low carb or caloric deficit

2

Replies

  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    mom22dogs wrote: »
    Calorie deficit is ultimately what makes you lose weight. People like myself, control calories by lowering carb intake because carbs are so high calorie - 9 calories per gram as opposed to 4 calories per gram for protein. Most people eat hundreds and hundreds of grams of carbs a day, so for some, lowering this lowers calories, and helps them lose weight.

    No, carbs are only 4 calories per gram. Same with protein. Fat's the one with 9 calories per gram.
  • MalcolmX1983
    MalcolmX1983 Posts: 214 Member
    moniquebravo1011 wrote: »
    Which is more effective for fat loss...caloric deficit or low carb diet?

    Why not do both?
    You could cycle the carbs as well, high carbs on training days and low on rest days.

    Just depends on you and how your body responds to carbs.

    Though a deficit is what ultimately leads to fat loss.

  • xAmeenahx
    xAmeenahx Posts: 34 Member
    Approximately how many grams of carbs do you all eat everyday?
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    edited May 2016
    asuxxur27 wrote: »
    Approximately how many grams of carbs do you all eat everyday?

    Usually between 150-300 grams a day. Yesterday I ate 1,679 calories/261 carbs.

    eta: I don't pay any attention to my macros breakdown and only focus on calories.
  • rakowskidp
    rakowskidp Posts: 231 Member
    asuxxur27 wrote: »
    Approximately how many grams of carbs do you all eat everyday?

    I've averaged 257g over the past 7 days
  • skygraham01
    skygraham01 Posts: 1 Member
    edited May 2016
    My thought is to journal, see where you are getting both your calories and carbs. I have been working with a Dr. who specializes in weight loss and health issues associated with obesity. She has me currently eating 100g of carb max which by simply changing the type of carb from cereals, breads and pastas to fruit and veggies has naturally decreased my carbs but also my calories. We are not all created equal, we are all unique beautiful individuals and what works for one may not work for another. Look for where you can improve by examining what you do now.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    tlflag1620 wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    Calories. I've lost around 40lbs by eating a diet consisting of about 60% carbs. It wasn't slower than other weight losses reported here. The only reason people say low carb helps them lose weight is because if you eliminate carbs from your diet you lose some stored water weight. It is not fat, but simply water.

    So I had 45-50 lbs of stored water? Good to know, lol.

    OP - some people find low carb diets helpful because they can help make it easier (effortless even, for some, I'd count myself in that group) to create a deficit by helping reduce/regulate appetite. If it's something you are interested in trying I'd suggest reading up on various low carb plans, make sure you get enough fat, make sure you get plenty of salt especially in the first few weeks, and give yourself sometime to adjust. I committed to a six week trial (figured that was long enough to adjust and see if I was getting the results I wanted, but short enough that if I didn't like it there was a clear, and close, endpoint). That was three years ago. I'd never go back to high carb again.

    Oh come on, that's just plain silly. I wrote 'some water weight'. You lost weight because you ate less calories than your body needs, not because you were eating keto.

    I wasn't eating keto, just a standard LCHF diet (still am, fwiw). You said the "only" reason people say LC helps them lose weight is because they lose some stored water. Unless I was a walking fish tank, I didn't just lose some stored water. Yes, I was at a calorie deficit. LC helped me control my appetite so I could create a deficit without trying, calorie counting, and best of all, without going hungry. It wasn't just about "some water weight". That's all.

  • moniquebravo1011
    moniquebravo1011 Posts: 22 Member
    asuxxur27 wrote: »
    Approximately how many grams of carbs do you all eat everyday?

    About 210g
  • blackmantis
    blackmantis Posts: 165 Member
    If you have metabolic damage, high blood sugar or diabetic go low carb if you don't suffer from any of that stuff than eat normally WITHOUT deficit and just use exercise to create the loss for you. Long time caloric deficit will lead to more problems of being skinny fat, slow metabolism etc... Good luck!
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    edited May 2016
    blackmantis wrote: »
    If you have metabolic damage, high blood sugar or diabetic go low carb if you don't suffer from any of that stuff than eat normally WITHOUT deficit and just use exercise to create the loss for you. Long time caloric deficit will lead to more problems of being skinny fat, slow metabolism etc... Good luck!

    Nope.
  • fatfudgery
    fatfudgery Posts: 449 Member
    There's an article today on Biolayne.com talking about this:

    https://www.biolayne.com/articles/nutrition/paleo-made-fat-pop-tarts-got-shredded/
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,644 Member
    oliverneedsyou wrote: »
    For those responding, do you only eat complex carbs most of the time?

    Brussels sprouts. Instant oatmeal. Little Debbies. A lot of them.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,644 Member
    edited May 2016
    blackmantis wrote: »
    if you don't suffer from any of that stuff than eat normally WITHOUT deficit and just use exercise to create the loss for you.

    Do this and you're gonna have a bad time. Also, it doesn't make sense because you'd still be in deficit regardless.
    blackmantis wrote: »
    Long time caloric deficit will lead to more problems of being skinny fat, slow metabolism etc... Good luck!

    This makes no sense as well. Calorie deficit is always required to lose fat. Preserving lean muscle mass is what is required to avoid being skinny fat.

  • blackmantis
    blackmantis Posts: 165 Member
    Dont let these people fool you that eating all this junk is ok and still lose weight, although it maybe true make sure you don't have any of the issues that prevent that for working for you. Caloric deficit by way of exercise allows your body to still get its nutrients without sacrificing muscle. Caloric deficit by eating with exercise will cause you to lose the initial weightloss then you will stall and plateau because you would have lowered your metabolism. Then they will tell you that eating even more less with more exercise will help SMH.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    blackmantis wrote: »
    Dont let these people fool you that eating all this junk is ok and still lose weight, although it maybe true make sure you don't have any of the issues that prevent that for working for you. Caloric deficit by way of exercise allows your body to still get its nutrients without sacrificing muscle. Caloric deficit by eating with exercise will cause you to lose the initial weightloss then you will stall and plateau because you would have lowered your metabolism. Then they will tell you that eating even more less with more exercise will help SMH.

    The nutrients a sedentary person needs come up to something like barely 700 calories + micronutrients. That's plenty of room left to be "eating all this junk" with no problems.
    You don't know what you're talking about.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    #proofisinthepudding
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    #proofisinthepudding

    Yep ;)
  • ogmomma2012
    ogmomma2012 Posts: 1,520 Member
    Both.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    austintippett10 wrote: »
    Hmmm, I think carbs have a lot to do with how lean you are. But calories are the overall winner here. Losing weight = eating less calories than you burn.

    www.burnbodyfat.sendlane.com/view/burning-fat gives a good explanation.

    Can you go more in depth to what you mean by "carbs have a lot to do with how lean you are"?
  • billsrule2015
    billsrule2015 Posts: 46 Member
    I can tell you that I lost 80 lbs on Atkins back in 2005, not having counted 1 calorie! I feel the whole notion of calorie in, vs calorie out, or every calorie is equal is foolish. Gary Taubes has written many books on this subject, and basically sugar, carbs, etcetera are the main reason for obesity. I am about to go back to a low carb Atkins lifestyle as I was never hungry, weight fell off with little effort or exercise, and the only reason I didn't stick with it is because I went back to eating the high carb, high sugar foods and fell off the wagon.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    It is true that CICO works and carbs have calories that, if measured and recorded accurately, work with CICO. The difference of perception arises in the digesting of protein from any source. 40% of the energy available in protein, the stuff counted in CICO, is used up simply digesting the protein. That is, you get the elimination of 40% of the calories in protein without having to do more exercising. It's just enough exercise that you swallowed it. Carbs on the other hand are efficiently converted either slowly or quickly into energy used by the brain and the muscles to do the living of life, and almost 100% of the available energy in carbs is available for the brain and body to use as energy. For carbs, you must account for the active use of all of it. For protein, you only have to account for the active use of 60% of it. If you wanted to reduce your logged weight of prime rib by 40% so that your math treats protein and carbs equally, you can. I'd rather eat the prime rib.
  • Panda_Poptarts
    Panda_Poptarts Posts: 971 Member
    Both. Simultaneously.
  • Panda_Poptarts
    Panda_Poptarts Posts: 971 Member
    asuxxur27 wrote: »
    Approximately how many grams of carbs do you all eat everyday?

    25 net - 50ish total. Gotta get those veggies in!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    asuxxur27 wrote: »
    Approximately how many grams of carbs do you all eat everyday?

    Made me curious as I only really concern myself with hitting protein and fat minimums and don't worry about where carbs fall within my calorie allowance.....
    Seems my range is from about 140g on a low calorie day with highest of 866g on a big cycling day.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    blackmantis wrote: »
    Dont let these people fool you that eating all this junk is ok and still lose weight, although it maybe true make sure you don't have any of the issues that prevent that for working for you. Caloric deficit by way of exercise allows your body to still get its nutrients without sacrificing muscle. Caloric deficit by eating with exercise will cause you to lose the initial weightloss then you will stall and plateau because you would have lowered your metabolism. Then they will tell you that eating even more less with more exercise will help SMH.
    LOL? Huh?
    I cut nothing out of my diet. Nothing, and I lost over 80lbs. All I did was create a calorie deficit by weighting and logging what I ate.

    A calorie deficit can be anywhere from 250 calories less than TDEE (maintenance) to 1000 calories less. Obviously, the more one has to lose, the higher the deficit. For some, even burning 250 cals in exercise is tough, especially if they aren't able to exercise. Using exercise only for a deficit is ridiculous, since there are many who weren't able to exercise from injury or illness that have lost weight with a calorie deficit without exercise just fine. Choosing the proper deficit ensures one doesn't lose as much muscle mass. It's up to the individual to chose the appropriate deficit.
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