Did you start low carb but switch to low calorie??

22dream

i keep seeing a lot of posts about low carb isnt something someone can do for a long time, i get kinda nervous that maybe its not sustainable ..... so i was thinking maybe do atkins for 3 months to give my self a good start and then switch to low calorie when i feel comfortable FOR A LIFE TIME CHANGE

HAS ANYONE DONE THIS AND HAD SUCCESS??
IS THERE ANYONE WITH YEARS OF LOW CARB LIFE CHANGE ??

BrainyBurro

you don't need a gimmick diet.

all weight loss is about calorie deficits. if you count calories accurately and ingest fewer calories than you burn, you'll lose weight.

anybody who tells you anything more complicated than that is full of you know what.

except for medical reasons or personal taste or expense, there's no reason you have to cut any foods out of your dietary intake.

some people find some carbs to fuel their hunger, so perhaps there are some foods you may want to scale back on if your willpower is lacking, but you can still eat carbs in sufficient quantities to make you happy, while losing weight.

for example, bagels and pasta seem to fuel my hunger. i've cut way down on pasta, but i love bagels and still eat them.

anemoneprose

I dabbled in a gimmick a few years ago, and I can't say it *didn't* do anything. Like it got me used to eating and preferring nicer things. I did South Beach. Only lasted on whatever the first phase for a couple of days [maybe it was a week, I did lose water]*, but stuck with the "phase 2" or whatever for a while. It's not the only way I eat, but it did shift my taste a bit.

(The phase 2 is: lean meats, veg, pulses, and 2 pieces of fruit max/day; limited whole grain stuff, limited dairy. That part is really not a gimmick imo.)

* I lost some water and went completely nuts.

notdebby

My husband had to be put on a low carb diet back in April and since I had some pounds to lose decided to try it too. I lost close to 20 pounds in 2 months (May and June) but it didn't really work for me because I got super depressed. At the beginning of this month I was also getting physically ill. Those first two weeks and maybe the last week of June, I had hit a plateau too. So I've switched to low calorie, moderate carbs. In the two weeks since the switch, I've lost 2 more pounds so it's not as fast as what it was while I was low carbing but I feel so much better and have so much more energy.

My husband is still low carbing and it seems to be working for him. He feels great and is still steadily losing but at about the same rate I am now so maybe if I'd stuck with it, I'd be where I am now anyway but just feeling like crap. Obviously, I can't help you with years since this has only been months for both of us.

Delicate

Low carb can be low calorie.

I'm generally low carb constantly for the past few years (under 70), my dr ordered me to do it, my health is more important to me, than alot of food tastes.*

*I've pcos and told im prediabetic

Plus without eating all the carbs and sweet things (that were reacting bad to me) my tastes have changed alot.

mookybargirl

I've probably done what a lot of people have. I haven't really cut down on anything specifically. Just had what I wanted and counted calories religiously.....

I so think everyone is different though and you should do whatever you think will work for you as you're more likely to stick with something that you actually want to do. :flowerforyou:

TheVimFuego

I did 9 months very low carb then switched to a more balanced deal for variety.

I'm glad I low carbed as it seemed to sort out my incessant hunger issues. I can easily maintain a good deficit these days, sometimes my issue is getting enough food.

I counted calories on low carb too, at the end of the day the deficit is the thing that will drop the weight.

Kymmu

I did super low carb - 30 g or under for 2 years.
At first I felt good and lost weight, but after a while I really, really missed fruit and vegetables in reasonable amounts.
I also felt edgy and stressed.
Now I eat huge amount of both fruit and vegetables. - no bread, or cookies cakes pasta though.
my carb count is well over 120 most days - but it's all plants.
I feel great and didn't even gain weight, which I was scared of.
This way of eating suits me better.

22dream

THANK U GUYS SO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT ITS GREAT TO GET RESPONSES AND SUPPORT.....

Faery_Dust

I switch between the two from time to time (but eat less than TDEE on both). I do seem to lose a little more on low carb even if eating the same amount of calories as on a low fat diet and don't feel anywhere near as hungry. But I find low carb a little too restrictive for me so like to swtich it up a bit.

mushroomsontoast

Vice versa, I went from low-cal to low-carb, which I much prefer.

Each to his own - what suits Peter may not necessarily suit Paul

I kept it up for around 3 years until slowly creeping into bad ways; others I know have happily kept it up for many years.

A common misconception is that low-carb dieters have to survive on minimal carbs forever, which is wrong. Just like calorie counting, carbs can be increased (slowly) over time in order to maintain weight, even incorporating things that were forbidden before, ie bread, potatoes.

It is completely do-able, but the same as low fat/low cal, not for all

Noiram55

i keep seeing a lot of posts about low carb isnt something someone can do for a long time, i get kinda nervous that maybe its not sustainable ..... so i was thinking maybe do atkins for 3 months to give my self a good start and then switch to low calorie when i feel comfortable FOR A LIFE TIME CHANGE

HAS ANYONE DONE THIS AND HAD SUCCESS??
IS THERE ANYONE WITH YEARS OF LOW CARB LIFE CHANGE ??

GamerGirly

Low carb is not a "gimmick diet"

It works great for some but not for all. Everyone is different. Everyone responds differently.

Here are some GREAT links that will answer any questions you have

Regarding Ketosis:
http://josepharcita.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/guide-to-ketosis.html

Regarding Effects of Low Carbs:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_effects_of_not_eating_enough_carbohydrates&isLookUp=1#Q=what%
20are%20the%20effects%20of%20not%20eating%20enough%20carbohydrates

Regarding Metabolism Structure:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/a-metabolic-paradigm-shift-fat-carbs-human-body-metabolism/#axzz2aXS2VY1W

mrmagee3

I went from low-cal, which I hated, to low-carb, which I love and find much easier to stick to. I also recognize other health benefits from the switch.