How people lose weight on low carb?

Glittzy321

So I’m 2 weeks into my weight loss journey and so far I lost 2kg. Now I weigh 57kg.i didn’t lose fat but water weight. I look bit toned. People say going low carb will help u lose weight faster. Currently I eat 117grams carbs, 117 grams protein and 69 grams fat which adds up to 1540 cals a day. I was thinking to lower carbs but I’m not sure if I should do this or not. I mainly eat complex carbs but some days I eat bit of simple carbs. I workout 6 days per week. 3 days I do resistance and cardio training and other 3 I do LISS. I love carbs.

ljmorgi

People lose weight on a low-carb diet if it puts them below their maintenance calories.

jan110144

My eating profile is similar, although my carbs are actually about 40 g higher. With this, I lost 50+ pounds to my goal weight in 6 months. Pretty much all of my carbs are fruits and veggies on a day-to-day basis.

I think that there is no absolute "right" ... everyone just needs to find what works for them and what they can sustain forever. (Which, for me, meant that I needed to include fruits and veggies)

Panini911

you lose weight by eating at a calorie deficit regularly over time.

2 weeks is EARLY days in the journey and many get an initial woosh of loss from loss of water. this is a marathon not a sprint.

4lbs (2kg) in two weeks is really a fast rate of loss (2lb/week). at 57kg (125pds) you are most likely within normal weight range (depends on height/gender but still likely) so 2lb/week is not an appropriate rate of loss. look at 0.5/lb for safe rate of loss.

weight loss is not linear. some weeks you lose more, others you may gain but that is due to WATER FLUCTUATIONS. weight on a given day is just a data point, you need to look at over trend.

at 117gram of carbs is already considered more or less low carb. but what you decide to "spend" your calories on doesn't matter other than for satiaty (and it's good to eat a good balance of foods for overall health).

zeejane03

People lose weight on a low carb diet by being at the correct calorie deficit for their weight loss goals, same as with any other diet plan. You may lose more initially by switching to a lower carb macro ratio, but this is due to water weight and isn't actual fat losses. After that initial whoosh your weight will settle down and you'll start losing at your weekly weight loss target (.5lb, 1lb etc), assuming your hitting your needed calorie deficit.

Also, if you love carbs then why are you trying to eliminate them? Sounds like you're just setting yourself up for frustration and ultimately failure. Why not do this whole thing in a way that's realistic and sustainable for you, for the long term? You can lose weight eating any kind of macros ratio (higher carbs etc), you just need to be making sure that you're that hitting your calorie target.

snickerscharlie

Weight management is all about the calories. The method you chose to reduce calorie intake is entirely up to you. The one that always works the best is the one you can sustain over time.

MikePTY

Low carb doesn't have any special weight loss powers besides creating a calorie deficit. People who start a low carb diet may notice a drop in water weight at the beginning, because eating less carbs tends to lower the amount of water your body stores. However that is not the same as fat.

Also, it's hard to say without knowing your height, but 57kg is not exactly a lot of weight. You are probably already at a healthy weight for your height and it is not recommended that you try to lose weight faster than half a pound a week. So you shouldn't be looking for "fast" weight loss, but rather healthy and sustainable weight loss. That may include upping your calorie intake.

sijomial

If you want to make your diet sustainable then massively reducing the foods you enjoy is counter-productive.

The difference initially in low carb diets is that carbs are stored with x4 their weight in water so when you reduce your carb stores (glycogen) somewhat you shed some water weight.

"People say going low carb will help u lose weight faster."

Put that in its correct context:

• People say a lot of dumb things.
• People may not understand the difference between losing fat and losing water weight. The clue is in the speed of loss. Rapid weight loss out of proportion to your calorie balance isn't going to be all down to fat loss.
• People eating a lot of carbs and then reducing that quantity are reducing their calorie intake, that's what is needed to reduce your body fat over time. People don't generally know how many calories they are eating unless they actively count them.

thanos5

i regularly watch 'my 600 lb life' while i'm doing abs because it's great motivation. the doctor on that show always puts people on a low carb diet, which i don't understand because as i understand it, it's all about calories in vs calories out, regardless of the source.

zeejane03

thanos5 wrote: »

i regularly watch 'my 600 lb life' while i'm doing abs because it's great motivation. the doctor on that show always puts people on a low carb diet, which i don't understand because as i understand it, it's all about calories in vs calories out, regardless of the source.

If someone is morbidly obese, losing some water weight right away may be medically necessary/beneficial. At that point just getting any weight off may be the difference between life and death.

seska422

thanos5 wrote: »

i regularly watch 'my 600 lb life' while i'm doing abs because it's great motivation. the doctor on that show always puts people on a low carb diet, which i don't understand because as i understand it, it's all about calories in vs calories out, regardless of the source.

They are on a doctor-supervised VLCD to lose massive amounts of weight quickly. People need to consume protein and dietary fat but can get by without carbs so those get cut way down. If you've seen the dietitian talk to any of them, the diet is basically moderate protein, low fat (gram-wise), and low carb.

VictoryGarden

Low carb is just one method of creating a calorie deficit.

For SOME people, it helps them feel full longer, and reduces hunger. Less hunger usually means greater compliance.

For SOME people who have an addiction problem with certain carbs (sugar filled and/or salty snack), having to eliminate them can train those people that IT IS OK to not eat those foods, and break the addiction cycle. Let's face it, reducing highly processed junk is beneficial for most people.

Going low carb WILL NOT help you lose weight faster than any other diet that you can stick to. The point is to find a way of eating that you can maintain until you reach your goals, and then possibly only slightly have to modify when you reach your goal.

Also, the way of eating you start with is NOT the way you have to maintain. There is no rule that says the way you eat on day 1 is the same as the way you have to eat on day 180. Play around with it some. Increase carbs for a couple weeks, or add in a new carb food, or reduce your carbs. You are not cheating if you are searching around for the best way for YOU to lose weight. Nearly everyone here loses weight in different ways. No one way is right.

Also check out the Low Carber Daily Forum group, they have lots of resources and lots of people who use many different methods, from 0 carbs to just below the SAD carbs.

Best of luck!