Has anyone lost weight not cutting down on carbs?

Sarahloulalou
Sarahloulalou Posts: 60 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've come a long way and have tried probably every diet there is along the way.

After being off the wagon for a few months I'm now firmly back on, I'm calorie counting, around 1600/1700 a day.

I only want to lose around a pound a week, and I'm 'hoping' I can do this whilst still eating carbs. I'm not talking sugar and white bread I'm talking about having 'proper' meals. Meat, potatoes and veg.

Today I had sultana bran and semi skimmed milk
Noodles for lunch
Fish, (lots) of new potatoes and vegetables for dinner
Yogurts & fruits for snacks


I'm aiming for a balanced diet but I keep reading everywhere how carbs are evil.

Just looking for opinions.... What's yours?
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Replies

  • SJVZEE
    SJVZEE Posts: 451 Member
    I lost all my weight without counting one carb. Calories, calories, calories :)
  • glin23
    glin23 Posts: 460 Member
    I lost all my weight without counting one carb. Calories, calories, calories :)

    Me too. If anything when I lost most of the weight, my carb intake increased.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I've never intentionally cut anything out. I eat within my calorie budget and lost weight plus maintain now for 2 years. I totally eat crap most of the time and I certainly wouldn't recommend my diet for health but it doesn't have any ill effect on my weight loss or maintenance.
  • StripedSmoker
    StripedSmoker Posts: 104 Member
    Carbs good, I like carbs, yummy. The key is moderation, the key to everything.
  • elenathegreat
    elenathegreat Posts: 3,988 Member
    I lost all my weight without counting one carb. Calories, calories, calories :)

    +1 :bigsmile:
  • BluejayNY
    BluejayNY Posts: 301 Member
    I still eat a decent portions of carbs. I love them. I eat oatmeal daily and tend to eat a good amount of whole grain wheat.
  • Sarahloulalou
    Sarahloulalou Posts: 60 Member
    That's encouraging.

    Thankyou everyone for taking the time to post. :)
  • BryceK67
    BryceK67 Posts: 11 Member
    Down 35 lbs since New Year with just count calories. I love my carbs!
  • JanAlyssa825
    JanAlyssa825 Posts: 43 Member
    I agree with the others. I just count calories - I don't worry too much about carbs. However, I've learned that some carbs have a calorie count that, to me, is not really worth it. Bread and pasta are delicious, but for the amount of calories in 'em, I could eat way more of something else that would fill me up much better and be more satisfying. A huge salad with chicken, veggies, hard-boiled eggs, and maybe a little cheese will fill me up and take longer to eat than a sandwich, which might have more calories. Thus, my carb intake has naturally gone down, though I do still eat lots of fruit!

    I don't think anything is evil in moderation. If I feel like eating bread or pasta, I'll eat it - but I measure it and count it. I try to go for whole grains when possible. If I totally cut out carbs, I think I would crave them too much... and maybe end up binging.
  • TheBitSlinger
    TheBitSlinger Posts: 621 Member
    Yes, I'm losing weight by eating less of everything and moving more of my body around.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I went from obese to a healthy body fat percentage while eating carbs. Your plan of slow and steady fat loss, 1lb a week, where you enjoy eating the foods you like to eat, is the one that's most likely going to succeed in the long term... it might take longer to get there but you're going to have an easier job staying there when you do. So I totally support that

    I did cut *down* on carbs somewhat... because you still have to eat less than you burn off... but I didn't cut them out altogether and I enjoyed all kinds of foods with carbs in. I went from eating too much to eating a moderate amount of carbs. there's absolutely no need to cut carbs out of your diet altogether. Everything in moderation
  • Sarahloulalou
    Sarahloulalou Posts: 60 Member
    So they aren't evil after all lol

    I want a diet I can sustain, it's pointless for someone like me to attempt Atkins (again) and live it because I fall off track and end up heavier than before. I need my carbs

    Thankyou :)
  • ChangingAmanda
    ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
    Me. I don't eat clean, I don't deny anything, I fit what I want into my calorie budget. I can't live without chocolate or sweets which is why I have ice cream or oreos nearly every day. This is a lifestyle change and I'm not going to stop eating or drinking anything that I won't be able to live without until the day I die. This is why I've only stopped drinking soda. Everything else is fair game.

    For most everyone that doesn't have some underlying medical condition, weight loss is about calories in verses calories out. Eat less calories than you're expending and you're going to lose weight. Some of us find that goal number right off the bat and have consistently lost weight since day one. Others it takes a few weeks of tweaking to find the sweet spot.

    (Disclaimer: This past six weeks have been difficult with vacations and an injury so I haven't been eating as well as I should but I'm not gaining either. So if you diary peek, it's not complete).
  • cgphelps24
    cgphelps24 Posts: 122 Member
    I can't deprive myself of anything or I will overeat when I do get it. I am just watching my calories, and increased my activity. So far so good!!
  • TravelDog14
    TravelDog14 Posts: 317 Member
    I pay little to no attention to carbs.
    You can check my food diary, it's open.
    I've lost 75 pounds and have kept it off for 5 months now without worrying over carbs.
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    The OP has 150 pounds of excess fat which means she has very good reason to keep her carbs low. Excess fat causes insulin resistance, a real medical condition which means eating carbs can hamper her weight loss goals. I'm not saying she's insulin resistant but i'm saying she has a pretty damn good chance as the AMA recommends you get tested at only 30 pounds of excess fat. She was however, in excess of 150 pounds.
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
    I have in the past. However I've realised bread is one of my trigger foods, so I don't eat it as often any more.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    It's the macro I pay least attention to unless I'm going for a long cycle in which case it's carbs, carbs, carbs!!

    You really don't have to eat "special" foods or deprive yourself of foods you enjoy.
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 900 Member
    Carbs are not evil. Carbs are not evil. Carbs are not evil.

    I lost 30+ lbs eating 200-250 grams of carbs per day.

    Carbs are not evil.
  • TribeHokie
    TribeHokie Posts: 711 Member
    I don't count carbs (especially not when fruit and beer are involved), but I do loosely keep track of my grain servings for the day. I usually go for three servings per day (like ACTUAL serving size of around 100-150 cal/serving). I don't do that because I think carbs are the enemy, I do it because when given the choice between a roll or a bowl full of broccoli I know the broccoli will do a better job of filling me up.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    The OP has 150 pounds of excess fat which means she has very good reason to keep her carbs low. Excess fat causes insulin resistance, a real medical condition which means eating carbs can hamper her weight loss goals. I'm not saying she's insulin resistant but i'm saying she has a pretty damn good chance as the AMA recommends you get tested at only 30 pounds of excess fat. She was however, in excess of 150 pounds.

    I was insulin resistant and diagnosed type 2 diabetic in 2009 and had over 300 to lose when I started my journey and worked with a Dietician through my Endo dr. and never once did she mention low carb. She had me set to eat 60-70 grams at my main meals and 20-25 at my snacks which averaged 240 to 290 grams of carbs a day... I have since lost a few pounds and my Carbs make up over 50% of my macro intake today which puts me over 400 grams a day... My A1c's the last 2 years have averaged 5.3........ OP there is nothing wrong with your plan as long as you are losing weight and exercising you will achieve your goals.... Best of Luck.....
  • TheCaren
    TheCaren Posts: 894 Member
    I lost the weight merely through portion control and elimination of some bad habits. I still ate carbs on a daily basis.
  • MrsPong
    MrsPong Posts: 580 Member
    I eat whatever I want in moderation...including carbs. EVERY day. 22lbs lost now since June. So it's possible.
  • lynalinda
    lynalinda Posts: 37 Member
    So far, i've lost 20 lb eating as much carbs as i could care for. I went vegan (not for weight loss), and i eat more than what i used to do. I don't count calories, but when sometimes i do just to check out, i find myself eating around 1500 cal/day. I eat tons of fruits, vegetables, good carbohydrates (whole wheat pasta and bread, brown rice, legumes, lentils, beans,tofu, etc) i even have dark chocolate every day and i feel full. I'm never counting calories ever again because this works for me and i found a lifestyle that suits me :)
  • Sarahloulalou
    Sarahloulalou Posts: 60 Member
    Well I will carry on eating carbs and having a balanced diet and see how I'm doing in a few weeks.

    Thankyou for everyone for replying, very encouraging :flowerforyou:
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    The OP has 150 pounds of excess fat which means she has very good reason to keep her carbs low. Excess fat causes insulin resistance, a real medical condition which means eating carbs can hamper her weight loss goals. I'm not saying she's insulin resistant but i'm saying she has a pretty damn good chance as the AMA recommends you get tested at only 30 pounds of excess fat. She was however, in excess of 150 pounds.

    I was insulin resistant and diagnosed type 2 diabetic in 2009 and had over 300 to lose when I started my journey and worked with a Dietician through my Endo dr. and never once did she mention low carb. She had me set to eat 60-70 grams at my main meals and 20-25 at my snacks which averaged 240 to 290 grams of carbs a day... I have since lost a few pounds and my Carbs make up over 50% of my macro intake today which puts me over 400 grams a day... My A1c's the last 2 years have averaged 5.3........ OP there is nothing wrong with your plan as long as you are losing weight and exercising you will achieve your goals.... Best of Luck.....

    Yes, the amount of calories still matter but it is easier to lose weight on low carb if you are insulin resistant. You are just making it harder on yourself by including carbs in your diet. Link below to read more on the topic.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/insulin-sensitivity-and-fat-loss.html




    In addition to that, abnormal spikes in glucose levels still cause damage to your microvascular system(tiny arteries) even if it's just a 2 hour high spike.

    http://clinical.diabetesjournals.org/content/20/2/71.full


    .
  • Binkie1955
    Binkie1955 Posts: 329 Member
    The challenge with your question is that most people who come to MFP were probably not carefully tracking their calories or carb intake BEFORE they started MFP. something in their life changed and they decided to use MFP and it was only then that they began getting decent data to respond to your question.

    the odds are very good that anyone who counted calories to lose weight necessarily reduced their carbohydrate intake from whatever it may have been prior to their having the data available. they might still be taking in carbs but if they reduced their calories from wherever they were before, it is highly unlikely they did this without reducing their carbohydrate intake from whatever it was before they began MFP.

    and that's not unusual. if you reduce calories, you'll reduce carbs. if you reduce carbs you'll reduce calories.

    the nice thing about low carbohydrate diets is that you can INCREASE calories and still lose weight or be INDIFFERENT to calories and still lose weight (or at least not gain FAT weight) depending on your objectives.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    I lost all my weight without counting one carb. Calories, calories, calories :)
    Sort of...

    2000 calories of fat vs. 2000 calories of protein vs. 2000 calories of carbs are not all going react the same way in the body. Generally speaking it's about energy balance... for body re-composition it's about getting the correct amount of macro and micro nutrients.
  • ewrob
    ewrob Posts: 136 Member
    The OP has 150 pounds of excess fat which means she has very good reason to keep her carbs low. Excess fat causes insulin resistance, a real medical condition which means eating carbs can hamper her weight loss goals. I'm not saying she's insulin resistant but i'm saying she has a pretty damn good chance as the AMA recommends you get tested at only 30 pounds of excess fat. She was however, in excess of 150 pounds.

    I had a similar amount of weight to lose when I started. I switched to a plant-based diet and eat between 200 and 350 carbs per day as an estimated average and I've lost 97 lbs in 5 and 1/2 months.

    I do not believe there is anything wrong with a diet rich in carbohydrates as long as you are eating the right foods. (Read: minimally processed, avoiding added sugars and fats)
  • TheBitSlinger
    TheBitSlinger Posts: 621 Member
    The OP has 150 pounds of excess fat which means she has very good reason to keep her carbs low. Excess fat causes insulin resistance, a real medical condition which means eating carbs can hamper her weight loss goals. I'm not saying she's insulin resistant but i'm saying she has a pretty damn good chance as the AMA recommends you get tested at only 30 pounds of excess fat. She was however, in excess of 150 pounds.

    Not necessarily disputing you, but I went from insulin dependent type 2 diabetes to nothing more than Metformin, and I all I'm doing is limiting my calories to around 1,500 per day and running my buttocks off on an elliptical four times a week. I try to make sure my carbs come from whole grains, but I'm not restricting myself to a certain number of net carb grams.

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