Low Carb Diet

Low Carb Diet questions and answers

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Q: What are some low carb foods and is low carb the best way to go on a diet?
I am thinking about trying a low carb diet, kind of like the Atkins diet but I'm going to try this on my own, not with a program. What are some good low carb foods that I can eat that will keep me going during the day? Also, does anyone have some lower back exercises? I can't find ANY that are doable without some machine contraption and I can't afford one of those!

A: Low carb diets do seem to be a successful way to lose weight if you can stick with them. Low carb foods are usually foods with a low glycemic index. This means, they they don't increase your blood sugar. High blood sugar is a surefire way to increase hunger. No carb foods: Meats (Fish, Poultry (remove the skin), Beef, Pork, etc.) Low carb foods: Pretty much anything that doesn't contain grains/flour or sugar. Although there are plenty of exceptions. :) Both Atkins and South Beach have massive lists of acceptable foods for all of their phases. These lists are a great guideline even if you don't want to follow either diet. If you do end up going with a low carb diet plan, I'd suggest South Beach over Atkins. It's a tad bit more lenient. Especially after induction. The best non-mechanized lower back exercises I've encountered are yoga poses or physical therapy strengthening exercises. Here are a couple: Physical Therapy 1 1) Lie on back, left knee bent. 2) Tighten abdominals and buttocks, keeping back in neutral position. 3) Raise right leg 12 inches, knee straight. 4) Hold 3 counts 5) Lower leg. Repeat 10 times. Progress to making circles and squares with raised leg. =-=-=-=-= Yoga 1 1) Lie on your back. 2) Bend your knees, placing feet flat on the ground. Inhale. 3) Raise your right leg up. 4) Exhaling, place your hands around the shin. If that is not possible place your hands around your thighs. 5) Hold for a few seconds. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Q: Can I do a low carb diet to lose weight while running 20 to 30 miles a week?
I have been running, eating a healthy diet and drinking lots of water for over a month now and a I havent lost a pound. I have lost weight doing low carb before but I want to have the energy to train for a half marathon at the same time. Is it healthy to do low carb and distance running together?

A: I'm going to go against the popular answer here on this one. I was on a low-carb diet while training for a half marathon. I lost a ton of weight, smashed my personal best time, and felt fantastic. I then went on to train for a full marathon and on the advice of the "experts" added healthy carbs back into my diet. I never felt great while training and can honestly say I had more energy while I was low-carbing it. I have since gone on to compete in Ironman triathlons and other long distance events. I have tried it both ways. For me, low-carbing worked well and I always felt good. Ask other low-carbers for their advice on this. Those who have never tried low-carb will always slam it because it doesn't fit their conventions. Honestly, I think everyone is different. I know I felt great while running more than 30 miles a week on a low-carb diet. I felt my energy levels were easy to keep constant and I always performed well. Others swear by eating more carbs and that's great for them. Give it a shot, measure your progress and decide on your own terms. Good luck!

Q: What amount of Carbs is considered to be low Carbs, in a low carb diet?
I am wanting to start a low carb diet, and I understand that I basically can eat anyhting as long as it has low carbs. How many Grams of carbs per day is considered low carbs. I love 2% milk, and drink it with almost every meal. What could I drink in lew of this milk, if it is bad?

A: 20 grams or less. And forget about milk ... too much sugar there. One thing though with a low carb diet is that you can subtract grams of fiber from the total grams of carbs since the body can't metabolize the fiber very well and has to utilize energy in order to do so. So fiberous veggies like broccoli or cauliflower are great on low carb diets.

Q: How fast can someone lose weight on a low-carb/ketosis diet?
If I went on a low-carb diet and my body went into ketosis, how much weight would I lose and how quickly? I've heard people say that I could lose 30lbs or more in 30 days, but that sounds unrealistic.

A: Ketosis is definitely the best way to burn fat very quickly, if you can make it past the "hell week" induction. If you do it right, you can lose like 20 pounds in a month, and surely more fat than on any other kind of diet. This means you have to calculate the net carbs in everything--even black pepper has 3 net carbs per tablespoon, and garlic powder has 5! Who knew, right? And also cardio and strength training w/ a good source of protein directly afterward to build/protect muscle. I usually drink Dymatize Elite protein shake or a glass of soy milk. However, most people who go on Atkins don't do it right and end up losing weight just from the inevitable caloric restriction. Believe it or not, one of the biggest reasons why this diet is so criticized is that it kills hunger. Often, I find it incredibly hard to eat over 500-600 calories a day b/c protein and fat is so much more filling than carbs. Doesn't bother me, though, because I feel like I'm getting all the necessary nutrition without empty carb calories. There is no such thing as an essential carb.

Q: Anything sweet that i can enjoy while being on a low carb diet?
Hi i am doing a low carb diet, but i am craving for something sweet. Can anyone recommend some nice sweet food to curb my cravings?

A: Strawberries

Q: How many grams of protein and carbs on a high protein low carb diet?
Hello all, My doctor has recommended that I go on a high protein / low carb diet for my condition (it's an enzyme dificiency). Between 1200 and 1400 calories a day. I've been trying to do some research on the web but haven't found many clear cut answers. How many grams of protein and how many grams of carbs should I limit myself to on this kind of diet?

A: I would suggest the Zone diet - just google Zone or Barry Sears, Ph.D. He has a formula for a balanced mix of protein and carbs. 7 grams of protein for every 9 grams of carbs and 3.5 grams of fat. It would be easier to read his book, because he does give portions in cups and ounces that have that many grams of pure protein/carb. www.hufa.org has some links in the library link to other books that have similar formulas and some have better food charts.

Q: How long will it take to loose 30 pounds on the High Protein Low Carb Diet?
I know that with the High Protein Low carb diet you will lose faster then low calorie diets because of Ketosis, but if you did the diet how long did it take you to lose? I am working out with a personal trainer, I just want to hear some personal experiences.

A: It depends on how much you weigh to begin with. You can definitely lose 30 pounds quickly on a low carb diet, but in order to keep it off you will have to make low carb a way of life, otherwise you will gain it all back and more. If you are willing to stick with the diet, i'd say it would take about a month of strict low-carbing to lose 30 lbs.

Q: What do you think about a low carb diet?
I am Currently thinking about going on a low carb diet, does anyone know if it is safe and healthy?

A: Yes I think low carb can be perfectly safe and healthy. Really what the roots of low carb is about, is not eating processed food, how can that be unhealthy? It's funny when people say "balanced" generally, they are really talking about eating a diet with overly processed foods whilst trying to limit fats as much as they can. Last I checked fat not processed grains was an entire food group... There is plenty of research below that shows the benefits of low carbohydrate diets:

Q: What are the rules in a low carb diet?
i've tried dieting for the last year with little success. mostly i just counted calories. but i think it wasnt working for me because of the carb intake since i wasnt watching that. so now i really want to do a low carb diet. anyone know how this work, how many carbs u are supposed to have a day etc and has it ever worked for u.

A: about 140 g in carbs a day should be about right anymore tan that and it's over board. Also if you are trying to lose wait, you should just know that about 20 minutes of working out only burns the fat content that you stored for the day, it is after the twenty minutes that you really start to burn the stored fats. Lets use carbs for example, lets say you decide to eat carbs for lunch your body will store it for use later. If never used on the other hand then the food will go with the rest of the fat. Its easier to just not eat anything fattening like carbs, simple sugar, and low protein so your body when exercising can go right to your stored fat.

Q: How does a low carb diet cause a false-positive on an alcohol breathalizer test?
I know that a low carb diet causes energy to be created from fatty acids rather than glucose and that somewhere along the line ketones are created, which triggers the breathalizer. it is also the cause of severe diabetics to have the characteristic "sweet" breath. But what are the cellular mechanisms for this? I can't find any legit resources, but think this would be an interesting topic for an O-Chem presentation. Thanks!

A: The ethyl alcohol molecule is composed of two carbon, one oxygen and six hydrogen atoms. Because of the mass of the atoms and the strength of the bond between the atoms, it absorbs light at a particular energy level. In the case of infrared alcohol breath testing instruments, light with a wavelength of about 3.39μ is used because it is absorbed by the bond between the two carbon atoms. In reality, the instruments are measuring the vibration of the methyl tail of the alcohol molecule. A significant problem in measuring ethyl alcohol with infrared absorption is the presence of many substances on the human breath that have methyl tails such as acetone and methyl ethyl ketone. Acetone is present in the breath as a break-down product of fat metabolism in the body. Each of these molecules have methyl tails and absorb light in the methyl stretch region and thus can potentially cause a false positive or erroneously high breath alcohol reading.

Q: Is a low carb diet really so bad for you?
I need to loose a 100 pounds and are thinking of following a low carb diet.

A: If you are just removing simple carbs like sugar and flour, then go for it, but if you are removing complex carbs as well, like fruits and veggies, you are asking for trouble. Your body needs fruits and veggies for nutrients that you cannot get from other sources. You will become very sick in that case.

Q: How much weight can I expect to lose on a low carb diet?
I'm a 25 yr old 160 lb male (short and over weight). I'm starting a low carb diet soon. How much weight can I expect to lose in the first 2 weeks?

A: First check out what is your blood group and what diet is good for your health . Basically there are 3 types of Diet + ----- HIGHLY BENEFICIAL, FOOD ACTS LIKE MEDICINE O ----- NEUTRAL FOOD X ----- AVOID, FOOD ACTS LIKE A POISON Check out what diet helps lose or gain weight and what diet is really good to be healthy based on your blood group . -Blood group O is for Old.- Type O. http://www.diskovery.co.in/how_to_loose_weight__how_to_gain_weight "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT GAIN" Sweetcorn Kidney beans Cabbage Brussel sprout Cauliflower "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT LOSS" Liv 52 Sea food Iodized salt Liver Red meat Spinach Broccoli -Blood group A is for Agrarian.-__ Type A. http://www.diskovery.co.in/how_to_loose_weight__how_to_gain_weight "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT GAIN" Meat Dairy foods Kidney beans Lima beans Wheat "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT LOSS" Liv 52 Vegetable oils Soya foods Vegetables Pineapple -Blood group B is for Balance.-__ Type B. http://www.diskovery.co.in/how_to_loose_weight__how_to_gain_weight "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT GAIN" Lentils Sweetcorn Peanuts Sesame seeds Buckwheat Wheat "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT LOSS" Liv 52 Green vege Meat Lamb Liver Eggs __ Blood group Type AB. http://www.diskovery.co.in/how_to_loose_weight__how_to_gain_weight "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT GAIN" Red meat Kidney beans Seeds Sweetcorn Buckwheat "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT LOSS" Liv 52 Tofu Seafood Green vege Dairy products Alkaline fruits Pineapples

Q: What kinds of foods are recommended for a low-carb diet?
I was diagnosed with PCOS and need to begin a low-carb diet. I am not familiar with what this entails and could use some guidance on putting together a plan.

A: Meat: all types. When I was on the low-carb diet, I stuck to chicken and fish, because too much red meat can be overwhelming. Green veggies--lettuce and broccoli. Eggs. Breakfast meals are the easiest meal on low-carb. Stick with scrambled eggs, omelettes, fried eggs, and a side like sausage or bacon (but remember what I said about the red meat!) I would eat boiled eggs like they were going out of style. It depends on how low-carb you need to keep it, but there is a great bread, called Healthy Life that is low in carbs (about 5 per slice). Great for sandwiches! Try reading the Atkins Diet book, there are tons of great recipes.