Is it true that cant lose weight with carbs/sugar

Microscopes · March 2016

Sorry for that stupid title.

What I mean is that, low carb books are telling me that you can't lose weight with eating lots of carbs because insulin will go up and when insulin is up, you cant shed fat.

Is that true?

Actually, it doesn't say you CAN'T lose weight. Just says it will be much slower. is it true?

I thought it was all about calories.

Does someone on low carb who eats 1000 calories going to lose faster than me eating carbs on 1000 calories?

queenliz99 · March 2016

No it is not true? It's all about the calories in/calories out.

vivmom2014 · March 2016

I have not found it to be true at all. I love carbs - I tried reducing/avoiding them and I was pretty miserable. I've lost weight just fine eating all my favorite foods. What matters is the calorie deficit.

usmcmp · March 2016

Of course a low carb book would tell you that. It's not true. The initial weight loss of someone who cut carbs will potentially be faster due to depleted glycogen stores, but overall the weight loss would be the same.

WinoGelato · March 2016

No. What matters for weight loss is a calorie deficit. Some people have a medical reason to restrict carbs, others find low carb to be a way of eating that they enjoy and find sustainable.

Many of us have lost weight eating carbs/sugar and following a flexible dieting approach where the diet is built around primarily nutrient dense foods but still allows for all the foods we enjoy in moderation.

senecarr · March 2016

Microscopes wrote: »

Sorry for that stupid title.

What I mean is that, low carb books are telling me that you can't lose weight with eating lots of carbs because insulin will go up and when insulin is up, you cant shed fat.

Is that true?

Actually, it doesn't say you CAN'T lose weight. Just says it will be much slower. is it true?

I thought it was all about calories.

Does someone on low carb who eats 1000 calories going to lose faster than me eating carbs on 1000 calories?

Insulin signals cells to take up fatty acids. This means the fatty acids are already in your body, in your blood, you're just taking them into the cells. I won't prevent your cells from using existing fats as energy. Low carb books confuse people by trying to use the technical fact that insulin is a fat storage signal at the cell level to make people believe that it controls storing it in the body at all, which it is not true.
Whether you eat carbs or not, your body isn't about just pass fat back out undigested.

MelaniaTrump · March 2016

I'm high carb.
I focus on good carbs and enjoy the heck out of them.
Lentils, quick oats, beans, chickpeas, brown rice,
I know I can slowly lose weight for life this way.

Asher_Ethan · March 2016

The only reason I've lost weight, and kept the weight off, is because I can eat carbs.

MommyL2015 · March 2016

If it were true, I wouldn't have lost weight. I eat all the carbs.

Microscopes · March 2016

Thanks everyone.

elphie754 · March 2016

Not true at all.

Side comment-I hope you plan on eating more than 1000 calories a day.

ncboiler89 · March 2016

Microscopes wrote: »

Sorry for that stupid title.

What I mean is that, low carb books are telling me that you can't lose weight with eating lots of carbs because insulin will go up and when insulin is up, you cant shed fat.

Is that true?

Actually, it doesn't say you CAN'T lose weight. Just says it will be much slower. is it true?

I thought it was all about calories.

Does someone on low carb who eats 1000 calories going to lose faster than me eating carbs on 1000 calories?

Low carb books can't say anything else and still be able to sell books. Eat what you want just eat at a deficit.

misskarne · March 2016

Carbs and sugar are not evil. As long as you hit your target, you can eat as much of them as you like. I love bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, all those wonderful things - and I'm still losing.

Please also don't eat only 1000 calories a day. That sounds like an awful idea.

Buff_Man · March 2016

I eat both and still losing weight! You just need a calorie deficit.

HippySkoppy · March 2016

Try to relax into the simplicity of CI-CO.

How you go about achieving this is really up to you. Patience and adherence are 2 of the biggest road blocks to successful weight loss and then maintenance.

Eat the foods that you enjoy....one of the issues for new dieters is the plethora of information out there. Some need to eat low carb and feel better for it, satiety wise and health wise. Others like me don't enjoy that way of eating and feel ill and miserable and cannot maintain that way of eating for any length of time.

PS - ^^^ they are SO right about the 1000 calorie thing - not a good idea.

quiltlovinlisa · March 2016

I have failed in the past on being too rigid with all kinds of "rules." I'm really working on making my health a way of life and honestly, I'm feeling so much better about the changes I'm making this time because i know that I can keep up what I'm doing.

Calories in, calories out.

chelseascounter · March 2016

I did, but that was because I was on a calorie deficit.

rankinsect · March 2016

Microscopes wrote: »

Sorry for that stupid title.

What I mean is that, low carb books are telling me that you can't lose weight with eating lots of carbs because insulin will go up and when insulin is up, you cant shed fat.

Is that true?

Actually, it doesn't say you CAN'T lose weight. Just says it will be much slower. is it true?

I thought it was all about calories.

Does someone on low carb who eats 1000 calories going to lose faster than me eating carbs on 1000 calories?

Well, it's true that insulin is a hormone that promotes storage of surplus food. On the minute-by-minute time scale, it does strongly influence fat creation and burning.

However, the minute-by-minute view is basically irrelevant to dieters. We care about longer time scales - days, weeks, months, sometimes even years. On those time scales, the different insulin effect after meals with different macronutrient composition is totally irrelevant - what matters is the calorie deficit you sustained over that time.

Effectively, the body must be in energy balance. Any difference between the energy you take in and the energy you expel or expend must be made up by the use of stored energy, and fat is the major long-term energy store. On longer time scales, like a full day, your body will drive down insulin levels between meals far enough that its energy needs are met by increased fat oxidation. It doesn't matter if your insulin levels were elevated just after a meal, everyone's are, your body has closed-loop feedback control ensuring that you're oxidizing sufficient fat to meet your energy needs.

robs_ready · March 2016

Microscopes wrote: »

Sorry for that stupid title.

What I mean is that, low carb books are telling me that you can't lose weight with eating lots of carbs because insulin will go up and when insulin is up, you cant shed fat.

Is that true?

Actually, it doesn't say you CAN'T lose weight. Just says it will be much slower. is it true?

I thought it was all about calories.

Does someone on low carb who eats 1000 calories going to lose faster than me eating carbs on 1000 calories?

Completely untrue.

Carbs play an important role any muscle building and are useful for fuel when performing high intensive cardio. The best way to lose weight and preserve muscle is to eat a diet that consists of good carbs and protein moderate fat, cardio and weight resistance training.

But essentially, it all boils down to CICO, but there's a right way to do it.. Balanced Macro nutrients, plenty of vegetables and good quality protein sources where possible.

Wynterbourne · March 2016

I've lost 70 pounds since July and carbs make up 50% to 60% of my daily calories. Pretty certain my weight loss would not be considered "much slower" by anyone.

Chubby_bunnyy · March 2016

I agree with everyone else. I ate whatever I wanted even pastries. I just made sure to keep it under 1000-1200 calories.

nvmomketo · March 2016

You can lose on a high carb diet. Low carb does seem to make it easier for those with insulin resistance to lose faster though.

Wynterbourne · March 2016

Chubby_bunnyy wrote: »

I just made sure to keep it under 1000-1200 calories.

That's not a safe thing to do.

Bob314159 · March 2016

Just about every rule you see in MFP is too simplistic

You can lose weight eating carbs or not eating them

You can lose weight eating 75% of your food as sugar - but you might die in the process

All the people that say you have to have low carbs to lose weight are wrong

All the people that say carbs are required to build muscle are wrong

You can lose weight at 1000 cals a day, 95% sure you will put it all back on faster than you lost it and gain some more. Look at 75% of the new posts "I'm back again this time I will suceed [doubtful" "I've been on MFP for 2 years, works great-lost 40 lbs, but I gained it all back"

I eat max 50 grams carbs per day, I've lost 50 lbs, I'm in better shape than I have been in years, I'm building muscle working out the the gym 3+ hours a week. Should you eat like me? - No way. You need to find what's right for you.

macchiatto · March 2016

nvmomketo wrote: »

You can lose on a high carb diet. Low carb does seem to make it easier for those with insulin resistance to lose faster though.

Yep, that was definitely my experience.

size102b · March 2016

Low carbing ketosis caused my periods to mess up hair to fall out memory loss & hemoraghing
I lost 71lbs CICO 50g carbs a day our body's like carbs

snowflake954 · March 2016

OP-great advice on this thread by very experienced people. Follow it and please don't eat below 1200 cals a day. You're a male by your profile and should really eat more.

yirara · March 2016

Not true at all. I eat a lot of carbs and lost the 10lbs I wanted to lose initially, then another 10, and then totalled about 40 with eating about 50-60% carbs.