Lchf

[Sentinel]

Are there others on an LCHF diet here? I've done it since around february first, and lost 12 kg -- about 26,5 lbs -- since then, now approaching my ideal weight around 70 kg. When I get there I intend to continue on a slightly more liberal form of it for the foreseeable future.

It's really big in Sweden, but there is also quite some controversy (shitstorm even) about it in the media, and also in everyday conversations between people. Doctors that are for and against accuse each other for being hired by different food industries, and therefore lying for profit. It's hysterical really.

LCHF stands for Low Carb High Fat, and involves eating as little carbohydrates as possible by leaving out things such as bread, pasta, potatoes, some fruits and vegetables, and basically anything with sugar while you get to eat as much protein and fat as you like. One could say that it's a stricter form of the GI diet, where one merely leaves out fast carbohydrates.

I've been eating steaks with fatty sauces, eggs and bacon, kebab salads (vegetables that grow above the ground are ok to eat), mayonnaise on everything etc every day and not been really hungry once during this diet. It suits me perfectly as I don't really like sweets and sugar but enjoy fat food a lot -- the only thing I really missed was beer which is forbidden, and which I prefer a hundred times before wine and strong spirits.

Anyhow the main criticisms are that there is no long term research on health effects, and that it's bad for the environment. The arguments for LCHF are far more powerful though, imo; humans have only farmed the land and eaten this many carbohydrates for about 15 000 years, so therefore our bodies haven't gotten used to it (and we get easily obese). Thus LCHF is much closer to the natural human diet.

As for it being bad for the environment, I can't see how it could be more so than a regular diet which involves meat; when you leave the carbs out you get a stable blood sugar level and need to eat less to keep the hunger away. Therefore one in practice doesn't eat more meat, as people sem to think, just less of other stuff.

Finally there is the fact that I've slept better and had a much calmer stomach, generally felt better physically speaking, than I can remember doing ever.

Thoughts?

[Vyacheslav Brolotov]

That diet sounds like it could help you lose weight, but it also sounds like it could be a potential health threat. You could gain a lot of fat while losing a lot of weight at the same time and not even notice. I would suggest staying away from fancy diets and sticking to the old fashioned cutting-down-on-everything-while-exercising thing, unless you already tried that. Also, why do you want to lose weight?

[Sentinel]

You could gain a lot of fat while losing a lot of weight at the same time and not even notice.


You don't gain fat. When you quit eating carbs the body stops producing that much insulin, which is the main hormone that makes the body store fat. Instead the body starts burning the fat as energy.

Almost all of the kilos I've lost lost were fat, I haven't noticed much if any muscle wasting at all, as I did when:


staying away from fancy diets and sticking to the old fashioned cutting-down-on-everything-while-exercising thing


such as in 2004, when I lost 17 kilos (of which I later regained about 12). That's the thing; when you cut back on everything and torture yourself by going hungry, it's much easier to fall back to old routines after a while.

With LCHF, that risk doesn't exist as you get to eat your stomach full, and also feel better than normal (more alert etc due to sleeping better and having a calm stomach).



Also, why do you want to lose weight?


Well, I was overweight (excess body fat), and am a vain person basically.. :)

[NewLeft]

Protein is very satisfying. You're definitely taking the right step in getting rid of breads altogether. Breads, grains..etc. are hard on the stomach because of the way they are processed.. It's suggested that it's because of this processing that more people are diagnosed with celiac. Back when I ate a full diet, I ate around 50% fat, 30% protein and 20% carb. It was a great diet that got me into shape. Keep at it. Eliminating sugar is probably the BEST thing you can do for yourself!

[Vyacheslav Brolotov]

Sounds like an interesting diet. I guess I was wrong about the fat gaining thing, but most doctors here in America still support the traditional regimen over new, or what they call, "fad" diets.

[Sentinel]

most doctors here in America still support the traditional regimen over new, or what they call, "fad" diets.


Many do here as well. I'm not sure I believe those who say that they are bought, though. It just sounds so conspiracy-theorist (and similarly they are in turn claiming that those for LCHF are in the pay of the dairy industries etc). I think it's just so chocking to many how LCHF goes completely against the earlierly universally acknowledged 'truth'.

Dr Andreas Eenfeldt (one of the most vocal LCHF proponents) held a pretty interesting lecture about it in english in the US, where he points out that obesity has exploded in that country since the 80s, when it was 'officially' established that eating fat is bad, and all the 'light' products -- many of whom are low on fat and high on either sugar or starch -- entered the market.

I'll link to the video later (youtube is blocked on this computer).

[NewLeft]

Many do here as well. I'm not sure I believe those who say that they are bought, though. It just sounds so conspiracy-theorist (and similarly they are in turn claiming that those for LCHF are in the pay of the dairy industries etc). I think it's just so chocking to many how LCHF goes completely against the earlierly universally acknowledged 'truth'.
It is a conspiracy theory, but there is a degree of truth to it. The meat industry is no exception, they have their influence over regulations etc.

[Sentinel]

Here is the video i promised, the swedish doctor holding a lecture about LCHF in english, in the US.

FSeSTq-N4U4

[Yazman]

Carbs are extremely important, not all of them are the same. You're lumping in complex carbs with simple. Things like pasta, rice, bread etc it's not really a good thing to cut out too much. You seem to just group in all carbs as "zomg its sugar" as if it's all loaded with sucrose and shit. But complex carbs are good for you - you need them to get glycogen. Can't get that from vegetables or meats. Your description of carbohydrates is deceptive. It isn't one monolithic group and they aren't all sugars. Monosaccharides and disaccharides are sugar and what are worth cutting down, but that doesn't include things like bread, pasta, fruits, etc as they contain polysaccharides, i.e. they are loaded with carbs but NOT sugars, they are loaded with complex carbohydrates that aren't stored as fat when a person actually has a reasonable degree of physical activity or some form of exercise.

You will only gain weight from high amounts of complex carbs if you're a sedentary person. They are good for you and are the most efficient way to supply energy to your body and brain. Fats aren't all bad either (important for vitamin transfer, cell membranes, hormones, etc in the body), only certain ones. The important thing isn't to just cut down on food and shit, it's to be smart about what you eat, and actually do some exercise as well.

If you sit around eating pasta all day, of course you'll gain weight, but it's not because of carbohydrates, it's because you're consuming an excessive amount of calories. If you actually do some exercise this energy gets expended and it's not a big deal. It's just easier to cut out carbs and say "look, I don't have to do any exercise!" You'll lose weight on a low-carb diet because you're starving your body of its primary and most efficient energy source, forcing it to break down fats (and muscle tissue!) instead.

You've just got to be smart about eating. Eat decent quality food where you can afford to, and don't eat a small amount of big huge meals, eat smaller meals more regularly and actually do some exercise.

The only carbs you should be cutting, are simple carbs like soft drink & lollies and shit. Even then you don't need to just "cut them out" but be smart and not eat them all the time.

Also the thing about "our bodies haven't adjusted blah blah blah" simply isn't true. There is plenty of evidence to show that while agriculture is relatively new, a high percentage of plants, especially fruits et al in the human diet certainly isn't new.

[OHumanista]

Worked great for my parents for years. No health problems, in fact they got health problems when they dropped that diet.
Worked for me for a short time too, but I coudn't keep it up because I love carb-rich food. No health problems though.