For a steady weight loss: carbs or no carbs?

tantalee

What is your opinion about having carbs/no carb in your nutrition? What is more helpfull when losing weight?

grannygethealthy1111

I ate carbs and it worked for me.


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songbyrdsweet

Totally up to you. I've done both, but I have seen excellent results eating more Primal style. My diet is also restricted due to digestion issues. I eat a lot of nuts, berries, some apples, greek yogurt, lean meats, fatty meats.

betseyk123

I think it has more to do with what you can maintain. Currently doing lots of veggie carbs and no grain, starch, added sugar or fruit carbs. I feel great; Not confident that I can maintain this at EVERY meal forEVER, but know that it is what I should be generally doing.

tmoose0988

It greatly depends on what your body responds to - everyone is different. I respond well to high-protein diets with a small amount of carbs mixed in - I have friends who are the exact opposite. A lot of it depends on your body composition, metabolism, etc. However, regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, completely cutting carbs out of your diet is setting yourself up for failure. If you completely cut out carbs and you do drop weight like mad, the second you allow them back into your diet or have a splurge for the holidays - it is instantly going to throw your body and metabolism off as your body won't know what to do with it, likely turning it into fat. If you do decide to move away from carbs, just limit them, don't eliminate them completely. Your body needs a certain measure of carbs for energy and it's setting yourself up for failure if you totally get rid of them. Try limiting your carbs and make sure that whatever carbs you are consuming are high-quality, such as whole-grain pasta.

Articeluvsmemphis

carbs are not the enemy. the source of those carbs are.

carbs are in candy bars = eat too many= bad

carbs are in fruit = good

look at the source, use common sense, carbs are not bad

Toddrific

It seems to me anything that isn't part of a permanent lifestyle change is slightly pointless. It'd be a pretty crappy life not to have carbs.

scatgash

Bump

LizKurz

What is your opinion about having carbs/no carb in your nutrition? What is more helpfull when losing weight?

I eat carbs. Good, solid, complex whole grain carbs. I even on occasion eat some sugary carbs that arent that great.

I also eat 50% of my food in carbs.

Lost 102 lbs this way.

Carbs IMHO are essential for fueling your body, just like fat and protein. They all work together.

Hezzietiger1

Your body needs carbs... but it doesn't need processed foods, starchy carbs, and tons of sugar. It needs whole grains, lots of veggies, some fruits, and tons of fiber. Carbs are your energy source and what your body and your BRAIN uses to function. U can lose weight by cutting carbs, but it is the one form of nutrition that your brain feeds from.

tialynn1

When I started this journey, I wasn't restricting carbs. I just cut back on my calories and making the snacks healthier. I have lost 37 pounds since January 4. But, I have struggled in losing the stomach. My stomach has gone down, but still big. I like how my legs and arms are shaping up. But, my stomach isn't responding as well. Someone told me about a book called Wheat Belly. The author is a doctor and he explains how he believes that the wheat and grains in our diets are what makes us have big bellies. So, I am going to try to cut down on that. See, if that helps. The person that told me about the book, said he is definitely feeling better since they started that. I figure it can't hurt.

CassieReannan

Being a nursing student, I'm learning a lot about carbohydrates and protein break downs in the body.
Without carbs, you will be angry and tired! Your body needs carbs to survive, especially protein so you dont lose muscle. Carbs make you feel good, give you some percentage of energy and is vital for breakdowns in your body. Your body will hold onto every shred of food and water it gets just to keep going if you dont get a certain amount of carbs...

Dont abandon carbs.. I have been on around 180 - 220 macros of carbs a day which is enough for me. So far in a month I have lost 6.5kg (14 pounds). It all depends what carbs you're eating (white rice vs brown rice) etc and your body weight and height.

Athijade

I am really going to be working on changing up the carbs I DO eat and lowering the overall amount from what I am doing currently. Pretty much, I want the vast, vast majority of my carbs to come from vegetables and whole fruits... then whole grains... and the very rare treat of something with added sugars (like a dessert for a special occasion or holiday). Most days will be vegetables, whole fruits, and whole grains... about 99% of the time.

I am also aiming to drop the overall carbs from the 200+ I am eating (40% of my calories) to less then 150 (between 30% and 35%). Making changes like salads instead of sandwiches at lunch, vegetables with dips instead of popcorn for snacks, and more vegetables and salads instead of rice or potatoes at dinner. Not saying I will never eat potatoes, but just reducing the portions and the number of times per day/week I have them.

Toddrific

When I started this journey, I wasn't restricting carbs. I just cut back on my calories and making the snacks healthier. I have lost 37 pounds since January 4. But, I have struggled in losing the stomach. My stomach has gone down, but still big. I like how my legs and arms are shaping up. But, my stomach isn't responding as well. Someone told me about a book called Wheat Belly. The author is a doctor and he explains how he believes that the wheat and grains in our diets are what makes us have big bellies. So, I am going to try to cut down on that. See, if that helps. The person that told me about the book, said he is definitely feeling better since they started that. I figure it can't hurt.

It's like Atkins, many of the foods that taste great also have carbs/wheat. Cutting them out will of course reduce the amount of calories you eat. Try the no wheat thing, but maintain the same amount of calories. Then see how well that idea works.

LizKurz

When I started this journey, I wasn't restricting carbs. I just cut back on my calories and making the snacks healthier. I have lost 37 pounds since January 4. But, I have struggled in losing the stomach. My stomach has gone down, but still big. I like how my legs and arms are shaping up. But, my stomach isn't responding as well. Someone told me about a book called Wheat Belly. The author is a doctor and he explains how he believes that the wheat and grains in our diets are what makes us have big bellies. So, I am going to try to cut down on that. See, if that helps. The person that told me about the book, said he is definitely feeling better since they started that. I figure it can't hurt.

From what I understand the premise of the Wheat Belly is for people that have an allergy to wheat. They tend to bloat in the gut, causing the "wheat belly". For someone without this allergy, stomach bloating is not true bloating, but simply fat. A regimen of HIIT cardio and strength training can rid you of this belly.

Huffdogg

Has a lot to do with what type of exercise you are coupling with your nutritional changes for weight loss.

ReinventingLisa

I've done both and each work well. I actually lose weight better with as little carbs as possible, but that's hard to do long term since I will get bored. However, I do watch my carbs and prefer to carb cycle to lose weight. Works wonders!

Fitness_4_Jess

Carbs are an essential nutrient which menas your body needs at least soem carbs. Also, when people think of going no carb they generally just leave out the bread and pasta, but carbs are in virtually everything.Fruit and veggies have carbs too! So I eat good carbs like the ones in fruits and veggies. I eat some bread too, but not as much as before, and when I do eat bread it has the complex carbs found in whole-grain products. I will have a sandwich, but I don't carb-load like I used to. Every person needs to find the right balance, but remember, for lastign weight loss it needs to be reasonable-not extreme. That is why I opt for low carb instead of no carb.

LifeChangingExp

What is your opinion about having carbs/no carb in your nutrition? What is more helpful when losing weight?

Lowering your carbs definitely helps you in weight loss. Increase your protein.

Huffdogg

Being a nursing student, I'm learning a lot about carbohydrates and protein break downs in the body.
Without carbs, you will be angry and tired! Your body needs carbs to survive, especially protein so you dont lose muscle. Carbs make you feel good, give you some percentage of energy and is vital for breakdowns in your body. Your body will hold onto every shred of food and water it gets just to keep going if you dont get a certain amount of carbs...

You are mixing together several different things here. Not everyone gets irritable and fatigued on a ketogenic diet, and protein and carb intake are vastly different topics with vastly different pros and cons. Generally speaking, when you shed carbs you LOSE water retention, but I absolutely agree that high protein is highly valuable for muscle retention (or synthesis, depending on what you are doing).

If you are operating on a constant caloric deficit, you can get away with a VERY low carb diet. Fat is a far more satisfying (in terms of satiety) macronutrient, and will not turn into bodyfat deposits IF you are correct in counting your calorie totals and are truly at a deficit.

LifeChangingExp

What is your opinion about having carbs/no carb in your nutrition? What is more helpful when losing weight?

Lowering your carbs definitely helps you in weight loss. Increase your protein.

Someone else posted this link, which is wonderful, so I thought id share..
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/nutrient_calculator.htm

Lift_hard_eat_big

Figure out what works for you. Don't mimic anyone else, you are not going to respond or react exactly the same as anyone else's diet and training regimen.

chris1816

Your body needs carbs, period.

In absence of excess body fat, ie your body fat % is below the ideal levels for your age/sex, you especially need carbs.

If you have excess body fat, and I mean TRUE excess, not your effed up body issues perception because your dad didn't hug you enough when you were young sort of excess body fat...your body will access that as a source of energy without anything else readily available.

The above is why folks that try ketosis see good results as far as weight/fat loss (enjoy your kidney failure, at least you have two).

The key thing with weight loss is to ask yourself for clarification. Are you speaking fat loss? or weight loss?

I was over 400lbs until recently; but a good chunk of that weight was and still is lean mass. I did olympic weight lifting and rugby in high school. I still weight lift and am continuing to weight lift as I focus on losing -fat-, in other words my goal is to change my body composition, not lose weight.

If I could lose 100lbs of fat and be 6'2, and about 300lbs of mostly lean mass and a healthy amount of fat I would be pretty friggin happy.

The key point there is to focus on your calorie intake, it doesn't matter if you put 1500 calories of In N Out burger or 1500 calories of salmon, quinoa, almonds, snap peas, grapefruit, almonds etc in you. If 1500 calories is the 500 calorie deficit you need to lose weight, you will lose it. You may not be "healthy" on a daily diet of In N Out (but you may feel pretty awesome in other ways), but you will lose.

So should you cut carbs out completely? No.

You should even be very careful with limiting them, especially if your protein choices are not the best either.

All things being equal (calorie intake etc) do carbs make you any more fat than anything else? Nope.

suziecue66

Being a nursing student, I'm learning a lot about carbohydrates and protein break downs in the body.
Without carbs, you will be angry and tired! Your body needs carbs to survive, especially protein so you dont lose muscle. Carbs make you feel good, give you some percentage of energy and is vital for breakdowns in your body. Your body will hold onto every shred of food and water it gets just to keep going if you dont get a certain amount of carbs...

Dont abandon carbs.. I have been on around 180 - 220 macros of carbs a day which is enough for me. So far in a month I have lost 6.5kg (14 pounds). It all depends what carbs you're eating (white rice vs brown rice) etc and your body weight and height.

Sorry but your really don't know what you are talking about. The two essential macros that you must get from diet are fats and proteins. The brain can run perfectly well on ketones.
Saying that, I would still rather get my carbs via diet.

HeidiMightyRawr

Carbs! I love them, and I still lose while having them in my diet (approx 200-250g a day)

Some people do great on low carb, I'm not one of those people. I love pasta too much, and low carb doesn't agree with me at all.

irade8u

I eat good carbs before I work out. I have been trying to reduce my simple carbs lately.I try and eat protein after a workout. I would love to eliminate sugar all together from my diet. That is one of my goals. complex carbs are a great source of energy. Try whole wheat pastas and breads, veggies and beans, they will fill you up.

Sabine_Stroehm

When I started this journey, I wasn't restricting carbs. I just cut back on my calories and making the snacks healthier. I have lost 37 pounds since January 4. But, I have struggled in losing the stomach. My stomach has gone down, but still big. I like how my legs and arms are shaping up. But, my stomach isn't responding as well. Someone told me about a book called Wheat Belly. The author is a doctor and he explains how he believes that the wheat and grains in our diets are what makes us have big bellies. So, I am going to try to cut down on that. See, if that helps. The person that told me about the book, said he is definitely feeling better since they started that. I figure it can't hurt.

It's like Atkins, many of the foods that taste great also have carbs/wheat. Cutting them out will of course reduce the amount of calories you eat. Try the no wheat thing, but maintain the same amount of calories. Then see how well that idea works.

As long as you don't replace the wheat with all that gluten free "food". Overly processed, expensive crap.

chris1816

The brain can run perfectly well on ketones.

Hooray for kidney failure.

tantalee

Being a nursing student, I'm learning a lot about carbohydrates and protein break downs in the body.
Without carbs, you will be angry and tired! Your body needs carbs to survive, especially protein so you dont lose muscle. Carbs make you feel good, give you some percentage of energy and is vital for breakdowns in your body. Your body will hold onto every shred of food and water it gets just to keep going if you dont get a certain amount of carbs...

Dont abandon carbs.. I have been on around 180 - 220 macros of carbs a day which is enough for me. So far in a month I have lost 6.5kg (14 pounds). It all depends what carbs you're eating (white rice vs brown rice) etc and your body weight and height.

Sorry but your really don't know what you are talking about. The two essential macros that you must get from diet are fats and proteins. The brain can run perfectly well on ketones.
Saying that, I would still rather get my carbs via diet.

Exactly. As long as you drink enough water to get read of the metabolites and to not let the ph drop too much, no problem. People see Ketones as devils but they are not. In some diseases people are obliged to have a 90% fat diet so the brain function better.

tigersword

The brain can run perfectly well on ketones.

Hooray for kidney failure.

There is zero scientific evidence that high protein diets damage kidneys.

As for the OP. It's 100% personal preference. If you like carbs, eat carbs. If you don't like them, don't eat them.

Carbs are linked to serotonin, cutting them back can have negative effects on mood. There's also research that indicates that cutting carbs can negatively impact lean mass retention. On the other side, people with insulin resistance issues do better on lower carb.

It's a personal choice, some people handle it well, some people don't. Me personally, I don't handle low carb well.

jodiex92

I went extreme and cut carbs (except for green veg) and it caused me to binge. Were as previously I ate wholegrains & fruit and was fine.