Low Cal or Low Carb????
mptrixie1
Posts: 4
Which is a better plan to kick start some weight loss? I have heard positives and negatives on both sides, and want to hear it from anybody who has tried either one or both. Not even sure how to start low carb. Any comments, opinions, and suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Even if you do low carb you will still be required to maintain a caloric deficit. I would START by figuring out a reasonable caloric intake, and from there you can make adjustments to macronutrients to suit your preferences/satiety.0
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^^^ what he said0
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You have to have a calorie deficit to lose weight. For me, it's easier to swap out carbs for something else so I get to eat a bit more. You can eat a tiny bit of bread or a big bowl of veggies- I chose veggies! (Usually)0
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You could take out 125 grams of carbs to establish a 500 calorie deficit. Pasta, bread, cake, sugar, candy, sweets, dessert, pizza, pie crust, cookies, biscuit etc can be reduced or eliminated to achieve this.0
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technically low carb is low calorie..if you cut out calorie dense foods and eat less of them then you are doing low calorie…
personally, I would just eat low calorie and stay within your carb macro …carbs are not the devil….0 -
technically low carb is low calorie..if you cut out calorie dense foods and eat less of them then you are doing low calorie…
personally, I would just eat low calorie and stay within your carb macro …carbs are not the devil….
whaa? low carb isn't the same as low calorie. you could eat meats and fats all day er'day and quite quickly end up over your calorie goal.
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Low carb is not low calorie. First of all 1 gram of fat represents 9 calories while 1 gram of carbohydrate represents 4 calories. So, replacing carbs with fat is not low calorie and you can easily overshoot your calorie goals while doing low-carb. Remember, you put on extra calories by eating in a surplus of what your body requires to function based on your activity level. If you're going to do low-carb, that's fine, but understand what your calorie requirements are for you to lose weight. Also, don't just shoot for 1200 like some sheep do because 1200 is likely far too low for most women. You want to lose weight on as many calories possible for successful long-term weight management.
Carbs aren't this horrible thing either, people can lose weight with carbohydrates.0 -
Everyone has their own opinions on the matter and only believe the research that backs their position. Both are effective. The most effective is the one you stick to.0
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To drop weight you have to drop cals, going lo carb is one way to do that.0
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Pick one that you can stick to for the long term. I rather eat less of what I enjoy then eliminate or severely restrict any particular food group.0
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Sometimes Mac and cheese just makes everything better in the world.0
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Sometimes?
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Depends. Are you referring to lowcal/lowcarb diet foods or monitoring your overall consumption to ensure that your carbs or calories are lower?
Carbs are your main energy source, so I wouldn't advise going too low carb. Those such diets tend to work in the short term because people on them tend to switch from processed to whole foods and drastically increase their protein intake, decreasing caloric intake by an average of several hundred per day; it's not because of anything inherent to eating fewer carbs. Bear in mind that humans throughout most of human history have eaten mostly carbs - generally above 70% - and obesity is only a recent problem. The leanest countries in the world have extremely high carb consumption. That's not to suggest that you should eat a super-high carb diet, but to exemplify how high carb itself does not hinder weight loss or maintenance.
Other than that, be weary of "kick starting" your results, especially on a low-carb diet. Those many "kick started" lb you lose will be mostly water and glycogen stores and not fat. In other words, it could be the case that you quickly lose, say, 8 lb, but your body doesn't look any different, you haven't lost any cm, and your clothes don't feel any different. That's because you've lost only a negligible amount of fat.
Assuming fat loss, and not mere weight loss, is your goal, you should take it slowly. That will tip the scale more slowly, but it will change your body composition (fat mass/lean body mass) more quickly. It can be the difference between losing no weight but two inches off your waist and losing 5 lb but no inches.0 -
meganjcallaghan wrote: »technically low carb is low calorie..if you cut out calorie dense foods and eat less of them then you are doing low calorie…
personally, I would just eat low calorie and stay within your carb macro …carbs are not the devil….
whaa? low carb isn't the same as low calorie. you could eat meats and fats all day er'day and quite quickly end up over your calorie goal.
ummm that is why I said "technically"….0 -
Thanks for all the input!
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I've lost weight with both, but I gained it all back and then some after a year of low carb. Been maintaining for 2 years now by watching calories instead of carbs.
My personal experience is that low carb dieting is great for weight loss but does not prepare you to handle maintenance. The constant allure of forbidden fruit (literally) pecks away at your resolve. How realistic is it that you will deprive yourself of 80% of everything at the grocery store and 95% of everything at a restaurant for the rest of your life? Nowadays, I count calories and eat whatever I want as long as it fits within my limits. And if I go over, I simply make it up over the next day or two. No "induction phase" stuff to deal with.
Having said all that, I must concede doing low carb taught me to emphasize those foods more in my diet. Low carb eating is more satisfying and less addicting. It's tragically easy to scarf down 500+ calories of chips, cereal or cookies. Try doing that with hard-boiled eggs!0 -
peter56765 wrote: »I've lost weight with both, but I gained it all back and then some after a year of low carb. Been maintaining for 2 years now by watching calories instead of carbs.
My personal experience is that low carb dieting is great for weight loss but does not prepare you to handle maintenance. The constant allure of forbidden fruit (literally) pecks away at your resolve. How realistic is it that you will deprive yourself of 80% of everything at the grocery store and 95% of everything at a restaurant for the rest of your life? Nowadays, I count calories and eat whatever I want as long as it fits within my limits. And if I go over, I simply make it up over the next day or two. No "induction phase" stuff to deal with.
Having said all that, I must concede doing low carb taught me to emphasize those foods more in my diet. Low carb eating is more satisfying and less addicting. It's tragically easy to scarf down 500+ calories of chips, cereal or cookies. Try doing that with hard-boiled eggs!
I am going on year 3 of maintenance after going low carb. I agree with Peter 56765= I still don't eat carbs like I did before. I emphasize protein and vegetables (fats follow along with protein easily). I have added back a banana or apple most days and carbs are in my two servings of greek yogurt I generally eat each day. Totally agree on the hard -boiled egg.. best snack ever as it kills your hunger pangs quick! I do agree with low carb and calorie logging...I am not sure what is meant by "low calorie" maybe I should say "calorie aware and accountable" vs low calorie. I found it is pretty easy to not eat all my calories on low carb, so I had to log calories to make sure I was getting enough calories.
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meganjcallaghan wrote: »technically low carb is low calorie..if you cut out calorie dense foods and eat less of them then you are doing low calorie…
personally, I would just eat low calorie and stay within your carb macro …carbs are not the devil….
whaa? low carb isn't the same as low calorie. you could eat meats and fats all day er'day and quite quickly end up over your calorie goal.
Obviously you've never eaten low carb to see why its not as easy as you think eating above maintanance calories....
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Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »Low carb is not low calorie. First of all 1 gram of fat represents 9 calories while 1 gram of carbohydrate represents 4 calories. So, replacing carbs with fat is not low calorie and you can easily overshoot your calorie goals while doing low-carb. Remember, you put on extra calories by eating in a surplus of what your body requires to function based on your activity level. If you're going to do low-carb, that's fine, but understand what your calorie requirements are for you to lose weight. Also, don't just shoot for 1200 like some sheep do because 1200 is likely far too low for most women. You want to lose weight on as many calories possible for successful long-term weight management.
Carbs aren't this horrible thing either, people can lose weight with carbohydrates.
No, no its not. WHY DO YOU THINK LOW CARB WORKS? Because you feel full, causing you to eat less and then stay under your calorie allowance. That's all it is OP. That is why I prefer low carb over low calorie.
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Been there, done that. I could never stick with low carb, but whatever floats your boat. I prefer following TDEE/IIFYM principles. Feel satisfied, eat my carbs and lose weight too.0
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Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »Low carb is not low calorie. First of all 1 gram of fat represents 9 calories while 1 gram of carbohydrate represents 4 calories. So, replacing carbs with fat is not low calorie and you can easily overshoot your calorie goals while doing low-carb. Remember, you put on extra calories by eating in a surplus of what your body requires to function based on your activity level. If you're going to do low-carb, that's fine, but understand what your calorie requirements are for you to lose weight. Also, don't just shoot for 1200 like some sheep do because 1200 is likely far too low for most women. You want to lose weight on as many calories possible for successful long-term weight management.
Carbs aren't this horrible thing either, people can lose weight with carbohydrates.
No, no its not. WHY DO YOU THINK LOW CARB WORKS? Because you feel full, causing you to eat less and then stay under your calorie allowance. That's all it is OP. That is why I prefer low carb over low calorie.
I can easily over eat on fat bombs, I love fried chicken skin, and heavy cream in all my soups was heavenly! The cals build fast!0 -
I find that minimizing refined carbs (most grains, breads, pasta, crackers…) means fewer cravings and more calorie room for protein. I have read that the refined carbs spike blood sugar making you feel more hungry etc. It is easier to maintain a calorie deficit without trying to find room for the white stuff. Plus it retrains your brain and palate to be happier with less sweet stuff. South beach phase one meals are great for diving into weight loss because they incorporate a lot of food choices and good carbs like beans and veg. There's no fruit during this phase but all food is eventually phased back in so you can eat what you choose in moderation. I have tried everything and this is what worked for me. I maintained a 40# weight loss for 8 years and got off track and now I'm back at it. Good luck!0
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ThePhoenixIsRising wrote: »Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »Low carb is not low calorie. First of all 1 gram of fat represents 9 calories while 1 gram of carbohydrate represents 4 calories. So, replacing carbs with fat is not low calorie and you can easily overshoot your calorie goals while doing low-carb. Remember, you put on extra calories by eating in a surplus of what your body requires to function based on your activity level. If you're going to do low-carb, that's fine, but understand what your calorie requirements are for you to lose weight. Also, don't just shoot for 1200 like some sheep do because 1200 is likely far too low for most women. You want to lose weight on as many calories possible for successful long-term weight management.
Carbs aren't this horrible thing either, people can lose weight with carbohydrates.
No, no its not. WHY DO YOU THINK LOW CARB WORKS? Because you feel full, causing you to eat less and then stay under your calorie allowance. That's all it is OP. That is why I prefer low carb over low calorie.
I can easily over eat on fat bombs, I love fried chicken skin, and heavy cream in all my soups was heavenly! The cals build fast!
But that's no different than only eating so many candy bars from the bag or only so many chips or fries or peanut butter or whatever you eat on a low cal diet. Going over in calories isn't harder on a low cal diet than on a low carb diet. Being in ketosis for most people makes them less hungry.
I don't understand how the PP thinks that low carb ISN'T low calorie...its just how people get to low calorie. I don't know how the fact that fat has a different amount of calorie per gram than protein and protein really makes a difference. You don't sub 100g of carbs for 100g of fat.0
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