low cal vs low carb - what do people think?!?

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jnnfrch
jnnfrch Posts: 65 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
just about every diet is implicitly saying to cut carbs, eat healthy proteins/fats and veggies

so is this the way to go?!

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  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
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    The way to go is to incorporate all healthy foods into you daily diet.

    If you cut carbs/proteins/fats from your daily diet, then what is left to eat?
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    just about every diet is implicitly saying to cut carbs, eat healthy proteins/fats and veggies

    so is this the way to go?!

    Umm. Veggies are mostly carbs.

    Honestly though, I'm not sure what your question is meant to ask. The topic says 'low cal vs low carb'...but your post only says that most diets tell you to cut carbs, which is untrue for the most part. Effective diets tell you to cut calories, which you can do by cutting carbs...but which you can also do by cutting either of the other macros as well.

    I guess I'm not getting the point?
  • jnnfrch
    jnnfrch Posts: 65 Member
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    hmm ok how else can i word this..

    (and youre right, vegetables are carbs but hardly worth counting if green/leafy, even strict low carb diets like dukan and atkins allow them. obv not sugary ones like sweetcorn/potatoes etc)

    i mean that, ive yet to see an eating plan that advocates eating high carb foods even though youd be sticking to a deficit of say 500 calories a day, so, in essence, why is this the case? almost all plans advocate eating lean proteins, healthy fats, and albeit not cutting carbs altogether but if youre going to eat them, getting them from "low carb carbs" such as vegetables, sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa etc

    so do carbs matter that much?
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
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    Because most "diet plans" are fads - others like Weight Watchers don't tell you what to eat, just how much.....The only thing that is sustainable is eating less calories than what you burn, not cutting out specific food groups...
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
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    For me cutting out unnecessary carbs like grains and starchy vegetables is a great way to cut calories... Still eating carbs from veggies and fruits.. but when you skip potatoes, pasta, rice, bread etc.. you save on a LOT of calories.. Also for many people these foods trigger them to eat more so cutting out can help them consume less calories overall.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    Because most "diet plans" are fads - others like Weight Watchers don't tell you what to eat, just how much.....The only thing that is sustainable is eating less calories than what you burn, not cutting out specific food groups...
    For me cutting out unnecessary carbs like grains and starchy vegetables is a great way to cut calories... Still eating carbs from veggies and fruits.. but when you skip potatoes, pasta, rice, bread etc.. you save on a LOT of calories.. Also for many people these foods trigger them to eat more so cutting out can help them consume less calories overall.

    Exactly.


    You're probably going to get a lot of fanatic replies about simple carbs (versus complex carbs...i.e. as you put it, 'low carb carbs' lol) spiking blood sugar and insulin and promoting fat production...and this is scientifically true.

    But if you're keeping under your calories, the net result will still be a loss.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    That's why every diet is bogus.

    Just eat real food. Eat more nutritious stuff than less nutritious stuff. Eat all the colors. Eat enough protein. Eat less refined stuff where possible. Eat things you like. Eat things you're craving. Be active. Enjoy life.

    The simplicity of weight loss is to eat a little less than you burn every day.
  • jnnfrch
    jnnfrch Posts: 65 Member
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    so theoretically you guys are saying that you could eat nothing but chocolate and lose weight? (granted the cal intake/burn thing and the fact thats not healthy)

    and IN SHORT, carbs dont matter
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    so theoretically you guys are saying that you could eat nothing but chocolate and lose weight? (granted the cal intake/burn thing and the fact thats not healthy)

    and IN SHORT, carbs dont matter

    Read this:

    http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

    Lol :)
  • jnnfrch
    jnnfrch Posts: 65 Member
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    hahaa interesting link thanks!

    (although coming from england i definitely had to google what a "twinkie" is)
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    Worked for me. I do 30% carbs. Find if I creep up above that my losses stall out, so I agree with it. Every successful person on my friends list does this, some in mmaintenance, one 104 lbs lost, on at 150lbs lost, myself at 92lbs. All my friends going around min circles and getting frustrated do higher carb. Also seen it time after time on the scale with myself so I'm definitely for at least very moderate carbs.

    Zara
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    I very low carbed for around 6 months last year and was glad I did it as it seemed to reduced cravings and get me more in touch with what was hunger vs a want.

    I moved back to restricting nothing as I couldn't see the metabolic advantage long-term in continuing and I wanted more variety and less rules. As others have said, for weight loss when in a deficit it doesn't matter whether you are swimming in doughnut-derived insulin or have a blood sugar curve flatter than Amsterdam.

    You have to low cal but low carbing can be useful to help you get there is my take on it.
  • krhn
    krhn Posts: 781 Member
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    Referring to losing weight,obvious choice would be to lower calories...

    Low carb diets are for those who respond sensitively to it and those who may still want to lose BF when their percentage is below say 7%
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    so theoretically you guys are saying that you could eat nothing but chocolate and lose weight? (granted the cal intake/burn thing and the fact thats not healthy)

    and IN SHORT, carbs dont matter

    Not at all. If you don't eat enough protein in a deficit you will lose a huge portion of lean mass (I've done this). If you don't eat enough fat you'll feel hungry all the time and be more inclined to binge. If you eat carbs, fat and protein with a caloric deficit you can lose weight. Some people respond well to 40C, 30P, 30F. Others do well with 50C, 25P, 25F (me - endurance athlete), still others do well on a diet that's more like 30P, 20C, 50F. Depends on the person.

    No one will do well on an all-carbs or all-protein or all-fat diet.
  • albertabeefy
    albertabeefy Posts: 1,169 Member
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    You're probably going to get a lot of fanatic replies about simple carbs (versus complex carbs...i.e. as you put it, 'low carb carbs' lol) spiking blood sugar and insulin and promoting fat production...and this is scientifically true.

    But if you're keeping under your calories, the net result will still be a loss.
    Cris is BANG ON here. I *AM* a low-carber ... in fact a very-low-carber... today was 43g of carbohydrate on nearly 2,900 calories ... a total of 6% of my calories from carbohydrate.

    BUT ... I'm a severe diabetic. That's why I low-carb.

    Here's the deal with "low-carb" ... UNLESS you have a metabolic-disorder - such as diabetes, metabolic-syndrome, morbid obesity, insulin-resistance resulting from PCOS or Hashimoto's thyroiditis, etc., there is NO reason to go to a low-carb diet.

    Certainly there's GREAT reasons to replace starchy, high-calorie carbs with non-starchy sources, because as has been said by others - that reduces calories. But without a medical reason to do so, I would never advocate going low-carb. Quick Edit: (The exception to this is those that utilize a CKD - cyclic ketogenic diet for bodybuilding or other reasons.)
  • martinah4
    martinah4 Posts: 583 Member
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    That's why every diet is bogus.

    Just eat real food. Eat more nutritious stuff than less nutritious stuff. Eat all the colors. Eat enough protein. Eat less refined stuff where possible. Eat things you like. Eat things you're craving. Be active. Enjoy life.

    The simplicity of weight loss is to eat a little less than you burn every day.

    Jellybeans come in all of the colors.

    Just kidding! LOL. You're right, eat lots of veggies, eat lean protein, eat healthy fat. Avoid white carbs, avoid processed foods. Excercise. Drink lots of water.

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