My Low Carb Diet Experiment
- Thread starter stevejones
- Start date
stevejones
Member
Just wanted to add that I had to quit the diet last night. I gave up oils,vitamins, and still had diarrhea that was getting worse every day. So, I ate two dozen chocolate donuts this morning and stools are solid now (kidding).
I weigh 272 right now, and waist is a little over 38" This diet did work, at least in the very short term. I lost weight, inches, and, for the most part, maintained strength levels. You can speculate that the weight I lost was water, because I really don't know. However, I do know that my energy level has been good and I have shrunk in the right areas. Just couldn't handle the GI problems anymore, and there is nothing else that could be causing it but the diet.
I'd like to add that, due to caloric intake, this is probably a great diet for obese people who can't/don't exercise (as long as they don't experience the GI problems). My appetite disappeared, especially during the week I wasn't working out, so I can easily see someone living on 12-1500 cals per day without ever being very hungry on this diet. My blood pressure and heart rate seemed to like it too, as they slightly improved. Diarrhea was extremely bad though...felt like it was developing into colitis.
So, back to being a robot, following my 'cutting' diet that I know like the back of my hand by now.
/end thread
I weigh 272 right now, and waist is a little over 38" This diet did work, at least in the very short term. I lost weight, inches, and, for the most part, maintained strength levels. You can speculate that the weight I lost was water, because I really don't know. However, I do know that my energy level has been good and I have shrunk in the right areas. Just couldn't handle the GI problems anymore, and there is nothing else that could be causing it but the diet.
I'd like to add that, due to caloric intake, this is probably a great diet for obese people who can't/don't exercise (as long as they don't experience the GI problems). My appetite disappeared, especially during the week I wasn't working out, so I can easily see someone living on 12-1500 cals per day without ever being very hungry on this diet. My blood pressure and heart rate seemed to like it too, as they slightly improved. Diarrhea was extremely bad though...felt like it was developing into colitis.
So, back to being a robot, following my 'cutting' diet that I know like the back of my hand by now.
/end thread
Too bad you had to quit Steve, but it has been interesting to follow your diet. For me things are the other way around. When I'm on low carb my stomach is perfect and when eating "normal" it get's crazy. I do carb-load two times a week though. Maybe that's what your missing? Try that next time you do low-carb and see if it gets any better.
<div>
(stevejones @ May 30 2008,12:10)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">So, back to being a robot, following my 'cutting' diet that I know like the back of my hand by now.
/end thread</div>
Steve, it would be good to know if your GI troubles disappear quickly or whether they persist for a while once your carb intake is up a bit and you are back to your usual cutting diet.
Were all the sources of protein and fat that you used any different to what you might normally eat? ie. any chance of a bad reaction to one particular protein or fat source?
(stevejones @ May 30 2008,12:10)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">So, back to being a robot, following my 'cutting' diet that I know like the back of my hand by now.
/end thread</div>
Steve, it would be good to know if your GI troubles disappear quickly or whether they persist for a while once your carb intake is up a bit and you are back to your usual cutting diet.
Were all the sources of protein and fat that you used any different to what you might normally eat? ie. any chance of a bad reaction to one particular protein or fat source?
stevejones
Member
This thread is inaptly named. I should have named it 'zero carb experiment.' When I started the diet, I was eating nuts and was keeping my carbs under 20 grams per day, but even before the first week was over I was, for all practical purposes, on a zero carb diet, with my only source of carbs being cheese which has so little carbs even the label says 0 grams per ounce.
I've been on low carb diets, eating less than 100 grams per day. That is part of my cutting diet (not right now, but in the later phases of it). I think there is a big difference between that and zero carbs. Maybe if I had boosted my carbs up to even 20g my digestion problems would have subsided. If I had to guess, my problem was fat malabsorption. I don't think my body was able to digest all the fat I was getting from bacon. Bacon, of course, is not on my regular diet (neither cutting nor bulking). I wasn't willing to experiment further by cutting bacon. I had already removed olive oil, and then vitamins, as the squirts became worse every day. Oh, and yeah....the gut feels better already...i'm still exploding on the toilet, but it's more like Fat Bastard from Austin Powers instead of full blown Cartman style explosions from the "Make Love, Not Warcraft" episode.
I've been on low carb diets, eating less than 100 grams per day. That is part of my cutting diet (not right now, but in the later phases of it). I think there is a big difference between that and zero carbs. Maybe if I had boosted my carbs up to even 20g my digestion problems would have subsided. If I had to guess, my problem was fat malabsorption. I don't think my body was able to digest all the fat I was getting from bacon. Bacon, of course, is not on my regular diet (neither cutting nor bulking). I wasn't willing to experiment further by cutting bacon. I had already removed olive oil, and then vitamins, as the squirts became worse every day. Oh, and yeah....the gut feels better already...i'm still exploding on the toilet, but it's more like Fat Bastard from Austin Powers instead of full blown Cartman style explosions from the "Make Love, Not Warcraft" episode.
<div>
(stevejones @ May 30 2008,9:37)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">This thread is inaptly named. I should have named it 'zero carb experiment.' When I started the diet, I was eating nuts and was keeping my carbs under 20 grams per day, but even before the first week was over I was, for all practical purposes, on a zero carb diet, with my only source of carbs being cheese which has so little carbs even the label says 0 grams per ounce.
I've been on low carb diets, eating less than 100 grams per day. That is part of my cutting diet (not right now, but in the later phases of it). I think there is a big difference between that and zero carbs. Maybe if I had boosted my carbs up to even 20g my digestion problems would have subsided. If I had to guess, my problem was fat malabsorption. I don't think my body was able to digest all the fat I was getting from bacon. Bacon, of course, is not on my regular diet (neither cutting nor bulking). I wasn't willing to experiment further by cutting bacon. I had already removed olive oil, and then vitamins, as the squirts became worse every day. Oh, and yeah....the gut feels better already...i'm still exploding on the toilet, but it's more like Fat Bastard from Austin Powers instead of full blown Cartman style explosions from the "Make Love, Not Warcraft" episode.</div>
LOL!!!
Funny, when I do low carb, I'm bound tighter than a Thanksgiving turkey, and sometimes it feels like Dran-o would be the only thing to get things loosened up. There must be a vast difference between low and no carb, way more than I originally thought.
(stevejones @ May 30 2008,9:37)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">This thread is inaptly named. I should have named it 'zero carb experiment.' When I started the diet, I was eating nuts and was keeping my carbs under 20 grams per day, but even before the first week was over I was, for all practical purposes, on a zero carb diet, with my only source of carbs being cheese which has so little carbs even the label says 0 grams per ounce.
I've been on low carb diets, eating less than 100 grams per day. That is part of my cutting diet (not right now, but in the later phases of it). I think there is a big difference between that and zero carbs. Maybe if I had boosted my carbs up to even 20g my digestion problems would have subsided. If I had to guess, my problem was fat malabsorption. I don't think my body was able to digest all the fat I was getting from bacon. Bacon, of course, is not on my regular diet (neither cutting nor bulking). I wasn't willing to experiment further by cutting bacon. I had already removed olive oil, and then vitamins, as the squirts became worse every day. Oh, and yeah....the gut feels better already...i'm still exploding on the toilet, but it's more like Fat Bastard from Austin Powers instead of full blown Cartman style explosions from the "Make Love, Not Warcraft" episode.</div>
LOL!!!
Funny, when I do low carb, I'm bound tighter than a Thanksgiving turkey, and sometimes it feels like Dran-o would be the only thing to get things loosened up. There must be a vast difference between low and no carb, way more than I originally thought.
I
imported_drpierredebs
Guest
if you haven´t already, try obtaining carbs only from veggies and fruits.......and prunes and figs.
avoid all grain products. I am sorry if you have done this already, but I didn´t read through all your posts.
Welcome back to solid stool land!
avoid all grain products. I am sorry if you have done this already, but I didn´t read through all your posts.
Welcome back to solid stool land!
I
imported_electric
Guest
It is a hard call, the weight and waist reduction could be from water loss and deflated digestive system specially with the diarrhea...
The maintained strength/energy levels and the maintained/improved blood pressure and heart rate and noteworthy.
The maintained strength/energy levels and the maintained/improved blood pressure and heart rate and noteworthy.
I
imported_drpierredebs
Guest
<div>
(Dan Moore @ Jun. 04 2008,8:11)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">April 29th
281 lbs 40.25" waist
May 30th
272 lbs +38"
-9 lbs/-2 inches on the waist
Interesting</div>
well, I had the same and better result by removing all grain-based foods with a macronutrient ratio of 50:30:20 (F
:C%) and no hershey squirts.
(Dan Moore @ Jun. 04 2008,8:11)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">April 29th
281 lbs 40.25" waist
May 30th
272 lbs +38"
-9 lbs/-2 inches on the waist
Interesting</div>
well, I had the same and better result by removing all grain-based foods with a macronutrient ratio of 50:30:20 (F
:C%) and no hershey squirts.stevejones
Member
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">well, I had the same and better result by removing all grain-based foods with a macronutrient ratio of 50:30:20 (F:C%) and no hershey squirts.</div>
Yeah, but you and I are completely different body types. You're a long way from being as strong as your genetics will allow, just as I'm far from being as good on a bicycle as I could be (in fact, I suck big time). However, I'm at the top of my game in the strength department. Therefore, my strength goes to shlt too quickly when I go on a low cal diet. What I liked most about this diet is that I didn't lose strength at the same rapid pace I usually do. For me, sometimes even a 10 lb weight loss can equate to a 100 lb loss in deadlift, squat, and 20 or more on bench. Anything under a 40 inch waist causes me to go through big changes in the strength dept.
Then again, maybe I was stronger than I thought after my last plifting cycle. I don't know. The fact is that 4 weeks isn't long enough to be able to tell anything. So, it's a failed experiment. Wish I could have gone longer with it, but diarrhea was too much. Won't do it again.
By the way, why do you abstain from eating grain based foods? I thought you were in the PCB camp. Do you think grains/hfcs effects your metabolism?
:C%) and no hershey squirts.</div>Yeah, but you and I are completely different body types. You're a long way from being as strong as your genetics will allow, just as I'm far from being as good on a bicycle as I could be (in fact, I suck big time). However, I'm at the top of my game in the strength department. Therefore, my strength goes to shlt too quickly when I go on a low cal diet. What I liked most about this diet is that I didn't lose strength at the same rapid pace I usually do. For me, sometimes even a 10 lb weight loss can equate to a 100 lb loss in deadlift, squat, and 20 or more on bench. Anything under a 40 inch waist causes me to go through big changes in the strength dept.
Then again, maybe I was stronger than I thought after my last plifting cycle. I don't know. The fact is that 4 weeks isn't long enough to be able to tell anything. So, it's a failed experiment. Wish I could have gone longer with it, but diarrhea was too much. Won't do it again.
By the way, why do you abstain from eating grain based foods? I thought you were in the PCB camp. Do you think grains/hfcs effects your metabolism?
I
imported_drpierredebs
Guest
Point taken.
I avoid grains as they are too dense energetically and I would rather get my calories from fat and protein. I also found that they make me sleepy about an hour afterwards. Veggies and fruits offer much more in the way of micronutrients PLUS all the phytochemicals and antioxidants. It helps counter all the free radicals formed by the 3000 + calories I am burning during trainings and races. When I need lots of carbs after and before a race, I chow down dried fruits like figs and prunes. it helps with a MASSIVE movement before a race. Bananas and apples alone pack a nice carb caloric punch when I need them.
As far as metabolism is concerned, I have no evidence other than the fat melted away when I removed grains and replaced with tons of veggies.
I tell you, when I eat a huge salad with a red onion, some peppers, avocado and garlic, my extremities start burning up---no joke. The circulation in my hand and feet goes through the roof. I have no explanation for this whatsoever.
Nowadays, if I am forced to eat a plate of pasta or a pizza, I fall asleep almost exactly an hour afterwards.
Genetically, I don´t think I could ever get as big and strong as you. I just don´t see my body structure developed to cart around massive amounts of muscle. As I have shed much mass over the past year, I just feel much better. My gait is much more natural looking. At the age of 42, I realized that I was genetically and physiologically optimized to cycle.
I avoid grains as they are too dense energetically and I would rather get my calories from fat and protein. I also found that they make me sleepy about an hour afterwards. Veggies and fruits offer much more in the way of micronutrients PLUS all the phytochemicals and antioxidants. It helps counter all the free radicals formed by the 3000 + calories I am burning during trainings and races. When I need lots of carbs after and before a race, I chow down dried fruits like figs and prunes. it helps with a MASSIVE movement before a race. Bananas and apples alone pack a nice carb caloric punch when I need them.
As far as metabolism is concerned, I have no evidence other than the fat melted away when I removed grains and replaced with tons of veggies.
I tell you, when I eat a huge salad with a red onion, some peppers, avocado and garlic, my extremities start burning up---no joke. The circulation in my hand and feet goes through the roof. I have no explanation for this whatsoever.
Nowadays, if I am forced to eat a plate of pasta or a pizza, I fall asleep almost exactly an hour afterwards.
Genetically, I don´t think I could ever get as big and strong as you. I just don´t see my body structure developed to cart around massive amounts of muscle. As I have shed much mass over the past year, I just feel much better. My gait is much more natural looking. At the age of 42, I realized that I was genetically and physiologically optimized to cycle.