Will this new approach work?

Bubba1922

I am 65, female with 40 lbs to lose.
In an ideal world I would like to eat just under 50 carbs a day and stick to 1200 calories 5 days a week.

I do 5 spinning classes a week. Hard to tell exactly how many calories I use as intensity of exercise varies depending on the instructor giving the class . The bike usually registers 200 calories and I heard the instructor saying to add another 100. I do not always eat back calories. Not keen on gadgets so Fitbit or Garmin watches are not for me. Last week I ate less than 50 carbs a day but did not watch calories and was eating around 120 grs of cheese a day. Lost a pound.

I would also like continuing eating at least 50 grs of Brie a day as I love it. I am getting fed up eating eggs and chicken and do not care greatly for meat and fish.

I would like to relax this regime at the weekend.

Could you please advise if you think this is a good approach?

Thank you.

Replies

Rose_Oh

Bubba, I hope you get some feedback because it will also apply to my situation. Fairly new to LCHF style of eating, I lost 7 lbs the first 4 weeks but for the following 3 weeks I have fluctuated 2 lbs up and down. Thinking this is too soon to stall, I'm looking for ways to stick to counting calories, eat veggies, and stay under 45 carbs a day. I would like to simplify my meals to fit these guidelines. Let's hope some of the more experienced low carbers will give us some help.

RalfLott

After reading posts here for several months, I'm persuaded that there aren't any real stalls, just weight and fluid "readjustments" masquerading as such!*

Look to signs other than what your scale says, like whether you can fit through the pet door with butter in rather than on you.

*Provided your initial carb and calorie targets are good and you adjust them downwards as your weight slips.

sammyliftsandeats

@Bubba1922 if you have no problems with dairy (such as lactose intolerance or any other kind of problem), then I see no problem with eating at least 50g of brie a day. I love brie! If I could afford it (cheese is kind of pricey here in Canada), I would eat brie all the time.

Eat the low carb things you enjoy - no need to eat red meat or fish if you don't like it. Chicken and eggs are fine and I assume you are eating vegetables since you are eating about 50g of carbs a day or less.

Maybe if you are getting tired of chicken and eggs - try preparing them a certain way? Or instead of eating chicken breast, go for chicken thighs with the skin on? Great way to get some fat in!

KarlaYP

We have many here who have relaxed their plan over the weekend. I've seen mixed reviews on the results of this practice. Some have no negative effects, where others show weight increases that they spend the week trying to lose, to turn around and do it again the following weekend. Here again is the situation of finding what works for you. I haven't done this, and don't plan to in the future.

DietPrada

I eat very strict during the week, weigh and track everything. I weigh myself Saturday morning on the scales, and that is my weight for the week. I do not track over the weekend, I do not eat carbs at all, but I would eat more calories for sure. It works for me.

camtosh

Yes, eating more carbs on weekends will throw you out of ketosis if you are in it, leading to stalls (voice of experience here). But if you feel good, and can stay on track from Monday to Friday, then give it a try. Be ready to adjust if it isn't working, though. keep calm and keto on!

daylitemag

I see no problem with cheese. Good fat and protein. Avoid carbs. I have tried to adopt this WOE as a permanent change. For me that means I do it all the time. Not just during the week. So if I want to have a treat on a Wednesday I do. I just try to make it a low carb treat (I would consider the Brie a treat). My wife and I go to the movies almost once every week and I will eat popcorn. Only difference is I now gladly ad the butter to make it filling as well as tasty. Helps me get more fat in the diet and actually makes it easier for me to eat the carbs corn.

slimzandra

I guess it would depend on how relaxed your relaxed weekends are. I like the under 50g carbs/1200 calories. That works for me too (54 years old. lost 40 pounds 30 more to go.). I can lose about a pound a week on that plan. However, I found that if I turn it off on the weekends and up the carbs and calories, I just end up even for the week. I'm in the camp that @Karlottap mentioned.

That said, I am not doing the amount of cardio you are, so maybe your mileage will vary. For me it's a 7 day, 24 hour commitment if I want to lose pounds. Try it for a month, review, adjust if needed. That's the only way I was able to find the right balance.

BTW, I love brie too, but most hard cheeses have fewer carbs.

SideSteel

Try it and see.

jaymo602

Not a long time low-carber myself, but from what I read and your description I would like to offer up my thoughts for consideration.
In my thoughts, if you have not spent some time eating less than 50 grams of carbs a day, I would not consider any exercise for the beginning 3 to 4 weeks of this diet change.
I would be concerned that the new hormonal changes and the exertion of exercises, may cause blood sugar levels to be unstable with possible crashes before your body is adjusted.

In addition - my interpretation (from what I have read) is that one should reap all the benefits of weight/water loss from this new diet until a loss plateau is reached, and then incorporate the exercise regimen to jump start the push past the plateau.
Best of luck!

RalfLott

jaymo602 wrote: »

Not a long time low-carber myself, but from what I read and your description I would like to offer up my thoughts for consideration.
In my thoughts, if you have not spent some time eating less than 50 grams of carbs a day, I would not consider any exercise for the beginning 3 to 4 weeks of this diet change.
I would be concerned that the new hormonal changes and the exertion of exercises, may cause blood sugar levels to be unstable with possible crashes before your body is adjusted.

In addition - my interpretation (from what I have read) is that one should reap all the benefits of weight/water loss from this new diet until a loss plateau is reached, and then incorporate the exercise regimen to jump start the push past the plateau.
Best of luck!

Implicit in your suggestions (I think, neophyte speaking) is that if your BG is a moving target, then you should closely watch not only your BG level but also any meds that tend to push it down, in the event you need to dial back your dose(s).

kmn118

When I get tired of meat, my go-to treat is Fathead pizza. I put olives and cheese on it. Filling and satisfying!

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=812515

baconslave

jaymo602 wrote: »

Not a long time low-carber myself, but from what I read and your description I would like to offer up my thoughts for consideration.
In my thoughts, if you have not spent some time eating less than 50 grams of carbs a day, I would not consider any exercise for the beginning 3 to 4 weeks of this diet change.
I would be concerned that the new hormonal changes and the exertion of exercises, may cause blood sugar levels to be unstable with possible crashes before your body is adjusted.

In addition - my interpretation (from what I have read) is that one should reap all the benefits of weight/water loss from this new diet until a loss plateau is reached, and then incorporate the exercise regimen to jump start the push past the plateau.
Best of luck!

I exercised from the beginning.
It's more that:
Exercise isn't all that helpful in weight loss.
It's great for physical fitness, metabolism, health, muscle preservation (weight loss is also a percentage of muscle loss), and etc.
But, Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Fitness in the gym. They aren't mutually exclusive, though. Just don't expect performance improvements until you are adapted. In fact, it may be a little harder to perform in the beginning than you are used to. And don't expect extra exercise to help out much with weight loss, as increased movement often means water retention to heal inflamed muscles and increased appetite. And exercise does not burn enough calories to out-run a poor diet or overeating your TDEE. For example, my strength training sessions, theoretically, don't burn off enough calories to wipe out an extra handful of nuts or pepperoni.

Point being: do exercise for healthy mobility and endorphins (exercise makes us feel better mentally and physically), but don't expect exercising like a fiend to help you lose weight faster. You'll get more fit, provided you don't overdo it to the point of injury, but it's not that effective to rely on it to burn calories for you. IMO, it's better to also work in something like strength training. More muscle means more calories burned at rest. And more strength overall. It's working smarter, not harder. It's an investment.

So if OP likes the class, she should keep doing it, but it's not necessary, nor is it more helpful to do, 5 days a week. Unless she absolutely loves doing it that often. 3 days should be fine for fitness benefits. And I think she should add some mild strength training.

My 53.5 cents on it from my experience.