# Let me hear your low-carb stories! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340 "2011-03-03T14:26:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/41 "2011-03-04T16:33:18Z")
I’ve been doing Paleo since August and it’s been working out pretty well for me - nothing dogmatic (just usually avoiding bread and pasta) and I have considerably more energy, especially in the mid-afternoon when I used to have food coma. I also can go longer without food than I could have before - in fact I’ve been experimenting with [intermittent fasting](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting), partly for convenience’s sake which would have been impossible for me before. ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/42 "2011-03-04T16:34:06Z")
Well, I guess yesterday was my first proper “low-carb” day. I guess it’s probably too short a time to necessarily tell, but I’ve noticed the following: 1. Less hungry on fewer calories, and when I am hungry, it’s not like an “OMG must eat 10 mins ago” type feeling, but a much more modest hunger that I can sit with 2. This is a big one: Less tired feeling. I started a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=577639) several months ago about my perpetual tiredness, and that’s been the case for a while. It’s gotten a little better but not much. Anyways, this morning is the first in a while that I’m not wanting desperately to nap by noon. 3. I feel a bit more . . . even, emotionally. Less hyper/exhausted. Anyways, maybe it’s all placebo effect. I’ll let you know again in a week if this has maintained. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/43 "2011-03-04T16:34:57Z")
I’m low-carbing right now. Not really doing Atkins because I’m not following the book and I don’t plan to reintroduce carbs. My story is pretty much the same as everybody else. Tried it, lost weight, did well, then got overwhelmed/lazy/broke. I will probably introduce more carbs to the diet this summer when the farmers market starts again and I want to buy delicious tomatoes and raspberries and the like. But for right now, I’m perfectly happy with my eggs, bacon, spinach, ground beef, cheese, almonds, and Greek yogurt. I’m also thrilled because there’s almond milk at the store now. I _hate_ soy milk and there was never a zero carb alternative to regular dairy, but the unsweetened almond milk isn’t bad at all. I’ve lost about 25 pounds in the past 5 weeks. I allow myself one “cheat” per week. Sometimes even two. Maybe a slice of pizza on Friday night and a tortilla or some fries or something on Saturday, but it hasn’t disrupted my weight loss. If I do eat something carby, I just focus on portion control. ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/44 "2011-03-04T16:38:33Z")
Wow, 25 lbs in 5 wks is absolutely amazing, **pepperlandgirl**! Do you mind if I ask how much weight you need to lose? I’m just asking to figure out if I can expect to lose that much so quickly. I need to lose about 50 lbs to be at my target weight. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/45 "2011-03-04T16:41:48Z")
My friend just came off the first phase of PSMF, as prescribed by the Cleveland Clinic. I think he lost something like 150 lbs in a year (I believe he started at just over 400#). He’s on the second phase now but hasn’t said much about it. I think it’s less fun for him when he’s not losing 5# a week. I’ve waxed and waned about going on it myself - with the help of a doctor - but I still can’t get in to the idea of meat. Especially chicken. So I’m just hitting the gym with regularity for now and losing slooooowly. **nonacetone** and anyone else looking to do low-carb cooking, I urge you to check out [Dana Carpender’s cookbooks](http://www.amazon.com/Dana-Carpender/e/B001JP9VNM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1). Heaps and heaps of great recipes in there, with great ideas like what **Rushgeekgirl** and **PeskiPiski** mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/46 "2011-03-04T16:45:14Z")
**Pepperlandgirl** have you ever heard of Hood’s [low carb milk](http://www.hood.com/Products/prodListColl.aspx?id=851)? It was a great treat for me at the later stages of my Atkins journey. Tastes great! ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/47 "2011-03-04T16:45:27Z")
I need to lose at least 100 pounds. My loss has stalled this week. Tomorrow’s my official weigh-in day, and I don’t think the scale will have moved much at all, but I’m still losing inches, especially around the waist. Insulin resistance tends to cause belly fat and that’s where I’ve been losing it. The difference in my appearance was noticeable within a week. I’m also walking every day and weight lifting a few times a week. I’ve been doing that for a month. At first I could barely go around the block without feeling like I’d certainly die, but now I can do 2 miles without hurting. ETA: I have not tried the low carb milk but I’m definitely happy for the link! ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/48 "2011-03-04T19:00:51Z")
I have pretty severe IBS, which can limit my food options. I eat a very reduced carb diet because I feel awful–bloated and hungry–when I eat much in the way of carbohydrates. I eat lean meat, lots of broccoli/cauliflower/carrots/kale/salad, and dairy. I tend to avoid most grains. Eating this way, I feel better, my IBS is usually under control, and I’m not hungry. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/49 "2011-03-04T22:46:37Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > **rhubarbarin** , I’ve heard your story before and I find it interesting. Thanks for telling it again, but these two aspects are new to me. Why did you decide to include white rice and fatty but sweet desserts? > > Also, why did you choose animal fats over vegetable fats? White rice, because it is nearly pure starch without the harmful (IMO) compounds found in other grains. Desserts, because I started missing them, I feel fine eating sugar as long as I don’t overindulge, and extra carbs (I was eating under 50g of carbs for a while there, it comes with some benefits but also some drawbacks for me) are necessary for me to gain bodyfat anyway. I think animal (mostly saturated - coconut oil is included in this of course) fats are much healthier than vegetable fats. I go to some lengths to avoid omega-6 fatty acids. I’d like to add that I don’t experience decreased appetite on this diet - to the contrary, sometimes in a big way. That’s only right as my body really needs to build extra mass. Eating this way seems to encourage everyone’s body to crave what it really needs. When my body was messed up I used to crave Skittles or Doritos, then have no appetite for real food… ---
**Author:** ![jacob\_wrestling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/76d3ee/32.png) [@jacob\_wrestling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacob_wrestling)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/50 "2011-03-04T23:26:08Z")
What a timely thread for me! I started eating low-carb 5 days ago after reading _Why We Get Fat_ by Gary Taubes. A big thank you to whoever recommended it in another thread. I’ve been pretty serious since the beginning of the year about trying to drop 25-30 pounds but was really struggling with the low calorie diet. I felt hungry all the time, and even with a good amount of exercise, the pounds just weren’t coming off. So, I decided to give low-carb eating a try. I’ve been doing Atkins and I have to say, what a revelation it has been in terms of its effect on my appetite. I’ve been eating around the same number of calories as I was on the low calorie diet and haven’t been hungry.\*\* I didn’t feel very well the first few days, I suspect due to the so-called Atkins “induction flu”, but I’m perking up and doing much better now that I’ve been replacing electrolytes. I’m still looking forward to the burst of energy many people report after a few weeks on the plan. It’s restrictive right now, but I’m hopeful that if I follow Atkins properly, I will be able to establish the number of carbs I can eat and maintain a healthy weight. Then I’ll have a leeway to eat a greater variety of food and an occasional treat. \*\*I’m not limiting calories per se, just tracking my carbs. At this point in the game, the low number of carbs allowed plus the appetite reduction pretty much self-limit the calories. ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/51 "2011-03-04T23:49:04Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > I think animal (mostly saturated - coconut oil is included in this of course) fats are much healthier than vegetable fats. I go to some lengths to avoid omega-6 fatty acids. What made you reach this conclusion? ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/52 "2011-03-04T23:50:49Z")
Oh, yeah, and definitely less hunger too. Friday is usually a “splurge” day for me so I ate until I was full and super-indulged, marginally out of curiosity. I was shocked to discover it was less than 1500 cals. Do y’all primal people restrict dairy? ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/53 "2011-03-05T00:09:40Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > Oh, yeah, and definitely less hunger too. Friday is usually a “splurge” day for me so I ate until I was full and super-indulged, marginally out of curiosity. I was shocked to discover it was less than 1500 cals. That’s one of the funny things about eating this way. Sometimes I’ll hear people on plain ol’ low-calorie diets moan that they are only allowed to eat 1400 calories a day, say. And I’m thinking, jeez, I sometimes have to force myself to eat _up_ to 1400 calories a day, because all this meat really sates you quickly. I’m thinking of relaxing the no-starches rule next week, though, just to give my body a change. In the past, I’ve found that actually eating significantly more carbs (100 to 150g/day) for a period will result in a temporary water-weight gain, but when I go back to restricting carbs, not only will I lose the water but actual fat pounds will drop very quickly once again too. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/54 "2011-03-05T00:27:54Z")
(BTW, I didn’t mean “moan” in a whiny way, more of a descriptive way. 🙂 I’ve been on low-cal diets myself and they are truly difficult.) ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/55 "2011-03-05T03:14:30Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > Do y’all primal people restrict dairy? Here’s a handy Venn diagram about Primal/Paleo (“caveman” regimens). I confess I’m still learning the difference and the subtleties myself even while diving into the Primal diet from longtime regular low-carbing, just because it made so much sense. **rhubarbarin** can tell you more. [http://huntgatherlove.com/content/paleo-vs-primal-vs-atkins](http://huntgatherlove.com/content/paleo-vs-primal-vs-atkins) From perusing the Primal website for many months and reading some of the book, it seems dairy is somewhat of an option for that variety of the philosophy. Many people feel dropping dairy improves allergies, speeds weight loss, or whatnot. It’s difficult. I’d like to drop the last 10 lbs and eliminate most of my migraines, but I don’t think dropping the cheese and such has helped, although I feel a bit “clearer” when I stay off it a while. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/56 "2011-03-05T17:13:21Z")
I used to eat tons of dairy but now I’ve cut it back to heavy cream and butter. Seems cheese, yogurt, etc were contributing to the zits I was still getting until I finally gave them up (mostly) last month. Dairy products seem to be a common trigger for many people prone to acne. I want totally clear skin for the first time in 10 years, I think no Greek yogurt is worth it. **Gestalt** , it’s a long story how I came to believe saturated animal fats are one of the healthiest food sources for humans… [Dr. Kurt Harris has an amazing blog](http://www.paleonu.com/) and I heartily agree with most of his conclusions about nutrition and health (but not about libertarianism), so I’ll point you in that direction because he’s more intelligent and a better writer than I. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/57 "2011-03-06T01:07:00Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > I remember making some sort of bread substitute with spinach, parmesan and eggs. It wasn’t the consistency of bread but you could slice it into squares and it would hold fixins inside just fine. Must know more. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/58 "2011-03-06T01:39:13Z")
I haven’t tried this [coconut flour bread](http://nourishedkitchen.com/coconut-flour-bread/) yet, but coconut flour is very low in net carbs. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/59 "2011-03-06T02:44:11Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > I haven’t tried this [coconut flour bread](http://nourishedkitchen.com/coconut-flour-bread/) yet, but coconut flour is very low in net carbs. It’s delicious too! I made a very dense pumpkin pound cake with coconut flour. This is the recipe but I made it with half almond and half coconut flour and added a little extra liquid sucralose: [PUMPKIN POUND CAKE - Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes](http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/pumpkin_poundcake.html) I also used it half and half with parmesan cheese to bread chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340/60 "2011-03-06T02:46:36Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Must know more. Keep in mind it’s not bread. It’s two squares that hold your meat and cheese. [SPINACH "BREAD" - Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes](http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/spinach_bread.html) You have to use the canned parmesan or it won’t work. Learned that the hard way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-hear-your-low-carb-stories/573340.md?page=4)