low carb Does work!!!!

domgibson88

So, I'm sick of when people on here say they are struggling and someone on here suggests low carb and then another person berates them and says it's all about calories eat as much as you want but stay within the calories but heres the thing, did that and could not stay within my calories because carbs don't keep me satiated....they satisfy for an hour then I'm hungry again.. For example I used to have cheerios for breakfast but by first break at work (930) I was starving and usually grabbed a cookie or bag of chips...now I have 3 scrambled eggs with salsa (more calories) but I'm good till lunch!!I may have a small healthy snack like some Spitz or a handful of almonds but that's it!!!Now I'm not saying this works for everyone but I've lost 6 pounds in 2 and a half weeks doing this, it's working for me...so when someone on here suggests low care it is a VALID suggestion...the whole "eat whatever you want and stay within calorie goal" is not the ultimate answer so don't be quick to judge someone's suggestion.. Different lifestyles work for different people.

tlflag1620

I'm the same way. I find carbs, regardless of source, drive my hunger making it harder for me to get into, and stay in, a deficit consistantly. Sure, plenty of people can simply cut portions and eat the same foods as they always have, just less of them, and lose weight, and I'm not at all disparaging that strategy. If you like what you are doing and are happy with your plan and are getting the results you want, keep doing it! But, yes, for those who are struggling, it's not a bad idea to explore alternative methods. I honestly don't see too many people here saying LC is invalid, only that it is not strictly *necessary*, and while many people (like you and me, OP) find a LCHF diet uniquely satiating making adherence easier, some people have a harder time with it. Finding a way to eat that you love and can stick with for life (maintenance isn't much different than weight loss) is the real "trick" to long term success! I'm glad you've found something that is working for you.

Just a tip - the six lbs you've lost in the past couple weeks are mostly water. Your rate of loss will slow down. There's nothing wrong with that, just be prepared to see more realistic results (a lb or two a week depending on your stats) over the coming weeks. And if you do find yourself "stuck" you may be one of those unfortunate souls who end up having to pay attention to both carbs and calories (I find if I watch carbs the calories take care of themselves, but that is not universal). Good luck! And consider joining the low carb forum here on MFP. Great group!

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

Eta link to group

astrampe

It has nothing to do with low carb or not - it has everything to do with food choices that will keep you satisfied..... I still eat bread now and then, I eat ice cream now and then, but I need a protein filled breakfast to keep me satisfied and to keep my blood sugar from spiking.....
If I have to eat cheerios for breakfast, I will be hungry 30 mins later.... Basic nutrition. It does not mean carbs are evil and everyone have to live on bacon fat and cheese all day long....
Just make food choices that works for you. I have a 35/35/30 ratio, and it works just fine....

TeaBea

domgibson88 wrote: »

So, I'm sick of when people on here say they are struggling and someone on here suggests low carb and then another person berates them and says it's all about calories eat as much as you want but stay within the calories but heres the thing, did that and could not stay within my calories because carbs don't keep me satiated....they satisfy for an hour then I'm hungry again.. For example I used to have cheerios for breakfast but by first break at work (930) I was starving and usually grabbed a cookie or bag of chips...now I have 3 scrambled eggs with salsa (more calories) but I'm good till lunch!!I may have a small healthy snack like some Spitz or a handful of almonds but that's it!!!Now I'm not saying this works for everyone but I've lost 6 pounds in 2 and a half weeks doing this, it's working for me...so when someone on here suggests low care it is a VALID suggestion...the whole "eat whatever you want and stay within calorie goal" is not the ultimate answer so don't be quick to judge someone's suggestion.. Different lifestyles work for different people.

It is all about calories unless you have a medical issue. You figure out what keeps you full....I'll figure out what keeps me full.

I eat Greek yogurt, fruit, nuts & Fiber One cereal.....protein, fat, fiber and....(gasp!)....carbs for breakfast.

Low carb helps you lose an impressive amount of water weight the first couple weeks......most of the 6 pounds isn't fat. Weight loss will slow down to a more normal pace.

I think many people caution people against low carb because for many is won't be a lifestyle change (as in forever). Are you planning low carb or moderate carb as part of maintenance? If this will be a true lifestyle change, good for you.

The ULTIMATE answer is not just what helps you lose weight BUT ALSO what helps you maintain it.

trigden1991

Low carb worked for you, it doesn't work for others. The only thing that works universally is the caloric deficit.

abitofbliss

@trigden1991 AMEN

amusedmonkey

It is all about calories. Some people find it easier on a certain macro breakdown and low carb is a valid tool for some. Low carb does work, and so does high carb and moderate carb, depending on who you ask. I found it extremely hard to stick to calories on a low carb because I need starch for satiety (which is high carb).

What you need to understand is that when people are saying "just eat whatever you want" they don't usually mean no one should be eating low carb. It's usually meant for new people who believe carbs make them fat and they need to cut them out, regardless of their preferences or how they react to the diet. I usually urge such people to try low carb if they want, but to not get hung up on it if they find it hard. People need to know that there are other options and that failure to thrive on one diet does not mean they need to suffer or give up.

nvmomketo

OP, you're fighting a losing battle here. People who don't get that simply cutting calories doesn't work for all in the long term are generally the people for whom cutting calories worked. They don't get it and they will probably never get it.

As for me? I'm with you. I lost 2-3 lbs per week for months while eating at a deficit that should have only resulted in a 1.5 lb/week weight loss. That lasted well into the normal BMI for me. As others said, yes some of that weight lost is water but probably not more than a couple of pounds. Congrats on your success so far.

Join the LCD group linked above. Most low carbers tend to hang out there because many people on the main boards don't get it, and frequently tell us what we are doing is wrong and not needed.

DebSozo

domgibson88 wrote: »

So, I'm sick of when people on here say they are struggling and someone on here suggests low carb and then another person berates them and says it's all about calories eat as much as you want but stay within the calories but heres the thing, did that and could not stay within my calories because carbs don't keep me satiated....they satisfy for an hour then I'm hungry again.. For example I used to have cheerios for breakfast but by first break at work (930) I was starving and usually grabbed a cookie or bag of chips...now I have 3 scrambled eggs with salsa (more calories) but I'm good till lunch!!I may have a small healthy snack like some Spitz or a handful of almonds but that's it!!!Now I'm not saying this works for everyone but I've lost 6 pounds in 2 and a half weeks doing this, it's working for me...so when someone on here suggests low care it is a VALID suggestion...the whole "eat whatever you want and stay within calorie goal" is not the ultimate answer so don't be quick to judge someone's suggestion.. Different lifestyles work for different people.

There are certain people (I forget the % number) in the population who CAN eat any macro combination that they want within a certain CICO and maintain a deficit. They are the ones who can "eat anything in moderation". However one size does not fit everyone.

Some people (like me) once could eat a lot of carbs and not gain weight. But now things have changed. I am like you where if I eat heavy carb breakfast I start the carb craving cycle and am "starving" in a couple hours and have to eat more carbs every couple hours.

I'm trying low carb right now as of this past Monday. I am going through the mild side effects of a dull headache and mild fatigue. But I know once I adapt and get free of the carb cravings that I will soon no longer want to eat so frequently and can drop these last pounds. Yaay

domgibson88

I agree with all of this!!!I have to have have some sort of carb in a day or I'll binge...what I was trying to get at is people suggesting low carb and other people saying they are flat out wrong, low carb allows me to stay within my calories cause higher fat content keeps me full for longer periods of time allowing me to stay within my goal...and yes I can make this my lifestyle I am OK with that....although every Friday when I get paid I treat myself to a burger and fries It just upsets me that some people on here think they're way is the absolute answer and it's not. unless you've given a ridiculous suggestion that makes no sense don't cut people down for helpful suggestions it may work for them.

abitofbliss

No matter what you say regarding any nutrient, exercise technique, or anything else regarding weight loss or pretty much ANYTHING there will be someone who agrees and someone who disagrees. Anyone with a significant amount of weight to lose, maintaining, or gaining is going to have to experiment with their diet and find what works for them.

queenliz99

I'm glad you found something that is working for you. Is this something you can do for the rest of your life? Cool!! I've tried low carb and I had no energy to do my workouts, just something to keep in mind.

kgirlhart

domgibson88 wrote: »

So, I'm sick of when people on here say they are struggling and someone on here suggests low carb and then another person berates them and says it's all about calories eat as much as you want but stay within the calories but heres the thing, did that and could not stay within my calories because carbs don't keep me satiated....they satisfy for an hour then I'm hungry again.. For example I used to have cheerios for breakfast but by first break at work (930) I was starving and usually grabbed a cookie or bag of chips...now I have 3 scrambled eggs with salsa (more calories) but I'm good till lunch!!I may have a small healthy snack like some Spitz or a handful of almonds but that's it!!!Now I'm not saying this works for everyone but I've lost 6 pounds in 2 and a half weeks doing this, it's working for me...so when someone on here suggests low care it is a VALID suggestion...the whole "eat whatever you want and stay within calorie goal" is not the ultimate answer so don't be quick to judge someone's suggestion.. Different lifestyles work for different people.

The bolded part really is the ultimate answer. For some people what they want to eat is low carb and there is nothing wrong with that, but for lots of people going low carb is not necessary or sustainable. When people give the "eat whatever you want and stay in your calorie goal" answer that is usually in response to someone who has told someone that they need to "cut carbs, sugar, eat clean... whatever". You need to find what works for you and eat what you like that is in your calorie goal. You said it yourself, different lifestyles work for different people. I don't really see a lot of people on here saying that low carb is not a valid suggestion, just that it isn't necessary unless you have medical reasons for going low carb.

cwolfman13

Lots of things work.

Also, a lot of people who post about going low carb are under the impression that carbohydrates are some inherently evil thing and that they inherently make you fat...it's fine if that's the way they want to go but I don't see anything wrong with actually informing them that carbohydrates are perfectly fine to consume and don't, in and of themselves make one fat.

NorthCascades

Two bagels for breakfast keep me satisfied all morning. I've lost 85 pounds on a high carb diet, I've been in maintenance for about 6 months now, I've even stopped tracking my food, I'm just applying what I learned when I was counting calories and have been able to maintain. With plenty of carbs. Dessert last night was a home made raspberry smoothie.

domgibson88

Well my "rant" was from one specific post where someone sugested low carb and another person said quote "your wrong" just had to put my two cents in lol

missh1967

Awesome. You found what works for you and keeps you happy and satisfied. Nothing at all wrong with that.

On the other side, I get tired of people demonizing carbs. I eat 50-65% carbs, low fat, and moderate protein, which keeps me VERY happy and satisfied. It's what I prefer and what my body responds best to.

Each person has to find the macro ratio that works best.

queenliz99

domgibson88 wrote: »

Well my "rant" was from one specific post where someone sugested low carb and another person said quote "your wrong" just had to put my two cents in lol

Which thread?

Maxematics

Except your rant has no basis because when most people talk about low carb, they are not speaking about a slight shift in macronutrients nor playing with macronutrients for personal satiety. They're talking about banning all "bad" carbs, which don't exist by the way, and only eating a small amount of complex carbs if at all.

I personally find that I do best with a higher fat/protein percentage on most days myself, but does that mean I'm going to recommend my personal macro split to others? Nope. Sometimes I'm just fine on a 50C, 30F, 20P split, other times my body craves a 30C, 40F, 30P split. That all has to do with my personal needs depending on what exercises I've done that day, my menstrual cycle, etc.

When people are struggling with feeling full, one of the first things recommended here is to make sure that person is getting enough fat and protein in their diet so I don't know which forum you've been reading but it sure can't be this one. The only time I see anyone discourage anything related to low carb is when someone posts they aren't losing weight regardless of doing everything "right" and someone comes along suggesting to cut carbs as if that's the solution and not the improper logging, underestimation of food intake and/or overestimation of exercise calories that's hindering the person to begin with.

Furthermore, unless you are severely obese, you did not lose six pounds of fat in two and a half weeks; you lost mostly water with a bit of fat. This is another reason people get all aboard the low carb hype train. They lose a bunch of water weight within the first few weeks, it tapers off, they reintroduce carbs, "gain" weight and all of a sudden they're back to square one. If eating less carbs works for your hunger levels then that's great for you and keep doing what you're doing, but in the end the only thing that will work for you and everyone else that wants to lose weight is a calorie deficit, regardless of your personal macro split.

DebSozo

kgirlhart wrote: »

domgibson88 wrote: »

So, I'm sick of when people on here say they are struggling and someone on here suggests low carb and then another person berates them and says it's all about calories eat as much as you want but stay within the calories but heres the thing, did that and could not stay within my calories because carbs don't keep me satiated....they satisfy for an hour then I'm hungry again.. For example I used to have cheerios for breakfast but by first break at work (930) I was starving and usually grabbed a cookie or bag of chips...now I have 3 scrambled eggs with salsa (more calories) but I'm good till lunch!!I may have a small healthy snack like some Spitz or a handful of almonds but that's it!!!Now I'm not saying this works for everyone but I've lost 6 pounds in 2 and a half weeks doing this, it's working for me...so when someone on here suggests low care it is a VALID suggestion...the whole "eat whatever you want and stay within calorie goal" is not the ultimate answer so don't be quick to judge someone's suggestion.. Different lifestyles work for different people.

...When people give the "eat whatever you want and stay in your calorie goal" answer that is usually in response to someone who has told someone that they need to "cut carbs, sugar, eat clean... whatever". You need to find what works for you and eat what you like that is in your calorie goal. You said it yourself, different lifestyles work for different people.

I don't really see a lot of people on here saying that low carb is not a valid suggestion, just that it isn't necessary unless you have medical reasons for going low carb.

@kgirlhart The way you framed it is perfectly acceptable. However try putting it out there that cutting out sugar and going low carb is an option to try, and there are plenty who think low carb is a bad idea and will say that you can eat sweets and fit in cakes, etc and will fight a duel with you.

Edited typo

Seffell

All you're saying here is that high fat and protein keep you full for longer.