# 0 Carb diet



## Josh99 (Oct 11, 2011)

I was wondering if it is possible to gain weight on a 0 carb diet. I know you'll have some carbs from like cheese and veggies but still low.


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## testosteronebaby (Oct 13, 2011)

sure it is 
there are many programs that emphaize on gluconeogenesis, and if the calories are high enough, weight will go up for sure


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## PushAndPull (Oct 13, 2011)

It's possible but unlikey. 
Planning a diet to gain weight without carbs can be very difficult, because many people find that a diet rich in fat and protein actually satisfies hunger more effectively.


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## Curt James (Oct 13, 2011)

Thought the point of zero carb was to _lose _weight.


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## PushAndPull (Oct 13, 2011)

Curt James said:


> Thought the point of zero carb was to _lose _weight.



Agreed, you would have to be a sick puppy to do a low carb bulk.


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## testosteronebaby (Oct 14, 2011)

takes discipline for sure 
a good example is the big fat bastard on insulin protocol by dr lea


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## Night_Wolf (Oct 14, 2011)

Why would you bulk on 0 carbs? Your brain needs about 100g to work properly.


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## hill450 (Oct 14, 2011)

I don't get 100 a day at all and I function pretty well.....maybe thats why I've been having trouble with word allocation? lol


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## GMO (Oct 14, 2011)

Zero carbs is an extremely unhealthy way to accomplish anything.  At a minimum you need certain carbs (ie. fruits and vegetables) to get your necessary daily allotment of vitamins and minerals.


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## Jonnyshelley (Oct 16, 2011)

I highly recommend balancing your diet with some exercise.  It may seem like a good idea to maximize your protein intake by cutting out the other vital areas, but in reality that hurts your body a lot more than it helps it.  Willpower, a balanced diet, and a good exercise routine are the key to success.
Anybody struggling with their weight or looking to bulk up should give this blog a look.  He has an 
inspirational story of how he changed his life for the better, and ended up 
meeting the love of his life. I always read his first post whenever I am a 

bit frustrated with my dieting, Josh is a lucky man.
Extreme Weight Loss | Why Lose Weight?


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## .V. (Oct 16, 2011)

If your fat and protein are right, and you eat A LOT of green veggies, you certainly can.  

This is actually close the only successful bulking method i've ever used.  Anything else I've ever done I gained more fat than was acceptable.  Even now, the same calories I was eating recently, but with different macros and very low carbs (F-60%, P-35%, C-5%) I'm leaning out and gaining muscle...where with the same calories but with higher carbs and less fat...I just gained fat.  I do however, carb load the day before my heaviest workout of the week but I stick with "safe starches" like tubers.

Warning, if you try to do low fat and low carb together, you may end up losing muscle.


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## .V. (Oct 16, 2011)

Night_Wolf said:


> Why would you bulk on 0 carbs? Your brain needs about 100g to work properly.



True, unless your body is in a fat burning metabolism.  Then the ketones, the byproduct of burning fat, are perfect to fuel the brain.

At some point in the first week or two of changing the body from a glucose metabolism to a fat burning one, the brain is not happy for a day or two though, hence the dreaded "brain fog" that sabotages most low carb dieters.


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## Built (Oct 17, 2011)

.V. - I like the way you think.


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## coach5 (Oct 17, 2011)

Night_Wolf said:


> Why would you bulk on 0 carbs? Your brain needs about 100g to work properly.



Actually you need about 50g/day...depending on your weight and activity level. That's why staying in ketosis for extended periods of time can be unhealthy.


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## Built (Oct 17, 2011)

coach5 said:


> Actually you need about 50g/day...depending on your weight and activity level. That's why staying in ketosis for extended periods of time can be unhealthy.


Perhaps you could explain why you think this is so. 

I stayed in ketosis for eight months straight. My cognitive function is noticeably improved whenever I'm in ketosis - and I'm not the only one.


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## coach5 (Oct 17, 2011)

Built said:


> Perhaps you could explain why you think this is so.
> 
> I stayed in ketosis for eight months straight. My cognitive function is noticeably improved whenever I'm in ketosis - and I'm not the only one.




This is just what we were taught during basic nutrition in nursing school and also in my nutrition course. It has something to do with it being hard on the nephrons of the kidneys and the build up up the ketones affecting the pH of the entire body...Hence the foul smelling pee and sweat. Brain matter/cells also begin to die with a shortage of glucose which is produce with the consumption of carbs. Now the body can break other substances down into glucose, but not very efficiently. I'm not an expert on the subject...just trying to remember and state everything we learned in school.


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## ~RaZr~ (Oct 17, 2011)

coach5 said:


> This is just what we were taught during basic nutrition in nursing school and also in my nutrition course.



Yes this is what I was taught also. However, you also have to consider the fact that we take care of sick patients and the ones here such as "the all-mighty and knowledgable" Built know what they are doing and are working towards a specific goal in regards to their body.

I ain't arguing....jussayin...


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## NeilPearson (Oct 17, 2011)

.V. said:


> True, unless your body is in a fat burning metabolism.  Then the ketones, the byproduct of burning fat, are perfect to fuel the brain.
> 
> At some point in the first week or two of changing the body from a glucose metabolism to a fat burning one, the brain is not happy for a day or two though, hence the dreaded "brain fog" that sabotages most low carb dieters.



I've done zero carb a few times and never experienced brain fog


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## Built (Oct 18, 2011)

I am far from all knowing.

The brain operates just fine on ketone bodies. In some cases, cognitive function improves in ketosis - Alzheimer's for instance. In Alzheimer's, glucose metabolism is impaired - the pipes may be narrowed, and mitochondrial activity may be diminished. Mitochondrial density is increased in ketosis; also, when you send a richer fuel down a narrowed pipe, you don't need as much volume. 

Ketone bodies as a therapeutic for Alzheim... [Neurotherapeutics. 2008] - PubMed - NCBI
Neurotherapeutics. 2008 Jul;5(3):470-80.
*Ketone bodies as a therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease.*
Henderson ST.
Source

Accera, Inc., Broomfield, Colorado 80021, USA. shenderson@accerapharma.com
Abstract

An early feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is region-specific declines in brain glucose metabolism. Unlike other tissues in the body, the brain does not efficiently metabolize fats; hence the adult human brain relies almost exclusively on glucose as an energy substrate. Therefore, inhibition of glucose metabolism can have profound effects on brain function. The hypometabolism seen in AD has recently attracted attention as a possible target for intervention in the disease process. One promising approach is to supplement the normal glucose supply of the brain with ketone bodies (KB), which include acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone. KB are normally produced from fat stores when glucose supplies are limited, such as during prolonged fasting. KB have been induced both by direct infusion and by the administration of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, low-protein, ketogenic diets. Both approaches have demonstrated efficacy in animal models of neurodegenerative disorders and in human clinical trials, including AD trials. Much of the benefit of KB can be attributed to their ability to increase mitochondrial efficiency and supplement the brain's normal reliance on glucose. Research into the therapeutic potential of KB and ketosis represents a promising new area of AD research.


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## ~RaZr~ (Oct 18, 2011)

Built said:


> I am far from all knowing.



Your not supposed to admit that haha. 

Seriously though the brain does need glucose to function, as I was not denying this physiological fact. I was just stating that. I was trying to help the poster understand the difference between patients we see and you guys here who are pretty much 100% healthy.


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## .V. (Oct 18, 2011)

coach5 said:


> This is just what we were taught during basic nutrition in nursing school and also in my nutrition course.



I learned the same thing in nursing school.  Also in the physiology part of A&P (I teach it now)... also the evils of fat being an AHA instructor for years.  And of course in paramedic school and in my 22 years of practice the horrors of ketones.  But remember ketosis isn't ketoacidosis.  If you are eating plenty of green veggies you will get enough carbs and still make ketones from burning the fat you eat.  You make them from metabolizing any fat, no matter how many carbs you eat.  But in the absence of easy glucose, ketones make good fuel for the brain.

My ongoing 8 year experiment has taught me to disregard most of what I learned in nutrition class, nursing school, what my doc said when I began...(same doc who now sends me clients and says "he's unconventional, but it works." and the same one who had me make her own diet plan.)

Hey, it's certainly not for everyone.  Over time, reading my posts you'll see who I believe it's best for, who has been "selected" to tolerate carbs, and who has not.  I'm in a group that has no tolerance from two sides.  Celtic ancestors and American Indian Ancestors.  Others, it's preferred.  When I finish my article on the "ancestral anabolic" nutrition plan, I'll link to it.


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## .V. (Oct 18, 2011)

NeilPearson said:


> I've done zero carb a few times and never experienced brain fog



I seldom do.  But it's the thing that frightens many away from it.  I love it...but as I said earlier, it's not for everyone.  Or getting started isn't for everyone at least.


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## Merkaba (Oct 18, 2011)

Night_Wolf said:


> Why would you bulk on 0 carbs? Your brain needs about 100g to work properly.



False.
It's just that the brain can't burn fat.  But it can burn ketones just fine.  Thus the word Ketosis.  


And there's nothing wrong with being in ketosis for an extended period of time if you're healthy.  Geez.


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## Built (Oct 18, 2011)

There's often nothing wrong with being in ketosis for extended periods of time if you're NOT healthy. Ketosis can reverse certain cancers (noteworthy among them are certain brain cancers) and is beneficial for epilepsy and Alzheimer's. 

Ketosis. It's not just for healthy people anymore.™


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## Merkaba (Oct 18, 2011)

trademark???


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## Built (Oct 18, 2011)

Why not?


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## sassy69 (Oct 18, 2011)

Built said:


> There's often nothing wrong with being in ketosis for extended periods of time if you're NOT healthy. Ketosis can reverse certain cancers (noteworthy among them are certain brain cancers) and is beneficial for epilepsy and Alzheimer's.
> 
> Ketosis. It's not just for healthy people anymore.???



Awesome tag line!


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## squigader (Oct 19, 2011)

You can, but it's significantly more difficult. Carbs are awesome for building muscle, it's just a fact. You could gain on keto, but it'd be so much slower it wouldn't be worth it. Focus on cutting, then getting back to a regular diet for gaining.


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