Anyone calorie count with a low carb slant?

caroline_g

I've been hearing a lot about the benefits of a low carb diet but I don't want to move over to something like Atkins, I still want to count the calories that I'm having. I was just wondering if anyone has a low carb slant to their calorie counting and how does it work for you? How many carbs do you have a day, what do you eat/avoid and how much do you usually lose doing that? And also, if you know if that's more, less or the same as if you've just calorie counted, that'd be great to know too. Thanks

lublue

Hey,

I've had the most success this way - eating a balanced diet still, and focusing more on calories and exercise than just purely the amount of carbs, but when I cut processed carbs like bread, cereal, etc. (also potato) - white stuff, basically - I find myself feeling really good and losing weight. Takes a few days to get into it.

Miss_Kaz80

I believe low Carb dieting contributed greatly to my weightloss. I stuck to under 50g of carbs per day, as low as 30g when I wanted to push weightloss. Every 4 or 5 days I would increase my carbs to 80 - 100g for the day, to help prevent a plateau.
Carbs when I did consume them, came from brown rice and sweet potato, sugar intake never exceeded 2 or 3g.
120g protein, 50g fat, 50 g protein. I am never hungry and always full of energy.

I am currently on a 5 day no-carb, 2 day 100g Carb diet. Not for everyone and not sustainable over a long period, but I am a bodybuilder and cutting the last of my bodyfat to under 18%....

Best of luck.

lemonychick

Bump. I'm naturally inclined to cut out bread/rice/pasta from my diet. It makes me feel so much better.
I'm very interested in what other people have to say about this.

IronSmasher

I thought most people did this? Especially bodybuilders do. Anyone relying highly on carbs in a calorie deficit diet is going to have a bad time with hunger and have a hard time getting enough nutrients.

romping

I´ve had really good success. With low carb. I started my diet by reading the South Beach and doing their phase 1 for two weeks. Basically you go Atkins for two weeks to get your body used to low carb. I´m not much of a cook and don´t understand recipes so after two weeks and 10 pounds of quick loss, I added good carbs to my diet.

I basically eat a really good breakfast everyday of eggs, bacon and veggies like mushrooms, onions, peppers, asparagus, brocolli.

A small snack mid morning of nuts or cheese.

Lunch is protein with veggies. I´m big on stirfry because it is easy. I make my lunch every morning at the same time I make my breafast.

Midafternoon snack is whole grain bread and cheese.

Dinner is protein and veggies again.

I mix it up by throwing in extra snacks of granola, dark chocolate, diet hot chocolate, ect..

Basically lots of veggies with meat, chicken, fish or seafood. This diet would be better if you had lot´s of money because then you could eat lot´s of really good shrimp, lobster, ect..

The key is don´t let yourself get hungry and lot´s of water. I´m right around 100 grams of carbs a day and 2000 calories. Also I´m walking 40 minutes 5-6 times a week.

caroline_g

Thanks for the replies.

Well I don't rely on high carbs, I just don't count them or really pay attention to them and I've been doing fine but I'd like to push my weight loss more. I usually have about 800-100g a day of carbs I think. I have a bagel every morning for breakfast which is quite carby obviously, but it's quick and easy before I have to leave so finding replacements would be difficult I think.

balancebean

I limit carbs and find it helps curb hunger, but don't eliminate them completely, I stay away from the "white stuff" (white flour, white sugar) in favor of whole grains. I use agave nectar as a sweetener.

caroline_g

I think the key here is that I need to start getting up a bit earlier so I have time for a breakfast that isn't a throw a bagel in the toaster and eat it on the go! I don't have white bread, white pasta, white anything really as I've always found brown better for taste and nutrition.

Romping you said that you're big on stir fry, do you still have it with noodles or just the meat and lots of veg?

FoxyMcDeadlift

Thanks for the replies.

Well I don't rely on high carbs, I just don't count them or really pay attention to them and I've been doing fine but I'd like to push my weight loss more. I usually have about 800-100g a day of carbs I think. I have a bagel every morning for breakfast which is quite carby obviously, but it's quick and easy before I have to leave so finding replacements would be difficult I think.

I just had a look at your food diary. There were no entries until Thursday and you were eating a pityful amount, then your eating around maintenance, then your eating 500kcal a day! Get your basics in order before you start looking into other fads! log calories everyday, count how many carbs your actually eating, research carb loading then make a informed decision on your diet

cramernh

Thanks for the replies.

Well I don't rely on high carbs, I just don't count them or really pay attention to them and I've been doing fine but I'd like to push my weight loss more. I usually have about 800-100g a day of carbs I think. I have a bagel every morning for breakfast which is quite carby obviously, but it's quick and easy before I have to leave so finding replacements would be difficult I think.

I just had a look at your food diary. There were no entries until Thursday and you were eating a pityful amount, then your eating around maintenance, then your eating 500kcal a day! Get your basics in order before you start looking into other fads! log calories everyday, count how many carbs your actually eating, research carb loading then make a informed decision on your diet

Well, firstly a Low-Carb diet doesnt necessarily mean its a fad-diet.... Im under an Endocrinologist's care right now who has recommended a low calorie/low carb intake for my unique medical situations. (1600 cal/120g CHO daily).

Secondly I will definitely agree with you, the OP is not dedicating to logging in everything they eat and the first day I ran into (that Thursday entry), was extremely low..... I dont know if that Thursday entry was a day you werent feeling well, or if your job got so busy you couldnt eat an actual meal, I wont assume, but the days you have done zero-logging is pretty much the same commitment you have right now... zero.

Good meal planning doesnt mean you have to lose sleep in the morning to have an actual breakfast. You can easily do your meal planning the night before. That way, when you wake up, its easier to cook your meal because you did most of the work the night previous.

Bagel-only breakfast is definitely not a good way to start the day - you are allowing your body to consume a carb-load in an empty stomach.... If you are having the traditional NY-style bagel, you should put half of that back in the bag.... The half you do have, cut in half, cook up some protein with vegetables, to make a nice half-sandwich...have a bowl of soup with it to make it a meal.

Its TOO EASY to prepare ahead for what you will eat, its a matter of how dedicated you are to your weight loss....

caroline_g

I just had a look at your food diary. There were no entries until Thursday and you were eating a pityful amount, then your eating around maintenance, then your eating 500kcal a day! Get your basics in order before you start looking into other fads! log calories everyday, count how many carbs your actually eating, research carb loading then make a informed decision on your diet

I haven't been logging things all week but that doesn't mean that I've been eating 0 calories or that I've been eating 3000 calories, I just haven't been logging. I ate a dinner on Thursday, I just didn't get the chance to log it. At the moment I have an extremely busy lifestyle where I'm out early in the morning, get back, eat, do work, go to bed and so it means that I don't always get the chance to log things on here at the end of the day but I do keep track of what I'm having. I've never had as low as 500 calories in one day. I usually have 1200-1300. Though there are some days that even though I've eaten plenty, it only comes up to about 1000. But to be honest, as long as every day isn't like that then I don't particularly mind.

Secondly I will definitely agree with you, the OP is not dedicating to logging in everything they eat and the first day I ran into (that Thursday entry), was extremely low..... I dont know if that Thursday entry was a day you werent feeling well, or if your job got so busy you couldnt eat an actual meal, I wont assume, but the days you have done zero-logging is pretty much the same commitment you have right now... zero.

I think that's a bit harsh to say to be honest. Just because I don't come on here every day and always log everything that I've eaten doesn't mean that I have zero commitment. My commitment is to myself and my weight loss, not to this website. MFP is something that I use to help me but it's not the be all and end all and it isn't the only thing that I use to help me.

Good meal planning doesnt mean you have to lose sleep in the morning to have an actual breakfast. You can easily do your meal planning the night before. That way, when you wake up, its easier to cook your meal because you did most of the work the night previous.

Bagel-only breakfast is definitely not a good way to start the day - you are allowing your body to consume a carb-load in an empty stomach.... If you are having the traditional NY-style bagel, you should put half of that back in the bag.... The half you do have, cut in half, cook up some protein with vegetables, to make a nice half-sandwich...have a bowl of soup with it to make it a meal.

Its TOO EASY to prepare ahead for what you will eat, its a matter of how dedicated you are to your weight loss....

Again, I think you're being quite harsh in what you're saying. I have a breakfast, a bagel can be a breakfast and whilst it may not be the best option, it's certainly not the worst. It isn't about meal planning, I haven't mentioned that here, that's not something that I have a problem with. I don't have a bagel because I didn't plan anything else, I have a bagel because that's what I've planned and it's what's most convenient for me. The comment I made about getting up earlier wasn't anything to do with planning, it was about having the time to actually prepare and eat a different kind of breakfast. At the moment, I can pop a bagel in the toaster whilst I finish getting ready and then eat it on the move if I need to. If I was to have, for example, an omelette or something else that needed more attention and time to cook, then instead of my bagel taking me pretty much no time, I would need extra time to prepare it, cook it and eat it. With the time that I get up at the moment (6.30am) I don't have the time to do that and so, like I said, if I was to do that I would have to get up a bit earlier so that I would have time to prepare something else.

cramernh

I just had a look at your food diary. There were no entries until Thursday and you were eating a pityful amount, then your eating around maintenance, then your eating 500kcal a day! Get your basics in order before you start looking into other fads! log calories everyday, count how many carbs your actually eating, research carb loading then make a informed decision on your diet

I haven't been logging things all week but that doesn't mean that I've been eating 0 calories or that I've been eating 3000 calories, I just haven't been logging. I ate a dinner on Thursday, I just didn't get the chance to log it. At the moment I have an extremely busy lifestyle where I'm out early in the morning, get back, eat, do work, go to bed and so it means that I don't always get the chance to log things on here at the end of the day but I do keep track of what I'm having. I've never had as low as 500 calories in one day. I usually have 1200-1300. Though there are some days that even though I've eaten plenty, it only comes up to about 1000. But to be honest, as long as every day isn't like that then I don't particularly mind.

Secondly I will definitely agree with you, the OP is not dedicating to logging in everything they eat and the first day I ran into (that Thursday entry), was extremely low..... I dont know if that Thursday entry was a day you werent feeling well, or if your job got so busy you couldnt eat an actual meal, I wont assume, but the days you have done zero-logging is pretty much the same commitment you have right now... zero.

I think that's a bit harsh to say to be honest. Just because I don't come on here every day and always log everything that I've eaten doesn't mean that I have zero commitment. My commitment is to myself and my weight loss, not to this website. MFP is something that I use to help me but it's not the be all and end all and it isn't the only thing that I use to help me.

Good meal planning doesnt mean you have to lose sleep in the morning to have an actual breakfast. You can easily do your meal planning the night before. That way, when you wake up, its easier to cook your meal because you did most of the work the night previous.

Bagel-only breakfast is definitely not a good way to start the day - you are allowing your body to consume a carb-load in an empty stomach.... If you are having the traditional NY-style bagel, you should put half of that back in the bag.... The half you do have, cut in half, cook up some protein with vegetables, to make a nice half-sandwich...have a bowl of soup with it to make it a meal.

Its TOO EASY to prepare ahead for what you will eat, its a matter of how dedicated you are to your weight loss....

Again, I think you're being quite harsh in what you're saying. I have a breakfast, a bagel can be a breakfast and whilst it may not be the best option, it's certainly not the worst. It isn't about meal planning, I haven't mentioned that here, that's not something that I have a problem with. I don't have a bagel because I didn't plan anything else, I have a bagel because that's what I've planned and it's what's most convenient for me. The comment I made about getting up earlier wasn't anything to do with planning, it was about having the time to actually prepare and eat a different kind of breakfast. At the moment, I can pop a bagel in the toaster whilst I finish getting ready and then eat it on the move if I need to. If I was to have, for example, an omelette or something else that needed more attention and time to cook, then instead of my bagel taking me pretty much no time, I would need extra time to prepare it, cook it and eat it. With the time that I get up at the moment (6.30am) I don't have the time to do that and so, like I said, if I was to do that I would have to get up a bit earlier so that I would have time to prepare something else.

For someone who cant actually HEAR me say these words, you do make assumptions here that is quite accusatory...
It wasnt harsh at all... nor did I slam you or cut you down maliciously....

Your diary is open to anyone to see it.... and yes, when you dont see entries consistently, one can automatically think "why use MFP at all if you dont dedicate yourself to it for tracking?" -

Let me know when you get off your assumption-wagon and re-read my posts, they were not harsh at all...

FoxyMcDeadlift

I wasnt saying that low carb itself is necessarily fad dieting, but when people post threads saying "oh i've heard a lot about ketosis, or warrior" or whatever without research its essentially fad, they want a quick fix without researching what the effects are and whether it suits them. Low carb, ketosis, warrior all seem to work for some people, so do your research and figure out if it suits you (which is what i suggest later in my post)

Secondly, im not suggesting that you eat 3000 or 0 calories, im saying if you dont use this tool to accurately log all your calories, you cannot make a informed decision. Theres plenty of times i go to log calories at a later date and forget i ate say a apple, or a slice of chicken.

OP, in regards to meal planning, have you tried cooking big meals on the weekend and portioning them out? In any case, i think you should track your cals better first before looking at other techniques

caroline_g

I wasnt saying that low carb itself is necessarily fad dieting, but when people post threads saying "oh i've heard a lot about ketosis, or warrior" or whatever without research its essentially fad, they want a quick fix without researching what the effects are and whether it suits them. Low carb, ketosis, warrior all seem to work for some people, so do your research and figure out if it suits you (which is what i suggest later in my post)

Secondly, im not suggesting that you eat 3000 or 0 calories, im saying if you dont use this tool to accurately log all your calories, you cannot make a informed decision. Theres plenty of times i go to log calories at a later date and forget i ate say a apple, or a slice of chicken.

OP, in regards to meal planning, have you tried cooking big meals on the weekend and portioning them out? In any case, i think you should track your cals better first before looking at other techniques

But as I've just said, I do track my calories as I make a note of it all, I just don't always get to put them up on here. Using MFP is more useful as I can look at things beyond just that day, see how I've done over the past week, past month or whatever.

I understand what low carbing is, what ketosis is and all of those kinds of things. I'm not just looking for a quick fix, I know the benefits of low carbs but I don't want to do a full on Atkins diet, which I decided through research, which is why I posted asking whether people have combined low carbing with calorie counting and how they've found it. I'm not coming on here saying tell me what to do, I'm coming on here asking people's opinions and experiences (alongside looking around online) which is part of research is it not? Though I do see what you're saying and agree, there are a lot of people who do exactly what you've said and are just looking for any quick fix without really knowing about something but that's not what this is, I do know about it, I'm just wanting to know other people's opinions and experiences as most of what I've read a few articles that have told me that low carbing whilst calorie counting is pointless.

caroline_g

For someone who cant actually HEAR me say these words, you do make assumptions here that is quite accusatory...
It wasnt harsh at all... nor did I slam you or cut you down maliciously....

Your diary is open to anyone to see it.... and yes, when you dont see entries consistently, one can automatically think "why use MFP at all if you dont dedicate yourself to it for tracking?" -

Let me know when you get off your assumption-wagon and re-read my posts, they were not harsh at all...

Well for someone who is aware that I can't actually hear you say words, maybe you should consider how it may have come across. You may not have intended it in a harsh way but that is how it came across. I wasn't saying that you were being malicious, at all, I just thought that you came across as a little harsh and judgmental as essentially what you said was that I have zero commitment and am not dedicated to my weight loss. If I wasn't dedicated, I wouldn't have lost 23lbs so far. I am dedicated but like I said, I just don't always get to use MFP to record everything that I have in a day. When I'm able to, I do, but at the moment over the weeks that I'm on a placement, I just do not have the time to track everything that I eat during the day (which I do, regardless of whether I'm on placement or not) AND come on to MFP to record it. Whilst I think MFP is great, it is just a tool that I use in my weight loss but it isn't essential, not every day. Like I said, my dedication and commitment is to myself and my weight loss, not any one particular tool that helps me along the way. And to be fair, I asked for people's opinions and experiences of low carbing whilst calorie counting, not a critique of my diaries or how I use this site.

HMonsterX

I barely look at my carb intake. I don't see the point. Calories in<out.

Why make this any harder for yourself by restricting or cutting things out?

IronSmasher

I can't find the bit where it says 'take a look at my diary, and tell me how to live my life'?

Frumpy40sFoxy50s

I can't find the bit where it says 'take a look at my diary, and tell me how to live my life'?

Exactly! Where the thread turned to a lot of assumption and judgement we got way off track. OP never asked anyone to look at her diary.

OP asks a legitimate question, to which I'd be interested in hearing the answer.

(BTW - dont anyone bother looking at my diary because I rarely log on here either!)

caroline_g

I can't find the bit where it says 'take a look at my diary, and tell me how to live my life'?

rosebarnalice

I average about 125 g of carbs a day-- about half of the MFP recommendation for my weight.

Mostly, I avoid white stuff-- pasta, potatoes, bread, pastries, etc.

The carbs I do eat come primarily from fruits and vegetables, and oatmeal. Much more filling and satisfying than the things above.

For me, it's mostly an empty calorie thing. I just look at a piece of bread and think, "THAT for 120 calories? It's not worth it!"

dennydifferent

I don't know cramernh, but from what I've read on here that crabbiness isn't usual. And yes, it did sound harsh.

Caroline I've already commented on Minimins, but to reiterate for anyone who's interested, I got down to 1200kcal -1300kcal a day counting calories, and my weightloss began to slow. Once I started low carbing my intake shot up to minimum 1500kcal, mostly nearer 1700, and my weightloss continues at that amount.

balancebean

Bump. I'm naturally inclined to cut out bread/rice/pasta from my diet. It makes me feel so much better.
I'm very interested in what other people have to say about this.

Everyone is different, I know, but my body responds to carbs the same way. It seems when I eat white bread/rice/pasta and baked goods, it leaves me craving more. I tend to overeat those foods. I'm better off not even taking the first bite.

HonkyTonks

Yes. I calorie count and aim for less than 100 grams of carbohydrate per day. I try not to worry about too much other stuff because it gets too frustrating to worry about it!

I should add my carbohydrates tend to come from fruit, dairy, vegetables I usually avoid bread/pasta/rice/potato

WalkWell

How long have you been body building and doing the low carb thing for? And how long has it taken you to lose your 17kg?