Here is a great website that explains in great detail: www.dietdoctor.com

That should help clear the confusion.

You only have a few pounds to lose and are maintaining a 500+ calorie/day deficit? There is a good chance you are pushing yourself too hard.

If you are eating 1200 calories a day, you will still lose weight even if you aren't low carb. You'll still be relatively low carb, compared to a normal diet, even if you're getting 50% of your calories from carbs. I wouldn't recommend this, but it is one path.

Mixing high-fat and high-carb is a bad idea. It's the standard American diet, which a pretty much proven to be harmful to good health. You should pick one path and stick to it as best you can. Most of us find that high-fat and low-carb makes eating at a deficit natural and comfortable. Eating low-fat and low-calorie left us starving all the time.

I don't think you'd be any better served with a low carb diet that allows "cheats" whenever you want them than just going back to a SAD diet.
You're really better off picking one or the other.
You know the saying "you can't have your cake and eat it too"?

It really depends on your goals. Are you doing low carb for weight loss alone or do you have health concerns that low carb can help?

Of course you can lose weight in a calorie deficit regardless of the carb count but if you are anything like me you might find it much, much harder to stay within your calorie goal once you raise your carbs. Low carb is the only diet that allows me to be satisfied and not constantly hungry at my low calorie goal.

amb961 wrote: »

So you are saying if I eat non low carb to 1200 I'll put on weight as opposed to 1200 low carb?

No one has said that.

amb961 wrote: »

Hi everyone I have confused myself, I would be grateful for any advice!!

I did six weeks of lc before Xmas and lost 6lbs, I was also calorie counting to 1200. I lapsed over Xmas and have been struggling to get back into it. I only have a few pounds to lose and then maintain.

I've been wondering and can't get my head around it....if I am calorie counting to 1200 does it really make any difference if I am low carb or not? I would like to have more fruit, and at the weekends be able to join in with my family a bit more, I. E. If the kids are having some birthday cake then I can have some too and just count it in my calories rather than this totally wrecking my lc diet.

And if I switch to calorie counting alone does that mean I need to ditch the fat (I'd still like to have scrambled egg with butter!) because eh presence of carbs will make me store it?

As I say, I'm confused! Hope someone can help. ☺

Well, it depends if you want to diet and be sad and hungry (low calorie) or diet and be satisfied and enjoy food. Kinda simplistic, I know, but especially if you are insulin resistant, true! Also depends on if you want to lose more weight faster which LCHF has proven time and again it does.

If you're still confused I'd suggest watching Fathead online (it's a movie). This is what hit me and my hubby on board and won us over.

Results: 40 pounds down to date and off diabetes meds and blood pressure meds completely (taken off by my doctor after very high levels normalized).

I have been eating 1200 calories a day for years. I gained a bunch of weight eating 1200 calories a day. I'm moderately active. It's not as simple as "calorie counting" for some people. For those of us who have failed at Weight Watchers (meaning we adhered to the program but gained weight on it), and have either slowly or otherwise gained weight when all other indicators suggested otherwise, we need to pay attention to our ratios.

Use your macros to find your sweet spot. I keep mine at a VLCHF ratio for optimal weight loss, and when I reach maintenance, I'll adjust it. I still consume about 1200 more or less as I continue to reach my goal weight. It's what's working for me. I do agree wholeheartedly, you absolutely cannot eat high carb and high fat. Set your macros and do your best to stay within them.

Anyone know they or an article in medical literature showing truly eating more cals n high fat still loosing weight?

Right now I am ravenous but reluctant to eat more given I have already gained a little weight. I dont believe my metabolism has slowed as I feel awesome. I have been eating 1400 cals. I was loosing weight on 1200 to 1400 cals plus high fat for 2.5 months. My TDEE without exercise 1380 and I at least walk an hour a day + other activities. Since new year I have hit a weight drop stall period and even a bit of a rise. Tried bullett proof coffee this week with IF and today mixing things up with vanilla pancakes by Carrie Brown | www.carriebrown.com. given stiff texture, argueably suitable as cement grout but surprisingly tasty. Varying my weights n exercise too.

I know, patience, it is only 15 days. Higher stress at work so maybe my body is just refusing to let go in case it needs fuel to run from the Lion (AKA Ms Executive Vice President). Any thoughts appreciated.

@wabmester so time to be brave. First adding butter and oil to my coffee, now ignoring calories, lord whatever next??

I believe you've hit a stall @SamandaIndia , they truly suck (sorry if offensive! ) A slight increase isn't heard of either! Stay the course, your body will catch up!! Have you read the information on P.I.S.S. (post induction ?word stall) in the Launch Pad? It will help you understand this! Hugs! I completely understand the want to run to the cookie isle!

@Karlottap I just checked the Launch pad and can not find the information on stalling. Do you remember which topic it is under? Much appreciated for the tip!

Www.ketovangelist.com has lots of info on stalling too

OP I hear you and I have really struggled with making the decision on weather to do low carb or calorie counting too. I finally decided to do low carb because I know what carbs and sugar does to my body, even though my mouth LOVES carbs and sugar, my body HATES it. Soooooo I have finally accepted the fact I will have to be LC forever. Over the last week I have been researching recipes so that when I get to maintenance I will be able to eat yummy things, all the things I love but in a sugar free, low carb version. 1 example is BBQ sauce, something simple but I love it and regular BBQ is full of sugar and carbs, so I found a LC recipe version and it is amazing and tonight I had BBQ chicken and didn't feel like I was eating LC at all!! I have decided I will basically just have to learn how to make almost everything homemade because regular products wont do and special LC products are soooo expensive. Another example, I love yogurt, but it is high in carbs, sugar and crap chemicals, so I bought a yogurt maker and researched making Almond milk yogurt, very low carb and very low calorie! I have finally decided to commit to this WOE and I am all in!!

apparently it really works and would allow you to eat with you're kids every other day

seriously doubt this mythical advice!!! …like passing on a 4th hand version of how to get "free money" from Bill Gates by sending him bottle caps. you mean well, but it's nonsense…..( or please provide the resource) weight lifters and others may 'carb load' for a specific event, but this is, as I say, a poorly translated rumor of a story someone's brother heard..

pippacorcoran wrote: »

Hi, think you should look into carb cycling, it's where you eat low carbs one day and lots of carbs the next, I'm not on the diet myself but apparently it really works and would allow you to eat with you're kids every other day and eat little the other one.

Oy vey!