Lower carbs......

I want to start eatting lower carbs. I'm hoping that that will help me lose weight faster. Actually I have a belly on me... I look pregnant! So I'm thinking sugar may be an issue for me. Anyways, anyone else eat lower carbs and have any menu suggestions for me?? I like eggs, cheese, almonds, oatmeal, fruits, some veggies, most meats except for seafood, and yogurt. I want to lose about 30 pounds. Right now, I'm 5'2 and weigh 153! I know that I should try to stay away from, or limit, breads and pastas. I love carbs though lol. I was thinking that if I have a sandwich, I could just use 1 piece of wheat bread instead of 2. Any suggestions on going low carbs most days!

I'm 5'1" and I weighed over 170 when I started this quest. I'm at my goal now and have maintained for over a year.

I beat my head against the wall on all these diets and went low carb a long time. The weight came off with low carb but it always came back, over and over and over. Here are all the diets I have done in the last 17 years (yo-yo'd the whole time while running marathon after marathon, lifting weights, kick-boxing, karate, biking, hiking, you name it):

Low fat high carb, Slim-Fast, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Organic, Weston Price Diet, The Schwarzbein Principle, Eat Fat Lose Fat, The Ultimate PH Solution, The Makers Diet, A friends diet from a personal trainer/dietician

I finally just got sick of it all and made up my own diet with healthy foods I enjoy and smaller portions.
I ate my meals from small desert plates and bowls. I stopped eating in the evenings. I started calling what I did mini-meals and mini-fasts and I lost 40 lbs. Then I found intermittent fasting (the version I used was Eat Stop Eat but there are lots of versions on there if you search). It explained why the mini-fasts worked.

All I can do is share what worked for me. I achieved my goal at age 50 after beating my head against the wall for 15 years. Yeah anyone can do it, but I can tell you that you are up against a lot when you are older and I believe females have some unique issue to face with hormones and such. The sooner you can get a handle on it the better. DO NOT GIVE UP. As I got older and the weight piled on (and I didn't feel I was eating too much!) everyone kept telling me to give up, this is what happens when you get older. I'm small, and I didn't realize how small I was until I lost the weight. Everyone said I had big bones. I looked hefty because I worked out. Once I lost the weight I realized how small I really was and that small people don't need to eat as much as big people. HINT: If you are short you are probably small.

Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.

To say eat more is wrong.

To say eat less is wrong.

To find the exact calories needed for YOU to be in a healthy sustainable calorie deficit is the right answer. Wait, if you need to adjust by 100 do it, wait, adjust, wait, adjust, wait. The tortoise wins this race.

All that matters is calories. A healthy balanced diet within a calorie budget for a deficit that is right for YOU is all that matters for weight loss. Don't make it complicated.

It really depends on your RMR. If you are short like I am then your RMR is really just above the 1200 limit so you really don't have much room for a calorie deficit and going up is less likely to work. If you are taller you will have a higher RMR and can go up or down and still be in a deficit so you can lose no matter what. All that matters is a calorie deficit.

Some people can eat at a big calorie deficit and some people can't. Everyone is different. Even a small calorie deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones as such, add a new workout routine, and those will make more spikes. This is a huge waiting game and requires much patience. Add in emotional eating issues and then you have more complications.

Also people play mental accounting games with calories just like with finances. Make steps to make sure you are making accurate measurements. Packaged foods can have MORE than they say but not less (they get in trouble if less so they would rather error with MORE).

If you typically intake sodium at a certain rate your body adjusts, but if you make a sudden change then you will see a spike.

Exercise is for making your lean body mass pretty (especially lifting weights) for when the fat is gone. Losing fat with no muscle is ugly and cardio alone will not make you pretty. You cannot out exercise too many calories.

What is the exact number of calories for you?

We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.

In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
calculators and text books say otherwise.

This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
was just a bit off.

-John Barban (The Body Centric Calorie Guide from the Venus Index and Adonis Index Manuals)

The good thing is you don't have to worry about the starvation mode myth if you are fat. Only skinny people have to worry about starvation mode. It does not mean you have the capability to eat at a large calorie deficit if you have emotional eating disorders or other issues going on, but at least you don't have to be afraid of it anymore.

The Theory of Fat Availability:
•There is a set amount of fat that can be released from a fat cell.
•The more fat you have, the more fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•The less fat you have, the less fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•Towards the end of a transformation, when body fat is extremely low you
may not have enough fat to handle a large caloric deficit anymore.

At the extreme low end, when your body fat cannot ‘keep up’ with the energy deficit
you've imposed on your body, the energy MUST come from SOMEWHERE. This is
when you are at risk of losing lean body mass during dieting (commonly referred to
as ‘starvation mode’). This happens at extremely low levels of body fat, under 6% in
men and 12% in women [Friedl K.E. J Appl Phsiol, 1994].

-Brad Pilon and John Barban (from The Reverse Taper Diet in The Adonis Index and Venus Index manuals)

Lifting weights is KEY. I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am.

Start lifting now, lift heavy and change it up often, find a lot of weight routines with free weights, make it fun, embrace it, make it part of your life. Only 3 days a week is all it would take. Crank up your tunes and learn to love it, because your body will love it and it will make your quality of life better in many ways, especially when you get older like me.

Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.

If you are a girl you don't have the hormones to get big naturally. I lift heavy and I'm still really tiny. My lean body mass is only 104 lbs and that is fairly heavy for a 5'1" female, and quite a bit of this is due to my having very dense bones from 30 years of lifting, not all muscle, and I'm still quite tiny.

My muscles really are not that big, but they show a lot of definition because I'm quite lean. If I gained some fat then I would have a softer more toned look (which is OKAY too!). Then if I gained more fat I would look bulking and hefty like I did most of my life until last year. YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT. Lean and ripped, soft and toned, or hefty, it all depends on how much fat you leave on your body. Calories are the only thing that changes fat. Exercise is for changing or maintaining your lean body mass only. Lifting weights will give you the best bang for your buck for shaping your body. I finally changed my shape by putting lifting first and cardio 2nd. You cannot out exercise too many calories.

I hope this helps!! -Bobbie

I started out a couple of weeks ago with a dramatic reduction in carbs, but still eating a little bit of bread and sugar (mostly in my coffee or as an ingredient - I haven't been eating sugary foods) and I have gradually found myself leaning toward an ultra-low-carb lifestyle/plan. I am getting help from someone I hit up on the boards who had good, no-nonsense advice, so I messaged him and asked for guidance.

The carb cravings don't go away unless you REALLY cut out the processed stuff. Right now I am down to under 20 net carbs a day, and all the carbs I eat are from vegetables and dairy. I have been able to pass up pasta, popcorn and other tidbits, that are always around at my home, for the first time in my life.

I AM eating a diet high in animal fat (meat, cream, cheese), other healthy fats (olive oil), and vegetables (lots of leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes (in moderation), cucumbers, peppers, onions and garlic). I am full, satisfied, and though the scale hasn't moved much yet, I can notice a drastic difference in my waistline and face, and how my clothes are fitting me.

I say, just go for broke, if you are going to do it. Small amounts turn into larger amounts of carbs, and they are also hidden in places you don't expect. Expect to go through some withdrawal symptoms, but within a week you will wonder why you were a slave to that stuff for so many years.

In addition to the physical changes, I have noticed that I wake up better in the morning, am more efficient getting things done, and less forgetful in general. It's like someone cleaned out my head. I love the way I feel.

Brilliant post on low carb eating. I am a T2 diabetic so have to cut my carbs. I eat less than 40g every day, and am in the best shape I have been for over 20 years. Since March I have lost 90+ pounds, and feel great. A low carb lifestyle is not for everyone, and I have gone one step further, I now eat clean Primal/paleo. I'm primal as I do still eat dairy, but no grains at all and no milk, and I feel wonderful.

I used to have carbs and almost every meal, every day, but for the last 55 days I have been on a lower carb diet and I have lost a substantial amount of weight and consistently seeing a drop in the scales every week. I allow myself bread or cereal at breakfast but after that, the only carbs I eat are from vegetables, try to eat veges that have at least half the amount of fibre as they do carbs, so if a carrot (not actual figure, just so you get the idea) has 2grams of carbs per carrot, and 1g of fibre, then the net carbs are only 1, so if a tomato (Again, not actual figures here) had 20g of carbs but 10g of fibre, the net carbs are only 10g and it is the NET carbs that affect weight loss/gain the most (at least in my experience anyway). feel free to add me and look at my diary for menu ideas but an average day looks something like this:

Breakfast, toast and marminte with coffee
Lunch, mozzarella/ feta cheese with salad leaves, 1fresh tomato and sprinkling of olive oil for dressing,
Dinner, skinless chicken breast oven baked with roasted or grilled vegetables such as: pepper, carrot, red onion, courgette, mushroom, tomato. I also often add cauliflower mash (boiled and mashed cauliflower (200g frozen weight) with 20-30g cheese) or stir fried spinach (just until it wilts and mixed with mushrooms/ onion and cream cheese)
Dairy wise I try to avoid low fat/ low calorie options as they tend to be higher in carbs unless the trade off for calories isn't negated by an increase in carbs. My average total carbs are around 60-90g but NET are only 30-70g, I stick to my calorie goals of 1100-1200 per day and exercise in one way or another approx 5days a week. other than the logged exercise i am VERY sedentary so I do not really eat my exercise calories back. I am 5'3.5" 28 and have gone from 146lb to 133 in 55days, I intend to keep going like this until I am about 125lb and then see where I am but i don't think I will ever go back to eating carbs the way I used to. I just don't crave them anymore, sure I have days when I really fancy something, but I allow myself a treat meal once a week, so if i really want chips or roast potatoes or tacos or a burger bun, I can have it that day, but overall I find that my meals are so much more interesting and flavoursome without the addition of unnecessary carbs that I don't want to go back to boring starchy carbs that only made me feel bloated and uncomfortable anyway.

hope this all makes sense to you, if you want any specific advice/ suggestions feel free to message me. Good luck and know that it can be done :-)

I too have a belly and went low carb with the help of MFP and the low carb forum (I have tried everything else literally including pills etc.)! . There are wonderful recipes and grat support. Within 5 weeks I have lost 12 pounds and feel wonderful. One of my go tos is the muffin in a minute and I make it in a square container then slice it in half. It makes a great sandwich "bread". the other item i have learned to love is spaghetti squash!. I also just purchased a device that I can make zuchini "spaghetti spirals. Although the weight loss has been great the inches lost has been better! Make sure you take your measurements to start! I wish I had.! You can add me as a friend if you want. :happy:

Then what would be low carb cause I have read that bananas are excellent to eat in the morning and so is oatmeal.

Bacon and egg would be a good breakfast. Whatever you were reading was either not about low carb or was written by a goofball.

I was thinking that may be fruits and veggies would be unlimited!

Not for low carb. Banana and oatmeal or far from low carb.

Then what would be low carb cause I have read that bananas are excellent to eat in the morning and so is oatmeal. I just looked at my oatmeal and it says that it's about 27g of carbs with 4g of fiber and the 1% milk has 13g of carbs. Wow.... now that I look at it, the milk is what does it! Hmmmm.... I thought oatmeal was healthy. Anyways, I usually eat around 150-200g of carbs a day, so I was thinking that if I cut that in half, maybe I would be taking in low carbs.

Your plan isn't bad for overall reduction of carbs. Unlimited veggies - yes, fruit - in moderation. If you want to keep your oatmeal and your satisfied long enough into the day, keep it. But ditch the bread at lunch and the fibre one bars. Also, trade the low fat dressing for full fat - You'll probably find that most low fat dressing is loaded with sugar. If it doesn't have fat, it needs something else for flavor. 50-100g of carbs tends to be a sweet spot for fat loss.

I used to have carbs and almost every meal, every day, but for the last 55 days I have been on a lower carb diet and I have lost a substantial amount of weight and consistently seeing a drop in the scales every week. I allow myself bread or cereal at breakfast but after that, the only carbs I eat are from vegetables, try to eat veges that have at least half the amount of fibre as they do carbs, so if a carrot (not actual figure, just so you get the idea) has 2grams of carbs per carrot, and 1g of fibre, then the net carbs are only 1, so if a tomato (Again, not actual figures here) had 20g of carbs but 10g of fibre, the net carbs are only 10g and it is the NET carbs that affect weight loss/gain the most (at least in my experience anyway). feel free to add me and look at my diary for menu ideas but an average day looks something like this

Wait a min! So you're telling me that, for example, even though my cottage cheese has 5g of carbs, I'm not really getting 5g of carbs because it also has 5g of protein?! I love the chocolate and oats fiber one bars. It says that there is 29g of carbs in one. But it also has 9g of fiber and 2g of protein. Now I know that you can minus the fiber from the carbs, or atleast that's what I was told when I had to take a gestational diabetes class. BUT I can also minus the protein too??? So in reality, I would only be eatting 18g of carbs???

Net carbs is total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols. Protein will keep you full longer, but is not part of the carb equation.

If cutting carbs means that you eat less food, then you'll lose weight. I used to eat somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 grams of carbs per day. Now I am losing by eating only 200 grams per day. But that's because I lowered my calories from 3600/day down to 1800 per day.