Low Carb Better?

Sassycass16
Sassycass16 Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
What are everyone's opinions of low carb? I was thinking of doing a low carb, low calorie diet (based on South Beach phase 1). Does the result in a better weight loss compared to a regular low fat, low calorie diet?

EIther way the calorie goal would be about 1200 cal....

What is everyone's opinion/experiences with this?

Replies

  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    It only works if you plan on staying low carb for the rest of your life. Otherwise, the weight comes back when you add the carbs back to your diet.

    Honestly, I'm not a fan of cutting out any particular type of food unless there is a medical reason to. I have found that cutting down on empty carbs like white bread and pasta has helped some because they are truly empty calories, but carbs still make up about 40% of my diet and I'm still losing weight.

    Weight loss is flat out calories in vs calories out. If you eat less calories than you use in a day, you'll lose weight, but the bigger the deficit and the more restrictive the diet, the harder it is to keep the weight off once you hit your goal.
  • kowajenn
    kowajenn Posts: 274 Member
    I agree...low carb is great if you plan to eat like that forever. I've lost a bunch of weight in the past on Atkins (50 pounds, twice) but gained it back as soon as I started eating regular food again. I admit that I felt great while limiting my carbs but I could not sustain that way of eating long term. If you can, good for you! Personally, I love carbs and feel my current plan (all things in moderation) offers my best chance at a lifetime of health.
  • windra06
    windra06 Posts: 50 Member
    When you say low carb do you mean eating low amounts of complex carbohydrates or, or eating as few carbs as possible cutting out fruit and veg?

    5 days a week I try and eat as few complex carbs as possible, for the simple reason that complex carbs have a high calorie density and often provide little nutritional value especially if you eat refined carbs like bread and pasta.
    I find that by cutting the carbs i can eat high volumes of food, e.g lots of fruits and veg and feel like I'm not dieting at all.

    This has become my lifestyle rather than my diet, I do eat carbs at weekends but mostly wholegrains.

    If however you are talking about removing all carbs including the fruit and veg that provides your body with the nutrients,vitamins and minerals it needs then I would have to say that I believe this is a horrific and harmful way of dieting that is in no way good for your body. Not only is it unhealthy but by following a diet that is impossible to maintain in the long term, you are setting yourself up for falling back into old habbits when the diet is over.
  • medic2038
    medic2038 Posts: 434 Member
    It's not magic, it's more a matter of preference. Sometimes people have metabolic issues and don't tolerate carbs too well.

    Stage,Kowa...
    No eating low carb, then eating "normal" amounts of carbs doesn't automatically make the weight come back. Atkins fails because it doesn't account for calorie intake (but the underlying physiology is correct). Most of the "initial" weight gain is from water retention (just like the initial huge loss is fluid loss, not fat). Not tracking calories and only eating when we're hungry is how most of us got fat in the first place. A diet that fails to account for calorie intake is supposed to work somehow?

    I've been around low carb message boards for a few years, and the typical Atkins story goes something like this...
    "I did Atkins for X amount of time and had great results. Then I stopped losing and when I quit I gained X weight back". Most people do have great results, but end up eating themselves down to maintenance. When that happens they stop losing and inevitably give up the diet.

    I typically prefer keto because I'm almost never hungry, and have thus had better results.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    lower carb is better, as in not the average american. 40%carbs, 30%pro, 30% fat. Start there. Eat clean carbs, like oats, brown rice, fruit, veggies. Avoid the processed stuff.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    I used to do low carb when I first made the commitment to lose the weight and get healthy. I lost 25lbs and my cravings for sugar vanished but it was always awkward at parties, eating out, and just living life in general. Rather than "quit low carb and gain my weight back" I simply kept my calories the same and switched to IIFYM. Quitting anything is a good way to gain weight back, it isn't the carbs' fault like many would love to believe. Save for a few pounds of glycogen (which I never even noticed) the only way you will gain the weight back is if you start eating over maintenance. That being said, I think low carb can be a good place to start if you find you crave sugar and carbs and feel you have difficulty moderating these foods straight out of the gate. I wouldn't make if my rest-of-me-life plan though. Good luck whatever you decide.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Doesn't matter what approach you take, but I would SERIOUSLY take a harder look at your intake goals. 1200 is probably way off for what you actually NEED.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    go there.
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    I lost my weight by starting out low carb and gradually added back to 30% carb - but I don't get them from Rice, Potatos, pasta or bread. Plenty of other good nutrition and fiber dense carbs to add.
  • ronrstaats
    ronrstaats Posts: 294 Member
    Low Carb Myth #11
    It only works if you plan on staying low carb for the rest of your life. Otherwise, the weight comes back when you add the carbs back to your diet.


    Only if you go back to eating the unhealthy way you were before you started doing Low Carb... and that is true for any diet or WOE you try.

    If you ware wanting to try Low Carb do a lot of research on it and make sure it is something you can do for a while. It is not a short term weight loss solution. Been doing it for 27 months now. Lost 150 pounds the first 13 months and have kept it off all but 10 of that. I will say some weight gain is due to working out but I doubt all 10 pounds of it was. My pants still fit fine though :)
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    Low Carb Myth #11
    It only works if you plan on staying low carb for the rest of your life. Otherwise, the weight comes back when you add the carbs back to your diet.


    Only if you go back to eating the unhealthy way you were before you started doing Low Carb... and that is true for any diet or WOE you try.

    If you ware wanting to try Low Carb do a lot of research on it and make sure it is something you can do for a while. It is not a short term weight loss solution. Been doing it for 27 months now. Lost 150 pounds the first 13 months and have kept it off all but 10 of that. I will say some weight gain is due to working out but I doubt all 10 pounds of it was. My pants still fit fine though :)

    Right, but if people see carbs as "bad" and don't move to at most maintenance calories, they will gain. Most people will see themselves as a failure for eating "bad carbs" and they don't even realize it's the extra 1000 calories/day responsible for their "gain" (save for glycogen which is negligible) I have some low carbers on my FL and when they have a "bad day" they dont' log. Sometimes they have bad weeks and don't log for weeks. It's not the carbs folks, it's the free for all you allowed yourself to go on because you're going to be "back on the wagon on such and such a date"
  • medic2038
    medic2038 Posts: 434 Member
    Low Carb Myth #11
    It only works if you plan on staying low carb for the rest of your life. Otherwise, the weight comes back when you add the carbs back to your diet.


    Only if you go back to eating the unhealthy way you were before you started doing Low Carb... and that is true for any diet or WOE you try.

    If you ware wanting to try Low Carb do a lot of research on it and make sure it is something you can do for a while. It is not a short term weight loss solution. Been doing it for 27 months now. Lost 150 pounds the first 13 months and have kept it off all but 10 of that. I will say some weight gain is due to working out but I doubt all 10 pounds of it was. My pants still fit fine though :)

    Right, but if people see carbs as "bad" and don't move to at most maintenance calories, they will gain. Most people will see themselves as a failure for eating "bad carbs" and they don't even realize it's the extra 1000 calories/day responsible for their "gain" (save for glycogen which is negligible) I have some low carbers on my FL and when they have a "bad day" they dont' log. Sometimes they have bad weeks and don't log for weeks. It's not the carbs folks, it's the free for all you allowed yourself to go on because you're going to be "back on the wagon on such and such a date"

    I 100% agree with what your saying, with the exception of glycogen.
    It can be pretty substantial, when I do my weekly carb loads I can gain 5+lbs (the most was 8.5) overnight from the glycogen shift. Ultimately you're right though, the prolonged overall gain is from overeating usually.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    What are everyone's opinions of low carb? I was thinking of doing a low carb, low calorie diet (based on South Beach phase 1). Does the result in a better weight loss compared to a regular low fat, low calorie diet?

    EIther way the calorie goal would be about 1200 cal....

    What is everyone's opinion/experiences with this?

    No, initial greater weight loss is due to water/glycogen losses. Also fat loss is not significantly different between the two, holding cals and protein constant
  • nncrcarlayahoo
    nncrcarlayahoo Posts: 5
    I know what you are saying. I am one who lost and gained it back. That is why I am in the shape I am in. But I am under my doctor's orders because of a low-carb diabetes diet. I will ask if increasing my exercize, watching portion sizes and your plan of calories in/calories out would work for me. I have found that the low carb diet is very restrictive and I have not been able to follow it completely. I have lost 20 pounds so far and can see it working but when I reach my goal, then what?
  • aetzkorn14
    aetzkorn14 Posts: 169 Member
    low-carb diets are only meant to be temporary to my knowledge. I did SB and got amazing results the first month, unfortunately once I stopped so did the weight. I only gained 5lbs once I was off of it but it is so hard to stick to. I did it over a year ago, before I understood the mechanics of weight loss. I had zero energy not having the carbs I needed and wanted to binge all the time. I feel like once you depriving yourself of one certain thing will lead to issues later. I say enjoy your carbs, just be smart about them.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    I know what you are saying. I am one who lost and gained it back. That is why I am in the shape I am in. But I am under my doctor's orders because of a low-carb diabetes diet. I will ask if increasing my exercize, watching portion sizes and your plan of calories in/calories out would work for me. I have found that the low carb diet is very restrictive and I have not been able to follow it completely. I have lost 20 pounds so far and can see it working but when I reach my goal, then what?

    If you have diabetes then watching your carbs is a pretty good idea, i was talking about someone who doesn't have a medical reason to restrict carbs.
  • Amy4President
    Amy4President Posts: 165 Member
    I did low carb and no sugar for a while. It actually was eating too few carbs to support the exercise I was doing. One upside of it was that I stopped craving sweet things after about a week. If I did have some ice cream or something, it was almost too sweet. My diet was 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, and whole-grain carbs with 1 meal a day. I dropped weight quickly but once I stopped, I gained weight back.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    Low Carb Myth #11
    It only works if you plan on staying low carb for the rest of your life. Otherwise, the weight comes back when you add the carbs back to your diet.


    Only if you go back to eating the unhealthy way you were before you started doing Low Carb... and that is true for any diet or WOE you try.

    If you ware wanting to try Low Carb do a lot of research on it and make sure it is something you can do for a while. It is not a short term weight loss solution. Been doing it for 27 months now. Lost 150 pounds the first 13 months and have kept it off all but 10 of that. I will say some weight gain is due to working out but I doubt all 10 pounds of it was. My pants still fit fine though :)

    Right, but if people see carbs as "bad" and don't move to at most maintenance calories, they will gain. Most people will see themselves as a failure for eating "bad carbs" and they don't even realize it's the extra 1000 calories/day responsible for their "gain" (save for glycogen which is negligible) I have some low carbers on my FL and when they have a "bad day" they dont' log. Sometimes they have bad weeks and don't log for weeks. It's not the carbs folks, it's the free for all you allowed yourself to go on because you're going to be "back on the wagon on such and such a date"

    I 100% agree with what your saying, with the exception of glycogen.
    It can be pretty substantial, when I do my weekly carb loads I can gain 5+lbs (the most was 8.5) overnight from the glycogen shift. Ultimately you're right though, the prolonged overall gain is from overeating usually.

    5lbs isn't substantial if you understand that it's glycogen replenishing etc. People who low carb go off the rails when they eat a slice or two of pizza and see that same thing happen. It's not logical to gain 3-4-5lbs from an extra 500 calories for ONE day, but because they never learn this, they only learn "carbs are bad you don't need to count calories" when the inevitable happens, it's hard mentally and that's why I suspect many throw in the towel. If you understand the numbers and the logic behind weight loss, these fluctuations don't send you into a category 5 freak out.
  • gypsyrose64
    gypsyrose64 Posts: 271 Member
    I've been at this with MFP for almost a year and only ditched 30 lbs. Keep in mind I'm as sedentary as they get! I work long hrs sitting on my backside, long commute in car and don't manage time very well when I get home. With that said, I've tracked religiously for that entire time(daily) and even have spreadsheet plotting out trends. I also weigh daily.

    With that said, from March to September, I netted roughly 1500-1600 cals daily. I didn't gain, but I didn't lose either. At 48, it was hard to wrap my head around this being "maintenance" for me.

    This month I did some reading on paleo/keto eating habits, and tweaked my macros. I'm still eating the same calorie range, but I am keeping NET carbs (carbs-fiber) to <100g day. Somewhere between 50-100g is ok with me. I'm not in ketosis, since I'm not under 30g.

    I've lost 2 lbs and 2" off my core in 17 days since I started this. No it's not water, because I take diuretics for edema & blood pressure. I've weighed the same for 3 days running (to the ounce). The only thing I can attribute this to is lowering carb intake.

    My theory is I just don't burn them off easily with my sedentary lifestyle. Anything over 100g (of even 'good' carbs) seems to blow me up and make it impossible to lose. Yes, it's difficult giving up certain things like rice/pasta/bread. I've resorted to finding alternatives for this like cauliflower "rice", cloud bread and spaghetti squash.

    If you are exercising your buns off daily, then it's probably not such an issue. I'm hoping to reach one-derland and increase my activity as I go. Then I might relax the carb restriction.

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