Ok so I am an overweight person (started at 280 and am now down to 238) I have done this mostly by doing the Atkins diet.

Now I understand that different people have different views on how the Atkins diet will affect overall health, and while I apreciate the concern it is working for me where nothing else has in the past.

I am very new to cycling so my body is not at all conditioned for it yet and I tire out very easily, lately though I have been wondering how much of that is a lack of fitness and how much of that is a lack of carbs.

My question to everyone here however is how badly am I going to hurt my ability to ride by living on a low carb diet? I generaly consume under 30 carbs per day, which obviously means that curently the sugestions of Pasta, Clif Bars, etc are not being utilized by me.

So to be effective on a bike should I forego the low-carb diet? All together? Only while on the bike?

Any input (cycling specific only please) is greatly apreciated.

Thanks.

Jay, you might want to run this one by the training/nutrition guru's in the Training & Nutrition forum.

Just posted it over there as well. Thanks for the tip.

I was on Atkins for a few months a few years ago. Yes, I lost weight on it. And I lost it a whole lot easier than I have on any other diet. The problems I had were that I had no energy (even walking up a half-flight of stairs tired me out), I couldn't think clearly (it was as if my thoughts were being filtered through a haze), and I had a hard time concentrating. I would think that exercise and Atkins wouldn't go well together.

I been loosing weight also I started at 315 and I should be around 298 at my next weigh in I just did a 24 mile bike ride I think its more mental then anything also I eat carbs but I don't eat as much as I used to and would eat healthy carbs like whole breads, oatmeal baked potatoes and stayed away from simple carbs like cake sugar and that crap although fruit and veggies are simple carbs you wont get fat on them just eat right and stay away from the crap I been losing 2~3 pounds a week by exercise and diet.. SO eat the right carbs I would never cancel them all out that’s where you’re supposed to get most your calories from in a day anyways…So my suggestion all in all would be go talk to a doctor or someone who specialize in proper eating and they will let u know what’s up

I second that. Frankly I think being on atkins diet is an equilivant of beatting your brain with a blunt instrument, but some people are desperate.
Speaking of Atkins I just wanted to share something halarious I've seen in I think Jack in the box (or one of those fast food places). They tried to capitalize on low carb thing so they had this burger dripping with fat and having like 1000 calories, but wait it's low on carbs! Because no bun is included. I just found the whole thing halarious. In my opinion you better of dumping the tub of lard instead and eatting just the bun with vegetables.

I believe low carb diets call for you to shift from strictly all low carbs to a maintenance diet at some point... that maintenace diet allows for limited carbs and calls for exercise, so you can maintain your new lower weight.

Increasing your exercise level will help you toward your goal of keeping the weight off... Start slowly and you will be able to increase your energy as you go along.

low card diets are dangerous! They work for hte mean time buyt can have chronic effects!
Hers the scoop
Proteins produce keytones, keytones are what cause liver problems.
Carbohydrates are energy packed molecules which your body wants to fuel it. When you deprive your body of carbs but eat much more proteins instead, your body uses the protein as an enegy source. THis does work, but then the protein produces keytones which make your liver upset. Then your liver craps out, then you have a problem.

I started Atkins in September of 2003 and lost about 20 pounds in the first 5 months. Since then, I've lived pretty much true to a carb-restricted diet, holding steady at about 100-120 "good" carbs per day. The weight has stayed off (note: I went from 175 to 154.)

Since going to the diet plan, I increased my annual mileage from 6500 to 8000, rode my first sub-5 hour century and averaged over 150 miles a week for the last 18 months. So I think it's safe to say that one can use a carb-restricted diet with an active cycling plan.

Simply, I modified the diet to meet my exercise needs. I stay away from bad carbs during the week, I eat a regular low carb breakfast supplemented with a dose of carbs (Pop Tarts) before my weekend 3 hour rides and I eat PowerBars while I'm out on the road. I no longer eat potatoes, rice, pasta, cookies, bread and regular soda as part of my regular eating plan. If by chance they appear on my plate (eating at friend's for example) fine. But I limit them and I don't prepare them.

You can do it, you just have to be smart about it. In the early phases, I was buring so much fat and getting so much energy from it, that I didn't need to carb-up at all. That changed once I became leaner and I did start eating during the rides.

Low carb diets and cycling don't mix. Best bet is to decrease your overall caloriac intake while riding Cut out the sweets, junk food, and sodas too.

(Trying not to be too blunt) but quit with the low carb non-sense. Get on a real diet and real fitness plan. I agree, with Primevci; consult a doctor and dietician who specialize in sports. Also, read a book called Bicycling Medicine, by Arnie Baker. The book lays down the real science behind excersize and diet, specifically as it related to cycling. I wont argue that you can't loose weight on the Atkins diet, and I think it's good what you've done so far. However, from here on out, your weight is not as important as your general health. A better diet plan would be the old tried and true calorie resticted diet instead of a carb restricted diet. Just me 2 cents, as always. Good luck whatever you do.

did you ask anyone for help? this is not normal. some people have these problems but there are solutions. Any change of eating habbits can cause problems if you don't know enough. sp don't blame the diet when you did not seek any help.

I've lost 70 pounds in the past year by exercising and using the Sugarbusters (www.sugarbusters.com) way of eating. It's low carb in some ways (no refined wheat, sugar, rice, corn, etc.), but does allow for some whole grains, some fruits and other complex carbs. I think it's a more reasonable diet than atkins.

For faster carbs while cycling, I rely on fruit (apples and dried apricots, mostly) and that's working pretty well. It's also worth noting that I'm a diabetic, so this diet works well with my diabetes. And, as always, your mileage may vary...do what works for you!

I had great results with Atkins and cycling. You just have to remember that when you are cycling, you need more carbs than when you are not. I rode several metric and one full century while watching carbs. Carbs are fuel and you need fuel to go. Don't go overboard and you can still get great results. If you have absolutely no energy, you are restricting your carbs too much. The whole diet is about finding the level that is right for you and it depends on your activity level from day to day. BTW - I lost 40 lbs. 2 years ago and they are still gone.

I was on it with my wife, who had been on it before, and had read 2 or 3 of the Atkins books on the subject. She kept the books out for daily reference. Both of us noticed a general feeling of sluggishness. We didn't just cut out carbs and eat everything else. We followed the guidelines as outlined in Atkins' book. There were no 'experts' at the time for us to ask. We'd done extensive research on the diet. It worked, but we didn't like the side effects. I know of people who have been on Atkins who have lost a lot of weight with no adverse effects. It's just not for us.

Like I said, we lost weight, and reached our goal (at that time). As soon as we quit the diet, we gained the weight right back.

We've since gone to a modified macrobiotic diet, and my wife has gone vegan. We've both lost weight this way, with no ill effects, and have been able to keep it off. We're about to add exercise (cycling) to our routine in the hopes that we lose even more.

the best source of info is alt.support.diet.low-carb

You are about half right. Metabolizing proteins as an energy source causes a rise of the ketone level in your blood. This rise of ketones will cause your blood pH to fall to acidic levels. This is called ketosis or acid ketosis. The lower pH levels plays havoc on all kinds of systems but it is hardest on the kidneys, not the liver. If the ketosis continues for too long, it can lead to kidney, or renal, failure, which is not good.

The Adkins diet puts the body into a starvation mode very much like that experienced by untreated diabetics. Ketosis in insulin dependent diabetics can lead to death in a few days or weeks while poor control of the diabetes can lead to all kinds of system failures of which renal failure is only one.

You learn a lot living with a diabetic for 30 years.