Low Carb?

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annika27
annika27 Posts: 56
in Health and Weight Loss
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?
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Replies

  • Krazy_Kat
    Krazy_Kat Posts: 212
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    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
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    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
    LittleButMightyOne Posts: 117
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    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
    Mctree20 Posts: 137
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    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
    annika27 Posts: 56
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    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
    beautybiz Posts: 50 Member
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    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. :smile: I never got a headache and I only feel tired if i eat too many carbs. Do what works for you.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    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
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
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    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
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    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
    McGruber03 Posts: 113
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    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
    Mctree20 Posts: 137
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    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
    AprilRenewed Posts: 691 Member
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    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
    jogglesngoggles Posts: 362 Member
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    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
    LavaRoushFiveOh Posts: 44 Member
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    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
    fugaj01 Posts: 171 Member
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    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
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    You'll lose weight, so long as you're running a calorie deficit. The carbs have nothing to do with it.
  • jamaljohar
    jamaljohar Posts: 55
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    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
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Learned people beg to differ :

    ejcn2011132f2.jpg
  • Longbowgilly
    Longbowgilly Posts: 262 Member
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    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
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    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.

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