Carbs and Genetics?

mandamerlot

[Cross posted, I realized it probably made more sense to be here after I posted on the other forum, not sure how to delete it]

Say for example that your mother is unable to lose weight without cutting carbs or doing a low-carb diet, are you predisposed to the same fate?

I am trying really hard to just count calories and exercise, but am seeing very little loss on the scale.

My mom did Dukan a few years ago and lost 65 pounds. She said she has always had to go low carb to lose weight, so I'm wondering if a deficit is simply not enough for some people

(open diary, though the past few days have been garbage as my daughter was very ill and I was tending to her all day and night; calories are calculated using TDEE/BMR)

Dgangaware

My friend told me that her doctor told her that she has a really slow metabolism. She is an avid exerciser and eats pretty healthy for the most part. He told her that her metabolism is just slow.
I think building muscle can help change that though!

mycupyourcake

Hey I just saw your post about crickets and decided to check out your posts that did not get many responses. Here is a link to one article on this subject. I also remember something coming up on MFP about it a few months back and it was also a good link:

http://www.fitforcombatsystem.com/low-fat-or-low-carb-diet-it-is-in-the-genes/

Xaudelle

No.

Weight loss occurs in a calorie deficit. The calories you put in are less than what you're burning each day. That is all.

Here are some helpful links:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Jewlz280

So, 5lbs. is very little loss? No, no it isn't. The thing is, you're expecting a big loss when you're pretty darn close to your goal. Even from your pic, you don't look like you need to lose much. My point being that as you get closer to goal, the harder it is to lose. So no, it's not about carbs or Dukan or what your parents did. It's about watching cals, doing your exercise thing, and giving it time! At the end, half a pound a week is right where it should be.

AsaThorsWoman

I find it much easier to lose cutting carbs.

You look like you have a body fat percentage on the lower end of normal, or middle of normal, just my guess, not saying anything negative about your body, just saying it is hard to lose fat/weight when there's not as much.

They do say that last ten pounds is the hardest.

You could try a calorie deficit or cut carbs and calories.

UpEarly

If your mom 'always' has to go on a low carb diet to lose weight, that implies that she's lost weight multiple times? Perhaps low carb really isn't actually the thing that works for her. If it worked, she wouldn't have to do it over and over again. I hope that doesn't sound snarky, because I mean it with the best intentions. The thing that works for everyone is lifestyle change that you can stick to permanently - not 'diets'.

Personally, moderation is the one thing that has been surefire for me - just a modest calorie cut and portion control. I didn't count carbs, I didn't have a list of restricted foods, I didn't avoid sugar or gluten or meat or dairy. I lost 66 pounds pretty easily and have kept it off for two years now.

Yes, there are some medical conditions that require a person to watch carbs, but unless you have one of those conditions there probably isn't a genetic reason you need to go low carb to lose weight.

_HeartsOnFire_

No.

Weight loss occurs in a calorie deficit. The calories you put in are less than what you're burning each day. That is all.

Here are some helpful links:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

THIS!!!

Trechechus

I'm going to say your mom probably doesn't have any reason to cut carbs other than the fact that she cannot maintain a deficit unless she forces herself to by cutting an entire class of food. (Going carbless is next-to-impossible and is very unhealthy.)

Deficit = weight loss. That's all there is to it. There is no hocus-pocus involved.

yasminortiz

Totally genetic. Yes! You are dead on!

Xaudelle

The thing that works for everyone is lifestyle change that you can stick to permanently - not 'diets'.

Personally, moderation is the one thing that has been surefire for me - just a modest calorie cut and portion control. I didn't count carbs, I didn't have a list of restricted foods, I didn't avoid sugar or gluten or meat or dairy. I lost 66 pounds pretty easily and have kept it off for two years now.

Yes, there are some medical conditions that require a person to watch carbs, but unless you have one of those conditions there probably isn't a genetic reason you need to go low carb to lose weight.

KatieRG92

Judging from your diary, you started just about a month ago and you've lost five pounds. That's ~1lb a week, which is normal weight loss. Plus, you look pretty small already (just judging from your photo, I have no idea how much you weigh). The less fat you have on your body, the harder it will be to lose.

There could be some link between the way your body tends to store and use carbs, but in the end, if you keep doing what you're doing, you will keep losing weight, but it will get more and more difficult.

mandamerlot

I lost those 5 lbs on WW on a 26 PP allowance, usually eating an additional 5 PPs a day. From what I have read, one PP is roughly 35-50 calories

Therefore;
Low range: 910 cals + 175
High Range: 1300 + 250

As soon as I started going to the gym I physically could not continue to eat according to the WW PP system doing 40ish minutes of cardio and 35 minutes of strength/HIIT so I read the forums here and went according to TDEE/BMR and my weight went back up to 138.5 again?

Xaudelle

Weight fluctuations are normal. They happen due to sodium influx/water retention, beginning a new exercise regimen, TOM, etc.

I think you're focusing too much on what the scale says and not enough about how you look and feel. Why not focus on body recomp?

hkristine1

I lost those 5 lbs on WW on a 26 PP allowance, usually eating an additional 5 PPs a day. From what I have read, one PP is roughly 35-50 calories

Therefore;
Low range: 910 cals + 175
High Range: 1300 + 250

As soon as I started going to the gym I physically could not continue to eat according to the WW PP system doing 40ish minutes of cardio and 35 minutes of strength/HIIT so I read the forums here and went according to TDEE/BMR and my weight went back up to 138.5 again?

What's your water intake (your diary doesn't show any water)? If you're not drinking a TON of water (at least 8 cups when you're not exercising + another 40 ounces for every hour of exercise), I would start there. I slowwwww way down my weight loss when I'm not drinking enough water.

[edited to complete a sentence I had left incomplete - as my brain moves faster than my fingers]

MrGonzo05

Judging from your diary, you started just about a month ago and you've lost five pounds. That's ~1lb a week, which is normal weight loss. Plus, you look pretty small already (just judging from your photo, I have no idea how much you weigh). The less fat you have on your body, the harder it will be to lose.

There could be some link between the way your body tends to store and use carbs, but in the end, if you keep doing what you're doing, you will keep losing weight, but it will get more and more difficult.

I salute your booming voice of reason!

Aaron_K123

When people find a diet that has a theme like "low carb" that works for them it is not because they HAD to eat low carbs in order to lose weight its because by eating low carbs they found they were finally capable of eating at a deficit for whatever reason. That reason could be that at low carb they were eating other foods they found more satiating so they ate less for example. That doesn't mean that it would be impossible for that person to lose weight eating carbs it just means that they found dieting easy enough to accomplish when they ate low carbs.

The only person who can answer the question about whether this is true of you as well is you. There is no way for a stranger on the internet to have any notion at all as to whether or not you find it difficult to diet if your diet includes lots of carbs. This is possibly why there were few responses.

mandamerlot

I lost those 5 lbs on WW on a 26 PP allowance, usually eating an additional 5 PPs a day. From what I have read, one PP is roughly 35-50 calories

Therefore;
Low range: 910 cals + 175
High Range: 1300 + 250

As soon as I started going to the gym I physically could not continue to eat according to the WW PP system doing 40ish minutes of cardio and 35 minutes of strength/HIIT so I read the forums here and went according to TDEE/BMR and my weight went back up to 138.5 again?

What's your water intake (your diary doesn't show any water)? If you're not drinking a TON of water (at least 8 cups when you're not exercising + another 40 ounces for every hour of exercise), I would start there. I slowwwww way down my weight loss when I'm not drinking enough water.

[edited to complete a sentence I had left incomplete - as my brain moves faster than my fingers]

I drink anywhere from 86-100oz of water a day.

Sharon_C

I would say no. Weight loss is a pretty simple equation (but not so simply executed for most of us). Less calories in, more calories out. Eat less, exercise more. You don't have to cut out an entire food group to lose weight. Does it make it easier? For some it does. For me it doesn't. If I can't have my carbs then there is no reason to keep going (okay, that was a bit dramatic, but you get my point).

I second what a bunch of others have said. Your weight loss is right on target. Remember, the weight didn't come on in a few weeks and it won't come off in a few weeks either.