Carb vs Calorie Range

gooz71

If I only pay attention to my carb totals on MFP and ignore when I go over my calorie range (but stay below my carb range) will I still lose weight? Has anyone tried this?

quiksylver296

Not if you do it consistently. Calories for weight loss, always and forever.

callsitlikeiseeit

i could eat a *kitten* ton of no carb stuff and go over in calories.

no reason to monitor carbs unless you have a health condition.

RecognitionT

If you go in a caloric surplus (more calories than required to maintain your current weight), you'll inevitably gain weight, whether it comes from carbs, proteins, fats, alcohols, or any combination thereof.

GrumpyHeadmistress

3500 calories worth of pure protein, sugar and fat will make you gain weight even if you never eat 1g of carbs. Low carb diets are just another way of limiting calories in. You still have to pay attention to calories consumed.

JaydedMiss

if you go over your set calories no you wont lose as much weight as you set. You need to watch calories not carbs.

cwolfman13

gooz71 wrote: »

If I only pay attention to my carb totals on MFP and ignore when I go over my calorie range (but stay below my carb range) will I still lose weight? Has anyone tried this?

You will lose weight if you are in a calorie deficit...so it would depend on how many calories you go over as your target is your deficit...a little over and you'd still be in a deficit, just a smaller one.

If you eat maintenance calories you will maintain regardless of carbs...if you eat in a surplus you will gain, regardless of carbs...if you eat in a calorie deficit you will lose, regardless of carbs.

AnvilHead

Calories matter. Carbs don’t.

LivingtheLeanDream

AnvilHead wrote: »

Calories matter. Carbs don’t.

Nicely put

gooz71

I have heard of so many people who eat a no carb diet of meats/cheese/beans/greens etc. that is high in calories and they still lose weight. Never watching their calorie intake, just their carb intake.

estherdragonbat

I sometimes go over my carbs, but so long as I'm under my calories, the weight comes off.

estherdragonbat

cwolfman13

gooz71 wrote: »

I have heard of so many people who eat a no carb diet of meats/cheese/beans/greens etc. that is high in calories and they still lose weight. Never watching their calorie intake, just their carb intake.

They're losing weight because they're in a calorie deficit...when you essentially eliminate and entire macro-nutrient, you're going to cut a lot of calories. Do keto or low carb is just a vehicle that some use to arrive at a calorie deficit...some still have to watch calories, while others will simply default to a calorie deficit by essentially eliminating and entire macro.

You don't have to count calories to lose weight...but you do have to be in a deficit. I'm cutting my winter fat right now...I do not count calories...I use other vehicles to arrive at my calorie deficit to cut weight.

AnvilHead

gooz71 wrote: »

I have heard of so many people who eat a no carb diet of meats/cheese/beans/greens etc. that is high in calories and they still lose weight. Never watching their calorie intake, just their carb intake.

If they lost weight, they were in a caloric deficit. Simple as that. You do not lose weight if you’re consuming more calories than you’re expending.

Keto is not magic and does not defy the laws of energy balance, despite what some of the woo peddlers and zealots may say.

ccrdragon

AnvilHead wrote: »

gooz71 wrote: »

I have heard of so many people who eat a no carb diet of meats/cheese/beans/greens etc. that is high in calories and they still lose weight. Never watching their calorie intake, just their carb intake.

If they lost weight, they were in a caloric deficit. Simple as that. You do not lose weight if you’re consuming more calories than you’re expending.

Keto is not magic and does not defy the laws of energy balance, despite what some of the woo peddlers and zealots may say.

Besides, beans and greens = carbs (maybe not a lot in terms of the greens, but still carbs).

WinoGelato

gooz71 wrote: »

I have heard of so many people who eat a no carb diet of meats/cheese/beans/greens etc. that is high in calories and they still lose weight. Never watching their calorie intake, just their carb intake.

As others have said, whether they watch it or not, if they are losing weight they are in a calorie deficit.

Also, a no carb diet would basically be meat and oil. Cheese, beans, greens etc - all have carbs in them.

toxikon

When you hear stories like "I lost 100lbs on keto and never counted calories!" it's usually:

a.) Men who have a higher calorie requirement in general than women
b.) Heavily overweight/obese people with a lot of weight to lose

They didn't have to count calories because shifting their diet from heavily processed, calorie-dense, non-satiating carby foods to satiating fats, proteins and greens naturally filled them up and prevented them from over-eating.

They may have felt like they were eating more, especially if they added a lot of leafy greens to their diet, but odds are, they were eating at a calorie deficit without knowing it, and just incorrectly attributing their weight loss to keto.

As a small woman, I did lose weight while doing keto for a year... BECAUSE I also tracked my calories. Keto foods were filling and I found it easier to eat less, but I could've easily eaten above my TDEE in cheese, bacon and steaks if I wasn't tracking calories.

LebaneseBear

There's a strain of keto dieting that says "eat fat to satiety"; those who follow that line of thought find themselves stalling, because in the end, calories is king (plus they go a bit low on their protein, which is very satiating as well).

gooz71

Thanks guys!

ladyhusker39

It sounds like you're saying "do carbs make you fat"? The answer is no.