Low Carb

zoe0401

We eat alot if bread in our house. Whether it is 50/50 bread or crumpets we eat a fair bit. Mainly snacking on it. We also eat a fair bit of white pasta (sorry but wholewheat pasta is horrible) my other half is worse than me with bread. Me and my boyfriend are starting to eat healthy but know we are struggling due to carbs. Is it worth going on a low carb diet & if so how did people find it/what alternatives did you use? Thankyou

Michael190lbs

Its more about calories as a whole if your trying to lose weight if your not enjoy the bread.. I use 90 calorie wraps or Nicholes 35 calorie bread and eat a lot of fish, beef, chicken.

The one thing I tell new people to the site is excessive calories turn into fat not carbs, not Fat, not protein, not alcohol but the four together in excess of your energy expenditure..

zoe0401

Michael190lbs wrote: »

Its more about calories as a whole if your trying to lose weight if your not enjoy the bread.. I use 90 calorie wraps or Nicholes 35 calorie bread and eat a lot of fish, beef, chicken.

The one thing I tell new people to the site is excessive calories turn into fat not carbs, not Fat, not protein, not alcohol but the four together in excess of your energy expenditure..

Yeah we are both trying to loose weight. Im not new to the site used it a while now just to see how much crap I eat and cutting it down. I just want to know if its worth cutting the carbs.

neohdiver

There are reasons that make it worth it to eat low carb - and reasons that don't.

If you have a medical condition that would be improved with fewer carbs (diabetes, some forms of epilepsy, obesity - to name a few) it may be worth it. If you have trouble sticking to a IIFIYM form of CICO because you feel like you are starving all the time, or have trouble resisting carb-triggered cravings, it may be worth it.

If you are considering trying it because it is the "in" thing for dieting - probably best not to until you can more clearly articulate why it is an attractive idea to you.

I'm eating low carb (<50 grams a day) to control blood glucose, so I am supportive of low carb diets. But it is harder to ensure you are getting all the micronutrients you need over time - and if you mess up and consume both high carb and high fats that can leave you in a worse health state than you started out.

zoe0401

neohdiver wrote: »

There are reasons that make it worth it to eat low carb - and reasons that don't.

If you have a medical condition that would be improved with fewer carbs (diabetes, some forms of epilepsy, obesity - to name a few) it may be worth it. If you have trouble sticking to a IIFIYM form of CICO because you feel like you are starving all the time, or have trouble resisting carb-triggered cravings, it may be worth it.

If you are considering trying it because it is the "in" thing for dieting - probably best not to until you can more clearly articulate why it is an attractive idea to you.

I'm eating low carb (<50 grams a day) to control blood glucose, so I am supportive of low carb diets. But it is harder to ensure you are getting all the micronutrients you need over time - and if you mess up and consume both high carb and high fats that can leave you in a worse health state than you started out.

Wow never thought of it like that. Me and boyfriend have cut a fair bit of crap out but it seems the carbs intake has gone up. My boyfriend is at high risk of diabetes because of family history. The 'in' thing around the area I live is slimmers world/weighwatchers and also the whole "shakes" diet.

nonrg

@Michael190lbs hit the nail on the head. It's all about calories in vs calories out.

Low carb is simply one of the ways people choose to hit that deficit. I aim for a more high protein and balanced carb/fat approach. The best way is to try some ideas out and see how you tolerate them.

You should try Barilla Plus pasta. Not whole wheat, but has a little more protein and fiber than the regular stuff. I can't tell the difference.

Hornsby

I consider carbs on a "sliding scale". If you don't exercise, low carb is probably the simplest diet to do. The more active you are, the more carbs you can have/need.

TeaBea

My struggle is added sugar. I can cut out all added sugar to lose weight. But where does that leave me for maintenance? Losing weight is just the first step.

If you plan on cutting out most bread and pasta as a future lifestyle, then low carb may be a good plan. If low carb will just be temporary, then maintenance will be like starting over. You'll still have to figure out the carb thing when you get there.

neohdiver

zoe0401 wrote: »

neohdiver wrote: »

There are reasons that make it worth it to eat low carb - and reasons that don't.

If you have a medical condition that would be improved with fewer carbs (diabetes, some forms of epilepsy, obesity - to name a few) it may be worth it. If you have trouble sticking to a IIFIYM form of CICO because you feel like you are starving all the time, or have trouble resisting carb-triggered cravings, it may be worth it.

If you are considering trying it because it is the "in" thing for dieting - probably best not to until you can more clearly articulate why it is an attractive idea to you.

I'm eating low carb (<50 grams a day) to control blood glucose, so I am supportive of low carb diets. But it is harder to ensure you are getting all the micronutrients you need over time - and if you mess up and consume both high carb and high fats that can leave you in a worse health state than you started out.

Wow never thought of it like that. Me and boyfriend have cut a fair bit of crap out but it seems the carbs intake has gone up. My boyfriend is at high risk of diabetes because of family history. The 'in' thing around the area I live is slimmers world/weighwatchers and also the whole "shakes" diet.

Have him check his blood sugar - unless his doctor is checking (most don't) it can sneak up and be well entrenched before they find it since there are virtually no symptoms until it is very advanced. If his numbers fall outside of the normal range (over 100 on waking or over 120 by 2 hours after a meal), lowering carb would not be a bad move to slow down the progression of insulin resistance.

I was diagnosed in October, and my low carb diet is keeping my numbers almost entirely within the normal range.

kshama2001

Snack on apples instead of bread. If you're not hungry enough for an apple, you're not really hungry I usually pair fruit with something with fat and protein like cheese or nuts.

I reduced carbs when I came back to MFP last spring by severely limiting bread and baked goods. I upped fruit and protein. I switched from the MFP default macros to 40%, 30%, 30%. Very quickly, my munchies and cravings for carbs went away.

What carbs/fat/protein ratios are you currently eating? MyFitnessPal’s current default goals distribute calories as follows: 50% from carbohydrates, 20% from protein and 30% from fat.

ETA - ok, I can see your diary now. You always have protein left over and never have carbs left over. Try reversing that and see how you do.

kshama2001

Regarding pasta, I eat pasta, and it's white. However, I weigh it, reduced my serving size to 4-5 ounces, and never have seconds. I make sure I get plenty of protein and non-starchy veggies with it. We only have it once per week or every other week. I do better with potatoes so use that more often than pasta as a starch. I stopped having bread, butter, and wine with pasta meals.

This was a good way for me to think about how I fill up my plate:



http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/eatwell-plate.aspx

jcturbo

Carbs are not bad. Especially if your doing any type of weight training.

But I would try to replace the bread with healthier carbs such as rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, fruits,

nvmomketo

I too eat very low carb to control blood glucose due to prediabetes. A low carb diet works very well to normalize blood glucose but many find that losing weight will also normalize BG and reduce the risk of diabetes.

People without health issues often enjoy low carb because they find it reduces their overall appetite,and the cravings for carbs, after a few days or a week. I experienced this and it made losing weight relatively easy. I think I have had a quarter of a slice of bread in the last seven months, and I don't miss it a bit now. For me, a LCHF diet helped.

Good luck.

Wheelhouse15

Low carb can be helpful in achieving a caloric deficit for many but can you sustain it long term? That's the real key since all diets work while you adhere to them. If you can see it being sustainable for the long haul then it's a viable option, but if you only see it as a means to a weight loss goal then probably not a great idea.

auntstephie321

I wrote this post last year regarding my experiences with both low carb and not low carb for weight loss.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10180583/to-carb-or-not-to-carb-for-weightloss/p1

psuLemon

zoe0401 wrote: »

We eat alot if bread in our house. Whether it is 50/50 bread or crumpets we eat a fair bit. Mainly snacking on it. We also eat a fair bit of white pasta (sorry but wholewheat pasta is horrible) my other half is worse than me with bread. Me and my boyfriend are starting to eat healthy but know we are struggling due to carbs. Is it worth going on a low carb diet & if so how did people find it/what alternatives did you use? Thankyou

What I do, because I am fairly high carb (according to some) is focus on getting more protein. I let carbs fall out after I achieve my protein goal generally, while losing weight, it's recommended to have .8-1g of protein per lb of lean body mass (which equates to .6-.8g per lb of weight). If you really enjoy carbs, moderating them might be a lot more beneficial than restricting them. For some restriction will cause binges which can prevent you from achieving your goals.

LKArgh

zoe0401 wrote: »

We eat alot if bread in our house. Whether it is 50/50 bread or crumpets we eat a fair bit. Mainly snacking on it. We also eat a fair bit of white pasta (sorry but wholewheat pasta is horrible) my other half is worse than me with bread. Me and my boyfriend are starting to eat healthy but know we are struggling due to carbs. Is it worth going on a low carb diet & if so how did people find it/what alternatives did you use? Thankyou

Do not overcomplicate it. Unless a dr tells you to monitor carbs, there is no reason to add this to trying to cut back on calories. Bread and pasta are no worse than meat, beans or avocados when it comes to calories and weight loss.

Michael190lbs

You eat a lot of calories "bread and pasta" are Irrelevant to the Formula it comes down to calories calories calories.. However since you eat a lot of bread and pasta if you removed them from your diet and didn't replace them with anything else of course you would lose weight because you removed the calories from your diet.

krysmuree

I've been considering a low carb way of eating myself. Though I have been able to keep within my means (calorie wise), I struggle as to where to draw the line when it comes to carbs. It's a slippery slope when I indulge. Also, I have a small gluten sensitivity, so my doctor recommended I cut it down anyways to avoid flare-ups, which make me bloat and ache.

cwolfman13

there are loads of nutritious carbs, many of which are recommended on numerous diets designed to prevent and correct diseases and conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, etc...

carbs are only the most recent dietary boogey man and this to shall pass...

eat low carb if you like, but it's not some kind of magic bullet...most people could stand to adjust and moderate their intake of carbohydrates and certainly make better choices overall, but going low carb is hardly necessary to lose weight.

wykkedtruth

jcturbo wrote: »

Carbs are not bad. Especially if your doing any type of weight training.

But I would try to replace the bread with healthier carbs such as rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, fruits,

This! I simply could not live without carbs lol. I do lift, abhor the cardio. I'd rather lift an extra hour than run, or eliptical or stairmaster. My trainer probably hates me. I measure everything. I eat carbs, I love toast even plain with coffee. I love spagthetti and zuchinni or spagethhi squash noodles dont cut it. I think if you start to eliminate the garbage and account for everything that goes in, you will see a difference. I lost 6 pounds in 18 days just from measuring food, increasing my water intake and next to no exercise because of injury. I know that if I want to eat something specific for dinner like its my kids birthday or something I make it fit my macros. My trainer has me on 140g carbs 140 protein and 45 fat. so I adjust daily. Good luck.

RodaRose

Eat bread because you like it. Reduce calories from somewhere else.

Wheelhouse15

cwolfman13 wrote: »

there are loads of nutritious carbs, many of which are recommended on numerous diets designed to prevent and correct diseases and conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, etc...

carbs are only the most recent dietary boogey man and this to shall pass...

eat low carb if you like, but it's not some kind of magic bullet...most people could stand to adjust and moderate their intake of carbohydrates and certainly make better choices overall, but going low carb is hardly necessary to lose weight.

Every macro has been the devil and the magic macro at one time except alcohol, that's always magic!

nvmomketo

wykkedtruth wrote: »

jcturbo wrote: »

Carbs are not bad. Especially if your doing any type of weight training.

But I would try to replace the bread with healthier carbs such as rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, fruits,

This! I simply could not live without carbs lol. I do lift, abhor the cardio. I'd rather lift an extra hour than run, or eliptical or stairmaster. My trainer probably hates me. I measure everything. I eat carbs, I love toast even plain with coffee. I love spagthetti and zuchinni or spagethhi squash noodles dont cut it. I think if you start to eliminate the garbage and account for everything that goes in, you will see a difference. I lost 6 pounds in 18 days just from measuring food, increasing my water intake and next to no exercise because of injury. I know that if I want to eat something specific for dinner like its my kids birthday or something I make it fit my macros. My trainer has me on 140g carbs 140 protein and 45 fat. so I adjust daily. Good luck.

Many would consider that to be around the upper limit of a low carb diet. Lw carb is generally considered to be 100-150g of carbs ( the upper number is more often for those with a higher caloric goal such as men who lift) with very low carb considered to be under 50g (to below 20g) per day.