Success with carbs??

mymission92

Alot of people lately have been using carbs as the easiest way to drop weight. I'm lean already but want to get leaner (like the last 10pounds). My question is just, has anyone had results whilst still eating carbs (in the form of grains, complex carbs) as low carb does not work for me. But I want to know if it's realistic to get a low bodyfat percentage whilst having them?

mymission92

BUMP

tigersword

Repeat after me.

"A calorie deficit leads to weight loss."

Macros are more to be tailored to your activity level and life. More active people will go higher carb, while less active people need less carbs.

Simple solution. Calculate how much protein and fat you need for your current (or goal) weight. Then use carbs to fill in the rest of your calories. When you are cutting, obviously you will be eating slightly less carbs, and while maintaining or bulking, you will need slightly more carbs, as fat and protein should pretty much remain constant.

In other words, as long as you are getting sufficient protein, sufficient fats, and are in a calorie deficit, carbs will not impede fat loss.

mymission92

Thanks, I just wanted to be sure as i'm so confused with the amount of diff info you here over carbs. Do I caculate protein and fat from my goal wieght not actual weight i'm at now?

kenny_johnson

Repeat after me.

"A calorie deficit leads to weight loss."

Just wanted to say I agree. I eat carbs everyday. It's only morning here and I've already eaten a banana and 2 cuties (clementine oranges). I usually have whole wheat bread for breakfast every day (peanut butter and banana sandwich). I eat sandwiches for lunch frequently. We eat pasta (spaghetti) at least once a week.

Not only that, but I manage to work in things like burgers, pizza, hotdogs, tacos etc into my "diet." I just watch my calories... and try not to have those foods too frequently.

Crochetluvr

Not everyone eliminates carbs. I eat low carb but not NO carb. But lots of people still eat the breads and pastas and other stuff and lose weight when they keep the calorie intake under control. I got addicted to them, so I quit cold turkey to get rid of the cravings....and it works for me. But its not for everyone and I would never tell anyone what to eat.

kinzytg

In the long term I do not want to have to avoid carbs like the plague! There are some very enjoyable foods with carbs, so I go for well balanced. And, when I feel the need or desire for pizza I enjoy ONE piece of mushroom pizza with my salad , not 3 or 4 pieces of pepperoni pizza. My one friend swears by the meat and vodka diet, but she yo yos on and off it several times a year. I do not want to "diet".

suefrasson

My niece is on a no starch kind of diet
No bread, pasta, potatoe, still drinking her beer....LOL
She has lost 32 lbs. in 30 days..

kskaare

I like this "low carb, not no carb"... this is how i eat! eliminate "white" stuff and munch on veggies!!!

Chagama

Repeat after me.

"A calorie deficit leads to weight loss."

Just wanted to say I agree. I eat carbs everyday. It's only morning here and I've already eaten a banana and 2 cuties (clementine oranges). I usually have whole wheat bread for breakfast every day (peanut butter and banana sandwich). I eat sandwiches for lunch frequently. We eat pasta (spaghetti) at least once a week.

Not only that, but I manage to work in things like burgers, pizza, hotdogs, tacos etc into my "diet." I just watch my calories... and try not to have those foods too frequently.

That's pretty much what I was going to say

hpsnickers1

I eat low carb and I don't touch grains, legumes, most dairy and fruit, sugars (most of the time for sugar). I agree with it all here. Carb intake can also depend on what you've inherited. I'm lean (110lbs; 5'2") and I am prediabetic (I think of pre- and full diabetic the same - this is my own diagnosis based on my own blood sugar monitoring and heredity). I did restricted calorie/low-fat and then I did low-carb/high-fat (my protein has stayed the same since I learned about 1g per lb of LBM). I had success both ways as far as weight loss but removing grains fixed my digestive system end to end and low-carb got rid of my visceral fat and did a whole lot more positive things to my body, mind, and health. And I hit 12lbs below the lowest weight I've ever seen as an adult. My goal was 120. I hit 108.2lb and I maintain now at around 110lb to 113lb depending on what I eat (body didn't like 108lbs).

If you are close to a good lean weight for your body calorie restriction doesn't always work because you just can't get the nutrition you need. I think when you get close to a lean weight that is when you can start tracking macros a bit rather than calories to keep losing. The protein/fats we eat are used for more than just their calorie content. They are also used in structural maintenance and repair (calories are a unit of energy only).

Keep protein constant and work with carbs/fat to see what your body responds best to (use the scale and clothes). For me it was fat.

rawfull

I started a raw vegan diet 15 days ago, I get about 80% of my calories from carbohydrates. I eat fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, no processed foods at all. I've lost 19 pounds, my diabetes in under control with oral medication only. I was using insulin 3-4 times a day. There is a huge difference in natural carbs, and processed. Processed carbs are addictive, and cause huge fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Protein, keep it about 10 % that all we need. I also try to keep fats at about 10, but frequently I go as high as 20% People will get up in the middle of the night to eat processed carbs, ice cream, chips, cookies. I've never heard of anyone getting up in the middle of the night and going out to get a banana, kale, or an orange...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucHEVNX2c9o

hpsnickers1

A close friend & I started at the same time to work on losing weight. We were with in two pounds of each other starting. She is eating a very strict (Atkins) no carb diet. I am watching my calories in versus calories out, but I will not give up brown rice & other food I see as healthy, just because it is a carb. I have removed all "white" food (sugar, white flour, white rice). I am at 43 pounds lost, she is at 31. We go to the gym together & do the same workouts, the only difference is the way we eat.

There is one other BIG difference. You are two different individuals. All this says is that two different people will lose weight at different speeds when they go on a diet. Both diets include calorie restriction and you will lose weight when cutting calories regardless of what you remove (you've dropped your carbs, too even if you don't realize it.). (Also IMO, the slower it comes off, the easier it is to keep it off).
Just sayin...:flowerforyou:

katheern

I'd say it depends on your goal. If you are wanting simply to lose weight you can lose weight while still eating decent amount of carbs as long as you are staying within your caloric limit. However if you are trying to get to like body builder/fitness model/swim suit model type body, cutting carbs is probably the simplest* way to eliminate that extra body fat and get more muscle definition.

*I realize that there are body builders and such who do not use this method, but from my experience with fitness trainers/models, when they are about to go into competition, they will cut out almost all their carbs beforehand and focus on protein. However this they do this for competitions only. If they are just maintaining they still do fairly low carb but not as extreme.

Basically, it depends on what your goals are. You can definitely lose weight though eating a lot of carbs. However if you do a higher carb diet you do need to make sure you have a low fat intake. I've mentioned this before in other threads but it's the combination of high fat and high carbs that are bad. Carbs spike your insulin levels which tell your body to store fat so when you are eating that burger with high carbs and high fat that stores a LOT of extra fat. This is why low carb diets work in theory.. low carb means no insulin spike so eating fat doesn't get you fat.

mymission92

Thanks for the replies everyone.
I have yo/yo'ed every since starting low carb so I don't think it's the way to go. HOWEVER as i'm already lean but I want to have a low bodyfat then I will watch my carbs. I think if do low carb ( as I can then focus on enough protein ) but add in oats, sweet potato and fruit then I will be able to stick to it and be consistent.

tigersword

I'd say it depends on your goal. If you are wanting simply to lose weight you can lose weight while still eating decent amount of carbs as long as you are staying within your caloric limit. However if you are trying to get to like body builder/fitness model/swim suit model type body, cutting carbs is probably the simplest* way to eliminate that extra body fat and get more muscle definition.

*I realize that there are body builders and such who do not use this method, but from my experience with fitness trainers/models, when they are about to go into competition, they will cut out almost all their carbs beforehand and focus on protein. However this they do this for competitions only. If they are just maintaining they still do fairly low carb but not as extreme.

Basically, it depends on what your goals are. You can definitely lose weight though eating a lot of carbs. However if you do a higher carb diet you do need to make sure you have a low fat intake. I've mentioned this before in other threads but it's the combination of high fat and high carbs that are bad. Carbs spike your insulin levels which tell your body to store fat so when you are eating that burger with high carbs and high fat that stores a LOT of extra fat. This is why low carb diets work in theory.. low carb means no insulin spike so eating fat doesn't get you fat.

The body doesn't need insulin to store fat, and insulin is also required for muscle growth and repair. Besides, when in calorie deficit, it doesn't matter how much fat you store at the moment you eat it, it gets burned off during the 24 hour cycle anyway. Low carb works because it forces you to cut out a significant amount of calories, and a major reduction in carbs causes a major loss of water weight. It has no overall effect on fat storage or burning.

tigersword

Thanks, I just wanted to be sure as i'm so confused with the amount of diff info you here over carbs. Do I caculate protein and fat from my goal wieght not actual weight i'm at now?

That's mainly personal preference. Some people use current weight, and then recalculate the numbers as they lose. Personally I prefer to use goal weight, as those will be what I'll be eating once I get there, and it saves having to recalculate and shuffle macros around constantly.

Nessiechickie

If I'm really good I don't eat any wheat/bread/pasta/wraps/rice crackers during the week but then come the weekends I do. I could not do carbs at all because i get faint.
To explain I don't eat carbs much because I honestly just don't care for them and how they make my stomach feel.

Nerdy_Rose

I EAT ALL OF THE THINGS.