Can cutting carbs hurt your weight loss efforts?

lmkaks

I think my body does not react well to carbs...I won't go into all of the long, boring details here, but bottom line I feel better in the mornings when I haven't had a lot of carbs the night before (otherwise I feel bloated or have an upset stomach in the morning).

So I am planning on cutting bread and pasta from my diet for the next two months, but keep veggies, fruit and whole grains (not found in bread or pasta). I work out anywhere from four to six days a week and sometimes that includes a lot of running (officiating) but always includes strength training and cardio (elliptical or walking). Could the lack of carbs hurt my fitness routine?

Has anyone else done the same and had positive results? I don't think it will be such a crazy change that it wont be sustainable, but hoping it will help speed up the weight loss a bit without effecting my workouts...

Thanks!

Gramps251

Looks to me like you're cutting wheat products, not all carbs.

Give it a try. See how it works for you.

freelancejouster

Cutting carbs is what has been suggested to me most recently to stop snacking so much. They tend to not make you as full as other things. Maybe adjust your goals to have a more evenly distributed carb, protein, and fats ratio to make sure you're getting the nutrients you need, but by all means, if you're reacting poorly to them, try it out! I definitely think it will help more than hurt.

kbrhelker23

i started my "healthy living" a little over a month ago, for the first two weeks i cut out all bread pasta carbs.. well i didnt even eat whole grains for the two weeks, i just had no bread rice pasta.. just lean meats fruits veggies and nuts .. and in the beginning i went from 166 to 162, but i slowly added whole grains now which is only like once a day... but i am now up to 172! which could be gained muscle mass. im working on figuring it out. but i did notice i too felt better. and if i have something like white breads, pastas rice etc i feel so sick for a while, stomach aches, headaches, bloating that lasts up till the next day.. its crazy. even my skeptic husband noticed. ive heard many people cutting carbs of those kinds and having alot of success, i think the atkins diet is similar?

bizco

No, I think your plan is solid. Cutting out bread and pasta but keeping whole grains, fruit and vegetables is a sensible way to cut carbs.

SheHulkExtrodinaire

It will not hurt your weight loss efforts, and as long as you are still getting carbs from veggies and fruits you shouldn't see much loss in energy, I cut out everything but meat, veggies and a bit of cheese and I work out 3 hours a day seven days a week, the only thing I notice is a lack of energy sometimes.

kopoba11

I have been doing this for the past 5 months: no sugar, no pasta, no bread, no starchy veggies, lots of lean protein, no beans, lots of fruits and vegetables, very little dairy, nuts and seeds in moderation.

It works for me. I do not have any cravings for excluded foods. It took a month where I noticed that my metabolism changed and I became less hungry.


Everybody is different, but you need to experiment and try different things.

I tried variation of the above but no fruits and lots of beans, weight loss worked but my body did not like it.

People do not realize it but we consume way to much sugar and pasta/bread just reducing those will help with weight loss.
300 calories lean protein is not equal 300 calories sugar when it comes to weight loss.

kathyhull

I find I do a lot better if I increase my protein and decrease my carbs, eat lots more vegies and lean meat and less bread, potatoes, corn and peas (starchy things). I wouldn't give anything up all the way or that's the thing you'll crave the most! but, I totally agree that cutting back on breads and processed cerals and sugary things is the way to go.

KANGOOJUMPS

I am a carb girl,, so no comment.

Melissaf0925

You are basically doing a version of Paleo/Primal. Be sure to up your fat intake. I cook everything in bacon or rendered pork fat instead of butter, I use olive oil exclusively and I eat ridiculous amount of avocado.

mrphil86

A lot of people have success with cutting out carbs for weight loss.

juliegin

If you are feeling sick and bloated after eating carbs it could be the wheat, not all carbs. Do some experimenting with a gluten free diet and see if you feel better.

TrinaJ11

Agreed about the Paleo/Primal. Google those. It's pretty much what I started doing to. Not following the guidelines by the book. I still eat fruits, veggies, yogurt, unsweetened almond milk...cheese...Just no bread, rice/starchy carbs and I'm finding that I feel great and not bloated at all. If you want to give it a try go for it and see how YOUR body reacts. I don't think others opinions involving your life should matter as long as you do the right thing and don't put yourself in danger.

lmkaks

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the feedback.

missability

I agree 100% it took me a while, and a meatball sub, 3 weeks after 90% organic and healthy eating, to figure out that eating carbs at night, after say 5ish, does the same to me, also slows my losses....So back about 8 weeks ago, I started eating my "GRAIN" related carbs earlier...such as oatmeal, bread, rice, pasta, etc....only carbs I get at supper time now is from fruit, veggies, maybe a couple grams here or there from a TBS of salad dressing, or somthin like that.....Hope switching it around helps you....if it doesn't I'd suggest a gastro doctor....can't be to careful....HUGZZZ.

albertabeefy

Cutting carbs will never "hurt your weight loss efforts", although if you're a carb-fueled endurance athlete (which by your description, you're not ), going below the optimum intake for your body will impair performance.

It sounds like mostly you're plan is to cut refined carbohydrate - IE: flour/sugars - as well as starches, which is a great way to reduce calories as well as stabilize both your serum glucose and insulin levels (which aids in weight-loss for several reasons.)

For many people, even those that are clinically classified as "obese", cutting refined carbs/sugars and reducing starches is all that's needed in dietary changes to make a big difference in their weight-loss effort. There are others that have a medical reason for reducing carbohydrate intake even further - to ketogenic levels - but the vast majority of us don't fit that category.

If you're reducing sugar, keep in mind that vegetables are often a lower-sugar / lower-GI / lower-calorie source of carbohydrate and nutrients than most fruit -- the exception being lower-GI fruit such as berries and cherries. There is no nutrient in fruit that is not also found in vegetables with less dietary fructose intake.

That being said I love my berries and usually have two servings every day. They're my main source of antioxidants and dietary fiber. (Although my servings, as a diabetic, are smaller than most.)

joleenl

I cut out wheat. I eat occasional brown rice pasta and brown rice crackers (rice cakes). I eat rice, quinoa, and steel cut oats. It's made a huge improvement in how I feel and my cravings. I try not to eat processed food, I eat wild or farm meat not chain store meat for the most part. I do buy frozen seafood. I don't do dairy either. I try to buy organic when I can. I eat lots of fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds! Weight loss is done by a calorie deficit. The foods that you choose to get your deficit is your choice. Don't cut things out to lose weight do it because it makes you feel better. Choose food for nutrition. That's my two cents.

Serrell64

There are good carbs and bad carbs. You cannot cut all carbs out because you must have a healthy balance of good carbs, good fats and protein so that your diet will work. Make an appt. with your Dietician so they can help you with a plan that will work for you. That is what I did.

livelaughlovecrazy

I decided to start cutting back on the carbs since I know that has worked for me in the past and so far I've lost 5 lbs in 2 weeks.

Keep in mind that everyone's body is different and it may not work the same way for others. Hope that helps.

albertabeefy

... You cannot cut all carbs out because you must have a healthy balance of good carbs, good fats and protein...

Although this may work for most people, it's factually incorrect.

There is no dietary requirement for carbohydrate in the human body. That's basic biochemistry.

from Lyle McDonald, as found on this website: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/how-many-carbohydrates-do-you-need.html

"Despite oft-heard claims to the contrary, there is no actual physiological requirement for dietary carbohydrate. Even the RDA handbook acknowledges this, right before recommending that a prudent diet should contain a lot of carbohydrates."

There are also multiple studies on ketogenic diets acknowledging this, not to mention every decent biochemistry textbook on the planet...

girlykate143

... You cannot cut all carbs out because you must have a healthy balance of good carbs, good fats and protein...

Although this may work for most people, it's factually incorrect.

There is no dietary requirement for carbohydrate in the human body. That's basic biochemistry.

from Lyle McDonald, as found on this website: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/how-many-carbohydrates-do-you-need.html

"Despite oft-heard claims to the contrary, there is no actual physiological requirement for dietary carbohydrate. Even the RDA handbook acknowledges this, right before recommending that a prudent diet should contain a lot of carbohydrates."

There are also multiple studies on ketogenic diets acknowledging this, not to mention every decent biochemistry textbook on the planet...

pretty sure she means that by cutting out "all carbs" you would be cutting out all veggies and all fruits and dairy.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Carbs can be cut with no I'll effects other than possibly being a little tired and sluggish until your body adjusts. Fruits are all carbs so you'll still get enough to keep you out of ketosis so you might not even notice a difference. Carbs are a non essential nutrient so it's OK to cut down on it/cut it out.

albertabeefy

pretty sure she means that by cutting out "all carbs" you would be cutting out all veggies and all fruits and dairy.

... and again I stress you can (if you wish) cut out "all veggies and all fruits and dairy" with no ill effects (other than those experienced during the initial phase of keto-adaptation, as justsomerandomgirl points out). You can get the nutrients/vitamins/antioxidents elsewhere.

That being said unless your stranded on a Chilean mountain peak 200 miles from anywhere it's unlikely you'll ever need (or want) to do that. I'm ketogenic for medical reasons (diabetes) and still take in about 40-45g per day right now on average.