Carbohydrates and weight loss

I am afraid I disagree. I have lost 3.5 kg in two weeks by only eating one carb a day, i.e. 20g All Bran with seeds added. I have cut out potato, rice, pasta, bread, white flour and sugar and am not feeling tired. I eat a lot of salad, veg and protein.

I have to disagree with you as well! I also eat only one carb on a daily basis - In the mornings i have high fibre bran, and then only protein and salad/veg for my other meals. it is much easier to stay slim by losing the cards. I have been eating this way for years and have not put on a single kilo.

Two years ago I lost 19 kilograms by restricting carbs and eating mainly proteins. I gained some of the weight again (sweet tooth and struggle to resist a good pastry), but have lost 8 kilograms since December by watching what I eat and focussing mainly on protein foods. I have All Bran in the morning for the fibre, but for the rest of the day I eat mainly proteins. A diet full of carbs tends to make you sluggish, and a diet consisting mainly out of protein gives you more energy. If I was not so "allergic" to exercise, I would lose weight quicker.

i also have to agree with the above comments, i have lost weight by cutting out carbs (white bread,rice,potatoes etc)...and substituted with wholewheat bread or All-Bran cereal for breakfast. For the rest of the day i minimize carbs and stack up on protein (fish,chicken etc)...with a salad, or anything veggie and colourful!

As another tip, i've cut out packaged or processed foods, and started indulging on fresh foods.
I'm enjoying the weight loss now :) and i also jog 2,5km 3-4 times weekly.

i was told not to become obsessed with numbers on the scale, so instead of weighing myself constantly, i rely on my family and friends' opinions and the fitting of my clothes.

i eat a lot of starches, bread,rice, potatoes, rice..maybe thats y i aint losing weight..will cut this out for a month, add more veges, protein and see how it goes..plus excecise of course

Not all carbs are bad! Think brown rice and sweet potatoes.

Carbs is not all bad as long as you focus om the Low GL foods, that do not spike your blood sugar (brown rice, sweet potatoes). It is not healthy to only eat protein. Your body needs Carbs, you must just make the right choices.

what if you don't like protein or fruit?

I agree with Anneli that picking the right carbs are still good - i find that rye bread even one slice keep me full.

I find that if I eat in small amounts I am satisfied - If I try to force or eat foods that I don't like because they are healthy it usually leaves me feeling unsatisfied.

I would love to lower my carb intake BUT I hate protein... Hardly eat it. Dont' like seeds, nuts or milk.

Do however try to get at least a glass of milk in every day.

I am not over weight but would like to lose just 2 kg.

I am a complete vegetarian and would like to lose 5kg.My problem is what sort of proteins can I eat considering I eat only one portion of carbs in a day?

ladies I am appalled that no one has stressed the importance of exercise in a weight loss regime. I gained 5 kilos coz I couldn't exercise due a car crash for 2 years. I am better now and i have a 'normal' diet. have been walking for 40 minutes a day since Dec 09. Have lost 7 kg.

Its all good and well to cut out carbs in order to loose weight. But the problem is, once you go back to eating carbs you will gain all that weight back.
You do get the good carbs, if you stick to Low GI and satiety smart foods you cant go wrong.
Carbs are your fuel for the day, your energy.
Carbs are not the enemy, the amount of carbs, your portion size and the type of carbs you eat can be a problem.

Exersise,a balanced diet,lots of water,will help you to trim out.
it is dangerous to eat only one food group as your body tends to think it is starving then produce more fat.

I would just like to know why one would gain fat mass if you were to limit carbs and temporarily use proteins as a source of energy?

I have started reducing my carb intake and the portion sizes since last Friday and I exercise. I need to loose 10 kilo to get to my ideal weight. Will see how it goes.

Carbs definately makes a huge difference when it comes to loose weight and when it comes to wanting to see those abs muscles that everyone knows of having but never get the chance in "seeing" them.... :-)
Only having one kind of carb a day for lunch together with my meat and veggies and 1 1/2 hour before training a low GI protein shake.... wonderful results!!!!
I am not overweight or in need of loosing weight, just wanted to tone up and have some muscle definition... well.... it is working for me!!!! :-)

I would like to know how women fit exercise into their day.

I am a mother 2. My day starts at 5:30. I get the kids ready for school. Leave home at 6:30. After work leave at 4. Fetch the kids get home by 6. While cooking supper, I supervise homework and clean up. After the kids are bathed they eat supper and off to bed at 8. Then I wash supper dishes, sweep and mop etc whatever needs to be done. Take a shower and then have to sit with some studying from 10:30.

Can someone please advise me what I can drop in my shedule so I can find the time to excerise because I cant?

Hi, I have just been reading all the posts and it was interesting to me to read how for some people a lower carb eating plan definitely is more effective. I am a dietician and recently gave a workshop to dieticians on how genetics affects obesity and weight loss and also how our genes determine our responce to different food groups like carbohydrates and fats. The interesting thing is that the scientific literature does show that there ARE a group of individuals that do respond better to a lower carb diet when trying to lose weight, but that it isn't necessary for everyone.

Hi Ladies

I've lost 20kg in the last 4 months & feel fantastic. I went from a size 18/20 to a size 12. This was done with low carb. The first month or so I ate only protein. (I found this made it easier to get used to the eating plan, didn't have any cravings) Then I started to introduce carbs again slowly, as soon as I had cravings, I would reduce the carbs again. Currently I'm eating oats & a protein for breakfast, A protein for lunch. Meat & vegies for dinner. During the day, I'll snack on Light Soup or fruit, within limits. If I have to snack at night, it will be biltong, cheese or peanut butter. I'm still having alcohol, but only Whiskey + Soda/ Light Wine or Vawter (Vodka + Mineral Water + Lemon)

I still have about 10kg to lose, are starting to exercise to help with the last few kg's.

Good luck. Find what works for you & get your life back!

I have 2 shakes per day, either herbalife or evox lean pro. (Evox tastes better - herbalife is disgusting) But I have learnt to deal with the taste, and have a normal meal at night, with veggies, I also treat myself TWICE a week. Either crisps or a pastry. In exactly a month I am now 5kg lighter and feel good. I am not tired, grumpy or listless and don't crave much. I don't eat take out and we barely fry foods, perhaps that helped too. I am not a fruit lover so don't really eat fruits. I snacked on rice crackers and ostrich biltong all month.

Interesting that there is a school of thought who thinks carbohydrates are limited to grains and breads etc. However, fruit are carbohydrates. If you you break down thephysical content of fruit, the carbohydrate content is very high. Therefore if you are still eating fruit, you are in reality not cutting out carbohydrates at all.

Hi I need to gain weight,build some muscle and still adhere to a diet where my blood pressure will be controlled.Please any advise?

My advice to Anonymous who wants to build some muscle would be to start with the Body for Life Programme. You can get the book at any bookshop, even second hand shops. It's a fantastic programme and I've been following it for almost 10 yrs now. It involves 3 days a week high intensity cardio and 3 days weight training. Had my 1st child 5 yrs ago and very quickly returned to my post pregnancy weight. I am currently also following a lower carb eating plan, add protein with all my meals and take 1 to 2 protein shakes a day. Good luck!

I was in and out of the pharmacy trying to find things that would help me to lose weight. Then a friend introduced me to Herbalife and by using their products I was able to lose 20kgs in 5 months. Their products are just organic food in a powdered form so completely safe to take. The best thing for me about the was that I gained an extra 3 hours of energy and the condition of my skin and hair improved unbelievably. At www.herbal-life.co.za they have an ETA qualified Personal Trainer and Wellness Coach who freely advise people and follow up with them to ensure they get great results.

I have been following the Dukan diet which is mainly proteins and veg till you reach your goal weight and then slowly introducing carbs. I have struggled to lose 5 kg for years and managed it within 3 months on this diet...I am thrilled. They have a website.

I THINK PEOPLE HAVE A MISCONCEPTION ON WHAT CARBOHYDRATES ARE, AND SHOULD STOP REFERING TO CARBOHYDRATES AS SOLELY STARCHES, BECAUSE FRUITS AND VEG ARE ALSO CARBOHYDRATES!!!! HALLO! SO YEAH, SURE CUTTING DOWN ON STARTCH WOULD DO YOU GOOD AS IT IS A COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATE, BUT THE STARCH SELF IS REALLY NOT FATTENING, ITS THE FAT PEOPLE ADD TO IT TO GIVE IT FLAVOUR... AS SIMPLE AS THAT. AND WE CANT CUT OUT FAT, BECAUSE IT PLAYS A FEW VERY IMPORTANT ROLES IN DIGESTION AND BODY FUNCTION... ITS ALL ABOUT EATING A BALANCED DIET, AND ONE THAT WORKS FOR YOU...

i am very over weight, i have been teaching my self how to change my relationship with food and i have changed the way i eat and slowly the weight is coming off 5kgs a month. i eat oats for breakfast, lunch i eat grean leafy vege salad with some kind of protein(chicken/fish) and supper i eat a little. i power walk 3 times a week for 30mins and will increase it to 5 times a week next week. i only drink water and green tea. once a week i do get a small treat for myself. i am also taking an omega suppliment and a vitamin a day and i'm feeling really good and motivated to keep up this new way of doing things

After reading all the comments it is true that fruits are a form of carb but the good type. i have lost 2kgs in 2 weeks reducing my intake of man made carbohydrates( pasta, bread, cakes etc...) for the sole purpose that im very active and eat healthily but kept gaining weight.One also has to realise that not everybody can eat the same type of foods because of your genetical make-up. so just do what works for you but just NO MAN MADE SUBSTANCES!!1