Can someone help me please? lower cals or lower carbs

wyllden

Hi,

I'm newish and been trying to stick to a low carb diet under 50g per day, i'm finding it really difficult to stick to that and always end up going over, but usually have calories left over.

I sit better to do lower carb in my situation? or just lower fat and calorie count? i'm confused as i keep reading various information and it is getting a bit mindboggling.

I am 31, 5"5 and weigh 201.8lbs so classed as obese. I want to lose about 58lbs.

Someone please help me decide what will work for me

Thanks in advance

Commander_Keen

Inrease your carbs to 100 and see what happens.

Mr_Knight

Lower your calories until you're in a caloric deficit.

If you lower your carbs (or fats or proteins) without lowering your calories, you won't lose weight. There is nothing magical about low-carb eating.

nicole_justine

What i have found has helped is concentrating more on getting enough protein. Get some good carbs in the morning such as oatmeal, then stick to protein, fruits and veggies for the rest of the day. I was able to lose alot of weight very fast with this diet, along with exercising regularly. Hopefully that helps.

silverinc13

Try reading this page:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=road+map&page=1#posts-14887744

erickirb

What is the reason for going low carb?

If you are just looking to lose weight and have no other underlying heath issues, all you have to do is eat less calories than what it takes to maintain your current weight.

That said if you do lower any one macro, instead of all three as a % of total calories, then carbs would be the better to do, as fat and protein are essential, where carbs, though do help performance, are not required the way the others are.

nwingr

Lower your calories until you're in a caloric deficit.

^This. You can find your calorie requirements with one of the calorie calculators. MFP has one, I think it comes up when you set goals.

MamaC977

I have always heard that it is total calories in verses total calories expended. I try to maintain a balance of carbs/protein/fats. Since I am diabetic, but LOVE carbs that works best for me. If I try to really limit my carbs I get frustrated and end up binge eating.

smmy744

Hi, I have tried everything low carb, ww, sw, and to be honest MFP is much easier if you log honestly and review what you are having nutrition wise. I eat lots of things like cheese and basically rubbish snacks. What I suggest is working out your Basic Metabolic Rate and then this will give you your TDEE.. this will help you see what your body needs to function (BMR )

I am new as well and am 5"10 and weigh 206llbs so have a bit to lose... I am having 1598 calories a day and seeing how this works out for me.. try some sites that will help you calculate... I think that this will work better for you...counting calories is easy on here and you get a break down of where most of them go... Add me if you want to discuss or any more tips... I am not qualified but look up loads on the net...willing to help you through I have lost 2lbs so far but only just restarted....


Good luck
Sammy

hasta_la_vista_belly

I'm getting the most results keeping carbs under 20-30g/day and eating more fats and proteins. At the same time, I did lower my calorie intake a bit, as on the low carb diet I am not finding myself to be as hungry all the time. Went from 182 to 174 in about 2 1/2 weeks. Mostly water at that stage, but I am now starting to lose fat too (albeit at a slower rate which is expected).

FindingMyPerfection

Cals in>Cals out is what works. As far as macro brake down the only one that works is the one you can stick with for the long haul.

kaleysmom71

Hey there,
My best advice for you, is don't skip carbs, but skip simple carbs. Stick to complex carbs, red potatoes, whole grains, ONLY whole wheat breads. And only eat them up until lunch time. Read up on clean eating, and stay away from processed foods. I'm 34, and I was up at 152, I lost 7 pounds in my first week of eating clean. Don't try to cut out too much at once, otherwise you will just find yourself craving that thing you are cutting out. I started working out and eating clean in August and have lost 17 pounds. The clean diet will be the first step to dropping the weight. Try it for one week, and I promise you will see results. Eat a large breakfast, plenty of protein, ex: hard boiled egg, a yogurt (greek) and whole wheat toast, or oatmeal. (I hate oatmeal, so I eat whole wheat toast) My personal trainer told me your 1st meal of the day should be your biggest, then lunch smaller and a very little for dinner, you should wake up hungry ready to fuel your body. But don't skip carbs except for at dinner, ie protein and veggies. Try to eat clean snacks throughout the day, unsalted nuts, veggies, hummus. At this point I'm eating 80% clean, but at first it was more like 95% I hope this helps. Don't give up!!

KaelaLee88

Hi Hun,

My first response would be that if you're finding it very difficult to stick to this low carb diet, it might not necessarily be for you.

It is recommended to reduce your carbohydrate intake and as you start to eat cleaner food, this generally becomes easier to do.

Personally, I love my carbs but have found cutting down easier and healthier for me rather than cutting it out or radically reducing my intake. I've also discovered that you can't abide by every single dietary rule in one go! That was my mistake for years and I got very confused and very overweight trying to do all of the things that people told me would help.

MyFitnessPal has been and continues to be a bit of a personal revelation for me and my family. All we do now is abide by our daily calorie limit, our nutritional limits (Salt, sugar, fat, etc), try to eat as clean as our budget allows, drink more water, exercise moderately and reduce portions and frequency of eating.

How you consume your calorie limit is up to you, but we still eat plenty of carbs (they are nutritionally vital after all!) albeit wholemeal varieties which contain necessary fibre and are our personal preference :-)

Whenever you begin to make any big change, there's always plenty to learn but don't worry. Try to do one thing at a time and when you've mastered that, advance.

The best of luck to you on your journey!

Kaela x

wisej85

You're more likely to fail at a low carb diet because you are depriving yourself too much. Also it's nearly impossible to maintain. Once you lose weight you will put it right back on again. The best way is to eat low cal/low fat, good carbs, and exercise. it's a slow and steady process. You can't lose weight overnight and doing the low cal diet and exercise is a way easier routine to maintain. Good luck!

Sunbrooke

I really don't know alot about counting carbs, but I have found that making veggies the majority of my plate with a fairly small portion of carbs from stuff like sweet potatoes, barley, and beans seems to give me more energy without the munches. If you are used to refined sugars and grains, you can expect to have some serious craving when cutting them out. I think it can affect your mood too. Fight craving by keeping around hard boiled eggs, hummas, lots of fresh veggies ready to go, avocado, canned fish, and a well stocked spice rack.

pawaini

If you want to lose weight you need to count both, worked perfectly for me, zero carbs, low calorie diet....

mkatram

It's a case of too much information, isn't it? I am in nearly the same boat, except I am 20 years older than you are. Here is what I have decided to focus on, as I have tried losing in all sorts of ways. You need to be able to stick with whatever you do for the long term. Since you find 50 carbs hard to stick to, go a little higher and make those carbs mostly vegetables. Pick a calorie level that will give you a defict, but not so low that you get frustrated with it. When you keep your carbs low and smart, it is easier to live on fewer calories. For the first month or so, just focus on the calorie number, and find out what your comfortable carb level is. Keep track. At the end of the month, make adjustments and go another month. Just think of the numbers as data that you are collecting. Don't alter the "experiment" before the end of the month. You really have to be patient. Your success will not be a number on the scale, but how well you conducted the experiment and collected the data. Then just keep going. Add exercise with an eye to forming a new habit, not losing weight or gaining strength. So what you do isn't as important as doing something active that you enjoy every day. Establish a new habit of activity. You will feel great about it and that will give you the mental and emotional boost to get through those days when you go off plan or doubt your ability to keep going. In the beginning, the benefits from exercise are mostly mental. Go easy on yourself, but not too easy. Accept that this is going to take a good long while to do it right, and hopefully for the last time.

capugheWECHANGED

What do you think is causing you to fail at your 50g goal? Are you hungry all the time? Are you having trouble choosing low carb food? Is it the cravings?

If it's cravings, it will get better.
If you're hungry, up your fat intake. Fat keeps you sated longer than protein and carbs.
If you're having trouble eating fewer carbs because you're still trying to eat bread, pasta, potatoes or other grains/starches, you need to cut those out. Get all of your 50g from vegetables (broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts, asparagus, kale, green beans) and high fibre berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries).

Low carb diets are NOT impossible. Many people find Low-Carb-High-Fat (as opposed to high-protein) actually a little easier than plain old calorie restriction because, again, fat keeps you full.

Check out this community: http://www.reddit.com/r/keto
Start with reading the FAQ: http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq

I'm aiming for 20-25g/day myself, but you can try easing in, starting at 150g/day.

edit: You DO still need a caloric deficit to lose weight on a low-carb diet. It just has other benefits such as that satiety I mentioned and steadier blood sugars.

Leonidas_meets_Spartacus

Do what works best for you? Why did you choose to lower your carbs? For me, I was hungry every 3 hours or so, when I was eating normal diet with carbs. I could snack but thats like putting a band aid to the problem. I try to keep my carbs 60g or lower with lots of veggies, healthy fats and few servings of fruit most of the days. I don't feel hungry or snack as much and I don't count calories but I eat only when I am hungry and don't when I am not. All calories are not equal depending on your hormones and how your body responds to carbs, fats and proteins. You just need to figure out what works for you.

lisajsund

I aim for 30% carbs or less daily.
I have MFP set to active, to lose 0.5 lb/week and usually eat most of my exercise calories back.
MFP gave me a calorie goal of 2210 with these settings.
In 4 weeks, I have lost 4 pounds. MFP said I should've only lost 2.
I also aim for 30% protein and 40% fat.
While I get hungry from time to time, I find it very livable.