As far as weight loss is concerned, there’s no “one size fits all.”
I have diabetes, high blood pressure and high triglycerides. The only diet that has ever consistently worked for me is low carbs (Atkins). But my doctor discovered that since I was on that diet my kidneys were in trouble, due to having to process too much protein. So I had to modify the diet by reducing my proteins and boosting low-glycemic fruit and vegetables. So what I am left with is a diet that eliminates high-glycemic carbs like bread, rice, potatoes and sugar. It works for me.
And whatever diet you choose . . . don’t forget to exercise.
It’s all about calories and carbs. Some people can just watch their calories and some have to cut calories and simple carbs, it depends on how your body reacts to sugars.
Read about the glycemis index for information on the difference in how your body reacts to different foods.
Adding on to what everyone else said - I think it’s total calories that make you fat, not carbs.
That said, for me, at least, it’s next to impossible to eat very low carb and not lose weight. I had to do that for health reasons (badly diagnosed diabetes) a couple years ago. I wasn’t trying to lose weight, but for various reasons, cut my carb intake to 50-60 carbs a day, never more than 10 or 15 at one sitting.
To put that into perspective, 50 carbs is about 2 slices of whole-wheat bread.
I gorged on cheese and meat and eggs, as I wasn’t at all worried about weight loss, I just wanted to control my blood glucose. I’d regularly snack on nuts, cheese, salami, you name it.
Result? I couldn’t stop dropping weight. I wasn’t dropping it fast - maybe a pound a month - but it was definitely coming off. And I was eating as much as I wanted, all I wanted, of everything except carbs.
So for me, at least, carbs are the key. I simply can’t eat enough fat/protein without carbs to balance it out without feeling sick. And I gotta tell you - I loooove cheese and salami and sausage.
But as others said, you have to be strict. Nowadays I eat more carbs per day - somewhere between 130 and 150 - and maintain my weight. If I get down in the 50-70 carbs/day range, I lose weight. More than 150/day, I gain weight.
I think the trick to Atkins is that carbs convert most efficiently to energy, and if you’re not eating carbs, your body turns to stored carbs to burn for fuel. This results in weight loss.
But not, I don’t think, to long term health and weight maintenance. Does Atkins/South Beach do any training re: exercise, portion control, proper nutrition, etc.?
For a rather dramatic example of how it ultimately comes down to caloric intake, see this example of a guy who lost 28 lbs in 2 months on an 1800 calorie diet primarily consisting of stuff like twinkies (though he also ate a few veggies, protein shakes, and daily multivitamins to fend off nutritional deprivation).
Ultimately it does come down to calories in vs calories out. I’d like to see a cite for Surreal’s claim – though I don’t find it implausible, and really it just sounds like an adjustment to account for different digestive metabolic costs.
Of course, your appetite isn’t some magical calorie counter that says “enough!” once you break even each day. Your appetite is controlled by a huge number of interlocking and redundant factors, from blood chemistry to psychology, all highly evolved to make sure you gorge yourself whenever there’s food in front of you. If we didn’t have a powerful appetite the human race would have starved to death millions of years ago.
No, there is no trick. You just eat fewer calories becuase you’re less hungry. You’re less hungry because you stabilized your blood sugar, and because of volumetrics – you can only eat so many bowls of spinach salad before you’re really freaking full – and because fat tells the brain to be satisfied, and you can eat a lot of fat.
And I feel like you didn’t read my prior post because Atkins, at elast has a very specific plan for how to acheive long term maintenance.
I agree mostly, but the appetite is remarkably accurate, even in people who tend to be overweight. Think about it: most overweight people didn’t gain that weight overnight. Let’s say a 25-year-old pays no attention to diet and exercise and finds themselves 30 pounds heavier at age 35. A pretty typical scenario. That’s a gain of 3lb a year, on average, let’s say 8lb in a bad year assuming some years were worse than others. That implies a daily Calorie surplus of just 80 Calories, and that’s when they were piling on the pounds. That’s not gorging, it’s one cookie, or a single slice of bread. If their body needed 2,500 Calories, they consumed 2,580 - pretty close to ideal, without any conscious effort on their part. It was all governed by their appetite, automatically.
So I would say that most people’s appetites are very accurate. Just ever-so-slightly out of calibration in overweight people.
I did, but it just seemed odd to me. There’s no exercise or nutrition education there.
The reason I said “trick” is because the weight goes so fast - nice, but still not very healthy or easy to maintain. Doctors recommend you shoot for 2-3 pounds per week, which is the easiest on your heart and the rest of your internal systems. And easier to maintain.
It may be calories taken in has to be less than calories expended, but I think that’s an oversimplification.
This is only my opinion but, eating carbs is a quick source of energy so your body craves more carbs.
At least in my case, eating carbs made my body crave more carbs. On a low-carb diet I could eat and eat and still lose weight. I definitely ate more food than I had prior to going on the diet but I still lost weight very easily. Once I got to my goal, I slowly added more carbs back into my diet.
I use the glycemic index/glycemic load tables to determine what/how much to eat. I don’t count calories or weigh portions or do anything besides eat less carbs and still have maintained my weight (well except for all of the excess carbs from Christmas. I don’t care how many carbs pecan pie has, I’m gonna eat it!).
The BIG difference is that I don’t have the cravings for food. I don’t feel stuffed after a meal, but I don’t feel hungry either.
I never knew losing weight and keeping it off could be so easy. Hell, I would have done it sooner.
I did the exercise-only route but once one stops, and that’s almost a guarantee, the weight comes back.
Of course, ymmv, all I know is that it worked for me.
Weight Watchers has used some of this new science in the formulation of their new Points Plus ™ system, where you need to look at protein, fiber, carbs, and fat, not just calories, fat, and fiber like the old system. This is specifically because not all calories are the same.
I’m not convinced how much this has an impact in practice for people maintaining a healthy weight, but the science is well supported.
Keep in mind that MDs here in the US average less than 20 hours of training in the field of nutrition, so their knowledge of nutrition science tends to be rather abysmal.
I went on the Atkins diet once–stuck it out for the entire two weeks of “boot camp.” I wasn’t losing much weight, so I called their helpline. Here’s what their rep said: “Here at Atkins, we say ‘Don’t count calories, but calories do count!’” So the bottom line is still calories.
PS I lost 4 pounds of water weight, which came back the day after I quit the diet.
In my experience, eat less calories and lose weight. I cut my calories down to 1600 per day and accomplished my desired weight loss. I weigh only 150 lbs now and maintain that by watching my calorie intake.
I wonder about that as well - do refined carbs have lots of salt? That may account for some of the “rapid weight loss” from Atkins.
When I pay more attention to my diet, I start by losing 5 or so pounds that first week. It’s mostly water, since fruits and vegs have very little salt.
And, “eat a lot of dark leafy greens; avoid processed food; consider the glycemic index when making food choices; and treat white starches as a treat, not the basis of a meal,” is pretty good long term nutritional advice, I think. I doubt you will find any mainstream dietician who would disagree with it, actually.
The OP thinks “carbs make you fat” which is not true. Calories make you fat, eating too many that is. Low-carb eating by following Atkins Stage 1 & 2 (I don’t know the names of the corresponding South Beach program, but it is similar) is ONE way to reduce your caloric intake for the purpose of losing weight. The only way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you burn.
As far as I am aware, there is no calorie restriction plan which can be sustained over a lifetime, since consistently eating fewer calories than your body needs results in death. As a system of moderating overeating into “eating the right amount” over the long haul, by cutting back on nutritionless, high calorie processed starches and sugars, Atkins Stage 3 & 4 is as good as any and better than most.
