"Limiting" carbs (refined and complex) it order to lose FAT?

kassiebby1124
kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
edited February 1 in Health and Weight Loss
I lift weights and while I'm losing inches, the numbers have stalled. I eat under my TDEE (-20%). I eat a little over 1700 a day I think. I also total body weight train 3x a week, HIIT for 20 minutes afterwards, and run 3x a week for 20-30 minutes (I'm trying to train for a 5K). I was attempting to be a vegetarian for a few months but I noticed that as I did that, I began to notice that I was eating more carbs and as such, my weight began to creep up. I guess, what I'm asking is, how should one go about transitioning into a low carb diet? Now, I know fruits/veggies/complex carbs are a good thing to have. But I think at the moment, it's beginning to hinder my weight loss? I'd appreciate any advice, testimonies, anything.

Thanks so much,
Kassie
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Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I will just say this ...carbs do not make you gain weight/fat,,,eating too many calories makes you gain ..

    Are you logging everything? Do you have a food scale? If the answers to these questions is no, then it is not carbs that is making you gain .

    also, if you are working out as much as you are it could be water retention ...

    You might want to back off the HIIT directly after weight workouts and incorporate the HIIT into your off day running...
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,442 MFP Moderator
    Keep in mind when your crabs creep up, so the your body storing more glycogen and water. If it exceeds 5-10 lbs then it's more of a tracking issue or caloric issues. Reducing carbs will just reduce glycogen/water. It won't increase fat loss.
  • kassiebby1124
    kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
    Do I log everything: Yes
    Do I own a scale: No, but I do measure.

    I drink tons of water o.o I mean, I don't get how the low-carb diet cause/doesn't cause weight gain? I mean, I read that women benefit better from low-carb diets because of how we utilize fats.
  • kassiebby1124
    kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
    Keep in mind when your crabs creep up, so the your body storing more glycogen and water. If it exceeds 5-10 lbs then it's more of a tracking issue or caloric issues. Reducing carbs will just reduce glycogen/water. It won't increase fat loss.
    It crept up around 7 pounds in 2 months? Someone said it may have been muscle but i dunno. I'm down 7% body fat. I lose about 1% a month steadily
  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
    how should one go about transitioning into a low carb diet? Now, I know fruits/veggies/complex carbs are a good thing to have. But I think at the moment, it's beginning to hinder my weight loss? I'd appreciate any advice, testimonies, anything.

    Thanks so much,
    Kassie

    Well, step 1 would be...not eating as many carbs. Not to be overly simplistic about it. :)

    The question is what you define as "low carb" -- are you looking for a lowish carb, not ketogenic style diet? Or a full on, VLC keto style? Somewhere in between?
  • kassiebby1124
    kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
    how should one go about transitioning into a low carb diet? Now, I know fruits/veggies/complex carbs are a good thing to have. But I think at the moment, it's beginning to hinder my weight loss? I'd appreciate any advice, testimonies, anything.

    Thanks so much,
    Kassie

    Well, step 1 would be...not eating as many carbs. Not to be overly simplistic about it. :)

    The question is what you define as "low carb" -- are you looking for a lowish carb, not ketogenic style diet? Or a full on, VLC keto style? Somewhere in between?
    I was thinking of going for a keto diet..
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
    I started reducing my carbs because I found they were taking up a huge portion of my dinner time calories and I was going over my macro. I still eat a lot of carbs for breakfast and lunch, I'm just cutting at dinner. I've been replacing them with more vegetables and/or fruit. My dinners used to look like a meat, a starch (usually pasta. rice or potatoes), a vegetable, a fruit, and a dessert. Now they look like a meat, two vegetables, a fruit, and a dessert.

    Get yourself a grill pan and grill everything. It changes just about how everything tastes and you can get twice the variety of what you normally eat.
  • saschka7
    saschka7 Posts: 577 Member
    Do I log everything: Yes
    Do I own a scale: No, but I do measure.

    I drink tons of water o.o I mean, I don't get how the low-carb diet cause/doesn't cause weight gain? I mean, I read that women benefit better from low-carb diets because of how we utilize fats.

    I read that stuff too and ignore it.
  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
    I was thinking of going for a keto diet..

    That's how I eat. Here's a couple links that I like:

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZfJejOM8fJsX1iCilmnpp1qmT_KncJwWCR4-EsaEHc/edit?pli=1
    http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/

    The first is a good look at what keto is. The second is a macro calculator.

    In my personal experience, I've found keto a much easier diet to stay on and was far more successful with it than other restricted calorie diets. I also strength train well on ketogenic diets.
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  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    Maybe it's not all carbs you should consider. I have been reading about the gluten/thyroid connection and since I have a family history of thyroid problems I decided to totally give up gluten. Since it's an autoimmune response just reducing gluten doesn't help, total elimination is necessary. I have not reduced my carbs, simply replaced the wheat/rye/gluten carbs with rice/quinoa/oat carbs. After about 3 weeks gluten free I suddenly started loosing inches around my waist - my major problem area that I never lose even when I do manage to reduce body fat, and suddenly it's just shrinking. No other changes for me, still eating the same amount, still working out, nothing to explain it except the absence of gluten. I don't know that gluten is bad for the average person, but I am now a firm believer that for anyone with any chance of thyroid issues it is a substance to avoid.
  • kassiebby1124
    kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
    @MrM- My mom won't buy me a scale and I'm going into the college in a week so it makes no sense to get one at this point. I mean, I generally go off of the measuring listed.

    @Tcun- Isn't gluten in like, everything?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,368 Member
    1) buy a scale. Take it to college. It makes a BIG difference.
    2) carbs don't make you lose more fat. Eating at a calorie deficit does. They might make you hungrier if you only eat refined carbs though (as they don't really fill you up as opposed to complex carbs or protein/fat).
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    @MrM- My mom won't buy me a scale and I'm going into the college in a week so it makes no sense to get one at this point. I mean, I generally go off of the measuring listed.

    @Tcun- Isn't gluten in like, everything?

    So buy your own scale? They're like 10 bucks...

    You dont need to go low carb. Learn to portion your food and make sure you consistently measuring.
  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
    How do you measure chicken or beef, pasta, cereal, peanut butter, fruits, nuts, potatoes etc etc etc???

    These things need to be put on a scale. Measuring them is just as good as guessing so chances are that you are overeating and not realizing it. You can just take a measuring cup dice something up and throw it in. It just won't be accurate

    You measure peanut butter by weight?
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    How do you measure chicken or beef, pasta, cereal, peanut butter, fruits, nuts, potatoes etc etc etc???

    These things need to be put on a scale. Measuring them is just as good as guessing so chances are that you are overeating and not realizing it. You can just take a measuring cup dice something up and throw it in. It just won't be accurate

    You measure peanut butter by weight?

    I certainly do.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    How do you measure chicken or beef, pasta, cereal, peanut butter, fruits, nuts, potatoes etc etc etc???

    These things need to be put on a scale. Measuring them is just as good as guessing so chances are that you are overeating and not realizing it. You can just take a measuring cup dice something up and throw it in. It just won't be accurate

    You measure peanut butter by weight?

    grams.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    The type of training you're doing matters when it comes to what kind of food you should be eating. You're running, you're doing HIIT, and you're lifting weights. You need carbs (note that fruits, vegetables, and sugar are carbs ... we're not just talking about bread, pasta, rice, etc.). Track everything, make sure you're in a calorie deficit, make sure you're eating enough protein to maintain your lean mass, and you should be good to go, as far as fat loss is concerned.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    How do you measure chicken or beef, pasta, cereal, peanut butter, fruits, nuts, potatoes etc etc etc???

    These things need to be put on a scale. Measuring them is just as good as guessing so chances are that you are overeating and not realizing it. You can just take a measuring cup dice something up and throw it in. It just won't be accurate

    You measure peanut butter by weight?

    grams?

    I measure mine in grams.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    How do you measure chicken or beef, pasta, cereal, peanut butter, fruits, nuts, potatoes etc etc etc???

    These things need to be put on a scale. Measuring them is just as good as guessing so chances are that you are overeating and not realizing it. You can just take a measuring cup dice something up and throw it in. It just won't be accurate

    You measure peanut butter by weight?

    grams?

    I measure mine in grams.

    I should've made that a statement rather than a question lol
  • Going4Lean
    Going4Lean Posts: 1,078 Member
    How do you measure chicken or beef, pasta, cereal, peanut butter, fruits, nuts, potatoes etc etc etc???

    These things need to be put on a scale. Measuring them is just as good as guessing so chances are that you are overeating and not realizing it. You can just take a measuring cup dice something up and throw it in. It just won't be accurate

    You measure peanut butter by weight?

    I just started weighing my peanut butter and by the weight a serving is actually about 1 TBSP
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
    How do you measure chicken or beef, pasta, cereal, peanut butter, fruits, nuts, potatoes etc etc etc???

    These things need to be put on a scale. Measuring them is just as good as guessing so chances are that you are overeating and not realizing it. You can just take a measuring cup dice something up and throw it in. It just won't be accurate

    You measure peanut butter by weight?

    I just started weighing my peanut butter and by the weight a serving is actually about 1 TBSP
    That's odd, because a serving of Jif is 2 tablespoons, not 1oz.
  • eblakes93
    eblakes93 Posts: 372 Member
    1) buy a scale. Take it to college. It makes a BIG difference.
    2) carbs don't make you lose more fat. Eating at a calorie deficit does. They might make you hungrier if you only eat refined carbs though (as they don't really fill you up as opposed to complex carbs or protein/fat).

    I'm a college student and there is no way I could measure everything I eat on a scale. A lot of colleges require that students (At least freshmen) pay for meal plans, where you go and sit down in the cafeteria. I can't carry around my food scale and weigh my food in the cafeteria (And even if I could, I would look like a weirdo and probably wouldn't do it). And lots of students don't have kitchens for cooking in either, so meal prep in the form beyond using the fridge and the microwave would be very tricky. You could bring one and measure snacks like chips or breakfast foods like cereal.
  • Going4Lean
    Going4Lean Posts: 1,078 Member
    How do you measure chicken or beef, pasta, cereal, peanut butter, fruits, nuts, potatoes etc etc etc???

    These things need to be put on a scale. Measuring them is just as good as guessing so chances are that you are overeating and not realizing it. You can just take a measuring cup dice something up and throw it in. It just won't be accurate

    You measure peanut butter by weight?

    I just started weighing my peanut butter and by the weight a serving is actually about 1 TBSP
    That's odd, because a serving of Jif is 2 tablespoons, not 1oz.

    mine says 2tbsp or 32g, but when i weight it , it comes out to about 1 tbsp
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    How do you measure chicken or beef, pasta, cereal, peanut butter, fruits, nuts, potatoes etc etc etc???

    These things need to be put on a scale. Measuring them is just as good as guessing so chances are that you are overeating and not realizing it. You can just take a measuring cup dice something up and throw it in. It just won't be accurate

    You measure peanut butter by weight?

    I certainly do.

    Silliness, if you went keto you could eat unlimited pb, cause only carbs make you fat
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    1) buy a scale. Take it to college. It makes a BIG difference.
    2) carbs don't make you lose more fat. Eating at a calorie deficit does. They might make you hungrier if you only eat refined carbs though (as they don't really fill you up as opposed to complex carbs or protein/fat).

    I'm a college student and there is no way I could measure everything I eat on a scale. A lot of colleges require that students (At least freshmen) pay for meal plans, where you go and sit down in the cafeteria. I can't carry around my food scale and weigh my food in the cafeteria (And even if I could, I would look like a weirdo and probably wouldn't do it). And lots of students don't have kitchens for cooking in either, so meal prep in the form beyond using the fridge and the microwave would be very tricky. You could bring one and measure snacks like chips or breakfast foods like cereal.

    Pack your own food, weigh beforehand and not in front of people. Problem solved.
  • phatguerilla
    phatguerilla Posts: 188 Member
    How do you measure chicken or beef, pasta, cereal, peanut butter, fruits, nuts, potatoes etc etc etc???

    These things need to be put on a scale. Measuring them is just as good as guessing so chances are that you are overeating and not realizing it. You can just take a measuring cup dice something up and throw it in. It just won't be accurate

    You measure peanut butter by weight?

    I just started weighing my peanut butter and by the weight a serving is actually about 1 TBSP
    That's odd, because a serving of Jif is 2 tablespoons, not 1oz.

    A serving is whatever you make it?
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    Unknown
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  • eblakes93
    eblakes93 Posts: 372 Member
    1) buy a scale. Take it to college. It makes a BIG difference.
    2) carbs don't make you lose more fat. Eating at a calorie deficit does. They might make you hungrier if you only eat refined carbs though (as they don't really fill you up as opposed to complex carbs or protein/fat).

    I'm a college student and there is no way I could measure everything I eat on a scale. A lot of colleges require that students (At least freshmen) pay for meal plans, where you go and sit down in the cafeteria. I can't carry around my food scale and weigh my food in the cafeteria (And even if I could, I would look like a weirdo and probably wouldn't do it). And lots of students don't have kitchens for cooking in either, so meal prep in the form beyond using the fridge and the microwave would be very tricky. You could bring one and measure snacks like chips or breakfast foods like cereal.

    Pack your own food, weigh beforehand and not in front of people. Problem solved.

    Nope. My parents pay for my meal plan, and you have to swipe in to the cafeteria each time you eat, which uses a part of the meal plan, and therefore money. Packing your own food (which would be hard because no kitchen), and then swiping in would be a waste of money (paying for two meals for the price of one) - something not all of us can afford to do. I think my point is that while a food scale is really, really beneficial (I would love to have one), people can lose weight without them. It may take some experimentation to figure out what is the appropriate serving size, but it can be done.
  • kassiebby1124
    kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
    I didn't mean to spark a debate or anything. I'm sorry. And I would love to have a scale, but as eblakes said, it would be difficult. I can't cook in my dorm (I'm a freshman, first of all. Second, no kitchen), I also won't be buying my own food because I do have a meal plan. If I shouldn't cut out carbs then I won't. I don't usually eat refined carbs. I stick with complex carbs and veggies/fruits
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