Eat less carbs too?

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I've been on the diet for a month now and havnt lost in 2 weeks! I've been doing everything right... I try to stick to the macros but go over the carbs pretty much everyday. So I'm wondering if I cut my carbs if that'll help? Right now it's at 50%/150g a day. So I'd cut the carbs down to around 25%/60g a day. Adding alot more meat, veggies, and fruit. Cutting back on bread and pastas.
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  • NaturalNancy
    NaturalNancy Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Eating less carbs or low carb is the way to go!
    Or if you eat carbs stick with low carbs like; organic low carb bread, organic oatmeal and organic potatoes!
    Try not eating 3-4 hours before bed!
    But for sure cut the carbs u will see results faster!
  • LAduke91
    LAduke91 Posts: 34 Member
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    Great! Thanks!
  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
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    You'll get a lot of responses that tell you that you could eat your daily calories in twinkies (if you could find them lol) and lose weight as long as you eat less than you burn. However, my advice to you is try your idea and see how you like it. For many people, curtailing bread and pasta in favor of more protein really helps (I am one of those) while continuing to eat vegetables and fruit.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    Eating less carbs or low carb is the way to go!
    Or if you eat carbs stick with low carbs like; organic low carb bread, organic oatmeal and organic potatoes!
    Try not eating 3-4 hours before bed!
    But for sure cut the carbs u will see results faster!

    Lot of not true things here but ok.

    OP - I go over my carbs frequently and it hasn't hindered my weight loss.

    Just an FYI - weight loss isn't always linear, there will be some weeks will you will not lose. That does not mean that you have to change anything just yet.

  • MalkinMagic71
    MalkinMagic71 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    Are you weighing everything you are eating? I haven't cut carbs at all and have lost over 100lbs.. i just stay within my calorie goal. Also eating before bed doesn't have anything to do with anything. It's not about when you eat your food it's about how much food you eat.



  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    I agree that you should try it and see if you like it. The point is to find what works for you. There's nothing magic about any particular diet. You need a calorie deficit to lose weight but how you get that calorie deficit is up to you.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    LAduke91 wrote: »
    I've been on the diet for a month now and havnt lost in 2 weeks! I've been doing everything right... I try to stick to the macros but go over the carbs pretty much everyday. So I'm wondering if I cut my carbs if that'll help? Right now it's at 50%/150g a day. So I'd cut the carbs down to around 25%/60g a day. Adding alot more meat, veggies, and fruit. Cutting back on bread and pastas.

    Just remember that there is a water weight cycle that most people go through when they start losing:
    • Stage 1: Wow! I am losing faster than I thought (lasts 2-3 weeks, some fat, lots of water weight)
    • Stage 2: I am not losing, Oh Noes!! (Your body goes "Oops, I dropped too much water, I need to retain more" so you don't show a weight loss. lasts another 2-3 weeks)
    • Stage 3: You lose at your expected rate

    In other words, don't try to change things up until you have been on a weight loss program for 4-6 weeks. Your body needs to regulate itself.
  • LAduke91
    LAduke91 Posts: 34 Member
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    Yes I weight/ measure everything. But I haven't been eating the greatest things. Junk but less of it to stay in my calorie goal.
  • LAduke91
    LAduke91 Posts: 34 Member
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    I've been on mfp for a month but lost 10 lbs before I started so I know what I have lost in the past month wasn't just water. I'm 5'1 at 163lbs. I want to lose as much as I can before March since I'm getting married on the 5th and I thought cutting carbs could kick jump the process?
  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
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    LAduke91 wrote: »
    I've been on mfp for a month but lost 10 lbs before I started so I know what I have lost in the past month wasn't just water. I'm 5'1 at 163lbs. I want to lose as much as I can before March since I'm getting married on the 5th and I thought cutting carbs could kick jump the process?

    There is nothing magical about carbohydrates whereby cutting them out and replacing them with something else makes you lose weight. If you replace the carbs with their caloric equivalent in protein and fat, you're not going to lose weight, because you haven't reduced your overall calories.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    Eating less carbs or low carb is the way to go!
    Or if you eat carbs stick with low carbs like; organic low carb bread, organic oatmeal and organic potatoes!
    Try not eating 3-4 hours before bed!
    But for sure cut the carbs u will see results faster!

    no. just ... no.

    unless you have a health issue, there is no need to cut carbs. they are not bad and our bodies need them. Many people inadvertently end up cutting carbs, simply because they are so calorie heavy.

    and it does not matter when you eat. your body does not care. eat on whatever schedule works best for you.
  • NaturalNancy
    NaturalNancy Posts: 1,093 Member
    Options
    Eating less carbs or low carb is the way to go!
    Or if you eat carbs stick with low carbs like; organic low carb bread, organic oatmeal and organic potatoes!
    Try not eating 3-4 hours before bed!
    But for sure cut the carbs u will see results faster!

    Lot of not true things here but ok.

    OP - I go over my carbs frequently and it hasn't hindered my weight loss.

    Just an FYI - weight loss isn't always linear, there will be some weeks will you will not lose. That does not mean that you have to change anything

    These are tips that have HELPED ME- might not be "true" for YOU but it helped me and might help HER.
  • LAduke91
    LAduke91 Posts: 34 Member
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    I'm already on 1,200 calories a day.. I plan on eating that still but just reducing my carbs bc I always go over. Cutting down on bread and pasta has to help with the weight loss process? When I replace them with healthier options.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    LAduke91 wrote: »
    I'm already on 1,200 calories a day.. I plan on eating that still but just reducing my carbs bc I always go over. Cutting down on bread and pasta has to help with the weight loss process? When I replace them with healthier options.

    It helps with the weight loss process if you replace them with lower calorie alternatives.
    It may also help if you replace them with food that satiates you more, meaning you end up eating less.
    In the end, it still all comes down to how many calories you eat.
  • dasher602014
    dasher602014 Posts: 1,992 Member
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    I saw a book once that said, you know what to do. Don't eat junk and move more. A number of different diets work. I do find when I eat less carbs, I lose weight and it is easier for me. But one step at a time. You said you were eating more junk than you should. Eat quality whatever diet you are on; your body will thank you.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
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    Blehhhhh, I hate when the low carb propaganda gets spread. Unless you are insulin resistant, there is no reason to go low carb. Carbs make your body store glycogen, glycogen can cause you to retain water. Low carb = less glycogen = "weight loss". You don't lose any extra fat due to going low carb, you simply just lose a bit more water weight. It will stabilize over time. This is why people think when they reintroduce carbs they "gain" weight.

    It's important to make sure a good portion of your foods are nutrient dense so you feel satiated, but there is nothing wrong with eating sweets, pizza, or any other "junk" food as long as it fits into your calorie goal. I'm 5'3", 112.8 pounds with visible abs and that all came while I still ate cake, pizza, carbs, and anything else I wanted to that fit within my calorie goals.
  • emmycantbemeeko
    emmycantbemeeko Posts: 303 Member
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    LAduke91 wrote: »
    I'm already on 1,200 calories a day.. I plan on eating that still but just reducing my carbs bc I always go over. Cutting down on bread and pasta has to help with the weight loss process? When I replace them with healthier options.

    "Health" and "weight loss" are sometimes related, but not actually synonymous goals. If you replace your carbs with an equivalent number of calories of protein or fat, it will not increase your weight loss (beyond perhaps small fluctuations in water retention that aren't relevant to your long-term goals. Many people say "healthy" when they actually mean "low calorie" when referring to foods, but since you're talking about swapping calorie-for-calorie, the fact that the proteinaceous or fatty foods you intend to substitute might have more micronutrients (be "healthier") won't have an impact on your rate of weight loss.

    Some people find eating a lower proportion of carbs is helpful to their weight loss because they, as an individual, find they crave carbs more the more they eat, because simple carbs are not very filling, and because carbs are an easy food to overeat out of boredom or just because they're tasty. If you find yourself saying "Man, I could really go for a slice of cake, I'm ravenous" but you realize a chicken breast or a slice of avocado sounds gross, you might not actually be hungry just then. If tasty, snacky carbs are "not an option"- for SOME PEOPLE- this restriction will help them recognize times when they're eating out of real hunger and when it's just boredom or habit speaking.

    None of this is anything magic, though. If you're already truly eating only 1200 calories (and you shouldn't be eating less than that!) and you intend to replace the carbs you're eating with some other macro in the same level of calories, you're not going to see increased loss. It might make it easier for you to stick to your calorie goal- protein and fat often keeps you feeling full longer, and sometimes people see a reduction in carb cravings when they reduce carb intake. But it's not going to make you lose weight any faster. Increasing your calorie deficit is the sole deciding factor in fat loss. You can gain weight eating "healthy" foods and lose weight eating "junk"- it's entirely a matter of how much of them you eat.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    Just gonna drop this here. OP, there's no reason to cut carbs unless you have a medical condition or you just feel like it. They aren't bad, and they have not a dam thing to do with losing weight for the average Jane. Tighten up your logging and settle in for the long haul.

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  • LAduke91
    LAduke91 Posts: 34 Member
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    What does OP mean?
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    LAduke91 wrote: »
    What does OP mean?

    Original Poster. Or Original Post depending on context.