hwc
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Post by hwc on Jan 17, 2012 0:14:26 GMT -5
Any thoughts on low-carb diets? Anyone done any research? Pros & cons? I just kinda skimmed over this thread & didn't read each & every post cause I just wanted to jump right in! Ima go back & read what everyone has said because I want to know everyone else's challenges & ideas. ginger: Most overweight people are insulin resistant, meaning that their bodies are not sensistive to insulin and, therefore, their bodies produce extra insulin. The primary effect of extra insulin is to tell the body to store calories as fat and stop burning stored fat for energy. You can see that this is a problem if you are trying to lose weight! Insulin resisance means that you are swimming against a strong current. Anyone who is insulin resistant trying to lose weight will have MUCH easier time of it if they cut their carb intake -- as carbs are the main food group that triggers insulin production. One way is the Atkins diet that suggest a very strict very low carb induction phase for two weeks. Another way is to simply look at your diet and pick out some carbs that you can get rid of. Doesn't have to be perfect, just get started. For example, stop drinking sugar drinks, stop eating candy, and stop eating cereal. Or whatever you decide. I don't have much trouble skipping the carbs because I eat massive meals with large portions of meat and veggies. I'm stuffed. For example, I had 11 ounces (cooked) of beef pot roast for dinner tonight. For lunch, I had a monster salad, with homemade dressing (2 TBS olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and 1 oz of blue cheese) with a few carbs (croutons). I drink half and half in my coffee. For snacks today, I had roasted peanuts (in the shell) and a couple of apples (sugar fix!) |
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mahailia
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Post by mahailia on Jan 17, 2012 9:28:54 GMT -5
hwc -Thanks so much for posting these articles! I learned alot! Everyone should take the time to read these. Especially the nytimes article, although it really wasn't very short. We have been eating real butter and olive oil for ever. My hubby, who is naturally slender, has always said that all the stuff they say about the "diet" and "fake" butter and oils is bad for you. His motto is, if he can't pronounce the ingredients, he won't eat it. Also, he is really against any type of "processed foods". And he NEVER eats any type of packaged sweets, like donuts, pastries, etc. If you look at the listing of the ingredients on these items, available at every convenience store, it will scare you! How much real food is in this stuff? I, unfortunately, love that stuff. Very hard to find a healthy, non-fattening snack in a convenience store. Great info ~ thanks so much for posting this, and congrats on your own weight loss, and the fact that you have kept it off!
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sugaree
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Post by sugaree on Jan 17, 2012 9:36:12 GMT -5
hwc. I totally agree. Hubby lost a bunch of weight with high protein/low carbs. Now I hardly cook with any, but don't worry if I do. He really doesn't crave the carbs any more. Larger portions of protein for sure. We started with a book called Protein Power but now I'm just use to cooking that way. And eating bacon, real butter, etc. is great. Very very few processed/packaged foods. Hubby has diabetes but lost weight and reduced his sugar level eating low carb.
For the diet coke people. Try mixing a little juice or lemonade with unflavored seltzer. Hubby used to use crystal light with the soda, but his doctor recently told him to stay away from anything with Splenda. And yes - definitely stay away from the cereal isle.
As far as Atkins and South Beach, don't you have to buy their food? Much better to cook your own.
Whoever was worried about the sauce in Thai food. Most sauces are made with unsweetened coconut milk with herbs and spices. The coconut milk gives the sauce it's creaminess. 160 calories for a whole can, 23g saturated fat, 2g carbs, 0g sugar. Just stay away from the white rice they serve it with. I made Panang Curry with beef last night - it's delicious.
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mahailia
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Post by mahailia on Jan 17, 2012 9:36:50 GMT -5
And now, inspired by the info that hwc has posted, I have decided on what my exercise program will be! I have a multi-function weight machine, it has a bench, and all the attachments for leg lifts, a bar for doing work on your arms, etc. It is computerized, so that you can add increments of weight on a key pad. Not explaining this well, but it doesn't have actual weights, the resistance is programed into the machine. I requested it as a Christmas present some 5 or 6 years ago, and it has been collecting dust ever since. After reading the article hwc posted above, that weight resistance training is the most effective method of loosing fat, I have decided to dust this off, get out the manual and find the vid that goes with it, and design myself a weight training program. This will also help me in building strength, which is one of my "goals". The machine is in my livingroom, (nowhere else to put it) so I will be able to do the weight training while watching TV, as JustKaren had suggested. I will have to look at that article again alwyncosgrove.com/2010/01/hierarchy-of-fat-loss/to see what else I need to add to my program. Apparently 20 minutes of walking is the least effective method of fat burning exercises. I'm excited!! Wish me luck! Thanks again hwc for your posts on this! |
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hwc
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Post by hwc on Jan 17, 2012 10:17:49 GMT -5
Protein Power is a good book that was a NYTIMES best-seller when it was first published. The authors, Dr. Michael Eades and his wife Dr. Mary Dean Eades, are really entertaining. Eades has a terrific blog: www.proteinpower.com/drmike/The latest Atkins book, written by Jeff Volek (a PhD at UConn) and Dr. Steve Phinney (MD at UCDavis) and Dr. Eric Weisman (MD at Duke Medical School) is really good, too. They outline the various phases of the Atkins diet, but talk about being able to jump in at any of the levels depending on how desperately you need to lose weight. I pretty much started at the maintenance level of carbs and that has just become my normal way of eating. I never did the hardcore induction phase. What they are finding is that people who are not insulin resistant tend to do about the same (with fat loss) on any diet plan. However, people who are insulin resistant do lose a lot more weight with lower carb consumption in the research studies (typically just moderately low carb). --------------- On exercise, Cosgrove's hierarchy definitely works. My workouts for most of the last two years have been: a) strength and core training 3 times a week for about an hour b) two or three days of some kind of cardio intervals (alternating between fast and slow). These include short 20 minute sessions on an Airdyne exercise bike and 45 minute walks on a really hilly route. The key is to have short bursts (either going fast or walking hard up a steep hill) that push your heart rate up, followed by a easy stretch where your heart rate falls. --------------------------------- The hilly walks were a big part of my fat loss -- just slap in the iPod and enjoy the outdoors, even though the hills literally had me bent over panting like a dog at first. I've worn a heart rate monitor for exercise since the early days and the first time I walked up the big hill on my route, my heart rate was 99% of my max. Now, it's only 70% on the same hill (more fitness/less blubber), so I've added in some two minute jogging intervals to get the heart rate back up. So now my little 3.25 mile route is walking up the hills and jogging on the flat bits. What isn't that effective for fat loss is long, slow cardio where you are gong for an hour at a slow pace and never breathing hard. Better to do short workouts that have a few stretches where you are going all out, sweating buckets and breathing hard. Walking's great, but try to find some hill or really push the pace on a few stretches. The strength training is important because it builds lean muscle, which not only looks better, but burns more calories all day long. Double the importance as we get older because we tend to lose muscle as we age. You feel better and look better with a little muscle tone and it's easier to keep the fat off. They are finding that short intense exercise (and strength training) may play a role in reducing insulin resistance, so it all ties together. |
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lakato
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Post by lakato on Jan 17, 2012 11:00:56 GMT -5
Very hard to find a healthy, non-fattening snack in a convenience store. My favorite "healthy" snack at a conveience store is a small package of nuts. |
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hwc
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Post by hwc on Jan 17, 2012 11:15:33 GMT -5
Nuts are good, but you do have to learn to calibrate portions because it's easy to rack up some massive calories with nuts.
If you like it, beef jerky would probably be a pretty good convenience store snack.
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lakato
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Post by lakato on Jan 17, 2012 11:43:31 GMT -5
My "beef" with Atkins is that it doesn't differentiate between healthy and unhealthy fats...granted I'm basing this on the original plan, not sure if they've changed this or not. My goal is to eat more healthy. I do agree that the initial low carb phase is a great way to jump start weight loss...and help break the insulin resistance cycle. The South beach diet uses alot of the same ideas and principles, but focuses on healthier meat and fat choices. I also have a personal bias against Atkins, a few years ago, my mother was doing Atkins, and fainted and ended up compressing two vertebrae in her back and was in the hospital for a week,and a back brace for 6 weeks. Her doctors contributed her fainting to her diet. So my views may be a little skewed! I completely agree that the biggest diet mistakes are not eating enough protein and healthy fats. There is research out there that the MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) are helpful in fat loss. www.prevention.com/flatbellymufaslideshow/index.html Any plan that lets me eat dark chocolate and peanut butter is going to be much easier to stick to!! |
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Post by flowergirl on Jan 17, 2012 12:31:45 GMT -5
I forgot to weigh in yesterday, so here goes:
-1 lb for total of 2 lost; 8 more to go.
good luck everybody!
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Alison
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Post by Alison on Jan 17, 2012 13:28:56 GMT -5
I weighed in at the doctor last week and my weight has been the same since my last visit 4 months ago. I really indulged over the holidays and thought I gained, so I either maintained or lost it already. I'm still on my baby steps/moderation plan -- I finally got on the treadmill for the first time in months. Hubby and the kids started going to a hard core boot camp -- I may join them this weekend.
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