Has anyone lost weight WITHOUT reducing carbs?

KANGOOJUMPS

YES!!! I AM A CARB GIRL<<< i do 2 to 3 hours cardio a day,, i need the fuel!

KANGOOJUMPS

OH AND CARB PEOPLE.,,,, ADD ME!!!

beskimoosh

To me, not eating carbs isn't sustainable. Might be for some people, but not for me! My carb intake has reduced, but that's just because I find that protein keeps me fuller at work. I considered cutting out carbs, but the thought of no potato, or rice, or pasta, or cake, makes me want to cry. Which is ok, because turns out I didn't need to, all I needed to do was cut my calorie intake/increase my exercise.

I do pay attention to how many carbs I eat now, but that's as part of my overall macros, not with an aim to reducing them. I just want to make sure I've got a healthy balance between food groups and that I'm getting good nutrition, because when you're eating reduced calories it's so important... not as much chance to get everything you need into your body!

noneysuperstar

Absolutely Yes! Ive lost 7lbs already, 2lbs since joining this site. I have not taken any foods out of my diet, Im a busy mum i need carbs for energy but I am staying within my alloted calories and doing 3 half hour walks a week. I hate exercising but i am managing the walks. What I love about this site is the way exercise gains you additional calories for the day. So my reward for exercising is food - great motivation. I know if I walk that day I can have toast for supper and Im still loosing weight!

c2h5m8h6

I'm just wondering if it is possible to lose weight without giving up carbs or restricting them . Without exercising like a maniac or becoming a body builder is it really possible to lose weight without going low carb? I'm coming off a low carb diet it helped me lose most of my weight. Since adding carbs back I have not lost anything. I just want to know if it's possible or do I just need more patience ?

I havent restricted anything from my diet ive just made my meals smaller i still have carbs crisps cake chocolate pizza etc and have lost 33lbs so far x

hyenagirl

It can't be done. I can't lose weight on high carb. It's a myth that weight loss is just about calorie restriction. 1200 calories of Doritos will have a different effect on your body than 1200 calories of seal liver. I was once eating 1400 calories a day (along with exercise) and it was all carbs. I gained weight like it was going out of style.

Mguilmot

I'll tell you even more, I lost the weight with UPPING the carbs ;-)

sharimwilliamson

yes and no. I restrict and almost totally eliminate simple carbs, but my diet consists almost completely of complex carbs. There is a huge difference. And I FIRMLY believe that to be at your ultimate health level you MUST include fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.

sharimwilliamson

Hey,

Reading this thread sort of concerned me - people are saying they eat what they want and get weight loss. But what about being healthy? Eating pizza, potato chips and a hamburger may be in 1200 for the day, but is high in salt and is just not good for providing the minerals and so on that your body needs to function!!!

I just want to stress that... it's not just how many calories. What you take in is SO VITAL for your health. You will lose weight by cutting calories, but have fun with low energy, higher chances of heart disease and liver failure etc...

There are many healthy whole foods that are super yummy salmon fillet is my favourite! lots of carrots and broccoli too.

I so agree with this. It always concerns me when people are only concerned with losing weight and not about what they are eating. They say I didn't change what I ate, just how much. Me I changed what I ate! I will be 50 years old next month and I am in better shape than at most other times of my life! If you TRULY focus on being healthy the pounds will also come off.

tdfarmer

Yes it is possible. Maybe not the health way of doing it. I lost about 37 lbs doing it, but I reduced calories hoping to reduce cholesterol and glucose levels. One year later it did work but not as good as I had hoped and glucose levels still high.

JesterMFP

Hey,

Reading this thread sort of concerned me - people are saying they eat what they want and get weight loss. But what about being healthy? Eating pizza, potato chips and a hamburger may be in 1200 for the day, but is high in salt and is just not good for providing the minerals and so on that your body needs to function!!!

I just want to stress that... it's not just how many calories. What you take in is SO VITAL for your health. You will lose weight by cutting calories, but have fun with low energy, higher chances of heart disease and liver failure etc...

There are many healthy whole foods that are super yummy salmon fillet is my favourite! lots of carrots and broccoli too.

I don't think that's what people are saying on this thread at all. Mostly people are just saying that carbs aren't bad and you can lose weight eating carbs. The original question was "can you eat carbs and lose weight?"; not "is good nutrition important"? You can eat carbs and lose weight, and carbs can form part of a nutritionally well-balanced diet (though most people would agree thaey're not as important as protein and fats).

I agree with you that salmon, broccoli and carrots are good for you, and very tasty too. I disagree that eating pizza and hamburgers is necessarily bad. A pizza can be part of (or even solely) a well-balanced meal, depending how it's made. Beef has a lot of nutrients, and burgers are not necessarily high in sodium. I agree with what I think is your intention with this post, but I think you're being a tad bit alarmist.

tdfarmer

Yes it is possible. Maybe not the health way of doing it. I lost about 37 lbs doing it, but I reduced calories hoping to reduce cholesterol and glucose levels. One year later it did work but not as good as I had hoped and glucose levels still high.

Let me add the only thing I cut was the sweets and soft drinks. Now trying to cut carbs , which I'm struggling with.

dad106

Lost 33 pounds with out reducing carbs, and maintained for a year that way too.

dianacannon89

60 lbs lost without restricting ANYTHING!! Eat clean! Dont follow fads!

dad106

It can't be done. I can't lose weight on high carb. It's a myth that weight loss is just about calorie restriction. 1200 calories of Doritos will have a different effect on your body than 1200 calories of seal liver. I was once eating 1400 calories a day (along with exercise) and it was all carbs. I gained weight like it was going out of style.

Funny theres a whole thread of people that say other wise.

Plus, I looked at your diary.. Less then 1200 a day, and it isn't quality food either.

Seems like you have other issues besides the carbs.

JessHealthKick

Hey,

Reading this thread sort of concerned me - people are saying they eat what they want and get weight loss. But what about being healthy? Eating pizza, potato chips and a hamburger may be in 1200 for the day, but is high in salt and is just not good for providing the minerals and so on that your body needs to function!!!

I just want to stress that... it's not just how many calories. What you take in is SO VITAL for your health. You will lose weight by cutting calories, but have fun with low energy, higher chances of heart disease and liver failure etc...

There are many healthy whole foods that are super yummy salmon fillet is my favourite! lots of carrots and broccoli too.

I don't think that's what people are saying on this thread at all. Mostly people are just saying that carbs aren't bad and you can lose weight eating carbs. The original question was "can you eat carbs and lose weight?"; not "is good nutrition important"? You can eat carbs and lose weight, and carbs can form part of a nutritionally well-balanced diet (though most people would agree thaey're not as important as protein and fats).

I agree with you that salmon, broccoli and carrots are good for you, and very tasty too. I disagree that eating pizza and hamburgers is necessarily bad. A pizza can be part of (or even solely) a well-balanced meal, depending how it's made. Beef has a lot of nutrients, and burgers are not necessarily high in sodium. I agree with what I think is your intention with this post, but I think you're being a tad bit alarmist.

Yeah, I guess it was some of the responses I was looking at rather than the main question itself. But let's be realistic, especially if we are talking about pizzas made in the west (I'm from Aus, I assume the case is the same in the US) pizzas are just cheese and canola oil and everything bad. Luckily I'm in Japan now where everything seems so gourmet! hehe! And fried chips? They really can't be that great either, unless you try baked sweet potato with a tiny drizzle of olive oil (oh so yummy).

I personally don't think eating a lot of red meat (beef) is good either, it's been linked to heart disease that many times that I can't feel happy eating it more than once a week.

ANYWAY! I hope people just manage a healthy diet and stay away from processed crap. It's super hard at first (I love bread rolls and stuff here) but worth it. Personally, I have found going gluten free 5-6 days a week not hard at all and I feel less bloated too

EDIT: And from looking at open diaries in this post, people are eating WAY too much cheese, white bread and sausages. My body would just shut down if I did that, VEGETABLES PEOPLE!

Vailara

I haven't particularly restricted carbs, just food in general! I suspect it might be a little easier to lose by restricting carbs (when I did low-carb years ago, I did lose weight more quickly), but I prefer to still be able to eat things like pasta.

Cyclink

I'm down 25 pounds on a diet that's 65% carbs :-)

This is my new favorite thread, I think!

TheVimFuego

Yes.

<This was brought to you by the StraightToThePoint forum answering service>

debdelilah

Yes, it is absolutely possible! I lost my weight in 2009 and have NEVER been on a low carb diet. Seriously, muscle does weigh more than fat by volume - people who say they lose weight quickly without exercise on low carb diets are losing muscle- because muscle is the first thing the body breaks down to get glucose when you aren't supplying it through the diet. Carbohydrates are a great energy source for the muscles and brain - they supply energy more efficiently to your muscles and brain and keep you going longer, like slow release capsules, as the complex carbs slowly digest. That is IF they are not sugars - sugars will spike your blood sugar and then plummet it shortly later, making you hungry again, so save your treat for after you eat a meal for that reason - sugar after a meal does less damage than before one.

89Madeline

Yes! I did try a low carb diet in the beginning, but I thought it was awful. An actual low carb diet means not just cutting out bad carbs like white bread, white pasta etc, but also a lot of fruit and certain vegetables. I felt awful while on that diet, and got a terrible headache that wouldn't go away. I did lose 6 lbs within the first week, but that was mainly a loss of fluids I'm sure.

I then did Weight Watchers (just cancelled, now only myfitnesspal, works much better) and stopped paying attention to any specific nutrition group like sugars/fat/carbs, just everything in moderation. Now that's a diet easy to keep up, with plenty possibilities and no stress! Lost 17.5 lbs so far (from 184.8 to 167.2 in six months). I'm not in a hurry, I want to it healthy and steadily and I love it!

So don't worry too much about carbs, just don't overdo it. Just like you shouldn't overdo sugars, fats, etc.!

icemaiden17_uk

Yep! I have not restricted carbs at all! I did try once but I nearly fainted! Not cool! I don't eat a lot of bread though as I have a wheat allergy and I don't have much gluten or lactose in my diet because of intollerences but thats it! I eat rice and pasta and potatoes like a good'un! I do workout as well but not 6 or 7 days a week or anything!

Athena53

I haven't restricted carbs at all, except cutting out anything with high-fructose corn syrup and watching calories in general. I like lots of fresh fruits and veggies, and a dish of nonfat Greek yogurt with honey as a bedtime snack on fast days of my 5:2 eating. I eat mostly whole grains and pasta, but avoid things that are almost pure sugar because once I start, it's hard to stop. You know the aftertaste that you can kill only by eating more of the sugary stuff? I'm very conscious of that.

Spartan_Maker

It is possible (I have done both), but it is significantly easier to lose body fat more quickly while on a ketogenic (very low carb diet) because maintaining an aggressive calorie deficit is effortless. On a ketogenic diet, 75% of the brain's energy needs are provided endogenously by the ketone body betahydroxybutyrate. The other 25% of the brain's energy needs can be met by eating about 25 grams of carbohydrates. The rest of the body's energy needs (save red blood cells) are also provided endogenously by fatty acids. Consequently, hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia are no longer part of your life. It's very easy, therefore, to do things like intermittent fasting, protein-sparing modified fasts, 1000-calorie a day deficits etc. Those things are far more challenging when eating carbohydrates because hypoglycemia is a daily concern.

To further illustrate the point, there have been times where I have gone from 7PM to 8AM, without any food, and then did a complete powerlifting routine followed by an 8 hour hike without ever once thinking about food. A person could never do that while eating 100+ grams (let alone 300+ grams) of carbohydrates per day because hypoglycemia would kick in and shut them down.

The above is what has allowed us to survive and evolve as a species during the harshest famines and blights in human history.

Lupercalia

Of course people have lost weight without reducing carbs!

I eat low carb because that's what my body happens to like right now. I feel great, don't have to deal with hunger pangs or any sort of cravings, and have cleared up a lot of health issues that were related to internal inflammation. Reducing internal inflammation is really important for everyone. I found out I was sensitive to gluten, and already knew I had an issue with most dairy. Paying very close attention to that sort of stuff has really changed my life for the better, and I have no desire to go back to eating bread or pasta because of these positive changes I've experienced.

Sujit8383

weight loss is an equation between cals in vs cals out...........

HotrodsGirl0107

I have lost all my weight without reducing carbs and maintained for over a year. I am back now focusing more on fitness. I don't get my carbs from "junk" for the most part although I don't eat 100% clean I like to keep it at least 80 to 90% clean. I like fruits veggies and whole grains which is where most of my carbs come from. The quality of the food we eat does make a difference.

pandorakick

As long as you're burning more than you're taking in, you'll lose weight, even if what you're taking in is Twinkies. What most people find, however is that protein, and complex carbohydrates keep them feeling full longer, with fewer calories. So many people, myself included, find themselves edging toward fewer simple carbohydrates simply because it's more satisfying.

I agree with the above. I didn't do anything low carb perse, but found that lunch consisting of veggies and eggs or a salad with cheese or some meat keeps me fuller longer then a sandwich does. Also, for me it is too easy with sandwiches to go overboard calorie wise with toppings.

beskimoosh

Edit: I've decided against what I'd written, it'll only end in drama :ohwell:

jennifer_417

I've lost 10 lbs so far doing nothing but calorie restricting. It's entirely possible.