Eating low carb

Hmmmmm... 1200 calories, low carb or not, should make you lose weight. What's your diary look like? How's your logging? Are you weighing your food or estimating? If it's the latter, tighten up--meats, eggs, cheese and nuts are calorie dense and a bit extra on the plate adds a lot of calories.

The best way to get help is to open your diary. There are tricks to logging and it can be helpful to get pointers as to any issues, and people might see something else.

Normally you should at least lose a bunch of water weight right away when you go low carb. Did that not happen? Have you been stalled all month or did you lose first and then stall?

When you are close to goal, the calories come off slowly.

There is no point in going low carb. I suggest slightly higher calories & low fat diet & eat as many carbs as u want.

Are you weighing your food on a food scale? Low carb or not, it's very easy to overeat if you're not properly measuring your food. Cups/spoons are not very reliable. Are you drinking enough water. I also do low carb and find that if my water intake is poor, I don't lose weight. Is it around your special lady time? Weight can stall or go up around that time. Also, is it humid where you're living? Humidity causes water retention, which can mask weight loss.

MPD6944 wrote: »

I have been doing great these past few days and have lost 1 lb. in the last 2 days by eating 1200 calories and I have been walking and/or working out.

This is awesome, however, I wouldn't expect to lose at this rate for long. With only 9-10 lbs to lose, you should be shooting for .5 lbs a week. I would up your calories. I know it sounds counter productive but it should help to regulate your loss. Eating at to high of a deficit for too long will slow down your loss and, ultimately, may cause health issues in the long run.

MPD6944 wrote: »

mantium999 wrote:

Also, regarding the 1200 calorie target, I am curious.....how much are you trying to lose and what is your weekly loss target set at? Many who bring up 1200 calories are at that goal because they set such an aggressive weight loss goal and bottomed out what MFP will let you consume. Its very possible for you to be successful eating more.

I am close to my goal - I have about 9-10 lbs. left to lose. I am 5'2", 46 years old and already in menopause and I know that can stall weight loss. I go to a trainer 2x a week and he is the one that suggested I try low carb and so I am trying it. I have had some bad days where I eat a lot of carbs and I know it throws me off but then I have good days again. Roller-Coaster! I have been doing great these past few days and have lost 1 lb. in the last 2 days by eating 1200 calories and I have been walking and/or working out. Also, yes it is humid here in NC. And no I guess I don't drink enough water. I usually only drink about 32 oz. a day.

Thanks for all the help. I am feeling better about it now that I have things under control (at least for the past few days).

A couple things. First, and this is very important, trainers are notorious for giving garbage dietary advice. It is very rare for them to have received proper education in that realm. Heck, the same can be said about most doctors. Barring a medical condition, low-carb will not help you beyond maintaining your calorie deficit. The "roller-coaster" can be resolved by consuming the foods you enjoy daily, in appropriate allotments, allowing you to not feel deprived and subsequently "cheat". Second, with less than 10 pounds to go to your target, you should consider setting your loss target at .5 lbs per week. I imagine this will increase your daily calorie target, and be easier to maintain. It will take time and patience, but will set you up better for when you are at your happy weight and switch to maintenance. Losing 1 lb in 2 days is probably normal weight fluctuation, I doubt you were in a daily deficit of 1750 for those 2 days. Honestly, it sounds to me that your tracking is not on point. Weigh your foods, track everything you eat, and adjust your weight loss target on MFP to determine the appropriate calorie goal, because 1200 is likely too low.

Low carb can be an effective strategy for weight loss. But if you follow the regime, you need to make sure you do it correctly. You can't just cut out carbs. You need to eat high fat to allow your body to use it as an energy source. If you check out the low carb groups, you can see implementation strategies for this.

Second, if you notice that you are binging more frequently, it may be beneficial to increase carbs and go with a moderate approach to allow yourself to incorporate treats. Some find that if you can incorporate carby foods they enjoy, that they are able to maintain a deficit for frequently.

Third, definitely tighten up your logging. A food scale is a great tool, especially when you are fairly lean. The more lean you are, the less room for error.

And 4th, as others mentioned, an active lean person should not be eating 1200 calories a day, which could be a reason why you binged. Again, the more lean you are, the more calories you need to help maintain your lean body mass.