What's your experience with a low-carb diet?

I have a terrible sweet tooth and I've struggled to get the sugar out of my diet. I also consume a lot of beer, rice, corn, and potatoes. I'm seeing a lot of folks talk about following a low carb diet and using intermittent fasting as a way to control their carb cravings, lower body fat, avoid energy slumps, etc. I'm not interested in a diet but making lasting changes, so I'm curious as to what other people are doing and what's working / not working.

What was your specific approach? How long did you follow this regimen? What were your results? Would you recommend it?

  did the Atkins 20 gram a day diet for a few months and lost 57 lbs. It works, but I have gained back about 20 lbs. since I too like beer and baked goods.

Useful to get down to a weight you can climb hard at.

For me it’s either LC, HF or HC, LF to achieve weight loss.  Both work well.  My completely non-expert opinion is that most people have problem with HC weight gain because they also eat lots of fat (Like cookies, pastries, cakes, yummm...).  And that’s my opinion because that’s just how it works for me.  My very lowest body weight has been eating HC, LF.  And it was also the easiest way of eating for me to maintain.

At 5'7", I used to weigh 250lb. Now i weigh 145. I'm a recovered alcoholic and I struggled for years and years with diet and weight control. I've worked very hard at having a healthy relationship with food and drink. My girlfriend of 11 years is a nutritionist.
After all of that up and down and learning, the best advice i can give you is:
-Follow the 80/20 rule and see a nutritionist. See the nutritionist to learn what 80% of your diet should look like and then consume whatever you really want for the 20%.
-Do not try to over control or under control your eating.
-Make a list of foods that are absolute no go's at all times and stick to that at all costs. (Good examples of these: Soda, beer, fast food, ice cream, donuts.) Make a list of a few of your very favorite treats and dole them out when you really need an emotional boost. For me this is dark chocolate bars and chocolate chip cookies.

Cutting out carbohydrates for the vast majority of people will only make things worse (unless your goal is short term weight loss). The goal you should be moving toward is improving your relationship with food and drink and better understanding what your body wants and needs. A nutritionist can help shave years off that process in my opinion and is well worth the money.

Edit, since i didn't answer your actual question: I've tried every macro-nutrient diet possible and though some have great short term benefits, i have always balanced best at 40/30/30 carb/fat/protein with an equal or greater volume of vegetables. Eating large quantities of vegetables is the number one thing that staves off my sugar cravings, keeps me regular and controls my macro intake. Also, consider cutting drinking down to an absolute maximum of a few drinks a week (i know this is nightmare news to a lot of people, but drinking alcohol will never align with your goals of health, fitness, climbing ability and weight control)

-Follow the 80/20 rule 

What does that look like in practice? I'm having trouble trying to imagine what 80% of my diet looks like. I'm also really bad at math... Is that 2/3 meals? Or is that 66%? Damn. 

Edit - Is that 40/30/30 measured by calories?

Richard Vogt wrote:

What does that look like in practice? I'm having trouble trying to imagine what 80% of my diet looks like. I'm also really bad at math... Is that 2/3 meals? Or is that 66%? Damn. 

Edit - Is that 40/30/30 measured by calories?

80% of the time you follow prescribed clean eating for health and performance (which most people have no idea what that truly means, hence the nutritionist)
20% of the time you eat to satisfy your mind and emotions

If you are eating 3 meals a day and a snack in between (which is already better than most people eat to begin with) then your three meals would be composed of only ideal foods for health and training purposes and your snack would be a big cookie. Something along those lines. Or you have two ideal meals, an ideal snack and you dump your favorite not so healthy sauce all over your dinner or you go for fried chicken instead of baked.

This is how i approach my diet about 80% of the year. The other 20% i'm cutting for climbing goals in the spring and fall, but only for short periods.

Yes, 40/30/30 is calories. That's the split that my body likes most of the time. It will be different for different people based on their bioindividuality and their goals. Another reason a nutritionist can be extremely helpful. If you don't ever intend on seeing a nutritionist, it may be a good idea to read about keeping a food journal for a month or so so you can learn about your own eating patterns and results of how you feel after eating different foods in what amounts and at what times.

Not real good to be honest.  I don't eat meat, and in general, don't tolerate protein very well, plant or animal (nor do I like eating it).  I could live on soup, salad, rice & lentils, and milk, indefinitely.  Other than that, I just don't really enjoy eating frankly--I do it mainly because I have to.  Fasting is greatly beneficial also, I started that in high school.

Fasting is greatly beneficial also, I started that in high school.

Is that something you do regularly?

Get an advanced lipid test with apoE.  apoE4 is not well not suited for keto type diets.

I also found associated information by running a 123and me test through Rhonda Patrick's Genetic report service: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/genetics

That said from the foods you listed, you might benefit from at least switching from higher to lower glycemic carb sources
https://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/glycemic-index
https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/nutrition/glycemic-index-chart/

Richard Vogt wrote:

Is that something you do regularly?

I wish I could say it was regular, but it's more like sporadic or occasional, but is still helps.  Right now it's due mainly to limited access to quality food, and I prefer to eat nothing than to eat crap.

I'm now using the "How Not to Die" cookbook. Many tasty dishes, some not so.  Plant based.  Limiting meat to 2 servings of about 6 ounces twice a week.  Limiting alcohol to 2-3 glasses of wine or beer per week.  This has resulted in a slow weight loss and by the time the covid19 restrictions end I hope to be down another 6 pounds.
Total loss will be 7% of starting weight.  

Idaho Bob wrote: I'm now using the "How Not to Die" cookbook. 

At first I thought this was sarcasm but that's actually a thing. How do you feel on this diet? And do you think this will be a long-term change?

I've been keto for the last 3 years.  Being T2D kind of forces me to remain compliant.  Any diet that gets you in a caloric deficit will result in weight loss.  I think keto/low carb has an advantage due to the accompanying appetite suppression that usually comes along with the diet.  You don't really get hangry so it makes it easier to comply.  If I had my way I'd still consume tubers/rice on a more regular basis but my blood sugar doesn't like those things.  

If you're interested in taking a deep dive on keto, google Robb Wolf Keto Masterclass.  If you enter the coupon code "Rebel" you'll get free access to it for the next few weeks.  I haven't done the class because I went keto before he put it out but it's probably one of the best resources out there for that particular diet.

I will say that there are 2 different keto diets.  One that eats a ton of butter and other crappy foods that try to imitate what you're missing out on and one that is mainly comprised of meat/veg/nuts/seeds.  Go with the latter if you're going to try it out.  This does mean that you have to like to cook though.

For my tastes I prefer a HCLF diet. For me it is totally maintainable and since you are typically eating food with a lower calorie density you can eat a lot more volume. I've always hit my lowest weights in the most maintainable style with HCLF. This might also be an easier diet to maintain in the heat.

If you love sugar, why not just switch to eating a ton of fruit?

^ My triglycerides were high and that was a wake-up call. I always thought of myself as healthy, but it was becoming clear that all was not well.

It’s been pretty simple for me.

Limit carb intake to unprocessed carbs that have high nutritional value, including fiber: lentils, beans, oatmeal, GOOD bread if you must, fruits, vegetables, rice etc. 

You don’t have to swear off all sugar and empty carbs (donuts, candy, pastries etc), but being reasonable is the key. Limiting yourself to one or two small doses per week of that shit should satisfy your cravings. And this is coming from someone who grew up in an Italian family eating boatloads of bread, pasta, cakes, cookies, candy, you name it. I used to eat tons of candy in high school and college, and was a big emotional eater.

I went pescatarian in the beginning of January, have limited my carb intake to what I listed above, lazily intermittently fast, with the one-off treat every now and then, and I’ve lost 25 pounds (196 to 171).  I also run about 10 miles a week and don’t drink beer- scotch and wine for me.  Ive also found that focusing on nutrition, and the consumption of quality nutritious foods as opposed to focusing on a negative "can't eat xxxx" mentality helped me.  It makes the change in eating habits feel less like a chore, and more like something I'm doing for myself.

Also- The idea longterm lifestyle change vs short term bandaid solution; gotta make sure your mind is in the right place or you won’t achieve your goals no matter what approach you take.  I've known countless people who have had a short term goal in mind (lose xx pounds in xx time), and always try those short term, unsustainable fad diets (low or no carb without focus on overall nutritional intake, keto, etc).  They never last, and oftentimes barely get started.  

Also, lots of people want to get in shape or lose weight without having to exercise (not suggesting this is you OP).  This has never worked for me, and rarely works for others in my experience.  Some folks can lose weight while doing extreme elimination diets, but it's only ever lasted for a few months, and as soon as they go back to eating "normally" the weight comes right back.  For me personally, exercise is an integral part of sustainable, long term healthy eating.  It gives me more motivation to eat well knowing that I just ran 4 miles, and I don't want to "undo" the work I just did by running.

(Edited for some additional info, and to sound less preachy)

Ethan Henderson wrote: 
If you love sugar, why not just switch to eating a ton of fruit?

I've added strawberries and blueberries to my diet in moderation and they taste like the best thing ever.

Michael Anthony wrote: 

You don’t have to swear off all sugar and empty carbs (donuts, candy, pastries etc), but being reasonable is the key. 

This is the part I have a hard time with. It's like sugar is a drug and I'm addicted.

Richard Vogt wrote: This is the part I have a hard time with. It's like sugar is a drug and I'm addicted.

Preach my friend- I know what you mean.  Sugar activates the same area(s) of our brain that get activated when we do cocaine or other hard drugs.

Small anecdote:  I've severely limited my added/processed sugar intake over the last couple years (no sugar in coffee, only a touch of honey in my tea or oatmeal sometimes, etc).  Over the holidays my gf and I flew home for thanksgiving and we went to a bar in Philly.  They had raw sugar cubes in a cup behind the bar, so I asked the bartender for one, just because I was craving it.

When I popped that little cube of majesty and wonder in my mouth, I could IMMEDIATELY feel my brain reacting to the sugar, no exaggeration or hyperbole.  I literally got a tingle in the back of my neck. But just like any drug, once you get away from it for a period of time, the cravings subside.  I still treat myself to some every now and then, like for example last night I ate one of those Reese's holiday eggs (my forever weakness).  I hit two stores last night, and almost bought a second one at the second store, but decided against it.  

But not eating it makes the times when I do much more awesome.  I've found high quality dark chocolate helps curb the cravings.

Richard Vogt wrote:

I've added strawberries and blueberries to my diet in moderation and they taste like the best thing ever.

I personally would eat a ton of whatever cheap good-tasting fruit you can find.

Richard Vogt wrote:

At first I thought this was sarcasm but that's actually a thing. How do you feel on this diet? And do you think this will be a long-term change?

Regarding the "How Not to Die" cookbook.  Yes, Richard, I think this will be long term.  Was already eating well, never any fast or processed foods. No added sugar.  But some type of fish or meat almost every dinner. And two glasses of wine with dinner.  So the big change for me is big reduction in meat and alcohol, and fruit for desert.  The HNTD cookbook was my partners idea, and I thought I'd try it.  The weight loss started immediately.  In the past I've targeted 4,000 calories/day on multi-day climbing trips and ski touring.  Will be interesting to see if I can get to 4,000 calories on the plant based diet, and to assess strength and endurance after a few days.