Need advice: should I go low carb? (20-25 grams)
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paigeg150
Posts: 27 Member
I am at the beginning of an intense lifestyle change. Day 35 of eating right and working out. I'm 29/f with 50 more lbs to lose. I'm down 17lbs and working out every day; taking a day off of intense workouts and replacing with a long walk or hike with my dog. Getting 17-20k steps in a day. Eating 1,400 or less calories (eating when hungry not just because I'm under my calorie intake). I've been concentrating on high protein (100-140 g a day) and lower carbs (60-80 g a day). I'm doing cardio and weight training (about 45 mins cardio). I cut out alcohol, bread, most rice, pasta, etc.
But, I only lost 1 pound last week!
In the past, I was successful with low carb but it was torture! At this point, it would mean cutting out my Greek yogurt breakfast, strawberries, oranges, etc. and I'm worried it will be difficult to sustain.
Did anyone make the decision to go low carb? Successes? How many grams a day? Did you do it in phases as Atkins reccommends? Did you count fiber (carbs - fiber= digestible carbs)?
My motivation is extremely high and I have created a routine. I am actually enjoying my 5am workouts and eating clean BUT will I get the most payoff if I cut my carb intake at this point or should I wait until the finish line (15lb left to lose)?
Open to advice! Thank you!
But, I only lost 1 pound last week!
In the past, I was successful with low carb but it was torture! At this point, it would mean cutting out my Greek yogurt breakfast, strawberries, oranges, etc. and I'm worried it will be difficult to sustain.
Did anyone make the decision to go low carb? Successes? How many grams a day? Did you do it in phases as Atkins reccommends? Did you count fiber (carbs - fiber= digestible carbs)?
My motivation is extremely high and I have created a routine. I am actually enjoying my 5am workouts and eating clean BUT will I get the most payoff if I cut my carb intake at this point or should I wait until the finish line (15lb left to lose)?
Open to advice! Thank you!
1
Replies
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I'm in a similar situation. No idea1
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Your diet should be something you can do for the rest of your life. If don't like low carb, don't do it. I found it hard and it zapped my energy.12
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Lets take a step back and look at some things objectively.
- You've lost 17lbs in 35 days. We could debate whether this is too fast and potentially a concern but lets set this aside for now.
- You "only" lost 1lb last week.
- You are now considering making a substantial change to your diet strategy.
- You are aiming at a "lifestyle change"
When you look at these things collectively, what does it tell you?16 -
You won't always lose consistently week after week, but if you stick with it you should start to lose again. I used the generic ketostix to see if I was in ketosis at different levels of carb intake. I stay in it up to around 80 carbs a day. I'm sure everyone is different. I've been LC since January and lost around 40 lbs.1
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But, I only lost 1 pound last week!
Open to advice? Here it is: don't stress out about one week. Look at your long term averages. One week is nothing in the larger scheme of a lifetime of health. If you have 15 lbs left and lost 1 lb this week, I think you should be celebrating, not worrying that you need to change anything. WHAT YOURE DOING IS WORKING, why change it?
Low carb: if you're currently on a weightloss trend, then suddenly switching to keto will not necessarily seem to do anything except possibly make you lose endurance for a while at the gym. Plus possible flu symptoms for up to a couple weeks. And, you likely have to add special supplements like magneseum and such.
In order to decide if you want to switch to keto, ask yourself what your goals really are. If you can see yourself NEVER eating a french baguette again because gluten makes your tummy upset... then maybe give it a try. Maybe you'll find the extra effort and twinges of social stigma worth it.
ETA: I misunderstood the total left to lose, sorry about that. I still think 1lb loss is reason to celebrate, maybe buy a new bra or something so you feel your best.3 -
Muscle weighs more than fat. If you are working as intensely as you indicate you are, then perhaps your body is adjusting to some new muscle. And the leaner you become, the slower the weight will come off. I am 61, extremely obese, and very broken thanks to arthritis everywhere. My metabolism was at a crawl when I started, but has improved some and so has my ability to do more having successfully lost 28 pounds since February 4, 2016. I did hit a 10 day plateau about 14 weeks in where I never lost an ounce. It was followed by a 3 pound drop! I LOVE carbs and refuse to take them out of my diet completely so I have tried to find ways of keeping them in my diet. This weightloss project must fit my budget and lifestyle or it won't be sustainable!! I am doing 1200 calories a day goal (before exercise) and trying not to add back in calories unless truly hungry. I use whole grain bread for my morning toast with my eggs for breakfast. I have also found some pastas made with veggies that are really good. I just add my favorite teriyaki or pasta sauce to them and enjoy. I have also started using a spiral vegetable slicer making noodles out of carrots, zucchini, sweet potato, yellow squash and whatever else sounds good. I toss it in a hot skillet like stir fry and again add my favorite sauce and enjoy. Most of my pasta cravings are for the great sauces that give pasta their flavor. I think if you are enjoying what you are currently doing, that is one of the most important things for sustainability. You have already lost 17 pounds, so what you are doing is working. Although it is VERY hard on the slower weeks, try to be patient. I do weigh every morning first thing. I don't want to miss that 2 pound weight loss because I had too much salt yesterday and am retaining fluids today. I would then feel unsuccessful when actually I was successful with the loss, just not with watching my sodium.2
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Just to clarify, I have 50lbs to lose. But I love your points. I have lost steam in my AM workout for what I thought was no reason, after reviewing the previous day macros totals I realized I was too low in many areas and do fear low carb would cause this to be a frequent damper on my gym sessions.
Thanks for the advice!
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There is no reason to cut out an entire macro. Carbs are not the enemy.
Be diligent in logging, be sure to get enough protein, and above all, be patient.6 -
I am at the beginning of an intense lifestyle change. Day 35 of eating right and working out. I'm 29/f with 50 more lbs to lose. I'm down 17lbs and working out every day; taking a day off of intense workouts and replacing with a long walk or hike with my dog. Getting 17-20k steps in a day. Eating 1,400 or less calories (eating when hungry not just because I'm under my calorie intake). I've been concentrating on high protein (100-140 g a day) and lower carbs (60-80 g a day). I'm doing cardio and weight training (about 45 mins cardio). I cut out alcohol, bread, most rice, pasta, etc.
But, I only lost 1 pound last week!
In the past, I was successful with low carb but it was torture! At this point, it would mean cutting out my Greek yogurt breakfast, strawberries, oranges, etc. and I'm worried it will be difficult to sustain.
Did anyone make the decision to go low carb? Successes? How many grams a day? Did you do it in phases as Atkins reccommends? Did you count fiber (carbs - fiber= digestible carbs)?
My motivation is extremely high and I have created a routine. I am actually enjoying my 5am workouts and eating clean BUT will I get the most payoff if I cut my carb intake at this point or should I wait until the finish line (15lb left to lose)?
Open to advice! Thank you!
There are no shoulds when it comes to a way of eating. You need to pick whatever eating style suits you.
Weight loss has zero percent to do with diet type and 100 percent to do with calorie deficit.
To lose weight, the only requirement is to eat at a calorie deficit. Anything outside of that is preference.
You are losing weight, it's just not coming off as fast as you would like it to. Be patient, weight your food/measure you liquids, log all your foods, eat only a portion of your cardio calories back and you will lose weight.8 -
Just to clarify, I have 50lbs to lose. But I love your points. I have lost steam in my AM workout for what I thought was no reason, after reviewing the previous day macros totals I realized I was too low in many areas and do fear low carb would cause this to be a frequent damper on my gym sessions.
Thanks for the advice!
Bottom line, you can do this. 50 pounds is not that much.
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Muscle weighs more than fat. If you are working as intensely as you indicate you are, then perhaps your body is adjusting to some new muscle.
A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat, it's just takes up less space. If she's obese and working out that intensely she might have gained some muscle, which is what's referred to as newbie gains. Other than this, you don't gain muscle eating at a deficit even if you are working out.
6 -
Low carb isn't necessary.... just eat less than you burn. Well done on your loss to date 3
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I am at the beginning of an intense lifestyle change. Day 35 of eating right and working out. I'm 29/f with 50 more lbs to lose. I'm down 17lbs and working out every day; taking a day off of intense workouts and replacing with a long walk or hike with my dog. Getting 17-20k steps in a day. Eating 1,400 or less calories (eating when hungry not just because I'm under my calorie intake). I've been concentrating on high protein (100-140 g a day) and lower carbs (60-80 g a day). I'm doing cardio and weight training (about 45 mins cardio). I cut out alcohol, bread, most rice, pasta, etc.
But, I only lost 1 pound last week!
In the past, I was successful with low carb but it was torture! At this point, it would mean cutting out my Greek yogurt breakfast, strawberries, oranges, etc. and I'm worried it will be difficult to sustain.
Did anyone make the decision to go low carb? Successes? How many grams a day? Did you do it in phases as Atkins reccommends? Did you count fiber (carbs - fiber= digestible carbs)?
My motivation is extremely high and I have created a routine. I am actually enjoying my 5am workouts and eating clean BUT will I get the most payoff if I cut my carb intake at this point or should I wait until the finish line (15lb left to lose)?
Open to advice! Thank you!
Hi
For me Keto diets always worked better. I usually had 20-50 gram carbs getting ready for competition.
You need to eat high good fat, drink 2-3 litre water and eat frequently. Also be patient as you might starting to loose weight later on. Good luck.
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50 lbs is not a huge amount to lose. I lost 52 lbs in 52 weeks. Actually, 30 lbs in 13 weeks and 22 in 39 weeks. Your 1 lb is a perfectly good rate of loss. Chill out.2
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I am at the beginning of an intense lifestyle change. Day 35 of eating right and working out. I'm 29/f with 50 more lbs to lose. I'm down 17lbs and working out every day; taking a day off of intense workouts and replacing with a long walk or hike with my dog. Getting 17-20k steps in a day. Eating 1,400 or less calories (eating when hungry not just because I'm under my calorie intake). I've been concentrating on high protein (100-140 g a day) and lower carbs (60-80 g a day). I'm doing cardio and weight training (about 45 mins cardio). I cut out alcohol, bread, most rice, pasta, etc.
But, I only lost 1 pound last week!
In the past, I was successful with low carb but it was torture! At this point, it would mean cutting out my Greek yogurt breakfast, strawberries, oranges, etc. and I'm worried it will be difficult to sustain.
Did anyone make the decision to go low carb? Successes? How many grams a day? Did you do it in phases as Atkins reccommends? Did you count fiber (carbs - fiber= digestible carbs)?
My motivation is extremely high and I have created a routine. I am actually enjoying my 5am workouts and eating clean BUT will I get the most payoff if I cut my carb intake at this point or should I wait until the finish line (15lb left to lose)?
Open to advice! Thank you!
There are no shoulds when it comes to a way of eating. You need to pick whatever eating style suits you.
Weight loss has zero percent to do with diet type and 100 percent to do with calorie deficit.
To lose weight, the only requirement is to eat at a calorie deficit. Anything outside of that is preference.
You are losing weight, it's just not coming off as fast as you would like it to. Be patient, weight your food/measure you liquids, log all your foods, eat only a portion of your cardio calories back and you will lose weight.
ALL OF THIS!1 -
You may actually be getting too much protein. Unless your body building or have had weight loss surgery there's no reason you need more than 90 gram a day. Look back through your diary to get an idea of which days you saw the most success. Also make sure your carbs are complex.0
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This is my opinion only.
I tried it. It worked. But I gained it all back.
I'm sorry but I love my pastas too much.
And to be honest, I'm loosing more weight counting calories vs counting carbs. In three months I've lost over 53 pounds. I never had those results on low carb. Not saying it's not possible....I just like to have more freedom in what I can eat and having more freedom makes me more comfortable with what I can eat.
When I was on low carb I was so afraid to eat something carb related because I would binge. The beautiful thing about doing it the "old fashion way" is I can have whatever food I want within reason.
But there is one thing I'm not eating that I picked up on Atkins...I stay away from sweets. Because it's a waste of calories to me. I can have some cheese ....same calories as a donut but a helluva lot more protein!
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60-80 grams of carbs is kind of low already. I only eat low carb because I have to. If you're losing successfully the way you are, why change? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. It sounds like you're doing really well already. Keep it up!1
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It sounds like you are having a LOT of success with what you are doing already. Weight loss isn't linear. a loss of 1lb in a week is still great. No one can maintain that first whoosh of weight loss, on any diet. That being said, you will probably experience another banner week soon. I know I lost that way: 5lbs one week, 2 the next and then maybe nothing after that followed by 4lbs down. As long as the trend is down, you're doing fine.
I went very LCHF about a year ago. I am usually around 20g of carbs per day (without subtracting fibre) and it works for me - it corrected some health issues I have, and I lost 40lbs in under 5 months. I enjoy it.
You could try very LCHF but since you are doing so well, there is no need. Some find lowering carbs further helps with weight loss (less appetite and slight metabolic benefit) but others do well without going very low carb... You probably don't need to switch things up yet. Maybe if you stall for a few weeks or months, but you are still losing successfully. Just hang in there.
And consider joining us in the Low Carber Daily. They are a supportive group for varying low carb levels (from almost zero to 150g or carbs or so per day. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group1 -
I am at the beginning of an intense lifestyle change. Day 35 of eating right and working out. I'm 29/f with 50 more lbs to lose. I'm down 17lbs and working out every day; taking a day off of intense workouts and replacing with a long walk or hike with my dog. Getting 17-20k steps in a day. Eating 1,400 or less calories (eating when hungry not just because I'm under my calorie intake). I've been concentrating on high protein (100-140 g a day) and lower carbs (60-80 g a day). I'm doing cardio and weight training (about 45 mins cardio). I cut out alcohol, bread, most rice, pasta, etc.
But, I only lost 1 pound last week!
In the past, I was successful with low carb but it was torture! At this point, it would mean cutting out my Greek yogurt breakfast, strawberries, oranges, etc. and I'm worried it will be difficult to sustain.
Did anyone make the decision to go low carb? Successes? How many grams a day? Did you do it in phases as Atkins reccommends? Did you count fiber (carbs - fiber= digestible carbs)?
My motivation is extremely high and I have created a routine. I am actually enjoying my 5am workouts and eating clean BUT will I get the most payoff if I cut my carb intake at this point or should I wait until the finish line (15lb left to lose)?
Open to advice! Thank you!
If it's "torture" to you, then no, no you should not.
You should eat and exercise as best you can and still enjoy what you're doing - because to be successful, you're going to be doing this for a lifetime. It's not about how fast you drop the weight (if anything, I'd advise you to slow down), it's about how well you keep it off when you go to maintenance.1
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