How many of you eat a low carb diet?

[Guest guest]

I see quite a bit of this even on NT-style groups these days. I am

sure people have their own unique reasons for why they do this, and I

am curious as to how people have benefitted from a low carb diet.

Please share!

a

[Guest guest]

I don't count grams but i can see compared to the average person i eat what

might be called low carb. I cringe when i see someone eating a plate of

pasta or a bowl of cereal. I just think most people eat a high-carb diet and

many of us who say we are low carb are just eating what is actually an

adequate amount of carbs. I have benefited by not getting dizzy when i stand

up, being able to withstand some hunger without turning into the bitch from

hell, no energy crashes, stuff like that. I can tell when i'm eating too

many carbs (usually too much fruit) when those symptoms return. I have tried

very low carb diets and i get adverse symptoms from that as well, but others

don't.

Elaine

> I see quite a bit of this even on NT-style groups these days. I am

> sure people have their own unique reasons for why they do this, and I

> am curious as to how people have benefitted from a low carb diet.

[Guest guest]

>> I

am curious as to how people have benefitted from a low carb diet. <<

LOL, well, I lost over 110 pounds in 16 months, feel great, have no

cravings, have tons of energy, lost my lifetime of IBS.... and the list goes

on.

Christie

[Guest guest]

I am just the opposite. I bought a proper mill for grinding my own flour a

year ago and seriously increased my intake of wheat, oats, barely and

buckwheat. I am healthier that I have ever been, I have lost 20 pounds, my

energy levels are up and my list goes on. I have been making sprouted

wheat breads since before I read NT, I love having flat breads to snack

on. I do not eat commercially processed grain products at all. I also

have a roller for doing my oats, I just love hot cereal for breakfast,

especially in the winter before I go out to milk the cow.

Bright Blessings,

Kim

At 08:32 PM 9/16/2004, you wrote:

> >> I

>am curious as to how people have benefitted from a low carb diet. <<

>

>LOL, well, I lost over 110 pounds in 16 months, feel great, have no

>cravings, have tons of energy, lost my lifetime of IBS.... and the list goes

>on.

>

>Christie

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

At 08:48 PM 9/16/2004, you wrote:

>I see quite a bit of this even on NT-style groups these days. I am

>sure people have their own unique reasons for why they do this, and I

>am curious as to how people have benefitted from a low carb diet.

>

>Please share!

>

>a

we lowcarb. originally to lose baby weight, but now because really, carbs

are pretty empty. a baked potato is awful nice once in a while, and

occasionally i *neeeeeeed* gluten-free sourdough pancakes, but it's not

like those things actually benefit me at all.

we don't count carbs in green leafy vegetables or coconut - that kind of

carb is good. also, carbs in raw milk are fine. in fact, we don't count

carbs at all: we just don't eat useless carbs (ie, potatoes, corn, rice)

unless it's some kind of special occasion.

-katja

[Guest guest]

a-

>I see quite a bit of this even on NT-style groups these days. I am

>sure people have their own unique reasons for why they do this, and I

>am curious as to how people have benefitted from a low carb diet.

I've lost weight, feel better, stay awake and alert longer, have more

energy and mental acuity, better concentration, fewer health problems,

better digestion, you name it. Low-carbing hasn't quite been a panacea for

me, but it's been a very, very significant contributor to improving my health.

-

[Guest guest]

Greetings a,

Many things are excluded from my diet. All junk and processed foods such

as store bought grain products. All grain fed ruminants, all factory

raised food such as chicken and eggs, pasteurized milk products of all

types. Our standing comment is: " If I don't know the animals name that it

came from, I won't eat it. " All our meat is home butcher so I know it was

done right.

No chlorinated water, not even to shower in. No chemicals on my skin, such

as deodorant. No detergents such as shampoo, dish washing soap and

dishwasher soap allowed in the house, we make all our own.

No chemically raised veggies, we raise all our own food or buy organic. I

personally love potatoes, especially just out of the garden. Wash them,

steam them and smother them in good Jersey cow butter with some fresh

chopped chives.

Right now I am eating honeydew melon fresh off the vine. Tastes nothing

like the store bought stuff.

I do eat potato chips and dip, the homemade kind. My good organic

potatoes, slice thin and fried in my good lard from my own pigs. Kefir

that has been drained for 24 hours with some sea salt and fresh chopped

dill mixed in. Wonderful snack foods for special occasions.

Bright Blessings,

Kim

At 10:17 AM 9/17/2004, you wrote:

>Hi Kim,

>

>Yum...I would love some hot cereal for breakfast. I just started

>eating a piece or two of Ezekial bread each day, but other than that I

>haven't had grains in over a year. I keep meaning to make some of

>that cereal, though!

>

>I wonder...is there anything that you tend to exclude from your diet?

>

>Blessings,

>a

>

>

> >

> > > >> I

> > >am curious as to how people have benefitted from a low carb diet. <<

> > >

> > >LOL, well, I lost over 110 pounds in 16 months, feel great, have no

> > >cravings, have tons of energy, lost my lifetime of IBS.... and the

>list goes

> > >on.

> > >

> > >Christie

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Kim wrote:

>I am just the opposite. I bought a proper mill for

>grinding my own flour a year ago and seriously

>increased my intake of wheat, oats, barely and

>buckwheat. I am healthier that I have ever been,

>I have lost 20 pounds, my energy levels are up and

>my list goes on. I have been making sprouted wheat

>breads since before I read NT, I love having flat

>breads to snack on. I do not eat commercially

>processed grain products at all. I also have a

>roller for doing my oats, I just love hot cereal

>for breakfast, especially in the winter before I

>go out to milk the cow.

Hi Kim. I don't do well on a low-carb diet either, and coincidentally just

purchased a grain mill. Do you have any favorite books that you can

recommend?

What type of roller do you use for your oats. I really don't know much about

them, but would like to know the freshness of my oatmeal.

Thanks.

~~ Jocelyne

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I'm slow coming into this low carb discussion but here goes.

I went low carb to lose weight. I lost 22 pounds over about 4-5 months. As

slow as that seems to many it was a gift for me. I am hypothyroid and my

body is very resistant to letting go of those pounds. Unfortunately, I am

stuck and have been unable to restart the fat burning engine again.

After reading " The Metabolic Typing " book I know that I am a strong protein

type, so I have stayed with this for over a year now. My problem is I can't

seem to find the right combination of protein-carb-fat that will put me in a

weight loss mode again. I will never go back to what others would consider

" normal " ratios because of how it makes me feel, but I sure need to lose a

lot more weight.

Ada

-

[Guest guest]

At 11:39 AM 9/20/2004, you wrote:

>Hi,

>

>I'm slow coming into this low carb discussion but here goes.

>

>I went low carb to lose weight. I lost 22 pounds over about 4-5 months. As

>slow as that seems to many it was a gift for me. I am hypothyroid and my

>body is very resistant to letting go of those pounds. Unfortunately, I am

>stuck and have been unable to restart the fat burning engine again.

hey, ada:

a lot of times when weight loss stalls out, it can be caused by the liver.

try a nice gentle detox by using burdock and dandelion root tea, 2-3 cups a

day, for a month. also, you can work on your thyroid with coconut oil,

which will help you if your thyroid is again the cause of the weight loss

delay.

-katja

[Guest guest]

Hi Katja,

Thank you for your comments. I have added virgin coconut oil as a supplement

and expeller pressed for sauteing. But recently discovered that the

recommended 3 Tbl. of VCO shouldn't be taken all at once, and I haven't been

very good about getting those in throughout the day.

I've thought about doing a liver cleanse, but there seems to be a down side

to that as well... can't remember what it was but it was enough to put me

off. I like the idea of a more gentle approach and will give it a try. Are

the burdock and dandelion in one mix or is this something that I will have

to combine myself?

Thanks again for your suggestion,

Ada

hey, ada:

a lot of times when weight loss stalls out, it can be caused by the liver.

try a nice gentle detox by using burdock and dandelion root tea, 2-3 cups a

day, for a month. also, you can work on your thyroid with coconut oil,

which will help you if your thyroid is again the cause of the weight loss

delay.

-katja

[Guest guest]

At 01:34 PM 9/20/2004, you wrote:

>I've thought about doing a liver cleanse, but there seems to be a down side

>to that as well... can't remember what it was but it was enough to put me

>off. I like the idea of a more gentle approach and will give it a try. Are

>the burdock and dandelion in one mix or is this something that I will have

>to combine myself?

>

>Thanks again for your suggestion,

yeah. i'ts alllll about gentle. the fast ones release too many toxins too

quickly into the body.

for the tea, just order some burdock root and dandelion root from mountain

rose herbs or rosemary's garden. if you like, you can also order some

licorice root, sarsaparilla root, and sassafras root to toss in as well -

all in equal quantities - this will make it quite tasty. but if you're

operating on a budget, burdock and dandelion are the most critical. (make

sure they're organic!)

to make it, you'll just toss a tablespoon of the herbs into a large

saucepot with a quart and a half or so of water. boil them covered for a

good 15 minutes, then strain and drink. it's best to make it fresh every

morning, but then you can drink it throughout the day. if you're going away

for the weekend or something, it's fine to make it up ahead of time and

just put it in a dark container so it won't be exposed to light (or an

amber bottle).

-katja

[Guest guest]

>After reading " The Metabolic Typing " book I know that I am a strong protein

>type, so I have stayed with this for over a year now. My problem is I can't

>seem to find the right combination of protein-carb-fat that will put me in a

>weight loss mode again. I will never go back to what others would consider

> " normal " ratios because of how it makes me feel, but I sure need to lose a

>lot more weight.

>

>Ada

The " Warrior Diet " version of cyclic eating works for me ... it is

highly counter-intuitive, but it seems to have made my body able

to burn fat again, and my appetite is more in sync with what my

body needs. It also has stopped my " hunger " pangs ... I can and

do go without food most of the day and feel fine. Also taking

coconut oil instead of animal fats seems to jump start me ...

the coconut oil increases your metabolism (esp. for us older

folks). And avoiding everything I seem to react to ... some foods

make me ravenous the next day and seem to inhibit fat

burning (high cortisol, I think) ... those foods for me are

mainly gluten and dairy.

I don't count carbs, but the carbs I eat are mainly fruit and

vegies (incl. potato), with some rice now and then and gooey desserts

on occasion. I tend to agree with Mercola that grains make it

harder to lose weight ... though I did lose weight on a low-fat

whole-grain diet once I also got ill from it.

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

Ada, do you exercise? Try weight lifting and cardio intervals. They both

boost metabolism. IMHO you have to exercise to lose weight, and you have to

push your limits regularly. Just doing the same thing on the treadmill or

what not day after day won't cut it after a while.

elaine

[Guest guest]

Ada,

If its a liver cleanse with epsom salts the magnesium will acidify and speed

up your already fast and acidic protein type metabolism. Extra magnesium ok

for mixed and carb types. Citrus in cleanses will affect protein types same

as magnesium. Calcium and zinc are protein type supplemental minerals that

alkalinize and could help get you back on track. I gained 7 lbs. with the

protein type diet but needed to. Felt better after adding the calcium and

zinc. Burdock and dandelion Katja suggested, I try to do at least every

spring and fall.

Wanita

> I've thought about doing a liver cleanse, but there seems to be a down

side

> to that as well... can't remember what it was but it was enough to put me

> off. I like the idea of a more gentle approach and will give it a try. Are

> the burdock and dandelion in one mix or is this something that I will have

> to combine myself?

>

> Thanks again for your suggestion,

>

> Ada

[Guest guest]

Ada-

>After reading " The Metabolic Typing " book I know that I am a strong protein

>type, so I have stayed with this for over a year now. My problem is I can't

>seem to find the right combination of protein-carb-fat that will put me in a

>weight loss mode again. I will never go back to what others would consider

> " normal " ratios because of how it makes me feel, but I sure need to lose a

>lot more weight.

If your hypothyroidism is insufficiently treated, no amount of monkeying

with the fat-carb-protein composition of your diet will help past a certain

point, I'm afraid, and you already seem to have reached or come close to

that point. Coconut oil, being largely MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) and

therefore thermogenic could improve things for you, but really, if you're

not getting enough thyroid supplementation, getting more will prove necessary.

-

[Guest guest]

Definitely lift weights - it's great for pushing you into fat loss.

I agree with that you need to address your underlying hypothyroidism,

but in addition, what ARE your ratios of carb/fat/protein? I find that I

lose best at about 70 percent fat, 25 percent protein. More protein than

that, my loss slows down. Fat is where it's at for me, for weight loss.

Good luck!

Christie

[Guest guest]

Thanks Heidi,

I've been trying to get to the Warrior Diet but haven't made it yet. I drink

two cups of decaf with cream in the morning, and am taking my VCO and CLO

around 11:00, if I'm famished I will eat some protein. I wanted to take the

VCO midday to get the energy boost that I need due to my hypothyroid. As you

can see this is not exactly low calorie.

I can't handle fruits much at all, except an occasional 1/2 apple or so. I'm

very reactive to berries especially blueberries I guess I could have a

salad, or some other vegetable, but think it would only wet my appetite for

more food.

I'm not sure how to get over this hump, and any suggestions would be greatly

appreciated.

Ada

[Guest guest]

Katja,

thank you very much for the detailed help. I am going to order those herbs

today. I guess I will be able to make root beer too.

Ada

yeah. i'ts alllll about gentle. the fast ones release too many toxins too

quickly into the body.

for the tea, just order some burdock root and dandelion root from mountain

rose herbs or rosemary's garden. if you like, you can also order some

licorice root, sarsaparilla root, and sassafras root to toss in as well -

all in equal quantities - this will make it quite tasty. but if you're

operating on a budget, burdock and dandelion are the most critical. (make

sure they're organic!)

to make it, you'll just toss a tablespoon of the herbs into a large

saucepot with a quart and a half or so of water. boil them covered for a

good 15 minutes, then strain and drink. it's best to make it fresh every

morning, but then you can drink it throughout the day. if you're going away

for the weekend or something, it's fine to make it up ahead of time and

just put it in a dark container so it won't be exposed to light (or an

amber bottle).

-katja

[Guest guest]

Elaine,

I don't exercise as much as I should, so pushing my limits wouldn't take

very long at all I have a bad knee which hinders most aerobic types of

exercise. I've been trying to get the nerve to try weight lifting with the

small dumbbells. I have a book called Bottom's Up! that I think would suit

at least for starters.

I know it looks like laziness to those who don't have hypothyroid disease,

but getting anything done, much less " pushing your limits " exercise, is a

real project.

Having said that, I know that you are right so I guess I'd better get on

with it. It just might be a lot slower than the average person.

Ada

[Guest guest]

,

You are right. I have begged for help from my doctor, but she is

intractable. My TSH is in the normal range and she's married to L-thyroxine.

I was sent to an endocrinologist for a suspected parathyroid problem, and

got the same response... " lose weight and you will feel better. " I guess I

should be grateful that they aren't loading me up on a bunch more

medications since I already take enough (for BP and peri-osteoporosis)

Ada

If your hypothyroidism is insufficiently treated, no amount of monkeying

with the fat-carb-protein composition of your diet will help past a certain

point, I'm afraid, and you already seem to have reached or come close to

that point. Coconut oil, being largely MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) and

therefore thermogenic could improve things for you, but really, if you're

not getting enough thyroid supplementation, getting more will prove

necessary.

-

[Guest guest]

Christie,

I'm roughly doing 78% fat, 16% protein. That's when I'm in control of the

meal. I have a large family here in town, so I'm eating someone else's

cooking with a fair amount of regularity. I try to pick and choose, but it's

a lot harder if someone decides to have spaghetti, garlic bread and ice

cream. If I have too many days in a row when I have lost control, then it

can be almost a week before I get over the cravings for carbs.

Ada

Definitely lift weights - it's great for pushing you into fat loss.

I agree with that you need to address your underlying hypothyroidism,

but in addition, what ARE your ratios of carb/fat/protein? I find that I

lose best at about 70 percent fat, 25 percent protein. More protein than

that, my loss slows down. Fat is where it's at for me, for weight loss.

Good luck!

Christie

[Guest guest]

At 10:12 AM 9/21/04 -0700, you wrote:

>

>,

>

>You are right. I have begged for help from my doctor, but she is

>intractable. My TSH is in the normal range and she's married to L-thyroxine.

>I was sent to an endocrinologist for a suspected parathyroid problem, and

>got the same response... " lose weight and you will feel better. " I guess I

>should be grateful that they aren't loading me up on a bunch more

>medications since I already take enough (for BP and peri-osteoporosis)

Ada,

I was just about to ask you how you were treating your hypothyroidism.

You realize the answer is immediately find a new doctor, right? I'm

assuming at this point that you realized you're hypothyroid based on

symptoms, then, since your test results are " normal " ? (*insert sick

grin while pronouncing the word " normal " )*

MFJ

Everything connects. The Universe is not THAT chaotic. Beauty can

still be found in the most amazing places.

[Guest guest]

At 01:21 PM 9/21/2004, you wrote:

>Christie,

>

>I'm roughly doing 78% fat, 16% protein. That's when I'm in control of the

>meal. I have a large family here in town, so I'm eating someone else's

>cooking with a fair amount of regularity. I try to pick and choose, but it's

>a lot harder if someone decides to have spaghetti, garlic bread and ice

>cream. If I have too many days in a row when I have lost control, then it

>can be almost a week before I get over the cravings for carbs.

>

>Ada

ya know, ada - this is going to be a huge part of your problem. you've

really got to be 100% faithful to your ratio. if i were in your situation,

i'd take my own food with me, or simply have a beverage with the eaters and

eat at home, or spend non-food time with your family. that might not be

entirely socially acceptable with your family, or it might seem

uncomfortable, but you should definitely consider it...otherwise you'll be

stuck with a lot of frustration!

kindly,

katja

[Guest guest]

>I can't handle fruits much at all, except an occasional 1/2 apple or so. I'm

>very reactive to berries especially blueberries I guess I could have a

>salad, or some other vegetable, but think it would only wet my appetite for

>more food.

One trick I use is MCT oil ... it's part of coconut oil, but liquid,

so you can use it for salad. A Tbls of MCT over lettuce is

amazingly filling but doesn't affect your blood sugar. It is

used by athletes for " extra energy " ... it goes right to your

cells to be burned. It is pricey though.

VCO works too (but not on salad ...). Yeah, it's not low calorie,

but don't worry about that for awhile. The idea is to stabilize

your system so you get used to burning fat and glycogen

during the day, rather than relying on digesting food all the

time. Once your body gets used to USING fat, it will use

your stored fat rather than hording it. This requires a shift

in hormones, and that takes awhile.

Also, exercise really helps! My best days are ones where

I'm really busy and on my feet ... one week I was moving

a household, packing boxes etc ... I drank a lot of water,

it was really hot ... but I was energetic as anything and

didn't eat (I couldn't anyway, we were too busy).

When I get hungry sometimes I'll drink some water and do a couple

of squats ... that helps the body get back into " eating fat "

mode. Ori recommends coffee too, it does help. Salty

foods do for me too (prosciutto, homemade). Don't worry

if you can't exercise MUCH ... when I started out my

limit was say, squatting 4 inches or lifting a weight a few times.

Weight lifting is easier than aerobics though, because you

don't have to do it for very LONG to get results. Don't

get intimidated by folks like Chis who have been at it

for awhile.

BTW I visited the warrior diet website and am very

disappointed ... Ori is going the commercial route, it's

all about products! However, he didn't invent the concept,

it's been around awhile, and I do like his book.

Heidi Jean