Can I lose weight without going low carb?

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  • ksmorck
    ksmorck Posts: 82 Member
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    Re: I like them bad.

    As do I. Unfortunately they don't agree with the flat belly look I'm striving for at the moment...
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
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    Re: I like them bad.

    As do I. Unfortunately they don't agree with the flat belly look I'm striving for at the moment...

    please explain?
  • Happymelz
    Happymelz Posts: 536 Member
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    I love carbs! I lose with carbs!
    I will say though, that if I'm trying to eat things that are filling and will last me until my next meal/snack I try to have protein.
    BUT I do still eat pasta, bagels, and white potatoes. :)
  • Sunshine2plus2
    Sunshine2plus2 Posts: 1,492 Member
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    I don't do low carb, never have and never will!
  • jnb143
    jnb143 Posts: 62 Member
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    Yes you can! I have lost 15 pounds the last 30 days by simply watching what i eat (this includes carbs!!!), not going over my daily calorie goal, and working out 5 days a week!
  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
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    If you want the results to last, then you can't go back to eating how you were before the diet. You can lose weight on low carb...but that doesn't mean you can go back to eating 4000 calories daily and not gain the weight back. It seems you take a diet to the extreme, you go off and go right back to how you were eating before the diet and gain the weight back.

    Find something you can stick with and maintain for life. I eat low carb and loosely follow Atkins. Atkins has 4 phases...the last is LIFETIME maintanance and you have strachy veggies, more fruits and whole grains. You eat 75+ net grams of carbs a day. If you can't imagine a day without something like bread, then going low carb again won't be the answer. Low carb is simply a means to a calorie deficit. Eating higher amounts of fat along with protein makes you less hungry than eating more carbs along with protein and lower amounts of fat, so you eat less calories. As far as 10 pounds a month it all depends on how much you weigh. If you're 200 pounds overweight then it would probably be fine, if you have 20 pounds to lose then not a good idea.

    Also, Ketosis isn't bad...KETOACIDOSIS IS BAD. People like to confuse the two and they are not the same.
  • salemsaberhagen
    salemsaberhagen Posts: 54 Member
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    +1 on the post on the TDEE. Finding out your TDEE is a great place to start and then augment that approach with playing with your macro nutrient breakdown (percent carbs, fats, proteins). Proteins are not only thermogenic (meaning you burn a few calories to process the proteins taken in), but they release hormones which create a satiating feeling- you feel fuller on less food. Unsaturated fats (MUFAs- nuts, olive oil) are also very good for weight loss. Carbs are not all bad- depends on the type of carb. Complex carbs like veggies, whole grains, and steel cut oats are fantastic; they are lower in calorie/glycemic index and really fill you up. Simple carbs like sucrose (table sugar), fruits high in fructose, and high fructose corn syrup are very bad- many of them do not spike your insulin levels to a point where proceses them appropriately. So, you get all the calories w/o the feeling of having had food- hence, the crashes, you feel hungry again after having sugar packed junk food, cravings, etc. Check out the site IIFYM.com and play around with your TDEE and macro breakdown. A good place to start for weight loss is either a 35(protein),35 (fats-mono, dairy is okay),30 (carbs-complex, not simple). Some research suggests that a higher fat percentage (40 percent) is ideal for wieght loss. Testosterone is dependedent on fat intake. Testosterone is a key hormone in both men and women and is one of your best assests in weight loss. Good luck!
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    As everyone has said, yes. Eat what you want and stay under your calorie goals and you will lose weight. There is no need to eliminate items from your life.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I lost my weight on about 200g of carbs per day.
  • beamer0821
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
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    yes!! dont eliminate any food group! just eat balanced WHOLE foods. i eat 12-1500 calories/day and i lose every week 1-3 lbs.
    i eat 80% whole foods and 20% for small treats and occasional eating out.

    you need to eat for LIFE. not eat for a diet. LIFE is having occasional treats and eating out so learn how to incorporate those now. you are binging because your are depriving yourself. let yourself HAVE what it is you want and then you wont binge.

    another key for me is getting in my head, mind and body are connected. you need to understand what the weight is about in the first place....this is a HUGE component for keeping the weight off. good luck!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I have lost 60 lbs with carbs..more healthy ones but my motto..bad in moderation and working out - movement!

    No such thing as "bad carbs." That's a myth.
  • ksmorck
    ksmorck Posts: 82 Member
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    Re: I like them bad.

    As do I. Unfortunately they don't agree with the flat belly look I'm striving for at the moment...

    please explain?

    I eat any and everything I want and have from the beginning. No restrictions just calorie counting, haven't even watched macros & honestly haven't counted calories in sometime. I was too big, got pregnant and was huge. Now I have a somewhat misshapen stomach due to those things and a c-section. When I eat sugared up carbs it give me just enough belly bloat to appear pregnant again, which I've worked way to hard to look that way.
    Now in saying that I can and do still put away cake, cookies, ice cream, etc on occasion. My new rule: if its yummy enough to be worth it, eat it. If its just eh...choose a 'healthier' option.
  • michellewelch2010
    michellewelch2010 Posts: 147 Member
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    I can't lose weight without limiting my carbs, however I can maintain my weight with the 80/20 rule. 80% of the week eat lean protein, lots of veggies, a couple servings of "good carbs" a day (spaghetti squash, whole grains, basmati rice, etc), a couple fruit a day, probiotics like yogurt, use stevia instead of sugar, limit your alcohol to one glass of red wine here and there. The other 20% of the week let yourself have a slice of cake, a few extra drinks, a couple slices of pizza, etc. I usually saved the 20% for my weekends. I never binged during the week because I knew the weekend was coming up so I could hold off for my "treat".

    Log your calories from restaurants by going on their websites beforehand and picking what you will eat. You can input food yourself. If I know I am going out for dinner I will usually plan the rest of my day's meals around that, like have a light breakfast and lunch if I know my dinner is going to be 800 calories. If I am baking something I will also put the recipe into MFP and it will calculate the calories per serving.

    Good luck!
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    yes!! dont eliminate any food group! just eat balanced WHOLE foods.

    While there is nothing wrong with eating whole foods, and your diet should definitely consist of some, this is not needed either to lose weight or be healthy.

    Eat what you want, meet your macro/micro goals, stay under your calories...profit!
  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
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    Re: I like them bad.

    As do I. Unfortunately they don't agree with the flat belly look I'm striving for at the moment...

    please explain?

    I eat any and everything I want and have from the beginning. No restrictions just calorie counting, haven't even watched macros & honestly haven't counted calories in sometime. I was too big, got pregnant and was huge. Now I have a somewhat misshapen stomach due to those things and a c-section. When I eat sugared up carbs it give me just enough belly bloat to appear pregnant again, which I've worked way to hard to look that way.
    Now in saying that I can and do still put away cake, cookies, ice cream, etc on occasion. My new rule: if its yummy enough to be worth it, eat it. If its just eh...choose a 'healthier' option.

    I eat low carb...but sugar = carbs so I'm not sure what "sugared up carbs" are.
  • theresanuna
    theresanuna Posts: 1
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    I have been struggling with my weight for like forever it seems like. I lost 30 pounds then I quit smoking and gained 20 pounds back I feel crap I have know self control I need encouragement I crave sweets at like 5 in the morning I get up to eat cookies and milk or what ever I can get my hands on. So depressed !
  • SCV34
    SCV34 Posts: 2,048 Member
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    After my husband was told by his doctor to get his carbs to 100grams a day, he lost weight. I believe it was 20 pounds over a six month period(give or take). He also exercised, so I am sure that helped.

    But, to answer your question, I think you can loose weight without going low carb.
  • ksmorck
    ksmorck Posts: 82 Member
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    Re: I like them bad.

    As do I. Unfortunately they don't agree with the flat belly look I'm striving for at the moment...

    please explain?

    I eat any and everything I want and have from the beginning. No restrictions just calorie counting, haven't even watched macros & honestly haven't counted calories in sometime. I was too big, got pregnant and was huge. Now I have a somewhat misshapen stomach due to those things and a c-section. When I eat sugared up carbs it give me just enough belly bloat to appear pregnant again, which I've worked way to hard to look that way.
    Now in saying that I can and do still put away cake, cookies, ice cream, etc on occasion. My new rule: if its yummy enough to be worth it, eat it. If its just eh...choose a 'healthier' option.

    I eat low carb...but sugar = carbs so I'm not sure what "sugared up carbs" are.

    I listed a few in my post. As opposed to real oatmeal or whole grain or brown rice for example.
  • Nickih4619093
    Nickih4619093 Posts: 91 Member
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    I think you definitely can lose weight without going low carb, but I will say the following from my personal experience: A. I don't feel nearly as hungry when I'm eating a large percent of my calorie allowance in the form of protein and healthy fat. B. I don't have cravings at all on a low carb diet, which plaqued me when I was eating a high carb low fat diet - I became obsessed with food lol! C. your body works harder digesting protein so you burn more calories during digestion and you stay full longer. Lastly, on most low carb diets you slowly reintroduce healthy carbs back into your diet a step at a time until you find a level where you don't gain weight, it's not meat only for the rest of your life! Granted I lost weight on low carb before and gained some back, but trust me that was not because I ate a serving of brown rice or some sprouted grain bread, it was from eating out of my calorie range and eating too many unhealthy ( eg: Christmas baking) carbs, lol. both of which are not healthy no matter which diet plan you follow. However, I think some people do well on low carb and some don't, I feel great on it especially once I add back some fruit etc. I hope you find what works for you, good luck!
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    After my husband was told by his doctor to get his carbs to 100grams a day, he lost weight. I believe it was 20 pounds over a six month period(give or take). He also exercised, so I am sure that helped.

    But, to answer your question, I think you can loose weight without going low carb.
    your husband lost weight because he was eating fewer calories. the carb restriction was a caloric restriction.

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