@hchavers@iluvmingos it really depends on what you like to eat. and how you define low carb.
take riced veggies. they are not rice. if you want to think they are, you won’t eat them, but add this yummy asian riced veggie blend i buy at sprouts to chicken soup, and it makes it so good you won’t miss the rice.
In early December of 2008, I hit 214 lbs and was on the verge of having to go up a size on my shirts, pants, and other such stuff. I hadn’t been happy about the trend, and I decided to do something about it.
I did not consult a doctor, or a nutritionist, or the Internet, or anyone else at all. I just stopped eating anything containing sugar, most particularly anything containing HFCS. Six months later, I was down to 182, my high school weight, and back down to a loose 36" waist measurement.
So I decided to go as close to zero carb as I could get. For the next six months, I stayed below 5g of carb per day, and went three entire months at a real zero.
Yes, it was a bitch to do, and NOT CHEAP.
But I bottomed out at 152, I looked like a frigging long-distance runner, and I felt amazing.
Since then, I have become a little more relaxed about carbs, and I keep my weight around 162 with no effort. My A1C is two tenths of a point above the lower end of the target range. I pay no attention to my lipid numbers. And at 70, I think I’m in better shape than most people my age.
I am not a low-carb evangelist. It does not work for everyone, for a variety of reasons. But my personal opinion is that for those who can benefit from it, and who can afford the more costly food choices needed, it’s worth doing. Is that you? Beats the hell out of me.
@werehatrack i get ya
and it depends on how you define carbs.
i did it for 6 months, lost 50 lbs, then came covid and well…
but i didn’t go as low as you say you did. i ate carrots and onions (not usual low carb veggies) bbut i ate a lot of cabbage, i learned where i could go out and do not horrible. and did it here and there.
i don’t eat as much as i did before this but covid brought back confort food and i haven’t given it up
@Cerridwyn Okay … it’s just that consuming huge amounts of animal protein is not great environmentally. But I realize a diabetic diet probably has a lot more nuance than Keto.
@Kyeh it does. And we are by Nature omnivores. True keto is high fat. So it relies heavily on animal protein it because that’s where we get a lot of our fats from. I would imagine it is humanly possible to do a vegan keto but it would be really difficult. Keto relies on people doing things like eating meat and bacon and you know whatever. The whole concept of avoiding higher end starches has been in the diet industry for a very long time. I remember somebody many years ago that was getting those HCG shots. Remember when those were popular. And lunch for him was filet mignon and a dry salad. And he actually did lose weight. Although I’m sure it wasn’t good for his body. Keto does work for some people dirty keto tends to work better for some people. And there’s a lot of research now that says going too low on your carbs without a medical reason is not as healthy as we think it is.
@Cerridwyn@Kyeh I’d want to know who funded any research that came up with a conclusion defending carbs in any way, and I would not accept their conclusions without looking at the data to see what it actually contains. That’s because the demonstrated and documented record of corrupted dietary research which purported to support carb consumption benefits and safety, funded by vested interests, is even more egregious than the claims of tobacco safety (and even benefit).
@Kyeh@werehatrack
okay
what is a carb?
pretty much any plant food we eat is a carb. Chemically, every thing from simple sucrose and fructose to starch is a carb, So if you eat bread, pasta, potatoes, apples, berries, lettuce, etc, you are eating carbs.
there are 3 types of nutrients, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, we need them all to survive
now, yes, much of the research on food is sadly funded by the food industry, but some of it actually is done by institutes of higher learning who, while they take grant money, will not just publish what someone wants to hear. some of it is more nuanced and related to actual personal experiences. so many people eating keto when it was a super fad gave registered dieticians lots of things to watch and follow,
And just a reminder to everyone, a Keto diet is consuming about 70% of your calories as fat,
Keto is one of those things that bottom line works for so many things—For me, it even helps sleep patterns. But…I love carbs too. So…finding balance is critical! But…I’m doing a month of SCKC right now, and I forget how great I feel when off the garbage until I am!
@mediocrebot That massive gadgetron looks like a carburetor designed by a committee of three German engineers, three French engineers, three DoD majors, two engineers from Raytheon, four from Boeing, and six Congresscritters with veto power on things that would keep part of the end product from being sourced in their district. And it would be for use in a target practice drone.
I can’t in good conscience recommend low-carb. Low-sugar, yes: cut all the extracted sugar you can (including syrups and juices)… which limits you to have fruits and vegetables because they come with fiber, vitamins, and water that fills you up. (Even dehydrated ones are fine because they make you thirsty and incline you to fill up on water.)
@pakopako I, on the other hand, can’t recommend against it unless the individual has the known metabolic or physiological factors that pretty much preclude it. (This includes having had their gall bladder removed.) OTOH, since it doesn’t work (equally or at all) for everyone, it’s a YMMV method.
Not healthy. Yes you’ll lose weight, but it’s not healthy in the long run. If you look at all the longest living people they eat balance diets with minimal meat.
Cutting out simple sugars and refined carbs is a very good idea though. People eat way too much refined carbs and so cutting those back is good. Non refined carbs. Nuts, seeds, root vegetables, leafy vegetables… They’re your friends not your enemies.
My wife and I did it for several years (Atkins) and it worked very well. My wife tried paleo as well, and was happy with it but it is expensive.
But we found out that the sugar alcohols that are used in so many of the ‘sweet’ low carb foods caused her a lot of distress (and me less but noticeable). I guess they’re the “highly processed” version of “keto/paleo” friendly foods.
…unfortunately necessary for me…Stupid Type 2 Diabeetus…grumble grumble grumble…
Hit me about 10 years earlier than my Dad…
But… special diets are nothing new in my family…
Dad and I are both type 2 ( as are his brothers)
Mom’s REALLY lactose intolerant, and My Brother is Gluten Intolerant, and sometimes has issues with Dairy Protein. not to mention one of Dad’s brothers has a shellfish allergy. (we’re really popular at cookouts/get togethers, and restaurants can be challenging)
GF’s Dad just diagnosed Pre-Diabetic, so he’s having to start cutting back… unfortunately his top food groups are Pizza, Pasta, and Soda…( he’s also a Truck Driver… lots of on the road “convenience” food…)
and his Daily PB&J is the only thing keeping his nut allergy at bay…
I was going to be funny and say that eating low carb is for the birds but the reality/MY REALITY is it’s serious business and I need to buck up and get with the program!
I’m struggling with the whole diet thing right now. Ugh, it’s tough! I’ve really got to educate myself better so I’ve been planning to talk with a nutritionist. I’d always been fit and trim but in the past few years, with lots of extra stress and anxiety I gained around 70 pounds. I’ve got so many food restrictions… I’ve got type 2 diabetes, a low or no vitamin K diet because I take the blood thinner coumadin, and then I have chronic kidney stones and that comes along with it’s own diet too. Like I said, I’ve got to figure it out! Hopefully next year when the question of carbs is asked again, I’ll be slim and healthier and singing a different tune!
@Lynnerizer hugs and good luck. And do find a dietitian or nutritionist. Preferably one that is a real one and not one that just bills themselves as one. And make a list before you talk to them of the foods that you really really like because if they’re on the naughty list you may be able to negotiate a little bit of them here and there if that works for you. It doesn’t work for everyone some people have to just draw the line and quit like an alcoholic and alcohol. But other people can do the little bit here a little bit there and still do what they need to do. You should also talk to your doctor about getting off coumadin and on to a more modern anticoagulant. I know it might not be possible but if it is in your insurance covers it then you don’t have to avoid vitamin k. The biggest problem is that green leafy vegetables which are high in vitamin K are also your low-carb vegetables
@Lynnerizer There is some good information around that may be of interest, but the books tend to be thick. For the history of how we got into the current mess, I can recommend “Good Calories, Bad Calories” by Gary Taubes. For actual dietary advice (not always useful for everyone, but possibly a decent starting point), I’d look at the current edition of “Wheat Belly” by Dr. William Davis.
Not as much fun as we would like.
I’ll let you know if I ever try it.
@iluvmingos I would like to know too.
@hchavers @iluvmingos it really depends on what you like to eat. and how you define low carb.
take riced veggies. they are not rice. if you want to think they are, you won’t eat them, but add this yummy asian riced veggie blend i buy at sprouts to chicken soup, and it makes it so good you won’t miss the rice.
@Cerridwyn @hchavers @iluvmingos
I eat those even though I’m not on a low carb diet - they just seem like a nice tasty way to get some extra veggies!
It’s expensive by comparison to the usual carb-based diet.
i wouldn’t know where to begin. i love carbs, and i love proteins, but i think i need both. i feel real shitty if i get out of balance.
YMMV.
In early December of 2008, I hit 214 lbs and was on the verge of having to go up a size on my shirts, pants, and other such stuff. I hadn’t been happy about the trend, and I decided to do something about it.
I did not consult a doctor, or a nutritionist, or the Internet, or anyone else at all. I just stopped eating anything containing sugar, most particularly anything containing HFCS. Six months later, I was down to 182, my high school weight, and back down to a loose 36" waist measurement.
So I decided to go as close to zero carb as I could get. For the next six months, I stayed below 5g of carb per day, and went three entire months at a real zero.
Yes, it was a bitch to do, and NOT CHEAP.
But I bottomed out at 152, I looked like a frigging long-distance runner, and I felt amazing.
Since then, I have become a little more relaxed about carbs, and I keep my weight around 162 with no effort. My A1C is two tenths of a point above the lower end of the target range. I pay no attention to my lipid numbers. And at 70, I think I’m in better shape than most people my age.
I am not a low-carb evangelist. It does not work for everyone, for a variety of reasons. But my personal opinion is that for those who can benefit from it, and who can afford the more costly food choices needed, it’s worth doing. Is that you? Beats the hell out of me.
@werehatrack i get ya
and it depends on how you define carbs.
i did it for 6 months, lost 50 lbs, then came covid and well…
but i didn’t go as low as you say you did. i ate carrots and onions (not usual low carb veggies) bbut i ate a lot of cabbage, i learned where i could go out and do not horrible. and did it here and there.
i don’t eat as much as i did before this but covid brought back confort food and i haven’t given it up
It’s about how processed they are.
No way to live
Not sustainable
@Kyeh it is, now Keto is not, really, but low carb is the essential of any diabetic diet.
@Cerridwyn Okay … it’s just that consuming huge amounts of animal protein is not great environmentally. But I realize a diabetic diet probably has a lot more nuance than Keto.
@Kyeh it does. And we are by Nature omnivores. True keto is high fat. So it relies heavily on animal protein it because that’s where we get a lot of our fats from. I would imagine it is humanly possible to do a vegan keto but it would be really difficult. Keto relies on people doing things like eating meat and bacon and you know whatever. The whole concept of avoiding higher end starches has been in the diet industry for a very long time. I remember somebody many years ago that was getting those HCG shots. Remember when those were popular. And lunch for him was filet mignon and a dry salad. And he actually did lose weight. Although I’m sure it wasn’t good for his body. Keto does work for some people dirty keto tends to work better for some people. And there’s a lot of research now that says going too low on your carbs without a medical reason is not as healthy as we think it is.
@Cerridwyn @Kyeh I’d want to know who funded any research that came up with a conclusion defending carbs in any way, and I would not accept their conclusions without looking at the data to see what it actually contains. That’s because the demonstrated and documented record of corrupted dietary research which purported to support carb consumption benefits and safety, funded by vested interests, is even more egregious than the claims of tobacco safety (and even benefit).
@Kyeh @werehatrack
okay
what is a carb?
pretty much any plant food we eat is a carb. Chemically, every thing from simple sucrose and fructose to starch is a carb, So if you eat bread, pasta, potatoes, apples, berries, lettuce, etc, you are eating carbs.
there are 3 types of nutrients, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, we need them all to survive
now, yes, much of the research on food is sadly funded by the food industry, but some of it actually is done by institutes of higher learning who, while they take grant money, will not just publish what someone wants to hear. some of it is more nuanced and related to actual personal experiences. so many people eating keto when it was a super fad gave registered dieticians lots of things to watch and follow,
And just a reminder to everyone, a Keto diet is consuming about 70% of your calories as fat,
Why would I want to do that?
I like pasta
/giphy upbeat-talented-minnow
Keto is one of those things that bottom line works for so many things—For me, it even helps sleep patterns. But…I love carbs too. So…finding balance is critical! But…I’m doing a month of SCKC right now, and I forget how great I feel when off the garbage until I am!
What’s a carb?
/showme a single carb
/giphy what-is-a-carb
/image carbs
Dammit, I said a carb, not a crab! (Or a carburetor)
@mediocrebot That massive gadgetron looks like a carburetor designed by a committee of three German engineers, three French engineers, three DoD majors, two engineers from Raytheon, four from Boeing, and six Congresscritters with veto power on things that would keep part of the end product from being sourced in their district. And it would be for use in a target practice drone.
@mediocrebot @werehatrack
Or… AI
I can’t in good conscience recommend low-carb. Low-sugar, yes: cut all the extracted sugar you can (including syrups and juices)… which limits you to have fruits and vegetables because they come with fiber, vitamins, and water that fills you up. (Even dehydrated ones are fine because they make you thirsty and incline you to fill up on water.)
@pakopako I, on the other hand, can’t recommend against it unless the individual has the known metabolic or physiological factors that pretty much preclude it. (This includes having had their gall bladder removed.) OTOH, since it doesn’t work (equally or at all) for everyone, it’s a YMMV method.
Not healthy. Yes you’ll lose weight, but it’s not healthy in the long run. If you look at all the longest living people they eat balance diets with minimal meat.
Cutting out simple sugars and refined carbs is a very good idea though. People eat way too much refined carbs and so cutting those back is good. Non refined carbs. Nuts, seeds, root vegetables, leafy vegetables… They’re your friends not your enemies.
/showme a crab eating carbs on a carburetor made of carbboard
My wife and I did it for several years (Atkins) and it worked very well. My wife tried paleo as well, and was happy with it but it is expensive.
But we found out that the sugar alcohols that are used in so many of the ‘sweet’ low carb foods caused her a lot of distress (and me less but noticeable). I guess they’re the “highly processed” version of “keto/paleo” friendly foods.
…unfortunately necessary for me…Stupid Type 2 Diabeetus…grumble grumble grumble…
Hit me about 10 years earlier than my Dad…
But… special diets are nothing new in my family…
Dad and I are both type 2 ( as are his brothers)
Mom’s REALLY lactose intolerant, and My Brother is Gluten Intolerant, and sometimes has issues with Dairy Protein. not to mention one of Dad’s brothers has a shellfish allergy. (we’re really popular at cookouts/get togethers, and restaurants can be challenging)
GF’s Dad just diagnosed Pre-Diabetic, so he’s having to start cutting back… unfortunately his top food groups are Pizza, Pasta, and Soda…( he’s also a Truck Driver… lots of on the road “convenience” food…)
and his Daily PB&J is the only thing keeping his nut allergy at bay…
I was going to be funny and say that eating low carb is for the birds but the reality/MY REALITY is it’s serious business and I need to buck up and get with the program!
I’ve really got to educate myself better so I’ve been planning to talk with a nutritionist. I’d always been fit and trim but in the past few years, with lots of extra stress and anxiety I gained around 70 pounds.
I’ve got so many food restrictions… I’ve got type 2 diabetes, a low or no vitamin K diet because I take the blood thinner coumadin, and then I have chronic kidney stones and that comes along with it’s own diet too. Like I said, I’ve got to figure it out! Hopefully next year when the question of carbs is asked again, I’ll be slim and healthier and singing a different tune! 
I’m struggling with the whole diet thing right now. Ugh, it’s tough!
@Lynnerizer hugs and good luck. And do find a dietitian or nutritionist. Preferably one that is a real one and not one that just bills themselves as one. And make a list before you talk to them of the foods that you really really like because if they’re on the naughty list you may be able to negotiate a little bit of them here and there if that works for you. It doesn’t work for everyone some people have to just draw the line and quit like an alcoholic and alcohol. But other people can do the little bit here a little bit there and still do what they need to do. You should also talk to your doctor about getting off coumadin and on to a more modern anticoagulant. I know it might not be possible but if it is in your insurance covers it then you don’t have to avoid vitamin k. The biggest problem is that green leafy vegetables which are high in vitamin K are also your low-carb vegetables
@Lynnerizer There is some good information around that may be of interest, but the books tend to be thick. For the history of how we got into the current mess, I can recommend “Good Calories, Bad Calories” by Gary Taubes. For actual dietary advice (not always useful for everyone, but possibly a decent starting point), I’d look at the current edition of “Wheat Belly” by Dr. William Davis.