Low Carb Diet

[LOL!]

And here is a report on a just published nutrition study that readers of this thread will enjoy:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/...eight-loss-diet-dieting-low-carb-low-fat.html

My Summary: If one eats non-processed food, then one will probably lose weight without counting calories because one will just feel full and eat less calories. Doesn't matter that much whether the non-processed foods are low-carb or low-fat.

 

[athena53]

My Summary: If one eats non-processed food, then one will probably lose weight without counting calories because one will just feel full and eat less calories. Doesn't matter that much whether the non-processed foods are low-carb or low-fat.

Yeah, that's pretty much my secret. I eat a large volume of food but it's mostly fruit vegetables, whole grains and not much animal protein (less than daily). Most of it is water and fiber.

 

[RAE]

And here is a report on a just published nutrition study that readers of this thread will enjoy:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/...eight-loss-diet-dieting-low-carb-low-fat.html

My Summary: If one eats non-processed food, then one will probably lose weight without counting calories because one will just feel full and eat less calories. Doesn't matter that much whether the non-processed foods are low-carb or low-fat.

Yep, your summary is on the mark. Seems pretty simple, but it's actually not that easy to eliminate ALL processed food from your diet. If you think about shopping for food at the grocery store, for example, I'd estimate that at least 60-70% of what they are selling is processed food that should not be consumed. So, you really need to confine your food shopping (for the most part) to the meat/fish and produce sections, along with a few things from the dairy case (eggs, cheese), and maybe some raw nuts/seeds. No bread, no pasta, no cookies, no crackers, no chips, no ice cream, etc, etc. (nothing that comes in a box/bag with a list of ingredients on the side). I try to eat that way, but I admit that I occasionally do eat some processed foods, because I really enjoy them (corn chips come to mind). But I know the foods that I SHOULD be eating, and I do try to make sure those comprise the majority of my diet.

 

[harley]

I read somewhere that if you want to eat real/natural food, you should only shop around the edges of the supermarket, staying out of the aisles. I've tried it, and for the most part it works. Most supermarkets seem to have produce, meat, and dairy around the outer edges, with all the boxed, canned, and frozen stuff in the aisles. Not a bad method for avoiding the processed foods.

 

[harley]

And here is a report on a just published nutrition study that readers of this thread will enjoy:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/...eight-loss-diet-dieting-low-carb-low-fat.html

My Summary: If one eats non-processed food, then one will probably lose weight without counting calories because one will just feel full and eat less calories. Doesn't matter that much whether the non-processed foods are low-carb or low-fat.

I couldn't read the actual study without signing up, but one of the commenters in the story you linked pointed out that the "low carb" diet was actually only low carb for the first two months. The other 10 months they were allowed to eat 110 grams of carbs per day. That's not really low carb (IMO). So I think the study actually showed that eating whole foods is more satisfying, appetite-wise. Without the blood sugar spikes caused by most processed carbs, it's far easier to eat without bingeing.

Also, the average weight loss was in the 10-12 lb. range. I'm pretty sure that's the average for any type of diet, so I'm not sure what they are proving here. And, as always with averages, it's sort of misleading. They did say that some people gained weight, and others lost 50-60 lbs.

I do agree, from experience, that eating real, unprocessed foods is healthier and better for things like appetite and blood sugar levels. I eat healthy foods, and have been for years. But it's only when I go (real) low carb that I can lose weight. So I'm not sure their conclusion is correct. At least not for me.

 

[MRG]

I read somewhere that if you want to eat real/natural food, you should only shop around the edges of the supermarket, staying out of the aisles. I've tried it, and for the most part it works. Most supermarkets seem to have produce, meat, and dairy around the outer edges, with all the boxed, canned, and frozen stuff in the aisles. Not a bad method for avoiding the processed foods.

We started doing that before we understood nutrition and it's a good plan. I had to make an exception for oatmeal and bread.

 

[Marita40]

I generally shoot for between 85-105 g of protein a day, and under 50 net carbs.

Googily, could you share a typical day's food? I have a hard time getting a lot of protein in.

 

[RAE]

I couldn't read the actual study without signing up, but one of the commenters in the story you linked pointed out that the "low carb" diet was actually only low carb for the first two months. The other 10 months they were allowed to eat 110 grams of carbs per day. That's not really low carb (IMO)..

Actually, the average American consumes about 220g of carbs daily (women), and about 300g of carbs daily (men). So, for average folks eating a typical Western diet, getting back to 110g of carbs per day would be a significant reduction. Of course, the typical Western diet is not very healthy, which is one reason why there is such a high rate of chronic conditions, such as obesity and diabetes.

 

[Chuckanut]

And here is a report on a just published nutrition study that readers of this thread will enjoy:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/...eight-loss-diet-dieting-low-carb-low-fat.html

My Summary: If one eats non-processed food, then one will probably lose weight without counting calories because one will just feel full and eat less calories. Doesn't matter that much whether the non-processed foods are low-carb or low-fat.

A few weeks ago I found an interesting article on processed foods. Alas, I can't find it so I can't post a link.

The article claimed that most highly processed foods were made up mostly of just six (6!) foods - beef, wheat, corn, soy beans, palm oil, and sugar. Food colorings, seasoning and flavorings give us a variety of tastes from these six ingrediants. IOW, if one eats a lot of highly processed foods, one does not eat a great variety of foods.

 

[GravitySucks]

On 1/18 (first post) I weighed 237.6. Last Tuesday's weigh-in was 230.4. So, 7.2 pounds.

Wow!
Doing great!

 

[braumeister]

I avoid the center aisles of the supermarket religiously, and eat practically no processed foods.

The bonus is that my local store is ginormous (116,000 sf). So walking around the perimeter gives me a little extra exercise. Some people complain about that, but I love it.

I did find it a bit strange that the study in question divided people into supposedly low fat and low carb groups, but their definition of low carb is a lot more lenient than mine.

 

[athena53]

The article claimed that most highly processed foods were made up mostly of just six (6!) foods - beef, wheat, corn, soy beans, palm oil, and sugar. Food colorings, seasoning and flavorings give us a variety of tastes from these six ingredients.

Ick! I think there's a lot of truth to it, though. I just read a few labels of the processed foods I have in my pantry, mostly canned soups that I use as a base to add large piles of stir-fried vegetables for a quick meal. Corn starch, hydrolyzed corn protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, high-fructose corn syrup, toasted corn flour, soy protein isolate, corn syrup solids, modified corn starch, textured soy flour, soy lecithins.

I gotta read labels more often.

 

[LOL!]

Googily, could you share a typical day's food? I have a hard time getting a lot of protein in.

Here is what I will end up eating today:

Breakfast:
1/2 c (uncooked) Oatmeal with blueberries, craisins, walnuts, ground flaxseed, soy milk, and cocoa-flavored protein powder.

Lunch:
1/4 can of black beans added to salad of fresh spinach, fresh kale, fresh carrots, fresh mushrooms, fresh cherry tomatoes, almonds, blueberries, craisins.

Dinner
1/4 cup popcorn popped with about 3 Tbsp of nutritional yeast added, no salt added.

Dessert: Dark chocolate, 4 squares.

Drink: Tea and water as much as I want.

I don't know how much protein that is, but most is probably at breakfast since the protein powder adds about 30 g alone.

 

[RAE]

Here is what I will end up eating today:

Breakfast:
1/2 c (uncooked) Oatmeal with blueberries, craisins, walnuts, ground flaxseed, soy milk, and cocoa-flavored protein powder.

Lunch:
1/4 can of black beans added to salad of fresh spinach, fresh kale, fresh carrots, fresh mushrooms, fresh cherry tomatoes, almonds, blueberries, craisins.

Dinner
1/4 cup popcorn popped with about 3 Tbsp of nutritional yeast added, no salt added.

Dessert: Dark chocolate, 4 squares.

Drink: Tea and water as much as I want.

I don't know how much protein that is, but most is probably at breakfast since the protein powder adds about 30 g alone.

I used to eat craisins, but gave them up because of all the added sugar. Check the package label..........you might be surprised how much sugar is in an ounce or two of craisins.

 

[MRG]

I used to eat craisins, but gave them up because of all the added sugar. Check the package label..........you might be surprised how much sugar is in an ounce or two of craisins.

Replace craisins with any other food that comes in a box, jar or anything else. My last straw was salad dressings and Ketchup! For gosh sake ketchup is loaded with HFCS!

I have not had ketchup or store bought salad dressings for almost 3 years.

 

[Ed B]

I would hesitate to criticize the doctor. Too many minimize diabetes, following the ADA guideline of “keep your A1c under 7.0.” The damage happens early, and even the lesser consequences can be nasty. A short sharp shock can be just what the doctor ordered to encourage compliance.

(Dx’ed 20 years ago.)

I would criticize that doctor if he or she truly said that a T2 could be on insulin in a year after seeing an A1C rise from 5.7 to 5.9 the year before. That is absurd.

T2 dx 2006

Congratulations on getting the BG levels down with diet.

 

[aja8888]

Ick! I think there's a lot of truth to it, though. I just read a few labels of the processed foods I have in my pantry, mostly canned soups that I use as a base to add large piles of stir-fried vegetables for a quick meal. Corn starch, hydrolyzed corn protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, high-fructose corn syrup, toasted corn flour, soy protein isolate, corn syrup solids, modified corn starch, textured soy flour, soy lecithins.

I gotta read labels more often.

My emphasis above. It's amazing what "they" can do with corn!

 

[LOL!]

I used to eat craisins, but gave them up because of all the added sugar. Check the package label..........you might be surprised how much sugar is in an ounce or two of craisins.

I am not surprised and I am quite aware of the added sugar. I sometimes get the "half-the-sugar" craisins. Nevertheless, I don't go overboard. A 5 ounce bag of craisins lasts me at least 15 days of meals. Plus I will get sugar from fresh fruit anyways.

 

[RAE]

Replace craisins with any other food that comes in a box, jar or anything else. My last straw was salad dressings and Ketchup! For gosh sake ketchup is loaded with HFCS!

I have not had ketchup or store bought salad dressings for almost 3 years.

We make our own salad dressing too. Just good-quality olive oil, vinegar, and a mix of dried herbs my wife puts together (plus a little bit of anchovy sometimes). Tasty, and a whole lot better for you than anything you can find in a bottle at the store.

 

[Done at 49]

Last year at this time I weighed 245 pounds and I needed to make some life changes. I limit my carbs and have eliminated sugar and fried foods from my diet. I eat an 80% plant based diet now and lean proteins. One year later I weigh 170 pounds. I have kept the weight off now for 5 months. I feel like a different person. I walk at least two miles every morning.

 

[RAE]

Last year at this time I weighed 245 pounds and I needed to make some life changes. I limit my carbs and have eliminated sugar and fried foods from my diet. I eat an 80% plant based diet now and lean proteins. One year later I weigh 170 pounds. I have kept the weight off now for 5 months. I feel like a different person. I walk at least two miles every morning.

Wow, great results..........congratulations! You've probably also added years to your life.

 

[Amethyst]

Actual raisins, dried apricots, figs, and prunes usually do not have added sugars, since they are so sweet by themselves. When these dried fruits are stewed with a little lemon peel, they make great additions to plain yogurt.

I am not surprised and I am quite aware of the added sugar. I sometimes get the "half-the-sugar" craisins. Nevertheless, I don't go overboard. A 5 ounce bag of craisins lasts me at least 15 days of meals. Plus I will get sugar from fresh fruit anyways.

 

[MRG]

Last year at this time I weighed 245 pounds and I needed to make some life changes. I limit my carbs and have eliminated sugar and fried foods from my diet. I eat an 80% plant based diet now and lean proteins. One year later I weigh 170 pounds. I have kept the weight off now for 5 months. I feel like a different person. I walk at least two miles every morning.

Congratulations. Awesome.

 

[Z3Dreamer]

Last year at this time I weighed 245 pounds and I needed to make some life changes. I limit my carbs and have eliminated sugar and fried foods from my diet. I eat an 80% plant based diet now and lean proteins. One year later I weigh 170 pounds. I have kept the weight off now for 5 months. I feel like a different person. I walk at least two miles every morning.

My first thought was this can't be right. 75 pounds in 7 months! 2.5 pounds per week for a sustained period is real good.

Second thought. You are amazing.

Final thought. How come I can't do it that quickly?

 

[braumeister]

Well, it may have been 75 pounds in 12 months, or almost 1.5 pounds per week.

But regardless, it's extraordinarily impressive!