Low carb not working?

ChubbyRose84

Is there anyone who low-carb doesn't work for?

It seems to give me a bad sweet tooth. And carb cravings.

Anyone else like this?

Sabine_Stroehm

You're not losing weight? I'd say you're not eating at a deficit then. If it makes you crave junk food, maybe it's not for you?
I know for me "carbs beget carbs". Sweets and processed carbs make me crave sweets and processed carbs. I'm an out of system out of mind person. Maybe you're better as a moderator?

AnvilHead

ChubbyRose84 wrote: »

Is there anyone who low-carb doesn't work for?

Yes. It’s not an optimal diet strategy for everybody. Nor is any other diet. Choose whatever works best for you. No diet is effective if you can’t stick to it.

nvmomketo

Some people find it isn't right for them. You may well be one of those people.

Did you increase your sodium when you lowered carbs? If not, that can cause an electrolyte imbalance which can feel like hunger in some people (headache, fatigue, moodiness, muscle weakness, brain fog in others). If not, you could try increasing salt or just increase your carbs if you don't need them lower for a medical reason.

Good luck.

kommodevaran

What do you mean with "not work"? And "low carb"?

Just the idea of limiting calories, can feel restrictive.
But to lose weight, you have to be in a calorie deficit.
Pick a diet that is as easy as possible to stick to.

katanlinhouse

In the beginning, I totally missed pasta something fierce and also craved carbs. But I'm sticking to counting carbs and make a conscious decision to maintain keto. I still REALLY miss pasta, but it's a mind crave, not a physical one. I get around that by reminding myself that I can eat whatever the heck I want to, I just CHOOSE not to. Keeps me from feeling deprived.

kmfeig87

The first time I did low carb, I craved carbs for the first week, at least. More importantly, I found that if I gave into the craving, the craving was worse. It was hard to stop at just one serving and the carb cravings were worse the next day! Interestingly, I find that sugar is easier for me to eat in moderation but that bread is a definite carb trigger food!

acinorev0421

I read somewhere it takes about 20 days to “reset” your body im currently doing Keto and so far I have kicked the bread and pasta cravings! I did CRAVE a brownie and I happened to find one at Lassens that fit my new Keto lifestyle it so happened that all it took was a little teeny square to satisfy what I thought was a huge craving, the sugars I get are from berries or even organic stevia for my coffee but other than that im good so hang in there for those first couple of weeks

fitoverfortymom

I never have much luck giving up entire food groups in order to create my calorie deficit. I work much better with a balance and variety of all foods. I do try to get a certain amount of protein each day, but otherwise, I eat what I want as long as it fits my calories. When I start banning certain things from my diet, it seems that's all I want to eat and thing about, and I ultimately binge and go way over my calories.

There's nothing magical about low carb or keto.

nvmomketo

fitoverfortymom wrote: »

I never have much luck giving up entire food groups in order to create my calorie deficit. I work much better with a balance and variety of all foods. I do try to get a certain amount of protein each day, but otherwise, I eat what I want as long as it fits my calories. When I start banning certain things from my diet, it seems that's all I want to eat and thing about, and I ultimately binge and go way over my calories.

There's nothing magical about low carb or keto.

Most keto'ers do not give up any food groups to do keto. They tend to restrict some food groups more than others, but if you want to lose weight you need to restrict somewhere.

fitoverfortymom

nvmomketo wrote: »

fitoverfortymom wrote: »

I never have much luck giving up entire food groups in order to create my calorie deficit. I work much better with a balance and variety of all foods. I do try to get a certain amount of protein each day, but otherwise, I eat what I want as long as it fits my calories. When I start banning certain things from my diet, it seems that's all I want to eat and thing about, and I ultimately binge and go way over my calories.

There's nothing magical about low carb or keto.

Most keto'ers do not give up any food groups to do keto. They tend to restrict some food groups more than others, but if you want to lose weight you need to restrict somewhere.

I restrict portions of all foods, just not any one food group. While Keto does not "give up" carbohydrates, they are restricted to such a level that many foods would be off limits completely in order to maintain ketosis. That's close enough to "giving up" for me.

OP--you don't have to eat low carb unless you enjoy eating that way and it helps you be more compliant to a calorie deficit. Carbs themselves aren't magical in any way that reducing them will result in weight loss--it's your overall calorie deficit that does that.

quiksylver296

I freak out after about three days and binge. Doesn't work for me. A sensible calorie deficit with all the macros works best for me.

rsclause

I think keto is magical. I was not into sweets anyway and bread/ pasta was food that I was limiting to avoid calories. I love bacon, eggs, cheese, any meat or fish so I am good with food choices. The LCHF lifestyle has completely eliminated cravings and hunger. I am losing or maintaining without logging or counting calories. Just sharing how I feel. To those you may be thinking about it keep in mind that it is not a magic pill. It takes some effort, diet change and can be a little rough for the first three weeks. It probably isn't a good choice for people that like cheat days. It takes discipline but most weight loss plans do as well. The food I miss the most is craft beer but I needed to cut back anyway. And before the "its only about calorie deficit" feel they must counter this post. This is how I choose to make my deficit work and it is working well for me.

diannethegeek

ChubbyRose84 wrote: »

Is there anyone who low-carb doesn't work for?

It seems to give me a bad sweet tooth. And carb cravings.

Anyone else like this?

Low carb is not a good fit for me. It works really well for some people but it doesn't mesh with everyone. If you want to, you can try and push through it and see if the cravings let up. They might. But if they don't then you can adjust and try something else.

Dieting is a little bit like dating. Sometimes you hit it off right away with an eating plan and sometimes there's nothing you can do to make it work out in the long run. It's okay to try and work it out or walkaway from a style of eating if it's not right for you. Trust your instincts.

loserlee123

Its all in how you look at it. Yes you may have to give up pasta and French fries for the most part but there are so many great healthy alternatives. Its not easy to fit in a burger and fries in 1200 calories either. I am doing low carb and love my burgers with a Portobello mushroom as the bun with some roasted broccoli or scrambled eggs with bacon or crustless quiche. Low carb desserts. Pinterest and youtube are great resources for keto or low carb living.

hesn92

I would never do low carb. That's no way to live. Sounds horrible.

erjones11

ChubbyRose84 wrote: »

Is there anyone who low-carb doesn't work for?

It seems to give me a bad sweet tooth. And carb cravings.

Anyone else like this?

Low carb or Keto worked for me for the first two years and then I stalled and then gained a little weight back. So I continued low carb and started weighing all food, logging and exercising. This got me going again and I have consistently dropped weight for six months straight.

So yes it worked for me but only if I control the calories coming in through measuring and logging.

rsclause

hesn92 wrote: »

I would never do low carb. That's no way to live. Sounds horrible.

I get it if you don't want to try it or don't like the thought of no carbs or very limited carbs. No one here is determined to make you try it. For me I have found it the easiest and most comfortable way to lose weight. I plan on eating this way even after I lose a few more pounds.

hesn92

rsclause wrote: »

hesn92 wrote: »

I would never do low carb. That's no way to live. Sounds horrible.

I get it if you don't want to try it or don't like the thought of no carbs or very limited carbs. No one here is determined to make you try it. For me I have found it the easiest and most comfortable way to lose weight. I plan on eating this way even after I lose a few more pounds.

I never said anyone was determined to make me try it, I was just responding to the OP...

jessykab74

Keto/low carb works for me not just for weight loss (bonus) but for pain and inflammation. I have not gotten any steroid shots in my knee since starting this way of eating. Just for that I will never go back to eating unhealthy carbs and sugar.

psuLemon

nvmomketo wrote: »

fitoverfortymom wrote: »

I never have much luck giving up entire food groups in order to create my calorie deficit. I work much better with a balance and variety of all foods. I do try to get a certain amount of protein each day, but otherwise, I eat what I want as long as it fits my calories. When I start banning certain things from my diet, it seems that's all I want to eat and thing about, and I ultimately binge and go way over my calories.

There's nothing magical about low carb or keto.

Most keto'ers do not give up any food groups to do keto. They tend to restrict some food groups more than others, but if you want to lose weight you need to restrict somewhere.

I certainly don't agree. I struggle to stay within 50 net grams. And I have to give up fruit, most veggies, all starches. And my current struggle is giving up yogurt (which consumes half my carbs). The other half of my carbs comes from peppers, onions, avocado and other veggies.. it sucks. Thank god I have carb refeed days where I can consume 400 to 500g.

cwolfman13

ChubbyRose84 wrote: »

Is there anyone who low-carb doesn't work for?

It seems to give me a bad sweet tooth. And carb cravings.

Anyone else like this?

I tried South Beach years ago with my wife...I lasted about a week with phase I...I didn't have any sweet tooth cravings or anything...never had much of a sweet tooth, but I wanted to punch people. I need potatoes in my life.

JuneyJo

I’m doing a plant-heavy keto program. My cravings are few and far between. When you reduce carbs, be sure to increase your healthy fats and keep up your protein. That should help with cravings. Also, low carb doesn’t mean *no* carb. Some people get a little too extreme, esp at the beginning. Keeping veggies and some fruits in my diet also makes a huge difference in how I feel and my weight loss.
But it’s totally possible that it’s not the right plan for you. As long as it’s not having a negative impact on your health, give it a shot for a while. If you don’t like it, don’t see results, or don’t feel any kind of improvement, try something else.

chatnoir89

For medical reasons, I always try to eat low carb and avoid certain foods. Eating sugar/carbs is addictive. I went through massive withdrawal and cravings. After awhile, you won't want a lot of sugary food or a lot of carbs anymore. Drinking a coke to me is really strong! (BTW I've seen dietitians for how I am required to eat.)