Overcoming carb fear, eating more carbs.. and losing weight

elw90

I have hypothyroid and tried to low carb for ages and just yo-yo'd. I've gone back onto carbs in the past month- although only GOOD carbs e.g oatmeal, fruit, yoghurt, some cereals (not overly sugary ones!) and I'm losing weight sustainably and quicker than I ever have when trying to low carb. I've lost 6lbs in 5 weeks after being pretty much the same weight give or take a couple of pounds for months!

For life in general you need carbs physically and socially and to stop yourself from losing your mind. I think only a handful of people go true low carb and stay on it for the rest of their lives.

I used to be TERRIFIED of going over 50g of carbs a day and would only eat vegetables towards my carb allowance. At the moment, I am not counting my macros and end up eating around 150g-200g of carbs a day and as I said the weight is coming off, and my thyroid hormones up until about a month ago were rock bottom.

I think people do low carb to get the scale moving and it will because of the water loss associated with glycogen depletion. I think eveyone considering a low or very low carb diet should ask themselves if they truly think they can do it FOREVER. Because resuming normal eating will quickly regain the weight loss. Also I think it is just so important to find a way to lose weight with carbs in your diet to prevent yo-yo. If you stick to consistent macro ratios it's like another thing your body can learn to trust is a constant. Messing around with these essential macros too much confuses your body. Focus on calories and good foods and the scale will move.

My point overall is, don't deprive yourself of an essential macro if ultimately you are going to go back to it. If you could commit to low carb forever it might be a different story.

The only reason I'm so strong on this is because I got infatuated with low carbs and become to fear carbs. All it did was drain me, make me socially awkward and I never learnt how to naturally lose true weight. I think it exacerbated my hypothyroidism and led to carb binges which obviously don't help. I now eat 200g of carbs a day predominantly from healthy sources. I feel happier stable and I know when the scales drop it is fat and not pseudo weight loss due to water release.

Don't get frustrated with plateaus that turn to extremes. It's at plateau points that define a weight loss journey. If you are really patient the scales start moving again and you manage to reach goal sustainably. Most people are impatient though and I believe this is the root cause of dieting failure, the impatience leads to something faddy unrealistic and hard to sustain in normal daily life and when people don't stick to these new miracle rules they fall off and regain weight. I have started to see plateaus as not an opportunity/excuse to try something different or take a new supplement or buy a new diet book but as a sign that my body needs a bit of time and it will start resuming loss when it's ready. The only reason I'm ok with this is because I know how accurate my logging is so I know the plateau isn't due to uncertainties there.

I do think low carb is good for people in some circumstances- with blood sugar issues or if they are trying to cut for modelling or whatever- but i think for the average girl trying to lose a couple of stone in a normal lifestyle it's good to include carbs and most importantly enjoy them and don't demonise them.

All of this is totally my opinion and i'm open to criticism. Also what works for my body and mind may not work for someone else, I just thought I would share my experience so that even if it helps one person and makes sense to one person I feel it is worth it.

elw90

Also if people do reply I Really don't want this to turn into a self-righteous argument. I'm happy for people to give their opinions but please if you are going to say stuff like YOU ARE WRONG then do it somewhere else. I've said this is MY OPINION and what has worked for me and also accepted this may not be a universal phenomenon. I hate how MFP turns into a place for arrogant people shooting others down for their opinon/experiences.

yarwell

I think it exacerbated my hypothyroidism and led to carb binges which obviously don't help

figures.

Natmarie73

A timely topic for me. I have been trying to limit carbs to 50 grams per day as well but failing miserably. I ate 200 grams today thanks to that bloody salted caramel nougat bar that has been taunting me for the past few days. I have been staying reasonably within my calorie amount though so hopefully like you suggest it won't put the brakes on any fat loss for me.

tegalicious

I honestly don't know how people limit their carbs. I can't seem to eat less than 300 grams most days. Luckily I don't have a medical reason to limit them and it hasn't stalled my weight loss at all .

I also want to add that I am happy for you that you are finding a balance in your life and in your weight loss journey. Balance was key for me in my journey.

tennisdude2004

OP - I think what you're mixing up is - it's not EASY for everyone to go low carb (if by that you mean 50 -150g).

But in regards to health and essential macro nutrients anything more that 150g is neither more healthy for you or indeed essential (unless if course you are an athlete or endurance / body builder enthusiast).

People seem to struggle with low carb because they cannot control their cravings (hormonal responses).

However that being said as long as dieters are getting enough fat and protein in there diet and eating in a deficit then carb quantities are pretty irrelevant. IMO.

kgeyser

Also if people do reply I Really don't want this to turn into a self-righteous argument. I'm happy for people to give their opinions but please if you are going to say stuff like YOU ARE WRONG then do it somewhere else. I've said this is MY OPINION and what has worked for me and also accepted this may not be a universal phenomenon. I hate how MFP turns into a place for arrogant people shooting others down for their opinon/experiences.

:huh: I…..good luck on your journey.

hmaddpear

However that being said as long as dieters are getting enough fat and protein in there diet and eating in a deficit then carb quantities are pretty irrelevant. IMO.

THIS!

OP - not everyone is the same. I'm losing weight steadily on less than 150g carbs a day. There's someone up thread who has trouble getting below 300g a day. Who's right? We both are - different strokes for different folks. Work out what works for you and helps you achieve your goals and stick to it. Until it doesn't work any more, then tweak until it starts working again.

crystalrp

I think it is a matter of people finding what works for them. I do keep my carbs low, I have for almost a year now, and I really love it. It does NOT cause me stress, nor does it make me socially awkward. I have found that I have trouble controlling how much I eat when I eat a lot of carbs. As I said, it works for ME. Hopefully you have found what works for YOU. It is a completely individualized thing. I wish you much success in your journey.

elw90

I don't understand how people didn't read me saying that this is my opinion and what's worked for me?!

elw90

And then proceed to tell me exactly what I've already accepted and made that clear in my OP. The point was that this could reach people similar to me, where they feel going low carb is a struggle and does limit them socially or whatever... I can fully accept that different people are different!

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RobinvdM

I am Pro Carbs. I Have no idea why people demonise them (medical reasons aside.) There is no authentic "enemy" for weight loss other than will power/ self control and/or exercise (lack thereof.) From the 2 years I've been here and read through forums, long term success comes from finding what works for you and going with it. I've seen more casualties coming from people who thought depriving themselves was the answer.

No pizza, wth. Carbs are your FRIEND.

I am glad you found what works for you, and I think it's brilliant that you stood up and said so in the hopes that others out there who think carbs are evil can read what you wrote and relax a bit. Good for you

:flowerforyou: