Low Carb vs. Moderate Carb

TakinSexyBack

Has anyone on here ever gone from Atkins to a more moderate carb diet including potatoes, whole wheat breads, brown rice, etc? Did you see big gains? I dont think I want to do super low carb (20 or less) all the time but would like to try what I would call moderate going over no more than 50 or so carbs a day. Im wondering how eating low carb but adding a little of the above mentioned foods may affect the diet as a whole. Definitely don't want to do it if it will sabotage the low carb part of it all! Or..........do I just need to find really good substitutes for the carb-heavy foods I love?

Any advice from people who have been down this road will be much appreciated!! Add me if you would like too!

TakinSexyBack

Anyone..............anyone???

monty619

ive done low carb... can tell u its not the road you want to go down. eat your carbohydrates. count your calories.

WendyTerry420

I'm doing high carb, moderate fats and protein. It's wonderful!

willnorton

i have used the low carb (20 or less to eat bad stuff...butter mayo fat....

im a firm believer in 100 grams or less of carbs...did you know taht 100 or less is still considered low carb.....eat fruit, whole grains and i dont eat alot of dairy..maybe 2% cheese and I drink Almond milk...

eat more carbs...i think our bodies need them....to be honest..our brains need carbs to operate

campi_mama

my personal "sweet spot" is about 70-85g of carbs a day. if i go much higher i get bad cravings. i also feel my best when eating that way. to each their own

betoarango

Low carb 20-40g/day rocks...its the "only "way to go. No cravings, no hunger, feel great.
If your body likes it, you`ll know, if it doesn`t..oH boy will you know...
There is no "One" way to do it, or preset carb level, everybody has to find his/her way. Best of luck you deserve to give yourself the chance to succeed.

MoreBean13

Why exactly do you want to do the low-carb? What I'm reading is "I want to do low-carb, but I want to eat bread, rice, and potatoes" If there's some medical necessity for limiting your carbs, then I get it. But if it's just for the sake of weight loss, it sound like you're going to be depriving yourself of the food you really want. It would be more sensible to eat a moderate-calorie controlled diet that includes the food you like, so you don't feel deprived and end up riding the diet yo-yo train.

I recently did a couple weeks of low carb before an event. It was a one-off for me, and I felt tortured and was a carb craving monster! I craved carby things I don't even typically like, just because they were off limits. I don't recommend it at all unless there is some specific need.

Flowers4Julia

I do:


60% FAT
25% PROTEIN
15% carbs (for me that is 50 grams give or take.)

I did go even lower but not necessary for me anymore, I did add sweet potato, some white rice and have done just fine maintaining.

In the end, no matter what others opinions are, you'll have to experiment with the numbers, because we are all different!

ckelly181

Hi - I am not losing weight at the moment, but working on maintenance. I lost about 85 lbs. last year on a moderate carb diet. I was able to lose weight pretty consistently all year on a restricted calorie, moderate carb diet. I can't compare to a low carb diet, but for me, this way of eating is practical and easy to live with . Good luck!

nickgarner6

I did the Adtkins diet a few years ago and it not a pleasant experience. Now my carbohydrate approach is to avoid refined or processed carbs. I eat a lot of vegetables and for the most part only eat things I have made from scratch instead of pre prepared. This way I control what is in my food and avoid all of the added sugars and sodium. I still eat the occasional rice, pasta, potatoes etc in moderation (each one less than once a week usually). One thing I have found is when I make things from scratch I can eat more of them and fit within my calories count and macros. I have a busy schedule so preparing a lot of veggies makes things simple.

zaph0d

I eat high carb and lose weight. Stop subscribing to the "low-carb" nonsense.

JenniTheVeggie

Well we are already friends but I do moderate carb. I just eliminated the junky useless carbs. : )

axialmeow

Yes. Tried it and gained. But I have health issues and dont do well with carbohydrates. Most people can eat those foods and not have a problem if they stay within their calorie goal.

katevarner

I used to do Atkins to lose because I lost a ton right at the beginning (up to 10 lbs. the first 2 weeks, but it's mostly water). I was never very good at adding carbs back really slowly, tho. I was eating about 100-125 g when I was losing this time--little or no processed carbs, mostly veggies and fruit plus dairy. Upped the carbs to stop losing once I reached my goal. Now I'm eating around 200 g per day. Still not really comfortable with it--eating too much sugar, frankly--but I'm maintaining and it's the holidays, so I'm just gonna deal with it for now. After the first of the year, I plan to reconsider cutting out more of the sugar.

quill16

I try to eat 100g carb, !00g protein, and 50 g fat. It was suggested for me by my nutrtionist. It works for me.

NerdyTXChick

I've been doing low carb and have found it to be a real eye opener. I think the reason for that is because I was so dependent on carbs before. Once I cut out all the high carb foods, I had to learn to build my meals around lean meat and low carb vegetables. It took a while to break the dependence, not to mention convincing myself I could actually create a meal without pasta, potatoes or rice. But once I did, I found I had developed a whole new love for vegetables! I don't think that would have happened if I hadn't completely cut those things out. Plus, there's the matter of eating carbs making you crave more carbs. By cutting them out you cut out a lot of the cravings, which makes things far easier.

As for the moderate carb versus low carb, personally I think it's best to start low carb and then gradually add things back in after you've lost the weight you want to lose. This is not only because of the whole cravings business, but because it's pretty hard to keep your carbs down even not eating high carb foods. I try to stay under 40 grams of carbs a day, but I could still hit 50+ easily. So eating even small amounts of high carb foods would completely blow me out of the water.

Once I reach my goal weight, I will up it to 100 grams a day, which will allow for the occasional serving of brown rice or oatmeal, but still require me to keep a careful eye on things. I know I will always have to keep a tight reign on my carbs in order to stay in control - it's a slippery slope for me. But everybody is different, so I think it's best to try different things and see what works best for you. Just don't be afraid to challenge yourself to try something difficult, because like me, you could be pleasantly surprised with the results. Lord knows I never thought I could cut out all sugar, flour, and starchy foods, but I did!

Good luck, and I hope this helps!

Zeromilediet

I guess I'd be low carb depending on your definition: probably 60-75 g per day. Carbs for me are vegetables and fruit. Everyone has a different adaptation to carbs. Experiment on yourself and find what works for you. When it comes to this stuff, you ARE special ;-)

LowcarbNY

I net about 50 carbs a day but I could not get there eating

potatoes, whole wheat breads, brown rice, etc?

I get my carbs from veggies & berries mostly.

you do realize that one cup of rice is about 50 carbs.

Becky388

Low carb 20-40g/day rocks...its the "only "way to go. No cravings, no hunger, feel great.
If your body likes it, you`ll know, if it doesn`t..oH boy will you know...
There is no "One" way to do it, or preset carb level, everybody has to find his/her way. Best of luck you deserve to give yourself the chance to succeed.

Ditto! For me low carb means no migraines, no cravings, no hunger, no gluten, more energy, better sleep, clearer skin, and less weight to carry around. My body loves it!

firstsip

50g is hardly "moderate carb"; most medical and nutritional guidelines say anything under 150g carbs (not counting net carbs) as being low carb, with a window up to 180g as more moderate.

Your carbs don't have to come from grains; the biggest source of my carbs is sweet potatoes and occasional 100% fruit juices post lifting. Even when I go over from time to time (for those days I drink my craft beer or go out), I don't see any drastic effects, but hell, I've fit pizza into my carbs and been alright.

Any time you're making a big change in your diet, be it an increase/decrease in something, you're going to see initial "blips"; you may gain briefly, but it could be purely water retention/bloat while your body adjusts.

Give it a try if 20-30g isn't working for you.