is it worse to be under cals or over carbs?

nibbynoo

hello,

MFP has recommended i have 1290 cals a day and 177 carbs.
i currently weigh 224 (gasps all around- heavy i know)

Now is it worse to be under my daily cals or over my daily carbs as i cant match the two up with out spending an hour mixing and matching everything in my fridge and that is just too much hassle! also its more unrealistic closer to pay day as there is less to choose from!

so what is the lesser of two evils if no matter how hard i try they just wont line up?
also i read an article that said lots of protein is good when dieting- bad advice? stick to the 48 recommended?


Thanks guys,
peace out

ajbeans

Depends on how under and how over. Carbs themselves won't affect your weight gain, if you're watching your cals, but you need to make sure you're getting enough protein.

If you're having trouble getting everything to line up right, try planning your meals and snacks the day before. It makes it easier to see where you're lacking so you can address it immediately, rather than waiting until you're hungry and having to make a quick decision.

briar_rose

I am usually under my cals and carbs even though I am by no means doing some sort of low-carb diet. The only major carb I have pretty well eliminated is potatoes and that has done wonders for my body. I would say it is worse to be over carbs - try to find alternative foods that will satisfy you. You will need to be slightly under your daily calories to lose weight (combined with exercise of course) though make sure you eat at least 1200 per day.

Ral263

Weight loss is a balanced equation of CALORIES in and CALORIES out. Carbs are not the end-all be-all of weight loss-- calories are!

If you are exercising, it's good to get a good mix of complex (non-processed, non-white) carbohydrates in addition to high quality lean protein (chicken breast, plain canned tuna, any fish, plain nonfat greek yogurt, egg whites, cottage cheese, etc). These will keep you fuller longer as well as keeping your body fueled properly.

JillyCornwall

On such a low setting..I have to say better over...it will only at the worst slow you down a little...at the best..sometimes being over can fool the body into losing.

edorice

I hate being over on carbs because I do better when I keep them in check. That's just me, many people have their own philosophy for their own bodies.

ittybittycricket

Honestly, I believe that tracking your food and what you eat is a means to building a natural idea of "healthy eating." You don't want to have to track what you eat in perfect detail every day for the rest of your life, so I personally don't think that you should structure your eating so rigidly.

I wouldn't worry about being under Calorie or over carbohydrate levels on a day to day basis. Maybe try just eating the way you have been for 7-14 days, then look at patterns that emerge. If you're under Calorie or over carbs every once in a while, it's no big deal. The same can be said about anything, in truth. But if you find that either happens consistantly, almost every time, well, I would say to look at the foods you're eating and the makeup of them: maybe there's a specific food you eat on most days that is high in sugars, which throws off your carb count. If that's the case, see if you can adjust what you're eating by replacing it with a lower carb version, or just eating it less.

As for being under Calorie in specific, as long as you eat more than around 1200 Calories a day, you should be fine. There are days that I am under Calorie (as far as my net goes) because I do a lot of fitness during the day. This will only increase the amount of weight you lose, if you're body can handle the amount you're eating. If you're really worried, I'd go meet with a nurtitionist, who can better help you figure out the minimum number of Calories you should be eating in a day based on your body and metabolism. My fitness pal obviously doesn't do any specific tests on your metabolism, so even though it takes a basal BMI into account, it can't be very specific. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much. Focus on the big picture and adjust to any problems that you see when they become obvious.

ickybella

Firstly, no one here is going to judge you because of your weight! My starting weight is pretty high, but we're all here for a reason, right? Secondly, I think you should maybe take a look at what you've been eating. It is possible to be near your calorie and carb limit at the same time, without going over on either. You just need to think about the foods you're eating and try and find ways to cut something. I don't think you need to go low carb, but it's not a bad idea to try and get the recommended amounts of everything. Also, if it's just once in a while, like someone else said, that's not a big deal. Just try not to be over every day.

nibbynoo

i have been switching things like from pasta to rice, then to brown rice, then to brown cous cous. its just silly things like the database on here if i want to add more veg to my meal to get my cals up then the veg push the carbs up!? how many carbs do green veg have in then?! i wouldnt have though much at all!

im a bit paranoid on the old starvation mode but still want to see results!

ebgbjo

nuttinikki - I just saw a nutritionalist and she gave me an amazing little booklet that is for diabetics (although I am not) because I tend to eat way too many carbs (and may be reason why I have more fat in my belly- she thinks the extra carbs are causing bloating)...anyway, the booklet listed all of the foods in each food group and what their exchanges are. It also listed all of the starchy vegetables and how many carbs they have. I was so shocked. Most of the veggies I love are on the starchy veggie list and I was eating them along with potato (which I knew was a stach) and sometimes a slice of bread with my meat for dinner. So I was getting triple, sometimes quadruple, the amount of carbs I needed. I never even thought about fruits and veggies having carbs- I am still trying to remember that other foods besides grains can be high in carbs. It is a learning process. You think you are doing good by eating an apple because it is a fruit, but whoops, watch those carbs