is low carb best for losing weight or doesn't it matter?

It may just well work for you Whilst I've never tried low carb myself, it is well documented that going low carb can help a little with weight loss as protein is more filling and leaves you fuller for longer and lowering the ammount and types of carbs (only complex carbs from unprocessed grains etc) can help curb the sugar rush/insulin surge cycle that can bring on hunger cravings

I'm sure there are probably other reasons but from what I gather these are the biggies.

Still, whilst you feel fuller for longer and don't have the sugar/insulin thin causing more hunger pangs, you may find yourself craving carbs from limiting yourself, also carbs are your body's favoured and most efficient source of fuel so you may feel drained, however I've known people wh say they feel even more energised so I guess it really does depend on the kinds of carbs you still allow yourself to put in your body at the end of the day - slow digesting, gradual energy releasing whole grains as opposed to fast burning simple, refined sugars.

To loose weight you simply need to create a caloric deficit. Some people find it easier to create this deficit through limiting their carb intake and increasing protein to make up for the hunger. In fact many people have shown it does in deed work. A caloric deficit may be created by simply limiting all your food groups however...just bare in mind that there was a low fat craze not so long ago, now it's low carb and in the future we may well have a low protein craze (though I doubt it since it's essential in building muscles but hey, you know how these ideas crop up!) so it's all swings and roundabouts really.

Personally I favour just watching my calories wherever they come from...if I loose weight slower than someone on low carb then boo hoo for me really, but I don't mind how long it takes as long as I get there.

Basically what I'm trying to say is...yeah, it does work, it can help, but it takes as much will power to limit carbs as it does to limit any thing else to loose weight so it's worth a try if you think it might work for you, at the end of the day finding what works for you is the important thing

Even though low carb works, it shouldn't be carried out for an extended period of time because of what was discussed above. If you do low carb for a long time, you can actually hurt your kidneys...

That being said, I personally believe that the best way to lose weight is to eat at a ratio of macronutrients that you can personally eat comfortably later in life when you are done losing weight. That way, when you maintain, you don't have to worry about changing what you eat, just the amount you eat. You will also find that you are not craving as much since you are not depriving yourself of anything.

I personally enjoy about 50-55% carbs, 30-35% protein, and 15-20% fat. It works for me both when I am losing weight and when I am trying to maintain because all I have to do is adjust the amount of calories.

I have also done the calorie and carb cycling discussed above, and I believe it works well. I do think that for someone new to nutrition in general, it is best to learn to stick with a certain ratio first before they attempt to change it up like that cause it can be frustrating to not do it correctly (take that from my experience, lol).

Good luck!

Going on the lines of what lyadeia said, don't make too many changes you can't live with in your lifestyle. If you are a big bread, pasta, and potato eater, than just learn how to make smarter choices and watch your portion sizes. Try whole grain bread and pasta and limit the fat you use in your potato recipes. Watch toppings on all three of those as well.

Your body needs carbs. Just learn how to stay in your recommended guidelines with them.

L

you just need to eat a ballanced diet, its best to have a bit of everything, it sound like your doing fine, and if your loosing weight, hey dont rock the boat. once you have reached your goal weight you dont want to have to change your eating habbits.

If you seriously want to take those pounds off fast you need to keep those carbs under control. I recently lost 60 pounds and I did it in 4 months. I reduced my carb intake to around 115 carbs per day. Hard to do unless you like lots of vegetables -- the less starchy kind. I gave up flour products, rice, potatoes, and sugar for that 4 month period. The results are terrific. I have a doctor friend who is also a body builder. He told me early on in my diet that watching and controlling the carbs was the way to lose the pounds. H was right.

you may lose weight faster doing low car, but like everyone else has said, you don't need to do a diet, you need to make changes that you can live with the rest of your life. Just remember, slow and steady wins the race!

I've been logging onto mfp for 2 weeks now and want to know if its best to do low carb all the time or just on low exercise days?

I've been reducing my portions but keeping the same variety of food as before (i eat alot of bread, pasta, rice and potatoes and not much meat)

If i increase protein and reduce carbs will that increase my weight loss?

Do not reduce your carbs by big amounts if you intend to exercise (inparticular if you intend to exercise heavily). If you do, you could find yourself getting injured and out of action for a while.

Take in less calories than you use up and your weight will fall off.

I would say a reduction in carbs in great, along with lowering your calories. I tried Atkins and it was a nightmare - carbs went down, but calories went up.