Low calorie diet? Or low carb diet?

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Replies

  • amoffatt
    amoffatt Posts: 674 Member
    I count calories while I am losing the weight, if I find a time where I am not losing, I will watch carbs (and sodium). I think this will be more for my maintanence time to watch carbs for my brain hurts if I dont eat enough.:bigsmile:
  • amoffatt
    amoffatt Posts: 674 Member
    OK! Of all the reading I've done I've come to the conclusion that very restrictive carbs-like Atkins-can make you drop weight quicker-but as you get close to goal weight and keep up a good exercise routine I don't think that is practical to maintain. As you eat a balanced healthy diet (as every dietician who has counseled diabetics will tell you) combined with exercise, your body becomes more efficient. So.... carbs, calories, proteins, and yes even good fats combine to do the work our bodies were designed to do. If you lose weight eating all these in moderation, I would imagine it would be easier to keep the weight off after you have reached your goal. Just my opinion.

    Exactly! It is not just about what helps drop the weight and even drop it quick, but how to help keep it off. For me, after years of dieting, I am going to do the whole eat healthy and exercise, so this will be something I will do the rest of my life. Intense at first to loose the weight then what it takes to maintain the loss. In the past I would loose the weight with special diets that are "suppose" to teach you how to eat properly and portion control, I always gained the weight back, but not this time.
  • amoffatt
    amoffatt Posts: 674 Member
    I thrive on low carb diet.

    35% of adults in the USA have insulin resistance and 93% of them don't even know it.

    And 20% of diabetics out there are thin. My guess is there are much more because most doctors won't check blood sugar in a thin person. You see, most doctors think diabetes is caused by overeating and being lazy. But the insulin/blood sugars issues start long before the weight gain.

    Yup. We worried about my daughter who was on the heavier side that she would become diabetic, but nope, my stick thin son was diagnosed instead. Genetic tests by the Dr. show my daughter is less likely to become a diabetic.
  • shannonmelek
    shannonmelek Posts: 34 Member
    OK! Of all the reading I've done I've come to the conclusion that very restrictive carbs-like Atkins-can make you drop weight quicker-but as you get close to goal weight and keep up a good exercise routine I don't think that is practical to maintain. As you eat a balanced healthy diet (as every dietician who has counseled diabetics will tell you) combined with exercise, your body becomes more efficient. So.... carbs, calories, proteins, and yes even good fats combine to do the work our bodies were designed to do. If you lose weight eating all these in moderation, I would imagine it would be easier to keep the weight off after you have reached your goal. Just my opinion.

    amen!
  • nallbaby10
    nallbaby10 Posts: 86
    which one is better? Or which do you prefer?

    Define better? Personally I wouldn't do either, you can create a moderate deficit and still eat carbs and lose just fine.


    ^^^This^^^
  • THINandFABULOUS
    THINandFABULOUS Posts: 170
    i am for a low cal diet. i noticed that i get headaches when i do low carb.
  • willnorton
    willnorton Posts: 995 Member
    personal preference...low carb is a great way of eating...a lot of research has been done recently and it is very healthful...

    do your research and do it right.....know what you are doing.....

    www.lowcarbdiets.about.com

    is a great site to do some research..

    good luck to you no matter what you do and remember...

    whatever diet you do.....keep hydrated..lots of water and exercise everyday..it doesnt have to be a full blown workout just move every day....


    Bill
  • Eandretta96
    Eandretta96 Posts: 119
    By low carb, do we mean like under 50 here?
  • DavidNewOrleans
    DavidNewOrleans Posts: 17
    I prefer a daily caloric goal and low carbs, but if I had to decide, I would take low carb
  • 228lrt
    228lrt Posts: 49 Member
    The Paleo Diet. High protein and carbs from fuits and vegitables.
  • zincalloy
    zincalloy Posts: 43
    Years ago I tried the Atkins diet. I stuffed my face with all the things I enjoyed, eggs, bacon, cheese, lamb chops, ham, steaks etc.

    I most certainly took in a lot of calories. I also lost weight at an incredible rate. Between 4 and 6lb a week on average.

    The problems were I never stopped craving carbs, my breath was horrible, I was hyperactive and obsessed with food.

    Also, after a few months I couldn't bear it anymore. I just wanted to eat some cereals, pasta, bread, fruit. I began to hate meat, eggs etc. It's impossible to keep going.

    All the weight I lost came back and bought some friends along. I couldn't go through that again.

    Low calorie is slower but so much more civilised.
  • thelowcarbrecipes
    thelowcarbrecipes Posts: 89 Member
    Low carb LIFESTYLE, not only is it more efficient and easier for weightloss [due to not having to starve yourself with unfilling carbs] but it is also great for your health in general, before agriculture started, we humans were living low carb for 100's of 1000's of years.

    I lost 53lbs in 4 month due to a low carb ketogenic diet eating very tasty food and feeling great about myself. I also did very little exercise.

    I never got the bad breath or smell, its fine if you manage your hygine well.

    @zincalloy , when you stop any diet the weight is going to come back if you go back to eating the way that put the weight on, its not the diets fault as your not doing the diet anymore.
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    By low carb, do we mean like under 50 here?
    I'm not. Technically anything under 200 g of carbs a day is considered low carb by the mainstream fitness & diet industry which wants you to get 50-60% of your calories from carbs.

    I think it depends on how many calories you eat, myself. If you are only eating 1200 calories a day, then 200 g of carbs is 2/3rd of your calories!

    I keep my carbs to about 33% of my calories. Given that the traditional recommendation is to get 50-60% of your calories from carbs, I figure anything significantly under 50% is low carb.
  • QuakerMom
    QuakerMom Posts: 56 Member
    I count calories while I am losing the weight, if I find a time where I am not losing, I will watch carbs (and sodium).

    This is true for me too.
    I was plateau-ing for close to 2 weeks, then got sick and ate some high sodium soup 2 days in a row, and gained a lb back. Following day i dropped sodium considerably, and the lb was gone again. Then, started to restrict carbs a little more (not drastically -- went from around 170 g/day to closer to 120-150, some days less. Essentially cutting out my snack bar, little treats, and most grains. The weight is starting to come off again.
  • mom2jjl
    mom2jjl Posts: 48
    BUMP for later :)

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