Low Calorie vs Low Carb

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Replies

  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    sodakat wrote: »
    Just gotta say, Givemecoffee has lost over 100 pounds while Gale and Acg67 show pretty much no loss on their tickers. Who might have a handle on what works for weight loss?

    I learned a lot from ACG .... Gale on the other hand not so much
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    sodakat wrote: »
    Just gotta say, Givemecoffee has lost over 100 pounds while Gale and Acg67 show pretty much no loss on their tickers. Who might have a handle on what works for weight loss?

    I'm guessing caloric deficits work best for weight loss, but what do I know, I have no loss on my ticker
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    OP, when it comes to weight loss, preferences on macros (carbs, protein, etc) are really about satiety. I think low carb has become so popular because a lot of people feel "fuller" when they get more protein and fat in their diet. If you are finding it difficult to keep your carbs under a certain number, then that number probably isn't right for you. I personally don't pay any attention to carbs, i just try to hit my protein number and make sure my fat isn't too low and I let the carbs fall where they may. I've only lost 8 lbs in like 8 months, but I only have a few more lbs to go and I'm not really trying all that hard :smiley: . Other than keeping a calorie deficit, all the other stuff is going to vary from person to person. Good luck!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    warriorqueenkate wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    warriorqueenkate wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    And to answer your question, eating right-to lose fat that is, is eating less.

    Yes but less what? carbs? calories? just quantity in general?

    Calories. That's what this site is about. You can track your nutrition if you like, but fat loss is about calories in vs. calories out. You must consume less than you burn.

    Yeah, that was the point of my post because everyone has found their own success trying different methods, I just wanted everyones opinions on what worked for them to gain more knowledge about things I could try or not try.

    everyones "method" all boiles down to calories in vs calories out..whether it is keto, low carb, IF, etc..it all boils down to consuming less than you burn...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    sodakat wrote: »
    Just gotta say, Givemecoffee has lost over 100 pounds while Gale and Acg67 show pretty much no loss on their tickers. Who might have a handle on what works for weight loss?

    so calorie tickers trump science..???

    and you do realize that not everyone on here is trying to lose weight, right?

    At the moment I am trying to gain weight…

    you know what happens when you assume….
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,021 Member
    OP, I've done both. Currently, I'm doing keto, <20g carbs and calorie counting. I lose a lot faster doing low-carb diets than higher-carb diets. I've lost 72lb in just over 6 mo. Weight loss CRAWLS on higher carbs for me.

    But how fast you lose isn't what matters. What matters is sustainability. I have no trouble sustaining low-carb and plan on staying low-carb forever, higher than 20g once I hit maintenance but still low-carb. But for you it doesn't seem sustainable. If you can't keep the weight off, then it doesn't matter how fast you lose. Choose what you can incorporate into your lifestyle long term. It's not a race. There is no finish line. You always have to not overeat, whether you are losing weight or maintaining lost weight. So if higher carb, lower calorie is sustainable for you, do that.

    Best wishes. :smile:
  • lilme21baby
    lilme21baby Posts: 125
    Everyone says you won't lose a lot on a high carb diet. I have lost 130 pounds in the past 7 months by eating high carb low fat! My diet is mainly rice brown pasta chicken and potatoes! Works wonders for me and I love the food I eat! X
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    baconslave wrote: »
    OP, I've done both. Currently, I'm doing keto, <20g carbs and calorie counting. I lose a lot faster doing low-carb diets than higher-carb diets. I've lost 72lb in just over 6 mo. Weight loss CRAWLS on higher carbs for me.

    But how fast you lose isn't what matters. What matters is sustainability. I have no trouble sustaining low-carb and plan on staying low-carb forever, higher than 20g once I hit maintenance but still low-carb. But for you it doesn't seem sustainable. If you can't keep the weight off, then it doesn't matter how fast you lose. Choose what you can incorporate into your lifestyle long term. It's not a race. There is no finish line. You always have to not overeat, whether you are losing weight or maintaining lost weight. So if higher carb, lower calorie is sustainable for you, do that.

    Best wishes. :smile:

    Great answer! Plus... Bacon. And... Minions.
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 809 Member
    When you go to the goals section of MFP and let it figure out your calories for you, how many calories does it say you should have per day? And what are the amounts of fat, protein and carbs that it says you should have? That's what I'd go by. It's set to help you achieve your goals in the healthiest way possible.
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
    I was talking about weight loss. Obviously this site is used for different things by different people. And regarding ACG's methods, I was basing my opinion on this statement from page 1:

    "The most important thing is a diet you can adhere too and hopefully one that allows a little flexibility so you can still have a social life. To me neither low carb or low cal really fit that bill."

    So, I wasn't assuming anything.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,021 Member
    lilme21baby wrote: »
    Everyone says you won't lose a lot on a high carb diet. I have lost 130 pounds in the past 7 months by eating high carb low fat! My diet is mainly rice brown pasta chicken and potatoes! Works wonders for me and I love the food I eat! X

    And that is awesome! You're taking care of business. We're all different. We need to find what works for us and work the hell out of it, whichever plan it is.

  • lilme21baby
    lilme21baby Posts: 125
    baconslave wrote: »
    lilme21baby wrote: »
    Everyone says you won't lose a lot on a high carb diet. I have lost 130 pounds in the past 7 months by eating high carb low fat! My diet is mainly rice brown pasta chicken and potatoes! Works wonders for me and I love the food I eat! X

    And that is awesome! You're taking care of business. We're all different. We need to find what works for us and work the hell out of it, whichever plan it is.

    Yeh I totally agree! X
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,021 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    baconslave wrote: »
    OP, I've done both. Currently, I'm doing keto, <20g carbs and calorie counting. I lose a lot faster doing low-carb diets than higher-carb diets. I've lost 72lb in just over 6 mo. Weight loss CRAWLS on higher carbs for me.

    But how fast you lose isn't what matters. What matters is sustainability. I have no trouble sustaining low-carb and plan on staying low-carb forever, higher than 20g once I hit maintenance but still low-carb. But for you it doesn't seem sustainable. If you can't keep the weight off, then it doesn't matter how fast you lose. Choose what you can incorporate into your lifestyle long term. It's not a race. There is no finish line. You always have to not overeat, whether you are losing weight or maintaining lost weight. So if higher carb, lower calorie is sustainable for you, do that.

    Best wishes. :smile:

    Great answer! Plus... Bacon. And... Minions.

    Aren't they cute? I made those for my best friend's kids.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    lilme21baby wrote: »
    Everyone says you won't lose a lot on a high carb diet. I have lost 130 pounds in the past 7 months by eating high carb low fat! My diet is mainly rice brown pasta chicken and potatoes! Works wonders for me and I love the food I eat! X

    This proves all diets work at some level (high in your case) since you lost so well.

    CICO is a factor in any diet that can not be ignored.

    Number one I now do very low carb very high fat to manage my arthritis pain without any Rx being required. If eating high carb low fat did the trick in my case that is what I would be eating.

    I thought I was going to die from cravings when I cold turkey'ed the carbs because I was not able to just taper off of them. Replacing them with Fat helps me loss weight I have found because setting down eating 4000 cals of Fat is harder for ME than setting down and eating 4000 calories of Carbs. :)

    Now I truly have to remember to eat because the cravings and sugar crashes are gone. It is hard but I can gain a little over eating fats but I have to almost force myself to do so.

  • warriorqueenkate
    warriorqueenkate Posts: 15
    baconslave wrote: »
    OP, I've done both. Currently, I'm doing keto, <20g carbs and calorie counting. I lose a lot faster doing low-carb diets than higher-carb diets. I've lost 72lb in just over 6 mo. Weight loss CRAWLS on higher carbs for me.

    But how fast you lose isn't what matters. What matters is sustainability. I have no trouble sustaining low-carb and plan on staying low-carb forever, higher than 20g once I hit maintenance but still low-carb. But for you it doesn't seem sustainable. If you can't keep the weight off, then it doesn't matter how fast you lose. Choose what you can incorporate into your lifestyle long term. It's not a race. There is no finish line. You always have to not overeat, whether you are losing weight or maintaining lost weight. So if higher carb, lower calorie is sustainable for you, do that.

    Best wishes. :smile:

    That sounds interesting, would you mind giving me an example of what you eat on a regular day for meals, snacks, etc? I'm trying to figure out a more balanced way of eating and I definitely want to cut my carbs at least a little right now on top of staying in my calorie goal
  • warriorqueenkate
    warriorqueenkate Posts: 15
    Thanks for your replies everyone, even though there seemed to be some unnecessary tension along the way. I know what has worked for me and what hasn't worked for me and now i'm trying to find a balance of the two. I've been sticking to my calorie goal but now I need to re-evaluate the kind of calories i'm consuming and i'm going to try to cut out some carbs, although I can't give up popcorn, that's been my saving grace when it comes to cravings.
  • chunsagirl01
    chunsagirl01 Posts: 61 Member
    If you like the results Low Carb gives you there is a way to be able to have carbs and live a healthy life. Ultimately, what it boils down to in low carb to continue to lose weight is stay away from starchy and sugary foods. Eat fruits low in sugar like berries and melon. As much as people hate to see "Atkins" look into the program. It teaches you to cut out all the junk and slowly add foods back in while losing weight. Phase 2 OWL (on going weight loss gives you a wide variety of food to eat just no breads, grains or high in sugar foods) then by the time you are in the maintain mode( phase 4) most people can eat all sorts of foods like fruits whole grains and etc. it teaches you to learn about your body and what it can and can not tolerate. it also teaches you what your carb tolerance is. Hope this helps.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    sodakat wrote: »
    I was talking about weight loss. Obviously this site is used for different things by different people. And regarding ACG's methods, I was basing my opinion on this statement from page 1:

    "The most important thing is a diet you can adhere too and hopefully one that allows a little flexibility so you can still have a social life. To me neither low carb or low cal really fit that bill."

    So, I wasn't assuming anything.

    Yes you were. You are assuming that they have not reset their tickers and/or lost a good amount of weight.

    My ticker shows minimal loss. I have however lost a decent amount - I reset it when I was bulking.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    OP: as you have a decent amount of weight to lose, you may do better with lower carbs (not low carbs). As has been mentioned, the 'best' diet is the one you will stick to. Possibly keeping carbs to a moderate level (130 - 180 say) will be the best balance.
  • mahanaibu
    mahanaibu Posts: 505 Member
    There are some interesting studies on the carb/cal thing in this L.A. Times article.

    http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-weight-loss-studies-20141212-story.html#page=1&panel=comments
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,021 Member

    warriorqueenkate wrote: »
    baconslave wrote: »
    OP, I've done both. Currently, I'm doing keto, <20g carbs and calorie counting. I lose a lot faster doing low-carb diets than higher-carb diets. I've lost 72lb in just over 6 mo. Weight loss CRAWLS on higher carbs for me.

    But how fast you lose isn't what matters. What matters is sustainability. I have no trouble sustaining low-carb and plan on staying low-carb forever, higher than 20g once I hit maintenance but still low-carb. But for you it doesn't seem sustainable. If you can't keep the weight off, then it doesn't matter how fast you lose. Choose what you can incorporate into your lifestyle long term. It's not a race. There is no finish line. You always have to not overeat, whether you are losing weight or maintaining lost weight. So if higher carb, lower calorie is sustainable for you, do that.

    Best wishes. :smile:

    That sounds interesting, would you mind giving me an example of what you eat on a regular day for meals, snacks, etc? I'm trying to figure out a more balanced way of eating and I definitely want to cut my carbs at least a little right now on top of staying in my calorie goal

    Sure. :smile:

    Breakfast:
    LC Scramble (2 eggs, half oz shredded cheese, 1 TBSP half n half)
    Coffee with 4 TBSP half n half and Torani sugar-free choc syrup

    Lunch:
    3 large slices smoked ham rolled around and oz of colby jack slickes
    1oz nuts (usually mixed of roasted almonds and pecans)

    Supper:
    1 or 2 servings of non-starchy veggies (brussell sprouts, sauteed cabbage, greens, green beans)
    4.5 oz of meat (chicken, porkchop, steak, or fish)
    3 TBSP of sour cream mixed with spices (as a dip) or ranch dressing

    And loads of water all day. I drink about 10-12 cups.


    But that's a keto menu. Less than 20g net carbs. It's very hardcore low-carb and isn't for everyone, though I certainly like it. . What you might want to be doing is to reduce added sugar foods and stick with non-starchy veggies, lower-carb fruits, and reduce grains. Don't shy away from fats (they aren't a villain) as they work with your protein to keep you satisfied.

    Lots of programs suggest you cut your carb intake to about 40% which varies based on your cal level but is around 200g carbs. That isn't really low-carb, though it is less than many people. It all depends on whether you want to cut out more bread, pasta, and rice. If you don't mind cutting that more, you can nudge your carbs under 200g. Plans aren't usually considered low-carb unless the carb count is under 150g. And if you do net carbs, you can probably exist pretty happily around that number, getting to have lots of veggies, fruits, some beans, and nuts. And if you focus on eating the foods I just mentioned, with some good proteins and fats, you won't need to worry about a plan or carb counting as much.

    It's all up to you. Cutting carbs naturally helps with portion control (and it also helps some people lose cravings for added sugar foods and starchy foods), which leads to keeping your calories naturally lower.

    So here's the cutting carbs low-down:
    • Focus on non-starchy veggies, lower carb fruits, a little beans, some nuts
    • Avoid added sugars and starches/grains (or just cut down to 1 or 2 servings per day if you can't live without them)
    • Eat lower carb dairy if it doesn't bother you
    • Eat about 4 oz of protein for your 2 or 3 main meals
    • Fill the rest with fat (fat's good for you)
    • Keep the calorie count in a deficit

    If you are concerned with macro percentages, then set your carbs to 20-30%. ( 5% is keto level and where I'm at most of the time). You'll want the fat percentage slightly higher than your protein. But you can do it however you like. You may have to experiment some to find your perfect ratios. And that is good. If you end up needing the carbs being higher, you can certainly do that. We're looking for what works best for you.

    If you have more questions, I help mod the Low Carber Daily Forum group. There are many different folks who eat carbs at different levels, and some who've been eating low-carb for a long time.

    Hope you find your sweet spot.
  • gruvkitty
    gruvkitty Posts: 12 Member
    edited January 2015
    Wow, lots of disagreements here. I just read the books "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes and "The Big Fat Surprise" by Nina Teicholz, and there is some medical evidence to support the low carb/high fat diet because "saturated fats" may not be the devil we've thought. Low fat certainly doesn't work, and "counting calories" is not that effective unless you really restrict them. Also, I do agree with others that each body is a bit different - some will respond to carbs more than others. I for one have been on low carb (keeping veggies) and eating fats like animal fats, olive oil, coconut oil, and avocados, and I've lost more easily than ever. Whenever I eat sugar or starchy stuff (even when restricting calories), I gain. I just had my bloodworm done, and it's better than ever. But I'm sure this post will provoke some harsh responses as people are very protective of their nutrition ideas.
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