Calories in/Calories out vs. low carb
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I lost 95 lbs just focusing on eating a delicious, satisfying and generally health conscious diet with room for my favorite not so nutritious foods too. I did not cut carbs, and mostly ignored how much fat or carbs I ate (I focused on calories and at first watched protein to make sure I was getting the amount I wanted, and also focus on eating a good amount of vegetables at all meals).
Like others have said, I love lots of nutrient-dense foods that happen to be largely carbs (like fruit), and I also like to eat lots of plant sources of foods and seasonally (it's one thing that makes eating healthfully extra enjoyable to me), and that means eating what is available now, even if carb dense. I get a lot of my produce from a subscription to a local farm, and it would be a bummer to have to give away all the local in-season corn (back in the summer -- I'm in IL, so there was lots and it was GOOD) or the potatoes and other root veg now, so on. I'm also a pasta lover and find pasta one of the easiest bases for a super healthy and delicious meal based on lean meat and vegetables.
I think low carb is fine for those who want to do it and who think that eating in other ways (like how I eat) would be unsatisfying, but I would not enjoy it and don't see why anyone would force themselves to do it. You certainly don't have to to lose weight, so the people telling you that don't know what they are talking about.
Oh, and if anyone claims that "fats are more filling" as if it was a general rule, you've learned that you can ignore them. What is filling depends on the person, and if you aren't struggling with hunger it's not an issue anyway (and if you are on average most respond to protein and fiber, although I'd also try cutting down on refined carbs and see what more fat does). I don't have hunger issues, so eat as much fat as I want (usually around 30% of my calories, although I don't really track it so that's a rough estimate), but from experimenting fat is completely non satiating to me and one of the few meals I will find non-satisfying is something high fat and lower protein (and low fiber). I'm way less likely to get hungry soon on a higher carb meal with some fiber and protein too.3 -
I have lost 145+ lbs eating largely a 60 carb/ 20 protein/ 20 fat split. I love bread, pizza, pasta, all the carbs. I eat more of a 40/30/30 split now as I have less calories to work with then before but I still love carbs the best and lose weight just fine.4
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I've lost about 110 pounds in the last 20 months while eating the MFP default macro split of 50% carbs, 20% protein, and 30% fat. That macro split worked well with my preferred way of eating.
IMO, the easiest way to sustain a calorie deficit is to stay as close to your normal way of eating as possible. Create the deficit with reduced portions and/or by substituting calorie-dense foods with similar foods that you like.6 -
I have counted calories since 2013...and lost 50+lbs and kept it off continuing to count...
it works...3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »
CICO is just the math...it's not a "diet"...it's just the math and is applicable to any and all diets. Low carb is just one of many ways to put you into a deficit (meaning your CI<CO). Calorie counting isn't CICO...calorie counting is calorie counting and another one of many ways to help you achieve a calorie deficit.
I lost about 20 Lbs just watching what I ate and exercising on the regular and another 20 Lbs counting calories. I'm personally not a fan of elimination diets in general.
Yep. I have a relative whose success on Atkins ended the day he discovered low-carb snack bars at Cosco. He managed to eat more calories than he expended, even doing low carb.0 -
If I went low carb without tracking calories, I'd just overeat fatty salty treats like I was doing in the first place.3
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Low carb is a way to CICO.5
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First and foremost, find what you enjoy and you can stick to. That being said, I've lost 115 pounds since last July doing 50-60% of my calories as carbs... because that's what works for me.5
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I do low carbs and I count calories.
If you want to loose weight you simply need to find a way of eating that is sustainable for you in the long term.
For some this is LCHF, some do well on weight watchers, some simply count calories. You'll find the common denominator for everyone who has lost weight and kept it off, has found a way to eat that agrees with them and their chosen lifestyle.3 -
For those wondering about my post - look up the effects of low carb diets and prolonged caloric deficit on leptin and the metabolism.0
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Also look up the need for adequate protein while in a caloric deficit to reduce muscle loss.0
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I lost 130 lbs simply by counting calories. I didn't focus too much on macros.5
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CICO. I don't believe in depriving myself of something necessary. (And tasty)5
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tlflag1620 wrote: »CICO is the underlying principal behind all diets. No matter what style of eating you choose, if you want to lose weight, calories in must be lower than calories out. Full stop.
I prefer low carb for a couple reasons - first of all, I find the foods very filling and satiating so I end up spontaneously reducing intake without trying, and maintenance is effortless (I just eat when I'm hungry no stop when I'm full; LC allows me to trust my hunger cues in a way I never could on a more standard diet). Second, it made my eczema disappear. I'm not sure what the culprit was but it's a nice ancillary bonus. Third, I don't have to count or log anything anymore. After a few weeks of logging and getting a sense of the carb content of various foods, I gained confidence and didn't need to track anymore. I find that very liberating. All that said, the reason I lost 50 lbs and kept it off for three years is because my CI was less than my CO. You have to find what you like (oh, and for what it's worth I never went "ultra" low carb, or keto; I eat between 50-80 g of carbs per day). Whatever you do you have to be able to do it long term. I could see myself passing on the bread and pasta the rest of my life a lot easier than I could see myself weighing and measuring and counting every calorie the rest of my life. For me it was a pretty easy choice, especially once I got past the initial "OMG what can I eat" ...
^This could be me. I suffered terribly on high carb. The LCHF diet changed me. I dove in and did keto for a month. This mended something somehow. My stomach flattened out, the cravings broke away and my appetite blunted, and most of all it "cured" my sugar cravings. The first two withdrawal weeks were tough. But once I got adapted to low carb it became effortless.
Actually I haven't "counted" calories since. Intuitive dieting started back for me. Natural satiety happened, and I know true hunger vs cravings. I couldn't maintain keto, but I did continue with "lower" carb. I still choose low glycemic snd lower carb foods and enjoy the benefits. I do a bit of a combo with low carb lunch and moderate carb dinner and am thrilled and feel like "me" again. (edited typos)
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I'm in the weight loss through moderation camp. I don't eliminate any foods although I do reprioritize a bit towards leaner proteins. I've lost weight at a fairly steady 1.2 pounds a week for 4 months and have logged everyday. My diary is public, feel free to flip through. I routinely eat icecream, cookies, muffins, pizza, Chinese noodles, fried foods etc etc....it's all in there. I just track it.
I don't feel hungry I don't feel deprived. What cravings I have I satisfy by eating those foods...in moderation.7 -
courtneyfabulous wrote: »For those wondering about my post - look up the effects of low carb diets and prolonged caloric deficit on leptin and the metabolism.
So you want us to do your homework for you? That's not how it works. You make claim, you cite sources. Telling us to "just google it yourselves" is pretty lazy.
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I feel like keto works best for me because I feel obligated to stick with it. I don't allow myself cheat days, since I'm worried I'll fall out of fat-adapted mode.3
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I lost 50 pounds since April of this year in Keto. I do count calories too. There are some LCHF people who don't count though and lose or maintain just fine. It's my preference for enhanced loss. However the benefits of decreasing my carb intake has been innumerable. I felt so much better than I had in years in just my first week of Keto that I can't imagine doing something else long term. Yes, I've slipped but find someone who has never slipped when dieting. Yeah...good luck. Most slip when changing - especially their way of eating. I've learned that I don't diet any longer. I eat differently now than I used to and it works for me. I don't want potatoes or noodles or rice any longer. I get physically ill when I eat sugar laden foods and have no cravings for them any longer. I check labels for the things I want to eat and for the things I don't want to eat. There are so many wonderful options for treats on LCHF than there ever were for me on any other way of eating.
I would suggest that anyone who thinks they want to explore LCHF should do exactly that. Look into it. Do your own research. Decide if the option is viable for you and then at what "severity level" is it viable in that...how severely do you want to decrease your carbs? My daughter is at 100 carbs a day and that works for her. I'm at 20 and that works for me. There are people higher and people lower. You have to do you and not be swayed when someone tells you "there is only one true way" because that is not at all correct.
It is also not correct that we need X number of carbs to live. Were that the case then the LCHF forum would have few to no members and certainly none with any history with this WOE because we'd all be sick, dead or dying. Right? Right. But we are not, we are actually, as a group, healthier than any group in which I've ever been a part (non scientific sources, just my observations based on my 20 plus years trying to lose weight with groups). Why? Because we each do it our own way that works for us. No judgement, no discrimination, no shame.
For me, YMMV.. I can't imagine eating any other way, just as for many of you, you can't imagine eating any other way than the way that you feel is best. The difference is I feel it's best for me, not for everyone. And so many of these posts above mine and on other threads similar just flat out state or clearly suggest that "my way is the best way and if you don't conform you'll fail". That simply is false, by the sheer fact of how human nature works, this belief is false.
Further, I suggest anyone who hasn't taken time to actually do the research and give LCHF (or whatever WOE you are contemplating)* a try should not make assumptions and over arching statements about that which you do not know first hand. Just sayin'.10 -
Seven years ago, I successfully lost 40 pounds counting calories and eating the "standard recommendation" 50% carbs, 20% protein, 30% fat for macros (give or take). Yes, I am back to calorie counting to lose weight again, but that isn't calorie counting's fault (or carbs' fault). I stopped counting due to several life events including two pregnancies.
So, anyway, back to counting and have lost 20+ pounds in about 3 months since I restarted counting. Still eating 50% carbs, 20% protein, 30% fat (give or take). My calorie allowance is high enough that I'm getting the grams of protein I need.
While great for some people, LCHF (low carb high fat) is not necessary for weight loss. Which is a good thing because I physically can't do it. I have fat tolerance issues (and have to work really hard to even get anywhere close to 30%) which mean that, for me, any low carb diet is effectively a VLCD (very low calorie diet) - and a very very bad idea.1 -
i've lost over 50 pounds while eating what i like, which includes pizza, potato chips and chocolate while weighing what i eat so i don't get crazy. i did put some weight back on when i stopped weighing and measuring, but i started again and things are going well - and i just finished a fudgecicle
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It's kind of like saying basketball or activity
Basketball is an activity
An activity can be basketball if that's what you like to play9 -
It's not a question of "vs" it's a question of if there needs to be an "and". If you are losing weight on a low carb diet, you are automatically in a calorie deficit. Now if you want to have a calorie deficit and eat a low carb diet, that is up to the individual. It's viable for some who enjoy eating that way, and not sustainable for those who don't. In some cases it creates a calorie deficit without having to count calories, in other cases the appetite reduction is not reliable enough and you need to continue counting calories along with eating low carb.
Personally I have lost more than 100 lbs eating a relatively high carb diet, so "everyone around you" can go running around in circles trying to explain how "the way to go" was not necessary or desirable in my case.2 -
188# down and never counted carbs.2
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It's not one size fits all. I am low carb but that's because I love the food I get to eat. I LOVE cheese, butter, cream bacon. I mean I LOVE them lol. I understand now that what made ME fat was the crackers, bread, pasta and sugar that I used to eat along side these things. So I've cut those things out, eat the things I LOVE and am losing weight. These foods satisfy me and fill me up. I feel as if every day is a cheat day.
I know that this is woe is not right for everyone, I get that. I know however that it is right for me
One friend starves all week then eat what she wants at the weekend. She's losing weight.
Another eats high carbs low fat, she's losing weight.
Who is to say who is right and who is wrong? It's gotta be what works for YOU.4 -
It's not one size fits all. I am low carb but that's because I love the food I get to eat. I LOVE cheese, butter, cream bacon. I mean I LOVE them lol. I understand now that what made ME fat was the crackers, bread, pasta and sugar that I used to eat along side these things. So I've cut those things out, eat the things I LOVE and am losing weight. These foods satisfy me and fill me up. I feel as if every day is a cheat day.
I know that this is woe is not right for everyone, I get that. I know however that it is right for me
One friend starves all week then eat what she wants at the weekend. She's losing weight.
Another eats high carbs low fat, she's losing weight.
Who is to say who is right and who is wrong? It's gotta be what works for YOU.
^exactly-- I tried high carb low fat and was miserable with being hungry all day. It took a lot of self control to maintain a deficit on that. With LCHF I'm naturally not hungry, can go long periods between meals and can even do IF. I never could have on high carb because I was driven to eat every three hours or suffer with fighting off hunger and a gnawing feeling in my stomach. I don't get that when I eat adequate healthy fats and low carbs.1 -
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It's not one size fits all. I am low carb but that's because I love the food I get to eat. I LOVE cheese, butter, cream bacon. I mean I LOVE them lol. I understand now that what made ME fat was the crackers, bread, pasta and sugar that I used to eat along side these things. So I've cut those things out, eat the things I LOVE and am losing weight. These foods satisfy me and fill me up. I feel as if every day is a cheat day.
I know that this is woe is not right for everyone, I get that. I know however that it is right for me
One friend starves all week then eat what she wants at the weekend. She's losing weight.
Another eats high carbs low fat, she's losing weight.
Who is to say who is right and who is wrong? It's gotta be what works for YOU.
^exactly-- I tried high carb low fat and was miserable with being hungry all day. It took a lot of self control to maintain a deficit on that. With LCHF I'm naturally not hungry, can go long periods between meals and can even do IF. I never could have on high carb because I was driven to eat every three hours or suffer with fighting off hunger and a gnawing feeling in my stomach. I don't get that when I eat adequate healthy fats and low carbs.
Curious...did you ever try something in between? Only two extremes of the spectrum?3 -
I've found that I do best on a lower (but not ultra-low) carb diet. I found that sticking to veggies and meat mainly seemed to work pretty well, but being able to put them in a low-carb tortilla or eat a potato once in a while just worked best for me.2
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cwolfman13 wrote: »It's not one size fits all. I am low carb but that's because I love the food I get to eat. I LOVE cheese, butter, cream bacon. I mean I LOVE them lol. I understand now that what made ME fat was the crackers, bread, pasta and sugar that I used to eat along side these things. So I've cut those things out, eat the things I LOVE and am losing weight. These foods satisfy me and fill me up. I feel as if every day is a cheat day.
I know that this is woe is not right for everyone, I get that. I know however that it is right for me
One friend starves all week then eat what she wants at the weekend. She's losing weight.
Another eats high carbs low fat, she's losing weight.
Who is to say who is right and who is wrong? It's gotta be what works for YOU.
^exactly-- I tried high carb low fat and was miserable with being hungry all day. It took a lot of self control to maintain a deficit on that. With LCHF I'm naturally not hungry, can go long periods between meals and can even do IF. I never could have on high carb because I was driven to eat every three hours or suffer with fighting off hunger and a gnawing feeling in my stomach. I don't get that when I eat adequate healthy fats and low carbs.
Curious...did you ever try something in between? Only two extremes of the spectrum?
That's what I'm doing now. I've been able to balance them more evenly. Thanks. 1 -
kenyonhaff wrote: »I've found that I do best on a lower (but not ultra-low) carb diet. I found that sticking to veggies and meat mainly seemed to work pretty well, but being able to put them in a low-carb tortilla or eat a potato once in a while just worked best for me.
I'm playing with those adjustments now. I did a keto type induction but have found that I can add some carbs with a meal.0
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