Ditching Low Carb and back to Calorie Counting

AnneSoCal

I'm done with low carb and LCHF (Low Carb/High Fat). I understand the science behind it, and I'm sure it works for some, but I just can't maintain the lifestyle. When I first went wheat free in 2012, I lost 36lbs in 4 months and felt great. Unfortunately, about 9 months into it, I started added carbs back into my diet and...well...you can guess what happened then.

So, I took a break from dieting, gained more weight back, and then went back to low carb/wheat free, but this time I read all about LCHF and decided THAT was the way to go. As it turned out, it wasn't the way to go (for me) and I gained even more weight.

Cut to today, I've decided to just count calories, move more and eat less. I started calorie counting (and intermittent fasting, which works great for my lifestyle) and in just 4 days, I've lost 3lbs. Not a lot, and probably mostly water weight, but at least the scale number went down!

So, is there anyone else out there who used to do low carb or LCHF who is going back to the basics like me?

baconslave

LCHF isn't immune from calorie deficit. You gained weight, not because you ate more carbs, but because you ate more calories than you burned.

Besides that though, it's all about sustainability. If you can't stick with whichever plan, it isn't going to work. That goes for all diets.
I hope this time you've found your sustainable plan. Be consistent and stick with it, and you will see results. Congrats on your loss so far.

AnneSoCal

I had a feeling Low Carbers/LCHF people would be the first to comment!

I'm well aware of the need for a calorie deficit with any plan. My point is, LCHF just doesn't work for me in general. I find it difficult to stay in a calorie deficit while eating high calorie foods (butter, coconut oil, avocado, bacon, etc.). I know fat and protein are supposed to keep you satiated, but again, just didn't work for me. I'm sure it has to do with my age (54).

Mr_Knight

Not sure what you're looking for. You tried something, it didn't seem to work for you (reasons aren't completely clear, but that's ok) and now you're going to try something else.

Awesome!

You go, girl!

Etc etc etc.

Just keep in mind that - according to your OP - you gained a bunch more weight *after* ditching LC - so there's more going on here than just choice of diet.

Good luck!

:drinker:

baconslave

AnneSoCal wrote: »

I had a feeling Low Carbers/LCHF people would be the first to comment!

I'm well aware of the need for a calorie deficit with any plan. My point is, LCHF just doesn't work for me in general. I find it difficult to stay in a calorie deficit while eating high calorie foods (butter, coconut oil, avocado, bacon, etc.). I know fat and protein are supposed to keep you satiated, but again, just didn't work for me. I'm sure it has to do with my age (54).

And my point was that a plan needs to be sustainable. If you don't find it so, that's fine. Switch. Which you have done. I wasn't being flippant in saying that I hope you've found your sustainable plan. It was sincere. Once we find our personal sweet spot, as I did (I've lost 93.5lb), it's awesome and good things follow. No need to keep banging your head against a wall when something isn't working AND makes you miserable, right? Keep up the good work.

rushfive

Good For You.... in realizing you need to do what works for YOU !
I had a hard time tracking all the macro, so I switched to just watching calories... I do check them to be sure not terribly low (protein) or to high (sodium). ie high blood pressure. Made my life easier.
Also, I did not do any "diet style" lchf.... I looked at the foods I normally eat and found the ones I like that are lower in cals and ate more of them. The higher cal foods I ate I modified them to lesser quantities. and this created a cal deficit for me. I still have to measure some foods but now learning serving size by site.

My plate now looks like 1/4 starch 1/2 veggies 1/4 meat. I try and leave some cal. for evening treat. I am not losing weight fast, which is fine by me since I have little to lose now.

In the end it comes down to what we can sustain for life. Good luck to you.

Bshmerlie

Sure I've done the low carb diet and i was very successful at losing weight but like you said as soon as you stop it you gain the weight back. Not that many people can cut out carbs for the rest of their life. At least with CICO you're still eating the same foods you ate before just less of them. So it's not a big change. And also over the months you are counting your calories and watching your portions you are training yourself to know what a regular portion should look like. You know what a 6 oz steak looks like or 8 oz of mac and cheese. You have an idea just by looking at the plate how much food you should be consuming during a meal. By now I could literally stop weighing my food and I guarantee you I would still lose weight. I just ate too much quantity of food before. When I stop my diet I will be better prepared this time to not gain the weight back. It's not about extreme it's just about sensible eating habits.

Bshmerlie

By the way I used the wrong word. I'm not on a diet anymore....this is just how I'm eating from now on. Forever!!!! Less food. I'm 45 and my metabolism is not gonna get any faster at this point. There is no going back. It is what it is and I'm choosing not to be fat any longer.

Timelordlady85

Doesn't matter if you do vegan, low carb, low calorie, etc. it still breaks down to CICO=calories in,calories out. I have tried pretty much every diet under the sun. I have been struggling with my weight since I was 15. I'm gonna be 30 in September. Its calories in, calories out. it has to be a lifestyle too, so find whatever works for you and my suggestion would be baby steps. I started by dropping off one bad eating habit at a time. first dropped condiments, then sodas, fried foods and junk foods. Yeah I still once in awhile have some ice cream, but I track it and measure it out with a food scale. Good Luck

Dex37

I ate low carbs yesterday, only 295g.

RunRachelleRun

I've tried LCHF a few times and after an initial water loss I always lose NO weight. I also really like the science behind it and hoped it would work for me. Especially to help combat the diabetes that runs in my family. But I don't have a gallbladder, and have felt pretty sick the entire time as my body just couldn't deal with the extra fat along with the struggle to get adequate fiber. I have been told to stick with it and my body would adapt, but I've only managed to go six weeks before I just couldn't take the (about to get gross warning) runs and floating pellet poops (clumps of fat my body couldn't digest) that went along with it. My body did not adapt. Would it have eventually? No idea. I also tried taking digestive enzymes, probiotics, etc. Nothing helped.

My body seems to love fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Everything runs smoothly and my energy is great when I eat the right balance. I do struggle with craving carbs and sugar, particularly in the afternoons, which I think LCHF helps with. But I have lost over 30 pounds this time eating chocolate and ice cream and drinking wine in moderation along with everything else. Nothing is off-limits. Best of all, I feel like I can do this forever, which is good because I have another 47 or more pounds to go. It is completely sustainable. I think we all need to find what works for us.

emdeesea

Yeah, I did the low carb thing for a short while but really just can't keep it up. So just went back to counting calories. I have no medical issues and it works fine for me.

AnneSoCal

Thanks for all the comments so far!

I have to say, the best thing about having done low carb/high fat, is it made me switch to eating whole, non-processed, healthy foods. I rarely eat anything with wheat in it anymore and I always try to eat grass fed beef, chicken and butter. etc. I eat healthy foods, and don't plan on changing that now that I'm counting calories instead.

RaeBeeBaby

It's really about listening to your body and eating the things that make you feel well. I also tried low carb and lasted about 10 days. I just felt gross, sluggish, and got to where I didn't even want to eat. I was also very constipated. I know it works for some people, but not my cup of tea.

I feel best when I eat lots of veggies, fruits, lean protein, and limited gluten-free grains.

Good luck to you!

madkcole

Anne - I also lost weight before with a lo-carb diet, but the restrictions, namely fruit, rice, potatoes were too much for me. I never even reached stage three of South Beach. Like you, I'm using MFP to learn more about the concept of calorie counting, deficits etc. I've only been doing this for three days, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. But some of the old lo-carb mentality has lingered in my food choices. The first two days I noticed my carb intake was way below MFP's daily goal. But my fat and protein intake exceeded and fat intake goal. I've been reading about the benefits of coconut oil and chia seeds and would still like to incorporate them into my diet, but both have a lot of fat and calories. Still learning. Good luck to you!

karlsantiago

low carb diet definitely works i've tried it, but like you said it's not a lifestyle i can live with and it makes me feel like a complete zombie all day long...carbs are your fuel for the day! don't limit them to dangerous levels

craziecritter

I was on low carb for awhile but my body (and dh) said no your not going to eat this way the rest of your life. Got tired of the limited food choices of eggs, meat, cheese and dark veggies. I have went back to CICO this is the best choice and lifestyle for me and my 2 cow valves! I am 61 and had open heart surgery and I am on alot of heart meds. I am trying to keep these guys happy.

SezxyStef

Yah I was low carb for a while but every time I tried it my energy levels plummeted and it wasn't that much fun...I always felt "empty"

I know the high fat is suppose to keep that at bay but it didn't.

I prefer the flexible eating.

2wise4u

I can't do low carb because I wouldn't be able to sustain it long term so I count calories and eat anything I want as long as I am accountable for it, exercise and drink more water. Keep it simple as long as it's doable for you in the long run.

Jeneba

My acupressure therapist just recommended the low carb route for me - and although I adore her, I cannot see how this would help me. It might lead to an initial weight loss, but I know my body after 58 years and it needs carbs to work. I remember studying something back in school called "the Hawthorne Effect." Sometimes if you participate in an "experiment," you will end up with certain results simply because you are modifying your behavior. I am super glad that this works for some people, but like most methods we use to lose weight, it isn't for everyone. Thanks for the post!

newblue95

I tried LCHF for a while, even did wheat-free for about 4 months a few years ago and lost 10 pounds. I just recently stopped the LCHF in favor of CICO. I'm very active and felt I couldn't do my workouts as intensely when I was low carb. Also, I couldn't eat some of the foods I really like that helped me drop 2 dress sizes over the last year (oatmeal, apples, whole grain bread, greek yogurt).
Also, forbidding myself from ice cream, even if it fit my calories, was miserable. Glad to be back to eating foods I enjoy in smaller portions!

ladymiseryali

I'm sorry it didn't work for you. It happens. Not everyone can do low carb, just like not everyone can do vegan, vegetarian, etc. Find what works and stick with it. As for me, low carb helped make lbs that weren't budging on a higher carb eating plan go away and they have yet to return. But that's just me

Azurite27

I agree that you should find what works for you as long as you're getting adequate nutrition. For myself, I found a balanced diet of moderate carbs and fat and higher protein was best. It helps me feel fuller and helps with some other issues I had experienced for a long time. Most importantly, find a method you can use for the rest of your life. If you follow a diet just til you reach your goal, you're likely to just gain the weight back over and over.

ndj1979

honestly OP - whatever you do LC, IF, IFFYM, etc, etc is just a tool to get into a calorie deficit. If you failed at LC and have not made proper adjustments i.e. more accurate logging, use of food scale etc, you will probably fail at everything else. It really just boils down to CICO and accurately account for your intake..

Unknown

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tsalagi82

I've tried every diet in the world, and the only one that I can live with is counting calories! I love my carbs!

Folky123

So I have always been a calorie counter - CICO lifestyle. Joined a Gym that was focused on meeting daily Macronutrient numbers. Being a very habitual and regimented eater and exerciser - this made me very nervous. So invested a year into this new lifestyle and found that I was eating way more than what I normally did to reach the Macro numbers and a lot more calories. Have gained 10 kilos in a year and have decided that this is not for me - so will go back to my standard 3 meals a day all counted. But will be honest and say that moving into pre-menopause stage - apparently I have another enemy to fight and that is all those lovely hormones that they say attribute to excess weight gain thru mid section (tummy and hips) - but I will not be put into that "get older gain weight" box. Its not set in stone - right???
Good luck to you and do what is right for you ;-)

werdnek

RunRachelleRun wrote: »

I've tried LCHF a few times and after an initial water loss I always lose NO weight. I also really like the science behind it and hoped it would work for me. Especially to help combat the diabetes that runs in my family. But I don't have a gallbladder, and have felt pretty sick the entire time as my body just couldn't deal with the extra fat along with the struggle to get adequate fiber. I have been told to stick with it and my body would adapt, but I've only managed to go six weeks before I just couldn't take the (about to get gross warning) runs and floating pellet poops (clumps of fat my body couldn't digest) that went along with it. My body did not adapt. Would it have eventually? No idea. I also tried taking digestive enzymes, probiotics, etc. Nothing helped.

My body seems to love fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Everything runs smoothly and my energy is great when I eat the right balance. I do struggle with craving carbs and sugar, particularly in the afternoons, which I think LCHF helps with. But I have lost over 30 pounds this time eating chocolate and ice cream and drinking wine in moderation along with everything else. Nothing is off-limits. Best of all, I feel like I can do this forever, which is good because I have another 47 or more pounds to go. It is completely sustainable. I think we all need to find what works for us.

Glad to hear icecream. I just te of ton of it. - well 8 or 10 ounces. Im on the low carb. but not so low. But Bread is off the table and I don't miss it. I did really well yesterday felt good ad energetic. About 8:00 p.m. during break from my night class I decided to pick up a couple of egg rolls. I think that is what ruined me today. It also rained today and that seems to have bad effect on me until it does rain. Barometric pressure I think. In any event if I'm counting calories my final score is about 1300 calories so I can't beat myself up too much can I?

Sorchya

I love carbs and would never be able to stick to a low carb diet, but I have focused on spending my carbs on mostly "good" carbs, such as whole grains instead of white, eating the potato skin as well as the potato, enjoying fruit...I need to have some moderation to keep the calories under control so I make sure I also get my protein and veggies as well. And we have a great diner near by that makes the best pie so I don't ever have a pie in the house (I can not avoid eating too much when I do) and once in a while work a slice of their pie into my calorie count as a treat. By not saying I never can I am able to keep it just once in a while.

And to the person who had no gallbladder and tried high fat....you did not fail, your body just lacked what was needed to digest the fat (bile, stored in the gallbladder).