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Low carb / High Protein Diet |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 559
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Low carb / High Protein Diet
Im cuting down on carbs and upping my protein to try & lose 3 stones.
I lost 7lbs in the first week (mostly water I guess) and have lost a further 1lb each week over the past 2 weeks so a total of 9lb. I eat mainly chicken, beef, turkey, ham, eggs, mushroom, pepper, onion, salad and use lots of herbs and spices. I also take a whey protein shake once a day. Anyone else eat like this? Is it healthy in the long term? Any recipes youd like to share? |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,308
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The best diet is one which has an adequate amount of each type of food, ideally the body still needs some carbs, and too much protein can have some adverse effects on the kidneys according to some studies, your body will also just piss out any excess protein.
Basically, just eat a balanced diet and make sure you're in calorie deficit. |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 559
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According to myfitnesspal I have around 60g of carbs a day - this apparently 'the sweet spot' for weight loss.
My calories are usually around 1200 - 1300 a day so that should be sufficient to lose some weight albeit slowly. I did wonder if too many proteins can be damaging...
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 3,669
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There have been reports that a high protein diet may be linked to an increased risk of cancer. It may be something you want to look into.
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: woking
Posts: 21,684
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I weighed up the risks to be very over weight compared to eating more protein and quite honestly my health is so much better now I have lost 5 stones I can't worry about what else it could be doing to me.
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Doon the bottom o Scotland
Posts: 1,044
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I found it a brilliant way to lose weight, but just wasn't able to maintain it for a long time. Probably just my poor willpower at the time, but I found it really difficult - and expensive - to stick to.
Plus I really missed bananas!! |
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 22,992
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Quote:
There have been reports that a high protein diet may be linked to an increased risk of cancer. It may be something you want to look into.
'“People who eat diets rich in animal protein carry similar cancer risk to those who smoke 20 cigarettes each day,” reports The Daily Telegraph. We have decades of very good evidence that smoking kills and – fortunately for meat lovers – this latest unhelpful comparison with high protein diets largely appears to be a triumph of PR spin. The warning was raised in a press release about a large study which found that for people aged 50-65, eating a lot of protein was associated with an increased risk of dying. However, the study, which assessed the diets of Americans in a single 24-hour period (rather than long-term), found in those aged over 65 that a high protein diet was actually associated with a reduced risk of death from any cause or from cancer. These differing findings meant that overall there was no increase in risk of death, or from dying of cancer with a high protein diet.' |
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#8 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales / Canolbarth Cymru
Posts: 37,555
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I associate high protein with people who try to bulk out their bodies, which I'm not convinced is a healthy thing.
Low carb is good, but don't then 'make up' the loss by eating too many proteins. |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Derby, UK
Posts: 23,456
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Quote:
According to myfitnesspal I have around 60g of carbs a day - this apparently 'the sweet spot' for weight loss.
My calories are usually around 1200 - 1300 a day so that should be sufficient to lose some weight albeit slowly. I did wonder if too many proteins can be damaging... ![]() The recommended daily amount is 2000 for a woman so you could probably up that to about 1600 calories and still lose weight and you will not feel hungry. |
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,308
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The thought that eating too few calories will not result in weight / fat loss is a total myth. Eat less calories than you burn, you'll lose weight, simple as. It might not be a healthy way to lose weight but that's more down to starving the body of nutrients it needs more than the fact you're eating too few calories.
Put it this way, it will do someone's health much more good to eat 1200 calories a day to get down to a healthy weight than eat more and continue to be overweight. I'll say it again though - people massively over complicate diets. It's really simple. Eat less, move more. There really isn't anything more that needs to be said. I love meat, but I wouldn't consider a diet that didn't allow for carbs. Carbs are NOT the enemy. Excess calories is the enemy. |
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 59,758
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The problem with a high protein low carb diet is that it is expensive. Carbs are cheap, filling and are comfort foods.
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 22,992
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Quote:
I associate high protein with people who try to bulk out their bodies, which I'm not convinced is a healthy thing.
Low carb is good, but don't then 'make up' the loss by eating too many proteins. What harm exactly do you think tuna, chicken breast or turkey steak will do? |
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#13 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales / Canolbarth Cymru
Posts: 37,555
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Quote:
So you make up the loss by eating more fat?
What harm exactly do you think tuna, chicken breast or turkey steak will do? I do think the current guidelines (NHS for example) are outmoded in terms of being very carb-centric, though this is slowly being altered. I also wouldn't eat meat and eggs at every meal to make my body artificially muscular, as that's not the purpose of eating food. |
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#14 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales / Canolbarth Cymru
Posts: 37,555
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I'll say it again though - people massively over complicate diets. It's really simple. Eat less, move more. There really isn't anything more that needs to be said. I love meat, but I wouldn't consider a diet that didn't allow for carbs. Carbs are NOT the enemy. Excess calories is the enemy. What makes it difficult for people who are trying to eat less is that they feel hungry and have cravings. A high carb diet is a peak-and-trough eating plan, which means your body has sugar spikes and then big dips, causing cravings and hunger. If you derive more of your calories from other sources (fats and proteins, though obviously still in moderation) it will be easier to eat less. |
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 22,992
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Quote:
Like everything, it should be in moderation.
I do think the current guidelines (NHS for example) are outmoded in terms of being very carb-centric, though this is slowly being altered. I also wouldn't eat meat and eggs at every meal to make my body artificially muscular, as that's not the purpose of eating food. Just because you wouldn't do something, doesn't make the lifestyle unhealthy. You're basing it upon your opinion and not actual science. |
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#16 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales / Canolbarth Cymru
Posts: 37,555
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Quote:
So again on a low carb diet, you would just replace protein with fat?
Just because you wouldn't do something, doesn't make the lifestyle unhealthy. You're basing it upon your opinion and not actual science. |
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#17 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales / Canolbarth Cymru
Posts: 37,555
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And I wouldn't replace high carb with anything. Lowering levels of carbs ought to make one less hungry anyway, thereby lowering calorie intake, causing weight-loss and maintenance of a healthy weight.
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: woking
Posts: 21,684
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I'm not an expert, but that seems like a horrendously low amount of calories and if you are exercising too it's not going to be enough. Your body supposedly goes into starvation mode which means it will hold back fat reserves or soemthing.
The recommended daily amount is 2000 for a woman so you could probably up that to about 1600 calories and still lose weight and you will not feel hungry. |
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 13,434
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I like my carbs so I do have them but have cut down the amount I have. I am a size 8 to 10 but would rather be an 8. Being short the extra weight really notices.
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 15,890
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The starvation mode thing is overstated.
There is a correlation between metabolic rates and decreased caloric intake but they are not proportional; so even if you reduce your calories by 50%, you'll see maybe a 10% decrease in your metabolism, and the net result is still weight loss. In the famous Minnesota Starvation Diet participants didn't stop burning fat until they reached around 5% body fat. |
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 21,738
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Quote:
So you make up the loss by eating more fat?
What harm exactly do you think tuna, chicken breast or turkey steak will do? |
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 22,992
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Quote:
What harm does eating more fat do?
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: woking
Posts: 21,684
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Quote:
I didn't say it did. However it is a lot more calorie dense than protein, so if you enjoy eating and you're on a diet, you're restricting the amount of food you can eat.
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#24 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: County Durham
Posts: 78,632
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Quote:
The thought that eating too few calories will not result in weight / fat loss is a total myth. Eat less calories than you burn, you'll lose weight, simple as. It might not be a healthy way to lose weight but that's more down to starving the body of nutrients it needs more than the fact you're eating too few calories.
Put it this way, it will do someone's health much more good to eat 1200 calories a day to get down to a healthy weight than eat more and continue to be overweight. I'll say it again though - people massively over complicate diets. It's really simple. Eat less, move more. There really isn't anything more that needs to be said. I love meat, but I wouldn't consider a diet that didn't allow for carbs. Carbs are NOT the enemy. Excess calories is the enemy. |
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: woking
Posts: 21,684
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Quote:
Not aiming this at anyone, but I think reducing your energy intake by a bit will slowly help you lose weight. This, and exercising regularly, will probably help you lose weight slowly. I think a lot of people seem to turn to 'quick weight loss' diets to try and get their excess weight off. When it comes to weight loss, I don't think a lot of people have a good amount of patience.
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