How many carbs do you shoot for?
mattsgrl98
Posts: 46 Member
I have pcos. Have been trying to lose weight for a long time. I am always yo yoing. Weight watchers didnt really work well. My doc recommended trying a 1000 cal diet which I found hard to stick too. Then I found MFP! Love it. I have been following calorie restrictions but am losing at a turtles pace. I have been reading about low carb and pcos, and just low carb benefits in general. I was wondering if most follow the Atkins plan or if you just limit carbs to a daily amount and not eat refined carbs. I started following low carb but not extrememly low by only getting carbs from fruits and veggies. Like today I had more carbs than I wanted but it was from 1 cup of blueberries, and 1 cup of green beans for dinner. It was 46 carbs. And 8 grams of fiber from it. So do I subtract the 8 grams of fiber from the 46 carbs? Not sure exactly how to do it lol. Or how low carb count I should shoot for. Also do you stay under the fat recommended number on here or do you tend to eat a little more fat and extra calories to make up for the lack of carbs? Any help would be appreciated 
Any low carb friends would be great, feel free to friend me if you would like. Extra support is always good I guess for now I am just shooting for whole foods, lean protiens and try and cut out processed junk which pretty much equals out to be low carb.
Any low carb friends would be great, feel free to friend me if you would like. Extra support is always good I guess for now I am just shooting for whole foods, lean protiens and try and cut out processed junk which pretty much equals out to be low carb. 0
Replies
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I am doing a diet called a ketogenic diet its like Phase 1 of atkins. I cant really "follow" the atkins diet because im highly allergic to gluten. I eat 20-30 grams of carbs per day to keep myself in Ketosis
I eat a High fat/protien diet overall the diet has helped me lose weight when no other diet would
I can control my eating and Im not hungry all the time.
I also have pcos and other health issues that make me believe that this is the best diet for me when all other diets have failed in the past!0 -
yes, you subtract fibre.
i eat 20 grams a day to make sure i stay in ketosis. personally i don't see a point to do low carb unless you're in ketosis, but that's me.
i eat way more fat than is reccomended (high fat, low carb)
you should read the atkins book. takes about an hour to go through all the sciency stuff and understand why it works.
i dont count cals but i always end up eating between 800 and 1400 or so.0 -
More fat is the way to go, good fats (i.e. not trans fats, not oils from plants).
You can only process so much protein so blasting through the default fat allowance is a must.
The latest on my nutrition book readingfest is "The Perfect Health Diet" and this pretty much tallies with what I have been doing (although they allow potatoes and rice, not for me right now). It's a good read.0 -
Thanks for the info 0
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I have just started eating low carb, and right now I am keeping it under 100 gr a day - usually around 60-80 gr ( probably less when excluding the fiber), I have my goals set at 40-30-30. I am trying not to eat rice, pasta, bread, etc. I'm not sure where I am goinf with this, will see where this takes me! So far I love it!0
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Some of the physicians I work for tend to go for a benchmark between 120g-150g per day, but this depends greatly on how high the A1C readings come back with.
My A1C began at 11.2 approximately one year ago, this September. For my situation, I was advised 120g per day, no more than 40g per meal if I ate three meals.
Come December 2011, my A1C was redone and measured 5.2....... Four months time, with dietary changes, and I completely erased Diabetes from coming. Three weeks ago, it was redone.. .and Im still 5.2!!!!0 -
I also follow the keto diet and stay between 20 to 30 carbs per day. This is minus the fiber. I followed this diet for 2 months and felt wonderful. Fell off of it for a few weeks and felt like crap again. I recently went back on and feel wonderful again.0
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As of now, I'm shooting for around 70-100g. Ideally, I'd like to be under 50 and I feel much better when I eat less carbs, which I've done in the past. However, right now I'm living at home until I get married in the fall so I'm kinda stuck with the family plan. My family is very big on the family dinner thing and my dad loves to cook (which is great, but it is usually something high in carbs and mega calories). I can usually stay under the 100 mark and still feel ok and not insult anyone by not eating dinner and making my own dinner.
I try to watch my carbs for health reasons over weight loss so it is about finding the balance that works for you. Some people do well on the keto plan and others do well with just monitoring it. I find the keto plan works really well if you aren't worried about cooking for a family. Otherwise, it gets to be a nuisance cooking multiple meals for kids, spouse, etc.
Some things that really help are just reducing certain types of carbs. Like you said, getting carbs from fruits and vegetables. Also, limiting breads, pastas, etc. A big one that helps me is what cramernh said and that is limited the amount of carbs per meal. Other things that work for me, if I have pasta for lunch, then I don't have potatoes for dinner. I try to limit my carb load to one meal, and one item per meal, if I can. It's all about finding what works for you! 0 -
yes, you subtract fibre.
i eat 20 grams a day to make sure i stay in ketosis. personally i don't see a point to do low carb unless you're in ketosis, but that's me.
i eat way more fat than is reccomended (high fat, low carb)
you should read the atkins book. takes about an hour to go through all the sciency stuff and understand why it works.
i dont count cals but i always end up eating between 800 and 1400 or so.
I agree about what's the point unless you're in ketosis...
Also, I cannot seem to be able to eat that little and not be starving... Even when I am high fat. I'm kinda jealous! 0 -
20-30 carbs a day minus fiber and 2400 calories.0
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I agree about what's the point unless you're in ketosis...
Also, I cannot seem to be able to eat that little and not be starving... Even when I am high fat. I'm kinda jealous!
There is a line of thought that says that skipping along on the fringe of ketosis is the best way to go, this way the body can handle _some_ carbohydrate in the diet better and it's more flexible than being completely fat-adapted.
But hey, it's all details, once you cut the grains, processed junk and sugar you are most of the way there IMO.0 -
wow you guys are SUPER low carb! I don't know how you do it. I strive for 100g day usually stay under but i find it pretty difficult. But alot of my carbs are from fruits (which i will not cut just because it has carbs).0
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I also try to stay around 100. I can't do 20-35 a day. I have lost 17lbs and by know means has it been fast. Good Luck0
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Hi All
I'm doing up to 20 carbs per day. Yesterday was my first day. I was out of control with carbs, kept gaining, trying to diet, failing, negative self-talk until yesterday. Today I feel less bloated and big than I have in a long long time. I'm aiming to follow Atkin's induction until I get down to my goal weight, then I'll add some healthy carbs. Only 6 lbs. to go! Calorie intake around 1500 per day.0 -
I "try" to stay below 20 grams but will go as high as 50.
I do not deduct for fiber.
I am very low carb and it is working great for me.
Feel free to friend me and/or look at my diary.
Debbie0 -
I agree about what's the point unless you're in ketosis...
lower carbs means fewer post-meal energy spike and massive dips. it all means improved overall blood sugar levels - which with that whole insulin means less fat storage. Even if you're not doing low-carb to force your body into burning fats, it can still have massive weight-loss AND overall health and energy benefits.0 -
bump0
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I shoot for no more than 50, and lately I've been at less than 30. I don't deduct fiber. I've just cut out dairy products so it might be easier for me to keep them pretty low now0
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I do between 15 and 20 grams a day. Most come from the salad (with extra dressing) I have at lunch.0
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25-35 net... 1400 cals0
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80g-100g carbs 100-125g protein.0
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Interesting thread. I've never followed a specific diet, but have focused on grams of carbs per meal and per day. My endo said no more than 45 grams per meal, and I keep to that, but I also try to aim for around 60 grams per day (net, minus the fiber). I'm maintaining now, and have found that if I go too low (below 50 per day), I will keep losing. Over 70 and I might gain. Different for everyone. If you're trying to lose, the lower the carb level the better, I would say.0
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This is my first week on my diet and I need to get into ketosis so i'm only getting 5g or less of carbs. Its been hard but I
know I can do it. Next week will be better I can start eating 20g of carbs. I have tried this diet before through the Mediweightloss plan and lost over 65 pounds. The only difference this time is that i'm going to do it by myself with no dietary stimulants and its
going to be free. 0 -
I allow myself up to 50g carbs a day but am usually between 18-30. I don't eat any pasta, rice, flour, wheat etc at all if I can avoid it and I feel fantastic. I've been trying to control my weight for 35 years with calorie counting (a calorie's a calorie - yeah right) low fat, high carb and at 50 weighed more than ever with insulin resistance, high blood pressure, lifelong migraines, the usual. Oh, and constant cravings and hunger. Now? I eat well, haven't had a migraine since beginning of April, and all the niggly health issues are clear. I'm never going back 0
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I agree with Susan above, the whole idea of low carbs is to force the body to burn fat, it will choose carbs first for fuel because it prefers it, with little carbs it will switch to buring fat. The whole point is for body to burn fat and carbs NOT muscle.
I carb cycle two days of 75 low carb days and then one 100 high carb day (but I rarely get this high). It keeps the body guessing, which is effective if you are trying to lean out while gaining muscle.
225g of protein is my goal because I am trying to put on bulk muscle. I eat aroun 1500 calories and I do not eat my workout calories back.0 -
Been trying to keep it low, but honestly it's still been as high as 160g (sometimes higher =\) over the past month that I've been on MFP. I found some awesome bread that only has 1 net carb per slice, and I'm switching up my diet a bit as well, so hopefully I'll be keeping my carbs under 80g/day as soon as today.0
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lower carbs means fewer post-meal energy spike and massive dips. it all means improved overall blood sugar levels - which with that whole insulin means less fat storage. Even if you're not doing low-carb to force your body into burning fats, it can still have massive weight-loss AND overall health and energy benefits.
That's pretty much my take on it too.
Ketosis sounds like a wonder state to be in but there is the consideration that the liver has to work to produce the ketones and maybe it's worth giving it a rest once in a while.
Hence the theory of the optimum state being on the fringes of Ketosis, having enough carbohydrate to take the burden off the liver but not enough to spike the insulin.
Or, as another poster has said, to keep the body guessing and keep it 'agile'.
There is obviously a world of difference between keeping the body guessing and regularly pigging out though 0 -
I have started back on low carb today after returning to my bad eating ways, and yes I did gain weight. The upside of it was energy levels during exercise were better, and my breath didn't stink anymore but my sugar cravings havegotten out of control! Thats where the weight has come from, full on sugar binges. Other than that my diet is perfectly clean. And I need to fix this. I am not going as low this time maybe around 50g net (- fibre). I will still eat fruit but cut way, way down. And maybe before a workout. Not sure if I want to do the ketosis thing, my main goal is to eliminate mad cravings which turn into gorges! besides, without refined sugar I had no acne anymore. I always thought it was fat!
I gave up on low carb last time because everytime I went out for a meal there would be hidden sugars in dressings ect, and I felt so sick. The thought of eating out was awful, which made me not much fun! I figure by staying out of keto but still very low carb (50-70) it will suit ME better. 20g net was just too low for too long but everyone is different! 0 -
I am just getting back on the wagon, but feel better under 50. I find a cheat day a week really helped me in the past, to keep the scale moving. My bariatric dr suggested the diet because of my PCOS.
I am a bread and sugar addict so I need this.0 -
I too have just been diagnosed with PCOS. I am trying to figure all this out as well. For NET CARBS you take the carbs minus the fiber. My carb goal is 30, as that is the Stage 1 Atkins goal, but I have not been able to achieve it yet. The Dr. has said I must stay away from bad carbs and all grains and starches. Imagine the horror - telling an Irish girl she can't have her potatoes MFP has said my calories should be 1200. I haven't been able to hit that either - seem to be coming in about 1400. I have been logging every day and have been eating SO much better, it's amazing. Have not managed to lose any weight the first week, but am not giving up. 0
