Why low carb?

I've noticed a lot of people saying that they eat low carb. Why is that? I'm not trying to start a debate or anything just curious. I could see how it would be a trigger for some people.

I tend to eat low carb just because I get gassy and it takes up a lot of room in my belly :) but, if I have a hankering for some pretzels or some popcorn I eat it. Or a few bites of fried rice when we have Chinese food. And I make sure I eat the protein in my meals first. 

Just curious :)

There are several different reasons.  

First, carbs (especially processed carbs) often cause cravings for more carbs, so when the carbs are sugary items or things like pretzels or chips of some kind, it can lead to out of control snacking or making poor food choices.

Second, a low carb diet lowers insulin production which helps force your body to use its fat stores which means you lose weight faster. Conversely, if you eat too many carbs, your body doesn't need to use the fat stores. (That is a very simplified explanation, and there are some people who claim that low carb diets can cause you to lose more muscle than fat.  I have no idea which is actually true, but many more sources cite the former than the latter.)

Third, as you pointed out, if you are focused on protein, there isn't a lot of room for carbs (and, conversely, if you are eating a lot of carbs you probably aren't eating enough protein).

Lora

I have never counted Carb Grams.  I am a Lacto Ovo Vegetarian so Carbs come with the territory.  I eat Simple (dairy, fruit) and Complex (beans, vegetables, whole grains) Carbohydrates.  Please see my profile page if interested.

I feel better when I eat low carb! I don't go extra low.   I keep to 60 or under!

I ate a protein forward diet in the losing phase because I didn't have much room for anything else. Now, 5 years later, I eat a very balanced diet-approx 100 grams of protein and the same in carbs each day. I'm very healthy-and feel great.

For me it is about the types of carbs. If I could stop at one tbsp of rice I would eat it but it is a trigger food for me. Bread makes me bloated and is also a trigger food. So my carbs come from fruit, veg and beans. And I have had other carbs but I find I then crave carbs foir days after. Personally I think you have to find the balance that works for you. Protein first then what you have room for

I don't eat low-carb.  I eat low-sugar and low-fat with adequate protein and emphasis on whole foods.

Low carbs or Carbs - It's the difference between having a peaceful day, just going about your business, and, after too many carbs, fighting the yelling in my head to find something, ANYTHING, WHITE to eat NOW.  That makes the day a total drain on my willpower, makes me feel like I am failing, makes me eat more than I want, and of the wrong things, distracts me from my activities, steals away my joy in feeling better at a lower weight, and the next day is worse. 

So totally not worth it. 

Edited to add:  When I say "carbs" I mean processed white stuff like flour and sugar and bread.  Not beans, oatmeal and whole grains. 

This is how I feel! Carbs beget more carbs, processed of course. I can do fine with complex carbs but if I eat some kind of crap carb I'm going to just keep eating more crap carbs until it ruins my whole day!

At my first appt with my surgeon when we talked about my eating habits he stated simply, "carbs are killing you." and he's right. It's necessary and healthy to have a proper amount of complex carbs in your diet, but unfortunately many of us eat a very unhealthy amount of simple carbs which is a bad road to go down.

Hmmm. Now I want carbs, lol!

I eat low carb because I dump on simple carbs - not just sugar - bread, rice, pasta - even whole grains like brown rice, oatmeal, etc. I do not limit my complex carbs - dairy, fruits, veggies, etc. don't seem to bother me. I'm so glad about this, too, as carbs have always been my downfall - I'm five years out, and still maintaining successfully.

If you are limiting your carb intake to some pretzels/popcorn once in awhile, or a few bites of rice - you should be just fine in your weight loss. It's when that small amount of simple carbs starts slowly increasing that you may run into issues. Best of luck to you!