Calories Vs. Carbs

[Ciara]

I did Atkins for a year and I lost 40lbs on it. I am now starting to exercise more and I really don't want to do low carbs anymore. Does anybody know if I do 1600 calorie diet keeping some things low carb that I can maintain my current weight and maybe lose 15 more pounds? I workout regularly doing Cardio,stregth training and ab work.


Bottom line is : what is better Low carbs or Low Calorie?

Please help
Ciara :-(

 

[Lynnne]

I'm not an expert - but I think Low Carb is dangerous. I think you need to eat a clean diet, free of sugar, fat and junk. Counting calories is good but watch the fat and the sugar as well. Drink lots of water, eat fruit, veges - lean meats and yes, carbs - potatoes, brown rice or brown breads. I worry about the long term effcts of low carb diets and I think it could end up hurting people in the long run. I complement your success and think the next step should be eating clean - they way we were taught in school as youngsters.

 

[kathryn]

Carbohydrates and protein only have 4 calories per gram, whereas fat has 9 calories per gram (and alcohol has 7).

I believe in a good balance of carbohydrate (whole foods, not white flour or sugar), protein and good fats.

Recently, someone posted an article at videofitness.com about a study that showed that populations that eat the most carbohydrates are the leanest (this is healthy carbs, not processed food).

 

[trevor]

I think it's intersting that Cathe has stated, I believe, that she does a 40-30-30 diet(carbs-protein-fat) and she looks awesome. Obviously you don't need one of these latest fad diets, like Atkins, to look great and be in great shape. Everything in moderation.
T.

 

[Maximus]

I think the answer depends on the individual. I did low fat for years, but after I hit 30 it just didn't work for me anymore, although my lifestyle & fitness routine stayed the same. Everyone's body chemistry is different & reacts to different diets. You have to experiment & see what works best for you.

I don't believe Atkins is dangerous--I've been on it for 2 years without any health problems. My cholestoral levels are fine and I'm the healthiest person I know. You just have to take the right vitamin supplements.

 

[Ciara]

Hey,
I want to thank all of you for the great advice (Lynne, Kathryn, Maximus and T. I am going to evaluate what I eat and make healthy choices along with exercise. I appreciate all the comments they really gave me some things to consider and think about.

Ciara :7

 

[gtntuff]

I am just starting a modified Atkins diet. What sort of vitamin supplements should I be taking to make sure I get the right nutrients to be able to continue with my Cathe workouts?

 

[Bobbi]

Give me low cal/high carb

One of the pitfalls of doing low carb like Atkins is having to stay with a diet that limits a food group and can become boring. The second is how our bodies store water. For every 1 gram of carbohydrate, we store 3 grams of water. This is one of the reasons people on Atkins drop large amounts of weight very quickly. The diet sloughs your water stores. Also, any diet that require you to supplement nutrients should throw up a red flag. I occasionally sup B6 for PMS, Vitamin E and Selenium (anti-oxidents) for free radical damage that may occur as a result of exercise and Omega 3's because they are less and less available in our diets and may ward off depression but overall what I eat provides everything I need.

Studies have shown that eating a BALANCED low calorie diet brings longevity and less disease. This has been studied recently but was first observed in rats and mice. Check out the Okninawa Program. Okinawins live into their 90's and 100's. They are active and eat low calorie, nutrient dense foods. There's a newer book called the Okinawan Diet Plan which I was checking out at Amazon and sadly younger Okinwans are losing the longevity edge. The reason: McDonalds has come to the island.

Of over 300 million Americans, 24 million are doing Atkins. Half the adult population is overweight. Only 1 in 3 exercises and only 1 in 10 vigourously. It becomes much more difficult once someone has become obese but there's no magic formula. Americans are fat becasue they eat too much and too much of the wrong kind of food, i.e., highly processed junk that doesn't satisfy hunger and leads to responses in the body which cause craving for more. It's a vicious circle.

Mainstream nutriton has not changed and none of the fad diets have put the brakes on the obesity epidemic. In fact, Americans have gotten fatter.

The formula is regular exercise, at least half of your caloric intake from carbs, no more than 30 from fat and approximately 15% from protein. This may vary but not by much. Since it's unlikely that we'll run into a famine in the US, fat stores can be low and carb intake high to provide energy as needed. The quality of the carbs is key. If you do heavy labor or lift heavy weights, protein requirments may go up but protein is a horrible source for energy. Carbs are best and fat 2nd best once glycogen in muscles and the liver are spent and assuming your next meal isn't readily available. This and knowing your energy requirements based on your body composition, the size of your frame and your activity levels is all it takes.

It's so simple, it's beautiful!


Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

- Mary Oliver

 

[Maximus]

RE: Give me low cal/high carb

I take a multivitamin (Centrum even has one out now specifically for those on Atkins), and I also take vitamin C and zinc since I found myself getting colds a lot more after I started Atkins. Evidently it affects your immune system, probably b/c you can't eat fruit.

Anyway, I did lose 30 lbs during the first 8 weeks, and two years later a total of 35 lbs (went from 140 to 105). I feel great, I look great, my cholestoral levels are normal.

I have not had a problem w/boredom--I mean, you can make meat so many different ways, so you can have quite a variety w/the diet. After you get through the induction phase & can increase your carb intake, you can include some sauces w/the meat. So with chicken, steak, pork & fish w/a vegetable you can have a satisfying meal. Also most nuts are low carb, macadamias being the lowest (which I love) so snacking isn't even a problem. In fact, a gourmet grocery store near me makes a sugar free cappucino cheese cake that is fabulous, & only 7 carbs per serving.

And one of the best things about the diet is you never have to go hungry.

 

[activegirl]

RE: Give me low cal/high carb

I guess after everything I have read in the past few years, I have come to believe that the real key to losing weight is really a matter of calories in and calories out. I read a very interesting article in National Geographic this month titled, "The Heavy Weight of Fat," or something like that. To me, it just seems that Americans eat way too many calories per day. A sedentary woman is apparently only supposed to eat 1600 calories a day, but the average US sedentary woman eats an average of over 1800. Also, if you can only eat a certain amount of calories per day, it seems important to me to make sure that you are using those calories in a healthy and nutritious way. For example, eating whole grain complex carbohydrates, getting enough protein, fruits, and veggies, as opposed to a hamburger and fries. I think calorie restriction is just painful in general, especially in our society where instant gratification is emphasized so much in every aspect of our lives. Anyway, I'll get off the soapbox now!

 

[Bobbi]

RE: Give me low cal/high carb

Maximus, one thing interesting about Cathe.com is the people here who do Atkin's do it health consciously, chosing lean meats and getting the full spectrum of nutrients. That takes effort and knowledge which is important to being sucessful in the long term. Some of the guys my husband works with went on it and he told me horror stories about the fatty meats and cheeses they ate. They made no effort to ensure they were getting the proper vitamins and they didn't exercise.

I think it's important that anyone who does it realizes that it is a lifestyle that must be adhered to because reintroducing carbs can be tricky and cause more pounds than lost to come back on and yo yo dieters can really harm themselves by going from diet to diet to diet.

And that's the thing. Rare is the person who can give up carbs in the long term. It requires real dicipline and for folks like yourself, who have that ability and are willing to go the extra mile to ensure they meet their nutrient requirements, it can be great. But the majority are quick fixers who want the weight loss without the lifestyle change. Or they are brand new to the diet game and may not have the knowledge to do it without putting the weight back on. And in the end it's about the total caloric intake.

I do think there is a correlation between body composition and the type of diet best suited. Trevor mentioned Cathe and the 40-30-30 plan. I can see how that might work for Cathe being that she's so muscular. I have a carb friendly body. I'm lanky and lean but small muscled and my metabolism is high. I can probably be classified as Orthorexic too since clean dieting is my obsession.

And yes, the instant gratification factor is huge. Did you see Supersize Me? Morgan got to the point where he only felt good when he was eating that yucky stuff! If thats the case, you'd eat more and more until you exploded! And Americans are getting there! It's scary to watch! Myself, the less junk I eat, the less I want it until those lovely complex carbs, gorgeous vegetables and beautiful fruits turn me on way more than anything sugary and fatty. When I eat a sweet I am happy with tiny portions like a baby sized DQ ice cream cone, a single piece of dark chocolate.

I think it would be great if all the would be fitnuts out there could find this place where they can chose among a variety of lifestyles to suit them and get really good information on the how to's to enable them to make the right choice for them.

And I absolutely love being able to discuss this facinating stuff!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

- Mary Oliver