The FastDay Forum

High confused Sue from Norfolk
Nothing wrong with carbs quite the opposite but for many members reducing them kickstarted the weightloss after a plateau, also i think reduces fat around the waist area, and helps with the "bloated" feeling, for me personally reducing them a little on all days especially fast days has greatly improved my oedema which is the best its been
in over 25 yrs Sue.

A high fat diet actually helps you to feel fuller for longer and fat contains many more vitamins and minerals than carbs do, especially fat soluble vitamins. Many carb based foods are 'fortified with added vitamins' because they really don't have anywhere near the concentration of vitamins and mineral that other foods have.
Carbs help you to feel full, but its a temporary thing as carbs turn into sugar in the bloodstream and excess sugar is actually dangerous to the body, which is why the body sends out insulin to mop up the excess. So you go from feeling satiated with a high sugar level, then the mop up happens and your blood sugar plummets, leaving you feeling hungry again in a very short amount of time, usually 1 to 2 hours. Remeber the last time you had a rice based Chinese meal, you were hungry 2 hours later, yet if you had counted the calories it would probably have been a full days calorie allowance.

This link may help.. the-5-2-lab-f10/swedish-expert-committee-finds-a-low-carb-diet-is-best-t8751.html

I think it's the insulin response to carbs that's the culprit..????

[carorees]

What's wrong with eating carbs? Filling, but v. little fat. Obviously moderation is needed, but I thought carbs are an essential and useful part of a healthy diet? I thought this is about the 5:2 diet, not a non carb diet?

Confused of Norfolk:)

Much of the benefit of fasting comes from the fact you are not eating carbs while you fast (or not much). To lose weight you must lower insulin levels. Insulin is released in response to carbs and works to prevent blood sugar rising too high by packing the carbs away as fat, so if insulin is high your body is in fat storage mode but you want it to be in fat burning mode. Combining 5:2 with low carb helps to keep insulin down. When insulin levels are low and you start burning fat you create ketones from fat to use as fuel which are good because they help nerve function and what's more cancer cells cannot use ketones as fuel so fat burning can help protect against cancer. Eating fats while keeping carbs down encourages the body to use fat for fuel rather than glucose and so it's best to concentrate on reducing carbs not on reducing fats.

In fact, while the body cannot function without protein and fat in the diet, it doesn't actually need carbs at all.

It's more complicated than that, of course, but in a nutshell, keeping carb intake down is a good thing.

Lots more info in the 5:2 lab!

As a former strict low-carber (and current moderate low-carber), I love the fact that so many people here embrace that WOE in combination with 5:2.

Thanks for answers, I guess it makes sense.

Sue

[Debs]

My hubby has just thrown the cat amongst the pigeons ( heartless ratbag!!).

@caroreesmay be able to she'd some light on this, but he asked why it is that many people in southern India are so skinny when pretty much all they eat is rice with little protein/fat. In fact most of their food comprises rice. I'm thinking that they may have other health issues, but I'm a little confused/intrigued but this.
Any thoughts?

I would think its because hey eat very little rice to start with. As well as eating carbs we do eat too many of them. One of our takeaway meals would be a full day if not longer meal for them.

[Debs]

Actually they eat mounds of the stuff, I've seen them! A banana leaf piled high with rice and tiny amounts of veggie curry sauce. It is the basic staple at every meal.
I agree we eat too much because we proportionally have so much of everything else, but for them, that is the main food source.

Hmmmm! I wonder what it could be then. Maybe there is something in the food combination theories then. It could be that its not just the carbs, its the carbs plus all the fat and/or protein. To get enough nutrients out of a bowl of vegetables and rice you would need to eat loads. Do beans feature much in their diets for the protein?

Is it not the case that the Indian government are very worried because there is a high incidence of fat gathering round the vital organs of even the very slim people. It has a name is the slim fat or something like that, so it may be that the high carbs are doing damage.

I love carbs. Pasta, rice, crackers, potato's, you name it.
But I have lowered my carb intake in the past 7-10 days and I feel SO much better. Those sort of carbs are not needed at all. Try a week without carbs then a week without vege, you'll soon realize what you need more.
Needing them to feel 'full' is a myth. However, I understand that you don't just have them to feel full, they are yummy too.
Try and switch to things like sweet potato, beans and good fats.. they really are more satisfying
Lil

[Debs]

That's exactly the sort of thing I was wondering Nessie, the health problems you can't see.

I guess I'm a carbaholic too, I must admit that since starting this WOE I have decreased the amount of potatoes, rice and pasta I eat to very minimal. I have to say though that I bake each week as both hubby (who is a tall thin streak) and I enjoy a biscuit with our cuppa. I figure that if we are going to eat that stuff, I want to know what's in it so make my own, I'm still happy with my weightloss even though I partake of these goodies.
I also agree the 85% dark chocolate is great! just a square is enough to make you feel so different on fast days.
I've fallen off the fast wagon a bit over the past couple of weeks but happy with the weight at the moment but still a few kgs to go to where I want to be. It's the start of the silly season and hectic at work so trying to keep to my light days when I can.
Hang in there fellow carbies!!!

[carorees]

Re the Indian diet, it's likely that the total carb intake is still relatively low. If rice were the only source of carbs you could have 4.5 cups-full (700g) before you got even close to the level of intake of most westerners (i.e over 200g carbs per day)!

Also, see the recent thread about the worries the Indian government have about the rise in obesity and diabetes in India!