Low carb

I have recently started thinking about working out and dieting again after I tore my ACL and lost all motivation.

I was thinking about doing low carb diet as I read that you can lose weight quickly and that would help with my motivation to stick with the healthy lifestyle.

How many grams of carbs would be considered low carb and what percentage of my calorie intake should be fats & protein?

Also any meal ideas would be appreciated! :)

Thanks
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Replies

  • Sweetvirgo63
    Sweetvirgo63 Posts: 119 Member
    edited October 2014
    Yes, you can lose weight quickly cutting out carbs but you'll gain the weight back just as fast once you reintroduce them to your meal plans like everyone I know who went this route experienced. You're better off customizing a daily meal plan that takes all food groups into consideration and monitoring your portion sizes. I don't know what your current fitness ability is post-ACL but hopefully you'll be able to do walk around or cycle around for means of exercise if you can't at this point.

    As for your intake, what MFP suggests for you once you've entered your information is a good starting point; you can adjust from there.
  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,179 Member
    to answer your question, The least number of carbs that will allow your body to function. For me its 100 carbs. if I go any lower I get migraines when I work out.
  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
    Is low carb something you plan on sticking to?

    Low carb is different for everyone. Some people consider anything under 100g low carb, whereas I consider anything under 30-40g low carb. A lot of people really focus on the RATIO of fats/proteins/carbs then the specific grams of carbs. For example, I'm aiming for 75/20/5 which would be similar to induction on Atkins or ketogenic eating. Since I have a lot to lose, I'm fine doing extended induction.

    The benefit I see to eating low carb is more energy and keeping hunger in check. I have never experienced the low carb or keto flu when your body is transitioning, but some people do and it lasts only temporarily.

    FInally, yes if you start eat carbs again you will gain weight IF you eat above your maintanance calories. Just like EVERY.OTHER.DIET. when people start eating above maintanance calories. Which is why its important to recognize why and how low carb diets work....basically a way to keep hunger down which means less calories eaten.
  • kikityme
    kikityme Posts: 472 Member
    edited October 2014
    I'm also on 100/day, spread evenly through the day. It's no quicker than calorie in/out. Get that out of your head. The only difference is that for me it works.

    If you plan on going as low as you can, look into ketogenic. http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/

    For me, the diabetic rules are the first thing that has worked and given me results. Spread the carbs evenly through the day, I do 30 per meal. Mix a carb with a protein. Net carb is carb minus fibre, so I count net carbs. All carbs count-no fruit or veg gets a free pass.
  • Can I just be real with your guys for a minute....

    The ONLY people who NEED to low carb are people under 10% bodyfat. and it is a CYCLE not a permanent lifestyle change. It is done to prepare for a BB contest or cutting weight for a sport like boxing.

    The reason for lowcarb is to restrict you daily caloric intake to ridiculous levels because fat and protein are essential macro nutrients whereas carbohydrates aren't. SO if you NEED to cut even more calories u should take them from carbs so you can still hit your fat and protein needs.

    This is wholly unnecessary for general people. If you like high fat and low carb and you can maintain that its fine. but Ketogenesis is only miniscully more effective at burning fat than just having a calorie deficit. The difference is almost negligible if you aren't being paid to look a certain way.

    Do whatever works for you but a popular standard in the nutrition industry is a 40/40/20 split where u have 40% carbs and protien and 20% fat. That is just a basic guild line though.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Sweetalot wrote: »
    Yes, you can lose weight quickly cutting out carbs but you'll gain the weight back just as fast once you reintroduce them to your meal plans like everyone I know who went this route experienced. You're better off customizing a daily meal plan that takes all food groups into consideration and monitoring your portion sizes. I don't know what your current fitness ability is post-ACL but hopefully you'll be able to do walk around or cycle around for means of exercise if you can't at this point.

    As for your intake, what MFP suggests for you once you've entered your information is a good starting point; you can adjust from there.

    Why would the OP gain weight when reintroducing carbs? Doesn't weight gain come from a calorie surplus??

    As for weight re-gain, MOST people regain regardless of the approach used to diet (yes, even on MFP). "Everyone you know" failed to have a plan for after weight loss.

  • michaelachallis
    michaelachallis Posts: 137 Member
    I ate keto for nearly 3 months, my god it is hard. Personally i experienced horrific "keto flu", feeling very hungry a lot of the time and found it very hard to eat out in social situations. It required a lot of prep work and effort to stick to and i found groceries expensive.
    On the plus it was VERY effective.
    However now that i back on a "normal" calorie controlled diet i have to be very careful as in the past coming off keto i put on 5kg in one month.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    The ONLY people who NEED to low carb are people under 10% bodyfat.

    Nope

  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    The ONLY people who NEED to low carb are people under 10% bodyfat.

    Nope

    This.


  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    Sweetalot wrote: »
    Yes, you can lose weight quickly cutting out carbs but you'll gain the weight back just as fast once you reintroduce them to your meal plans like everyone I know who went this route experienced. You're better off customizing a daily meal plan that takes all food groups into consideration and monitoring your portion sizes. I don't know what your current fitness ability is post-ACL but hopefully you'll be able to do walk around or cycle around for means of exercise if you can't at this point.

    As for your intake, what MFP suggests for you once you've entered your information is a good starting point; you can adjust from there.

    Why would the OP gain weight when reintroducing carbs? Doesn't weight gain come from a calorie surplus??

    As for weight re-gain, MOST people regain regardless of the approach used to diet (yes, even on MFP). "Everyone you know" failed to have a plan for after weight loss.

    Glycogen, water retention.
  • Sweetvirgo63
    Sweetvirgo63 Posts: 119 Member
    edited October 2014
    [quote="Sabine_Stroehm;30015967"

    Why would the OP gain weight when reintroducing carbs? Doesn't weight gain come from a calorie surplus??

    As for weight re-gain, MOST people regain regardless of the approach used to diet (yes, even on MFP). "Everyone you know" failed to have a plan for after weight loss.[/quote]

    There is no successful post-weight loss plan when on a restrictive diet of any kind. Once you re-introduce a food group back in, there isn't always a way to maintain the weight unless you just cut out another food group as compensation. Everyone knows that quick fix diet plans are not designed to be on for all that long.
  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
    Sweetalot wrote: »
    [quote="Sabine_Stroehm;30015967

    "Why would the OP gain weight when reintroducing carbs? Doesn't weight gain come from a calorie surplus??

    As for weight re-gain, MOST people regain regardless of the approach used to diet (yes, even on MFP). "Everyone you know" failed to have a plan for after weight loss.

    Any post-weight loss plan would require putting back in the carbs to the normal level for overall long-term health. No one can live on a quick fix diet for the rest of their lives or they'll constantly be on one diet or another.[/quote]

    Why do you assume low carb is a quick fix diet?


  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,200 Member
    People look to the water weight loss in very low carb diets at the introduction stages as legitimate weight loss only to find that over the long haul it's still calories in vs out except they can't eat all the tasty stuff.
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    Can I just be real with your guys for a minute....

    The ONLY people who NEED to low carb are people under 10% bodyfat. and it is a CYCLE not a permanent lifestyle change. It is done to prepare for a BB contest or cutting weight for a sport like boxing.

    The reason for lowcarb is to restrict you daily caloric intake to ridiculous levels because fat and protein are essential macro nutrients whereas carbohydrates aren't. SO if you NEED to cut even more calories u should take them from carbs so you can still hit your fat and protein needs.

    This is wholly unnecessary for general people. If you like high fat and low carb and you can maintain that its fine. but Ketogenesis is only miniscully more effective at burning fat than just having a calorie deficit. The difference is almost negligible if you aren't being paid to look a certain way.

    Do whatever works for you but a popular standard in the nutrition industry is a 40/40/20 split where u have 40% carbs and protien and 20% fat. That is just a basic guild line though.

    Now that is some impressive basic broscience BS. Well done sir.
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  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    If you like carbs, keep carbs in your diet
    Just lower your over all calories.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,018 Member
    edited October 2014
    Sweetalot wrote: »
    [quote="Sabine_Stroehm;30015967"

    Why would the OP gain weight when reintroducing carbs? Doesn't weight gain come from a calorie surplus??

    As for weight re-gain, MOST people regain regardless of the approach used to diet (yes, even on MFP). "Everyone you know" failed to have a plan for after weight loss.
    There is no successful post-weight loss plan when on a restrictive diet of any kind. Once you re-introduce a food group back in, there isn't always a way to maintain the weight unless you just cut out another food group as compensation. Everyone knows that quick fix diet plans are not designed to be on for all that long.

    Ermmm...isn't calorie deficit a restrictive diet? You are restricting calories.

    And you are wrong. Atkins, South Beach and many others have successful weight loss plans. People just fall off the wagon like every other "diet" out there. You eat too many calories, you gain it back. There's no magic to CICO any more than there is to low-carb. Unless by calorie deficit, you mean magic. IIFYM, calorie deficit, low-carb, all require maintenance level calorie consumption to keep the weight off. Nobody can eat like a starving herd of polar bears and not have consequences.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I was thinking about doing low carb diet as I read that you can lose weight quickly and that would help with my motivation to stick with the healthy lifestyle.

    I'm looking to lose weight and keep it off. Instead of a "lifestyle" that is temporary....I need changes that are forever....as in lifestyle change.

    There is nothing magic about low carb. Although the water weight loss at the beginning is impressive. People with medical issues should watch carbs forever. But find something you can change for many years to come.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,018 Member
    I have recently started thinking about working out and dieting again after I tore my ACL and lost all motivation.

    I was thinking about doing low carb diet as I read that you can lose weight quickly and that would help with my motivation to stick with the healthy lifestyle.

    How many grams of carbs would be considered low carb and what percentage of my calorie intake should be fats & protein?

    Also any meal ideas would be appreciated! :)

    Thanks

    So. Anything under 100g can be considered low-carb. Some people don't lose all that fast with low-carb diets, though. The thing with them is that the lower carbs helps some people curb cravings. Lowering carbs also helps force portion control.

    Personally, I use the "extended induction" method. My carbs go no higher than 20g/daily. I try to keep fat around 65% and protein around 30%. If you chose higher, obviously you would want your carbs higher than 5% (which is what 20g falls at for me).

  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    I was thinking about doing low carb diet as I read that you can lose weight quickly and that would help with my motivation to stick with the healthy lifestyle.

    I'm looking to lose weight and keep it off. Instead of a "lifestyle" that is temporary....I need changes that are forever....as in lifestyle change.

    There is nothing magic about low carb. Although the water weight loss at the beginning is impressive. People with medical issues should watch carbs forever. But find something you can change for many years to come.

    Why do people keep repeating this... nothing you do today will control what you do for many years to come, and how you choose to cut the weight has almost zero impact on how likely you are to sustain your losses (aside from some extreme hypothetical where someone loses lots of LBM, e.g., due to insufficient protein intake).

    How you lose weight should be decided based on what's easiest for you to sustain during your weight loss, and how you maintain should be decided based on what's easiest for you to sustain. Take me for example - why would I need to eat the same way when losing at 2000 calories/day as I do when maintaining at 3000 calories/day? In terms of feeling satiated, does it really make a lot of sense to eat the same foods at 2000 calories as at 3000 calories?

    And I'm not saying you should or shouldn't do low carb - just stop thinking that how you choose to cut weight is going to guarantee or sabotage your long-term success. The two are all but unrelated.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Sweetalot wrote: »
    Yes, you can lose weight quickly cutting out carbs but you'll gain the weight back just as fast once you reintroduce them to your meal plans like everyone I know who went this route experienced. You're better off customizing a daily meal plan that takes all food groups into consideration and monitoring your portion sizes. I don't know what your current fitness ability is post-ACL but hopefully you'll be able to do walk around or cycle around for means of exercise if you can't at this point.

    As for your intake, what MFP suggests for you once you've entered your information is a good starting point; you can adjust from there.

    Why would the OP gain weight when reintroducing carbs? Doesn't weight gain come from a calorie surplus??

    As for weight re-gain, MOST people regain regardless of the approach used to diet (yes, even on MFP). "Everyone you know" failed to have a plan for after weight loss.

    Glycogen, water retention.
    So if someone loses 150 pounds on a low carb diet, they'll GAIN 150 pounds of water when they start eating carbs? :D umm, no.

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited October 2014
    MelRC117 wrote: »
    Sweetalot wrote: »
    [quote="Sabine_Stroehm;30015967

    "Why would the OP gain weight when reintroducing carbs? Doesn't weight gain come from a calorie surplus??

    As for weight re-gain, MOST people regain regardless of the approach used to diet (yes, even on MFP). "Everyone you know" failed to have a plan for after weight loss.

    Any post-weight loss plan would require putting back in the carbs to the normal level for overall long-term health. No one can live on a quick fix diet for the rest of their lives or they'll constantly be on one diet or another.
    Why do you assume low carb is a quick fix diet?


    I didn't.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited October 2014
    Sweetalot wrote: »
    There is no successful post-weight loss plan when on a restrictive diet of any kind. Once you re-introduce a food group back in, there isn't always a way to maintain the weight unless you just cut out another food group as compensation. Everyone knows that quick fix diet plans are not designed to be on for all that long.

    People REGAIN because they eat at a calorie surplus.
    And yes, people regain When they lose on MFP because they start eating at a calorie surplus as well.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    So if someone loses 150 pounds on a low carb diet, they'll GAIN 150 pounds of water when they start eating carbs? :D umm, no.

    I don't recall stating a specific number that one would gain back. Do you?
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    baconslave wrote: »
    Atkins, South Beach and many others have successful weight loss plans.

    SoBe isn't "low carb".


  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
    MelRC117 wrote: »
    Sweetalot wrote: »
    [quote="Sabine_Stroehm;30015967

    "Why would the OP gain weight when reintroducing carbs? Doesn't weight gain come from a calorie surplus??

    As for weight re-gain, MOST people regain regardless of the approach used to diet (yes, even on MFP). "Everyone you know" failed to have a plan for after weight loss.

    Any post-weight loss plan would require putting back in the carbs to the normal level for overall long-term health. No one can live on a quick fix diet for the rest of their lives or they'll constantly be on one diet or another.
    Why do you assume low carb is a quick fix diet?


    I didn't.

    I know you didn't. Sweetalot did.

  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,018 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    baconslave wrote: »
    Atkins, South Beach and many others have successful weight loss plans.

    SoBe isn't "low carb".


    That depends on who you ask. :)
  • AlyRoseNYC
    AlyRoseNYC Posts: 1,075 Member
    To answer your question, some people think 100g or less is low carb. Then there are Atkin induction folks who go as low as 20g of carbs per day. I eat a lot of carbs (almost 200g a day sometimes) and I still manage to lose weight. I guess I would consider 100g or less to be low carb for me. If you want to drop the water weight really quickly, drink lots of water and stay super strict to your calorie goal, and try to get in some exercise everyday. Good luck :)
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    baconslave wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    baconslave wrote: »
    Atkins, South Beach and many others have successful weight loss plans.

    SoBe isn't "low carb".


    That depends on who you ask. :)

    Mayo Clinic and SoBe themselves say it is not a low carb diet. Anything else is noise.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,018 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    baconslave wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    baconslave wrote: »
    Atkins, South Beach and many others have successful weight loss plans.

    SoBe isn't "low carb".


    That depends on who you ask. :)

    Mayo Clinic and SoBe themselves say it is not a low carb diet. Anything else is noise.

    There is always noise. No matter what you are talking about.