Confused about carbs..
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Lifting4Lis
Thank you for being kind on my post and giving advice
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I'm not the poster you asked, but I can share what I ate today if that's helpful to you. My target is ~1300kcal and my macros are <20g (net) carbs, 101g fat, 99g proteinLa_vie_est_belle_toujours wrote: »I did Atkins and even after induction I tried to stay under 25 carbs. Lost 20 lbs that way and haven't gained a pound back. That may be a bit extreme though. I still watch my carbs.
Can I ask what type of things you ate during the day to stay that low?
I know just the fruit I eat makes me go way above that. I don't eat much grains either. I do drink Herbalife shakes for meals on the run which have carbs. Did you just eat meat all day? haha
Here's today. Definitely not all meat!
7:00 AM
Hood All Natural Sour Cream - Sour Cream, 2 tbsp
Coleman Natural - Uncured Hickory Smoked Bacon, 2 slices
Kerry Gold - Butter - Unsalted, 1 tbsp
Egg - Brown, Large, 3 egg
(This was three eggs scrambled and two slices of bacon.)
12:00-2:00 PM
Bell and Evans Organic - Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast, 7 oz
Mushrooms - Raw, 0.25 cup, pieces or slices
Onions - Raw, 0.25 cup, chopped
Sargento - 4 Cheese Mexican Cheese, 28 grams (1/4 Cup)
(This was a chicken breast cooked in a nonstick pan, then topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions and cheese and melted under the broiler.)
7:00-9:00 PM
Fresh Express - Heart of Romaine Lettuce, 2 cups
Avocados - Raw, 0.25 avocado, NS as to Florida or California
Trader Joe's - Balsamic Vinegar, 1 Tbsp
Kirkland Olive Oil - Pure Olive Oil, 1 tbsp
Al Fresco - Chicken Sausage, Roasted Pepper & Asiago, 1 link
Kerrygold - Dubliner (Irish Cheese), 1.5 oz.
(This was a broiled sausage with a side salad of romaine, shaved carrots, chopped avocado, cubed cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette.)
1307kcal, 20g carbs (14g net carbs), 93g fat, 104g protein
I work really hard at meal planning to make sure I get veggies (and occasionally even fruit) into my day. I cleaned my fridge today and a lot had gone bad, so it was slim pickings. I usually throw spinach into everything!
Good luck! Whatever plan you choose, calories do matter! Don't let any crazy low-carb people tell you that they don't!
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I did a blog post about goal setting, including calories & macros.
Here's a table which explains the healthy ranges:
http://www.iom.edu/Global/News%20Announcements/~/media/C5CD2DD7840544979A549EC47E56A02B.ashx
page 1, carbs, 45 - 65% of calories (4 cal per gram)
page 2, fat, 20 - 35% of calories (9 cal per gram)
page 4, protein, 10 - 35% of calories (4 cal per gram)
Eating higher protein & lower carbs leads to more weight loss. Links to research here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-08-09-high-protein-diet-685553
Try 45% carbs, 20% fat, 35% protein.
BTW, the reason carbs frequently cause rapid weight gain is because they hold onto water.
IIRC, it's 3g water for 1g carb. (Might be 2:1; don't quote me on that.)
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La_vie_est_belle_toujours wrote: »I did Atkins and even after induction I tried to stay under 25 carbs. Lost 20 lbs that way and haven't gained a pound back. That may be a bit extreme though. I still watch my carbs.
Can I ask what type of things you ate during the day to stay that low?
I know just the fruit I eat makes me go way above that. I don't eat much grains either. I do drink Herbalife shakes for meals on the run which have carbs. Did you just eat meat all day? haha
It was pretty tough lol I usually had an egg with cheese for breakfast, a salad with low carb toppings like celery and cucumber and 3 cherry tomatoes with chicken on top for lunch. You can also make salad dressing with olive oil and Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar that is amazing with no carbs. And for dinner I had vegetables and beef or some other type of meat. Atkins carries shakes with as low as 1 carb that are awesome, as well as a lot of bars that will satisfy your sweet tooth. Buying heavy whipping cream and whipping a few tablespoons of it with Splenda, and maybe some cocoa powder is one of my favorite desserts with hardly any carbs at all. Hope this helps!! Good luck!
Eta blueberries are also a very low carb fruit. Great with cream on it. Don't avoid cream haha its your friend in regards to low carb diets.
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just like others said, you can probably easier drop weight with low carbs, but as soon as you start eating SOME carbs, you'll quickly gain it back. I did it once and gained it all back in no time.
Once a friend bodybuilder told me to make sure I have carbs (the good ones, like brown rice, yams, etc) otherwise I'll have headaches, I'll be cranky and will have cravings. He was right. Including some carbs was a good idea.
I also noticed that before I go for a jog, or a Zumba class, I perform best when I eat carbs about 2 hours or so before. It can be rice, lentils, oatmeal, it will give me a lot of energy, but not weigh me down.0 -
It's a thing you are best served if you troubleshoot on your own.
Do you feel too hungry? Look into increasing protein
Are you experiencing problems with your period, or your hair feels fragile? Look into increasing fat
Are most of the foods you like carb-heavy? Look into increasing carbs
Are you feeling tired all the time? Look into increasing calories and look into your micronutrients
It's a balancing act. Just find the combination that gives you the best balance between eating what you like and feeling good, even if it does not conform to a certain standard.
For some people, never feeling hungry is more important than consuming carb-heavy foods, so they tend to thrive best on low carb.
For others who are very particular about their food preferences and don't like/don't want to eat meat and dairy, high carb is the best.
Others do best somewhere in between.
Just find the easiest route that would still achieve results and stick to it.0 -
mamapeach910 wrote: »I'm a vegetarian and I have my macros set to 40 30 30. I eat moderate carb, high protein. Low carb gives you a nice initial water weight loss and works great short term by suppressing appetite, but long-term isn't easy to stick to.
It's best in my experience to find a way of eating that is sustainable for life and just eat portions that are small enough to be a caloric deficit for you.
Thanks, this is helpful.
I was vegetarian for almost 5 years until recently so I eat a ton of fruit, which obviously has carbs. I don't know how I wouldn't eat fruit through out the day without feeling constant cravings haha
I should take this opportunity to point out to you, since you like fruit so much (which is great), that the default settings on MFP for sugar are notoriously low. Just ignore them and replace them in your diary with fiber or something. Honestly, you eat two servings of fruit and it puts you over your sugar allowance for the day. It's ridiculous.
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My macros are set to 40C 30F and 30F and I regularly go over on carbs because I like them in my diet
I did low carb once found it easy once started but then reintroduced and as the saying goes ...BAM put it all back on in super-quick and then some
I'm with Lis ...she talks sense0 -
I would also like to point out that once you get past the first few weeks on low carb (essential when your glycogen is depleted) fat loss is the same as any other diet. Fat loss is based on a calorie deficit.0
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BTW, the reason carbs frequently cause rapid weight gain is because they hold onto water.
IIRC, it's 3g water for 1g carb. (Might be 2:1; don't quote me on that.)
Thereabouts, perhaps even as high as 5:1 but it's a multiple of the glycogen stores not the carbs you eat so an increase of 200g (a lot) in carbs stored as glycogen might add 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of extra water.
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For sure. I find it much easier to stay within my calorie deficit when I'm consuming less carbs and more protein and fat, but I know that's a personal preference.I would also like to point out that once you get past the first few weeks on low carb (essential when your glycogen is depleted) fat loss is the same as any other diet. Fat loss is based on a calorie deficit.0 -
I would also like to point out that once you get past the first few weeks on low carb (essential when your glycogen is depleted) fat loss is the same as any other diet. Fat loss is based on a calorie deficit.
This was my experience with LCing (as in 25g or less per day), and I tried it many times. I would lose six or seven pounds the first week. Then everything would just stop. I'd stick it out, waiting for things to start up again. They wouldn't. I was eating tons of food, just keeping it all very low-carb. But I was eating too many calories...period.
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Tedebearduff wrote: »
In what way? Are we talking insulin, ghrelin or what? Low carb does not increase fat loss by any means... if that is what you are suggesting.
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If you're a beginner, I wouldn't worry about any other number than calories in the beginning. Just make sure you're comfortable with your diet (as in, it's something you could keep eating for the rest of your life), and then focus on the macros to see what's best for your well-being.
I haven't tweaked the goals that MFP set for me, but I aim to go over in protein and stay under in carbs. I'm definitely not low-carbing, just going a little bit lower. I find it helps me eat less overall.
Also, not all carbs are the same. There's a big difference between, say, a whole grain high-fiber bread and eating white sugar with a spoon. Both are carbs, but they're obviously different kinds.0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »It's a thing you are best served if you troubleshoot on your own.
Do you feel too hungry? Look into increasing protein
Are you experiencing problems with your period, or your hair feels fragile? Look into increasing fat
Are most of the foods you like carb-heavy? Look into increasing carbs
Are you feeling tired all the time? Look into increasing calories and look into your micronutrients
It's a balancing act. Just find the combination that gives you the best balance between eating what you like and feeling good, even if it does not conform to a certain standard.
For some people, never feeling hungry is more important than consuming carb-heavy foods, so they tend to thrive best on low carb.
For others who are very particular about their food preferences and don't like/don't want to eat meat and dairy, high carb is the best.
Others do best somewhere in between.
Just find the easiest route that would still achieve results and stick to it.
Thank you 0
This discussion has been closed.
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