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(USATODAY) Low-carb diet burns the most calories in small study

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BobsRevenge

I do not avoid women, GAF, but I do deny them my essence.
Oh, also, along with the weekly food I posted above, what (if you're going to drink) is the "best" alcohol/mixed drinks to get. I.E. which ones are going to have the least sugar, bad stuff.

Saw bourbon and club soda above, anything else? I like my beer, but am wanting to drink something a tad bit better.

I used to get vodka and sodas when I was serious about low-carbing a while back. That and whiskey served neat.

People always have reactions to the neat whiskeys though. It can be obnoxious. If you get it with ice people will be less inclined to comment.

edit: A gin and soda might be more manly, not sure.
 
So seeing as Gary posted his menu, here's my typical week. What should change?

Weekdays:

Breakfast: Either a protein shake (Atkins, Muscle Milk) or an Atkins breakfast bar (around 130 calories).

Snack 1: Almonds, Cheese stick

Lunch: Progresso Soup + Strawberries, or Salad greens mix with Turkey lunch meat and dressing + Strawberries.

Snack 2: Almonds, Cheese stick

Dinner: Either Chicken breast + veggies/cottage cheese or eggs + veggies


Weekend:

3 Meals (includes Friday night): Turkey dog + Bun + veggies + cheese
1 meal: Out
1 meal: something like tacos with turkey meat on low carb shells + veggies + cheese.

As mentioned my weekend is the worst when I eat out more than once, but the turkey dogs are those "seem bad for you so I crave them, but they aren't bad for you" meals.

Tips? I know I should probably get more calories during the week. My weight loss has slowed a lot though with 15 lbs left to go. As a note, I currently do Insanity.

I can't tell your portion sizes for dinner, but that looks like quite a low calorie diet. Do you find yourself fatigued and hungry? You may want to up the calories a little.
 

LosDaddie

Banned
Oh, also, along with the weekly food I posted above, what (if you're going to drink) is the "best" alcohol/mixed drinks to get. I.E. which ones are going to have the least sugar, bad stuff.

Saw bourbon and club soda above, anything else? I like my beer, but am wanting to drink something a tad bit better.

hmm....maybe some SoCo and diet Dr. Pepper w/a lime slice? That should be low carb.

I only drink on the weekends, which is also my Cheat Day(s). So I can drink whatever I want.
 
I used to get vodka and sodas when I was serious about low-carbing a while back. That and whiskey served neat.

People always have reactions to the neat whiskeys though. It can be obnoxious. If you get it with ice people will be less inclined to comment.

edit: A gin and soda might be more manly, not sure.
Why would people give you shit for drinking a neat whiskey?
 
REad the ingredients. Again, just because they lack carbs doesn't magically make them healthy. Don't halfass it. Eliminate all sodas, and switch to water. Have a Cheat Day, like I do, if you want to satisfy that sweet tooth of yours...and actually have real soda. :)

Carbonated water, citric acid, natural flavors, potassium citrate, and potassium benzoate, aspartame and acesulfame potassium?

I can't see anything unhealthy with it, so why not drink it if you like sodas?
It's certainly better than sodas, and even if you just drink sodas on cheat days then it's still better to drink the diet stuff.
 

Deadly Cyclone

Pride of Iowa State
hmm....maybe some SoCo and diet Dr. Pepper w/a lime slice? That should be low carb.

I only drink on the weekends, which is also my Cheat Day(s). So I can drink whatever I want.

Well, not so much low-carb, just in general. Low sugar, low carbs, low everything, still a decent drink. :p

I did get a bottle of Iowa's own Templeton Rye and have been drinking that with ice, but was thinking for when i hit the bar.


EDIT: Diet soda is terrible for you. Some studies show it is worse than regular soda. If you are losing weight, cut soda entirely. I'll have one about once a week, but that differs from week to week too.
 

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
Wish I could try low-carb again, but my experience with it was not good at all. It triggered a bout of IBS that gave me some troubles for a while. I can't explain why, but it definitely didn't work out. That spiraled out of control and resulted in server depression.

I lost weight but was absolutely miserable. :(

I wish there was some way for it to work for me too.
 
hmm....maybe some SoCo and diet Dr. Pepper w/a lime slice? That should be low carb.

I only drink on the weekends, which is also my Cheat Day(s). So I can drink whatever I want.

People need to keep in mind the calories in alcohol. I lost ~10 lbs in one month by quitting alcohol. It was the only part of my diet that I changed. It may have also helped me keep my exercise routine too though.
 

Prologue

Member
For those more educated in the subject, are whole grains fine? I keep seeing talk about anti-grain across multiple forums so I'm wondering whats the case for whole grains?
 
EDIT: Diet soda is terrible for you. Some studies show it is worse than regular soda. If you are losing weight, cut soda entirely. I'll have one about once a week, but that differs from week to week too.

Scientific consensus is that it is not at all bad for you, and much better than regular sodas.
It's no sugar, not dangerous, not carcinogenic, and the only legitimate objection I can think of is flavor.
 
For those more educated in the subject, are whole grains fine? I keep seeing talk about anti-grain across multiple forums so I'm wondering whats the case for whole grains?

It depends on what you consider who grains. Are you cooking your own wheat berries and the like or are you thinking about whole grain bread? The mistake people make is to think that something labeled whole grain is good for you. Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain bread is considered one of the better breads out there. Look at the ingredient list, a bunch of vegetable oils, corn syrup and soy lecithin. Bread is supposed to be flour, yeast, salt, water not all the other crap they put in it.

UVqDk.jpg
 

Seguin

Banned
It depends on what you consider who grains. Are you cooking your own wheat berries and the like or are you thinking about whole grain bread? The mistake people make is to think that something labeled whole grain is good for you. Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain bread is considered one of the better breads out there. Look at the ingredient list, a bunch of vegetable oils, corn syrup and soy lecithin. Bread is supposed to be flour, yeast, salt, water not all the other crap they put in it.

UVqDk.jpg

Some would argue that flour is crap
 
It depends on what you consider who grains. Are you cooking your own wheat berries and the like or are you thinking about whole grain bread? The mistake people make is to think that something labeled whole grain is good for you. Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain bread is considered one of the better breads out there. Look at the ingredient list, a bunch of vegetable oils, corn syrup and soy lecithin. Bread is supposed to be flour, yeast, salt, water not all the other crap they put in it.

UVqDk.jpg

Now that is something people should try to change.
Instead of buying healthy breads, try making some yourself - you can throw in pumpkin and other seeds, rye, oat, all sorts of fibre rich and healthy stuff.
Omit the sugar, and add just a tiny bit of honey in order to keep the bread soft, and let rise, bake&enjoy.

Or try your hand on some sourdough.
 

grumble

Member
Holy shit at this thread. It's just as dogmatic as low fat dieting.

The research on this is by no means conclusive, though this is a nice study. A few points:

1. Adherence is the most important thing by far. Low carb diets have slightly higher overall adherence, but it's close. Pick the diet that works for you.

2. Low carb diets work primarily by cutting calories, which they do by being filling due to higher protein content, removing most easy calorie sources and generally making it less arduous to track for some people. Others find they can binge on it. Choose what works for you.

3. Fat isn't satiating, but protein is. Try eating a thousand calories of dry rub chicken and report back.

4. Research has shown everything from no difference depending on diet to a large difference. Low carb tends to win primarily off of the first two weeks which show a large weight drop. After that it seems to be calorie dependent.

Time to read this study in full!
 
I can't tell your portion sizes for dinner, but that looks like quite a low calorie diet. Do you find yourself fatigued and hungry? You may want to up the calories a little.
I'm generous with portions and also snack a bit during the day. I am rarely hungry. Also I have tons more energy since I switched to this diet. Carbs sack me out.
 
Just started a low-carb diet. Seems mad easy so far. Is it really just as simple as being like "lol bread, pasta, crackers, etc" ?

I've been doing the diet for a month and a half, lost almost 20 pounds already. It basically is that simple, along with just learning to check nutritional facts. I love this and I love the feeling of constant energy I have. I also have a lot less recovery time after I work out, I can be back to normal in about 2-3 minutes.

Learn to love Almonds, and learn to bake with almond flour and almond meal. Hell, I even made a thick crust pizza last night with almond flour and it was incredibly delicious. I can even make cookies and brownies and they still come out amazing.
 

LosDaddie

Banned
Carbonated water, citric acid, natural flavors, potassium citrate, and potassium benzoate, aspartame and acesulfame potassium?

I can't see anything unhealthy with it,

:lol
OK, man. You're right. All those ingredients are good for you.


It's certainly better than sodas, and even if you just drink sodas on cheat days then it's still better to drink the diet stuff.

Because it's a Cheat Day, and I'm not wasting it on fake sodas. But yes, diet sodas are better than real sodas, but that was never in question.




Well, not so much low-carb, just in general. Low sugar, low carbs, low everything, still a decent drink. :p

I did get a bottle of Iowa's own Templeton Rye and have been drinking that with ice, but was thinking for when i hit the bar.


EDIT: Diet soda is terrible for you. Some studies show it is worse than regular soda. If you are losing weight, cut soda entirely. I'll have one about once a week, but that differs from week to week too.

Are you saying SoCo and Dr. Pepper & lime isn't a decent drink? :mad:

Agreed on the sodas. Cut them out entirely if you're serious about losing weight. Don't halfass it.
 

Chris R

Member
Alcohol had 7 carbs per gram. When you injest it, your body has to burn all of that out before resuming normal function.

There are no carbs in things like Vodka, but a single ounce will set you back almost 70 calories. Shots can add up, and if you add juice or regular soda you get a bunch of carbs too.
 

MjFrancis

Member
Time to read this study in full!
Does anyone have a link to the full study? Or even a simple abstract? I'm not finding it.

If you know a few things about how protein is metabolized compared to fat and carbohydrates, though, it's already a glaring uncontrolled factor when the low-carb group gets to eat 10% more of it than the other two in this study. I mean, since we're searching for the magic bullet to fat loss we may as well get all of our cards in order, right?

I'm also curious as to the reasons the subjects used to lose 10%-15% of their body weight before the study was initiated (not to mention what diet was used to make this happen). I have to claim ignorance here.

"In the meantime, if you want to lose weight, eat less."
The sanity of it all.
 

blackflag

Member
There are no carbs in things like Vodka, but a single ounce will set you back almost 70 calories. Shots can add up, and if you add juice or regular soda you get a bunch of carbs too.

Yes, sorry that was a typo. There are 7 cals per gram of alcohol.
 

rezuth

Member
There was a swedish study published today that followed up people who had done LCHF diets and found that twenty years later they had a bigger percentage of cardiovascular diseases than the control group, IIRC.
 

blackflag

Member
There was a swedish study published today that followed up people who had done LCHF diets and found that twenty years later they had a bigger percentage of cardiovascular diseases than the control group, IIRC.

I heard this but it I don't understand. High fat low carb diets actually improve cholesterol in most people. I know it improved mine a ton.
 

Numpt3

Member
There was a swedish study published today that followed up people who had done LCHF diets and found that twenty years later they had a bigger percentage of cardiovascular diseases than the control group, IIRC.

Low carb gaf is already dead.
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Eating high fat isn't good, though.

Do explain.

I heard this but it I don't understand. High fat low carb diets actually improve cholesterol in most people. I know it improved mine a ton.

Like most studies in the field of nutrition, it was almost completely uncontrolled and unmonitored. I don't even see the point in posting those results. It depends on people's honesty and memory to form some kind of correlation.
 

entremet

Member
Eating high fat isn't good, though.

The Masai people basically eat milk, goat meat and blood, with all the fat and they don't suffer the same ills of civilization--diabetes, heart disease, etc.

The French also eat more fat and suffer least cardiovascular disease than Americans, who have been eating much less fat, historically speaking.

It's the sugar and refined carbs.
 
Do explain.

Unsaturated fat and the other good fats are good for you is what I meant.

The Masai people basically eat milk, goat meat and blood, with all the fat and they don't suffer the same ills of civilization--diabetes, heart disease, etc.

The French also eat more fat and suffer least cardiovascular disease than Americans, who have been eating much less fat, historically speaking.

I'm sure it's not as simple as you make it out to be. There are other variables that plays into effect.
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Saturated fat and the other good fats are good for you is what I meant. I dunno, I was watching the news this morning, and the doc brought this up.



I'm sure it's not as simple as you make it out to be. There are other variables that plays into effect.

So what's wrong with a high fat diet?

I agree that bad fats are bad. Most fast food (restaurant food in general, actually) and other processed junk is full of bad fats as well as a carbs.
 
Shit study is shit

Carbs stretch meals and it's a no brainier that with them being so cheap to manufacture(bread, pasta etc) they become the culprit of significant weight gain.

Its all about calories. You cut those you lose weight plain and simple. Carb heavy foods pack more of a calorie punch, but if managed you can experience the same weight loss as someone who avoids them.

That said, I'm a former carb junkie, so I avoid breads and pastas for that reason alone. Shits addictive!
 
So what's wrong with a high fat diet?

I agree that bad fats are bad. Most fast food (restaurant food in general, actually) and other processed junk is full of bad fats as well as a carbs.

I don't remember what the doctor said on the program. He did mention something about fats with the diet, but not in a good way. He may have been talking about bad fats.
 

TheExodu5

Banned
Shit study is shit

Carbs stretch meals and it's a no brainier that with them being so cheap to manufacture(bread, pasta etc) they become the culprit of significant weight gain.

Its all about calories. You cut those you lose weight plain and simple. Carb heavy foods pack more of a calorie punch, but if managed you can experience the same weight loss as someone who avoids them.

That said, I'm a former carb junkie, so I avoid breads and pastas for that reason alone. Shits addictive!

I feel carbs just don't really fill you up with regards to how many calories they pack. I can eat 1500 calories of poutine and feel full, or I can eat 600 calories of steak and broccoli and feel full.
 

blackflag

Member
Specifically saturated fat raises testosterone. It is what we ate for thousands of years. It wasn't until the govt. started recommending like 11 servings of carbs per day that people started getting hugely fat at least at the rate we see today.
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
I don't remember what the doctor said on the program. He did mention something about fats with the diet, but not in a good way. He may have been talking about bad fats.

I'd take anything you saw on TV with a truck full of salt. Mass media generally does nothing but push the accepted "conventional wisdom", which is still stuck in the 80s with its anti-fat agenda. Corporations own the media and it is simply not in their interests for people to move away from corn and wheat products.
 
The Masai people basically eat milk, goat meat and blood, with all the fat and they don't suffer the same ills of civilization--diabetes, heart disease, etc.

The French also eat more fat and suffer least cardiovascular disease than Americans, who have been eating much less fat, historically speaking.

It's the sugar and refined carbs.

I'm a general proponent of low-carb diets. But people really need to stop trying to make this argument above. Arguing for health / diet combos across different ethnic groups with totally different cultures, lifestyles, social eating habits, genetic and racial makeups is just silly. There are actual scientific reasons why low-carb can be helpful, but no need to confuse the debate with anecdotal stuff.
 
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