Thread: counting carbs

Can eating TOO FEW carbs be bad for the diet? I eat loads of protein, fat (from cheese etc) and some lettuce. If I don't eat veggies my carb count from cream in my coffee is very little. By the way, Im not hungry and I don't crave any foods so I don't find this way of eating hard. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

Eileen,

Yes, you can eat too few carbs. Too few will end up slowing down your metabolism (your body thinks food is scarce and goes into starvation mode to survive the "famine") and actually makes weight loss more difficult. It sounds contradictory, but sometimes people break weight loss stalls by increasing their carbs.

Just be sure to keep your carbs healthy and legal: low-carb veggies, eggs, meats and cheeses.

Good luck to you!

Staci

Eating too few carbs can also sensitise you to carbs. This will create problems when you want to add carbs later!

225/195/170?

“I can conscientiously assert I never lived so well as under the new plan of dietary, which I should have formerly thought a dangerous, extravagant trespass upon health.” --William Banting (Thanks Lez)

Staci - thanks for responding. I find it hard to count carbs. It just seems easier to do without them for the most part. HOWEVER, given this information I will definately try to do the 20g for the next two weeks.
Thanks again. Eileen (:

Bambam31 - Thanks. I'll follow your advice and eat more carbs but how did you find out that I can be sensitised to carbs? Is this kind of information written anyplace or is it from personal experience?

eileen,

Not only does it slow down your metabolisme it deprives your body of nutrience from the vegies that you can not buy in a bottle. The vegies (especially the dark green leafy ones) also have a thermogenic affect.

If your haven't problems keeping count of your carbs.. then perhaps using www.fitday.com to track your carbs will help you out. All you do is enter what foods and how much of it you eat. I swear by that site. BTW.. it is free too!





Tanya
Member since Jan 2002
re-started on 1-3-03
272/185/172<--(next goal)

Number one...this isn't a diet. It truly is a way of life and, in my estimation, you must make it so in order to succeed.

Number two...eating too few carbs is very bad. Your body will get used to staying at Induction range carbs and when you try to up them, your body will retaliate and won't budge an inch (or a pound). Trust me. I stayed at 20 carbs per day for over two years and it's not a good thing to do.

Number three...eating large amounts of protein, some fat, and just lettuce isn't healthy. Think about it. If you make your eating regimen out of such a menu, then you truly are eating "high protein" and falling right into the scenario that the nay-sayers are portraying about low carb "diets". This isn't a high-protein way of life. It's a low carbohydrate way of life. You really must eat more vegetables.

I've never told anyone this before because it sounds harsh, but you must eat...even if you have to force yourself to do so. Eating regular meals, on a regular schedule, with enough carbohydrates, will ensure success.

Again...just my two cents.

April
352 / 201 / 180
5'10", large frame, size 13 shoe
www.geocities.com/aprilreinhardt2

Prinzess_Fey - if you're out there please help.

I went on the site fitday.com and put in all the foods etc. Got a great readout but there was no way to save the foods I eat. Do I have to re-enter each food on a daily basis? If so, this is tedius. I e-mailed the site asking if they save the entries but haven't received an answer. If you've used this then you probably can advise me.

Thanks

Hi Eileen!

If you go to add recent foods, you automatically keep a list of many of the foods you have chosen, so all you have to do it click on the appropriate food and press go and you have it entered. Just make sure to check the amounts they list since a default for something can be 1L...Hope this helps.

~Steph
5'0"
155/146/115

Hi Steph

You are a life saver. It works and I'm going to play with it to see if the default can change (that would be a big help but if not - that's ok too)