Really considering a 1,200-1,500 calorie/"low" carb (90g or

armywife1986
armywife1986 Posts: 31
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I have only *really* had the success I've wanted while doing a low-carb diet. Granted, the first time I put sugary/carby things into my mouth, I lost all control. When I'm only restricting calories/fat, I feel as though I fill up my day with processed, kind of crappy food (for lack of a better term), and I'm always hungry!!

I was wondering if anyone else has ever restricted calories and carbs, and what your experience is. I've noticed that I stick to meats, vegetables, and low-sugar fruits while I'm low-carbing, and not as much while just focusing on calorie restriction.

Replies

  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    When I am on low-carb I have to keep track to get *enough* calories in most days.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    You need to make sure you aren't going too low with your carbs. Your brain runs exclusively on carbs and your body uses them for energy. Granted, eating more than your body needs at one time for energy means that the excess will be stored in your fat cells, but the same is true for fat. You also need to make sure you aren't consuming more protein than your body can handle, as processing high amounts of protein is very hard on your kidneys. Balance is the most important thing. Make sure you're eating whole grains and avoiding refined sugar and you should be fine eating carbs.
  • krissy_pooo
    krissy_pooo Posts: 111 Member
    ya I agree when youre eating low carb you're focusing a lot more on what you're eating because everything has carbs!... i also find it difficult to get to my 1200 cals a day while eating low carb. and im lazy to make food so I tend to let myself get way too hungry!!
  • a_freeman
    a_freeman Posts: 116 Member
    I try to keep my net carbs under 20g per Atkins Induction level. I count calories and try to keep them under 1,600. I do cardio 4 or 5 days a week. I'm averaging about 2 lbs per week. I found I have to count calories and carbs to make progress
  • SunshineRowe
    SunshineRowe Posts: 78
    I eat only complex carbs and try to eat them early in the day and fill up on rice cakes when I'm hungry...i've had great sucess, and been eating this way for 8 months and plan on keeping it up for good... I was warned by my doc to not go too low on my carbs because i have kidney stones so that is why i don't do something like paleo
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
    You need to make sure you aren't going too low with your carbs. Your brain runs exclusively on carbs and your body uses them for energy. Granted, eating more than your body needs at one time for energy means that the excess will be stored in your fat cells, but the same is true for fat. You also need to make sure you aren't consuming more protein than your body can handle, as processing high amounts of protein is very hard on your kidneys. Balance is the most important thing. Make sure you're eating whole grains and avoiding refined sugar and you should be fine eating carbs.

    Exact truth!
  • EDesq
    EDesq Posts: 1,527 Member
    Just Do South Beach...It is Low Glycemic. Get rid of the cravings and eat GOOD Carbs, Good Protein and Good Fats, never feel deprived and stop searching. You don't even have to count calories.
  • kbanzhaf
    kbanzhaf Posts: 601 Member
    Hi,

    When I began losing weight almost five years ago, my doctor sent me to a dietician. She gave me these three tips:
    1. Write down everything you eat. At the time, I wrote down what I ate in a small notebook. I also wrote down my weight on a daily basis, as well as my "carbs."
    2. As far as "carbs" are concerned, the dietician said to keep my total "carb" intake to under 15 per day. In her world (and now mine), 15 grams of carbohydrates = 1 "carb" when you are reading food labels. So while not cutting "carbs" completely out, I'm watching how many carbs I consume.
    3. Watch portion sizes.....so I bought a kitchen scale to help with this.

    These tips, plus WALKING, WALKING, WALKING helped me take and keep off over 60 pounds. I initially lost 72, gained 20, have lost 10 of that, and would like to lose about five more. At 125 (my lowest weight), I was probably too thin. I am now bouncing between 135-140, and would like to range between 130-135. In all honestly, though, I'm a happy girl anytime the scale is less than 140 (and this is a relatively new development).

    Kaye

    PS....copied from a response to another question, so may have more info than you are looking for! :wink:
  • suzooz
    suzooz Posts: 720 Member
    Just Do South Beach...It is Low Glycemic. Get rid of the cravings and eat GOOD Carbs, Good Protein and Good Fats, never feel deprived and stop searching. You don't even have to count calories.

    I'm also following South Beach. The first two weeks are pretty restrictive, but it really helped me curb the sugar habit. Now I enjoy complex carbs, including fruit and whole grains, and without over-indulging.
  • farmgirl88
    farmgirl88 Posts: 91 Member
    You need to make sure you aren't going too low with your carbs. Your brain runs exclusively on carbs and your body uses them for energy. Granted, eating more than your body needs at one time for energy means that the excess will be stored in your fat cells, but the same is true for fat. You also need to make sure you aren't consuming more protein than your body can handle, as processing high amounts of protein is very hard on your kidneys. Balance is the most important thing. Make sure you're eating whole grains and avoiding refined sugar and you should be fine eating carbs.

    Exact truth!

    Balance is everything! Good carbs are good for your body--fruit, vegetables, whole grains, potatoes, etc.

    My advice to lose weight is to cut the C.R.A.P. - caffeine, refined sugar (a bad carb), alcohol (another bad carb), and processed foods (mostly full of bad carbs).
  • robertf57
    robertf57 Posts: 560 Member
    You need to make sure you aren't going too low with your carbs. Your brain runs exclusively on carbs and your body uses them for energy. Granted, eating more than your body needs at one time for energy means that the excess will be stored in your fat cells, but the same is true for fat. You also need to make sure you aren't consuming more protein than your body can handle, as processing high amounts of protein is very hard on your kidneys. Balance is the most important thing. Make sure you're eating whole grains and avoiding refined sugar and you should be fine eating carbs.

    Absolutely hogwash! There is no absolute need for carbohydrates at all! There are populations whose natural diet had essentially no carbohydrate at all! And there is no evidence that dietary protein causes any difficulty for people that have normal kidney and liver function.
  • stevemcknight
    stevemcknight Posts: 647 Member
    You need to make sure you aren't going too low with your carbs. Your brain runs exclusively on carbs and your body uses them for energy. Granted, eating more than your body needs at one time for energy means that the excess will be stored in your fat cells, but the same is true for fat. You also need to make sure you aren't consuming more protein than your body can handle, as processing high amounts of protein is very hard on your kidneys. Balance is the most important thing. Make sure you're eating whole grains and avoiding refined sugar and you should be fine eating carbs.

    Absolutely hogwash! There is no absolute need for carbohydrates at all! There are populations whose natural diet had essentially no carbohydrate at all! And there is no evidence that dietary protein causes any difficulty for people that have normal kidney and liver function.

    Yes. Absolutely! That is old and poorly done science - or worse, simply conventional wisdom masquerading as old wives tales.
  • stevemcknight
    stevemcknight Posts: 647 Member
    You need to make sure you aren't going too low with your carbs. Your brain runs exclusively on carbs and your body uses them for energy. Granted, eating more than your body needs at one time for energy means that the excess will be stored in your fat cells, but the same is true for fat. You also need to make sure you aren't consuming more protein than your body can handle, as processing high amounts of protein is very hard on your kidneys. Balance is the most important thing. Make sure you're eating whole grains and avoiding refined sugar and you should be fine eating carbs.

    Exact truth!

    Balance is everything! Good carbs are good for your body--fruit, vegetables, whole grains, potatoes, etc.

    My advice to lose weight is to cut the C.R.A.P. - caffeine, refined sugar (a bad carb), alcohol (another bad carb), and processed foods (mostly full of bad carbs).

    When you talk about cutting refined sugar - is it a bad carb due to the fructose or the glucose? What is bad about caffeine?
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    You need to make sure you aren't going too low with your carbs. Your brain runs exclusively on carbs and your body uses them for energy. Granted, eating more than your body needs at one time for energy means that the excess will be stored in your fat cells, but the same is true for fat. You also need to make sure you aren't consuming more protein than your body can handle, as processing high amounts of protein is very hard on your kidneys. Balance is the most important thing. Make sure you're eating whole grains and avoiding refined sugar and you should be fine eating carbs.

    The myths! O my goodness the myths.

    No, your brain does not run exclusively on carbs. Total, complete, utter mythology there.

    Yes, anything that is eaten in too large a portion at one sitting will be cnverted to fat. So at least we agree on something.

    No, protein is not hard on your kidneys. If you have kidney disease of some sort, then yes, you may need to control proteins. But if you are a normal, healthy person in the renal department, there is absolutely no risk to consuming proteins.

    Agree that sugar and processed foods are no help to your nutrition or weight loss efforts. Fibrous veggies and fruitsshould be your main source of carbs. 'Whole grains' is a misnomer. We rarely if ever eat 'whole grains'. Even when the label says we do.
  • twistygirl
    twistygirl Posts: 517 Member
    I was stuck for months couldn't lose weight bought into the oatmeal for breakfast crap, come to find out all the carbs in oatmeal was keeping me fat. I now keep my carbs under 100 a day, no process foods. Only fruit and veggies I do eat rice and baked potatoes and I am still losing weight about 11/2 lbs a week before I cut down on my carbs I was barely losing 2,3 lbs a month. Go for it sounds like a good plan.
  • NanRunsOnPaleo
    NanRunsOnPaleo Posts: 55 Member
    If you're going to go low carb you need to make sure that you are getting enough good fat and protein.
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