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MyFitnessPal Community

Anyone at goal or has lost not doing low carb?

stgmanitoba

Hi everyone,

I have read a lot of people doing low carb and it working for them. But has anyone reached goal/close to goal or lost a significant amount not doing low carb? Due to some changes in my schedule/budget I have had to redo my food plan. It is going to involve more carbs. Here is an example of a new day:

Breakfast:
1/2 cup dry rolled oats, 1/2 cup blueberries, cinnamon
Dinner:
1/4 cup quinoa, 1 cup shredded chicken, 1/2 cup black beans, chopped peppers/other vegetables, 2 tbsp salsa, 1 cup brussel sprouts
Snacks:
Green monster smoothie (1 cup both spinach and kale, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1 banana, 1/2 cup 0% greek yogurt)
2 cups sugar snap peas

Lunch varies (everything above i'll be eating every day, i find it easier to stick to) so some examples are:
Turkey meatballs with spaghetti squash and side veggie
Balsamic chicken with 1/4 cup quinoa and side veggies
Turkey meatloaf with 1/2 cup roasted potatoes side veggies
Shrimp stir fry with stir fried vegetables, 1 tbsp soy sauce, garlic, lemon, siracha, side veggies

As you can see not all of my lunch items have major carbs but over all on the days I do have carbs with lunch then its close to my MFP carb target which I have read is high. I know different things work for different people but I was wondering if a normal amount of carbs works for some.
2 cups sugar snap peas

Replies

debdelilah

I lost 44 lbs in 2009 and kept it off almost entirely(I'm 5'4 and went from 158 to 114). As of this summer, I had regained a few to 121. I have lost it again and am down at 115; I am not really concerned with going lower this point, but am trying to get stronger. I never liked or tried a low carb diet, and when I lost in 2009, I lost fast - almost all the weight in 3 months. I lifted weights the entire time, and have always been muscular for a woman.

britishbcat

At one time in my life I had lost 60lbs and never tried low carb once. I generally find I FEEL better (less bloating, more energy) when I eat non-grain carbs, but in the right portions, so a small sweet potato or 1/2 cup rice or quinoa.

Portion control has always worked for me.

Gerald_King

I did low carb recently i lost 2lbs in 7 weeks the put it back on , low carb didn't work for me at all oh well you live and learn .All my weight you see on my ticker i lost eating lots of carbs

Rowan813

I have tried low carb in the past and gained it all back. I lost 45 pounds not on a low carb plan and have done well. I do eat carbs, but keep it pretty clean overall. I love fruits, veggies and whole grains.

rose313

I lost 10 pounds eating 55% carbs. I try to not eat too many simple carbs like white bread and pasta, but I'm not super strict with it. It can be done.

emtjmac

I know lots of people who ate lots of carbs and lost lots of weight. In fact, I don't have a single friend on my friends list who eats a low carb diet. I eat lots of carbs and I don't pay attention to sugar at all and I've lost 77 pounds. Try to keep it whole and healthy but if it fits your macros, eat it.

UpEarly

I never ate low carb and I didn't have any problem losing (66 pounds). I've continued to 'carb it up' during maintenance, too. I'm in the range of 200-300g of carbs a day (roughly 50-55% of my calories) - and not all whole grain, 'healthy' carbs, either. I eat regular pasta, dessert, white bread and plenty other simple carbs.

Enigmatica

I've lost over 90 pounds and have had no problem maintaining without following any extreme low carb protocol. Diary is open if you want to look it over.

lilteeraw

i eat as many carbs as i want(: just have to be the right kind of carbs.
& exercise is important!

JesterMFP

I've lost 85 lbs not doing low carb. I eat porridge (oatmeal) for breakfast half the week, I eat bread at some point of nearly every day, a tortilla wrap for lunch most days and very often have (white) pasta or potatoes for my evening meal. I also eat chocolate most days and have other various carbs. Not had a problem losing.

Mcgrawhaha

im 25 pounds away from my goal, and I LOVE CARBS!!! i do low calorie with 2 "free" days per month. i lose a constant one and a half pounds per week... i do not limit my carbs, i like them way too much!!!

taso42

Yes, most people have succeeded without doing low carb. Another question to ask might be "how many who have lost weight on a low-carb diet have gained all their weight back?"

jynxxxed

I eat tons of carbs. I LOVE them. Typical carb-filled things I enjoy are mashed potatoes, pasta multiple times per week, I usually eat a sandwich every day, plus randomly I'll consume junk like pizza, candy, ice cream, etc.

I limit the amounts, but I certainly do not cut carbs. Of course it's possible to lose weight without going super low-carb.

Sarauk2sf

I usually eat between 150 - 220g carbs a day - my calorie deficit has allowed me to lose weight.

shimmergal

I think for some people just eating well balanced meals (portion control) works well for weight loss. While for others, limiting calories may do the trick. But for folks like me, limiting carbs works better..... I have tried various methods to figure out which works better.. calorie counting, balanced meal (portion control), etc.. Calorie counting (food journal) and portion control (weight watchers) worked quite well when I was in my 20's or early 30s. But, now, (late 30s), nothing to seems to work like low-carb. For me, low-carb means, the carb sources are limited to vegetables and some diary with a total carb gms = 50gms. I haven't reached my goal weight yet (in the process and 20lbs to go). Once I get to my goal weight, I will have to slowly and cautiously introduce some amount of complex carbs into my diet (I love quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice).

Exercice has always been a part of my daily routine... I workout 5 to 6 times a week doing both cardio and strength training... Somehow, diet is the key. For me, diet is 90% and exercise is 10% for weight loss and maint.

In summary, what works for one might not work for others. You need to figure out what works for you and your body...
Cheers!

RaeN81

Absolutely. Lost over 40 pounds....a calorie deficit through exercise and eating good foods (be they high carb or not) will get you there! Do what you think you will be able to over the long haul. Get out of the mindset of a diet for a short period of time and make changes that you can live with for many, many years to come. You'll need to if you intend to keep the weight off.

cm1458

depends on what you call low carb?
I do not consider 163 carbs low, but I do track my carbs. I did not track them until 2 weeks ago. I hit a 10 month plateau with some weight gain so i started tracking carbs. I've come off the plateau and I'm losing again. If I were you, I would track my carbs. I dont think you HAVE to do low carb to lose weight. I'm set at 55% carbohydrate. good luck

MsDover

I did low carb about 10 years ago when it was all the rage. Lost a bunch of weight. Gained it all back. After that, instead of cutting out any food types, I just ate less and moved my body more. Burn more calories than you eat. Doing that I lost 70 pounds that I kept off for 5 years. Regained 17 over the last 2 years from not paying attention to portion size and went back to what I know works. I've now lost that 17 and 1 more (want to lose 20 all together which I will do). Low carb? Nope. I eat carbs. I just eat less of those and of everything else.

TXGirl821

If you're eating the RIGHT kind of carbs, there's no problem with them! People get all freaked out thinking "low carb" means they have to eat nothing but meat and eggs 4/ever and that's not the case.

Now there ARE some people [like myself] who need to go lower carb for medical reasons, but usually that just means cutting out the white flour and white sugar - and there's definitely nothing wrong with doing that.

MoreBean13

Checking in!

I limit my carbs because of thyroid disease, but by NO MEANS do I do low-carb. By 'limit' I mean that I don't eat a bagel with every meal.

I also disagree with this "right kind of carbs" bullchit. Nutrition is more complicated than "right" or "wrong" carbs. Any kind of carbs can be the right kind of carbs depending on the situation. Tell me how I should be eating high-fiber carbs and avoiding sugar before/during a half marathon. I dare you.

Bobby__Clerici

Sure, my macro's are 30% protein, 40% carb and 30% fat...not exactly "low carb", and I reached goal after a few years just losing weight slowly. I'll do the same with this holiday bloat.

AntWrig

I usually eat between 150 - 220g carbs a day - my calorie deficit has allowed me to lose weight.

This!

Low carb dieting is a thing of the past.

underthecherrytree

No low carbs here! I do 40-30-30 and have lost 30 lbs so far.

Tricep_A_Tops

I lost 83 lbs and cut my BF down to 8% on a diet very high in carbs.

toscarthearmada

I found out that I had insulin resistance eight months ago and was put on a low cab diet. I eat a 15 carb to 7 protein ratio and I love it. The change has really taught me how to portion control and eat better foods.

TheConsciousFoody

I eat 40-50% carbs and I've lost almost 20 pounds in a month and a half. I also work out like crazy though.

LorinaLynn

I get about 50% of my calories from carbs, which is around 250-300g a day. Still have bread, bagels, pizza, potatoes, pasta and rice regularly.... all the "bad" carbs. Never hurt my progress and I've been maintaining for a year and a half.

annicins

The food you are planning seems very healthy. I do not pay attention to carbs and have lost 25 lbs so far. As long as you pay attention to calories you should be fine. If you notice that you are hitting a plateau down the road, then worry about it then.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I definitely do not do low carb, and I seem to be doing fine. The best plan is the one you can stick to.

Ejourneys

Ten years ago I lost 60 lbs doing modified low-carb (Carbohydrate Addict's Diet), then gained it almost all back.

These days I'm staying away from most processed foods and relying much more on fresh produce. That has cut my cravings at least as much as the low-carb diet did.

I'm listening to my body these days. Colder weather has increased my carb intake, but I still come out under my calorie goal. (I've set my calorie goal for a half-pound loss per week, but I rarely need to eat that much. I've been averaging a shade over a one-pound loss per week.)