Hey everyone, when doing the ultra low carb, high protien diet I know you should shock your system (with carbs) every once in a while. How often and how much should you shock it?

I have done it in the past, and noticed the intake of sugars and carbs all of sudden had quite the impact on my mood... very lethargic, very flushed.

Now i must mention, I am not a sugary eater (occasionally once a month or so, i'll crave some chocolate, but thats really the extent) to begin with so when I do lo carb, i pretty much cut all sugar out. This has only a positive effect on my mood, and the way i feel physically. So i understand to a point why the sudden intake of sugar/carbs have that effect, my question is about how often is this good for me, and to what extent should i take it?

Also, I wanted to mention that for you internet sleuth types, before someone else finds it, I do a podcast on the 2GuysTalking network. The podcast is a cooking show, and its not healthy food... I am a chef, and for the past 2 months, I havent been able to eat my own food. In fact the show is called "The UnVegan, never trust a skinny chef", but I hope to be the ultimate hypocrite...

And if you know of this, I do another podcast, but it has NOTHING to do with food.

I hope that didnt come off as spam, I really just want to put it out there before someone else finds out about it. I have had a few stalkers that have sone some vindictive campaigns on me, so I just wanted to try to avoid that.

But I really want reponses to the questions about the diet.

Thanks !!! (I Love this Place)

Woohoo another Podcaster! I run an indie music podcast that I have mentioned in a few other posts.

You mentioned in the Sleep Forum that your job has you up at all hours. What is it that you do with food that requires you carry a pager?

I'm a chef, but not profesionally. I am an IT Anaylst and due to the multitasking enviroment, I get over stimulated (other IT workers, will agree), and its hard to fall asleep, I wake up throughout the night due to the pain of my shoulder...

Its actually a documented study done on IT workers about the sleep not being solid... but I cant find the article, or I would have posted it.

But I have worked in the food business for about 10 years before this, and I did carry a pager and answer my phone at all hours of the night.. strangely I slept alot better then. Hmmmm...

Theres an argument to shock your body just as it gets into ketosis (2 - 3 days) of zero carb, i recommend that.

I've heard on doing ultra-low carb Monday through Saturday, eating normal on Sunday, and starting all over on Monday again. I've never done it, but my work-friend did, and she loved it. Lost weight, AND had a cheat day. One thing she said was that she'd lose like 6lbs in a week and then cheat and gain 1-2, but then by Wednesday of the next week, she was already losing again.
Don't know if that helps!

I've tried the low-carb diets in the past, and while I'm not a big fan of them, they are effective in helping you lose weight. The problem is that with the way this type of diet works, as soon as you go off of it, the weight comes back very quickly. If you want to lose weight and keep it off with a low-carb diet, you really have to be in it for the long haul. I've found that limiting your calorie intake is much more effective in the long term (at least for me it is).

All that aside, when I was doing the low-carb thing, I would usually save Sunday as a "cheat day". I wouldn't go all out and "shock" my system with carbs, but I would eat normally. In the end, I missed my fruits too much - half an apple a day just isn't enough for me!

If you are on a low fat diet... be careful about shocking your gall bladder with any cheat meals... it is very dangerous.

I'm a very successful low-carb dieter and have never before heard anyone argue that you should have a weekly cheat day or shock your system! From Nov 2002-Nov 2003 I did Atkins strictly and lost over 100 lbs. (from 249lbs to 144lbs) I stayed eating maintenance levels of carbs until around Nov 2004 and then lost my mind and started eating carbs again (because I had a very physical job, and then I left the very physical job but kept my crappy, increasingly carby diet.) In October of this year I started Atkins again when I realized I was back up to 199 lbs. I'm now down to 180 and am aiming for the mid-140s again.

"shocking your system" weekly or periodically with high carb or cheat days is absolutely crazy. If you're eating a low carb diet, do yourself a favor and read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution which has never been "debunked." -- it works, and we all know someone who has done it and lost an incredible amount of weight. Eating carbs will just kick you out of ketosis, and the transition back into ketosis is the only unpleasant part of the diet. In ketosis you have no cravings for sugar, but eating sugar makes you crave it again like crazy.

I agree with the posters who were making the point that not every diet is right for every person, but Atkins is definitely right for me. Eating sugar is awful for my health and especially for my moods and mental health.

I was a very successful low carb dieter and "shocking my system" started me on a slippery slope to gaining back most of the 180 pounds I lost.

I would advise against it for this reason.

I believe that our diet must be well bal;anced and not high in anything. High protein diets put a strain on the kidneys. High carbs put a stress on your insulin levels. High fat is a bummer on your heart and liver.

It is best to have a balance diet with suffucient protein from low fat resources, healthy unrefined carbs in moderation, small amouts of good fats like veg oils, fibre from fruit and vegetables and micronutrients and antioxidants also from fruits and vegetables.

I do not believe in shocking the system. The body will react adversely to it by upping stress hormones and insulin and that cannot be healthy.

Learning to identify healthy foods and using your cooking knowledge to turn them into yummy treats will actually open new avenues for you both professionally and personally.

I am 40 years old and have yo-yoed all my life I have done the atkins, eat every 12 hours eat 6 meals always lost weight but always gained it back.
finally 3 years ago I just become sensible, now I am careful with the portions extremely caution with the ingredients basicaly I discovered which and how much food I can take without compromising my hard work, also I weigh myself every morning and adjust my diet according.
I love this site.....

This is my first post on this site so here goes.

I am 39 and am so fat(5'7 280), I am considering renting our my sides for ad space. Kidding aside, I have done Atkins a bunch of times and lost loads of weight, I have always gained it back and then some. Now I am at the heaviest I have ever been and I am sick of it. I am thinking of going bac to Atkins for another go round and after losing the weight I want to(100lbs) Try a sensible balanced diet. One thing I did notice about Dr. A's diet was on the odd occasion that I wasn't able to do low carb, I was ok and still in ketosis. That was for one meal only, if I did 2, the test strips were devoid of ketones and I was back into the dreaded induction phase.

The worst part of this is the fact that I have a very sedentary job(Video Editor)and and since I am not able to leave, lunch is always brought in. Although we have access to every cuisine available, it's hard to maintain atkins when everyone around me is chowing down on all of those lovely carbs that I so badly crave.

Oh well enough moaning, Tommorow I start the diet.
Wish me luch.

Jon

I use the body for life diet...it's balenced and they do advocate a free day.

You can definetly loose weight by eliminating completely either fat, protein, or carbs....but you'll die a lot faster. Carbs are essential for muscle growth and maintenance. You shouldn't be shocking your system with them...you should be maintaining with them.

Jon, welcome to Traineo. Your goals are simlar to mine. I am 5'6 or 5'7" and I want to get down to 180 or so also. Currently I am down to 250 from 307. I would advise that you do not follow the Atkins diet. Body for Life is something you can learn a lot from but the bottom line is that you need to consume less calories than what you bring in and you will lose weight. If you workout, eat right, watch your calories and watch your portions you will lose weight and meet your goals.