Ok, I am contemplating a lower carb diet to get some serious results. I would have just one slice of ezekial bread a day and all the veggies I want as carbs. So that would mean lunch and dinner would have no grains of any kind. I work out hard for 6 days/week, 1-1.5 hours. Do you think this is unrealistic for carbs with this kind of working out?
Have to get diet serious...?
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hiitdogs
Cathlete
>Ok, I am contemplating a lower carb diet to get some serious
>results. I would have just one slice of ezekial bread a day
>and all the veggies I want as carbs. So that would mean lunch
>and dinner would have no grains of any kind. I work out hard
>for 6 days/week, 1-1.5 hours. Do you think this is
>unrealistic for carbs with this kind of working out?
I don't know, I guess it is different for everyone. I can't sustain 6 days of Cathe workouts with a low-carb diet. Been there, done that. I did lose weight initially but I had no energy anymore, and my workouts started suffering until I was at a point that I couldn't do the workouts anymore.
Putting carbs back in after the low carb, made me gain the weight back and then some after just a week or two of "normal" eating. On top of it, it took me a while to work up the energy to do the Cathe workouts again, so it ended up being a double-whammy.
I have come to the conclusion that most of the weight I lost with low carb (Atkins, South Beach, modified low carb) was water weight and in the process I screwed up my metabolism.
However, everyone is different. Me personally, any diet that cuts out or limits a particular food group can't work in the long run - and no, I don't consider cake and candy a food group
Good luck!
Carola
>results. I would have just one slice of ezekial bread a day
>and all the veggies I want as carbs. So that would mean lunch
>and dinner would have no grains of any kind. I work out hard
>for 6 days/week, 1-1.5 hours. Do you think this is
>unrealistic for carbs with this kind of working out?
I don't know, I guess it is different for everyone. I can't sustain 6 days of Cathe workouts with a low-carb diet. Been there, done that. I did lose weight initially but I had no energy anymore, and my workouts started suffering until I was at a point that I couldn't do the workouts anymore.
Putting carbs back in after the low carb, made me gain the weight back and then some after just a week or two of "normal" eating. On top of it, it took me a while to work up the energy to do the Cathe workouts again, so it ended up being a double-whammy.
I have come to the conclusion that most of the weight I lost with low carb (Atkins, South Beach, modified low carb) was water weight and in the process I screwed up my metabolism.
However, everyone is different. Me personally, any diet that cuts out or limits a particular food group can't work in the long run - and no, I don't consider cake and candy a food group
Good luck!
Carola
DianneGallagher
Cathlete
I'm going to have to agree with Carola.
Restricting carbs from your diet and putting in 1 to 1 1/2 hours per day working out is not healthy. You need carbs for energy. It's just really simple - calories in have to be less than calories out. A calorie is a calorie. I think it's detrimental to deplete one group of anything from your daily food intake. Your body will compensate in other areas...
I've recently changed my diet to eating fresh fruits, almonds, peanuts, ezekiel bread, kashi cereal, sliced turkey, fresh vegetables and lots of water. I don't count calories, I just eat when I'm hungry. I still have my fat free creamer in my coffee every morning and in the last 8 weeks have dropped 7 pounds. I've also been following Cathe's rotations since January. The girl knows her stuff that's for sure!
Good luck to you!
Dianne
Restricting carbs from your diet and putting in 1 to 1 1/2 hours per day working out is not healthy. You need carbs for energy. It's just really simple - calories in have to be less than calories out. A calorie is a calorie. I think it's detrimental to deplete one group of anything from your daily food intake. Your body will compensate in other areas...
I've recently changed my diet to eating fresh fruits, almonds, peanuts, ezekiel bread, kashi cereal, sliced turkey, fresh vegetables and lots of water. I don't count calories, I just eat when I'm hungry. I still have my fat free creamer in my coffee every morning and in the last 8 weeks have dropped 7 pounds. I've also been following Cathe's rotations since January. The girl knows her stuff that's for sure!
Good luck to you!
Dianne
I, too, agree with Carola and Dianne. Instead of cutting out most carbs, check out "The Eat Clean Diet" by Tosca Reno. It's not really a diet, but a more sensible way of eating. I do know that if you follow it pretty strictly, you will lose weight. You will also have tons of energy and feel so much better. I can't recommend the book highly enough and it WILL give you results such as weight loss, more definition, and better health.
LauraMax
Cathlete
I guess I'll be the lone voice of supporting low carb diets here. I started Atkins 4 years ago & lost 30 lbs in 8 weeks. While I experienced energy loss during the first 2 weeks or so, my body adjusted & my energy level went back to normal.
I've stuck w/a modified low carb diet for the past 4 years & it's worked well for me. At this point I stay low carb M-F & eat whatever I want on the weekends.
As far as health issues are concerned, not only have I had none but I feel healthier now than I ever did in my life. I have a physical once a year for my thyroid & every year my cholestoral levels are perfect, kidney & liver functions perfect, absolutely no health issues at all.
I've stuck w/a modified low carb diet for the past 4 years & it's worked well for me. At this point I stay low carb M-F & eat whatever I want on the weekends.
As far as health issues are concerned, not only have I had none but I feel healthier now than I ever did in my life. I have a physical once a year for my thyroid & every year my cholestoral levels are perfect, kidney & liver functions perfect, absolutely no health issues at all.
I think everyone is different. I was recently training for a figure competition and as such, ended up going really low carb. While I looked pretty good, I was crying at the drop of a hat, yelling at my kids and didn't have enough energy to do anything other than my regular workouts (and those I was just barely getting through - I was actually on the verge of tears during my heavy leg day!).
You'll have to experiment and see what works for you. For me there is a very fine line between too little carbs, just right and too much. I did like the 'ripped' look I ended up with - but that was all that I liked. I know the other girls I was training with didn't have this happen to them, so like I said - it's different for everyone.
Good luck!
Susan:7
You'll have to experiment and see what works for you. For me there is a very fine line between too little carbs, just right and too much. I did like the 'ripped' look I ended up with - but that was all that I liked. I know the other girls I was training with didn't have this happen to them, so like I said - it's different for everyone.
Good luck!
Susan:7
nancy324
Cathlete
I'm not sure why, but my nutritionist wants me to have complex carbs at breakfast and lunch, but no carbs at dinner. So, for example, I'm supposed to have old-fashioned oatmeal for breakfast, and a half cup of beans in my salad for lunch, but no beans in my dinner salad. I think a single slice of whole grain bread isn't quite enough for one day.
The low carb diet definitely works best for me. I have more energy, less bloat and generally just feel better. I also went on the Atkins diet about 10 years ago and lost the weight. If I keep to lots of veggies, protein and very limited grains I feel good and keep my weight steady. Tho I do eat lots of fruit now.
kathryn
Cathlete
>Ok, thanks ladies. Will stick with my more wholesome grains
>and just tweak it elsewhere. I was concerned I'd lose energy
>for the workouts.
Instead of going lo-carb, I suggest excluding gluten grains (especially wheat, but also rye, barley and oats--at least temporarily. Later, you can add oats back in and see how that works, as they are the lowest gluten of the gluten grains) and sticking with whole grains (not even flours, but the entire grain), but more especially pseudo-grains, which are actually seeds more than grains, and with a better nutrtional profile.
Quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth are good choices. (quinoa makes a great pilaf, or a good substitute for wheat in tabouli). Millet is good as well.
I think the low-carb diet may work as a weight loss diet, but it is not a healthy way to live, and is the complete opposite of the healthiest diets on Earth from a heath standpoint (which are usually around 60-70 percent of calories from UNPROCESSED carbohydrates).
>and just tweak it elsewhere. I was concerned I'd lose energy
>for the workouts.
Instead of going lo-carb, I suggest excluding gluten grains (especially wheat, but also rye, barley and oats--at least temporarily. Later, you can add oats back in and see how that works, as they are the lowest gluten of the gluten grains) and sticking with whole grains (not even flours, but the entire grain), but more especially pseudo-grains, which are actually seeds more than grains, and with a better nutrtional profile.
Quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth are good choices. (quinoa makes a great pilaf, or a good substitute for wheat in tabouli). Millet is good as well.
I think the low-carb diet may work as a weight loss diet, but it is not a healthy way to live, and is the complete opposite of the healthiest diets on Earth from a heath standpoint (which are usually around 60-70 percent of calories from UNPROCESSED carbohydrates).