cutting carbs???

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jessicalhall85
jessicalhall85 Posts: 118
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a male friend that was training for some body building thing and lost 45 lbs in 15 weeks. He told me to basically cut out all dairy and eat A LOT of protien. He also said after lunch do not eat any carbs, unless i have a protien bar. he made me a sample diet and there were like no fruits or veggies on it unless i had a sandwhich or a salad or something. I am afraid to do this cause i want to be able to keep the weight off and i don't want to never be able to eat carbs again...anyone have any advice? thanks!

Replies

  • emilysparey
    emilysparey Posts: 73
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    i dont think cutting carbs is a very good idea, your body needs carbs and even though you wil lose the weight faster if you start eating carbs again you will put weight on,
    a friend of mine cut out all her carbs...she lost 2 stone in a month, however she's given up and put most of it all back on
  • emilysparey
    emilysparey Posts: 73
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    slow and steady wins the race in my eyes and if you stick to a healthy diet you will lose alot slower but it will be easier to maintain and you wont put all the weight back on if you slip up
  • Scncartist
    Scncartist Posts: 173
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    One of my Aunts lost about 150 pounds by only eating protein and veggies. She cut out all breads, grains, rice, alcohol, deserts, and other extraneous foods. Skinny wise she's CRAZY skinny compared to where she used to be.

    However she goes on vacations and work retreats all the time allowing herself to slip back into modified, yet old eating habits. She's making MUCH wiser choices, but she's allowing herself a drink here and there, breads, even pizza occasionally. In fact she's eating very much like the rest of us are when she's on vacay. The problem is: she starts gaining weight immediately.

    Clearly she feels and looks better, but in order to keep herself at the level she is now she'd have to eat such a restricted diet for the rest of her life. She pretty much refuses to return to a more modified diet because she doesn't want to gain any more weight.

    So, if you'd want to have to live your life not eating certain foods, that is one choice. I couldn't live without my pizza now and then though! :-)

    I hope this helps!
  • KendalBeee
    KendalBeee Posts: 2,269 Member
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    Yeah I agree with Emily. The true way to lose weight is to change your lifestyle, not cut something out for a long time. Its always tempting to take the quick/easy road to lose weight but doing it slower means you have a higher likelihood that the weight will stay off. There's a girl at my work who has lost 70 pounds since April by drinking protein shakes for breakfast and lunch and I think she's doing p90x. Now I see her eating frozen "healthy" meals for lunch everyday. Anyone on this site will tell you those are a last resort when it comes to finding a quick/easy meal. If this girl doesn't learn how to eat healthy, she will just put all the weight back on.
  • abricklin
    abricklin Posts: 156 Member
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    I agree with the others re: sustainable weight loss but wanted to add that the body builder lifestyle is simply NOT healthy. His goal was to cut fat and increase muscle (which should be everyone's goal) but the quickest way is the cut the carbs, this is NOT sustainable, it is not healthy.

    Keep in mind that just as men are able to form muscle faster, they maintain it longer once they go back to old habits. Do this the right way!
  • Ryhenblue
    Ryhenblue Posts: 390 Member
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    Low Carb is a lifestyle not a diet. So it's really up to you on weather you're prepared to give up foods that are high in carbs. I personally love carbs and would have a hard time sticking with a low carb lifestyle. You might want to try lowering your carb intake gradually and find out what you can live with.
  • SouthernBell86
    SouthernBell86 Posts: 275 Member
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    Several years ago I did a low carb diet and lost 30 pounds over several months. I felt and looked great, but I constantly, all the time everyday thought about bread, pizza, chips, cake and everything that is high in carbs. After a while it was too much for me to take and I started eating carbs and gained it all back and more really quickly.

    I really don't recommend this plan. Even if you like protein, your body needs carbs to function properly, and it is highly unrealistic to think that you will stay eating low carbs for the rest of your life. MFP doesn't recommend low carbs, and it seems to be working for people (including myself so far, and I'm not feeling deprived of anything).
  • bellinachuchina
    bellinachuchina Posts: 498 Member
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    slow and steady wins the race in my eyes and if you stick to a healthy diet you will lose alot slower but it will be easier to maintain and you wont put all the weight back on if you slip up

    Not true for all! I really detest the idea, it is such a cliché! Maybe for weak-minded individuals slow and steady will win, but the fact is that weight comes back from eating poorly, not from the time frame you lost it in, please remember this. The only way to maintain weight is to continue mindful, proper & healthy eating FOREVER!

    As far as the carbs, from my experience and success, I limited them and wouldn't usually eat them after 4 or 5pm. This way my body had time to break some down before bedtime and not store them as energy (fat), like it would if they were consumed later. I would never completely remove them from my diet, it's just not realistic! You can just limit the amount you consume, that way your body is still familiar with them, but you can still experience weight loss. I'm Italian, so having no pasta would be torture! I switched to whole wheat pasta, and will only have a 1 cup cooked portion during a sitting.
  • julienamana
    julienamana Posts: 27
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    Wow it really helps to read these posts! I agree cutting out all carbs just isnt realistic. I decided to eat mostly fruit and veggies but I make sure I have carbs for breakfast and lunch then I dont eat any starchy carbs after that and it really seems to be helping. I feel so much less bloated since I started that.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    Everyone's different. But I eat 120g-180g carbs most days, averaging around 150-160g and... I'm doing just fine. :wink: I eat fruit, veggies, dairy, and even *gasp* bread, potatoes, rice, and pasta. Also, in terms of weight loss, I seriously don't think it matters what time of day you eat what (other than what you eat before/after exercise). There are many days I work 8.30am-10pm. Get home at 11pm and eat whatever -- including plenty of carbs -- and then go to bed within a couple hours. That's my schedule and trying to eat in a way that didn't work with my schedule wouldn't work for the rest of my life.

    Also, I wanted to add that I think the reason people emphasize slower weight loss is because you're teaching yourself healthy habits and how to maintain a healthy weight while losing weight. With slower weight loss, you're not depriving yourself of your food vices (instead you're teaching yourself about moderation) which means you're less likely to lose your mind and binge later on. I've found a really happy balance while losing 77 pounds over the last 11 months and at this point I'm 100% sure I'm going to be able to maintain a healthy weight for the rest of my life.
  • bellinachuchina
    bellinachuchina Posts: 498 Member
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    Everyone's different. But I eat 120g-180g carbs most days, averaging around 150-160g and... I'm doing just fine. :wink: I eat fruit, veggies, dairy, and even *gasp* bread, potatoes, rice, and pasta. Also, in terms of weight loss, I seriously don't think it matters what time of day you eat what (other than what you eat before/after exercise). There are many days I work 8.30am-10pm. Get home at 11pm and eat whatever -- including plenty of carbs -- and then go to bed within a couple hours. That's my schedule and trying to eat in a way that didn't work with my schedule wouldn't work for the rest of my life.

    Also, I wanted to add that I think the reason people emphasize slower weight loss is because you're teaching yourself healthy habits and how to maintain a healthy weight while losing weight. With slower weight loss, you're not depriving yourself of your food vices (instead you're teaching yourself about moderation) which means you're less likely to lose your mind and binge later on. I've found a really happy balance while losing 77 pounds over the last 11 months and at this point I'm 100% sure I'm going to be able to maintain a healthy weight for the rest of my life.

    I'm glad that slower loss has proven beneficial for you :) I know a lot of people on here take that route, & that's great, but I disagree with making those who lost their weight quicker, feel that they aren't going to be as successful in the long run! That is the farthest thing from the truth, really. Willpower and mind strength comes into play there. I do agree that most people need that extra time to really learn a new way of eating, but I did not, so it CAN be done. Living & breathing it. I honestly feel that saying (& convincing oneself) that "slower is better" is a way of some people's attempt of rationalizing their shortcomings/slow loss, i.e. "Well, she lost it fast, but I will keep it off forever!" Ha!!! Whatever makes the journey easier, I guess. I can guarantee if everyone lost quickly, they wouldn't be chanting that little mantra :wink:

    What's great about this site is that we're all using different methods to lose, all eventually being successful, and it's really quite interesting.

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