Confused, Help - Moderation or low carb?
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LeslieB042812 wrote: »I find that eating lower carb (with the carbs coming primarily from whole foods like fruit) helps me stick within my calorie limits for the day. I would recommend the combined approach for that reason.
Agreed. This is what I do.0 -
herrspoons wrote: »dieselbyte wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »Calorie counting. There's no need to exclude carbs, but, since carb heavy foods can be quite calorie dense, it makes sense to reduce them a bit.
Fat heavy foods can be quite calorie dense as well... oh, and protein heavy foods as well
Fair point. Most people are going to get more bang for their buck cutting down on cookies than on the steak though given the availability of both. No-one comes in to work for a steak sale, more's the pity.
Totally understood your point, just playing around.0 -
Every person I know in real life who did the whole low carb thing ended up gaining all the weight back because they hated life and were generally sanctimonious, crabby people while eating that way. The people I know, like me, who just ate a lot less and worked out more saw results. Anecdotal? Sure. Sometimes an anecdote suffices to get a point across.
The key is sticking to it. Nothing works if you don't stick to it. Because low carb sucks and is sucky, it sucks to stick to it. Moderation doesn't suck and isn't sucky, so it's easier to stick to.
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I tried a low carb approach for a while and didn't feel well the entire time. I also know a person who's doctor told her to eat low carb -- she is having a lot of health and energy issues but because a "doctor" told her to do it, she won't change. You need carbs for energy, especially if you are doing any type of endurance exercises.0
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It depends on your goals. If you are lifting and are looking at getting a chisled lean body then you want to lower your carbs so you are burning your body fat instead of the carbs for energy. If you you are just looking to lose the weight and don't care about losing the body fat then just go with moderation. My trainer advocates low carb. I try to eat fewer carbs but I am by no means "low-carb". My daily average is probably about 100. So many people poo-poo when someone says low-carb but you don't have to go to the extreme of 20-50g/day. Eating fewer breads, rices and pastas gives you more calories to eat other things and allows you to be much more lax on county your calories. For me, by lowering my carbs I can eat more because I don't have to be concerned about how many calories that side of rice is costing me and I can just load up on protein and veggies and know that my calories aren't an issue.0
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I am careful with the type and amount of carbs I eat regularly. I find that vegetables and fruits suit me quite well, as do some whole grains. Others, such as heavily refined grains and added sugars lead me to over eat, to be hungry, to have cravings and to feel bloated and constipated. So I limit those.
I don't count calories, and didn't when I lost, but I did limited the heavily refined grains and added sugars, while trying to eat lots of nutrient dense vegetables and what not. It worked for me and has continued to work for me.
You need to figure out what works for you. A calorie deficit, yes. How you approach it is up to you.0 -
They gained weight because they were sanctimonious? That's a new one.AmandaHugginkiss wrote: »Every person I know in real life who did the whole low carb thing ended up gaining all the weight back because they hated life and were generally sanctimonious, crabby people while eating that way. The people I know, like me, who just ate a lot less and worked out more saw results. Anecdotal? Sure. Sometimes an anecdote suffices to get a point across.
The key is sticking to it. Nothing works if you don't stick to it. Because low carb sucks and is sucky, it sucks to stick to it. Moderation doesn't suck and isn't sucky, so it's easier to stick to.
I know people who lost weight counting calories and gained it all back.
I know people who lost weight eating low fat and gained it all back.
More anecdotes.
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Thank you all. I guess I will be taking the moderation approach and be more mindful of the carbs I choose. More whole grains than processed. I appreciate your help.0
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neanderthin wrote: »
Low carb diets are unsustainable. They are a quick fix... not recommended by any medical expert. So if you are just eating fat and not reducing your calorie intake, then what is the point of a low carb diet?
Hmmmm...seems to me you don't really know what you are talking about. I think it's best to stop with the blanket statements on low carb diets.
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neanderthin wrote: »
Low carb diets are unsustainable. They are a quick fix... not recommended by any medical expert. So if you are just eating fat and not reducing your calorie intake, then what is the point of a low carb diet?
Hmmmm...seems to me you don't really know what you are talking about. I think it's best to stop with the blanket statements on low carb diets.
You beat me to it, MeIRC.
- If no medical experts recommend them then why do doctors prescribe them for multiple conditions?
- I know people who have sustained low-carb diets for over 10 years. They're as sustainable as any other diet, for some people.
- LC dieters don't just eat fats, they eat moderate protein and a little carbs.
- Nobody loses weight without reducing calorie intake.
Google is very helpful for educating yourself.0 -
Sounds like you have a good plan. Cutting out food groups is not conducive to long term weight loss.0
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neanderthin wrote: »
Low carb diets are unsustainable.
Why? Seems to me it depends on the person, and what he or she finds satisfying. For me eating about 150 g carbs seems to work best, although it might change over time. I can totally see that for someone else eating, say, less than 50 grams and more fat might work, especially if carbs made that person feel less satiated.So if you are just eating fat and not reducing your calorie intake, then what is the point of a low carb diet?
Typically, people on low carb diets eat some carbs and of course protein, not just fat. Also, more to the point, IMO low carb diets work because they are an easier way for some people to cut calories or naturally just eat fewer calories than they otherwise would.0 -
You have to find what works for you. The statistics are staggering for people keeping the weight off once they have achieved their goal, no matter how they lose. Eating at a deficit is how weight is lost. Exercise will help you become healthier, but weight loss is mostly about eating less calories than you burn. For me, I experimented, but ultimately found that calorie counting, moderation, and portion control worked best for me, and is helping me to sustain my weight loss. I do limit (as much as possible) processed foods, but eliminating processed foods is pretty much the biggest change in my eating habits. Portion size and moderation is extremely important and I will have to monitor myself for the rest of my life. It is just the way it is for me, as I will never let myself go back to being morbidly obese.0
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I did low carb a couple of years ago to drop pregnancy weight. I did Atkins induction for 4 months (20g or less) and lost 40 lbs. I also worked out 2 hours a day, 6 days a week. I had about 1-2 binge days a month. I maintained my weight loss for two years by just counting calories. I feel both are decent in losing weight and if you are just looking for a quick fix low carb may be for you because of the usual, rapid, initial weight loss, even if it is mostly water weight. I personally find it unsustainable for a lifetime change since I do not have health problems, like diabetes, that I need to be concerned about at this point. I have also found that a good percentage of low carb people gain their weight back plus more, but calorie counting people do too. I gained 11 lbs due to a broken piece of my c5 and not moving as I should have for the amount that I ate. I still watch carbs but I aim for between 100-150g a day. I'm an advocate of doing whatever works best for you. If you can do low carb and it agrees with your body go for it, if counting calories work better for you go with that.0
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RllyGudTweetr wrote: »Ok, so I am so confused as to what to do. I have been reading a lot on weightloss. Whiles I have found low carb gives you quicker weightloss and good for diabetics, I find it so hard to stick to a low carb diet such as atkins or say around 20grams of carbs a day as a lifestyle. so my question is can I eat regular things but try to watch my carbs and still loose weight or do I have to choose one low carb or calorie counting?
In general, low carb diets work by being low calorie diets in disguise, because my foods that are high in carbohydrates are also calorie-dense relative to their overall nutrition profile (pastries and desserts, for example), or are used as vehicles for calorie and fat-dense foods (like a loaded baked potato or buttered rolls). As a secondary effect, low carb diets tend to show rapid 'progress' that is, for most people, merely water weight, which gives a big immediate result and then tapers off after a couple of weeks of low carb.
None of the above is intended to indicate that a low carb diet won't work, just that it works by giving some folks an easy (for them) way of watching their calories by virtue of the food choices they make.
Very well said. There's also a matter of carb sensitivity, which varies by person but I'm not even gonna try to explain because I'll just butcher it (I'm not even sure I'm calling it the right thing). What I will tell you is that low-carb diets don't work for everyone. The litmus test I used when deciding to try a low-carb diet was a measure of how satisfied I am after eating carbs. I realized that despite eating a lot of calories, I was usually hungry again a couple hours later. That suggests that my body was not effectively switching from burning carbs to burning fat. By lowering my carb intake, that's not the case anymore.
I also feel I should tell you that my weight loss on a low-carb diet has been 1-2 lbs per week - the same as on a low-calorie diet. The quick weight loss people experience early on is just water weight. The benefit of this diet is that I find it more sustainable for me.
I personally found that 20 grams a day is too restrictive, but 50 grams a day is quite doable. But I didn't just start at 50 grams a day, I started at 75 and worked my way down.
I've also seen articles that suggest anything less than 100 g/day will provide some help with weight loss. The same articles suggest that most people shouldn't be eating more than 150 g/day (I don't know where this information came from). That 150 g/day cap compares nicely to the 140 g/day that is often recommended for diabetics. I think for diabetics that number is intended - not for weight loss - but to prevent dangerous blood glucose spikes. But it follows logically that most people probably don't need more than 140-150 g/day. (but then I don't know where either number comes from)
If you want to do a low-carb diet, I suggest you start at 100 g/day and work your way down to a comfortable level. You can also start at 20 and work your way up. A "comfortable level" being that point at which you can eat at your recommended calorie level, be satisfied with what you're eating, and not feel hungry all the time. I can't promise this will work, but it's sure easier than 20 g/day.
Important: When restricting your carbs (whether 150 or 20, it doesn't matter) make sure you eat lots of vegetables, appropriate levels of protein (figure out a healthy range, not just a minimum), and plenty of fat (whatever's left of your calorie budget after figuring your carbs and protein). Do not eat all your carbs from bread. If your limit's high enough you can include some, but you have to eat fruit and vegetables (mostly vegetables).0 -
I am having great success on 80g of carbs a day. We have a MD on staff here, and in his private practice he has had incredible success using this as the benchmark. By reading nutrition labels or entering food into MFP, I budget my carbs for the day. I find that the foods that are the most detrimental to my weight loss plan happen to also be the highest in carbs.0
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High carb, low carb, keto...it all requires moderation as you will need a deficit to lose weight regardless of the plan you go for. So to answer the OP, it's not an either/or. Low Carb will require moderation as well.0
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Mexicanbigfoot wrote: »Everything in moderation. Change your lifestyle. You will see results.
This^
Unless you have medical reasons to go low carb, it's not necessary. Permanent changes are what will help you keep the weight you lose off. A temporary low carb diet.....but then what's the plan for maintenance?
The "speed" of weight loss for low carb is water weight. Your muscles will wring out glycogen stores for energy. The water weight loss is temporary, if you go back to regular carb eating habits.0 -
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