Low calories or low carb, which is safer for quick results?

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TheMoebius
TheMoebius Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys, I am new here, please be gentle.

I am a 30 year old guy, 5'10", 288lbs. My thyroid is underactive and my doctor has me on 100 micrograms of Levothyroxine per day to compensate. Over the last 5 years I have put on a lot of weight, I have stretch marks on my lower belly and my sides. I feel really unhealthy, and I need to lose some weight fast.

I know that crash dieting is dangerous if done for a long period, but I need to just kickstart my weight loss to give me some motivation, as everything I have tried before hasn't yielded any results (cutting out junkfood doesn't seem to make a difference, and running wrecked my ankle).

I have been reading about people consuming 1200 calories per day, but then I have heard people saying that this method can cause heart trouble in the future. This is really putting me off. Would I be better doing a low carb/high protein diet instead?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Replies

  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    Why not both?

    You'll find people on here who support low calorie and some who support low carb. And you'll find a another group of us (like me) who choose to do both sensibly. :)

    My advice is to keep a calorie restriction no matter what. Restrict your carbs only if you enjoy eating lots of protein (eggs, chicken, fish) and healthy fats (avocado, nuts,olive oil). If you prefer fruit and rice/pasta/bread low carb might not be a sustainable lifestyle for you.

    Sometimes a calorie restriction + low(er) carb works well. I only limit my carbs to the 75-100 per day and its more sustainable for me over the long term. I avoid the yo-yo while still harnessing the power of low carb eating (feeling fuller longer etc) I replace my carbs with healthy fats/oils and more protein. I try to incorporate high fiber foods like flax and raspberries to fill my carbs.

    Find a balance you can stick with as a long term solution.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    neither is superior ….at the end of the day you are going to need to create a negative energy balance to lose weight. Based on your medical condition, this may be harder for you than others.

    With respect to low carb, do you like eating bread, pasta, etc? If the answer is yes, then I would suggest not doing low carb and just going with regular calorie deficit. IF the answer is no, then you can try low carb.

    I personally do not believe in restricting a food group or labeling it as "bad' unless one has a medical condition that makes someone sensitive to carbs….

    low calorie does not have to be 1200. Figure out your TDEE and deduct 500 from that and that will put you on path to one pound per week loss. Then again, because of your thyroid condition you may need to go lower….

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Calories are what counts for weight loss.

    Carb totals are up to the person. Do what works for you.
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Low carb, and I say that not to infer low carb is some form of weight loss voodoo, but more that for many people, it can be a very effective way to stick to a calorie deficit.

    In addition, with the typical low carb fare, getting enough protein to avoid muscle loss, and enough fat for essential body needs, is more likely than some of the more aggressive low calorie approaches many take, where the concentration is solely on cutting calories without too much regard to maintaining protein and fat levels.

    Anyway, just my 2 cents. I lost over 30lbs on low-carb over the last 4 months or so, but if you're looking for a quick fix, no matter what approach you take, your mindset is all wrong to succeed, imo.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts to weight loss. Calories in/calories out is fundamental, but remember it took you 5 years to put the weight on--it's not really all going to come off in a month.
  • TheMoebius
    TheMoebius Posts: 5
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    Well I love eating chicken, and quite often eat tuna or cod. Can do without bread or pasta easily.
  • TheMoebius
    TheMoebius Posts: 5
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    mitch16 wrote: »
    it's not really all going to come off in a month.

    I know this. I am a realist.
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
    edited October 2014
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    By the way, there is no need to go to extremely low calorie levels. Multiply your body weight in lbs by 16. The resulting number will give a decent approximation of how many calories you need everyday as a guy.

    For each pound you wish to lose every week, take 500 off that number, and stick to that number of calories every day. Please beware though that anything over the 2lb/ 2.5lb mark is very aggressive, and for most counterproductive and unsustainable.

    Good luck, and start small. Wholesale changes all at once rarely stick, so keep the changes manageable, and add to them when you are ready to, and before you know it, you will have surprised yourself at your progress :smile:

    Also, if you decide to go the low carb route, just remember you will see a lot of water weight loss at the start, when you are reducing your carb levels. This is normal, and once that settles down, you will begin to see your true rate of weight loss (ie loss of fat, not water).
  • segovm
    segovm Posts: 512 Member
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    It really doesn't matter where the calories come from, the key is just consistently eating less of them. I found that for me, eating around 2000 calories a day and getting lots of exercise was the fastest way for me to drop weight at about a half a pound a day loss over the course of four months.

    In general, you'll have an easier time of it if you drop out a lot of the carbs just because for most of us those are the easiest foods to eat lots of without really being all that filling. I can have half a pound of chicken and half a pound of broccoli for the same calories as two pieces of toast with jam.

    It's not all that surprising that a pound of food is more filling than two pieces of bread.

    Personally, I work on keeping my sodium down to a reasonably consistent level (2500mgs or so) just because I retain lots of water weight after high salt days and it makes it more difficult to see the weight loss if the scale keeps going up and down as my salt intake fluctuates.

    I wouldn't get too caught up in the specifics though... just eat less and move more and you'll lose weight. Everything else is just a distraction and potential excuse.
  • TheMoebius
    TheMoebius Posts: 5
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    Thanks for all the input guys. Gonna try and do 1200 calories a day, whilst cutting down on carbs. I'm not very active at all, but would going for a half hour walk per day help?
  • amyx593
    amyx593 Posts: 211 Member
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    Low carb will help you lose some extra water weight pretty quickly, so that may be the motivation you need to keep going. I like the combination of both- I feel low calorie is easier to do if it's also low carb.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    TheMoebius wrote: »
    Thanks for all the input guys. Gonna try and do 1200 calories a day, whilst cutting down on carbs. I'm not very active at all, but would going for a half hour walk per day help?

    Your plan already pretty much guarantees that you'll be losing a huge chunk of muscle. What would help is eating a reasonable calorie deficit and lifting weights.

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    TheMoebius wrote: »
    Thanks for all the input guys. Gonna try and do 1200 calories a day, whilst cutting down on carbs. I'm not very active at all, but would going for a half hour walk per day help?

    1200 is the minimum recommend for a sedentary woman. You should be eating 1500-1800 minimum and you may be able to eat more than that and still lose at a decent pace.

    Some links to help get you started:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    TheMoebius wrote: »
    Thanks for all the input guys. Gonna try and do 1200 calories a day, whilst cutting down on carbs. I'm not very active at all, but would going for a half hour walk per day help?

    Your plan already pretty much guarantees that you'll be losing a huge chunk of muscle. What would help is eating a reasonable calorie deficit and lifting weights.

    I was thinking the same thing...

    why don't you figure out TDEE and subtract 500 from that and start there????
  • angelamb1970
    angelamb1970 Posts: 123 Member
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    1200 is pretty low for most males of your height and age. Since you have metabolic issues, average TDEE calculators are probably going to be pretty off for you as well. You may try starting at 1800 a day, log everything and see if after a few weeks you need to adjust. The hardest part about having the thyroid problem is finding your "sweet spot" for weight loss. Even though you are doing all the "right" things, your calorie intake may still be too high for your body.

    The only way you will really know what works is to honestly log, gauge your results and then adjust up or down until you are losing a reasonable amount, like .5-1 pound a week. Good luck, metabolism issues are not one size fits all... you just need to find your place.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited October 2014
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    How about moderately low calorie, moderate carbs? Why not try 2000/day and see how it goes?
  • JessMN1974
    JessMN1974 Posts: 3 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Be careful of too low of calories, if you already have thyroid issues that can make them worse (too low of calorie causes a decrease in T3!). I would also not do a very low carb with thyroid issues, but restricting them to under 100 a day would do a world of good for anybody looking to lose weight.
    These are some great resources:
    http://robbwolf.com/2012/10/19/thyroid-depression/
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread70748.html

    ETA: It would be extremely beneficial for you to find out your TDEE and basal metabolic rate - no one should ever go under their basal metabolic rate for calories because it basically means your body won’t have enough calories to function normally so your metabolism slows down and you get energy from your muscle instead of fat, among other things.
    http://eatcleanmakechanges.tumblr.com/calories
  • blktngldhrt
    blktngldhrt Posts: 1,053 Member
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    Hello.

    What everyone else said about finding your TDEE and creating a deficit from there. Maybe try a 15% deficit at first. Fast weight loss isn't the best. Slow and steady is better in the long run.

    Ask your doctor about dietary suggestions or, better yet, a referral to a dietician. I'm not a doctor but i would recommend lower carbs. Also, make sure you are eating a sufficient amount of protein and fat. Protein transports thyroid hormone to your tissues and a lack of fat and cholesterol could make your lower hormone levels even worse. The good thing about upping fat and protein and lowering carbs is that you generally don't need to eat as much to feel full; which can make calorie cutting a little easier.

    Good luck.. And don't forget to consult your doctor before beginning any diet. Especially since you are on medication.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    Whichever works best for you. ;)
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
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    segovm wrote: »
    It really doesn't matter where the calories come from, the key is just consistently eating less of them. I found that for me, eating around 2000 calories a day and getting lots of exercise was the fastest way for me to drop weight at about a half a pound a day loss over the course of four months.

    In general, you'll have an easier time of it if you drop out a lot of the carbs just because for most of us those are the easiest foods to eat lots of without really being all that filling. I can have half a pound of chicken and half a pound of broccoli for the same calories as two pieces of toast with jam.

    It's not all that surprising that a pound of food is more filling than two pieces of bread.

    Personally, I work on keeping my sodium down to a reasonably consistent level (2500mgs or so) just because I retain lots of water weight after high salt days and it makes it more difficult to see the weight loss if the scale keeps going up and down as my salt intake fluctuates.

    I wouldn't get too caught up in the specifics though... just eat less and move more and you'll lose weight. Everything else is just a distraction and potential excuse.

    segovm I once thought like you but after doing a lot of reading I now realize my fat came from eating carbs mainly. Eating fat and protein so now I do not plan to anything for the sake of the carbs. It did take about two months for the carb craving to drop for the most part..

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