# Lazy low-carb dieting. Is it possible? (will it work?)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-low-carb-dieting-is-it-possible-will-it-work/247934
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 31, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-low-carb-dieting-is-it-possible-will-it-work/247934 "2004-05-31T17:46:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-low-carb-dieting-is-it-possible-will-it-work/247934/1 "2004-05-31T17:46:09Z")
I have never been one for sticking to strict rules. It’s why I almost failed my degree. And why I need a kick up the backside to do anything not compulsary for survival.
I don’t think I would be able to stick to a very low carb diet. But I do think I can simply reduce the amount of carbs I eat. In fact I think I already have.
I’ve stopped drinking soft drinks, I now mostly drink carbonated water, with the occasional coffee, tea, (both without sugar) fresh orange juice, glass of milk.
I avoid potato products, white bread, things that I even _assume_ have carbs in them.
I pick things up, read the back, and put them down again if there are a high level of carbs.
I’ve given up sausage rolls, kfc, (two things I used to get often before work).
Along with the above changes I am slightly more aware throughout the day of what I am consuming.
Now to the GQ. will simply lowering the level of carbohydrates have at least _some_ benefit? or does one need to go all the way to lose any weight?
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### Author:  [@bsane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bsane)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-low-carb-dieting-is-it-possible-will-it-work/247934/2 "2004-05-31T17:57:15Z")
My experience has been that I don’t lose weight by doing that. I haven’t gained any weight either, which is significant since I lost 70lbs on a more restrictive diet before going on a’lazy low carb’ diet. My blood work is also still in very good shape- better than recommended and much better than prior to losing weight.
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### Author:  [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-low-carb-dieting-is-it-possible-will-it-work/247934/3 "2004-05-31T21:26:03Z")
Maybe.
The point of very low carb (VLC) diets like Atkins is that they force you into [ketosis](http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/ketosis.html). By eating very low amounts of carbohydrates, you deplete your body of glucose and it begins burning fat instead. There is much debate over whether this is healthy for any length of time and, as the OP noted, it is often very difficult to stay on a VLC diet.
But reducing your consumption of carbohydrates can still cause weight loss even if you don’t reach ketosis if it results in an overall consumption of calories. It’s been shown that diets higher in protien and fat tend to be more satiating than higher carb diets so dieters feel satisfied with less. Also, a lot of foods high in carbs tend to be junk foods. By avoiding things like soda, snacks, and desserts, you avoid a lot of nutritionally “empty” foods, foods that add little but calories to your diet.
So it sounds like you’re on the right track. Just try to avoid the junky lo-carb convenience foods currently on the market and stick to whole foods like vegetables and lean cuts of meat. Also, make sure you get enough fiber because high protein diets can cause constipation.
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### Author:  [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-low-carb-dieting-is-it-possible-will-it-work/247934/4 "2004-05-31T21:38:17Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#):
>
> It’s been shown that diets higher in protien and fat tend to be more satiating than higher carb diets so dieters feel satisfied with less. Also, a lot of foods high in carbs tend to be junk foods.
I’m not from Missouri, but show me, anyway. Carbs, like fats/oils, come in many flavors. Complex carbs, with much fiber, are quite satisfying. A big salad will fill you up. Many foods high in these carbs are not junk food. Avoiding junk food, like sodas, pies, cakes, and white bread is a good idea. Eat whole-grain bread (bread made with whole-grain wheat) and pasta, pancakes, etc. made with whole-grain wheat. (I make my pancakes with the whole grain.)
Vegetables are mostly carbs (the fiber is a complex carb). Those are good carbs. I believe Atkins had a special nomenclature for them, so they didn’t count.
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2004, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-low-carb-dieting-is-it-possible-will-it-work/247934/5 "2004-05-31T21:52:42Z")
Thanks for the replies so far. It’s good to know that if not ensuring the loss of weight I am at least doing myself a favour buy not eating junk.
I forgot to mention in the OP that one of the changes includes eating salad (supermarket prepared bowls) almost every day at work (with whatever else I get. I love food too much to just eat salad).
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### Author:  [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-low-carb-dieting-is-it-possible-will-it-work/247934/6 "2004-05-31T22:03:11Z")
Sounds very similar to what I’ve been doing. I didn’t count my carbs, and I’m sure my carb intake wasn’t as low as Atkins requires for the initial phase, but I did eliminate all sweets and most carbs. I started eating a lot more vegetables, and slightly more protein than before. I continued to consume a lot of coffee, something Atkins does not recommend. I still went from 185 lb to 165 lb in about 4 months.
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### Author:  [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-low-carb-dieting-is-it-possible-will-it-work/247934/7 "2004-05-31T22:07:28Z")
> [@barbitu8](#):
>
> I’m not from Missouri, but show me, anyway. Carbs, like fats/oils, come in many flavors. Complex carbs, with much fiber, are quite satisfying. A big salad will fill you up. Many foods high in these carbs are not junk food. Avoiding junk food, like sodas, pies, cakes, and white bread is a good idea. Eat whole-grain bread (bread made with whole-grain wheat) and pasta, pancakes, etc. made with whole-grain wheat. (I make my pancakes with the whole grain.)
>
> Vegetables are mostly carbs (the fiber is a complex carb). Those are good carbs. I believe Atkins had a special nomenclature for them, so they didn’t count.
Well, here are links to the transcripts of the show that convinced **BooBooFoo** that ther might be something to this low carb thing.
[Part One](http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1084112.htm), [Part Two](http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1087754.htm)
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### Author:  [@bsane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bsane)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-low-carb-dieting-is-it-possible-will-it-work/247934/8 "2004-05-31T22:13:02Z")
> [@scr4](#):
>
> I continued to consume a lot of coffee, something Atkins does not recommend.
I think the recommendation against coffee was because caffine makes you hungry or something like that, but after the recent [studies](http://my.webmd.com/content/article/83/97794.htm) that showed a link between coffee and decreased diabetes I wonder if we’ll find out that 5-6 cups a day is good for us…
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### Author:  [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-low-carb-dieting-is-it-possible-will-it-work/247934/9 "2004-05-31T22:15:22Z")
Oops, didn’t finish posting.
Here’s **BooBooFoo’s** excellent summary:
> [@](#):
>
> The trial used 158 respondents with utterly detailed diet journals and the research found the following - the Atkins subjects lost no more nor less weight than the strict calorie controlled dieters. However, the Atkins subjects were allowed to eat as much as they wanted so long as it fell under the guidelines of the Atkins program. The 3 quarters of subjects who were on traditional low cal diets lost weight over 12 months for the obvious reason - they were simply eating less calories. But interestingly, after analysing the diet journals of the Atkins subjects, it was discovered that they too were eating the same amount of calories per average subject - and yet they were allowed to eat as much as they wanted if they wished. Hence, the question became thus… “What is it about the Atkins Diet which seemingly suppresses appetite?”
>
> The British study then performed a trial over 480 meals between 12 men to ascertain if it was “unlimited fat” in the diet which was suppressing hunger. Their meals were doped with saturated fats during the cooking phase into pasta sauces and stuff like that. 50% of the trial ate the hi-fat doped meals and the other 50% ate the low-fat meals. All subjects were allowed to eat as much as they wanted. And that study found that the men who were eating the doped hi-fat meals were actually going back asking for more than the lo-fat guys. Ergo, it was deemed that unlimited fat is not the trigger which makes the Atkins Diet seemingly suppress hunger.
>
> And the answer it would appear has been found by a concurrent Danish study by Copenhagen University which included 120 subjects over 12 months. The university opened a supermarket specifically for the trial subjects and each and every food item was bar coded based on carbohydrate, protein, and fat breakdown. 120 people were asked to eat whatever they wanted, they just had to promise that for one year that 100% of their food was purchased for free from the special supermarket. After 12 months the research was in… and a wonderful discovery has been made. About 60 subjects who were consistently losing weight were found to be choosing an unusually high protein diet. No elevated fat or carbohydrate levels, nor decreased carbohydrate levels. It would seem that the success behind the Atkins Diet is actually due NOT to the myth of ketosis, or the myth of peeing out calories via ketones, or the myth of zero carbohydrates - it would seem almost beyond doubt that Dr Atkins unknowingly stumbled upon a diet which naturally suppresses hunger - which in turn reduces the net total of calories being consumed. And the magic bullet it seems is lots of protein.
(Here’s the [url=http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=249142&page=6&highlight=carbohydrate]thread the quote came from. The post is about half way down the page, I don’t know how to do single post links)
I don’t think complex carbs are detrimntal to your health; I’m just not totally convinced of our need to eat them. If you look at paleo diets, they didn’t include grains. If avoiding high carb foods helps simplify things for people who don’t want to spend a lot of time following rules (as the OP indicated), I’m all for it. As long, (as I noted) as they avoid the “junk” low carb foods.
That said, I don’t personally have a dog in this fight. I don’t eat low carb or high protein (in fact, my diet is mostly carbs with only maybe 10% protein) and as a 37 year old female with bodyfat under 20%, carbs obviously aren’t harming me.
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### Author:  [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)
#### Post date: [June 1, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-low-carb-dieting-is-it-possible-will-it-work/247934/10 "2004-06-01T01:23:37Z")
After the birth of my first child, I continued following the diet I’d been put on to control gestational diabetes – not to lose weight, but just to keep my blood sugar from going haywire. Over the course of about 10 months, I dropped 40 pounds beyond what I’d gained during the pregnancy. My total daily carb intake during this time was about 110-130 grams per day – way, way, way over what Atkins recommends, but a lot lower than I’d been eating prior to starting the diet.
So, YMMV.
Oh, and I drink an assload of coffee, tea, and diet soda, for what that’s worth.
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### Author:  [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)
#### Post date: [June 1, 2004, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-low-carb-dieting-is-it-possible-will-it-work/247934/11 "2004-06-01T02:26:38Z")
Here’s my experience losing 65lbs on this diet.
For the first 3 months, all I did was start drinking diet soda (by the way, OJ is very high in carbs), stopped eating cereal, stopped eating 3 hours before bed, and cut out bread in the house. Just doing that I lost 30 in about 3 months. A year later, I got strict on the diet and lost another 35 in about 4 months. I went from 242 to 177. Yes, I cheat every now and again, but that’s what keeps you sane. If you are gonna cheat, do it early in the day, and try to avoid the low carb foods that are high in fat for the rest of the day. Have fish or chicken instead of steak. It’s really not too hard and I feel the best I have in years.