Weight loss question

buffiebr
buffiebr Posts: 3 Member
edited November 22 in Health and Weight Loss
Which Is better low cal or low carb?

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Neither

    A calorie deficit is necessary for weight loss but doesn't require either of those.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    buffiebr wrote: »
    Which Is better low cal or low carb?

    I've tried low carb - I lost weight because it reduced my overall calorie intake. However, because I had no intention of eating that way after weight loss (and I didn't plan a second strategy for maintenance) ....I gained the weight back.

    You could use the same strategy for weight loss and maintenance.....just reduce overall calories.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    Neither

    A calorie deficit is necessary for weight loss but doesn't require either of those.

    Exactly.
  • AidenT94
    AidenT94 Posts: 39 Member
    Personally, high carb, high protein, and low fat seem to be working for me. It all comes down to experimenting with what works best for you. Also, I eat back a good 50-75% of my exercise calories... I'd be dying on 1200 calories a day.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    For weight loss a calorie deficit is required no matter what macro split you choose.

    For me, Low carb worked better, because it facilitated the low calories/deficit as it kept my appetite/cravings under control. It's easy to lose weight when you don't have to deal with over the top hunger and cravings.
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 948 Member
    Do something you can do for the rest of your life aka maintenance so if you can maintain a low carb diet for the rest of your life then go for it. If not, do something else. As long as you remain within your calories.
  • Blythmag
    Blythmag Posts: 252 Member
    I started logging end of Aug , im on 1750 calories a day, im 5'6 and exercise gently (walk) at least 4-5 times a week , that gives me a 1lb a weeek loss and ive gone from 13st 11 to 12st 11 present, ive tried low carb diets but put any loss straight back on and some, yes they work but only if you stick to it for a long time.This calorie counting is safe and works for me, keep it simple and you can change ya body and life.
  • jagilmour
    jagilmour Posts: 13 Member
    I'm also a short female so mfp gives me 1200 Cals/ day.
    I prefer high protein, lower carb (not no carbs do have some) as i can feel more full on a lower total calorie intake, I find protein keeps me full longer than carbs. If I exercise I eat a proportion of my exercise cals back and would have carbs post exercise. I also don't bother much if I'm a bit over 1200, as still loosing weight, might be a bit slower some days I'm full on 1200 others starving then I'll eat more.
    I've lost 19lbs in 3months doing this.
  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
    edited November 2017
    I will chime in here....

    So, the title of this post is "Weight Loss question". So, I am going to take a leap of faith and proceed with the assumption that the question is all about losing weight.

    To answer OPs question - point, blank and period - to lose weight you need to take in fewer calories than you burn. Pretty simple. Now, not easy sometimes. But, pretty dang simple.

    So, calories in < calories out.

    So, you are in a caloric deficit.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++NERD ALERT++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    So, here are some details - for those who are interested.....

    However, how do you know how many calories your burn? I mean, if the point here is calories in are less than calories out, what are my "calories out"? I have to know that number to ensure that I have a lower total for my calories in, right?

    Since I really don't use MFP for this, I will show a different approach. Not trying to confuse anyone. But, this is "the math" behind this game! And, once you know "the math" you can easily transfer the concepts to MFP. It is all the same everywhere....just packaged a little differently.

    So, logic tells us that if we have a calories in = calories out situation then we will neither gain nor lose. That is called maintenance. And, there is a formula for the "calories out" part. So, let's look at that.

    TDEE (or, Total Daily Energy Expenditure) consists of four things:

    1. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
    2. Physical Activity Level
    3. NEAT (Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis)
    4. TEF (Thermal Effect of Food)

    So, knowing that number will give us our maintenance.

    BMR is the amount of energy that your body - which, if you think about it, is a system of systems - needs to do the things that it does. Our bodies are always doing something. There is a need constantly.

    PAL is the level of exercise (training) that we do. There are several levels (Sedentary, Light Exercise, Moderate Exercise, Very Active, Athlete) that determine "how much more" energy we need.

    NEAT is kinda cool. It is all of the non-training "walking around" that we do in our every day lives. So, cleaning the house, walking the dog, raking up all of those leaves that are now everywhere, mowing the yard (come on, man - get a push mower and enjoy!), etc etc etc.

    TEF is simply the energy that our bodies need to actually digest the food that we eat.


    You can use an on-line TDEE Calculator and plug in your gender, your age, your height and your weight and you will get a set of numbers (one for BMR and then for each of the PALs). However, this is an estimation and you would need to play with nutrition for a few weeks - using this number as the starting point - to find what YOUR actual maintenance caloric needs are. The on-line calculator gives you a really good start....you need to take ownership, though, and find out what that value is for YOU. I use one and it is actually pretty close. Not quite right, but pretty close.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++END OF NERD ALERT+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    So, to lose one pound of body weight you need to take in 3,500 calories less than you need for the week. In other words, you need to be in a caloric deficit of 500 calories every day for seven days. If you do that, then you - all things being equal - will lose one pound. If you do that for 10 weeks then you will lose 10 lbs.

    Now, how those calories look is up to everyone to determine. What I mean by that is that everyone can determine the macro-nutrient content of their caloric intake. And, this is where all of the "fad diets" come into play.

    In general, your caloric intake is composed of food. And, each food that we eat has a macro-nutrient value. So, Protein, Carbs and Fats.

    We break down our caloric intake into those three things. That is what someone is really saying when they talk about "hitting my macros for the day".

    So, their 2,200 Calories are broken down into 200g of Protein, 85g of Carbs and 115g of Fat.

    The general rule is that your Protein will be pretty consistent. If I am a 205lb male then I will likely be right around 200g of Protein a day. The rest of my Calories will clearly come from Carbs and Fats. I can find the ratio of Carbs | Fats that suits my tastes and needs.

    I am doing a lower carb thing due to a high A1C Value. So, the numbers that I used above (200P/85C/115F) are pretty close to my actual macros (on days that I do not train). On days that I train I increase my Carbs and lower my Fats and I am playing with Carb Timing (I time my Carb intake around my training sessions).

    Anyway, if someone is doing a low Carb Diet, then they will have a higher % of Fats

    Again, Protein intake should be pretty consistent. The general rule is 1g of Protein for each lb of body weight (I actually suggest of lean body mass, which takes body fat levels into account....but that is just me....let's keep it simple, here).

    For most people, finding what ratio works best for you is something that takes experimentation. I love carbs. They just don't love me. Everyone is different. Every body has different needs. We all need to find out what works best for ourselves. And, doing what I do may or may not help you.

    So, if you love carbs (and they love you back) then by all means enjoy! Just keep in mind that we all need Fats (fats help to regulate hormones....these pesky things like grehlin, cortisol, leptin, testosterone, estrogen, et al). We need to ensure that we get enough Fats.

    I am a creature of habit when it comes to the foods that I eat. And, I truly enjoy the food that I eat. Not everyone can do this, though. For most, variety is the spice of life. Figure out what works for you and go with that.

    Dang, I am going to have to pay a publisher for this......wrapping it up now. Hope that all makes sense.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Low carb was helpful to me in terms of curbing cravings, but only a calorie deficit will cause weight loss.
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