Low Carb?

annika27

My dad, starting at about 360, lost about 50 pounds in just a few months keeping his carbs under 100 per day.
I have decided to give it a shot. Worry less about calories, more about carbs.

Just wondering what others experiences with this have been? What was your target number of carbs?

Krazy_Kat

Low Carbs is so last decade.

I did it then and lost bunches of weight, had a headache all the time, no energy and put it all back on with lots of friends.

Some people may have been more successful, so Bump.

AntWrig

Low Carbs is so last decade.

I did it then and lost bunches of weight, had a headache all the time, no energy and put it all back on with lots of friends.

Some people may have been more successful, so Bump.

People tolerate carb differently. However, you should keep your carbohydrate intake as high as possible, while you still have a steady drop in bodyfat. Drastically reducing your carb intake is foolish. You won't have any room to tweak when you hit that plateau.

LittleButMightyOne

Carb cycling is a nice balance. If you stick to a lower (not Atkins-level) carb intake 5 days of the week, and increase it two days, it has been shown in a study to burn fat better than the popular Mediterranean diet. Carb cycling has been used by bodybuilders for a long time.

Mctree20

I did Atkins for a little while, limiting my carbs to under 20 a day. I found it very good for weight loss. I lost around 23lbs in about 7 weeks.

Only problems I had with it was in the first week, headaches, lack of energy, "Atkins flu". After the first week I had tons of energy, never felt hungry, and the weight melted off.

I did gain a little back by going back to my old ways of eating. Would I do it again? Sure, it worked. One major issue most people seem to find is it is a real pain when eating out, and you really have to like meat.

annika27

I am not gonna go as low as Atkins. My dad was successful with under 100 a day. MFP recommends 165 for me, so Im gonna try to aim for around 100 and see how it goes.
Thanks everyone!

beautybiz

I have had the most success with the South Beach low carb plan. I don't metabolize carbs well so limiting them is my best bet. After phase one I find it much easier to make better good carb choices. I never got a headache and I only feel tired if i eat too many carbs. Do what works for you.

bcattoes

Low carb is fine if you can sustain it. But if your intention is to do it short term, then you could have a hard time not gaining the weight back. But, I'd still suggest trackiing calories as well. Gram for gram fat has more than twice the calories of carbs. And protein has the same calories as carbs. So, unless you eat less calories because you limited carbs, it's not likely to change your weight loss.

Christine1110

I don't keep track of my carbs...but I only eat fruits & veggies. I also eat lean meats. No processed food...which are full of sugars, carbs...and just not good for you!

BAMFMeredith

I generally eat very low carb simply because I don't eat bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc. Not for any weight loss reason, but because when I eat those things (even the gluten free varieties) I simply do not feel good. My digestion is thrown off, I feel like my head is cloudy, I'm tired and lethargic.

I know that I have a gluten sensitivity, but even non-gluten starches really weigh me down, so I just don't eat em. My diet is basically lean meat, fruits and veggies, eggs, and a little cheese here and there, plus a protein shake after a workout. My carbs are typically somewhere around 75 per day. I don't really aim for any specific #, it just happens to be pretty low since I don't eat processed foods (generally speaking---I am not too good for a slice of greasy pizza, beer, or some Mexican food here and there).

Some people find that they need starches like that to have energy, but for me it's the exact opposite. High protein, lots of veggies, and a couple servings of fruit per day give me tons of energy, keep my mind sharp and active, and keep me going! I have had an easier time losing weight/maintaining muscle mass while eating a low carb diet, so that's a plus too. Whatever you do, it's gotta be a lifestyle change. For me, it's a no brainer just because I feel SO much better, but it isn't realistic for everyone.

ETA: I've set my macros on here to 40% protein, 30% carbs, and 30% fats---that balance has really been great for me, personally.

McGruber03

Low carb takes the joy out of life. And low carb means limiting fruit. Fruit is good for you. And IMO, a diet is not successful if it "worked" for someone. If it is successful, it is "still working" for someone. Anyone can lose weight, not many can keep it off. Try something that works for you. Usually people get tired of low carb, go back to eating normal and gain all the weight back. What a headache. If you go low carb, try limiting yourself to 150 grams per day. Not the super strict 20. Good luck!

Mctree20

Low carb takes the joy out of life. And low carb means limiting fruit. Fruit is good for you. And IMO, a diet is not successful if it "worked" for someone. If it is successful, it is "still working" for someone. Anyone can lose weight, not many can keep it off. Try something that works for you. Usually people get tired of low carb, go back to eating normal and gain all the weight back. What a headache. If you go low carb, try limiting yourself to 150 grams per day. Not the super strict 20. Good luck!

I agree. Saying "low carb takes the joy out of life" is very accurate IMO. As with any diet, if you fall off it and go back to your pre-diet eating habits and exercise (or lack of), you have a good chance of gaining the weight back. Keeping it off is all about changing your lifestyle for good.

AprilRenewed

I have been off bread/rice/pasta/grains/most desserts for over a year now. I can promise you this -the longer you go without it, the less you want it. It has come to a point for me that when I decide "okay. I'll have a bite of that delicious smelling banana bread" it's NEVER as good as I want it to be, and I always regret the calories.

I love my diet. I love the food I eat.

I get my carbs from my Balance Bars and my veggies and oatmeal.

This IS my lifestyle. Most people think I'm insane, but I am happy and energetic and loving life!

jogglesngoggles

Carb cycling is a nice balance. If you stick to a lower (not Atkins-level) carb intake 5 days of the week, and increase it two days, it has been shown in a study to burn fat better than the popular Mediterranean diet. Carb cycling has been used by bodybuilders for a long time.

this^^ Saturday and Sunday I eat fruit fruit and more fruit!!!

Also...I think a lot of people hear "low carb" and freak!!! Carbs are not bad, bad carbs are bad!! If you are getting your carbs from healthy sources, great, have carbs, however if you're getting them from pastries and french fries, you're probably not going to have very good results!! I do stay under 100 carbs a day, but that is because I eat lean protein, lots and lots of vegetables, and 2 fruits a day!! Energy is awesome and love it!

LavaRoushFiveOh

I am doing low carb right now. High protein, good fats, good fiber, good carbs (when I do have them). I keep it around 30g of carbs. I have been doing it for about a month now, but I did take one week off due to a vacation and just ate "normal" I guess you can say. I have lost 20.5lbs in that time. So three weeks of gym and diet after subtracting my week off. I feel great. I take a multi vitamin. Some people like it, some people don't. I also drink a ton of water. I really enjoy not starving all of the time.

fugaj01

you can get alot of good carbs in for 100 carbs a day. fruits and veggies are packed with lots of nutrients for your carb tradeoff, whereas breads and pasta are high carb and calorie dense for less nutrient value. i have been 100 carbs or less and still getting yummy carbs in if the rest of the day is lower in carbs. i had pizza yesterday and a Lime A Rita and was still under 100 carbs. it will be sustainable unless you are a carbaholic. and you will lose weight. :drinker:

taso42

You'll lose weight, so long as you're running a calorie deficit. The carbs have nothing to do with it.

jamaljohar

MFP recommends 260 for me, I usually eat betweek 80-110 every day, and i lose weight steadily. I dont get headaches and im not more fatigued than usual..

yarwell

Learned people beg to differ :

Longbowgilly

I find that by following a lower carb diet that my blood pressure gets straight back to normal rather than the high that it has been for a long while.
I obviously have some issues with carbs which cause problems with my blood pressure so I have to face the fact that I have got to make a change!

jofjltncb6

Despite the usual refrain from the overly simplistic CICO crowd...

You may find that lower carbs works for you because it will be inevitably higher fat and higher protein, both of which are more satiating that carbs. Carbs are not evil, but they can and do wreak havoc on satiety. Satiated people tend to make better diet choices. Unintentionally, I am and have been lowER carb now for about six months and it is very sustainable (to me). However, for various reasons, I continue to actively look for opportunities to add good clean carbs.

Anyhow, you won't be the first person to try low(er) carb for weight loss, and you won't be the first person to succeed with it either (if you do). If/when you reach a plateau, you can try a number of proven approaches such as slightly increasing carbs or carb cycling.

Ultimately, choose your approach, do it with focus, evaluate your results...either you'll find something that helps you reach your goals (success!) or you'll be able to mark an approach off the list of possibilities that doesn't help you reach your goals. Either way, it's progress.

sbeisel1

Low carb takes the joy out of life. And low carb means limiting fruit. Fruit is good for you. And IMO, a diet is not successful if it "worked" for someone. If it is successful, it is "still working" for someone. Anyone can lose weight, not many can keep it off. Try something that works for you. Usually people get tired of low carb, go back to eating normal and gain all the weight back. What a headache. If you go low carb, try limiting yourself to 150 grams per day. Not the super strict 20. Good luck!

I agree. Saying "low carb takes the joy out of life" is very accurate IMO. As with any diet, if you fall off it and go back to your pre-diet eating habits and exercise (or lack of), you have a good chance of gaining the weight back. Keeping it off is all about changing your lifestyle for good.

Yup any "diet" takes the "joy" out of life but thats only if food is the only joy in your life. the thing with Low carb is quality, there are plenty of low carb veggies and fruit out there, you just need to be more creative. and as far as teh 20 carbs a day goes, if you read the books or do some research the 20 carbs is just meant for the 2 week induction, yes it is hard but it is meant to kick start. once the induction is over you are supposed to increase the amount on a weekly or biweekly schedual of 5 or 10 carbs, choosing to stay at any level is a personal choice. making sure to eat lots of vegitables of course. if you plateau or start gaining you then assess the amount of carbs and reduce or take a look at the carb quality a cup of pop may have the same carb count as a fuit salad but one will fill you up the other will... well its empty carbs. look for value in your choices, zucchini and cauliflower (google recipies) can easily take the place of rice and pasta or be used as fillers to reduce the amount of rice or pasta you eat. low carb veggies will become your best ally in any low carb diet. I have some really good meal and snack suggestions if you want them.

CoderGal

I don't eat high carbs but I don't eat low either. I find without them I feel funny. Also, I've read to many cognative problems dealing with it despite the fact they are not an essential nutrient. I just came here to advise you to look up glycogen and the affects it has on the body (it deals with carbs). I know a friend of mine who did really well on paleo which is apparently low carb, but be aware of what you're doing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycogen
http://www.justinowings.com/understanding-bodyweight-and-glycogen-de/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon#Glycogen_and_.22the_wall.22
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitting_the_wall

mrmanmeat

People are still doing low-carb? huh. flashback to 1999

julielandsiedel

Low Glycemic Eating with Transitions Lifestyle System is the absolute lifestyle of healthy eating.
I live it- I teach it- I love it!

mgmlap

I think it depends on the person. I have a metabolic syndrome..so it works awesome for me. I did pure Paleo for a month..and lost 10 pounds and 3% body fat.

I then upped my carbs to no more than 150 a day..but the carbs I took in were of the whole grain variety.

I am now doing pure paleo again for another month..to kick my butt in gear. I am not looking to losing weight..more to get more disciplined.

I suggest you do some research and talk to a nutritionist before doing something like this..

Sarah_Wins

I've had tremendous success keeping myself at 20 grams net carbs per day.

jofjltncb6

People are still doing low-carb? huh. flashback to 1999

You do realize there are different approaches to "low-carb", right? The approach I suggest is a whole food, paleo-esque approach, not the "low-carb" tortilla (aka soy), "low-carb" bagels (aka, I dunno...I guess soy), "low-carb" bread, etc. from once upon a time.

In my opinion, any "processed/box/bag" food approach to diet, regardless of macronutrient profile, is less than optimal.

VenomousDuck

as a recovered type two diabetic I eat low carb because I don;t process carbs well.

It isn't a "joy" issue for me. I'm an executive chef, I can cook all kinds of things that are really good and low in carbs.

And I workout like crazy.

and I have tons of energy.

Different eating for different people. Find a plan you like and stick to it.

TyFit08

I am trying to do low carb, abut 75 net g a day but I struggle with calories. Whenever I eat this way, my calories are so low, I have a hard time reaching 1200. I even tried to eat beef for the first time in 20 years to get a calorie boost, I didn't like it. I am trying to get myself to eat larger portions of chicken to get the calories. Everyone keeps recommending nuts (can't eat those) so I really don't know how to do low carb with a reasonable calorie intake.

Acg67

Learned people beg to differ :

Taubes and Lustig are among the learned as they are the 2 most cited in the paper the above comes from?