Low Carb Diet Issues

[gobbla]

the fresher the food is the better. Like Alan is getting at I don't think we should "avoid" food that's not local simply because it's not. But there's a sliding scale, sure.

[CaptainSlow]

Hey guys, just wanted to give you an update on how I'm doing with this diet.

The last few days I have been feeling great. I no longer feel super tired all day long. My strength at the gym is still not up to what it should be at however my endurance/stamina is very slowly coming back. Sometimes I can try and push that last rep or two. Also, when I do cardio I do not feel as tired as I used too.

I have also started replacing salad dressing with olive oil and I'm really enjoying it. I also started taking fish oils however recently I've had all these weird itchy bumps show up on my upper arms so I've stopped taking the fish oil pills to determine whether I'm having some sort of allergic reaction to that or something else. The only other thing that changed before the weird itchy bumps came was I started using olive oil but I doubt that's the problem.

My weight seems to have steadied which I assume means that I've lost all the water weight I should have lost. For the last two days it's been at 252.0 but I'm guessing the weightloss won't be as dramatic as before (1-2 pounds per week) though I should still see a drop on the scale. My pants are fitting quite loose which is also a good sign.

Anyways, thats it for now. I'll post another update again in a few days for those that were interested in following my progress

[Cynic]

I wish I had seen this thread when it started. I'm learning a lot between Roland and Alan.

Still, since I'm not a high end athlete, I tend to go low carb, having fruit and vegetables as my carbs on non-lifting days and adding oats and breads on my lifting days.

Occasionally, I'll have a turkey cutlet sandwich on a non-lifting day, but for the most part it tends to be higher fats (nuts, PB, cheese) and lower carb on non-lifting days and higher carb (oats and breads) and lower fat on lifting days.

[CaptainSlow]

Back with another update.

My weight is still at 252 and doesn't seem to be dropping. I'm not sure if I should be expecting to see anything on the scale readout. One thing I've started to do is add olive oil rather than salad dressing to my vegetables at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Would the overuse of the olive oil (I use a fair amount throughout the day and it's rated at 80 cals per 10 mL) be affecting the amount of weight loss since my caloric intake is increasing a great deal. My estimation is that for a whole day I would use about 60-70 mL (additonal 560 cals).

Thanks for your time!

[cappuccino]

Are the olive oil cals within your calorie range or incremental? If you're getting an extra 560 cals/day, that could certainly stall your weight loss. If it's within your daily calorie goal, you should be fine. That's a LOT of olive oil....

[gobbla]

if you upped the calories as suggested AND are eating an additional 5-6 hundred calories, then you probably are eating too much

you need to figure out what you're eating and give it two weeks before you start making adjustments.

[CaptainSlow]

Originally Posted by gobbla

if you upped the calories as suggested AND are eating an additional 5-6 hundred calories, then you probably are eating too much

you need to figure out what you're eating and give it two weeks before you start making adjustments.

The only thing I really changed was that I added two cheese string sticks to my diet (2 x 60 cals) as well as the olive oil. However, I have reduced the amount of olive oil I take in. Now I just have 5 mL during breakfast (on peppers), 10 mL during lunch (in my tuna), and 15-20 mL during dinner (on my plate of vegetables and on my lettuce).

[gobbla]

cool. as long as you're keeping track of things you should be cool. run with it for two weeks and see what happens.

just so you know I wasn't trying to bust your balls. the easiest mistakes to make are to track "some" of your foods and to make adjustments too often. It's a process that takes the rest of your life so don't be in a rush. taking your time and making "good" decisions gets you to your goals a lot quicker than hasty ones. it sounds like you're on track.

[Scott~]

Grains and dairy are completely unecessary in a healthy diet. That's not to say that a diet comprised of moderate/higher amounts these is unhealthy by any means, but the fact is that both grains and dairy are nutritionally inferior to fruits and vegetables.

[Terry Monk]

Grains are completely unnecessary in a healthy diet?
I agree with you on veggies and to some extent fruit, but having a serving of whole grains in the day is not a bad thing nor completely unnecessary IMO.

[Lost Dog]

Originally Posted by gymrat

Grains are completely unnecessary in a healthy diet?
I agree with you on veggies and to some extent fruit, but having a serving of whole grains in the day is not a bad thing nor completely unnecessary IMO.

So, we'll all die without grains?

I agree that they are unnecessary. But, chicken isn't really necessary, either. My daughter's doing fine without shrimp, too.

I prefer to call grains "optional" and best in moderation.

[ParanoidAndroid]

Wheter grains are good/bad depends on your goals.
If a our a skinny bastard/super-active athlete who needs 5000 cals a day, youre gonna need plenty of grains/starch to hit that.

But if your a sedentary person trying to get leaner, then you should probably stay away.

[Scott~]

Originally Posted by gymrat

Grains are completely unnecessary in a healthy diet?
I agree with you on veggies and to some extent fruit, but having a serving of whole grains in the day is not a bad thing nor completely unnecessary IMO.

I never said it was a bad thing. In terms of health and performance, grains and dairy are absolutely unnecessary. Lost Dog put it best in saying they are "optional".

[RacerBill]

Originally Posted by Scott~

but the fact is that both grains and dairy are nutritionally inferior to fruits and vegetables.

That's a pretty sweeping statement. Grains tend to have higher concentrations of thiamin, B-6 and folate than fruits and vegetables. It would be really difficult to get sufficient calcium from fruits and veggies and never eating dairy.

[Scott~]

Originally Posted by RacerBill

That's a pretty sweeping statement. Grains tend to have higher concentrations of thiamin, B-6 and folate than fruits and vegetables. It would be really difficult to get sufficient calcium from fruits and veggies and never eating dairy.

Vegetables + adequate exposure to sunlight will give an individual all of the calcium and Vitamin D needed to maintain healthy bones. Granted it's easier to drink 3 cups of milk than it is to eat 10 cups of vegetables, but the fact is that dairy isn't needed to reach necessary levels of calcium.

[Terry Monk]

Originally Posted by Scott~

I never said it was a bad thing. In terms of health and performance, grains and dairy are absolutely unnecessary. Lost Dog put it best in saying they are "optional".

You're right, you didn't say they were bad. I still disagree that they are completely unnecessary. I think PA is correct in that each person has specific goals and whole grains will do wonders for those trying to gain weight.
That said, I think Roland did say it best: whole grains = optional. 'nuff said.

Damn, Roland always has the last word.

[Lost Dog]

Bill, we wouldn't need all that added calcium if we didn't eat as many grains.

GR, you can have the last word. Go.

[CaptainSlow]

Hey guys, just wanted to give an update.

Feeling great with this diet. Lots of my energy is back. Doing cardio is a lot easier than before and the weights are fine now (just the bench is still out of whack). I've gone from 264 lbs in the last week of December to 238.8 lbs as of yesterday and I'm hoping to lose much more.