Low carb success?

CTMike1980mfp

Just trying to get advice on doing low carb to perhaps jump start my weight loss. I had success in the past on Atkins. Anyone have success by doing low carb? Any advice?

sbryanthc

I started Keto in early June starting weight at 184 and even with cheat days I am currently 162 lbs. I don't know if my metabolism has anything to do with it though because I've always been skinny my whole life. It was up until I got pregnant that I gained all that weight. The diet has not been easy specially coming out of every cheat day. But after a week or two bits easy to me.

livingleanlivingclean

CTMike1980mfp wrote: »

Just trying to get advice on doing low carb to perhaps jump start my weight loss. I had success in the past on Atkins. Anyone have success by doing low carb? Any advice?

The only "jump start" you get is the initial drop of water that comes with lowering your carb intake. There is no difference in rate of fat loss compared to if you were to eat more carbs. If it keeps you satiated, and you enjoy eating low carb, go for it but don't do it just because you think it's a "better" way to lose weight.

spiriteagle99

I did Atkins a couple of times in the past and was very successful. I lost the weight I wanted to lose (35 pounds). The second time was slower than the first, but still I got to my goal. The problem was, I couldn't sustain that way of eating over the long term. I like fruit, bread, sweets, etc. As soon as I went back to 'normal' eating, I gained back some of the weight. I also got to the point where I really didn't like some of the foods I had been eating to lose the weight. I did feel less hungry on a high protein diet than I do when I just count calories, but I also felt really restricted, so would cheat about once a week which slowed down my weight loss. Eventually I learned I do better by simply cutting back on my eating, with less restaurant meals and fewer treats, instead of doing a diet per se.

For you it depends on what foods you like and what you feel like you can live with for the rest of your life. Quick weight loss tends to lead to yoyo dieting if you don't learn how to create a long term sustainable lifestyle.

kyubeans

Only do it if you're intending to stay low carb for the rest of your life. I'm doing low carb because I have high blood glucose, and the changes I've made to my diet are what I intend to eat forever.

Even if you do lose weight on a low carb diet, once you start re-incorporating carbs, you'll have to re-teach yourself how to eat normal carb intake in a way to maintain/lose weight. Why undertake double the work if you can just start teaching yourself how to eat at a deficit while still incorporating carbs into your diet now, in the first place?

Hope I articulated that correctly. Good luck!

kristikitter

I used to eat low-carb kind of by accident (I was just cooking for me, so I never bothered buying potatoes or huge amounts of pasta, and bread used to go bad before I got through the whole loaf so I switched to cream crackers). I was reaaallly slim, as I got a lot of walking in and never seemed to get hunger cravings.

Went low-carb again very recently and the hunger cravings have disappeared

Polo265

A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with high blood glucose and began eating low carb for that reason. At the time, I was only a few pounds overweight. I lost that weight and more. Fast forward to September, 2016 when I hurt my shoulder. I couldn't do the activities I was used to doing (golf, pickleball, etc) and became depressed and started eating more carbs. I had shoulder surgery in January and became more depressed and ate more food and carbs. My blood sugar skyrocketed and I gained 35 pounds since Sept, 2016. Anyway, this last week I began eating low carb again to get my blood sugar under control and hopefully begin to lose all that weight. Like Kyucifer, I have to eat low carb to maintain a satisfactory blood glucose. I'm trying to add more exercise also.

ZoneFive

I keep low(er) carb because of diabetes. I do eat bread, pasta, cake, cookies, sweet things, just not as much as I used to -- which is a change I'm very happy to make. I try to plan for it so there's room in my calories & macros for the carbs, but at the same time I don't panic if I go over my numbers once in a while. If there's no flexibility in a system, it tends to break down sooner rather than later.

Edited to add: All of this is to say I've lost nearly 50 lbs over six months, I feel terrific, my bloodwork's great, and I'm happy with the way things are going.

ksz1104

I had to switch to lower carbs due to diabetes. It has been a struggle, and I'm not completely carb free, but cutting out sweetened drinks and eating most meals with little or no carbs really helped control my sugar and I lost about 30 lbs in 6 months just by changing diet.

kshama2001

I don't like externally imposed rules. Phase 1 of South Beach is considered low carb, yes? I lasted less than a week on it.

Reducing baked goods and bread made from flour, and increasing exercise, helps me create a deficit.

DharmainHeels

I do keto and lost 15 lbs the first month - I haven't weighed myself yet this week but I continue to lose. I love it. I am doing LOW carb - not "no carb" - so I try and keep it under 30 grams a day and so far I am happy with the results. Feel free to follow me if you want.

ZoneFive

kshama2001 wrote: »

I don't like externally imposed rules. Phase 1 of South Beach is considered low carb, yes? I lasted less than a week on it.

Reducing baked goods and bread made from flour, and increasing exercise, helps me create a deficit.

Agreed. If asked, I say I'm watching my sugars and starches, because "low carb" always raises a ruckus. My rules are my own, not Dr. Atkins' or anyone else.

DharmainHeels

ZoneFive wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

I don't like externally imposed rules. Phase 1 of South Beach is considered low carb, yes? I lasted less than a week on it.

Reducing baked goods and bread made from flour, and increasing exercise, helps me create a deficit.

Agreed. If asked, I say I'm watching my sugars and starches, because "low carb" always raises a ruckus. My rules are my own, not Dr. Atkins' or anyone else.

Yes nothing causes more of a reaction like saying you are low carb!!! LOL

nvmomketo

I started very low carb (ketogenic ~ 20 g of carbs a day) for health reasons. I dreaded it at first. I loved carbs but the the science behind the diet was too much for me to ignore with insulin resistance and autoimmune inflammation. I started it a little over two years ago and have been low carb (mostly keto) since then.

Keto has worked for me. I lost almost 40 lbs rather easily. My appetite gets blunted and my carb cravings are diminished. I also seem to lose a bit faster than I would on a higher carb diet. My health is better so I stay low carb.

There is no real jump start to a diet though. If you drop carbs a lot, your insulin will fall and you will lose water weight. That's often an extra few pounds gone in the first week or so. Be sure to increase sodium to 3000-5000 mg per day to prevent low electrolytes - you'll lose electrolytes with the water. That's about 2 teaspoons of salt per day.

Try the Low Carber Daily MFP group for more info from people who have done low carb successfully. Good luck.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

cheryldumais

I did low carb many times and always lost weight but gained it back when I started eating "normally". I have lost 86 pounds eating low calorie and have been logging and losing for a year and a half. I expect to be at my goal soon as I only have 7 pounds left to lose. I haven't been this thin since high school and I'm 60 years old! I can eat like this for the rest of my life but I never could have done that with low carb. I usually lasted a month or two on low carb. After that I felt like I would sell my soul for a potato, lol. Good luck, if it works for you there's nothing wrong with it but the best thing I've done this time around is find something I can live with for the rest of my life.

cwolfman13

When I'm cutting weight, I tend to drop carbs by default...whether I'm maintaining or losing, my protein and fat stays relatively constant, so something has to give. I don't do extreme low carb like keto or anything like that...when I'm cutting weight I'm usually around 130 grams to maybe 150 grams of carbs depending on the day.

I don't count calories or anything, so when I cut weight I typically remove grains or starches from most of my lunches and dinners but will make exceptions here and there...usually have my grains or starches with my breakfast when cutting...the rest of my carbs come from piles of veg and fruit.

jdwils14

I try to stay lower carb, but don't want to completely exclude them. I usually will lose them for recovery, when I get in a rhythm.

As for breads, I am in love with Nature's Own Life brand, especially the Wheat+Protein variety. Very little carbs (as breads go), no HFCS, and chock fulla protein from whey and soy.

tjones0411

I did very low carb (20g net carbs or less per day) about 2 years ago and lost nearly 20 pounds. Since then I've upped my carbs and have still been able to keep the weight off with no trouble. I guess I'm still low-carb by definition, usually getting around 75g per day most days. I find it a very satisfying way to eat and easy to stick within my calorie range.