What's the deal with Carbs?

ndj1979

calorie deficit is what you need for weight loss.

eat in a calorie deficit, hit macros, work out move/more - these are the keys to success.

You can eat carbs and be in a deficit and lose weight..

you can cut carbs and be in a surplus and gain weight..

80% healthy
20% whatever you want = ice cream, cookies, pizza…

ndj1979

Does not matter what you eat, only matters that you eat at a deficit.

That is an oversimplification and really not entirely true. Eat only junk and eventually your body will demand more and more calories and any short term gains get whittled away. Not to mention that if you eat a lot of bad foods it is going to effect a lot of things including athletic performance, stamina, skin etc..

you can eat twinkles, be in a deficit, and lose weight…people have done it...

wheird

Does not matter what you eat, only matters that you eat at a deficit.

That is an oversimplification and really not entirely true. Eat only junk and eventually your body will demand more and more calories and any short term gains get whittled away. Not to mention that if you eat a lot of bad foods it is going to effect a lot of things including athletic performance, stamina, skin etc..

I eat fast food 2-3 meals most days and I have great skin, losing weight, gaining strength, and have a great sense of well being.

wheird

You're not going to find a lot of sound information, or support, on MFP for low carbing. I did it for years, loved the way it made me look and feel. I don't restrict carbs anymore per say, but I intuitively now veer toward a lower carb way of eating most days and I love it.

But it's probably best you do a search for one of the low carb or even paleo boards to get more info and support for this kind of program. All you're going to get here is largely people telling you that you "need" lots of carbs for energy (wrong) or that it's impossible to stick to long term (also wrong).

And its also great for some, and a nightmare for others.

And NO, it is not "necessary" to cut carbs to lose weight. Though some people who have difficulties controlling carbs find that low carbing allows them to eat to satisfaction, without binging, which helps them lose weight in the long run.

There is plenty of information and I support it if you need to do it to adhere to your diet.

RllyGudTweetr

Provided you're getting adequate protein and are eating at a deficit, your carb intake is fundamentally inconsequential to your weight loss success. Exercising will certainly improve your success in that capacity.

CiCi924

Haha yess! I was waiting for someone to do that XD

CiCi924

Thank you everybody! I appreciate all of your experiences and advice!

TomfromNY

Cutting starches (bread, rice, potatoes, etc...) and sugar will make it much easier to lose weight. Non-starchy vegetables contain carbs and they are fine. A little bit of fruit is fine because it has some fiber in it (don't drink juice if you are trying to lose weight).

I went from 227->187 in about 5 months by following the above and eating lots of eggs, non-starchy vegetables, meat, fish, olive oil, butter, and a little bit of cheese and full-fat yogurt.

JohnDowding

You'll continue to get conflicting information :-) I got a lot out of reading "Why we get fat" by Gary Taubes. That was what convinced me to go restrict carbs (I'm currently eating 75-100g per day). It doesn't feel at all like a white-knuckle diet to me, but a permanent life style change that will be easy to maintain.

wheird

I love magical fiber.

chrisdavey

You'll continue to get conflicting information :-) I got a lot out of reading "Why we get fat" by Gary Taubes. That was what convinced me to go restrict carbs (I'm currently eating 75-100g per day). It doesn't feel at all like a white-knuckle diet to me, but a permanent life style change that will be easy to maintain.

http://cdnutritionandfitness.com/carbs-are-the-devil/

hope that helps

P.S if anyone has done low carb for a decent period of time you will know that gym performance goes to *kitten*. (primarily anaerobic for me)

Iwishyouwell

You'll continue to get conflicting information :-) I got a lot out of reading "Why we get fat" by Gary Taubes. That was what convinced me to go restrict carbs (I'm currently eating 75-100g per day). It doesn't feel at all like a white-knuckle diet to me, but a permanent life style change that will be easy to maintain.

http://cdnutritionandfitness.com/carbs-are-the-devil/

hope that helps

P.S if anyone has done low carb for a decent period of time you will know that gym performance goes to *kitten*. (primarily anaerobic for me)

Mine didn't. I low carbed for years and never suffered, anaerobically or aerobically.

JohnDowding

You'll continue to get conflicting information :-) I got a lot out of reading "Why we get fat" by Gary Taubes. That was what convinced me to go restrict carbs (I'm currently eating 75-100g per day). It doesn't feel at all like a white-knuckle diet to me, but a permanent life style change that will be easy to maintain.

http://cdnutritionandfitness.com/carbs-are-the-devil/

hope that helps

P.S if anyone has done low carb for a decent period of time you will know that gym performance goes to *kitten*. (primarily anaerobic for me)

Interest post, but still leaves lots of more questions than answers. It's hard to tell just reading the abstract on Boelsma paper, but it just seems to be talking about high-protein/low carb, and agrees with Taube that it is more satisfying. Critically, though, it doesn't seem to address the issue of increasing the amount of calories you get from fat.

ndj1979

You'll continue to get conflicting information :-) I got a lot out of reading "Why we get fat" by Gary Taubes. That was what convinced me to go restrict carbs (I'm currently eating 75-100g per day). It doesn't feel at all like a white-knuckle diet to me, but a permanent life style change that will be easy to maintain.

http://cdnutritionandfitness.com/carbs-are-the-devil/

hope that helps

P.S if anyone has done low carb for a decent period of time you will know that gym performance goes to *kitten*. (primarily anaerobic for me)

Mine didn't. I low carbed for years and never suffered, anaerobically or aerobically.

mine does..if I go low carb/low calorie my lifts go hell in a hand basket

Tabitha_Faye

Restricting carbs for weight loss is a diet; only temporary. If you're striving for a lifestyle change and results that will last, eat your carbs!

After 2.5 years of low carb how much longer do I have for it to temporary?

More the power to you! Personally, I don't think I could last that long on a restricted carbohydrate diet and I don't think many people can -- but, of course, if you can, then great. Whatever works for you.

SnicciFit

So, I've heard conflicting information about carbs from various sources, and I wanted to get some other opinions.
I eat around 100g of carbs a day, sometimes closer to 150g. Is it necessary to cut carbs for weight loss? Both my dad and my brother are eating almost no carbs in their diets, and my brother, who's trying to lose weight to enlist in the Air Force, has lost close to 30 lbs the past few months. My dad has also lost a lot of weight, but he also goes to the gym 5 days a week for a couple hours, so I'm sure that helps a lot too.

So anyway, what are you guys' opinions on carbs/cutting carbs?

My personal opinion is that if you are very sedentary (desk job then go home and watch TV), you don't need a lot of carb (no more than 50-100g). If you are very active then you probably need more, especially if you're doing any type of athletic training.

Iwishyouwell

You'll continue to get conflicting information :-) I got a lot out of reading "Why we get fat" by Gary Taubes. That was what convinced me to go restrict carbs (I'm currently eating 75-100g per day). It doesn't feel at all like a white-knuckle diet to me, but a permanent life style change that will be easy to maintain.

http://cdnutritionandfitness.com/carbs-are-the-devil/

hope that helps

P.S if anyone has done low carb for a decent period of time you will know that gym performance goes to *kitten*. (primarily anaerobic for me)

Mine didn't. I low carbed for years and never suffered, anaerobically or aerobically.

mine does..if I go low carb/low calorie my lifts go hell in a hand basket

Oh definitely. LOW CALORIE with low carb? Worst combo...ever.

ndj1979

You'll continue to get conflicting information :-) I got a lot out of reading "Why we get fat" by Gary Taubes. That was what convinced me to go restrict carbs (I'm currently eating 75-100g per day). It doesn't feel at all like a white-knuckle diet to me, but a permanent life style change that will be easy to maintain.

http://cdnutritionandfitness.com/carbs-are-the-devil/

hope that helps

P.S if anyone has done low carb for a decent period of time you will know that gym performance goes to *kitten*. (primarily anaerobic for me)

Mine didn't. I low carbed for years and never suffered, anaerobically or aerobically.

mine does..if I go low carb/low calorie my lifts go hell in a hand basket

Oh definitely. LOW CALORIE with low carb? Worst combo...ever.

for me they tend to go hand in hand…if I am low on calories, I am low on carbs...

topazora

I like how going low carb makes me feel and how it makes it easier to remain at a caloric deficit. At the moment, my job is making my days sedentary, so I limit my carbs and try to limit it to veggies, some fruit and a bowl of oatmeal in the morning. When I do go to the gym, I give myself a higher carb allowance, and I also will allow cheat days during my monthly.
I think when it comes down to it, listen to your body and pay attention to how you feel. Calorie deficit is key, but if you manage to find a method that makes it easier for you, then go with it. Carb limiting makes it easy for me.

CiCi924

Thanks everyone. I've definitely slacked off during the holidays, but hopefully once I get back to school/work I will get into a routine and stick with it. I am also going to start working out at least 1/2 an hour 5-6 days a week to get some exercise and go from there.