Success without counting anything.

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ZeroTX
ZeroTX Posts: 179 Member
in Success Stories
My wife and I embarked (again, for the umpteenth time in our overweight lives) on a new way of eating just about 2 months ago. We are doing low-carb. Before you freak out with the "Oh, I can't do that!" Well, I agree, it's tough to do a pure "Atkins" style low carb diet. What's not hard? Just stop eating SUGAR, BREAD, RICE, and PASTA. Limit (but do not eliminate) milk, beans, nuts. Eat a good quantity of FAT. Do not buy "low fat" products. Use real butter.

Results? My wife has lost 25lbs and I've lost over 20lbs. 2 months. No counting. The only thing I measure is the dropping weight. I eat TONS of vegetables every day. Yes, I also eat some pre-packaged protein bars (Quest or Atkins), which fends off any lingering need for sweets, and also serves as a good emergency meal. I'm never hungry.

I was inspired by "Fluffy," (Gabriel Iglesias) the comedian. He's low-carbing while on tour as a comedian. If he can do it, so can I. Thanks for reading.

-Z
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Replies

  • shagoaly
    shagoaly Posts: 8 Member
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    Yes I have started as well and it is the most control I have felt on any "diet" keep up the great work guys!
  • HB1032
    HB1032 Posts: 4 Member
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    yep same! going by the rules of eating less, moving more and not drinking calories. those are the best 2 pieces of advice i can give someone not counting calories. ive lost 35 pounds in 6 months not counting calories.
  • ZeroTX
    ZeroTX Posts: 179 Member
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    Dropping slowly but steadily. Trying to figure out how to keep it up over the holidays.
  • c50blvdbabe
    c50blvdbabe Posts: 213 Member
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    Definitely have more success on the low carb. I am limiting my intake of carbs as well. I haven't lost anything on the scale yet, but I do feel better.
  • serenitymcc
    serenitymcc Posts: 30 Member
    edited October 2015
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    I've low carbed "successfully" 3 different times. It's not sustainable for me in the long run. I've lost 82 lbs by entering my food into MFP. I don't count anything because MFP does it for me. I just make more healthy choices than before and move my body more. I love losing weight without food restrictions.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,841 Member
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    Sounds like it is working for you. Awesome.

    Me, I'll take the carbs.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    I and most people I know who have done low carb have easily dropped 20 lbs (this was many years ago, not my current journey). It gets tougher from there, so be open to other methods, such as calorie counting, if needed.
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
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    What's the point of coming to a calorie counting site and proclaiming success without counting calories?

    I happy for you success and I don't care whether or not you counted calories, but you seem to the need to throw it our faces--like we should care.

    So, I'll flip your statement. I've lost over 50 lbs counting calories, while enjoying wine, beer, pretzels, popcorn and many other carbs, as well as butter and plenty of other fats and had no food that is on a "do not eat" list. Look at my diary if you want.

    Again, congrats.
  • mousie1973
    mousie1973 Posts: 438 Member
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    Nuke_64 wrote: »
    What's the point of coming to a calorie counting site and proclaiming success without counting calories?

    I happy for you success and I don't care whether or not you counted calories, but you seem to the need to throw it our faces--like we should care.

    So, I'll flip your statement. I've lost over 50 lbs counting calories, while enjoying wine, beer, pretzels, popcorn and many other carbs, as well as butter and plenty of other fats and had no food that is on a "do not eat" list. Look at my diary if you want.

    Again, congrats.

    The OP may be not counting calories... but may be using MFP to track MACROS... I do know a few people that do that.. ( not myself... I do the low carb (Paleo/primal) but also track calories)..
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
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    mousie1973 wrote: »
    Nuke_64 wrote: »
    What's the point of coming to a calorie counting site and proclaiming success without counting calories?

    I happy for you success and I don't care whether or not you counted calories, but you seem to the need to throw it our faces--like we should care.

    So, I'll flip your statement. I've lost over 50 lbs counting calories, while enjoying wine, beer, pretzels, popcorn and many other carbs, as well as butter and plenty of other fats and had no food that is on a "do not eat" list. Look at my diary if you want.

    Again, congrats.

    The OP may be not counting calories... but may be using MFP to track MACROS... I do know a few people that do that.. ( not myself... I do the low carb (Paleo/primal) but also track calories)..

    OP said "no counting." Tracking macros would be considered counting.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited October 2015
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    Well done!! I lost my weight not doing calorie counting too.

    ps: there are several active low carb groups here. Many of their posters don't venture onto the main boards. Consider joining one of those.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Nuke_64 wrote: »
    What's the point of coming to a calorie counting site and proclaiming success without counting calories?

    I happy for you success and I don't care whether or not you counted calories, but you seem to the need to throw it our faces--like we should care.

    So, I'll flip your statement. I've lost over 50 lbs counting calories, while enjoying wine, beer, pretzels, popcorn and many other carbs, as well as butter and plenty of other fats and had no food that is on a "do not eat" list. Look at my diary if you want.

    Again, congrats.
    Hmm. Not how I read the OP AT ALL. He had success, he's excited. He shared. As many people do.
    You're having success too. Yay.

    That said: your post seems more "throw it in your face", since you're obviously criticizing his decision to do low carb.

    Congrats on your success.
  • jmarchante24
    jmarchante24 Posts: 30 Member
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    I have tried doing the low carb several times and its really hard because I was restricted from eating foods that I loved like rice, potatoes or pasta and some vegetables like corn, I would lose alot of weight fast but my cravings got to me and eventually I couldnt resist not eating what I liked. I would start eating carbs again and couldnt stop because I hadnt had it in a while. Also I was always constipated. I have started counting calories I am losing weight slowly but I feel much better because I am not limited from foods I enjoy everything is good in moderation.
  • patrikc333
    patrikc333 Posts: 436 Member
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    you lose weight not because you count/don't count or you eat less carbs, but because your intake is less then what you burn

    will never understand the point of demonizing a particular macro or coming here on MFP and say "I'm not counting wow it works", because it sends a wrong message in my opinion

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited October 2015
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    patrikc333 wrote: »
    you lose weight not because you count/don't count or you eat less carbs, but because your intake is less then what you burn

    will never understand the point of demonizing a particular macro or coming here on MFP and say "I'm not counting wow it works", because it sends a wrong message in my opinion

    There was absolutely NO "demonizing of a macro" in the OP lol.
    Don't be silly.

    As for sending the wrong message, what message is that? That the OP is having success?
    What's wrong with having success by another HEALTHY means?

    I find this all very odd.
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
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    patrikc333 wrote: »

    will never understand the point of demonizing a particular macro or coming here on MFP and say "I'm not counting wow it works", because it sends a wrong message in my opinion

    +1 That was the point I was trying to make.
  • patrikc333
    patrikc333 Posts: 436 Member
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    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    patrikc333 wrote: »
    you lose weight not because you count/don't count or you eat less carbs, but because your intake is less then what you burn

    will never understand the point of demonizing a particular macro or coming here on MFP and say "I'm not counting wow it works", because it sends a wrong message in my opinion

    There was absolutely NO "demonizing of a macro" in the OP lol.
    Don't be silly.

    As for sending the wrong message, what message is that? That the OP is having success?
    What's wrong with having success by another HEALTHY means?

    I find this all very odd.
    Just stop eating SUGAR, BREAD, RICE, and PASTA. Limit (but do not eliminate) milk, beans, nuts. Eat a good quantity of FAT. Do not buy "low fat" products. Use real butter.

    I guess that the above is a very good message to use to educate people to have a healthy balanced diet, isn't it?

    to limit nuts - normally composed of 75-80% of fat - but to eat a good quantity of FAT. SUPERB.

    the point of coming to a counting site to celebrate the success of not counting - what is it? especially considering the fact that counting does not make you lose weight, but CI<CO does.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited October 2015
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    patrikc333 wrote: »
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    patrikc333 wrote: »
    you lose weight not because you count/don't count or you eat less carbs, but because your intake is less then what you burn

    will never understand the point of demonizing a particular macro or coming here on MFP and say "I'm not counting wow it works", because it sends a wrong message in my opinion

    There was absolutely NO "demonizing of a macro" in the OP lol.
    Don't be silly.

    As for sending the wrong message, what message is that? That the OP is having success?
    What's wrong with having success by another HEALTHY means?

    I find this all very odd.
    Just stop eating SUGAR, BREAD, RICE, and PASTA. Limit (but do not eliminate) milk, beans, nuts. Eat a good quantity of FAT. Do not buy "low fat" products. Use real butter.

    I guess that the above is a very good message to use to educate people to have a healthy balanced diet, isn't it?

    to limit nuts - normally composed of 75-80% of fat - but to eat a good quantity of FAT. SUPERB.

    the point of coming to a counting site to celebrate the success of not counting - what is it? especially considering the fact that counting does not make you lose weight, but CI<CO does.

    What's not healthy about it? He eats "tons" of vegetables every day. Do most folks?
    He eats nuts, legumes.
    He eats dairy. I'm guessing he eats adequate protein (not often an issue on low carb diets).
    He doesn't seem to eat a lot of junk, based on what he posted.
    Seriously, other than possibly the bars, what's not healthy about what he posted?

    As for limiting nuts, they're considered rather high in calories, aren't they? Seems a logical thing to "limit" when one is on a diet.

    Are refined grains "necessary" for a healthy diet? I've not seen reputable evidence for that.

    No demonizing lol.

    AGAIN: OP, congrats on your success, and that of your wife. Cheers
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,952 Member
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    ZeroTX wrote: »
    Dropping slowly but steadily. Trying to figure out how to keep it up over the holidays.

    Congrats on finding your sweet spot. There are about a million low-carb recipes that mimic those old faves that don't fit your new lifestyle. Try a few of those. This is my second holiday season low-carbing. No gains during the last one. :smile: I've lost 97lb over the past year and 4mo. I do count calories as I found after a few months I stopped losing on just counting carbs. YMMV.

    I'm currently drinking a low-carb Pumpkin Spice Latte. Yummy.

    1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
    1/4c half & half
    1/2 tbsp Coconut oil
    a few drops liquid sucralose

    I'm about to have another. Without the coconut oil this time. I'm finishing this one up pretty quick.

    Here is my list of low-carb recipe sites. Some in the list are paleo or gluten-free, which means they may not be specifically low-carb, but some are or are easily converted. You might check those out. I know some do indeed have holiday recipes.

    http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html
    http://cavemanketo.com/category/food/
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-paleo-recipes/
    http://satisfyingeats.com/recipes/
    http://everydaypaleo.com/food/
    http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/
    http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/
    http://www.ruled.me/keto-recipes/
    http://www.butterisnotacarb.com/recipe-index/
    http://www.lowcarbdietsandrecipes.blogspot.com.au/
    https://iquitsugar.com/recipe/
    http://eatfatlosefatblog.com/category/recipes/
    http://www.lowcarbist.com/recipes/
    http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/recipe-index
    http://www.cutthewheat.com/p/recipes.html
    http://247lowcarbdiner.blogspot.com/
    http://www.kalynskitchen.com/p/low-carb.html
    http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/collections/low+carb
    http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Everyday-Cooking/Special-Diets/Low-Carb/Main.aspx?prop24=hn_browsedeeper&evt19=1
    http://www.lowcarblayla.blogspot.com/
    http://www.nobunplease.com
    http://ketodietapp.com/Blog/category/Recipes
    http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/recipe-search/
    http://www.fatcatcuisine.com/
    http://low-carb-support.com/category/low-carb-recipe/
    http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/recipes/
    http://nomnompaleo.com/recipeindex
    http://thenourishedcaveman.com/
    http://thecoconutmama.com/
    http://www.ditchthecarbs.com/
    http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/
    http://againstallgrain.com/
    https://www.stevespaleogoods.com/
    http://lowcarbcrock.com/
    http://lowcarbfamily.com/


    And Mr. Google is helpful as well.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    Congratulations on finding an approach which works for you.

    Q. What is the best diet in the world?
    A. The one you can stick to...

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