Low-carb diet

[Loki]

As one who finds cardiovascular exercise dreadfully boring, I use ketosis (popularly known through the Atkins process) to keep myself as lean as is healthy--counter-intuitively, this requires eating quite a lot of lipids, and saturated fats make up a sizable portion of the diet.

I never feel healthier than when I eat on that diet and the high quality fats, saturated among them, are largely responsible for much of that. The other part is the stable blood-glucose caused by the lack of carbs (10% dietary intake maximum) and the glut of protein (30%+), but that is straying from the delightful fats

anon, could you maybe elaborate on how you achieve ketosis in detail? I.e. what you would typically consume in a day. Thanks up

[SuuT]

Sorry if I'm barging in.

Slipping the body into Ketosis is a poor weight maintenace strategy over the long-term. It's great for cutting immediate weight, and for mid-range (as far as a time scale) goals; but eventually it will tax the kidneys, liver and bowels to the point of actual damage.

Ketosis works quickly as the weight lost immediately is by-and-large water, because the absence of carbohydrates inhibits intra-cellular hydration. Ergo, it is diuretic inducing. After the body acclimates to the diuresis, it begins to utilise for and more of the Amino Acid L-Carnitine. The body converts this L-Carnitine into an acetyl form, and, in conjuction with other processes induced by the lack of carbohydrates, puts the body into a highly acidic state (the body is happier in an alkyline state).

Severe cramping, joint pain, blurred vision are all common to even mid-range usage of this weight loss method; and, given that the brain needs about 180 grams of Carbohydrates per day just to nominally function, 'foggy-headedness', pronounced irritability and short-term memory loss are also very common symptoms of the Ketosis method.

Assuming you drink all of your coffees and teas in their caffinated form, Loki, your kidneys and liver are already taxed to the maximum; and, attempting to do this 'diet' will lead you to a very unpleasant place over the long-haul.


This: http://www.annlouise.com/fat-flush/o...-overview.html is a great diet plan, and do-able over the long-term with great health benefits.


EDIT: Just eliminate all of the flax oil she wants you to use: It's bad for your prostate.

[Phlegethon]

SuuT is right. Such a diet would probably make me fall into coma within a few days. Sounds like a suicide plan.

[Psychonaut]

Still, eliminating things like sugars and starches from your diet and having your meals consist mainly of proteins and vegetables can be a fine diet for the long term. After all, starches and grains were not part of our diet until the agricultural revolution. My personal diet is very similar to the Paleolithic diet.

[Loki]

SuuT, thank you very much for your input.

Slipping the body into Ketosis is a poor weight maintenace strategy over the long-term. It's great for cutting immediate weight, and for mid-range (as far as a time scale) goals; but eventually it will tax the kidneys, liver and bowels to the point of actual damage.

What I had in mind was short- to medium-term, not long-term. The duration will depend on the amount of reserve fat depletion.

Ketosis works quickly as the weight lost immediately is by-and-large water, because the absence of carbohydrates inhibits intra-cellular hydration.

Indeed, in a matter of a few days I have lost a few kilograms already. I like it ... and I think I will continue for some weeks. The positive results are compensation for the lack of tasteful carbs (including sugars) that I no longer enjoy. I'm starting to feel better and more comfortable in my skin already. Let's see ... I will couple the diet with exercise as well.

Over the first few days I suffered some fatigue, but it's fine now. In fact, it feels like I have more energy.

Severe cramping, joint pain, blurred vision are all common to even mid-range usage of this weight loss method; and, given that the brain needs about 180 grams of Carbohydrates per day just to nominally function, 'foggy-headedness', pronounced irritability and short-term memory loss are also very common symptoms of the Ketosis method.

As for the brain ... I don't know. I haven't heard anything said about brain damage resulting from low-carb diets.

But thanks for the thoughts SuuT, I will most certainly think over it and consider the implications.

[anonymaus]

anon, could you maybe elaborate on how you achieve ketosis in detail? I.e. what you would typically consume in a day. Thanks up

We all generally achieve ketosis in short bursts during the night-time fast (sleep!) and the state usually continues until the body receive a glucose spike in the morning; this is why morning cardio is the most effective at burning fat for most people.

Putting yourself into ketosis as a dietary measure is, physiologically, simple as a pimple but requires a good deal of willpower to break bad habits as well as struggle against the serotonin reward for eating a high carb diet.

One must also distinguish between "carbs" and net carbs, the latter being the total number of carbohydrate minus dietary fiber and sugar alcohols. The remaining number is the net carbohydrate count and this is what you count when counting carbs.

My caloric requirements tend to be quite high, and I don't tolerate food before noon, so this may not be as helpful as the Atkins Acceptable Foods List which can also be downloaded in PDF format.

Yesterday was, for me, atypically average in terms of calories; I ate:

Wake-Noon: Water

Lunch: 2 Salami-Mozzarella-Lettuce wraps; 4 thin slices salami, 2 slices cheese, 1 whole boston lettuce leaf

Dinner: Ribeye (entrecôte) with a steamed head of broccoli.

Evening: 1 scoop no-sugar-added vanilla ice cream w/ 1 scoop smooth peanut butter & about one dozen almonds. This is my ketosis-friendly sundae

I do sometimes drink Atkins brand shakes in the late morning, and delay lunch to the middle afternoon, but not often. They're nearly as dense as food!

I eat more processed meat than is recommended because I'm too lazy to shop more than once per week, so the first 3-4 days of the week contain primarily fresh cuts of beef and pork, the remaining days I consume low-carb processed-as-little-as-possible packaged foods like chorizo, frankfurters, cheddarwurst.

It's important to read labels when buying prepackaged food, as many manufacturers pump their meat full of grain-based filler and sugar/corn syrup.

Examples of outrageous ketogenic beasts I regularly devour:

Double frankfurter wrapped in triple bacon melted together by double cheese.

Lettuce-wrapped double cheese double 1/4lb bacon burgers; Diagrammed for your pleasure:

lettuce
cheese
meat
bacon
lettuce
mayo
cheese
meat
mustard
lettuce


I do usually have Atkins brand foods handy, they make low-carb bars and shakes better than anyone else, but I don't follow their "phases" process--I simply aimed for the 20g/day net carb maximum for the first few months.

I involuntarily ended up doing cyclical ketosis, where one comes off the diet for approximately one week every 3 months, due to some unrelated factors. I personally found that break to be psychologically helpful.

The major benefit for me was the stabilization of my blood-glucose levels, mood, hormones. Ketogenic diet plans are VERY close to what I normally ate, sabotaged almost solely by my insane dairy habit which kept me out of ketosis.

[Ulf]

As for the brain ... I don't know. I haven't heard anything said about brain damage resulting from low-carb diets.

Glucose is the only fuel the brain uses and requires a constant supply of it. When the glucose supply is diminished so is mental ability.

[Loki]

Glucose is the only fuel the brain uses and requires a constant supply of it. When the glucose supply is diminished so is mental ability.

I have long held the belief that half my brain cells need frying.

[Fortis in Arduis]

When a back tooth was pulled and I could not chew/salivate, I ate mozzarella, broccoli and tinned tomatoes for a week, and I think that I lost weight.

I also lost some weight once, just eating steamed broccoli with spices and lemon juice.

[SuuT]

SuuT is right. Such a diet would probably make me fall into coma within a few days. Sounds like a suicide plan.

I did the Ketosis method for two months once pretty much just for shits and giggles (and to see how vascular I could get) and felt completely retarded towards the end. This may sound like a joke, but I couldn't remember how to do long division. Then again, I took it to the extreme and had less than 30 grams of carbohydrates per day...But then again, this is what it takes to maintain the presence of Ketones in the urine....

Anyway, most people fail at this method because it is so difficult to maintain: Carbohydrates are not only 'brain food'; but, also release Seratonin, Dopamine, Epinephrine, Nor-Epinephrine (etc.). These are our "feel good" chemicals, and when you reduce the body's natural base-lines, well...it doesn't feel good.

Still, eliminating things like sugars and starches from your diet and having your meals consist mainly of proteins and vegetables can be a fine diet for the long term. After all, starches and grains were not part of our diet until the agricultural revolution.

I think that I know what you mean, so I might just be being a technical ass; but the body converts all carbohydrates into sugars. Although there is very little, and anecdotal at that, evidence that the glycemic index is anything other than a fiction for anyone other than diabetics and those with glucose sensitivities, I know that - for me - if a were to eat 300 (carbohydrate) grams worth of hard candy it would have a very different effect on me than 300 (carbohydrate) grams of Romain lettuce. But then again, 300 (carbohydrate) grams of...beans, would make me just as worthless as the hard candy.

Moral: Vegatables are good - and are probably good due to their overall nutrient density per gram...but then again, root vegetables are - ahhh, forget it.

What I had in mind was short- to medium-term, not long-term. The duration will depend on the amount of reserve fat depletion.

It's the transition from what worked for you to a maintenance strategy that is most difficult about the Ketosis method.

But anyway, if you're going to do it, do me a favour and just don't drink less than 4 litres of water per day: this will inhibit kidney stones, and somewhat counter the diuresis. And take a good (mercury free) fish oil supplement and (whole food) multi that will help to counter the acute inflamation that you're about to induce.

...I'm starting to feel better and more comfortable in my skin already. Let's see ... I will couple the diet with exercise as well.

Over the first few days I suffered some fatigue, but it's fine now. In fact, it feels like I have more energy.

Well, and you will feel better: you are igniting an effective metabolic response.

It's just a poor way to go about it.

As for the brain ... I don't know. I haven't heard anything said about brain damage resulting from low-carb diets.

My ability to do long division did, indeed, return upon a big ass bowl of oats.

... I will most certainly think over it and consider the implications.

Nawwww, you won't.

We all generally achieve ketosis in short bursts during the night-time fast (sleep!) and the state usually continues until the body receive a glucose spike in the morning ;...

- Ketosis is remakably difficult to induce, let alone maintain. A slice of tomato inside the initials phases of the Ketosis method can eliminate the presence of Ketones in the urine: One either has detectable (and therfore effective) Ketones in the urine, or one does not.

...Lunch: 2 Salami-Mozzarella-Lettuce wraps; 4 thin slices salami, 2 slices cheese, 1 whole boston lettuce leaf

Dinner: Ribeye (entrecôte) with a steamed head of broccoli.

Evening: 1 scoop no-sugar-added vanilla ice cream w/ 1 scoop smooth peanut butter & about one dozen almonds. This is my ketosis-friendly sundae

There went your Ketosis.

It's important to read labels when buying prepackaged food, as many manufacturers pump their meat full of grain-based filler and sugar/corn syrup.

This is very good advice.

Examples of outrageous ketogenic beasts I regularly devour:

Double frankfurter wrapped in triple bacon melted together by double cheese.

Lettuce-wrapped double cheese double 1/4lb bacon burgers; Diagrammed for your pleasure:

lettuce
cheese
meat
bacon
lettuce
mayo
cheese
meat
mustard
lettuce

Enjoy that arterial plaque, anonymoose.

How do you know you're in Ketosis: do you buy strips from the druggist or...?:confused2: