low carb or count calories

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Hi everyone,

I have loosley been following the lchf principals but haven't lost any weight due to not being fully low carb and having too many calories. This eating style can't continue because it's not helping achieve my goals.

I'm really wanting to lose weight but I am finding that lchf can be limiting and you can't be half committed.
I find you can get a lot of low cal low fat food but it doesn't fill me up.
So I would be grateful for your advice as to what to do...calories or low carbs? Or can you successfully do both?
Thank you.
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Replies

  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    oh lord... here we go....
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    OP, calories are all that matters. Eat less calories and you will lose. Eat more and you weight gain weight. Eat all your calories from carbs in a deficit and you will lose weight.

    No one macronutrient is evil.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited June 2015
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    .
  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
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    nat1324 wrote: »
    Hi everyone,

    I have loosley been following the lchf principals but haven't lost any weight due to not being fully low carb and having too many calories. This eating style can't continue because it's not helping achieve my goals.

    I'm really wanting to lose weight but I am finding that lchf can be limiting and you can't be half committed.
    I find you can get a lot of low cal low fat food but it doesn't fill me up.
    So I would be grateful for your advice as to what to do...calories or low carbs? Or can you successfully do both?
    Thank you.

    There's the problem. That'll be 10$ sent to me by hawk.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Deficit... deficit... deficit... !

    If you do low carb and wanting to do keto, good luck ... the carb flu sucks.
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,302 Member
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    rainbowbow wrote: »
    oh lord... here we go....

    where?!? Venus? Jupiter? Mars? Bruno Mars? heheheheh okay back to the epic "Lawdy, what do I do?!?"

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Count calories. If eating lower (or low) carbs helps you feel satisfied within your calories, do that too.

    When I started I did 1250 and found that I felt good eating around 100 grams of carbs and keeping my protein and fat higher than they would have been with MFP's default macros. Some people find lower levels than that works for them, whereas some would find 100 grams too low. Now that I'm more active and eating more calories I prefer doing about 40% carbs, but the carb level that works for people tends to vary a lot.
  • audiojister
    audiojister Posts: 14 Member
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    It is possible, but not necessary, to do both. Calorie deficit is the requirement, low carb can help, but it's not required. Furthermore, if you can't sustain low carb, then you shouldn't go that way.
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member
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    rainbowbow wrote: »
    oh lord... here we go....

    my thoughts right away
  • pedidiva
    pedidiva Posts: 199 Member
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    Nat you have a PM
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited June 2015
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    shell1005 wrote: »
    If you are doing low carb, it shouldn't be an or. It should be low carb AND calorie counting since the common denominator for every single weight loss plan that works is eating at a deficit.

    I choose to do a low carb program since it is the easiest way for me to get and maintain a deficit...however, if it is not the easiest and from your description it doesn't sound like it is, then maybe low carb just isn't for you.

    It's the calories.

    ^This.

    Calories are key.

    How you allocate the calories is preference. If you don't find low fat satisfying (although eating carbs does not have to mean cutting fat), OP, then continue to eat low carb, high fat within your calorie goals.

    For many people low carb eating will fill them up and satisfy their hunger so they stop eating before they eat too much. Relying on this mechanism allows low carbing to "work" without counting calories for them. HOWEVER, this is not true for everyone, and I wish I had known this and more was written about it in books like Dr. Atkins. I might have been more successful had the calorie-counting aspect been stressed as well when I did low carb.

    Eat in a way that satisfies you while you watch your calories, and you'll find success. Good luck.

  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    It's an honest question. But no one can give an honest answer until you truly want to lose weight.
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
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    For losing weight, calorie deficit is a requirement. After that, it's all personal preference, performance based, etc. I find that if my carbs are too low, I can't get through my workouts as well.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    Do both

    See how you do on a lower carb diet. It is a fine choice. If you don't like it then try a different mix of food types.

    Just remember not to eat too much of whatever type of diet you get on. There is no magic diet type where you can eat more than you can burn off.

  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
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    you have to eat less calories on either, low carb in and of itself doesn't make you lose fat, you need a deficit
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
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    If you really want to know how to lose weight search and read the following discussions:
    Logging Accurately..step by step guide
    Calorie Counting 101
    Small But Super Helpful Habits
    Logging accuracy, consistency, and you're probably eating more than you think.
    Diagnosed/Living With PCOS? READ ME!
    Starvation Mode - Adaptive Thermogenesis and Weight Loss
    The Starvation Mode Myth...again.
    Dont lose weight...
    BMR and TDEE Explained for Those Needing a Guide
    HELP !!!!!!!17 Day, Weight Watchers, Fast Metabolism, DASH or WHAT?????
    The really blunt list of things to consider when losing weight.
    In Place of a road Map: Short N' Sweet
    Looking for a detox/cleanse?
    Just Another Plateau and Weigh-In Thread
    It is unlikely that you will lose weight consistently (i.e., weight loss is not linear)
    So you want a nice stomach
    Confession Time! ((ABSOLUTELY NO JUDGEMENT))
    Why Aspartame Isn't Scary
  • nat1324
    nat1324 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks everone I was interested in your advice as there is so much information out there...I wanted to hear fron the people who have had results for themselves...and daniwilford I will read through those sugestions.

  • triciab79
    triciab79 Posts: 1,713 Member
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    You know it is so nice around here mid year. In the beginning of the year when the yoyo people are around it hurts my head to read "Eat more calories or you will hurt your metabolism" or "I don't eat this type of calories and as long as I avoid that I will lose weight" or "muscle weighs more than fat so you are losing fat and building muscle if you gain weight while dieting". A few months in the majority of them fall away (until next New Year's resolution) and most of those left are sane.

    OP The only reason that low carb diets actually work is that people eat less when they eat a higher fat higher protein diet. It is true that for most people you don't have to count to cut when you are eating no carbs. This is not because there is some magic happening though, you simply get so sick of seeing meat meat and more meat that you don't feel like eating. It takes planning to find something you can eat and like most diets it just doesn't always feel like it is worth the trouble so you just don't eat. They conducted studies on the Atkin's diet and people eat less calories even without intending to. Carbs are the easy calories so they probably make up more of the average person's diet than they know cut those out and you will easily eat 1/2 the calories you were eating.
  • nat1324
    nat1324 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks triciab79. :smile: