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Thursday, April 03, 2008

Can You Actually Get Fatter On A Low-Carb Diet?


We all know low-carb is great for weight loss, but can you gain?

When people first start livin' la vida low-carb and come to me with all their wide-eyed inquisitive questions about this and that regarding this truly amazing lifestyle change, I am always happy to share from my own experiences eating this way for the past four years as well as asking some of my low-carb expert friends who are studying, researching, and working daily within the scientific community into why and how the low-carb diet works so well to help people lose weight and improve their health.

One question I received from a reader in the Netherlands has been partially addressed before in a previous blog post. Longtime readers may recall in December 2006 I wrote a blog post entitled "Can Low-Carb Evolve Into Making You Fat?" It was about a ridiculous study done on caterpillars fed a high-protein/low-carb diet that claimed that their metabolism actually changed over time to begin storing the few carbohydrates they did eat into fat. Preposterous to say the least and many of my low-carb expert friends agreed.

But what if it was possible that livin' la vida low-carb could actually make you fatter somehow? It this even within the realm of possibility? That's what my reader wanted to know when he sent me the following e-mail:

Hi Jimmy,

I've been reading all the low-carb/high-fat diet books including Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes and I'm following all the major low-carb blogs, too. Of course, I am applying what I've learned and started with The TNT diet from Dr. Jeff Volek and Adam Campbell ever since late October 2007. So far, I have lost 9 kilograms in 3 months and 10 centimeters from my waist. However, ever since I hit that weight of 87 kg, I have been stuck there. So, I have a question for you:

Is it possible for you to actually get fatter on a very low carb diet?

I am like you--I really can't tolerate more than 50 grams of carbs a day. So I only eat avocados for my fruit and I eat the right kind of vegetables. For the rest I eat all kinds of fatty fish (herring, salmon, sardines) as well as beef and pork. I also like sugar-free whipped cream and sometimes I eat mixed natural nuts. I think that's 50-60% fat and the rest is protein with the vegetables. I also take a good multivitamin, fish oil, and potassium.

So I'll ask it again: Is it possible to store fat with such a diet? I measure myself every now and then and my waist size can fluctuate from 84 cm to 89 cm. That's happened a lot lately. I travel a lot visiting clients and I only eat nuts with some cranberries. But that has resulted in the extra centimeters.

Can you eat too many calories on low-carb? As far as I can tell, I never eat much more than 2500 calories (most of the time it's more like 2100) and I am 6'2" and weigh 87 kilograms. For exercise, I run three times a week for an hour.

As I understand it, Gary Taubes says being overweight is NOT caused by eating too many calories, but is caused by too much insulin released in the body from eating too many carbs. So why am I getting fatter?


WOW, what a loaded question and one that is certainly worth taking up as an important topic again here at my blog. I've addressed this sensitive subject of weight gain while on low-carb before and I even talked this week about how my weight has gone up by about 30 pounds ever since I started weight lifting in December 2007 (thanks to everyone who has offered their various opinions about this, by the way! I really appreciate it!). But can you REALLY get fatter on a low-carb diet? Is it metabolically possible to gain weight while eating this way?

To answer this question, I asked one of the most knowledgeable and highly-respected low-carb scientists of our day Dr. Richard Feinman from SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, New York and Co-Editor-In-Chief of Nutrition & Metabolism to answer my reader's question. Here's what Dr. Feinman wrote:

Gary Taubes' position is an exaggeration. The way we describe it to medical students is that insulin (via carbohydrate) is like the handle on a faucet. The handle regulates the flow from dietary fat into stored fat. If you turn down the handle, the flow is drastically reduced but if you supply enough fluid pressure from the reservoir, you will increase the rate through the faucet--it's not a perfect analogy but you get the idea.

Remember that there is always insulin--whereas insulin turns off production of glucagon (the hormone that signals low glucose). And glucagon turns on insulin production. For many people--my guess is probably half the male population--keeping carbs low makes it very hard to overpower the inhibition in the fat storage mechanism but for some people the level of total calories that is required to continue to lose weight may be very low indeed.

The impact of the ideas behind Livin' La Vida Low-Carb is that fat plays a passive role and that its disposition (storage or oxidation) is controlled by insulin and other hormones which are control elements--it does not mean, however, that fat is not important. You can overpower a low carb diet and, depending on your age, 2500 calories may be a limit on weight loss.

On the other hand, from a practical standpoint, the real advantage of Livin' La Vida Low-Carb is that you don't have to think about food all the time and maintaining your weight is actually a real accomplishment. There are some tricks that may help--I have observed anecdotally and Dr. Mike Eades (from Protein Power) saw this regularly in his clinic that the three things that look okay on a low carb diet but may actually be trouble are cheese, nuts, and peanut butter. But if you are living in the Netherlands, giving up gerijpte Gouda (is that the right term?) might be a major sacrifice.

Hope this helps,

Richard D. Feinman


THANK YOU Dr. Feinman for that explanation. I appreciate the fact that you acknowledge for about half of us, watching calories may be necessary while restricting carbs may be necessary to lose and/or maintain weight loss. I've never personally counted calories while on the Atkins diet, but I know many of my readers who have to if they want to see success on their low-carb lifestyle. It's also important that you stated that "fat plays a passive role" in your diet and that eat too much of it can pile on the calories for those who need to be mindful of their total caloric intake. Outstanding information!

At the same time, your belief that eating low-carb makes it so you don't have to think about food is dead on the money. Listing those three culprit carb foods--cheese, nuts, and peanut butter--is gonna help so many people (myself included!) improve their low-carb weight maintenance plan immensely. Although I don't eat peanut butter (not the ones that are loaded with sugar, though), I have consumed my fair share of cheese and nuts. Perhaps it's time for me to cut back on these things. :)

The response provided by Dr. Feinman was very much appreciated by my reader who answered back with his gratitude about his inquisitive question:

Thanks Dr. Feinman,

In my case, I guess it's nuts and cheese (I don't eat peanut butter) because I observed that especially when I ate many nuts and also in the case of a lot of cheese I immediately stored fat around my waist. But I thought all the time: "This can't be true, because fat doesn't trigger insulin, so why am I getting fatter anyway” and I read in many low-carb books that the amount of calories don't matter."

At the beginning of my low-carb lifestyle in the first few months, I really could eat all the fat I wanted. But ever since January 2008, I suddenly noticed a big difference: I was gaining fat/weight with exactly the same diet as the three months before and in those months I had lost weight!? So that was the riddle: how can one first lose fat/weight and after 3 months start gaining fat/weight with the same diet?

I love to eat and a lot of it and again that was no problem the first 3 months of Livin' La Vida Low-Carb (what a sensation: eating a lot and losing fat!). But what a disappointment that suddenly I had to watch the amount of calories and now I am convinced it's the nuts and cheese. So that's how one can be blinded by an idea. And although I saw the difference, I just couldn't believe it, because all the books say you can eat all what you want as long it is fat and some protein and vegetables.

So thanks a lot, and yes some cheese we call "gerijpt" but that's a bit old. I prefer the younger cheese, because it's fattier. Thanks Jimmy, I appreciate your help with this a lot. You once wrote in your blog that you reply to all e-mails and indeed you do!


It's my pleasure, my friend. THANK YOU for your question and I hope Dr. Feinman's advice helps you tweak your diet so you start losing again. Remember, even if you aren't losing weight while livin' la vida low-carb, the improvements you are making to your health are just as if not more important in the grand scheme of things. DON'T GIVE UP HOPE! You're doing fantastic and are well on your way to some awesome accomplishments in your life. I'm proud of you!

Do you have a question about the low-carb lifestyle that's been bugging you? Never hesitate to e-mail me directly at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. If I don't know the answer, I've got a lot of people who support the work I do here who are more than happy to help. By the way, I'll be meeting Dr. Feinman at that obesity conference in Phoenix, Arizona next weekend, so I hope to interview him for my podcast show. He's one truly remarkable man with a depth of knowledge as deep as anyone else when it comes to the subject of low-carb diets.

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30 Comments:

Blogger Jet said...

This is one of the questions raised by the carbohydrate hypothesis that needs to be definitively answered by a clinical trial as Gary Taubes keeps proposing. Take two groups of subjects, one with your standard low fat diet and the other with your low carb (<20 gm) carbs diet, have them consume more than 2500 cal/day for three months, and see what happens.

4/04/2008 1:48 AM  
Blogger blog nerd said...

Jimmy, I just wanted to add a couple of things here.

There is a metabolic advantage to eating low carb, to the tune of about 300 calories, so the experience of most people is a relative freedom from counting calories compared to low fat approaches--but carbohydrates are not the only thing that control insulin production.

Both calories and volume also affect insulin.

Volume is the really interesting thing and this has only come to light in the recent studies on gastric bypass surgery as a treatment for diabetes. At the risk of oversimplifying (one can google this for a more complex explanation) there are these "stretcher" nerves in the gut that sense when the stomach is full or overfull. When they are stretched, by carbs, protein, or fat, it doesn't matter, they trigger insulin production.

So when the gut is reconfigured through the surgery for about a year, these nerves are hampered, even longer if folks continue to eat the small amounts they are supposed to, so insulin production is DRASTICALLY reduced.

The success rate is over 70 percent for this reason.

So if you overstretch your stomach by gorging yourself on dense proteins and fats, you will also be affecting your insulin levels which will make one more sensitive to carbs.

Calories alone in any form will also affect insulin production. (Not in the spiky way of carbs.)

DH and I have used an at home glucometer as a form of experimentation.

In the presence of both volume and calories, carb sensitivity increases, as does hyperinsulemia.

So it IS possible that the few carbs that are eaten trigger the fat storage system again.

I've been experimenting with eating drastically smaller portions throughout the day. Keep in mind I'm PREGNANT which makes one more insulin resistant to begin with.

(It started as a strategy for coping with morning sickness. And of course, DH and I are always on the quest for more nutritional data!)

Anecdotal evidence: My post-prandial blood sugars are 75 (as opposed to 85-95 formerly even on low carb)--even when I'm eating a relatively higher proportion of carbohydrates.

Your carb tolerance level is proportional to your volume limit and caloric intake (which is also keyed to your BMR, etc.)

4/04/2008 8:00 AM  
Blogger EJD said...

Hi Jimmy

Cheese is very high in amines and natural free glutamates which are formed during the ageing/fermenting process, both of which cause the body to release extra insulin.

Nuts contain some amines too, but also lectins (complex proteins) that have insulin-like activity in the body. Plus they are often coated with tasty flavour enhancers when they are roasted (MSG and close relatives, usually hiding under the name hydrolysed vegetable extract or yeast extract). Those flavour enhancers make it hard to stop eating!

Interestingly, the biggest sources of insulin-like lectins in the SAD are wheat, beans and potatoes - so when you eat them you get a double whammy effect on your insulin levels from the carbohydrate and the other chemicals they contain.

In terms of food chemicals that affect insulin output, the safest foods for weight loss are fats, very fresh meat, and eggs.

Hope this helps to explain what Eades & Feinman have seen in their clinics.

4/04/2008 8:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Or maybe Dr. Briffa (on your show) is right, there are people who metabolize fat efficiently (hunters) and people who don't (gatherers). Peter

4/04/2008 8:12 AM  
Blogger Dave said...

Hi Jimmy. Are there any theories as to why nuts/cheese might have this effect? I would guess it's something about the insulin/glucagon ratio they induce.

4/04/2008 8:52 AM  
Blogger Tom Bunnell said...

If we think of carbohydrates as our addictions and we think of our addiction as something that will do anything to get us to eat carbohydrates, including fooling us into thinking nuts are low carb then it all makes sense. Besides fooling us, our addictions have dozens of different ways of getting us to eat carbohydrates. Rewarding ourselves and celebrating our successes are two of them. They will lay in wait for the right moment to strike or if that won't work they will gently ease there way in unnoticed. They will get us to rationalize the eating of carbs and they will convince us that all of this is nonsense. Given a chance they will take us to full blown carbohydrate consumption. If this won't work they will try the once a week meal approach or the reward day. Anything to stay alive and get as much carbohydrate as they can and bide there time and day when they can get more and more. Sorrow is a good time for them to come in and soothe us. They will even cause pain and stress and anxiety if this will get us to use. Convincing ourselves that hybrid nuts and hybrid berries are low in carbohydrates is a perfect example of this. Nothing could be further from the truth. Wild nuts and wild berries are seldom found in our traditional diet. That leaves fat and meat and very low carb leaves and stems and roots in natures food and very occasional and small amounts of natural seeds eaten in there natural forms and water. Wild animal meat and wild fish and wild birds are at the top of our short list if we could get them. Cooked beautifully this is great eating and our substitute domestic meat and fish and poultry works just fine because we have no other choice in the matter. Cooking oils are a trick by our addictions too. They try to convince us that everything is bland and dry without them. They are nowhere in nature. The fat from our meat provides plenty of oil and is all we need. For myself I find that if my addiction doesn't lead me astray, I do very well and am totally satisfied, always, -- if I keep the door locked. -- I feel no pain, nothing but success non stop. Total peace and comfort. -- If I let that door jiggle a little that's when the trouble starts and I got to get that genie with a life of it's own back in that bottle. Addictions thrive on discontent. If there was ever a devil here it is. Anything that will destroy our health and kill us has to be the devil. The devil is our addictions. -- The purveyors and providers and dealers for these addictions is another matter. I find cravings to be almost non existent when I eat what I'm supposed too. -- I find them unbearable when I don't. Cravings are the devil.

4/04/2008 9:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good article. I reached my goal of 115 pounds-but then all of a sudden up/down/up/down to 125 over the past months. It's like my body telling me this is where I should be-can't seem to break that-it is so annoying. Atkins books and other authors have said all along to watch the intake of cheese and nuts, protein bars, shakes, etc., if a weight gain occurs. I've enjoyed a multitude of low carb products, but I did so much better when I wasn't eating them-only pure natural food. Is there a trigger in these low carb products too?

4/04/2008 9:36 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

whoa...that picture...strikes too close to home...at least in the past...at first I thought it might be the famous pregnant "man!"
as to the article...ugh...first I hear I need to give up aspartame...and now nuts and cheese!!
What's a low carber to do??

4/04/2008 10:36 AM  
Blogger jackie eberstein said...

Hi,

After 30 years of clinical experience with the Atkins Lifestyle I learned one of the most common causes of getting stuck was overeating nuts or cheese. It was the first question I asked my patients. Remember that as you carry less mass it takes less to maintain that mass. Calories can count as you get closer to maintainance. You don't have to cut as low as people following a low calorie plan-there is some metabolic advantage but it is not limitless. It's also necessary to learn to eat to satiety. Many people who really love to eat are in the habit of eating more than they need simply because they like to eat. That was not the purpose of the plan. The purpose is to allow you to eat to satiety and lose weight comfortably. Remember to be successful for a lifetime some habits need to change not just food choices.

4/04/2008 10:50 AM  
Blogger Casey said...

Jimmy: one of your best and most helpful articles EVER!Thanks so much. I hope the weather in Phoenix is as perfect for you as it was for me last week --mi-70s with a light breeze.
While there I had a great low-carb meal one night at Lola Tapas, which I blogged about.
Safe travels.

4/04/2008 10:54 AM  
Blogger Taraneh said...

Really interesting post.

The info about stretching the stomach is good to know.

So many things can trigger insulin.
Carbs are a big trigger, but stress and chemicals can also cause fat storage.

Some people have success with supplements that encourage serotonin because low serotonin raises insulin, too.

Personally, I'm a big fan of prioritizing adequate rest and sleep to keep stress and cravings at bay.

Moderate exercise lowers insulin, but I think exess exercise also encourages fat storage.

4/04/2008 11:17 AM  
Blogger Jimmy Moore said...

THANKS for jumping into the conversation, Jackie! The point about only eating to satiety is a GREAT reminder that this isn't an all-you-can-eat smorgasborg diet. Instead, it's a keeps-you-satisfied-so-you-won't-overeat one. :) Looking forward to seeing you in Phoenix next week!

Casey, I may have to try that Lola Tapas for myself. ;) THANKS for the tip. I would have LOVED to have met you there. :(

Tara, I SO agree with you about too much exercise--it's NOT a good thing. People need to realize that the benefits of exercise don't happen at the gym--they happen when you are resting.

4/04/2008 12:02 PM  
Blogger Me said...

Great post! I've had almost the same experience at the same time as your correspondent so this comes at a great time for me.

I agree that the info about stretching the stomach possibly increasing insulin is very interesting. Makes me wonder about my protein shakes. I generally use lots of ice so a shake might be 8-10 ounces. Can't hurt to try a lower-volume method of consuming the same ingredients.

4/04/2008 12:18 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I respectfully disagree with Dr. Feinman's take on your reader's issue. Most of the other readers hit the nail on the head. He's eating meals of nuts and cranberries. These meals are carbohydrate meals. Just because some carbohydrates are low-glycemic, that doesn't take into account their glycemic load. Thus making a meal out of them does not a low-carb meal make. Only fat and protein can be eaten to satiety. Low-glycemic carbohydrates cannot be eaten in this manner without them showing up because they cause production of glucose phosphate, just as Taubes research has shown. Attributing his gain to any other means is pure error. If you are gaining weight, you have to cut your carbohydrates, plain and simple. It's not just the bad carbs that can cause weight gain, it's any food where the body cannot metabolize the energy contained in them. Calling Taubes position an "exageration" is a bit much especially considering the fact that the carbohydrate hypothesis does indeed explain the reader's issue. He needs to find a better portable food besides nuts and cranberries.

4/04/2008 12:26 PM  
Blogger blog nerd said...

Just to clarify--the nervous system "stretchers" in the gut do not POSSIBLY trigger insulin. They DO.

If you do a scholar google search on the recent clinical studies of type II diabetes and gastric bypass/banding, you'll see good explanations.

If you feel that insulin resistance is the reason for your obesity (and it is not the cause of all obesity) then buying a glucometer is a good idea to test if volume, calories, particular food stuffs (like cheese) is negatively affecting your blood sugars.

Then you are operating on real data and not on common dieting advice which is often helpful but not always based in scientific fact.

4/04/2008 2:04 PM  
Blogger QFMVCunctator said...

Great discussion. Always interested to hear blog nerd's thoughts on this stuff! (You should write more about it on your own blog! :) The only thing I have to add is--that pic is totally disgusting!

4/04/2008 3:41 PM  
Blogger HunBun said...

The thing that jumped out at me was the cranberries...is he eating fresh ones or something like Craisins? Those bad boys are sweetened and that isn't a good thing for LC in my world.

4/04/2008 9:43 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I have consumed my fair share of cheese and nuts. Perhaps it's time for me to cut back on these things. :)

LOL This sounds familiar!

4/04/2008 10:07 PM  
Blogger AmandaZ said...

It's not the calories in nuts and cheese that are the problem. It's the CARBS! Some nuts are loaded with carbs. (cashews have a lot.) Cheeses have carbs in varying amounts. As long as you are counting those carbs, you should be able to have them.
I use ketostix if I hit a stall in weight loss. It helps me figure out what foods are knocking me out of ketosis. Then I can cut down on those foods, or just cut them out. :)

Take care!

4/05/2008 1:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

your article makes a lot of sense to me. I think it is right . I had mutiple failed attempts to lose weight by sticking to a low carb diet.
Thanks so much. I appreciate you efforts to unravel this issue.

4/05/2008 3:42 AM  
Blogger Azure said...

I completely relate to this post, and THANK YOU for posting it! I'm on Atkins and recently decided to add some natural peanut butter back into my diet after 2 weeks on Induction. I have a HUGE portion control issue with PB (I like it all by itself, right out of the jar). I even tried eating it with measuring spoons, and it doesn't stop me! The only ingredients are peanuts and salt, but I can't put it down.

After polishing off an entire jar in 3 days...I've decided that peanut butter and nuts are going to go away for awhile, and I'll go back on Induction again. I was in ketosis pretty solidly, until this peanut butter -freakout-! I also didn't have any loss this week, and I suspect PB is the culprit.

Low Carb eating is great for satiety while you're losing weight, but calories still count...and I've been consuming WAY too many of them! :)

4/06/2008 3:28 PM  
Blogger Moby Dick said...

I think that this explains my problems with low carb in the past. I am not a big fan of meat, and I have been eating mostly cheese which in Atkins is not allowed for the intro period. Thanks for the information!

4/07/2008 2:04 AM  
Blogger Jeff said...

Different Point Of View

I ate 3 3/4 pounds of cheese one day last month - on a 100 gram carb diet - I weighed 192 then -

I had several days that month where my calories exceeded 3500 -

Today - a month latter I weigh 189 -

I ate 1 1/2 pounds cheese yesterday and 2 pounds cheese the day before -

While being in ketosis - under 50 grams carbs -

The attempt to explain away problems by demonetizing cheese - nuts - or any other food is unwarranted in this persons opinion -


I've been in ketosis seven days now - my net-carbs are under 30 grams except being a little higher on my cheese days -

What I find remarkable is the general sensation of feeling my fat cells shrinking - particularly abdominal fat -

Ketosis combined with 4 tablespoons flax seed -
Two tablespoons peanut butter - ( ordinary peanut butter )
1/4 cup coconut flakes
A 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
Two tablespoons sunflower seeds
100% percent sugar free bakers chocolate - 50 calories or so
Cheese -
Butter -

and lettuce -

Whey Protein and Tuna Fish -

The point is all this fat while being in ketosis seems to help burn fat if anything - including the peanut butter -

The difference between natural peanut butter and ordinary peanut butter is about 2 grams sugar per two tablespoons -

or 8 calories or so -

Studies done to measure the amount of hydrogenated fats in ordinary peanut butter done in 2001 found them to be un-measurable - their amount was undetectable -

So - I'm not going to spend almost double for the natural peanut butter - Krogers brand at Smiths is just fine for me -

And that 8 calories of extra sugar per two tablespoons is a non issue metabolically -

Although for the last six months I've been eating low carb - 100 grams -

this has not worked as I still need to lose 10 pounds -

So - I've put my self in solid ketosis - minus 30 grams carbs -

And added 4 tablespoons flax seeds to my usual diet -

I expect nothing less than stellar results in the long run with this methodology -

I'll lose fat weight - particularly the stubborn fat - the days I manage calories -

And enjoy myself the cheese days -

Atkin's or Eades don't impress me in the least with their anti cheese theories - I feel it's a question of calories and net-carbs -
Period -

I haven't eaten sugar/fructose in over a year - my body is very resistant too depositing any calories I eat as fat -

I might gain slightly eating huge amounts of cheese some days -
so what -

I'll simply lose it the next few days -

I don't eat huge amounts of cheese every day anyway - so it's a non-problem -

Life is wonderful - my diet is working great -

4/07/2008 3:11 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I also think that for me and many other women cream or other dairy products are particularly plateau-inducing. Why, I don't know. It is very easy to use a lot of cream in your coffee and drink al lot of coffee. That gives many calories. But I also feel that dairy products are uniquley fattening. Mothers milk is supposed to fatten the baby for a limited time. Cow's milk fattens calfs, and humans if we use it. Which part of it that is uniquley fattening, I don't know. But maybe Fineman does?

4/07/2008 4:36 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Im just going through this "problem" at the moment, lost 80lbs last year, had a relaxation period, started back again on low carb, lost initial 20lbs, then gained 3lbs, diet is good, no cheats, running 5 miles, 3-4 times a week. A few things to throw in here, candida, theres about 8 pages on this in Atkins book, slow down, my own theory, when I first started atkins/low carb, my energy levels were up, now, I seem to have slowed down, I can still run and have a high level of fitness, I do martial arts once a week and despite being the oldest there, Im not the unfittest but the rest of the time, I am slow, Im wondering whether its similar to weight training, where an initial period of gain/improvement can be made but if you keep the same routine, weight, reps etc, then after a couple of months, the improvements stop, you could even put weight back on. The point being you have to hit your body differently, periodically to keep seeing benefits. Im just at a bit of a loose end on how to do this with low carb. Cut out cheese? I dont eat nuts.

9/11/2010 7:43 AM  
Blogger Jimmy Moore said...

I've had to cut the cheese in my diet to see if I can stave off any more gains.

9/11/2010 12:32 PM  
Blogger Jimmy Moore said...

I've had to cut the cheese in my diet to see if I can stave off any more gains.

9/11/2010 12:33 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow thank you for this!!! Iwas beside myself 2 weeks into low carb and I gained 6 pounds I was disgusted....now I see the problem I was using cheese and nuts as my goto staple whenever I needed a quick pick me up or to stave off a carb craving. I really love nuts and natural no sugar added nut butters. Guess I better find a better snack food.

4/12/2012 3:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi does even drinking a lot of water at once cause the stretching and insulin release? Someone wrote something about cutting down on ice. I would not think water could cause insulin release as I don't think the water stays in the stomach long or causes enzymes to be released. Still, I want to know for sure before I start drinking mini-glasses.

7/20/2013 7:33 AM  
Blogger skinny boy said...

I started going low-carb a few weeks ago and reading Jimmy's books, etc. I felt great and didn't have those nagging cravings all day as when I was following a low calorie diet with carbs.

Only problem is I got on the scale this morning and found I gained 7 pounds since starting low carb.

After reading this article, I realize that my problem may also be the cheese and nuts.

I was sick of eating eggs in the moring, so I started making a homemade cheesecake with full fat sour cream and cream cheese, eggs, vanilla extract, and Stevia for sweetener. I began enjoying this every morning for breakfast with berries and whipped cream, along with my coffee with half and half.

Obviously, I'll have to revisit my assumption that eating cheese and not counting calories is not wise for me. I was taking in over 1000+ calories a day just with breakfast and a 210 calorie snack of nuts in the afternoon. Combine that with other snack foods such as fried pork rinds and sugar free chocolate. What was I thinking?

I am 65 year old food addict with hypothyroidism, so unless I watch portions and calories and stay away from trigger foods that cause me to overeat or binge, I will NEVER lose weight.

However, this does not discredit the value of a low-carb diet done right. I just have to avoid the cheese and nuts and stick with meat, fish, eggs and veggies. Going back to a high-carb diet with sugar, wheat, and flour would be a total recipe for disaster as I have also tested pre-diabetic the past few years.

Sometimes I am so disgusted I feel like I need to be institutionalized for a year with someone else taking the responsibility for feeding me correctly. I have been dealing with weight issues all my life.

2/29/2016 12:55 PM  

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