Has anyone lost weight not cutting down on carbs?

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  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 900 Member
    I lost 30 lbs while INCREASING carbs.

    *head explodes*
  • floop1207
    floop1207 Posts: 194 Member
    thank you for posting this thread OP, and for the answers.

    a couple of friends told me i should cut carbs to lose weight. not that easy for a vegetarian but i cut them pretty drastically for the first couple of weeks. i became miserable and lethargic. i like carbs. i've stuck to the calorie tracking method and don't seem to be losing much yet but i will persevere with eating things i actually enjoy - but in moderation. i have changed the types of carbs i'm eating a bit.

    and my homebaked bread will be ready in approx 45 minutes :happy:
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    I agree with the others. I just count calories - I don't worry too much about carbs. However, I've learned that some carbs have a calorie count that, to me, is not really worth it.

    Amen. I have for the most part cut out pasta and cut down significantly on bread just because I decided the calorie count wasn't worth it - and they don't fill me up very well, either. But then, I am a shortie and don't have many calories to start with. On the other hand, I like to end the day with something sweet, so it's worth it to me to set aside enough calories for dessert every night, which is why you'll find chocolate, cake, pie, waffles, etc on just about every day of my diary.
  • takerbrat
    takerbrat Posts: 81 Member
    I lost all my weight without counting one carb. Calories, calories, calories :)
    Sort of...

    2000 calories of fat vs. 2000 calories of protein vs. 2000 calories of carbs are not all going react the same way in the body. Generally speaking it's about energy balance... for body re-composition it's about getting the correct amount of macro and micro nutrients.

    The first time that I used MFP I was just trying to stay within the calories that were defined by the info I had entered under my goals. If I exercised, I usually ate the "extra" calories that I had earned and I didn't monitor the carbs, fats, proteins and sugars as long as I stayed within my caloric intake. I wasn't getting the results that I wanted and then life happened and I let my commitment to changing my lifestyle slide. On July 1st I accepted a friendly challenge with my son. My goal was to lose 2 lbs/week for 23 weeks and I have lost almost 25 lbs in 9 weeks. I am learning so much about food and what constitutes a "healthy lifestyle". My son is a personal trainer and has set my program based on several factors (including age and fitness level). He has set a specific number of carbs, fats and protein grams for me to eat daily. I don't count calories, I eat to my macros. I track my macros and weight daily and email these numbers to him weekly. Based on my weight loss goals, he either adjusts my macros or increases/decreases my number of cardio sessions each week or increases/decreases my number of resistance training sessions each week (most weeks he doesn't change anything). If you are interested in learning more about tracking macros versus calories, checkout my MFP blog - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/takerbrat/view/to-count-calories-or-not-to-count-calories-that-is-the-question-553891
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    Me!!
  • Hexahedra
    Hexahedra Posts: 894 Member
    I didn't change my eating habit except for getting a little more protein. I still eat rice, pasta, bread, etc.
  • Nikki1_00
    Nikki1_00 Posts: 1 Member
    Obviously, there is a good amount of people who haven't been watching their carbs and have done just fine. Me on the other hand, not so much. My endo found out I'm slightly insulin resistant. Not enough to be pre-diabetic, but she said I was pre-pre-diabetic. A little silly but, I can exercise my butt off but really, not lost any weight. In fact, I gain weight and it's not just muscle gain. So she has me counting my carbs. One to help lose weight, but also to help with insulin resistance. She mentioned to keep my meals 45 and under and my snacks 15 and under. I've only been on it a week and a half and actually, I'm feeling a little sick from it (which I hear is common, the carb flu) but, it should keep me from becoming pre-diabetic and it should help me lose weight. I was counting calories before while exercising 6 days a week for an hour, but nothing except gaining more weight happened, so if you're largely over weight like me I'm 83 lbs too heavy, it could be from insulin resistance. Keeping your carbs down will help your insulin from spiking which can make a large belly and make it hard to lose it. I'm not saying counting carbs is the right way to go, but it could be for some.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    I like carbs, I eat carbs, but they are overrated.

    Of the three macro nutrients they are the only non essential one.

    Carbs have there place in a diet and a small amount are definitely optimal in a balanced healthy diet.

    You are no less healthy by reducing them, but if you enjoy them, then eat them.

    They are not bad and you can certainly lose weight eating them, as weight loss is calorie deficit and that's all.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member

    I like carbs, I eat carbs, but they are overrated.

    Of the three macro nutrients they are the only non essential one.
    That is hilarious!!! You do know sugar is a carb and we need glucose for our Brains to function. So yes Carbs are essential!
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member

    Of the three macro nutrients they are the only non essential one.
    That is hilarious!!! You do know sugar is a carb and we need glucose for our Brains to function

    Yes - but you do not need dietary carbs. However that said they are optimal, but not essential. :smile:
  • Linnaea27
    Linnaea27 Posts: 639 Member
    Now, after 6 pages (I think) of the thread, I don't know if any more input is valuable-- but to answer the original question, yes, I lost all of the weight I needed to lose without cutting out carbs. I did train myself to eat smaller quantities of bread, pasta, etc. I also discovered that carb-heavy breakfasts tend to make me get hungry and crash way too early on in the day, so I switched (while losing weight) to a high-protein breakfast. But I still ate lots of carbs every day.

    Calories in, calories out! As probably 30 other people have already said. :wink:

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