If its really about calories then explain to me why.....

Tanya761

Probably because carbs = sugar, and excess sugar = fat.

My mom is a newly diagnosed diabetic, and lost almost 40 lbs from October 2012-January 2013. She was watching carbs because her Endocrinologist gave her the diabetic info and she had to.

The 20 g/day is very low. Even as a diabetic and having to lose weight as well as control blood sugars, she was told to consule 45-60g of carbs/meal and 15g carbs for each snack (2-3 snacks/day). And she still managed to lose.

She only started with exercise in maybe December when the Diabetic program had openings, so I know food is why she lost.

Anyway, just my 2 cents. Probably has something to do with sugar.

amyschicos

Welllll y'all are men! Honestly men tend to lose faster anyways.. These are women I see that lose so much eating low carb!

WinnerVictorious

All I want to know is WHY they (low carbers) lose at such a faster rate than calorie counters? That's it! Not opinions (with all due respect)

they are losing most of their weight from their LBM and water weight. it's not sustainable and its not healthy and they'll end up yo-yo'ing more often than not.

emtjmac

For example a friend of mine started out weighing 215 she lost 75 lb in less than 6 months! Never have I heard of this being done counting calories! She was eating 20 grams of carbs a day & not counting calories just carbs!

I lost 70 pounds in four months eating 200+ grams of carbs every day.

CharityGC

You can't really answer that question without knowing the person's eating habits before. Did they gain weight because they loved bread, pasta, candy? Was that their main calorie intake? Because if you take those foods away, they are lowering calories whether or not they're technically counting them.

JoshuaL86

I believe it's because the quality of calories DO count no matter how much all of the road map people tell you otherwise. I would rather eat 1500 clean calories than fill the gap with carbs and fat. Most of the people who eat clean eat a lower amount of carbs anyways.

No. Eating clean does not equate to eating low carb or low fat.

l3xii

I did low carbs 3 times for fast weight loss and I can tell you it comes off fast but it comes back even faster when you no longer do it. In fact i gained double back each time when i started eating carbs again. Not to mention your body craves the carbs because your lacking them on top of the fact its super hard and very unhealthy.

MadameMoustache

To the OP. I recommend you watch the documentary "Fat Head" (it's on Netflix also).
Really, this will explain much more precisely how insulin and carbohydrates plays a role in the process of gaining weight/loosing weight. I could explain, but it's long and I'm sure I will do it wrong.

But basically, all carbs are transformed into sugar in your body, which is stored as glycogen, then as fat.
Let's not forget that in the first weeks, people on a low carbs diet loose a lot of water weight, wich contributes to the rapid weight loss.

pkarim

When you eat low carb your body doesn't have enough carbs to use as fuel so it starts to burn your FAT for fuel. If you eat 100grams of carbs a day and stay under a certain calorie limit, your body is still storing those unused carbs as FAT. Low carb is more about fat loss then it is weight loss.

SmartAlec03211988

Your friend who lost weight counting carbs instead of calories may have also been eating low calories as a side effect of cutting out most carbs.

I was just about to say this.

If I dropped my usual carb intake (~100 grams) to 20 grams... I'd be eating 2240 less calories per week. That's 2/3 of a pound a week.

JoshuaL86

To the OP, I've lost 115 pounds in one year counting calories, and the majority of my calories (45-55%) have come from carbohydrates.

jenilla1

It's not about how fast you lose the weight. It's about creating a new, healthy lifestyle. Any diet where you restrict will work, but most of the time you will put the wieght right back on as soon as you re-introduce whatever you've cut out of your diet.
It doesn't matter how FAST you lose the weight if you don't keep it off.

I've known several people who easily and quickly dropped weight on low carb, but only one of them has managed to keep it off long term. It takes dedication to keep up with restrictive diets for a lifetime. :drinker:

Railr0aderTony

I lost 70pounds in about 6 months low carbing, I stopped and gained 90. It is not sustainable. plus I am convinced I did serious harm to my body and metabolism during that time. I have lost 111 pounds in a little over a year eatting healthy sensable calorie deficit and I can do this for the rest of my life. THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE,

chellebublz

I beilve in low Low calorie if it works for you or you can zigzag carbs Like, for example,
Dont eat above 100 carbs a day which that is really low,
Than the next day have More than 100 carbs,And
iv come to realize if she was just counting carbs and not calories
she would not lose weight, It really is about calories in vs calories out
its scientific their is no other scientific evidence, but count calories will work in the long run!

I do something similar. 1500 calories a day, 100 carbs a day. Those are my goals. I've lost 18 pounds in 2 months which is still a bit faster than the recommended. 20 carbs a day is very hard to do I think. Because alot of fruits do have quite a bit of carbs.

amyschicos

GREAT!! Thank you all for your responses!!

Stormchasegrl

Why ask the question if you always dismiss people's responses?

Because it was a curiosity on the science/reason behind it and the responses were telling the OP either what others had done or what conventional wisdom tells you to do. It was a simple *general* question, not reflective upon the own poster's desire to follow that plan, per say. They just wanted to know *why* and were NOT getting a real WHY answer.

angdpowers

If you are THAT interested the "WHY"...don't take another person's word...

LOOK IT UP!! Google is your friend!

Here's a hint: ketosis!

WinnerVictorious

When you eat low carb your body doesn't have enough carbs to use as fuel so it starts to burn your FAT for fuel. If you eat 100grams of carbs a day and stay under a certain calorie limit, your body is still storing those unused carbs as FAT. Low carb is more about fat loss then it is weight loss.

i think you have that backward. the body burns muscle to get the glycogen for energy, so a low carb diet is going to preferentially burn muscle over fat for as long as it can. the fat gets burned only after a lot of LBM has been lost.

http://www.rd.com/health/diet-weight-loss/why-low-carb-diets-arent-the-answer/

ninerbuff

Still wondering WHY if its calories in calories out that matter!! Why they are able to lose soo much faster??

Carbs are converted to glycogen in the system. A GOOD amount of water is needed to store it.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

rhonifit

All I want to know is WHY they (low carbers) lose at such a faster rate than calorie counters? That's it! Not opinions (with all due respect)

My understanding is that eating a low carb/high protein diet keeps your body in a state of ketosis (using fat for energy). Hope this helps