Why Weight Loss Stops on Long Term Low Carb Diets
From Jenny's Diabetes blog at:
http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com/...g-term-low.html Quote:
Note, Stephan, from the Whole Health Source blog, whom Jenny mentioned above, made this comment on her blog: Quote:
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I think this is a really well thought out post. Thanks! I do not really see the energy dullness described, but I was hypothyroid for 15 years before I started low carbing in 2003. I've never really had an energy issue on low carb, but then I've been nearly 100 pounds lighter for all those years, so it may be that, and I could have relatively less energy.
I do agree that calories must be cut at a certain point. At least for me, that's been proven true. I have stalled. I don't really adhere to the diet that well these days. I used to be religious about carbs, and now I experience carb creep. I know I'm doing it wrong, but I'm not gaining anymore. I could certainly stand to lose another 50 or so pounds. Since I've had 5+ years of success (but not total success, as in having lost all I wanted to and kept it off) I'm probably not the kind of stall this article discusses. I lost steadily for about 2 years, and have kept most of that loss since. |
I find myself agreeing on much of this. After I'm done with the 6 week cure I'll try upping my carbs a bit. Maybe a very, very limited carb cycling. I tried major carb cycling once and it didn't work at all.
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Well, I was hypothyroid BEFORE I started doing low-carb. And, I really do know why I am stalled...it's just plain eating way too much food and some carb creep. My body is generally much happier maintaining my weight than losing it. If I really buckle down and journal what I eat, etc., I can lose again...it's just harder to do, and I prefer to coast! :lol:
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Thank you so much Merpig - for posting this here. It's something I really needed to read, because my husband has just discovered a 'thyroid problem' - and we've been on low carb for quite awhile.
Also - I stalled out too. On regular Atkins. When I added in more produce and started walking daily - the weight loss picked up again. When I joined the gym and began a weight training routine - I needed to eat more food, I stalled out for a bit and then dropped even more weight. Things that worked in the beginning did *not* continue to work. If I had just paid closer attention to DANDR - I might not have stalled out for so long. I didn't exactly make sure that 'most' of my carbs were coming from vegetables, and furthermore - I didn't move up the carb ladder. In fact, I went in the opposite direction, which worked...for a very short time. Thanks again for posting this - I just printed it out - because it contains some very good advice :) |
I agree with much of this article. I also thought what he said about internet forums was so true as well.
For me, I didn't feel well at all when my carb count was too low, and I also coudn't lose that way. I keep my carb count somewhere between 70-100. Most of that comes from fruit and veggies. I also do not eat a lot of fat. I do eat fat, but don't purposely add it, I don't eat heavy cream or gobs of butter. If we are having chicken thighs vs. breasts, I eat a chicken thigh....... but I don't smother it in bacon fat nor do I eat the skin. I reached my goal this way and so far have maintained for over a year, but still have low carbers tell me I'm doing it wrong. Go figure? When I see someone here hit a long stall eating only 30g of carbs per day, and the advice they receive is to lower the carb count even further, I just don't believe that the reason they are stalled is because the whopping 30g of carbs they are taking in is just too high. |
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You are *not* wrong. I am similar in my approach to fats. Carb count is still pretty 'low' some days, but there are variations here and there. I'm impressed with your 70-100 carbs deal. I hope to get there someday too. :) |
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:lol: I don't see how anyone who has reached goal can be told they are doing it "wrong"! I mean I can see someone saying "I don't think your way would work for me", or "your food choices are not choices that I could live with" or some other similar wording, but clearly it can hardly be wrong for you since you have done so well on it. :D |
Debbie, thanks for posting this.
And I really appreciate some of you big losers (Citruskiss, LAWoman) posting in replies. Your 'secrets' are in your journals (thanks for having journals!) As I posted elsewhere (cause Debbie posted an extract in the 6week cure thread), the lower carb intake we adopted 5 years ago has kept DH's blood sugar readings consistently low. But higher calories, some cheats, etc have brought our weights back to where we started. I'm happy DH is less likely to die or have a leg amputated or go blind due to high sugar and that's no small thing. But we both would like to be a lot thinner. I want to be able to run and play. Keep up the posting and the discussion you guys! Thank you fr your contributions! Sarah |
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I loved this whole post but this part especially spoke to me. I am slowly learning that being sane and not scale-obsessed and content with my eating choices is just as important to me as losing the rest of the weight is. If that means I have a half a sandwich at a company function where I'm "stuck" or I eat a piece of wedding cake on a weekend twice a year, that's fine. I'm trying to find a balance between weight loss and still living with food not freaking me out all the time. |
Personally I feel like if one is going to raise carbs, do it by eating some of the starchier veggies or sweeter fruits, not by eating grains, juices, cereals, pasta, sugars and all that stuff.
I think it's time for me to experiment in this direction. I've done every variation of low carb changing around fat and protein %'s and haven't really had any luck with that in breaking my multi-year long stall. |
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Judy from NYC has always said exactly that. She thinks a lot of longterm very low carb Atkinstype followers would benefit from transitioning to South Beach type eating. I might look at that again after I lose 10% or more with the low carb again. Cause I'm not there yet. Just hit 5%. My problem is, whenever I went to raise carbs in the past I immediately started eating more bad stuff (i.e., not sending away the breadbasket). Sarah |
I agree about not adding in grains and juices. I've raised my carbs recently (harvest season) with potatoes (yes), sweet potatoes, and winter squash. Oh, and some chocolate with real sugar (in small amounts). I cannot eat wheat ever again -- that has always caused me to gain my weight back. Juice is nothing more than sugar water.
I DID lose more than 10% of my weight on VLC, however. I lost close to 50 pounds. about 20%. I only added carbs back in because I am a member of a couple of CSAs and was bringing potatoes and such home. It's interesting that she mentions eating 5 meals a day. Could it be THAT is what causes so much weight gain? I love large meals, so I eat large meals. But I only eat two a day. I suppose the grazing is because of diabetes. |
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I'm with you on that one. I love large meals too. Small meals just depress me and seem so deprivational. But I'm currently doing the same as you with just two meals a day - but those two seem hearty and filling. So far have dropped nine pounds since adopting this method. |
Thanks for posting this, Debbie. I too lost almost 20% of my original weight then stalled. It's been over a year now. I tend to think of it as maintaining rather than stalling. I'm very grateful the weight hasn't come back. But I'm so disappointed that I'm still so heavy.
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