Cutting out carbs.

Will I lose weight if I cut out carbs with one cheat day a week? Cheat day meaning on a Saturday with one of my meals.

Replies

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    If doing that leaves your overall calorie intake lower than how many calories your body burns, yes.

    If it doesn't, no.

    How much weight you lose and how fast you lose it is dependent upon how much of a calorie deficit you create, if any.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    If it puts you in a deficit, then sure you'll lose. If it doesn't, then no.
  • Thank you for your comments. I apologize for posting this twice. . It wasn't showing up the first time I posted.
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    You need to count calories, period. I eat plenty of carbs, and I've lost 115lbs. My only "cheat day" was Thanksgiving. You choose what you want, but if it works over the long term is a different story.

    Carbs don't make you fat. Too many calories does.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    hookilau wrote: »
    Will carb restriction work?
    Absolutely.

    It will work if you're maintaining a caloric deficit (just as any other macro combination will). No calorie deficit, no weight loss. Carb restriction/keto doesn't supercede the laws of energy balance.
  • 3474449k
    3474449k Posts: 46 Member
    The thing I hate about eating low carb is that I don't have sustainable energy. I do much better with the right amount of carbs and not eating too low fat. The carbs let me run and some fat keeps me from being hungry.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    hookilau wrote: »
    Will carb restriction work?
    Absolutely.

    It will work if you're maintaining a caloric deficit (just as any other macro combination will). No calorie deficit, no weight loss. Carb restriction/keto doesn't supercede the laws of energy balance.

    Meh.
    That wasn't the question asked.
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    hookilau wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    hookilau wrote: »
    Will carb restriction work?
    Absolutely.

    It will work if you're maintaining a caloric deficit (just as any other macro combination will). No calorie deficit, no weight loss. Carb restriction/keto doesn't supercede the laws of energy balance.

    Meh.
    That wasn't the question asked.

    ....and????
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    hookilau wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    hookilau wrote: »
    Will carb restriction work?
    Absolutely.

    It will work if you're maintaining a caloric deficit (just as any other macro combination will). No calorie deficit, no weight loss. Carb restriction/keto doesn't supercede the laws of energy balance.

    Meh.
    That wasn't the question asked.

    No but Anvil answered the question asked. Could she eat low carb AND have a cheat meal AND lose weight? A cheat meal could wipe out her deficit.
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    hookilau wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    hookilau wrote: »
    Will carb restriction work?
    Absolutely.

    It will work if you're maintaining a caloric deficit (just as any other macro combination will). No calorie deficit, no weight loss. Carb restriction/keto doesn't supercede the laws of energy balance.

    Meh.
    That wasn't the question asked.

    No but Anvil answered the question asked. Could she eat low carb AND have a cheat meal AND lose weight? A cheat meal could wipe out her deficit.

    Technically, sure. I wouldn't call his answer a non-answer.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    MissusMoon wrote: »
    hookilau wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    hookilau wrote: »
    Will carb restriction work?
    Absolutely.

    It will work if you're maintaining a caloric deficit (just as any other macro combination will). No calorie deficit, no weight loss. Carb restriction/keto doesn't supercede the laws of energy balance.

    Meh.
    That wasn't the question asked.

    No but Anvil answered the question asked. Could she eat low carb AND have a cheat meal AND lose weight? A cheat meal could wipe out her deficit.

    Technically, sure. I wouldn't call his answer a non-answer.

    Nor am I. Poster said" that wasn't the question asked". Anvil didn't ask a question he answered one:).
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    Don't cut all carbs but feel free to cut down on carbs if you're currently going overboard. The best strategy is to just eat within your calories and macros (macros goals are found under "nutrition"). If you want 1 cheat day a week go ahead but try not to go over maintenance calories. If you don't know what your maintenance calories are use a TDEE calculator or temporarily change your goal in myfitnesspal to maintenance instead of weight loss to see what it is.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited December 2016
    The posters talking about calories are all correct in terms of long term weight loss

    However if you cut out carbs for 6 days straight you would probably see a water weight swing down as your body strips glycogen and associated water...dependent on how low your carbs go you may also experience "keto flu" which is unpleasant

    If your cheat day on day 7 is "normal" carb that water weight will swing back

    So basically short term (6 days) you may "think" you're losing but unless your overall calories are in defecit long term (weeks, months, years) you won't be
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Will I lose weight if I cut out carbs with one cheat day a week? Cheat day meaning on a Saturday with one of my meals.

    You lose weight when you consistently take in less energy (calories) than you burn (and your body burns calories 24/7). Carbs (carbohydrate) is one of our sources of energy, the other two are protein and fat. Carbs make up parts of many foods that are nutritious - fruit, vegetables, grains, dairy, nuts and seeds - and cutting out all of this would leave you with nothing but meat, fish, eggs and oil - far, far from a balanced, varied and nutritious diet. If you could eat like that for a while, and at the same time eat fewer calories than you burn, you would lose weight. But you'd probably get sick long before you could notice any discernible weight loss. So I would say that you could lose wegiht if you cut out carbs, but you can't - hope that made sense.

    A cheat day a week can easily eradicate the calorie deficit of a whole week. It's better not to cheat, and instead log accurately, consistently and honestly. Your body reacts to what you do to it, not what you think you are doing.
  • Thank you for all your answers.. I'm 5'1 and had weighed 140lbs. After 12 days of doing the grapfruit diet I lost 5 lbs and now weigh 135lb. I don't find myself starving at all with the cutting out of breads, fruits and potatoes. I get my first "cheat" day today and was just wondering if I start from here on counting my calories which should be around 1200 can i continue to keep losing or will I gain bc now I will be consuming more carbs again?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited December 2016
    Thank you for all your answers.. I'm 5'1 and had weighed 140lbs. After 12 days of doing the grapfruit diet I lost 5 lbs and now weigh 135lb. I don't find myself starving at all with the cutting out of breads, fruits and potatoes. I get my first "cheat" day today and was just wondering if I start from here on counting my calories which should be around 1200 can i continue to keep losing or will I gain bc now I will be consuming more carbs again?

    A lot will be water weight

    You will put that back on with a quick carb refeed

    But if you go to a calorie defecit basis, and not an extreme defecit or macro manipulation which is the premise of the diet you've followed the weight will start to drop again...wherther low carb or not suits you to achieve that defecit and maintain long term is personal preference
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Thank you for all your answers.. I'm 5'1 and had weighed 140lbs. After 12 days of doing the grapfruit diet I lost 5 lbs and now weigh 135lb. I don't find myself starving at all with the cutting out of breads, fruits and potatoes. I get my first "cheat" day today and was just wondering if I start from here on counting my calories which should be around 1200 can i continue to keep losing or will I gain bc now I will be consuming more carbs again?

    Weight will probably go up with a carb refeed but as already stated, it will be water. When eating LCHF, people tend to lose, on average, 2-3 lbs of water weight. If you eat carbs, that weight will probably come back but when you lower carbs again, you'll re-lose the water weight.

    If you are eating more carbs again, but continue to eat the same 1200kcal per day that you were losing at, you will probably continue to lose weight at a similar rate (ignoring the few pounds of water weight). Some people lose weight slightly faster on a LCHF diet so there is a chance that your weight loss could slow a bit. It isn't a large difference though as long as you still eat at the same deficit. Ans some notice no difference at all.
  • duddysdad
    duddysdad Posts: 403 Member
    I've never had problems with carbs. I usually end up with over 200 grams a day and I lose weight just fine. Some people may be sensitive to them and eat either a lower carb diet, or full on keto. Calories are what matters in the end, not carbs or sugar.
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
    edited December 2016
    I lose better when I keep my carbs in check. I notice my weight loss stalls when my carbs are up. Perhaps it is because of the water weight they bring on, maybe they just turn into straight fat. I don't know. I can only speculate. They tend to fuel my hunger in a massive way. This may not be true for every one but it is true for many. For the most part I have no more than 150 g of carbs a day. I usually have less without necessarily trying. I eat a lot of vegetables, and I do have bread somedays. I just keep the bread, pasta, rice etc.. to a minimum. I save those for days that I just really want them. There is this incorrect assumption that reducing carbs means massive restriction. This is simply false. There are many levels at which any nutrient or component may be consumed. You don't have to cut them completely out which is what people seem to assume first, also you don't even have to cut them way down very low. There is a good middle ground for a lot of people. A carb intake which helps that person feel their best. I was no longer sleepy and sluggish during my day when I lowered my carbs, I was also getting better sleep at night, my physical and mental energy levels improved also. There is Nothing wrong with cutting them down if you like. See what happens.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    Id miss carbs to much Q_Q My diet is majority carbs their what satisfy me. If they are what satisfy you to cutting them out will likely cause you to binge.