That's it.... on low carb?????

chris1529
chris1529 Posts: 315 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Let's just say that I am a little mad this morning cause here I go low carb and I weigh in today at only a pound and a half less than last week!! Really?! So I guess the whole low carb thing is a joke or something?? IDK! When I cut calories before and ate between 150-180g carbs a day before, I lost more than a pound and a half a week! Am I doing something wrong with this diet?! I will give you an example of what I have been eating: Breakfast - 2 egg omlet with cheese and a cup of coffee with a little half & half and a tbsp of pumpkin coffee mate. Lunch - a chicken salad with cheese and 2 tbsp of ranch dressing. Dinner - a meat, vegetable, and beans. Snacks (which I have 1 after lunch and the other one either a little before dinner or an hour after dinner) - an apple with 1 tbsp peanut butter and a fiber one bar or greek yougurt. Yes I know it's a bit on the dairy/protein side but that's what keeps me full and I love cheese and yougurt. Maybe I had unrealistic expectations BUT even my sister thought that with such low carbs I would of lost more!! Any advice??
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Replies

  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Any advice?

    Eat carbs.
  • tryinghard71
    tryinghard71 Posts: 593
    Calories in vs. Calories out.

    And any loss is a good thing. Even if it was just a half of a pound. That is still less than you weighed the week before.
  • jtakingcareofherself
    jtakingcareofherself Posts: 144 Member
    How low is your low carb? To see the most low carb results, you need to be <50 g or so per day, with no meal over 20 g.
  • xxMyWeighxx
    xxMyWeighxx Posts: 91
    Well, I don't really believe low carb is quick at all. No carb is very quick - most people lose a pound a day at least, after the first week and a half (people say they lose 15 lbs the first week but it's sometimes just water weight). I did the no carb diet for a while and ate nothing but skinless chicken - that's pretty gross, which is why I quit, but it worked. I lost 7 lbs on that diet alone.
    This isn't a diet I recommend though. You have no energy and it isn't healthy.
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
    Any advice?

    Eat carbs.

    This. Carbs are too good not to eat.
  • KayLgee
    KayLgee Posts: 136 Member
    If you want to do low carb seriously then up the fat and calories and lower the carbs. I wouldn't even touch an apple when I was low carbing.

    My honest advice, eat carbs but get them from wholegrains, fruit and veg.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    You're upset you lost 1.5 lbs in one week!?
  • SusannaDandana
    SusannaDandana Posts: 91
    First, 1 1/2 pounds a week is very healthy weight loss. Also, like you said, there is a lost of dairy and protein in your diet and that can hinder results. But like I said, you are losing weight at a very healthy rate. I would suggest some healthy fat burning foods like citrus fruits, broccoli, spinach, brown rice.
  • 75in2013
    75in2013 Posts: 361 Member
    There are no silver bullets.
  • Shannon2714
    Shannon2714 Posts: 843 Member
    First, I'm with everyone else...stick with counting calories. Not that low-carb doesn't work (I lost over 65lbs on Atkins), but it is difficult to maintain for the long-haul (I gained back every pound and then some). However, what are you sticking to for your daily carb number? I stayed under 25 per day. The reason I ask, is because there are a few things on your list that I never ate when I did low carb...fruit, Fiber One bars, beans...
  • mulderpf
    mulderpf Posts: 209 Member
    It's just a week. There are so many external factors that could influence weight that I think you are being completely unrealistic basing your experience on a single week. Do four weeks and then make up your mind whether or not it's good or bad and whether or not it works. Personally, I would NEVER go on a low carb diet - but give it some time first before making up your mind. (It's a bit like test driving a car and pulling out a parking lot and making up your mind whether or not it's a good car - you haven't even driven it yet).
  • CoCoMa
    CoCoMa Posts: 904 Member
    Where are your veggies? I would suggest eating more of em!
  • K_Stewart
    K_Stewart Posts: 9 Member
    Carbs aren't bad. You just need to eat the right type of carbs at the right time of day. Good carbs include whole grain breads (my favorite is Ezekiel) oats, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and fruit. For best results eat a carb with breakfast, your morning snack and lunch and be sure to have a protein with every meal.
  • gwicks54
    gwicks54 Posts: 201 Member
    I do low carb, because I have a medical problem that requires it. I was told to stay under 100 per day. Most days mine are around 60. I have been losing weight at about 1.8 lbs a week. My calorie count is usually between 1200 to 1500. I would be losing weight on that anyway. If you enjoy healthy carbs & can lose weight that way, I would do it. For me the carbs make me hungry & harder to eat well. Hope you find what works well for you.
  • pullipgirl
    pullipgirl Posts: 767 Member
    Sounds like it is working if you lost 1.5 lbs in 1 week
  • sueblue77
    sueblue77 Posts: 54 Member
    I think you are eating too many initially. Cut the Fiber one bar, the apple, the beans, the yogurt, and go for a leafy or low carb veggie for supper. I don't know if your veg at supper was a sweet potato or carrots (high carbs) or spinach. Give it another week, and keep your net carb intake below 25 a day for 14 days. You'll feel amazing, and I'm almost certain the scale will drop. I've lost 58 lbs. since mid-June, but I added more carbs for awhile. Now I'm back on induction, which is the under 25 I described to you. (Net carbs is the carbs minus fiber minus sugar alcohol). Hope this helps.
  • rickkaniuga
    rickkaniuga Posts: 5
    Cut out the apples and peanut butter and lose the fiber bar. Make sure that your ranch dressing doesn't have sugar listed as an ingredient.. Beans are high carb food. There is very little point in going low carb unless you put your body into nutritional ketosis, and it reads to me like you haven't done that.

    If you're really interested low carbing for weight loss, check out

    www.reddit.com/r/keto

    and read the "keto in a nutshell" link as well as the FAQ. I've been doing this since July and have lost 50#. The first week stinks, you feel like garbage as your body burns through glycogen deposits and learns to function on stored fat. After that, you'll go from feeling crappy to feeling pretty amazing. You won't be hungry all day, you'll eat steaks and chops and creamed spinach and broccoli with cheese until you're full.

    To the readers about to post about the evils of a low carb/ high fat diet: The OP asked why his low carbing wasn't working, I'm just pointing him to some information that could answer his questions. And my cholesterol is fine, thanks.
  • Basefly
    Basefly Posts: 1 Member
    You need to go low carb for real, an apple will kick you out of Ketosis right away, low carb is not just eating more meat and boring veggies it's a life style change.

    I've just had my weekly weigh in and I am down 42 pounds in under two months, so going "keto" does work
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I know Atkins has an induction phase for the 1st two weeks where your carbs per day are only like 15-20 (can't remember exactly). From the description of you day's choices, I'd say while you were lower than your normal day, it may not have been low enough to get the results you were looking for. No fruit or snack bars, more leafy greens. Not sure on the beans with dinner since their "net" carbs might be low with all the fiber but it's definitely not something you'd eat during the Atkins induction.

    So I'd either recommend doing a more strict low carb program or be happy with 1.5 pound - hell, I'd be thrilled with that!
  • c8linmarie
    c8linmarie Posts: 358 Member
    I'd like to have your "problem" of losing 1.5lbs/wk
  • ObtainingBalance
    ObtainingBalance Posts: 1,446 Member
    If you want to do low carb seriously then up the fat and calories and lower the carbs. I wouldn't even touch an apple when I was low carbing.

    My honest advice, eat carbs but get them from wholegrains, fruit and veg.

    Low carbers don't eat apples...

    ONE POUND AND A HALF IS A VOCTORY.

    Sometimes you lose more on low carb but some of it is water weight...

    There is no magic diet....Just calorie count, it's simple... and you won't gain back so fast unless you're bingeing.
  • Bmontgomery613
    Bmontgomery613 Posts: 200 Member
    A 1.5lb loss per week is a fantastic and healthy loss.

    Did you put all of your weigh on in 1 week? If not, then why expect it to come off so quickly?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You're upset you lost 1.5 lbs in one week!?

    this!
  • ds4life
    ds4life Posts: 1
    No sugar in your carbs. and ABSOLUTELY no alcohol. It will kill your weight loss. low to no carbs, High protein and up the fats. Be careful with Dairy, Cheese is good, but milk is bad, (cheese does not have lactose, (sugar), Milk has a ton)

    1.5 / week is good weight loss, don't short change yourself.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    When people who are really heavy start a new diet where they cut out most of their carbs, they will lose a LOT of weight the first week. If they have already been restricting calories for awhile, then switch to low carb, they will still see a loss, but they will not see the huge losses like they saw the first week on restricting calories in general, or like those who start their dieting on low carb.

    First off, you don't look very large, so 1 1/2 pounds is a very good loss, especially if you have already been restricting calories for a while. Do not compare yourself to someone who is much heavier. The really large initial weight losses come from extra water that is being released. High carbs can cause water retention in many people. You may not have had a lot of water retention.

    Second, you must still stay within your calorie goal even if you are low carbing. Too many calories of anything will thwart your weight loss. The lower carbs, combined with higher protein and good fats, will help keep you feeling fuller longer, so that you can stay within your calorie goal more easily. It also helps reduce the cravings and binging that many people who eat higher carbs but lower calories often have. Don't buy into the 'eat all you want and will still lose weight' promise of the low carb diet. It is still 'calories in calories out'.

    Be thrilled with your pound and a half loss this week. Many people would love to have that. Keep logging everything and stay within your calorie goal. Cut out the fiber bars and replaced with high fiber veggies- lots of them. And be sure you drink your water.

    And be patient. Keep doing it every day and you will continue to make forward progress.
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
    Just so everyone knows, reading her other posts, her version of "low carbs" is between 60 - 100 g a day. I know most of you are thinking she means < 25. So I just thought I would clear that up.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Yep, Low (adequate) carbing done properly means increasing the dietary fat and allowing the body to adjust to being, primarily, a fat burner, not glucose.

    For some people this can take weeks. And most of the initial loss is water, not fat, so weight loss after a week is irrelevant anyway.

    Sure, there is no silver bullet and dropping fat will take effort but in my experience limiting carbohydrates reduces hunger and cravings, which is half the battle ...
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Just so everyone knows, reading her other posts, her version of "low carbs" is between 60 - 100 g a day. I know most of you are thinking she means < 25. So I just thought I would clear that up.

    Ah, that might explain some of it ... :)
  • chris1529
    chris1529 Posts: 315 Member
    Just so everyone knows, reading her other posts, her version of "low carbs" is between 60 - 100 g a day. I know most of you are thinking she means < 25. So I just thought I would clear that up.

    Thanks! :) I was just about to say that I keep my carbs under 100g a day. I want low carb NOT KETO DIET lol. I know that anything under 100g carbs is concidered low carbs. I'm not interested in the whole keto thing.... way too much for me!!
  • chris1529
    chris1529 Posts: 315 Member
    My calorie range isn't bad. I think I'm in the 1200 range most days. AND I just started this low carb thing a week ago. Like I said, I may have unrealistic expectations. I was just under the impression that going under 100g carbs a day would make you lose atleast 3-5 pounds a week. I will not cut out the apple seeing as in its health benefits are awesome! Also seeing that it's pretty much my only fruit that day! The fiber one bars are 20g net carbs. I track my fiber also cause that's important and you can subtrat it from your carbs. I would have to go back and look at my diary, but I think I'm pretty much at 50-60g NET carbs a day.

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