going from low carb back to calorie counting

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  • DeirdreGoals
    DeirdreGoals Posts: 30
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    Lost 30, quit and came back for the last 10, so I get re joining. Trust your body but don't get obsessed with going to low or cutting out all carbs. If hunger is taking away from friends/family then add enough so you are loosing, feel good and are fully engaged in life. I have seen people go too low and the scale/numbers take over too much brain power. You want this to be manageable. I went from a size 14 at my highest to a solid size 2/26 now and have found a balance right around 1,400 to 1,600 with working out is where I need to be. I am 5'7 and am told I could eat more but I needed to trust my body. It really helps me to keep a log of calories. Good luck!!
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
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    No, it's not too late to start counting calories again. You haven't damaged your body in any way. The body is an amazing thing that will adapt to most anything you are doing. The only reason low carb diets work is because a side effect, so to speak, of low carbs is lower calories. The only way ANY diet works to lose fat is a calorie deficit. Any diet out there, that works, even if the main focus is not counting calories, works because it puts you in a calorie deficit. Do what works best for you. And don't jump on someone else's bandwagon. If they tell you this or that is THE best way to lose weight don't take much stock in it. Just because it is best for them doesn't mean it's going to work for you. Good Luck...

    P.S. I'm pretty sure birds don't count calories. But I'm also pretty sure a bird or any animal for that matter has a very high metabolism, and they're not sitting on their humps all day at a computer or watching TV. They are constantly moving so I'm sure they burn a lot more calories in a day than you or I.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
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    Lisle suggests that if you eat as natural as you can, your body has the ability to figure out when you have eaten enough for the meal/day.

    Sorry, just trying to wrap my head around this.

    So is this suggesting that we can eat as much or as little as we want, as long as it's natural, with no effect on weight loss or gain?
  • wlawhorn1993
    wlawhorn1993 Posts: 16
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    Low Carb diets suck. Many people including myself have had success with them, however most people also gain back. Truth is, you have to have carbs. Your body cannot work without them. Most low carb diets preach 20 to 60 carbs a day. Truthfully I eat around 50 carbs per meal. You just have to keep your caloric intake below your TDEE and you will lose weight. Low carb diets zap you of energy and most of the time, the only thing that can keep you from eating carbs is iron will. I remember drinking protein shakes so my muscles wouldn't go away and being hungry because I had to eat only protein rich low carb foods. Low carb means low fiber. Low fiber means hungry. That's about as plain as it gets. You can eat what you want and when you want it counting calories. Yes I am saying you can eat below your tdee in nothing but chips and Twinkie and lose weight, however you will lose muscle be tired, and always be hungry. Complex carbs for energy fiber to feel full, protein for muscle health and amino acids, and fats for your cholesterol and to keep your organs healthy.
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
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    Low Carb diets suck. Many people including myself have had success with them, however most people also gain back. Truth is, you have to have carbs. Your body cannot work without them. Most low carb diets preach 20 to 60 carbs a day. Truthfully I eat around 50 carbs per meal. You just have to keep your caloric intake below your TDEE and you will lose weight. Low carb diets zap you of energy and most of the time, the only thing that can keep you from eating carbs is iron will. I remember drinking protein shakes so my muscles wouldn't go away and being hungry because I had to eat only protein rich low carb foods. Low carb means low fiber. Low fiber means hungry. That's about as plain as it gets. You can eat what you want and when you want it counting calories. Yes I am saying you can eat below your tdee in nothing but chips and Twinkie and lose weight, however you will lose muscle be tired, and always be hungry. Complex carbs for energy fiber to feel full, protein for muscle health and amino acids, and fats for your cholesterol and to keep your organs healthy.

    Sorry... I just saw this reply.

    There are a few things that I find not true. Your body can work just fine on a low carb diet. I have some friends who are doing keto (20 or less net a day, which means you subtract the fiber from the carbs, debunking the low fiber diet you speak of) who are very active in marathons, weight lifting, and life in general.

    I agree with your comment about calories, though. I lost weight just fine using the MFP guidelines, however I was constantly hungry, tired, and obsessed with checking labels to see if I could eat more for less calories (low fat, reduced calorie snacks just add "other" ingredients anyway).

    Now that I'm fat adapted (meaning my body burns the fat I eat/store instead of glycogen), I've never felt more energetic. I don't have to think about food anymore since I eat high fat foods that keep me satisfied longer. Yes, I still have to watch calories, but I find that I'm less obsessed about when I can eat next which is PERFECT for me since I'm a teacher and my schedule varies daily.

    I also used to be a chronic napper. I'd get home, crash, wake up, eat, and then crash again. Not anymore. I also go over my fiber every day (I ignore the MFP fiber amount, and just eat what I want like veggies, flax, nuts, etc.) and drink plenty of water.

    Will I stay keto forever? I don't know. I might switch to a primal/paleo approach, time will tell. I feel too good right now to want to go back to eating tons of breads and sweets. Maybe I'll allow for sweet potatoes and brown rice (and fruits other than the berries I eat), but for now, I'm good where I'm at.

    Low carb might not work for everyone, but it works for me. I took a break from it before the summer (Feb-May) and I didn't feel any better. I didn't go too crazy on carbs, but I ate more than what my body needed, and I feel that my body optimally works with a high fat, low carb, moderate protein diet.

    Whether low carb, high protein, low fat, IIFYM, etc., if it's not sustainable, you'll likely fail. Just gotta find something that works for you!

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