Had a Cheat Meal with Carb Blockers Today: Here's what happened

food
(Sophie Wu) #1

I did this today because 2 months ago I thought that this would be the best way for me to sustain a long term keto lifestyle, a Cheat day every month with Carb Blockers. But it didn’t really go the way I expected it to go.

Pros:
No dizziness or low blood sugar when consuming large quantities of carbs
Eating carbs with no guilt
Good bowel movement, makes you feel like you’re expelling all that waste out

Cons:
I actually didn’t feel happy. At all.

I felt the con ruled out all the pros. I thought I was anticipating this happily, but when it came down to eating noodles and rice and fried dough tonight, I not once felt the elation of consuming foods I once loved before going keto. It felt like a normal day, like almost an anticlimax. Sure all the pooping does make me feel good, but my bms were fine anyway. I’m not sure if it’s because my body and mind are so used to keto foods now that carbs don’t really have an effect on me anymore. Anyone like to pitch in on that thought?

And so my thoughts on carb blockers and cheat days are now completely changed. Guess I don’t need them anymore, unless it’s a family occasion that I can’t refuse certain traditional foods.

(Bob M) #2

What’s a “carb blocker”?

#3

Typically alpha-amylase inhibitors which (allegedly) block the enzymes needed to digest certain carbs. Usually extracted from beans. Carb blockers contain substances that inhibit some of the enzymes that break down just complex carbs— they don’t impact simple carbs typically including bread, rice, potatoes…

However, complex carbs can pass into the large intestine without being broken down or absorbed.

At least that’s the theory. In reality, they block the enzymes much better than they block carb absorption.

(Bob M) #4

Interesting.

I think before I used those, I’d chug some apple cider vinegar before eating carbs or start with meat and end with carbs. Both of those supposedly lower the blood sugar and insulin response of carbs.

#5

Better man than me if you can chug apple cider vinegar

#6

carb blockers. part a fool from their money instantly. who are we kidding here? diet pills, blockers, ramp up your metabolism and use grapefruit extract to lose lbs in a pill and more…send the bucks their way people! Sorry but in truth this is just snake oil everyone falls for, I know I did cause I wanted that darn magic pill, but guess what, it DOES NOT exist cause if it did, entire population would be beyond healthy and perfect and ‘fixed, cured’ thru this pill ya spend your hard earned money on :slight_smile: :slight_smile: I know I got scammed cause I wouldn’t put in the real work on my life but we all walk this path, to each their own on their own journey! personal opinion from me on it all!

(J) #7

I rewarded myself a beer yesterday (first in 6 months) after breaching my “goal” weight, and it was delicious. Don’t plan on having another with any regularity, but -quite literally- as an occasional treat, and likely around/before some other vigorous movement/exercise. I have no idea if carb blockers are gimmicks, but I’m highly suspicious of unnatural things that promise indulgence without consequence.

(Sophie Wu) #8

Wow, the hate for carb blockers are real here. I’m sorry that it didn’t work for you, but it does work for me, based on my experiences and reality. Anyhow, can we move past the hate for carb blockers because it does trigger me and let’s have some input for the decrease of want in carbs. Thanks!

#9

watch rewards, they backfire. a reward means you accomplished something that you set your goals on and you ‘finished this goal’ and you got a reward…but is your health then warranted to be infiltrated back by alcohol which is a true poison to the body? You are not finished on this lifestyle ever and your reward is not ‘really a reward’ but an inkling to go backward kinda…but not always, we have to find us in it all but ‘new people’ who just hit goals and more…yea we know issues come with this all the time.

start learning ways forward that don’t ‘reward you’ for your natural health in the way of drink or food that is ‘a treat, which is crap to you’ yet ya think you can get away with it…well for right now.

how many lost 100 lbs to put it right back on? billions.
how many lost 75 lbs to lose and gain it over and over again thru the years…diet and lose, diet and lost, regain and f’d again?
remember your reward is always a backward issue that keeps one in the past most times.

don’t reward your staying on a healthy life eating path.
I did it too thinking this was an end goal and it never will be, didn’t work for me ever but key being, this is me, might not be you but in the end, 95% of those who hit goals and ‘reward’ back are the entire weight gainers that have to do it again, and again and all the time sacrificing their health issues as they do just that. Years wasted.

NOW THIS IS JUST a chat from me to the universe.

One thing I know is people who lost and maintained for years do ONE thing, they don’t reward anything, they eat the same as it took to lose the lbs and gain way better health and THAT is the way forward. They might allow a few things back 3-4 times a year but watch that ‘nasty slippery slope’ the 95% of failures handle daily…just sayin’ again cause I been there, done that LOL

Again,. just a very personal opinionated comment from me LOL
just how I see/lived it/know it for me.

but I am one in a 95% group of failures til ‘I got what it takes’ from me realizing the ones who made it never rewarded their changes ya know with food or drink…not what I ever read when I read on the success people who made it 10-15 yrs and maintain and increased health benefits and more have handled their journey.

Again, just chat :sunny:

(J) #10

My expression of suspicion is not “hate,” but suspicion. Y’all do y’all, peace and cheers! :slight_smile:

(Bob M) #11

Helps if it’s say a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with water. How much water is up to you.

Here’s one study I quickly found, though I know there are others:

Edit: this study theorizes that you could also just have salad with vinegar (and oil) with a somewhat similar effect.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #12

“Hate for carb blockers”? Really? To me, it sounded like realism.

The idea of being able to take a pill and then eat what one wants is a dangerous one. We already see patients ignoring doctors’ advice and refusing to moderate their disease-causing behaviour, because “they give me a pill for that.” To many of us on these forums, it makes more sense to avoid causing the disease in the first place, and thus eliminate the need for medication altogether.

Since you are here on these forums, it would seem that you, too, subscribe to the notion that limiting carbs is better for health than trying to find some way to gorge on them with impunity.

Bear in mind that the United States embarked on this giant dietary experiment (i.e., a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet) on the basis of no knowledge whatsoever of what the consequences might be. And it may not be causation, but I find it significant that the incidence of chronic diseases began to rise even more steeply after the dietary guidelines were introduced.

(Joey) #13

I’ll offer a thought … You live, you learn. If it doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t work for you. :vulcan_salute:

Oy. If reading posts on a forum “trigger” you, it’s time to cancel your subscription to the internet. :see_no_evil::hear_no_evil::speak_no_evil:

(J) #14

In America, you block carbs . . . in Soviet Russia, carbs block YOU!

Oh wait, no, they block everywhere.

(Edith) #15

On the lack of desire for carbs: I have found that to be mostly the case for me. But, every once in a while I will have a day where nothing else will do, and I will give in. Then, the next day, I am back on track. There are certain foods, though, that I don’t really want unless I have a bite. And then my body wants more of it.

I’m really just curious: does the carb blocker cause the carb to exit almost how it went in? It makes me think of olestra, the fat substitute used years ago.

#16

yup!! smarts in the nutrition world shine thru here!

#17

key being you think, think they saved you and have value, now eat more carbs, just let that life go more into carby crap land and see how they save you…they won’t.

we ain’t just whistling dixie tune here…we know, we been there done that and for MOST and might not be you…be forwarned thru experience from a site you chose to tell you like it is!!! You are getting real experiences from people, might not ‘be just you’ of course but in the end, keep the thoughts in mind the ‘pills to help you’ don’t care one bit about you…just your wallet!

#18

I’m very interested to hear how it worked. What was your base line blood glucose reading before the meal? How often did you test after? Did you have no spike? How long to return to normal?

#19

I am genuinely curious (because I don’t know). Is this how carb blockers work, such that you can take them 1x a month (for example), eat a bunch of carby foods, and it’ll “block” some or all of the effects on the carbs eaten? Or, is the science behind them such that you need to take them consistently for a period of time to get the effects?

#20

Instead of over doing the carbs or carb blockers how about going over 20 grams of carbs here and there and seeing how you feel? This way you get to know your tolerance.