Low carb diet

[Neil]

Soon after x-mas myself and partner did a month long detox. This basically was cutting out most carbohydrates (pasta, bread, rice etc) and also having little/no dairy, along with no alcohol or caffeine etc. After that month I continued with the no pasta, bread and rice rule and have very little dairy still. I have to say the weight has been dropping off! I've dropped a belt size each month for the last two months! I've been on diets before, which haven't cut out the carbs and these haven't been very successful. This one has been very good for me, and generally I don't feel like I'm dieting either!

[AcesandEights]

No carb diets are the real deal if you need quick weight loss, but so depressing to be on. Even still, I am looking to do some fitting up for March and April and may resort to this sort of inhumanity

[LouCipherr]

My wife has been on a program called "Medifast" which is nothing more than an extremely low-carb diet. Let me tell you, she has shed weight off like it's nobody's business! While she probably wouldn't appreciate me posting her weight or number of pounds she's lost, let's just say it's pretty amazing to see her now. Aces is right though, these no-or-low-carb diets are a bitch to be on and border on inhumane, but they do work. I have no idea how anyone lives without eating bread, but the wife has been doing it for quite a while.

[Neil]

No carb diets are the real deal if you need quick weight loss, but so depressing to be on. Even still, I am looking to do some fitting up for March and April and may resort to this sort of inhumanity Well, we haven't found it too hard:- Stir fries with brown rice Chilli with brown rice or sweet potatoes Fish & sauce with brown rice Lots of salads with pepper or peri peri mackeral Quite enjoyed it! ...and really haven't missed bread at all! We're of course allowed cheat days too...

[slickwilly13]

Well, we haven't found it too hard:- Stir fries with brown rice Chilli with brown rice or sweet potatoes Fish & sauce with brown rice Lots of salads with pepper or peri peri mackeral Quite enjoyed it! ...and really haven't missed bread at all! We're of course allowed cheat days too... You are eating the right type of carbs, complex carbs. They are better for you vs simple carbs such as sugar and white flour. Complex carbs do not cause a person crash like a simple carb does. If you want to eat bread every now and then. Eat bread made of whole wheat and avoid white bread. Eat to live. Not live to eat.

[Neil]

Eat bread made of whole wheat and avoid white bread. Is that why we're allowed to eat brown rice but not regular (white) rice on this diet?

[AcesandEights]

Is that why we're allowed to eat brown rice but not regular (white) rice on this diet? Yes! Now, my question for you, how are you preparing the Brown Rice? Just plain ol' pot boiling? I may go over to the darkside for a few months to lose a few pounds, but we usually use a rice cooker for perfect sticky white rice. My wife is half-Korean, so we take our rice preparation seriously

[MinionZombie]

Carbs are one of my favourite things. I love soft white bread, french bread, pasta etc - sod off would I bother with this. (But good on you for those that have wanted to take this approach). When I was at uni I was an idiot like any other student and piled on the pounds by eating absolute rubbish - and eating way too much of it too - I cut that shit out and calorie counted and lost four stone over four years and I've kept it off. I don't deny myself anything really, just amounts of stuff. I could shift a touch more, but there's not much more left to shift, and I'd rather enjoy my food in reasonable quantities and work out now and then. I guess I could trim down the bread a bit - although I already did (a fair bit too) as part of the aforementioned slow-burn diet. The important thing is keeping the weight off, and that involves a lifestyle change - that was my primary focus, the permanent change. As such I returned to my Lower Sixth Form weight (age 16-17) ... and could once again wear my sixth form suit ... and I've maintained that ever since.

[Tricky]

I eat a high protein diet while eating lots of fruit & veg and keep my carbs at a fairly low level (cutting them out completely is bad for you, read up on the health risks of the Atkins diet), I also follow a fitness routine where I weight train 3 times a week and do a fair bit of walking & running on the other days. I'm pretty much in the same shape as Hugh Jackmans Wolverine now which I never would have pictured myself being 3 or 4 years ago. I'm not as cut though, it's hard to maintain that "dry" ripped look on a day to day basis as you have to be dehydrated and down to about 7% body fat or less, that's what those bodybuilders always do in the run up to a competition or photoshoot but you can't keep that up and feel healthy over a long period. I have cheat days on a weekend when I'm not training too, basically eat what I want including carbs, pastry, sweets etc within reason & moderation on those days.

[slickwilly13]

Is that why we're allowed to eat brown rice but not regular (white) rice on this diet? That is the reason why. White rice, white potatoes, and white bread are simple carbs. Brown rice, sweet potatoes, and whole wheat bread are complex carbs. Switching from white to brown rice was difficult. Took me 2-4 weeks to adjust. White rice just tastes better and is not as firm. But now, I have no issue with eating brown rice. I boil mine in a pot with little to no salt. And of course, no butter. Also those complex carbs mentioned above contain more vitamins and give you more natural energy throughout the day.

[Neil]

That is the reason why. White rice, white potatoes, and white bread are simple carbs. Brown rice, sweet potatoes, and whole wheat bread are complex carbs. Switching from white to brown rice was difficult. Took me 2-4 weeks to adjust. White rice just tastes better and is not as firm. But now, I have now issue with eating brown rice. I boil mine in a pot with little to no salt. And of course, no butter. Also those complex carbs mentioned above contain more vitamins and give you more natural energy throughout the day. I find brown rice fine, just pain it takes 3x longer to cook. But we tend to just make too much and freeze it for another day. Ahhh! Interesting you mention sweet potatoes, because I was confused how they we OK when regular spuds were not! Ta!

[shootemindehead]

I'm getting a bit too chubby for my own liking, but the thought of not eating bread doesn't exactly fill me with joy. Spuds too, us micks love em! But, I may have to try and shed a stone or so, cos I'm not happy with the extra bits on me. So brown rice and Heinz baked beans for dinner tonight.

[Neil]

I'm getting a bit too chubby for my own liking, but the thought of not eating bread doesn't exactly fill me with joy. Spuds too, us micks love em! But, I may have to try and shed a stone or so, cos I'm not happy with the extra bits on me. So brown rice and Heinz baked beans for dinner tonight. I used to eat bread every day, and potatoes and pasta. Now virtually never... I also don't eat much dairy either. Caffeen - I've reduced down to about 2 cups of tea in the morning. Once a week or so I'll have a treat day, but generally it's not too bad! The food is fine, but just more effort as bread, potatoes and pasta are so easy to make (quick) meals from.

[MinionZombie]

Dairy is another thing I wouldn't be doing without. A yoghurt for breakfast every morning (although I used to skip breakfast regularly years ago), and a glass of milk every day ever since I was a little kid - strong teeth and bones, yo!

[Neil]

Dairy is another thing I wouldn't be doing without. A yoghurt for breakfast every morning (although I used to skip breakfast regularly years ago), and a glass of milk every day ever since I was a little kid - strong teeth and bones, yo! That's fine... Carbs are the things to watch though