Heyas

I’m in my very early twenties, and ya.. * blush * a male. I’ve been lurking this board, and reading this site a lot lately, and started low carbing about a week ago.

My mom has diabetes and is carrying a bit of weight, and my dad joined in for moral support, both back in November. I have since joined in.

One thing I’ve noticed is that there aren’t too many males on this board, is it uncommon for men to low carb? Is it uncommon for someone younger, such as myself to be low carbing?

One thing that bugs me is the no beer rule. Haha. Ya, I’m a college guy, but the benefits will help my gut, and my wallet in the long run. I do have a few questions, for the long-term low carbers out here.

How long have you all been at this? Surely there must eventually come a time when you feel you can “safely” return to eating a “regular” carbohydrate level?

Also, I’ve been asking all sorts of questions of my parents, every time I want to eat something, I double check to make sure its not a high carb food. I thought I was doing myself a favor by eating an apple for a snack one day, boy was I ever wrong. Is there a ‘ basic ‘ list of “DOS and DON’Ts” available somewhere?

Anyway, I hope to let you know of my progress. My mom has lost almost 50 lbs, and my dad more than 20. Keep up the good work everyone!

Hi, Dominic, and welcome aboard!

I don't think it's unusual for men, including young men, to low-carb. No more than it is for *anyone*, male or female, younger or older, to low-carb - so you're in with an elite group!

In my experience, I think it's just more likely that women (in general) feel more comfortable than men talking about personal issues, especially on a public forum like this. Too bad, because if men don't join in, they can't get the support and information they need. Having said that, there are a few guys on this board, including our illustrious Wa'il (our Revered Web Master and He of the Famous Bread Recipie).

I know 'no beer' can be a problem for some. Fortunately I hate the stuff, so it's made no difference to me. That doesn't mean you can't drink at all, however. A glass or two of dry red or white wine is OK now and again, as is hard liquor such as rum, whiskey, etc. - as long as it's not sweet or mixed with anything with sugar in it (diet pop, mineral water, etc. is OK). So there you go, off to the pub with you! Just don't eat the pretzels (peanuts are OK).

As for 'safely' eating carbs again...I don't know. If you're a young guy, and if you exercise regularly, you can probably get back to eating small servings of carbs, once in a while. Check out the chapter on 'maintenance' in Atkins's book *New Diet Revolution*. Many of us find that adding too many carbs back into our diets, even when we reach goal weight, cause us to start gaining weight. But everyone's different.

Anyway, do keep checking in and keep us posted on your progress!

Rachel

Just for the record, 12 fl. oz regular beer has 13.2 carbs, lite beer has 4.8. The thing with beer is the sugar & malt content. Rachel is right, bone-dry wine, or a shot of distilled liquor is ok on occasion (make sure the mixer is zero-carb). The trouble with alcohol is that it's a "preferred" fuel. Your body will burn it FIRST for energy, thus anything else consumed with it will get stored - as fat. The other big deal is the way your judgement gets thrown out the window after a few drinks...... and you end up bingeing on everything in sight.Get yer hands on a copy of Atkins, and Protein Power - you should be able to borrow a copy from your local library.... it's a good idea anyway; they both explain how lowcarbing works to improve your health, not just lose weight. If you want basic tips and ideas about lowcarbing in general, go here http://www.lowcarb.ca/tips.html

Looking forward to your posts......... keep on lowcarbin'...

Doreen