to carb or not to carb.....that is the question!

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  • F00LofaT00K
    F00LofaT00K Posts: 688 Member
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    I have found that the types of food do not matter for weight loss. A caloric deficit will cause weight loss. It's important to get the proper amounts of protein, fat and carbs for healthy body function and nutrition, but even if you were to eat only handfulls of sugar you would still lose weight if you were eating it at a caloric deficit. . . you would just feel pretty awful due to the lack of a balanced diet. So don't do that.

    What has been working for me is eating a healthy amount of calories for my lifestyle, while striving to get enough protein (my biggest challenge). I make sure to work in all of the foods that I love, like chocolate bars (fat, carbs and sometimes a bit of protein) and pasta dishes (carbs and a tiny bit of protein) and all kinds of delicious cheesy recipes -I love cheese!- (fat and protein).

    So what works for me is to focus on hitting the macros that I have set for myself each day. I don't look at foods as "good" or "bad" or "healthy" or "fattening" because foods are not those things. They are just foods that have varying macronutrient values and my diet utilizes ALL macronutrients because my body needs ALL of them.

    And while I'm convinced (my opinion, I don't have science to back this up) an ideal diet has minimal artificial ingredients in it, it is unrealistic for me to restrict my diet that much. I could never stick to it and I know that. Reese's Cups forever!

    I have lost about 40lbs so far since October with 20 to go. Demonizing a particular food group and cutting out or severely reducing certain foods is complicating things rather unnecessarily. Find something you can stick with for life and do that. For me, it was just reducing my portions and increasing protein while continuing to eat EVERY SINGLE FOOD I love.

    ETA:: My diary is public, feel free to look around in there and see the amazing, delicious foods I am ENJOYING while losing weight at a steady pace. If I had known weight loss could be so enjoyable, I would have stopped being fat years ago.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
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    I get about 50% of my calories from carbs and have had no problems losing fat and keeping it off.
  • angelabennett62
    angelabennett62 Posts: 5 Member
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    I think the low carb way works for me. When I say low carb, meaning, I get my carbs from fruits and vegetables, yogurt...etc. I don't eat white flour or sugar, sugar products, pasta, rice...etc. If I want something sweet then I eat an atkins bar. They taste like candy bars , so I don't feel guilty. :)
  • tayloar
    tayloar Posts: 9 Member
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    Low fat raw vegan (high carb) is great for you health-wise. You'll be able to eat a much greater volume of food and will have greater vitality. Read 80/10/10 if you like, I highly recommend it. If you want to lose water weight/cut weight fairly quickly, do a week or so of low carb. For every 1g of carbs consumed, your body stores 3-4g of water, so that's how that works. Models do it before shows, shoots, castings, etc just to get muscles and cheekbones a little more chiseled. The ketones will give you rancid breath though. It's not good for your health long term.
  • solarpower03
    solarpower03 Posts: 12,159 Member
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    Going low carb makes sense to me because,if you think about it,most carbs are just processed junk. Pasta,bread,rice and cereals are all bleached,processed and full of salt and sugar. I get my carbohydrates from fruit and vegetables,in moderation,and always before 2pm.
    Wait what's wrong with rice, bread, pasta, cereal, ice cream if you can eat them, lose weight and be healthy like I can?

    ^this. I eat my carbs from chocolates, ice creams dougnuts - still doing good. I go low carbs only for getting rid of stubborn fat and that too is carb cycling- not constantly low carbs or keto.
  • MrsLannister
    MrsLannister Posts: 347 Member
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    Low fat raw vegan (high carb) is great for you health-wise. You'll be able to eat a much greater volume of food and will have greater vitality. Read 80/10/10 if you like, I highly recommend it. If you want to lose water weight/cut weight fairly quickly, do a week or so of low carb. For every 1g of carbs consumed, your body stores 3-4g of water, so that's how that works. Models do it before shows, shoots, castings, etc just to get muscles and cheekbones a little more chiseled. The ketones will give you rancid breath though. It's not good for your health long term.

    Until you develop B 12 deficiency and can no longer repair nerves or make new red blood cells.
  • Sinisterly
    Sinisterly Posts: 10,913 Member
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    Psh, I totally carb.
  • Keliandra
    Keliandra Posts: 170 Member
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    Carb sensitivity varies greatly from person to person. Experiment and see what works best for you.

    ^ This!

    90 grams works well for me.
  • Yardtigress
    Yardtigress Posts: 367 Member
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    I eat 15-30 carbs per meal, mostly veggies, brown rice(1/3 cup) or a 3 oz sweet potato and meat. I'm a diabetic and lower carb is the way I keep my blood sugar under control.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    Well, quite a few of the topics and responses I see in the forums (outside of the LC groups) are posted by patrons who ask for "healthy" recipes (meaning recipes that restrict fat), but these patrons have no problem consuming copious amounts of Cheerios, rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, & liquid sugar in all its forms, etc. ad nauseum.

    I agree with you that dietary fat is vital, for many reasons.

    I never think "low fat" when i see "healthy recipes." I assume they are aiming for lower calories. Most people here are all about promoting the fats. That said, if I'm going to be eating rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes, I am going to keep my fat low. It's not because I want to, it's because I have to sacrifice the calories somewhere, and the fat is the easiest to do (for me) for these dishes.

    I like the full fat option as much as anyone, but it's not always realistic for me to eat the real deal if I want to be at a deficit and get to eat other things I want that day.
  • bounce813
    bounce813 Posts: 3 Member
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    It really depends on your metabolizm, age and genetics. Generally speaking, restricting carbs is a good idea (IN MY OPINION). I've lost 50lbs with Paleo. However, I do eat sweet potato a few times a week. I still get the carbs that I need in the foods that I eat, they are just low carb foods.
  • bounce813
    bounce813 Posts: 3 Member
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    I concur....
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    if you want to be an endurance athlete, you're going to need carbs.

    mostly lifting weights? not as much.
  • CLFrancois
    CLFrancois Posts: 472 Member
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    if you think about it,most carbs are just processed junk.

    Nope. Processed carbs = processed junk.
    Carbs can be anywhere from an apple or broccoli to beans, oatmeal, honey, etc.
    I just ate a vegan salad that was made up of 36g. of carbs. All veggies and beans. No processed junk in it.
    Fuel for my work out.


    I am still unclear as to how a person that eats incredibly low carb, say this ketosis deal, gets the nutrition they need? Ya know, green veggies and fruits and stuff.
    I get cutting out the nasty stuff.
  • SuperShell0812
    SuperShell0812 Posts: 16
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    I've had weight loss sucess with low carb, paleo, vegetarian, and the no diet diet lol. They were all successful because I was eating at a calorie deficet. Eat whatever which way is sustainable and enjoyable for you and that will work. There are no magic foods but you may feel better eating a certain way than another.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    There are no magic foods but you may feel better eating a certain way than another.
    Except fruit. And vegetables.
  • chelstakencharge
    chelstakencharge Posts: 1,021 Member
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    Carbs are not the enemy! No one food group should be off limits unless there is a medical reason. Everything in moderation
  • bethwr1
    bethwr1 Posts: 21 Member
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    I've tried all sorts of low carb diets, and they work as long as you're going to eat that way forever. For me personally, I have to have a variety of foods, and just learn to eat less. Again, for me personally, the elimination of an entire food group just makes me feel lousy and deprived.
  • robabob3
    robabob3 Posts: 79 Member
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    Carbs taste delicious therefore I eat them, why limit yourself unless its a necessity to do so.

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