Sixty Fiver

People have been checking out my wife...

She was already curvy as hell but over the past 6 months she has lost 50 pounds and just gotten more curvaceous, and people ask her what she has been doing, what kind of diet she has been on, and if she has taken up any new exercise regimen.

When she answers they are usually shocked, stunned, and often thrown into a state of denial as they cannot wrap their heads around the fact she has experienced this weight loss and shapoe shifting with no calorie restrictions and actually eats a little more, there has been no radical increase in exercise, and she has increased the amount of fat in her diet while reducing the cabs down to 20-30 grams a day.

For me I eat the same way and this just maintains a healthy body weight after I set out to lose an extra 15 pounds.

You can put me in the lower carb group... I maintain my svelte 150 pounds and usually stay under 100 grams of carbs a day while other people I know limit the carbs to much less.

This seems to be the experience of many of us who have adopted a lifestyle and way of eating that runs contrary to the low fat trend that has been going on for the past 30-40 years and what is now being seen by more and more people as being some really bad medical advice.

I don't want to start another endless debate on this and was wondering who else is doing this and what their experiences have been like... this might also be a good place to share ideas, info, and recipes because a low carb diet does not have to be boring.

transporterjr

I was just talking about this with my wife. She eats a lot less carbs than I do; the meat we eat for the most part is grass fed from a local farm we have lots of veggies from her farm and the ones that she works on part time. But breakfast is where I consume a bowl of carbs - that and coffee with sugar in it - I need breakfast ideas - hopefully quick breakfast ideas!

Funny how people hang on to old ideas on health when there is so much data to show that conclusion were wrong, or that a study was flawed. I know a health nut who will not eat avocados because of their high fat content. She eats oatmeal every morning a pile of fruit for lunch, thin as hell, exercises daily, never cheats or varies her diet, and yet cholesterol was high.

Sixty Fiver

The morning bowl of carbs was one thing my wife changed... she always had oatmeal and switched that to a couple of scrambled eggs or full fat yogurt or bacon and eggs which we have several times a week. She scrambles the eggs with a little bit of bacon fat or lard to keep them from sticking and this also adds extra calories / fats.

One thing we both noticed about this was that when you get up in the morning you do not feel like you are hungry and we can hit the floor running and do a bunch of things in the am before we feel like eating.

We both have very good cholesterol numbers but that is mostly genetic... dietary fat intake does not affect that negatively and reducing carbs lowers trigylcerides.

My wife only wishes she could eat Avocado... it is one of the healthiest fats and she just happens to be deathly allergic to them.

wolfchild

I never had problems with being overweight, and this is due to the types of food I eat, intermittent fasting, lot's of excercise and a generally physically active lifestyle. I don't want to call myself " low-carber" because my daily carb intake can range anywhere from 140-250 grams of carbs, on most days I prefer to get around 200 grams. All my carbs which I eat come from root vegetables ( sweet and regular potatoes), fresh vegetables, dairy products , oats and Kasha ( aka buckwheat ), lentils, split peas, and I avoid eating processed refined junk. My protein intake comes from red meat, fish, eggs, yogurt, cheese and milk. My fat intake comes from animal products, butter, olive oil, coconut oil and nuts. I also avoid using sugar in my food, the only sugar I get in my diet is from berries and low-glycemic fruits..The best way to describe my diet would be: high-fat..moderate carb..moderate protein, most of my daily calories come from fats and oils...I don't call myself "paleo", I just try to eat whole unprocessed food...The biggest problem with "modern paleo" is that there are too many restrictions, too many do's and dont's, it's almost becoming fanaticism. There is archeological evidence that cavemen ate starch.

There are different types of paleo diet. For example: prehistoric people who lived on African savanna or in a jungle had a different diet from people who lived in Northern Siberia. Bushmen who lived in a Kalahari desert had a different diets from those who lived in Europe...Nomads who lived on Asian steppes had a different diet from Polynesian islanders...There is no such thing as "one size fits all diet", each person is different and they need to find what works for them.

uluchay

I have been following a LCHF diet for about 3 weeks now. Works really good for now but I never went for a ride on the bike yet. I do however run 30 minute sessions 3 times a week. Never felt the lack of energy.

https://www.youtube.com/movie?v=evcNPfZlrZs

I advice anyone who wants to learn about low carb to watch this documentary. Even if you're not a low-carber, take a look.

MEversbergII

I am mostly primal.

M.

niknakpattymac

I've been paleo for a couple years now. Started nutritional ketosis about a year ago. I'm planning a US coast to coast this summer. Does anyone have any ideas for travel food to stay ketogenic during the tour. I really worry about the availability of carbs and how bad they make me feel. Cannot feel that way while riding for two months.

wolfchild

Pemmican, it's a perfect travel/trail food which consists of only two ingredients, dried meat and fat, some people also mix dried berries into it, but berries are optional. I don't know where you can buy the stuff but you could always make your own.

MEversbergII

US Wellness Meats has a few different types.

M.

bikebreak

I teach nutrition classes for prenant women, loosely based on a paleo framework.
I say that people are made out of protein and fat, not carbs, so you have to eat lots of protein and fat. People are not made from grains and greens. Crazy idea, but it works.
Also many vitamins are fat soluble, so you need to eat fat to fully absorb them.
Butter is good for you and your baby. Shocking stuff.

Personally, I get most calories from fat and protein, but still eat some carbs. I try to avoid oatmeal and bread. Lots of fruit.
I eat bananas and nuts while riding. Yes, you can eat a banana with one hand in the drops.
Got some Larabar uber on sale (just nuts, fruit, honey), so I'm going to use those for longer rides when the snow melts.

bmontgomery87

I get the whole eating real foods, and not eating a ton of processed carbs.
But the whole "bacon is good for you" thing is garbage. If you get some that is minimally processed and isn't loaded with preservatives and what not, I can see eating it on occasion, but come on people.

I personally do granola in the morning, coffee and coconut oil. Then I'll usually have some eggs and potatoes w/ cheese later in the morning.
I can't do a lot of riding without eating a substantial amount of carbs. I feel like crap, and my muscles look flat.


Definitely a fan of adding fats to my meals. I cook everything in butter or coconut oil.

Carbonfiberboy 

LC and primal people: any of you take your morning standing heart rate? I've been doing that for years and average 64. Low of 54, high of 74.

wolfchild

I checked my heart rate this morning after waking up at 5 AM. It was at 52 while standing up.

lenA

Bacon is just meat cured with salts. Nothing especially processed about it.

lenA

Nuts, cheese and smoked sausage are my staples. I look for Asian buffets when I crave a full meal. Most towns of 10K and up seem to have one these days. I'll buy a couple of pizza slices at a kwiki mart and just eat the toppings. Rotisserie chickens are easy to come by in any decent size grocery store as well as some nice cheeses.

My longest trip has only been 495 miles in 7 straight days of self-contained riding, but I stuck to a <30 grams of carbs a day diet and never felt deprived. I wouldn't expect to feel any different after 70 days. About half of my calorie intake came from good ol' whole walnuts... one of the world's greatest foods.

bmontgomery87

It's low quality meat typically cured with lots of junk preservatives.

If you're getting locally made bacon cured with actual salt I'd say it's not so awful. But I find it laughable that people think eating bacon every morning for breakfast is fine but eating a bowl of pasta isn't.

lenA

Bacon is made from specific cuts of pork cured with salts and then smoked. What are these junk preservatives you speak of?

To topic here is low carb/ paleo weirdos.........I reject 'all' carbs as harmful and unnecessary in any quantity. It would be helpful to the discussion if you had at least a fundamental knowledge of why many people have adopted this way of eating.

Sixty Fiver

I get local bacon from a few smaller producers... we have it a couple of times a week.

I had some really nice bacon ends this week so after making stock I roasted those up and made a lovely bacon and bean soup with some wild rice which was not low carb but was incredibly delicious.

bmontgomery87

I've done the reading on paleo stuff in the past, so I have a fundamental "knowledge" of the opinions carried by people who are paleo.
I wasn't aware you rejected "all" carbs, as that really takes away in the vegetable department. I guess it's been a while since reading about it and talking to people about paleo/primal.

I personally think eating something soaked in sodium nitrite is a lot less natural than say eating a banana. But to each their own. I don't think cave men were exactly living long lives when they were eating that way either, most of them just died before heart disease set in. I'm all for quality fats, but I usually limit my pork a bit.

bmontgomery87

That sounds tasty actually.
I don't think all bacon is really the same. I've picked up a few boxes and flipped them over and read the ingredients and there is a clear difference between small companies that take pride in a quality product and the mega companies that use cheap ingredients and crappy cuts of meat.

Sixty Fiver

My wife said it was the best bacon she had ever tasted... it is about as close to the home cured / smoked bacon my grandfather used to make and so much better than some of the "artisan" bacon we would get in Portland.

The soup was pretty amazing... the kids (little bacon junkies) finished it off in short order.

lenA

I reject all carbs in the sense that I believe there is no known biological need. I get my 30 grams of carbs from non-starchy leafy veggies just for a little spice in my diet. I eat zero grains, but spend a fair amount of time munching on sunflower and pumpkin seeds in the shell.

Someone will have point out what the cheap ingredients in bacon are. Granted there is a broad range of flavors and cuts (and prices) but it's all salted or cured and smoked pork as far as I know.

Yes I freely admit I'm a keto weirdo. I love fatty meat...always have, so it works out well for me. :-)

bbbean 

I lost 150+ lbs over 2 years with a combination of lowered carbs (under 100g/day) reasonable calorie intake (1700-2000/day), and making it a point to ride or walk a minimum of 30 minutes a day (150-300 cals/day min). I've been at my goal weight for a few months now, and have kept the weight under control with slightly relaxed calorie and carb goals (try to have a net 1800-2200 calories after exercise, now 60-90 minutes a day, and keep carbs around 25% of my calories). Tracking software has helped, but it comes pretty natural now. The first couple of months were the hardest, but I just gravitate towards salads, vegetables, and meat these days with most of my carbs coming from yogurt or vegetables. When I do eat grains, I typically opt for high fiber grains (i.e. black beans), and still eat those in limited quantities.

Sixty Fiver

This is pretty much what I do save for the glutenous grains... which I avoid.

lenA

Congrats 150 pounds...amazing

Please be careful with the carbs.....carb creep is real... and really sneaky