low carb ??? anyone try this before

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marcosdt10
marcosdt10 Posts: 77 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello , has anyone tried low carbing ?? If so how long have you done it for and does this method burn fat a lot faster ? I'm trying to get abs but don't want to lose my muscle gains too I might consider trying this but I then again I don't want to risk it.... Please someone share their experience in this post thank you
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  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
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    There are some groups for it here. If you're specifically looking for info to use LC for a cut, you might want to go read here: http://www.reddit.com/r/ketogains Read their FAQ, because there are few different ways you can do it, depending on how you train.

    It's not about burning faster, just differently, and more muscle sparing. It also takes time to adapt to, so you may need to deload for a few weeks until your body gets used to it, but then you'll have increased energy after you adapt.
  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
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    In did a very low carb diet a couple years ago. I did lose weight quickly, but much of that was attributable to the deficit not necessarily the low carb itself. Water weight sheds very quickly on this type of diet.

    A downside for me was I felt very slow mentally while on the plan.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I did low carb 3 times ...you lose scale weight quickly, body fat at about the same rate as with a not watching carbs calorie defecit

    However each time I did it, despite seeing success, I would crash and burn because It was so difficult to stay off carbs for good (we are talking 5 months in, 3 months in and 6 weeks in) and within a couple of months of stopping monitoring carbs I'd be heavier than before I started because my mindset wasn't right ....I wasn't focused on maintenance I just reintroduced carbs with no food / portion control elsewhere

    So for me, for long term success it didn't work, in fact each time I ended up worse off than before with higher scale weight ...other people who can either stick for life or who have planned for maintenance will have different success stories

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I'm not sure whether that is the best group as there are a number of them and I believe that one is the one set to private as the mods investigate it ...or so I read on another thread

    - just passing on info...I know very little about it really
  • marcosdt10
    marcosdt10 Posts: 77 Member
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    Thank you all for the info , much appreciated
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    I tried it once, as an experiment. I thought it worked pretty well. I wasn't hungry. I didn't have annoying cravings.
    The first week I was a bit foggy, but otherwise felt fine. After a week or so, I actually felt pretty damned good.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I did low carb from 2010-2013...on and off.

    I say on and off as I couldn't stick with it. Yes I lost weight fast but I couldn't sustain the "empty" feeling I always had nor could I tolerate the lack of energy.

    My last stint with low carb was in 2013 and then I found MFP and relearned about CICO and weighing food...haven't looked back.
  • marcosdt10
    marcosdt10 Posts: 77 Member
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    I'm a try this low carving for 2 weeks to experiment and see what happens... I hate the feeling of being sluggish but if it helps reach my goal then why not lol thank you
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    I'm not experienced with low-carbing, but two weeks might not be enough time to see how it works for you.
  • marcosdt10
    marcosdt10 Posts: 77 Member
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    Damn really so we talking months here ?
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
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    marcosdt10 wrote: »
    Damn really so we talking months here ?

    Well, 2 weeks of anything isn't really long enough to see a difference or let your body properly adapt...

    Personally, it took me about a month to get the hang of it when I tried. I didn't see any ill effects, but it didn't fit with my lifestyle, so I gave it up.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    That, I don't know. The people in the low carb group mentioned above will have more experience.
  • kennie2
    kennie2 Posts: 1,171 Member
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    ergh. carbs <3
  • bhreann2011
    bhreann2011 Posts: 6 Member
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    marcosdt10 wrote: »
    Hello , has anyone tried low carbing ?? If so how long have you done it for and does this method burn fat a lot faster ? I'm trying to get abs but don't want to lose my muscle gains too I might consider trying this but I then again I don't want to risk it.... Please someone share their experience in this post thank you
    I tried it for a month and didn't like it. I had no energy and found it quite hard to stay on. There were exercises that I couldn't do because I was so worn down and tired. I'm sure it affects everyone differently, but it definitely didn't work for me. Best of luck to you!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    marcosdt10 wrote: »
    I'm a try this low carving for 2 weeks to experiment and see what happens... I hate the feeling of being sluggish but if it helps reach my goal then why not lol thank you

    OK ... please take this in the manner in which it is meant which is pure advice

    Nothing but nothing is going to work if you go in with the attitude that you'll try it for a little

    You need to create a way of eating that you can stick to during weight loss and forever after

    Because there is no point in losing a bit of water weight and maybe a little fat, watching the scales drop then putting it all back on again

    They are right when they say it's about lifestyle change - that doesn't mean it's easy - it means you have to promise yourself you are going for it forever

    What I would strongly suggest is promise yourself you're going to weigh all your foods and log all your calories accurately, making sure over the week that you stay within your calorie goals

    and you're going to move a little more so that you can eat even more

    and if you then decide to try low carb then that's fine - because low carb is a way of eating that helps you hit your calories .. so is every other weight loss diet in the world

    so focus on the calories .. focus on your commitment and don't just 'try something'

    you've got to just believe you can do it .. and if you fail in one meal or one day you've got to log it and recommit and do it from then

    because this is your life - and you get to choose losing weight or not. Losing weight is hard. Being overweight is hard. It's time to pick your hard!

  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
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    I've tried low carbing, what I personally found was:
    - Slightly 'emptier' looking muscles
    - Lack of energy
    - No quicker fat loss than normal caloric deficit

    Worth it? Not in my opinion, but I would suggest you try it for yourself, simply because some peoples' methods are preferred to others'

    In relation to your muscle loss; I would suggest changing up your training routine regularly, lifting heavy, and not going at too much of a caloric deficit.

    Do you have specific goals you want to reach? because abs are normally seen at only 12(+/-)% bodyfat - May vary depending on your genetics
  • loganrandy69
    loganrandy69 Posts: 24 Member
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    I think it works fine as a vehicle into a healthier lifestyle, but its only a lifestyle for certain people. I lost most of my 80lbs doing low carb, but found I couldn't - in the long term - be OK with the lifestyle. I can't do low carb ice cream, or fake spaghetti, or califlour pizza crust - and instead of having real ice cream, pasta, or spaghetti on "cheat days", I found that monitoring my calories and having them in the context of a normal caloric day worked better for both loss and maintenance.

    As others have suggested, low carb is a caloric restriction as much as any other diet. It did teach me how I felt after eating a low carb meal vs a carb filled meal, and how I could eat foods that were filling vs high-calorie low nutrient, and the importance of fiber in your diet. If you try out low carb as a learning opportunity and to see if it works for you, you'll get results and learn a lot about food and yourself. If you plan to drop some pounds and then stop - you'll gain the weigh back quickly and be worse off than before.

    Additionally, you WILL lose muscle mass if you don't supplement with exercise or if you maintain a high caloric deficit. That's the breaks.
  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
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    marcosdt10 wrote: »
    Damn really so we talking months here ?

    Like previous posters said, it is something you can really go off of your own experience as to whether it "works" for you or not. I say works in quotes because it will work as long as you are in a calorie deficit, but more in the sense of its something you feel you can stick to as opposed to other strategies such as overall calorie deficit or intermittent fasting. IF and low carb are really just tools to get you to a calorie deficit. For some people, low carbing is an easier strategy to live on a calorie deficit than overall cutting calories.

    When I first started low carb over 5 years ago, I didn't notice any sluggish-ness and didn't notice any difference while working out HOWEVER I started working out and the low carb thing at the same time so I really can't compare. I felt more full than cutting overall calories and it really made me eat healthier...more veggies and more protein (which you can do while cutting overall calories obviously). I also liked it because I saw the number drop in the first week so it motivated me to keep going and going and going.

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