Thread: 2 week, no carb, slim down?

I was enjoying a little off-season holiday eating-and-no-exercise, and someone called me for a gig last week. You'd think they could give me a little more than 2 weeks notice. Guess I should just never take breaks. Blah.

I called a local health food store looking for bentonite clay to make a detoxing body wrap, and the store lady told me to go 2 weeks of no carbs. Just all meat and natural fats. I know I can physically and mentally do it, but is that enough to make any kind of noticeable difference at all? I'm already adding more water with cranberry and lemon juice, I don't care for Cokes, and skipping creamer in my coffee is not a problem. I can freeze the pita bread and fruit I just bought so it's not wasted.

Lots of protein is good, but carbs are absolutely necessary for energy as well. Her advice is pretty crappy especially if you want to be ready for a gig. You need energy to dance and to keep your muscle mass for the gig. Keep eating your fruit! A fruit, veggies, and protein (meat, bean, egg, nuts, greek yogurt) heavy diet with the occasional pita or whole grain bread is great and should be stuck to as a normal diet. Going for 2 weeks without fruits and breads/cereals is just asinine advice. Just keep to your normal healthy diet and maybe get in some extra exercise and watch your portions. If you're eating anything processed, you can cut those things out of your diet and that'll help as well.

OK, that sounds more reasonable. I can pretty easily do that.

If you are otherwise healthy, two weeks on a no-carb diet will not hurt you. I'm not a strong advocate of short term no-carb, but it isn't evil and dangerous as some people make out. Your body can make glycogen and glucose from protein and fats.

It will make you feel crappy and lightheaded for the first few days.

You will absolutely lose weight, but its only two weeks so don't expect alot. Generally, you don't have to count calories on a no carb diet, because after a few days your appetite will become suppressed. Carbs rev up your appetitite; eliminating them suppresses your appetite.

Alternatively, you could try something like the south beach diet, which starts out fairly low carb (but not no carb) and after two weeks gradually adds in small servings of carby foods like fruit.

You don't really need bread and super sweet fruits. There are a lot of insanely fit and healthy people who follow a "paleo" diet which is extremely low carb. If you are going to do something like that long term, of course you need to research it and make sure you are eating a sufficient variety of foods . But for only two weeks it doesn't really matter.

A good body stocking will take 5 lbs. off your torso, visually.

I'm probably going to do eggs in the morning, with plain black coffee. Lots of water all day. Dinner is going to be problematic for the next few days because I'm leaving tomorrow on a business trip, but I'll manage the best I can. Then supper will be whatever lean meat and lots of veggies at a restaurant. When I'm back from this business trip I can probably do a lot of rotisserie chicken, or maybe get into making lots of tofu dishes since I'm really not much of a meat eater. Luckily all the frozen bagged veggies make it easy to get enough of those, and I will be back home to do some flavored waters to keep that interesting.

Originally Posted by Lesedi

Lots of protein is good, but carbs are absolutely necessary for energy as well. Her advice is pretty crappy especially if you want to be ready for a gig. You need energy to dance and to keep your muscle mass for the gig. Keep eating your fruit! A fruit, veggies, and protein (meat, bean, egg, nuts, greek yogurt) heavy diet with the occasional pita or whole grain bread is great and should be stuck to as a normal diet. Going for 2 weeks without fruits and breads/cereals is just asinine advice. Just keep to your normal healthy diet and maybe get in some extra exercise and watch your portions. If you're eating anything processed, you can cut those things out of your diet and that'll help as well.

I totally agree with this advice. I study exercise science at university and you'd be crazy to give up good carbs

Originally Posted by Darbla

I was enjoying a little off-season holiday eating-and-no-exercise, and someone called me for a gig last week. You'd think they could give me a little more than 2 weeks notice. Guess I should just never take breaks. Blah.

I called a local health food store looking for bentonite clay to make a detoxing body wrap, and the store lady told me to go 2 weeks of no carbs. Just all meat and natural fats. I know I can physically and mentally do it, but is that enough to make any kind of noticeable difference at all? I'm already adding more water with cranberry and lemon juice, I don't care for Cokes, and skipping creamer in my coffee is not a problem. I can freeze the pita bread and fruit I just bought so it's not wasted.

honestly. if you do three weeks of little to no carbs, multi small high protien & veggie meals water and hellll of a lot of cardio you can drop a bit quick but usually its better to change eating habits cuz it nevr stays off long.

and there are good carbs they arent all evil :)

I wonder if she meant starches as opposed to carbs. Rice, wheat, potatoes, etc. are what many people think of as carbs and don't take in to account that fruits and veggies also have them.

I agree with the idea that a low carb diet is the was to go. the other thing which I have noticed, and those who have nutritional back grounds can correct me if I am wrong, giving your body a little bit of what it craves can at times kick it into high gear in the area of calorie burning. I cannot tell you how many times I have been doing low fat, lower calorie, yada, yada, and been stuck. Gone out, gotten a piece of cake, and voila! the next day, the scale has started to move down again! Body decided it's okay to start burning those calories!

Either way, good luck! Adjusting your diet and getting back into your routine will help immensely even if it's just that you feel better about yourself!

{{{HUGS}}}

{{{HUGS}}}

Technically yes it would work. Though, like everyone else said, it would definitely be difficult to go no-carb for two weeks while preparing for a gig. Instead of no-carb, just do low carb and focus on utilizing those carbohydrates for when you work. Either eat them in the AM or before you go to work out. You WILL feel very weak but it won't hurt you. Be careful though...2 weeks of noticeable weight loss is very easy to put back on, specifically with this kind of diet. You can lose a lot of retained water and some fat, so long as you work.

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

I wonder if she meant starches as opposed to carbs. Rice, wheat, potatoes, etc. are what many people think of as carbs and don't take in to account that fruits and veggies also have them.

But not all fruits are "good carbs" if by good carbs you mean a food that will not raise your blood sugar rapidly. Watermelon has a glycemic index value of over 100, about the same as white bread or plain sucrose. Cantalope and bell peppers have much lower glycemic index values.

Some people claim they are eating "lots of fruits and veggies" but in fact are consuming mostly high glycemic index fruits. Unfortunately, most of the fruits I really love (bananas, mangos, pineapple) are very high in sugar and have high glycemic index values. Yes, they are nutritious, and in small servings can be part of a healthy diet, but it is oh so easy to slurp down huge amount of them.

Non starchy vegetables like broccoli and spinach are essentially non-players in your daily caloric equation. It is just about impossible to eat even 50 calories worth of spinach, or much more than 150 calories of broccoli in a day. In other words, yes, they are technically "carbs" but they are such low calorie foods that they will always be a minor component of your daily calorie consumption.

I'm not sure it's possible to go completely no-carb, even for two weeks, and not get ill. Cut out the fruit and the pasta, bread, and rice. Get your carbs from vegetables, and the rest of your energy from fats. Eat lean protein, and drink lots of water. You could try the Atkins Diet Induction Phase (www.atkins.com) --that requires that you keep your carbs to 20-25g/day for kick-starting your weight loss. As others have said, though, it's going to come right back on if you immediately go back to your usual carb level afterward. That's not healthy, either.

I'd do the body-stocking.

The Scarsdale diet is a 14-day program that includes some complex carbs (ex. breakfast every morning is 1/2 grapefruit and a slice of protein bread (Trader Joe's for example)). Not as meat-heavy as Atkins, everyone I've known (including moi) sticking to it religiously has had huge success within the mere 14-day period. It's strict, first week and second are the same, but there is a full variety of food and the minimalist menu makes it sort of easy if you can avoid temptation. Throws your body into ketosis before the 14th day, but not in a way that you are deprived of electrolytes. The book explains the metabolic issues in some detail.

You can find the week's menu here:
The Scarsdale Diet

When I ate a "low carb" diet, I lost 23 pounds in 6 weeks, & I don't think I ever ate more healthfully. However, low carb does not equal no carb. It means eating foods that are low on the glycemic index. Some low carb plans do advocate cutting out carbs completely (or nearly so) for the first couple of weeks, though, to break your carb cravings.

I did a modified "Zone" diet. This was almost identical to the way the hospital's registered dieticians advised me to eat when I had gestational diabetes, so I assure you that this is not an unhealthy way to eat.

A simple way to understand the Zone is to use your hand as a reminder. Your 5 fingers remind you to 5 times per day (i.e. 5 small meals instead of three big ones). Eat protein & fat with EVERY meal. This will slow the production of insulin (which is required to store fat) & keep your blood sugar stable (reducing cravings, etc.). The protein should be about the size of the palm of your hand. The fat should be about the size of your thumb. Eat complex carbs, leafy greens, broccoli, green beans, etc. in an amount about the size that would fit in your open hand (i.e. a large handful).

Avoid or limit simple carbs. In general, these tend to be "white" foods: pasta, rice, bread, etc.

Be careful with many fruits & root vegetables, which tend to be high in sugar. Consume these in small amounts and always with protein and fat.

Fibre slows the digestion of food &, therefore, the conversion of food to blood sugar. So, old-fashioned (aka large flake) oats or steel cut oats are okay. So are berries, like raspberries and strawberries.

Hard cheeses like cheddar tend to be lower in sugar than soft cheeses. Higher fat dairy items, like whipping cream, are lower in sugar than lower fat items, like skim milk.

Some of the things I ate a LOT of were hard-boiled egg whites, Caesar salad with chicken on it, smoothies (made with frozen berries, protein powder, water, and a bit of yoghurt or homogenized milk (not skim)), oatmeal with whipping cream, fish, cauliflower, strawberry salad (made with spinach, strawberries, toasted almonds or pecans, & a bit of feta cheese), &, believe it or not, bacon puffs (aka pork rinds) when I just had to have something crunchy & chip-like. If I had fast food, I would get a burger patty with lettuce & tomato on it & I wouldn't eat the bun. Lettuce wraps were another meal I'd have in restaurants. It IS harder when you are eating out to eat this way, as a lot of meals come with plenty of starch, because starch is cheap & temporarily filling.

Cont'd...

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When I ate this way, I felt great. I actually want to return to this. I know it will be good for me, but it's hard to get back into the habit when I'm cooking for several other people in the house, including teens.

Anyway, cutting out carbs for 2 weeks will not hurt you, & some people find it helpful to do in order to break their carb addiction. And if you read any books on eating a lower-carb diet (The Zone, Protein Power, Atkins), you'll find that their recommendations are not unhealthy, as some people think, but involve eating more vegetables & fibre, & less processed food, than the typical person eats.

^^ big thanks for this post i have been eating very clean this past week and your guidelines will help me

Do any of you know offhand if fiber supplements have a lot of carbs?

Originally Posted by Darbla

Do any of you know offhand if fiber supplements have a lot of carbs?

That orange-flavored metamucil powder has ALOT of sugar. Unless you get the sugar-free version, but that has nutrisweet that I also try to avoid.

I prefer the fiber capsules; they don't have any added sugar and are low in carbs (outside of the fiber, which can't be digested so it doesn't contain calories and can't raise your blood sugar).

Originally Posted by Darbla

Do any of you know offhand if fiber supplements have a lot of carbs?

I hope I give this advice to you just in time, I am a weightcounsil myself and I am Not a fond of fiber suppelements. Off course, if your cutting out fruits and grains, you would not eat enough fiber. And people take wheat germ, flaxseeds or psyllium, but those can be harmfull because the lack of moist. They can irritate, or make the body less absorbent, to name a few!

My advice, eat A LOT of veggies, you can also eat beans when you are on low-carb.
Eat about 400 to 800 grams of vegetables, especially the green, like spinach, all kinds of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage or leeks. Your mom will be sooo proud ;)
That will do for your bowel comfort, also my advice will be, stay away from to much artificial sweeteners, to much protein powder(if you are constipated), and always take your multivitamin.

Good luck everyone!

Originally Posted by Winnie Waus

My advice, eat A LOT of veggies, you can also eat beans when you are on low-carb.
Eat about 400 to 800 grams of vegetables, especially the green, like spinach, all kinds of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage or leeks. Your mom will be sooo proud ;)
That will do for your bowel comfort, also my advice will be, stay away from to much artificial sweeteners, to much protein powder(if you are constipated), and always take your multivitamin.

As a healthcare professional, I agree on many of the points being made here. The "paleo" diet is one of the most helpful diets for maintaining healthy body muscle-to-fat ratio. Whole fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, lean meats (go organic, grass-fed and wild-caught whenever possible for the best ratio of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats!), and good fats like avocado, flax, coconut, sesame, and olive will give you the most satiety and help you through sugar cravings. For optimal health and weight loss, don't skip meals or use coffee or cigarettes to suppress the appetite. The trick is to give the body enough fiber and good fats so that it feels full, and eat 5 small meals a day so that your blood glucose (sugar) is balanced and you don't get overly hungry.

Check out the glycemic index for an idea of which fruits and vegetables are less sugar-balancing. A general rule of thumb is that if it's starchy or low in fiber, it converts quickly into sugar in the body. Starchy no-nos would be things like most root vegetables and starchy fruits (potato, sweet potato, yams, pumpkin, cassava, plantain, banana, dates, mango, papaya, and any dried fruit). Check out Glycemic Index for more information.

I know you are on a crash for these two weeks, but remember that keeping weight off is about lifestyle. Cultivate a lifestyle that encourages healthy eating, and the weight will stay off for good. I know you can do it!

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

I wonder if she meant starches as opposed to carbs. Rice, wheat, potatoes, etc. are what many people think of as carbs and don't take in to account that fruits and veggies also have them.

I agree with the idea that a low carb diet is the was to go. the other thing which I have noticed, and those who have nutritional back grounds can correct me if I am wrong, giving your body a little bit of what it craves can at times kick it into high gear in the area of calorie burning. I cannot tell you how many times I have been doing low fat, lower calorie, yada, yada, and been stuck. Gone out, gotten a piece of cake, and voila! the next day, the scale has started to move down again! Body decided it's okay to start burning those calories!

Either way, good luck! Adjusting your diet and getting back into your routine will help immensely even if it's just that you feel better about yourself!

{{{HUGS}}}

{{{HUGS}}}

I've heard of the bolded being called the whoosh effect. Someone's dieting, the scale is not budging...then they say fcuk it and then all of a sudden whoosh!!! they start losing weight.

^^ I 'm waiting for the whoosh effect...18 days and not a budge on the scale!

Well, if it's any consolation I've been on my at least 14 days now, and no effects that I can tell. My energy may be up a bit, which is good in itself. I haven't any gone down by any water weight but I could be getting too much sodium in some of the seasoned meat I'm eating.

Sigh.... It may not make any difference by Saturday but I'll suck in my stomach and smile anyway.

carbs are brain food!! Starving yourself of carbs is starving your brain, just the same as cutting out oils/fats is bad for you as well.

yes low carb is great, and i feel at my best while eating low glycemic index foods, i dont feel as hungry either while sticking to low glycemic index foods..

hope your weight loss adventure picks up soon!

Nutrition is something that is done daily. If you do something for 2 weeks and go back to the way you were eating before then you won't have really done anything except stress your body out for no reason. What's wrong with slowly introducing some whole grains into your daily nutrition for 2 weeks? See what happens. Some of my favorites are Quinoa, sweet brown rice and amaranth.