Why does low carb work better then just eating whatever?

cowgirlslikeus86

For me, protein helps me to feel so much longer full. For example, if I eat eggs for breakfast, I am not hungry until lunch. A bowl of cereal (lot of carbs) with the same amount of calories makes me want to eat after 2 hours again.

This is me. I don't intentionally eat low carb, but often find myself eating higher protein to keep fuller longer. I also find that a carb based meal often has more calories for the same amount- for example, I can eat a sandwich with 200 calories of bread, plus the fillings, or a piece of meat plus some veggies and get more for the same calories. I think that's why low carb works so well for people.

This is true for me too. So much more satisfied because I get to eat more volume and less high calorie, hi carb items. I don't cut them out completely though.

I_Will_Be_The_Swan

I suspect that, since carbohydrates are direct fuel, a deficit of carbs means that body fat reserves are used as fuel in higher proportions, which means higher fat loss. Plus, then there's the fact that with less carbs, less water weight can be held, so there's a greater total loss.

binkylooloo

I have found the same thing - 1200 calories of lowish carb (under 100g) means a far bigger weight loss over months than 1200 of anything.
REASON
IF, and I mean IF, your body is sensitive to carbs, lowering carbs will lead to weigh loss and fat burning
HOW
When you eat carbs/sugar they are converted into glucose in your blood, high blood glucose levels can damage your brain and other organs, so your pancreas releases insulin which works to decrease glucose by helping it convert into energy and stored fat.
When you have high insulin levels your body cannot burn stored fat, it can only store fat. If you have a very high carb diet, over years, your body becomes less and less sensitive to insulin and your pancreas has to secrete more and more to lower your glucose levels. If you have a continuously high level of insulin then you will always feel tired and you will gain weight, you will have to eat less and less calories to maintain your weight and your body will try to 'hold on ' to more and more.

Solution
Low(ish) carb diets - as a vegetarian who has had a high carb diet for 30 years I would find it impossible to do a low carb 'atkins' style diet, of around 30g per day. What I have found works for me is sticking under 100G a day. I track this on MFP.
I am AMAZED at the speed of weight loss. YES, of course you lose more weight in the first few weeks, that is because a high carb diet ensures you have a lot of water weight , when this is released in the first week or so you will have a dramatic weight loss - this isn't all fat though, its half water. However, after this initial phase, you will continue to lose on average 2-3 pounds a week instead of 1-3. The best thing about this ( that I have personally tracked) is that it is ALL fat loss, not muscle loss, so your body doesn't go into starvation mode and start burning up your muscle which leads to a lower metabolism.

When I am being super disciplined, I eat 1000 cals a day ( no more than 100g carbs) aiming for about 33% each of Carbs, Fat and protein. To lower the effect of carbs even more, I try to eat carbs in one meal and have eggs on their own for breakfast. In escence, you are then fasting (from carbs) from dinner to lunch (maybe 18 hours) - this really gives your body a break from insulin. I have found that exercising during this period produces an even greater weight loss..

After YEARS of dieting trying to work out why it took me two months to lose a stone, i found the answer.
I have recently gone back on my low carb diet, I feel so much better, even after two weeks. I have lost TEN pounds in 12 days and the best thing is that my hunger is not being triggered by insulin spikes and crashes, so I don't feel as though i ma depriving myself - even on days where I am on 1000 cals.

Typical veggie diet day to me is

breakfast - 2 whole eggs plus 2 egg whites

lunch - beetroot, celery, quorn slices , cottage cheese (full fat - remember , your body burns all fat when your on low carb)
tomatoes and baby sweetcorn in a salad

dinner - massive veg stir fry with tempeh/tofu/seitan/quorn

evening snack - 200g berries with 50g full fat greek yoghurt and a teaspoon of stevia sugar


The days where it has all gone awry forme is when i have treated myself to non berry fruit or nuts (fruit has too many carbs, nuts have too many calories!)

I really hope this has helped
Jane

binkylooloo

it is in your head.

if you eat in a calorie deficit then you will lose weight.

If low carb makes it easies for you to create said deficit then by all means do it. I just think that in the long run it is not going to work as eventually you are going to get cravings and give in to them, just my opinion.

A more sensible approach is to set your macros to 40P/30F/30 carbs, eat in a 500 per day deficit, and work out/move more…

I eat about 30% carbs and maintain 11% body fat….and have had no problems losing, gaining, etc.

How rude - how do you know what is in anyone's head - there's clearly just fluff in yours.
When you are sensitive to insulin , carbs have a detrimental effect on energy level and weight loss no matter what the calorie
differential. On a weight loss calorie restricted diet, for a woman... 30% of carbs is equal to approx 75G. This is LOW carb, as the 'food pyramid' indicates we eat approx 400g a day.
I can also recount many stories of super fit, carb loading athletes who get type 2 diabetes in their 40s because they have exhausted their pancreas due to years of exceptionally high carb diets used to fuel their activities - look at James Cracknell - Olympic rower -- 47, slim, fit, type 2 diabetes.

WendyTerry420

I used to eat Atkins, but now my lifestyle is Paleolithic

Do you poop in the woods and not shave? I know a couple women like that. Fun gals.

:laugh:

WendyTerry420

it is in your head.

if you eat in a calorie deficit then you will lose weight.

If low carb makes it easies for you to create said deficit then by all means do it. I just think that in the long run it is not going to work as eventually you are going to get cravings and give in to them, just my opinion.

A more sensible approach is to set your macros to 40P/30F/30 carbs, eat in a 500 per day deficit, and work out/move more…

I eat about 30% carbs and maintain 11% body fat….and have had no problems losing, gaining, etc.

How rude - how do you know what is in anyone's head - there's clearly just fluff in yours.
When you are sensitive to insulin , carbs have a detrimental effect on energy level and weight loss no matter what the calorie
differential. On a weight loss calorie restricted diet, for a woman... 30% of carbs is equal to approx 75G. This is LOW carb, as the 'food pyramid' indicates we eat approx 400g a day.
I can also recount many stories of super fit, carb loading athletes who get type 2 diabetes in their 40s because they have exhausted their pancreas due to years of exceptionally high carb diets used to fuel their activities - look at James Cracknell - Olympic rower -- 47, slim, fit, type 2 diabetes.

Read the OP again. The comment was not rude, just responding to the question, "Is it all in my head?"

ndj1979

it is in your head.

if you eat in a calorie deficit then you will lose weight.

If low carb makes it easies for you to create said deficit then by all means do it. I just think that in the long run it is not going to work as eventually you are going to get cravings and give in to them, just my opinion.

A more sensible approach is to set your macros to 40P/30F/30 carbs, eat in a 500 per day deficit, and work out/move more…

I eat about 30% carbs and maintain 11% body fat….and have had no problems losing, gaining, etc.

How rude - how do you know what is in anyone's head - there's clearly just fluff in yours.
When you are sensitive to insulin , carbs have a detrimental effect on energy level and weight loss no matter what the calorie
differential. On a weight loss calorie restricted diet, for a woman... 30% of carbs is equal to approx 75G. This is LOW carb, as the 'food pyramid' indicates we eat approx 400g a day.
I can also recount many stories of super fit, carb loading athletes who get type 2 diabetes in their 40s because they have exhausted their pancreas due to years of exceptionally high carb diets used to fuel their activities - look at James Cracknell - Olympic rower -- 47, slim, fit, type 2 diabetes.

OP asked the question in her original post if it is "in her head, or if low carb makes her lose weight", to which I replied "yes, it is in your head". Calorie deficit is what leads to weight loss. As I pointed out, if you find that low carb helps you create a calorie deficit then fine, go ahead and do it. But don't go around claiming that is some magical elixir that is the cure all, end all of weight loss.

I think you should read through threads before attacking people as "rude", which I obviously was not.

I don't see how you are getting 75 grams…what are you basing this "low calorie diet" on?

I am happy it works for an olympic lifter who probably trains four to five hours a day and has a legion of nutritionists, trainers, etc working with me. Unfortunately, the OP does not have access to those kinds of resources.

So I say eat in a calorie deficit, hit macros, work out/move more and this will lead to success.

I eagerly await your apology.

ndj1979

I have found the same thing - 1200 calories of lowish carb (under 100g) means a far bigger weight loss over months than 1200 of anything.
REASON
IF, and I mean IF, your body is sensitive to carbs, lowering carbs will lead to weigh loss and fat burning
HOW
When you eat carbs/sugar they are converted into glucose in your blood, high blood glucose levels can damage your brain and other organs, so your pancreas releases insulin which works to decrease glucose by helping it convert into energy and stored fat.
When you have high insulin levels your body cannot burn stored fat, it can only store fat. If you have a very high carb diet, over years, your body becomes less and less sensitive to insulin and your pancreas has to secrete more and more to lower your glucose levels. If you have a continuously high level of insulin then you will always feel tired and you will gain weight, you will have to eat less and less calories to maintain your weight and your body will try to 'hold on ' to more and more.

Solution
Low(ish) carb diets - as a vegetarian who has had a high carb diet for 30 years I would find it impossible to do a low carb 'atkins' style diet, of around 30g per day. What I have found works for me is sticking under 100G a day. I track this on MFP.
I am AMAZED at the speed of weight loss. YES, of course you lose more weight in the first few weeks, that is because a high carb diet ensures you have a lot of water weight , when this is released in the first week or so you will have a dramatic weight loss - this isn't all fat though, its half water. However, after this initial phase, you will continue to lose on average 2-3 pounds a week instead of 1-3. The best thing about this ( that I have personally tracked) is that it is ALL fat loss, not muscle loss, so your body doesn't go into starvation mode and start burning up your muscle which leads to a lower metabolism.

When I am being super disciplined, I eat 1000 cals a day ( no more than 100g carbs) aiming for about 33% each of Carbs, Fat and protein. To lower the effect of carbs even more, I try to eat carbs in one meal and have eggs on their own for breakfast. In escence, you are then fasting (from carbs) from dinner to lunch (maybe 18 hours) - this really gives your body a break from insulin. I have found that exercising during this period produces an even greater weight loss..

After YEARS of dieting trying to work out why it took me two months to lose a stone, i found the answer.
I have recently gone back on my low carb diet, I feel so much better, even after two weeks. I have lost TEN pounds in 12 days and the best thing is that my hunger is not being triggered by insulin spikes and crashes, so I don't feel as though i ma depriving myself - even on days where I am on 1000 cals.

Typical veggie diet day to me is

breakfast - 2 whole eggs plus 2 egg whites

lunch - beetroot, celery, quorn slices , cottage cheese (full fat - remember , your body burns all fat when your on low carb)
tomatoes and baby sweetcorn in a salad

dinner - massive veg stir fry with tempeh/tofu/seitan/quorn

evening snack - 200g berries with 50g full fat greek yoghurt and a teaspoon of stevia sugar


The days where it has all gone awry forme is when i have treated myself to non berry fruit or nuts (fruit has too many carbs, nuts have too many calories!)

I really hope this has helped
Jane

you lose weight because you are in a calorie deficit due to eating 1000 calories a day, not from some magical low carb diet.

WendyTerry420

I eagerly await your apology.

I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. :laugh:

biggsterjackster

It's because low carb diets offer many benefits such as poor gym performance and constipation.

Low carb does not mean no carb. If you eat plenty of veggies and fruits (the do have carbs), you will NOT get constipated etc. Low carb means eating the right carbs. Not the refined crap out there.

alisonlynn1976

For weight loss, it doesn't matter what you eat, only the number of calories matters. Low-carb diets work for some people because people tend to eat less in general when they cut out entire food groups and/or they can control their hunger better by eating more protein and/or the placebo effect.

danimalkeys

For weight loss, it doesn't matter what you eat, only the number of calories matters. Low-carb diets work for some people because people tend to eat less in general when they cut out entire food groups and/or they can control their hunger better by eating more protein and/or the placebo effect.

read the post above yours...

alisonlynn1976

For weight loss, it doesn't matter what you eat, only the number of calories matters. Low-carb diets work for some people because people tend to eat less in general when they cut out entire food groups and/or they can control their hunger better by eating more protein and/or the placebo effect.

read the post above yours...

Excuse me, is that an order? No. I dislike your condescension.

danimalkeys

yeah right, it was an order, give me a break. you make assumpions and state those like they are fact when the post above yours explained it. it's not cutting out entire food groups, it's moderating them, just like those who eat low fat moderate their fat.