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I just recently was told by my doctor that I was carb sensitive. That the carbs I eat the good ones and the bad ones are being stored to fat, because of my pancreas over producing insulin to break them down and creating a surplus. My doc said I am not diabetic, but that if I didnt do something now, it could lead too that. He recommended that I go on a high protein, very low carb diet. Is there anybody else out there that has been told this? I went to a dietician and was told that a low carb diet was bad and she told me basically she couldnt help me, because it went against dietary guidelines. So where do you go? What diets are out there? If you follow a diet like this what should your dietary percentages be? or what should you not go below? I would be interested in any information provided. Thanks

There are a number of low-carb diets out there. The two most popular or well-known ones are South Beach and Atkins. There are a lot of similarities in the diets, but they do vary. Most of them start with a phase of very strictly limiting carbs, usually only consuming 20 -30 grams per day. This period lasts for 1 -2 weeks. One of the reasons low-carb diets get such a bad rap is because of a misunderstanding about these diets. Most people think that this beginning phase of strict limitation is all there is to it, but there's much more. Most have you add back carbs in increments and when you add them back, you're adding low glycemic index carbs such as berries, whole grain, high fiber cereals and breads and vegetables. I have basically cut out sugar, white bread, breaded meats and white rice. The first two weeks when I was cutting down to 20 grams a day of carbs was hard for the first 3 days, but after that I had more energy and felt better than I had in years.

I personally chose low-carb because I felt it was a way of eating that I could stick with for the rest of my life. I knew I had to find an approach to eating that I could live with, because I don't want to gain any of this weight again. I told my doctor what I was planning and she basically told me that she wanted to recheck my cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure after 3 months to make sure that I wasn't hurting myself. Well, at the end of three months my cholerterol had gone down 50 points, my blood pressure was normal and my triglycerides were normal. On top of that, I had lost over 30 pounds. She told me to keep doing what I was doing and I did. I have now lost a total of 130 lbs and I've never felt better.

My advice is to read up on some of the plans and pick one that you want to follow. Since your doctor has already advised you to go on this type of diet, you might ask him/her to make a recommendation. You also might want to do some baseline tests and then retest after a period of time to monitor any potential negative effects. In any event there's tons of information out there for such diets, but be sure to follow the guidelines of your chosen diet. There really is a healthy way to follow the low-carb approach.

All good advice!! A few years ago, I cut out all white food: flour, rice, potatoes, bread, and sugar. I kept the protein, vegetables, good fat, and some fruit, and I lost about 80 pounds. If you need to go very low carbohydrate for a few weeks, ok. Even Atkins recommends this for a short while, as everyone seems to forget! On the Prevention magazine website, the Biggest Loser diet is explained, and when you analyze it, it's mighty close to what we've been discussing here. There are a bit more carbs, but in the form of whole grains. Of course, you could always eliminate them for awhile. And most of us are not exercising anywhere near the intensity of the contestants on BL.