Low carb diet not working
camsmom0904
Posts: 11 Member
Has anyone been unsuccessful on a LCHF diet? I have been doing low carb, (about 20 grams or less a day) for 2 weeks now, and not only have I not lost weight, but have gained 2 lbs!?! What gives? Has this ever happened to any of you? What am I doing wrong?
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Replies
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I also tried it and found it far too restrictive. I prefer to weigh my food and count my calories.0
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I tried this last year and was successful, so I'm just frustrated that the scale is not moving now
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How many calories are you eating?0
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You might find more help for this in the Low Carbers Daily Forum. The launch pad section there has a lot of good info and the members there are a great resource for trouble-shooting.
You could try upping your carbs some though. I aim for 20-30 net. It worked well for me, though I did have some temporary stalls. I'm now in maintenance, working toward a recomp.0 -
Are you weighing your food, it really does come down to eating in a deficit. I really see no reason to do low carb, if your have no health issues.0
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camsmom0904 wrote: »I tried this last year and was successful, so I'm just frustrated that the scale is not moving now
If it was successful, why do you need to do it again?
Caloric awareness is a skill for life, not just weight loss.
No need to complicate things with unnecessary restrictions.
Best wishes.0 -
a normal well balanced calorie appropriate diet might work better. carbs are needed in our diet0
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camsmom0904 wrote: »Has anyone been unsuccessful on a LCHF diet? I have been doing low carb, (about 20 grams or less a day) for 2 weeks now, and not only have I not lost weight, but have gained 2 lbs!?! What gives? Has this ever happened to any of you? What am I doing wrong?
@camsmom0904 for the first 6 weeks on LCHF I did not lose even 1 pound but did lose in the face and waist.
Low Carb High Fat is not a plan to lose but to regain ones health if possible. After that our bodies may lose weight.
In my case LCHF managed my joint pain and resolved my 40 years of IBS. For others it may be to resolve their need to take Type 2 diabetes meds. Others it could be to reduce cancer or heart disease risk, etc.
12 month ago I had lost a total of 50 pounds down to 200. Eating 2500-3000 calories daily I am still at 200 pounds with much improved health.
Best of success.
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I know really nothing about LCHF but what I know about my fat and protein sources is that if I'm off weighing them or try to estimate that can mean a huge calorie difference which could easily ruin a deficit. Nuts, nut butters, seeds, meats, etc are all very hard to eye ball and can be hundreds of cals extra if not weighed. Just my 2 cents I'm sure the low carb boards are packed with info0
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Check out the low carbers group with your questions, you will get better answers other than "carbs are needed in a diet" http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group0
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camsmom0904 wrote: »Has anyone been unsuccessful on a LCHF diet? I have been doing low carb, (about 20 grams or less a day) for 2 weeks now, and not only have I not lost weight, but have gained 2 lbs!?! What gives? Has this ever happened to any of you? What am I doing wrong?
It's important to note that one can maintain or gain weight on a LCHF diet.
If you eat more fat than you oxidise then it will accumulate.
Basically you're eating too much, possibly too much protein, but your diary is closed so we can't tell.
Ignore the "I only have a hammer so everything is a nail" contingent.0 -
camsmom0904 wrote: »Has anyone been unsuccessful on a LCHF diet? I have been doing low carb, (about 20 grams or less a day) for 2 weeks now, and not only have I not lost weight, but have gained 2 lbs!?! What gives? Has this ever happened to any of you? What am I doing wrong?
It's important to note that one can maintain or gain weight on a LCHF diet.
If you eat more fat than you oxidise then it will accumulate.
Basically you're eating too much, possibly too much protein, but your diary is closed so we can't tell.
Ignore the "I only have a hammer so everything is a nail" contingent.
That isn't true. You have to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight regardless of macros. Too much fat or too much protein, in a calories deficit, with not cause weight gain.0 -
Some people really do seem to lose weight effortlessly on a low carb diet. My husband is one of them. I think it works for him because it seems to significantly reduce his appetite for some reason, so he is satisfied eating tiny portions, which results in the consumption of fewer calories.
Reducing my carb intake does nothing for me. My appetite remains the same, which is a bit problematic as I am a high volume eater. I balance managing my weight with my love of eating lots of food by adding extra vegetables to my meals so that they are satisfying to me. That doesn't work if I am limiting my carbs, so I end up hungry and miserable. I am also one of those people for whom fat is not satiating. I have issues eating many fatty foods - there is a texture issue plus anything that leaves a greasy residue triggers an intense need to get up and brush my teeth thoroughly.
Luckily, what matters for weight loss is maintaining a consistent calorie deficit. How you do that is a matter of individual preference. I manage best with a plant based diet, eating satisfying portions of foods with a relatively low calorie density. It is amusing to compare my meals to my husband's, as he is a much bigger person that I am, but I eat far larger quantities of food than he does. But we both do what works best for us. I hope you are able to find (or devise) a plan that best meets your needs and helps you achieve your goals.
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camsmom0904 wrote: »Has anyone been unsuccessful on a LCHF diet? I have been doing low carb, (about 20 grams or less a day) for 2 weeks now, and not only have I not lost weight, but have gained 2 lbs!?! What gives? Has this ever happened to any of you? What am I doing wrong?
It's important to note that one can maintain or gain weight on a LCHF diet.
If you eat more fat than you oxidise then it will accumulate.
Basically you're eating too much, possibly too much protein, but your diary is closed so we can't tell.
Ignore the "I only have a hammer so everything is a nail" contingent.
That isn't true. You have to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight regardless of macros. Too much fat or too much protein, in a calories deficit, with not cause weight gain.
What isn't true ? You don't have to reduce everything to "calories". If you don't oxidise the fat that you eat where does it go ? it accumulates.
A calorie deficit is post hoc accountancy of little value. We know the OP is gaining weight, so there is no deficit anyway. Put the hammer away.
If she's gaining weight she's not burning the fat she's eating, let alone anything from reserves, and on a low carb diet excessive protein intake can be part of that. Like I said, she's probably eating too much.
But good luck hammering in your nail.0 -
Tried it once, didn't lose much and got constipated. Found a bettet way!
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There are a couple of possibilities. You are either eating too much or your body needs some time to adjust to a new way of eating. There isn't much to do for the second option but wait, but for the first you can reassess your diet. Are you weighing food and accurately measuring? Do you have your goal set at too high of a caloric level? Are you eating too much protein (which will raise insulin and may slow or prevent weight loss in some people)?
Good luck.0 -
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I'm doing HCLF myself (and am happy with it), but in reality you don't need any specific macro plans for losing weight. Only count your calories and eat whatever you want.0
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a normal well balanced calorie appropriate diet might work better. carbs are needed in our diet
Untrue. Carbs can be delicious and many nutritious foods have carbs, but you do not need them, if you choose not to have them or reduce them.
Your body can use ketone bodies for fuel and any glucose needed for cells that require can be made by your body via gluconeogenesis.
I have been low carb (usually under 30g a day) for over 3 years. Still not dead. Still have great blood glucose and lipid levels.0 -
Pollywog_la wrote: »a normal well balanced calorie appropriate diet might work better. carbs are needed in our diet
Untrue. Carbs can be delicious and many nutritious foods have carbs, but you do not need them, if you choose not to have them or reduce them.
Your body can use ketone bodies for fuel and any glucose needed for cells that require can be made by your body via gluconeogenesis.
I have been low carb (usually under 30g a day) for over 3 years. Still not dead. Still have great blood glucose and lipid levels.
Carbs are our primary fuel source, though. They are pretty important.0 -
melonaulait wrote: »
Carbs are our primary fuel source, though. They are pretty important.
oh sheesh. So what are low carbers running on? Magic and borrowed time? In a ketogenic diet they are not the primary fuel source, as already stated.
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Tricia7188 wrote: »what I know about my fat and protein sources is that if I'm off weighing them or try to estimate that can mean a huge calorie difference which could easily ruin a deficit. Nuts, nut butters, seeds, meats, etc are all very hard to eye ball and can be hundreds of cals extra if not weighed.
Very good point.0 -
Ok with all the craziness and back and forth I just want to share with you my experience. Not because I want to beat you up but just because I have found so much freedom in my journey now. Ok so 3 years ago I did a low carb diet (17 day diet). No breads pasta mostly fruit veggie and lean meats. And a bunch of other rules that I had to follow to loose the weight. I lost all my weight about 50 lbs but by the end of it I realized I was miserable I couldn't eat the things normal people ate and I couldnt do anything else but excersise. I was literally either recovering from a hard core workout or working out. It was crazy and I was really not happy. So I told myself I don't care anymore I will just be fat and happy and of coarse I slowly gained it all back. For a while I didn't even feel bad about it I thought well at least I have a life now. But it eventually got to a point where I couldnt live like that either so I thought to myself ok I'll get back on the diet for a few months loose it again and then probably gain it all back and this will just be my life. (Crazy I know). The first two weeks I did great and my brother in law introduced me to mfp to follow friends that were "dieting" or so I thought. As I started reading in the community I heard a bunch of haters against low carb dieters I was offended but still kept reading. As I started reading the success stories I actually saw stories of people who had lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off. I was amazed! So I was interested in what they were saying. They said it's all about calories in verses calories out. What?! I have never even heard that before. What do you mean you can have ice cream and still loose weight? Impossible! But how do you argue with someone who lost 80+ lbs and has kept it off for 3-5 years? So I slowly tried it. I just looked at calories and I am happy to say it's true I have literally ate a bowl of icecream and woke up the next day loosing weight. Why because I didn't go over my calories. I have lost 45 lbs this way. I eat bread,candy, beer, wine, pizza, pasta whatever I decide as long as it's not over my allotted calories. I can live like this. I still go out with friends to restraunts and bbqs (just last night in fact) make sure I'm in my calories and still loose weight. I could not live on my low carb diet. Maybe some can but I actually haven't met anyone personally who eats that way 24/7/365.
Can you loose weight in low carb yes for sure but I wasn't loosing before because of the lack of carbs it's because food was so boring I didn't care to over eat anything. So naturally I was low in calories and loosing. Plus the crazy exercising giving me a larger deficit.
If your not loosing it's because you are having too many calories not because of bread or fat or whatever. Hope this helps!0 -
hazleyes81 wrote: »melonaulait wrote: »
Carbs are our primary fuel source, though. They are pretty important.
oh sheesh. So what are low carbers running on? Magic and borrowed time? In a ketogenic diet they are not the primary fuel source, as already stated.
Yay, I've always wanted to run on magic!0 -
mdrichardsons wrote: »Ok with all the craziness and back and forth I just want to share with you my experience. Not because I want to beat you up but just because I have found so much freedom in my journey now. Ok so 3 years ago I did a low carb diet (17 day diet). No breads pasta mostly fruit veggie and lean meats. And a bunch of other rules that I had to follow to loose the weight. I lost all my weight about 50 lbs but by the end of it I realized I was miserable I couldn't eat the things normal people ate and I couldnt do anything else but excersise. I was literally either recovering from a hard core workout or working out. It was crazy and I was really not happy. So I told myself I don't care anymore I will just be fat and happy and of coarse I slowly gained it all back. For a while I didn't even feel bad about it I thought well at least I have a life now. But it eventually got to a point where I couldnt live like that either so I thought to myself ok I'll get back on the diet for a few months loose it again and then probably gain it all back and this will just be my life. (Crazy I know). The first two weeks I did great and my brother in law introduced me to mfp to follow friends that were "dieting" or so I thought. As I started reading in the community I heard a bunch of haters against low carb dieters I was offended but still kept reading. As I started reading the success stories I actually saw stories of people who had lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off. I was amazed! So I was interested in what they were saying. They said it's all about calories in verses calories out. What?! I have never even heard that before. What do you mean you can have ice cream and still loose weight? Impossible! But how do you argue with someone who lost 80+ lbs and has kept it off for 3-5 years? So I slowly tried it. I just looked at calories and I am happy to say it's true I have literally ate a bowl of icecream and woke up the next day loosing weight. Why because I didn't go over my calories. I have lost 45 lbs this way. I eat bread,candy, beer, wine, pizza, pasta whatever I decide as long as it's not over my allotted calories. I can live like this. I still go out with friends to restraunts and bbqs (just last night in fact) make sure I'm in my calories and still loose weight. I could not live on my low carb diet. Maybe some can but I actually haven't met anyone personally who eats that way 24/7/365.
Can you loose weight in low carb yes for sure but I wasn't loosing before because of the lack of carbs it's because food was so boring I didn't care to over eat anything. So naturally I was low in calories and loosing. Plus the crazy exercising giving me a larger deficit.
If your not loosing it's because you are having too many calories not because of bread or fat or whatever. Hope this helps!
I like you.
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LCHF has really helped shift my weight the past couple of weeks. Calorie counting works but for some reason, I was stalled on 1200 calories for awhile. Thought I'd try the same cals but high fat, low carb and wow, I've started losing again, and I'm noticeably leaner. I'm sure it's my body releasing water, etc, but I'll take it as I'm feeling really good. I also do bootcamp 3 times a week and it hasn't affected my workouts.0
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hazleyes81 wrote: »melonaulait wrote: »
Carbs are our primary fuel source, though. They are pretty important.
oh sheesh. So what are low carbers running on? Magic and borrowed time? In a ketogenic diet they are not the primary fuel source, as already stated.
Don't lose your cool, I do know how keto works. 0 -
Pollywog_la wrote: »a normal well balanced calorie appropriate diet might work better. carbs are needed in our diet
Untrue. Carbs can be delicious and many nutritious foods have carbs, but you do not need them, if you choose not to have them or reduce them.
Your body can use ketone bodies for fuel and any glucose needed for cells that require can be made by your body via gluconeogenesis.
I have been low carb (usually under 30g a day) for over 3 years. Still not dead. Still have great blood glucose and lipid levels.
Me too! I am going on my 4th year in Keto. Still kicking and building muscle.0 -
TrailNurse wrote: »Pollywog_la wrote: »a normal well balanced calorie appropriate diet might work better. carbs are needed in our diet
Untrue. Carbs can be delicious and many nutritious foods have carbs, but you do not need them, if you choose not to have them or reduce them.
Your body can use ketone bodies for fuel and any glucose needed for cells that require can be made by your body via gluconeogenesis.
I have been low carb (usually under 30g a day) for over 3 years. Still not dead. Still have great blood glucose and lipid levels.
Me too! I am going on my 4th year in Keto. Still kicking and building muscle.
Awesome. That picture is great proof of it. 0
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