention that I love pasta, fruits, gummy candies....

Catylou's mom · 03-02-2004, 02:07 AM

Well I low carb, however I am trying to lose alot of weight. But, I chose low carbing because I have heard that some of the women here have had improvements in their pcos symptoms. Otherwise I probably would have tried WW again or something. I'm not sure about the symptoms yet but I am steadily losing weight, and I feel better overall.

I hope someone who doesn't need to lose weight answers you soon though.

zelda · 03-02-2004, 05:09 AM

hopeless,
i'm about the same size as you and i had also vowed never to diet. since the whole pcos thing started, though, i've been trying to low-carb. i'm not really strict with it - i just try to eat as few 'whites' -sugar, flour, salt- as possible.

i found that the first two weeks were difficult, but after that, i didn't miss it. i hope that it's making a difference for me.

all the best,
zel

sonshine_rae · 03-02-2004, 01:26 PM

Well I low-carb... I'm about 5'10" tall and around 135lbs last I knew..

I started low-carbing in Aug. 02 due to severe hypoglycemic problems ... and went on a extremely low carb (almost no carb) diet.

I eat 8 times a day at this point.. an after having been on Avandamet for just over a month.. i'm actually starting to have a interest in my foods again (instead of just force feeding to keep my sugar up)... and added a couple carby foods back into my diet.

The point of this.. I think my low carb diet.. has made the start of Avandamet (metformin an Avandia combo med) a lot easier for me.. and I've already seen some huge hormonal differences in my health. You can low-carb and not be 'trying' to lose weight ...... just remember to eat plenty of 'good fats' which are meats, cheeses, nuts, butter are all 'fattening' but of the good types of fat. Plus good fats help you digest carbohydrates better, so if you plan to eat something higher in carb have a 'good fat' with it and you'll digest the carbs slower.....

hope this helps,
~Rae~

hopeless · 03-03-2004, 12:47 AM

Thanks for the replies everyone...

Since I'm more aware of carbs and blood sugar, I tend to watch what I eat more. I never buy white bread unless I'm making french toast or grilled cheese. I try to limit my candy, chips, etc. I can't give up my white rice or pasta though. But I try to limit the portion size.

I didn't know that good fats slowed down carb digestion. I'd just heard that eating carbs will help prevent crashes. Thanks for the info.

-thorn- · 03-03-2004, 10:23 PM

I don't "low" carb but I "good" carb... I follow the South Beach Diet. No refined flours or sugars. Whole grains, brown rice, I use Splenda if I am baking something instead of sugar...

I still eat bread, cereal, pasta, rice, etc. but all whole grains. and though I don't count them really, I stay within a range of about 100-150g of carbs per day which is less than half of how many I used to eat before!

and yes, fats will slow down the glycemic reaction from carbs... acids, proteins, and fiber will also do this.

although meats have saturated fats which are debatable to whether or not they are good. trans fats (hydrogenated oils) are bad, and poly and monounsaturated fats are good.

Bethann · 03-03-2004, 11:05 PM

I follow a lacto-vegetarian glucose index diet, meaning I try to focus on foods that have a minimal impact on blood sugar (beans, whole grains, brown rice, veggies, etc.) instead of foods that raise blood sugar significantly (white flour, potatoes, etc.) I believe it's similar to the South Beach diet, but I've found it more precise and more vegetarian friendly. While I'd like to loose about 5 lbs, my primary goal is to lower my risk of diabetes and heart disease (despite this diet and working out for an hour 6-7 days a week, my cholesterol is still very high.)

hopeless · 03-04-2004, 09:11 PM

I try to eat whole wheat when I can. But pasta isn't an option for me....neither is white rice. I won't sacrifice those completely, though I will cut portion sizes.

How do you guys actually count carbs? I mean...if there isn't a label on the side of your food, how do you know what it is? (sorry if that's a dumb question....I seriously don't know!)

Bethann · 03-05-2004, 01:07 PM

I don't count carbs -- in part because I don't know how and because my diet doesn't suggest it (low gi). Instead, I made up a list for myself of thinks to avoid, things to eat sparingly, and things that are fine to eat in abudance and I try to stick to it.

-thorn- · 03-05-2004, 01:53 PM

I usually just look at the labels, and I have also looked up some things (like fruit, veggies) online.

but I don't count them every day or anything, I just have an idea of how many I eat because I know approximately how many are in what I eat.

I used to think I could never stop eating pasta or white rice either, and I never even crave them now! my one indulgence is rice noodles... I have pad thai like once a week. they are just too good!

like Bethann, I have a sort of 'list' that I go by of foods that are always ok, sometimes ok, and super rarely ok. I don't forbid myself anything but there are things I almost never eat like white bread, baked potatoes, sugary soda, etc.

nj teacher · 03-07-2004, 11:44 AM

I am doing the SBD, mostly the maintenance phase (phase 3). I would like to lose 7 more pounds (I feel GREAT at 112), so I am doing that mostly through exercise 4-5X a week.

I am not very strict, meaning I don't "count" carbs, but I try to stick to good carbs (veggies, whole grains, beans, etc) and I try to eat them sparingly. Once a week dh & I cheat (this week we had some thin crust pizza at our favorite place

). I haven't had pasta in 2 months, which is ironic because that was my favorite thing to eat before I started SBD and now I don't even want it!

The other thing I do is try to stay away from artificial sweeteners. It isn't totally avoidable, but I have adjusted to coffee/ tea with just a little skim milk. And those low-carb bars or unsweetened treats have maltitol in them which give me extremely painful gas & bloating (TMI!). It has happened enought that I cringe when I think of those bars, and I stop craving sweets, lol!