Carb control?!

Lillymoo01

I started my counting calorie journey using another app which was very strong on keto and low carb. I left when eating a banana or apple made me feel guilty. I then found here which is so much better and so much less woo. I increased my carbs from around 140-150 grams to around the 200 gram mark. It should be no shock that my weight continued to fall at a consistent rate and I also found increased energy and a diet that was much more sustainable long term. I still have that anti-carb voice in the back of my head sometimes but tell it to go away because carbs are my friend.

LiftHeavyThings27105

I agree with everyone here. With respect to losing weight, it is all about a caloric deficit. The macros are indeed important, but it is the caloric intake (vs. your maintenance) that determines deficit or surplus.

The macros, as people have stated, help your body do things. Protein, I think that most would agree, is the most important (general statement). Most try to keep that - all things being equal - around 1g/lb (of body weight....I would contend that 1g/lb of lean body mass....but that is me). Then, fat comes in next (important for hormone balance, among other things) and most people try to keep it around 0.35g/lb. Again, general statement.....

Carbs, generally speaking, fill in the rest.

So, all things being equal, you should not fear carbs.

Now, I love carbs but do not tolerate them very well (which is really unfortunate). I follow the Ketogenic Lifestyle because of high A1C and insulin resistance. I blow up when I eat carbs. So, I have to be careful. I try to keep it under 20g a day. But, that is just me....given my specific situation.

One thing that I would highly recommend to you.....play with nutrition. I have hurt myself several times in my powerlifting journey. And during that time (injured reserve, so-to-speak) I have played with nutrition and learned a lot about myself and how my body responds. If possible, do the same!

The great thing about doing that....I *KNOW* how I respond. I have no fears about "What if.....?". I have done all of those things and I know exactly what is going to happen. Last night I went out, had three beers, had lots of chips and salsa (and by lots I mean LOTS) and I know what is going to happen. I am not worried one bit. Not "not knowing" is amazing!

We learn something new each day, right?

veganbaum

I'm vegan. My average carb intake is probably around 50%; I rarely look at it, but when I have that seems to have been about the average number.

Most people starting with MFP don't mess with the default macros and lose just fine. I haven't changed my macros, I just try to hit a minimum protein in grams, regardless of my daily calorie allotment, and let everything else fall wherever.

I think you overthink things, OP. From what I recall, your posts seem to indicate that you think very specific things have to be followed in order to lose weight. All you need is a calorie deficit for that.

Also, I have lost ~ 70 pounds and am now in maintenance (fluctuating generally between 138 and 142, but have hit 137 and 135.5 as of today). I slowed to .5 lb/week for my last 25-30 pounds. So, it took me a year to lose about 25 pounds, but I didn't mind as I have been at this a while and I want to be able to maintain. The year allowed me to experiment with macros in relation to satiety and then to experiment with food timing for satiety. I think I have developed pretty good habits to help me with maintenance, which I started maybe within the last month or so, don't remember exactly.