how did lowering your carbs work for you?

Hhhmmm... Lowering my carbs messes me up. I need carbs for the type of activity I do. I have increased my proteins and fats ratio to carbs though which definitely has helped my performance.

I naturally eat lower carb because I try to keep my protein high as I am trying to keep my muscle mass as I lose. Most days I hover around 150 carbs with some days going a lot lower and some days a lot higher. Most of my carbs come from fuits and veggies though. On the days they are a lot higher it's days I eat things like pasta or bread. I've done low carb diets before (like Atkins) and while I did lose a lot very fast, I ended up gaining a lot back. This was years ago when I was still young and dumb about eating healthy. IMO if you are getting enough protein it fills you up so you eat less carbs anyway. But if you are getting carbs from fruit and veggies they aren't bad anyway so no need to worry about them - the fiber in them is good for you.

I'm sure others here will have better info for you though.

try to think of it as more protein, I increased my protein and fats, my carbs automatically went down so i could meet my calorie goal, or just simply wasn't as hungry for carbs as before.

it's working out great. keeping muscle mass as I lose fat, while I weight train.
I went from someone who needs to eat high fiber and is very hungry to
someone who is much more satiated not just during meals, but through most
days, i'm just much less dramatically hungry when i eat more than 100g of protein.
resulting in making this plan feel relatively painless and easy to follow and sustain.

i have insulin resistance pcos and lowering my carbs to 25% has done wonders for me i have less cravings and finally lose weight. All my carbs come from fruits, veggies and whole grain pretty much with an occasional slice of dark chocolate here and there.

I started out at about the same weight you are: 252. Dropped the first 30 pounds just with calories and exercise, then got stuck and quit and gained back 10. Started MFP and went low carb, and am now free from cravings! and down to 208. I see a trainer every other week. She has helped a lot. My protein is at least half my body weight and I watch my fiber. Started at 100 carbs, then 60, now do between 20-30ish. It is no problem at all, (after the carb flue) and I feel great! The best part is no cravings. Exercise is very important. And weight training, eventually. How old are you and M or F? I have checked out the research on efficacy (those that stick with it and keep the weight off). The data is that those who log food, exercise, have group support and stay on maintenance for at least a year keep the weight off MUCH better. Feel free to add me if you like and good luck to you. This is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

I had the same advice as I was overdosing on carbs, plenty of bread, potato, pasta, rice, all the not so healthy stuff. Cutting down (not low cal, just reduced processed carbs) and controlling calories at the same time has given me close to 3 lbs a week loss over the past 14 weeks or so.

I eat lower carb, and have diabetes. I don't eat bread, pasta or white foods except, almond milk and Greek yogurt with less than 10 carbs per serving. I find I don't crave carbs if I keep them lower. I eat lots of veggies and some fruit. Really watch the fruit, also get some extra strips if you are testing and check after you eat different kinds of fruit. I can't eat watermelon, but I can eat cantaloupe. Berries are the best, for me. Talk to the nutritionist and tell them you want to try lower carb, not no carb, lower carb. A warning, if I eat bread or rice one day I feel like I'm starving the rest of the day and can't control my eating. So that's why I no longer eat that stuff, but that's me. Only you and the nutritionist can find what works for you.

The only carbs that I eat are from fruits, vegetables, nuts and wholegrains. If I cut them out of my diet i'd probably die :laugh:

Carbs are not evil.

Most of the issue with carbs is that poeple eat larger-than-necessary quantities of simple carbs (rice, pasta etc.) which also tend to to be higher in calories for their nutritional. As part of reducing my calories I have moved to smaller protions of pasta and potatoes (I don't eat rice), but I don't reject a foodstuff because its high in carbs (or fat or sugar) if it fits wihtin a balanced diet AND my calories for the day. Your simple carb should be no more than1/4 of your plate, 1/3 protein and the rest vegetables (not starchy ones like corn though).

If you weigh your standard portion of pasta or rice you'll probably find that is part of the cause of your weight issues - when I first met my husband his idea of a portion of pasta was 8oz (he was young then so it hadn't impacted!) Now he has 100g (3.5oz) and I have 75g.

I did it for 6 months or so, it definitely helped me get my cravings in check and learn what real hunger was.

I think my body got used to it though (keto) and I didn't see the point in continuing restricting whole swathes of nutrition.

Less food rules work better for me.

I think low carbing is a good temporary tool if you are in a particular metabolic state, the trouble comes when people demonise all carbs. On no planet is a big apple or banana a bad nutritional choice. And when it comes to worrying about carrots it gets a bit silly

My magic numbers are 100 and 100 ... 100g of carbs, 100g of protein. That seems to be where my body is happiest. I lift heavy and do intense cardio 2-3 times a week.

Lowering carbs for me cuts the cravings and then I can make better choices. Mostly I eat cottage cheese and fruit for breakfast, at least 1/2 cup of each, more cc if you can affort it! Throw in come grains or have or something else. For snacks, I also eat plain non-fat greek yogurt and add a wee bit of sweetner and then top it off with fruit, again about 1/2 cup of each. Of course, I don't eat like this every breakfast and snack, but it is one of the tricks that helps control my carb intake and curb my cravings. Good luck.