Low Carb Qs

[ohcozy]

I'm sure this topic has been brought up plenty of times, but I have been doing some research on low carb, as it is my 4th day doing it. 

I am not necessarily following the atkins diet. I am just making sure that my carbs are between 50-55g (or less) a day. My question is that today I went a little over 55g. How terrible is that to my body going into ketosis? I haven't found any articles discussing the leniency of the diet. I know you can't really have cheat days, but I want to know if going just a little over "low carb" range is detrimental. 

[Dominique]

No personal experience with a low carb diet, but you may want to check this blog post by Peter Attia (a low-carb "guru") on how to measure whether or not you’re in ketosis (if it’s what you’re after).

Also check this discussion (started 2.5 years ago by me, in which I mentioned the above post) on how low is "low-carb".

[McherMartin]

Hello I am new here and my first post! I do the low carb lifestyle. ( I hate the word diet) I am diabetic and i can say it REALLY helps my blood sugars. I do cheat sometimes and eat more carb than i should.  I have noticed i feel sluggish and off. ( Also my blood sugars spike and go up alot.) I have found if you DO eat carbs if you eat a protein along with it. it helps so you don't spike you blood sugar and make the yucky feeling.

[ARECARBSBAD]

Carbs are meant to be 55% of your energy intake. but make sure you eat WholeMeal Carbohydrates as they are full of Carbs (Obviously), protein and All sorts of different Nutrients. All white Carbohydrates are is Carbs stripped of nutrients. Just eat healthy and stay fit. Add all you eat to the Fitbit app and if your that scared, talk to a nutritionist or a dietitian to get some tips.

Please follow my advise.

[Dominique]

---

@ARECARBSBAD wrote:

Carbs are meant to be 55% of your energy intake

---

You make it sound like it’s carved in stone: what is the source for this claim?

The human body is remarkably adaptable: it only needs relatively small amounts of protein, fat and carbs for its essential needs (brain functions, hormone regulation etc.). Once these needs are met, we can top up the rest pretty much any way we like (within our total caloric requirement, if we want to maintain our weight stable).

As to carbs as a % of your total intake, even if you decided to go for a high-carb approach (which is the exact opposite of what the original poster was asking), it’s bound to vary a lot depending on your activity level. If you are a Tour de France rider, chances are you’ll eat much more than 55% of your intake as carbs. OTOH, if you’re a sedentary office worker, you probably need less than that.