Ditching Low Carb and back to Calorie Counting

AnneSoCal wrote: »

I had a feeling Low Carbers/LCHF people would be the first to comment!

I'm well aware of the need for a calorie deficit with any plan. My point is, LCHF just doesn't work for me in general. I find it difficult to stay in a calorie deficit while eating high calorie foods (butter, coconut oil, avocado, bacon, etc.). I know fat and protein are supposed to keep you satiated, but again, just didn't work for me. I'm sure it has to do with my age (54).

And my point was that a plan needs to be sustainable. If you don't find it so, that's fine. Switch. Which you have done. I wasn't being flippant in saying that I hope you've found your sustainable plan. It was sincere. Once we find our personal sweet spot, as I did (I've lost 93.5lb), it's awesome and good things follow. No need to keep banging your head against a wall when something isn't working AND makes you miserable, right? Keep up the good work.

Sure I've done the low carb diet and i was very successful at losing weight but like you said as soon as you stop it you gain the weight back. Not that many people can cut out carbs for the rest of their life. At least with CICO you're still eating the same foods you ate before just less of them. So it's not a big change. And also over the months you are counting your calories and watching your portions you are training yourself to know what a regular portion should look like. You know what a 6 oz steak looks like or 8 oz of mac and cheese. You have an idea just by looking at the plate how much food you should be consuming during a meal. By now I could literally stop weighing my food and I guarantee you I would still lose weight. I just ate too much quantity of food before. When I stop my diet I will be better prepared this time to not gain the weight back. It's not about extreme it's just about sensible eating habits.

Doesn't matter if you do vegan, low carb, low calorie, etc. it still breaks down to CICO=calories in,calories out. I have tried pretty much every diet under the sun. I have been struggling with my weight since I was 15. I'm gonna be 30 in September. Its calories in, calories out. it has to be a lifestyle too, so find whatever works for you and my suggestion would be baby steps. I started by dropping off one bad eating habit at a time. first dropped condiments, then sodas, fried foods and junk foods. Yeah I still once in awhile have some ice cream, but I track it and measure it out with a food scale. Good Luck

I've tried LCHF a few times and after an initial water loss I always lose NO weight. I also really like the science behind it and hoped it would work for me. Especially to help combat the diabetes that runs in my family. But I don't have a gallbladder, and have felt pretty sick the entire time as my body just couldn't deal with the extra fat along with the struggle to get adequate fiber. I have been told to stick with it and my body would adapt, but I've only managed to go six weeks before I just couldn't take the (about to get gross warning) runs and floating pellet poops (clumps of fat my body couldn't digest) that went along with it. My body did not adapt. Would it have eventually? No idea. I also tried taking digestive enzymes, probiotics, etc. Nothing helped.

My body seems to love fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Everything runs smoothly and my energy is great when I eat the right balance. I do struggle with craving carbs and sugar, particularly in the afternoons, which I think LCHF helps with. But I have lost over 30 pounds this time eating chocolate and ice cream and drinking wine in moderation along with everything else. Nothing is off-limits. Best of all, I feel like I can do this forever, which is good because I have another 47 or more pounds to go. It is completely sustainable. I think we all need to find what works for us.

Anne - I also lost weight before with a lo-carb diet, but the restrictions, namely fruit, rice, potatoes were too much for me. I never even reached stage three of South Beach. Like you, I'm using MFP to learn more about the concept of calorie counting, deficits etc. I've only been doing this for three days, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. But some of the old lo-carb mentality has lingered in my food choices. The first two days I noticed my carb intake was way below MFP's daily goal. But my fat and protein intake exceeded and fat intake goal. I've been reading about the benefits of coconut oil and chia seeds and would still like to incorporate them into my diet, but both have a lot of fat and calories. Still learning. Good luck to you!

I was on low carb for awhile but my body (and dh) said no your not going to eat this way the rest of your life. Got tired of the limited food choices of eggs, meat, cheese and dark veggies. I have went back to CICO this is the best choice and lifestyle for me and my 2 cow valves! I am 61 and had open heart surgery and I am on alot of heart meds. I am trying to keep these guys happy.

I can't do low carb because I wouldn't be able to sustain it long term so I count calories and eat anything I want as long as I am accountable for it, exercise and drink more water. Keep it simple as long as it's doable for you in the long run.

I tried LCHF for a while, even did wheat-free for about 4 months a few years ago and lost 10 pounds. I just recently stopped the LCHF in favor of CICO. I'm very active and felt I couldn't do my workouts as intensely when I was low carb. Also, I couldn't eat some of the foods I really like that helped me drop 2 dress sizes over the last year (oatmeal, apples, whole grain bread, greek yogurt).
Also, forbidding myself from ice cream, even if it fit my calories, was miserable. Glad to be back to eating foods I enjoy in smaller portions!

I agree that you should find what works for you as long as you're getting adequate nutrition. For myself, I found a balanced diet of moderate carbs and fat and higher protein was best. It helps me feel fuller and helps with some other issues I had experienced for a long time. Most importantly, find a method you can use for the rest of your life. If you follow a diet just til you reach your goal, you're likely to just gain the weight back over and over.

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So I have always been a calorie counter - CICO lifestyle. Joined a Gym that was focused on meeting daily Macronutrient numbers. Being a very habitual and regimented eater and exerciser - this made me very nervous. So invested a year into this new lifestyle and found that I was eating way more than what I normally did to reach the Macro numbers and a lot more calories. Have gained 10 kilos in a year and have decided that this is not for me - so will go back to my standard 3 meals a day all counted. But will be honest and say that moving into pre-menopause stage - apparently I have another enemy to fight and that is all those lovely hormones that they say attribute to excess weight gain thru mid section (tummy and hips) - but I will not be put into that "get older gain weight" box. Its not set in stone - right???
Good luck to you and do what is right for you ;-)

I love carbs and would never be able to stick to a low carb diet, but I have focused on spending my carbs on mostly "good" carbs, such as whole grains instead of white, eating the potato skin as well as the potato, enjoying fruit...I need to have some moderation to keep the calories under control so I make sure I also get my protein and veggies as well. And we have a great diner near by that makes the best pie so I don't ever have a pie in the house (I can not avoid eating too much when I do) and once in a while work a slice of their pie into my calorie count as a treat. By not saying I never can I am able to keep it just once in a while.

And to the person who had no gallbladder and tried high fat....you did not fail, your body just lacked what was needed to digest the fat (bile, stored in the gallbladder).