Low Carb Help!

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agrube1968
agrube1968 Posts: 132 Member
edited May 2018 in Motivation and Support
Hey everyone. I have been trying to get back on track with low carb and having a hard time. I was wondering if anyone does carb cycling or anything like that? Do you limit your carbs to say 30-50 grams EVERYDAY or do you have some low carb days and then some higher carb days? I'm just trying to find a routine that works for me. The ultimate goal of course is to lose weight and I know I will lose faster if I stay very low carb; but I want this to be a lifestyle change and something I can live with. So to say that I will never eat a piece of bread again, or mashed potatoes etc. is just crazy. I want to be realistic ya know. Would also love to hear from anyone who has ate around 150 carbs or less per day and has lost a significant amount of weight. I have over 100 lbs. to lose and want to do it the healthy way; not just something where I lose quick but then get discouraged and quit and end up gaining my weight back. So any help or advise you all can give me would be greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
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    Low carb is also anything under 150g a day. Why not choose something that fits your lifestyle and not be so strict? 30-50 would be keto.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
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    Here is some info on carb cycling: https://www.livestrong.com/article/558001-carb-cycling-for-fat-loss/

    That said.. why? My carbs do tend to end up under 150g on most days, but that's just how it works out rather than something I actively aim for. As long as you finish your day or average your week in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. There are actually some who go high carb for weight loss and still do it.. as long as they are in a calorie deficit.

    As @cathipa stated, find something that works best for you and go with it. You needn't cut out anything, nor cut that far down on carbs.
  • agrube1968
    agrube1968 Posts: 132 Member
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    cathipa wrote: »
    Low carb is also anything under 150g a day. Why not choose something that fits your lifestyle and not be so strict? 30-50 would be keto.

    I have always been told that Keto is like 30 or less carbs per day.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    agrube1968 wrote: »
    cathipa wrote: »
    Low carb is also anything under 150g a day. Why not choose something that fits your lifestyle and not be so strict? 30-50 would be keto.

    I have always been told that Keto is like 30 or less carbs per day.

    Yeah...that's keto...utra low carb. There's a whole range of carb intake that would constitute low carb though. You don't have to keto to be low carb.
  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
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    General comments....

    Carbs are not the enemy, generally speaking. I tried the Keto Diet for a few months and LOVED LOVED LOVED it but had a really hard time in the gym. Performance sucked. I have high A1C so there was a medical reason for heavily reducing my carb intake. I am not a carb-basher by any means. I was about 25g of Carbs a day. Very low. Lost about 9lbs and tightened up (it was "water weight" mostly). Loved loved loved the Keto Diet....bacon and cheese....yummy stuff!

    Anyway, I am now doing about 120g of carbs a day (just very recently started) and performance in the gym is much better. And, I am eating just a few types of carbs (I am a creature of habit so this is not a problem for me.....I find a few things - sweat potato and brown rice at the moment - and stick with that). I just eat one cup of brown rice a day now....dry weight to be clear.....and the one sweat potato. I do "Carb Timing" - which is to say that I eat before and after my training session (which is generally at my lunch break).

    Find what works for you. The Carb Timing might be something to consider if you have gym performance issues like I do. Carb Cycling might help, too. I believe that I mentioned "re-feed" in your other post.

    I played with all of this stuff before doing anything. In other words, I ran experiements on myself to see how my body responded. I learned a lot. If I might suggest anything to you, it is to keep an open mind about things and to NOT be afraid to experiment. Everyone is different....sure, there is a nice bell curve for most things and most of us fall within the biggest part of that bell curve. But, there are people outside that (like me in some regards).

    Play with things....experiment. That is how you KNOW. What should happen and what happens with you - not always the same thing (I can sing a song or two about that).
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
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    The USDA states, that anything under 45% of calories from carbs is considered low.
  • emilytimandjojo
    emilytimandjojo Posts: 2 Member
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    agrube1968 wrote: »
    cathipa wrote: »
    Low carb is also anything under 150g a day. Why not choose something that fits your lifestyle and not be so strict? 30-50 would be keto.

    I have always been told that Keto is like 30 or less carbs per day.

    I think the most important thing is to have enough of your fav foods in your diet that you are happy to keep with it. Ive read quite a bit on the low carbs and reports seem a mixed bag. Weight loss is a really long process. My question to you would be, looking at your current meal plan, can you stick with it for 2-3 years? Can it easily transition to maintenance once you hit your goal? Shredding weight quickly can be tough on your body. I know its hard, but slow and steady is a great approach. :)
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    You will not lose faster by eating low carb. Calories determine how much weight you lose. Macros can help you more easily hit your calorie goal, but which macro distribution works for which person is highly individual.

    Switching to a lower carb diet can cause an initial big loss of water weight, but it all evens out in the end.

    My tip is to pick a way to eat that makes it easiest to hit your calorie goal. If super low carb is difficult for you, try a different level and see how it goes. My understanding is that anything under 150g is considered low carb. I usually eat around 200g of carbs, it just works better for me. Good luck!
  • aylerz
    aylerz Posts: 27 Member
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    I eat 20 carbs per day, but I'm all for choosing a carb ratio that works for you! I started low carb because my brother in law and sister in law had great success, but were eating about 15 carbs per day. That was just crazy for me personally, so I started at 25 and eventually got down to 20 by accident. I bet if you choose a higher carb goal like 150 and maintain it for a while you may end up eating at a lower rate by accident.

    I'd also suggest watching The Magic Pill on Netflix. I think it's a really great primer for low carb and is also an awesome motivator!

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