Advice on going low carb?
AreneeS22
Posts: 42 Member
So I've been using MFP off and on for several years. I've struggled with my weight since the birth of my first daughter in 2005, prior to that I weighed 135 lbs. I just had another baby in may and I'm at my heaviest (post baby) at 232 lbs! I know I have a long way to go. I'm pretty sure the best way for me to lose the weight is going low carb..my question is being that I'm 232 lbs and 5 ft 3, what should I be restricting my carbs too? Also should I be counting total carbs or net carbs? Thanks!
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Replies
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You can restrict carbs as much as you want and any way you please - to lose weight you need to restrict total calories.15
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It really depends on what works for you. There's a huge range of low carb from mildly/moderately low (some would call 40-30-30 low--I'd call it moderate--or under 150 g low or lowish) to maybe under 100 g to, of course, keto, which IMO is anything under 50 g net for most people, but some do super-duper low under 20 or even close to none.
What I'd advise (as someone who likes a lowish carb diet and has tried keto and might again) is counting and understanding where you are now and then experimenting with lowering carbs from that.
As for net vs gross, if you aren't in the US or Canada, it's probably the same.
If you are in the US or Canada (I'm in Chicago personally), net is what matters for keto, really. What I do is use gross (because it's easier) if I have a low carb/not keto kind of goal (really I just eat fewer carbs and see where I land, but right now I'm kind of aiming for under 100 g total). When doing keto I do focus on net (but also keep net at around 35 or so, because I personally think vegetables are extremely important and tend to find it hard to go lower and have the vegetables I want).
Hope that helps.
Oh, I should add that people are different -- for me I feel more satisfied doing lower carb but don't need to go very low. I didn't notice a particular benefit for me to keto, although I may try it again. Others find the benefits kick in at a lower level, and others find they hate any degree of low carb and feel better eating a healthy but higher carb diet. So experiment and see. Also, lots will matter besides just carb number.3 -
There's a group here if you are interested in low carbing - http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
I tried low carb in the past, lost weight and then re-gained it back. Whatever method you choose, make sure it has something in common with your maintenance strategy.7 -
Why low carb? Why not eliminate just bad carbs,or aka junky food. Fruits have carbs but have too many benefits to leave out of your diet. Just pay attention to total calories. Counting carbs and sugar and all that sciency stuff doesn't really work for me. I just try to eat mostly healthy. Truthfully I go over my carbs alot, and sugar, from alllll the fruit I eat, I dont eat too much fat, not on purpose though, I guess I eat the same things. All the time ,but of different flavors or whatever, and I have lost 15lbs in less than two months. But if you want to go low carb, I guess a keto type diet will work.13
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I just had a baby in June , I'm 5'9 and started my weight loss jurney in mid August at about 300 lbs. I'm currently at 278. I did it with the keto diet and exercise. Keto is very low carb.1
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you lose fat by restricting calories - not carbs. why not just eat the calories MFP tells you and continue to enjoy yummy carbs?!4
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Like any named diet out there, it will only work if it fulfills CICO in a favorable ratio. Other than that, there is no inherent need to do low carb to lose weight and you won't lose any more weight following it. Perhaps more important to think about is a common problem among most of the fad diets is that they lead to burnout fairly rapidly.
Try to think about this endeavor as one that will lead to a lasting and lifelong change to your lifestyle. If you think eating low carb for the rest of your life is doable, then maybe it's for you. If not, perhaps the medical community take on calorie restriction for weight loss is a better option: http://www.webmd.com/diet/low-calorie-diet
Or better yet, speak to your primary care doctor directly.6 -
I lost and gained on Low Carb many times. The issue isn't if you will lose but will you maintain the loss. At least for me it was. In the beginning it's great because you get a bit dehydrated so you see a huge water loss which makes you stick with it. Eventually I got tired of meat and fat so quit eating most of the time (thus eating low calorie without realizing it). I did find that my cravings seemed to be under control the first few weeks but over time I couldn't hack it. I got so I would kill for a potato. I've done Atkins, Bernstein, HCG etc. Most of those are very low carb and two of them were also VLCD. The trouble is that when you quit the low carb diet you gain about 5-7 pounds the first week (water replaced due to eating carbs again I think).
Since giving up on the quick fix I have gone from a high of 251 pounds (pre MFP) to 145 pounds. This was done doing low calorie with walking for exercise. I can maintain this and I'm 2 years in and feel I can stick to this way of eating for life. Please be sure you can maintain the type of eating plan you embrace for weight loss.10 -
I'm still restricting calories too, not just focusing on the carbs alone..but any other weight loss strategy I have tried in the past like just calorie counting and eating healthier, it didn't work for me. I noticed about a year ago when I got put on metformin and started paying more attention to my sugar and carb intake, I felt a lot better and had more energy, as well as I was noticing my clothes fitting better..but shortly after I found out I was pregnant and all that went out the window lol. I gain weight so easily, and it's SO hard for me to lose it..I feel like this is going to be the best way to go. That applies to maintaining a low carb lifestyle as well. I'm not looking at this as a diet, but changing the way I eat overall so I can be healthy for my kids.6
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I'm still restricting calories too, not just focusing on the carbs alone..but any other weight loss strategy I have tried in the past like just calorie counting and eating healthier, it didn't work for me. I noticed about a year ago when I got put on metformin and started paying more attention to my sugar and carb intake, I felt a lot better and had more energy, as well as I was noticing my clothes fitting better..but shortly after I found out I was pregnant and all that went out the window lol. I gain weight so easily, and it's SO hard for me to lose it..I feel like this is going to be the best way to go. That applies to maintaining a low carb lifestyle as well. I'm not looking at this as a diet, but changing the way I eat overall so I can be healthy for my kids.
Cutting carbs will automatically cut calories. They go hand in hand. The difference between this diet and others is that with keto you burn fat for energy while producing ketones. Other diets burn carbs for energy. It's not a diet for everyone, but it's worked for me. It's a lifestyle.13 -
nicci288693 wrote: »I'm still restricting calories too, not just focusing on the carbs alone..but any other weight loss strategy I have tried in the past like just calorie counting and eating healthier, it didn't work for me. I noticed about a year ago when I got put on metformin and started paying more attention to my sugar and carb intake, I felt a lot better and had more energy, as well as I was noticing my clothes fitting better..but shortly after I found out I was pregnant and all that went out the window lol. I gain weight so easily, and it's SO hard for me to lose it..I feel like this is going to be the best way to go. That applies to maintaining a low carb lifestyle as well. I'm not looking at this as a diet, but changing the way I eat overall so I can be healthy for my kids.
Cutting carbs will automatically cut calories. They go hand in hand. The difference between this diet and others is that with keto you burn fat for energy while producing ketones. Other diets burn carbs for energy. It's not a diet for everyone, but it's worked for me. It's a lifestyle.
If you're in a calorie deficit, you burn fat for energy...all diets work on the same premise...energy deficiency...when you're in an energy deficiency, you burn fat for energy...every diet burns fat for energy...You even burn fat for energy when you're not on a diet.9 -
nicci288693 wrote: »I'm still restricting calories too, not just focusing on the carbs alone..but any other weight loss strategy I have tried in the past like just calorie counting and eating healthier, it didn't work for me. I noticed about a year ago when I got put on metformin and started paying more attention to my sugar and carb intake, I felt a lot better and had more energy, as well as I was noticing my clothes fitting better..but shortly after I found out I was pregnant and all that went out the window lol. I gain weight so easily, and it's SO hard for me to lose it..I feel like this is going to be the best way to go. That applies to maintaining a low carb lifestyle as well. I'm not looking at this as a diet, but changing the way I eat overall so I can be healthy for my kids.
Cutting carbs will automatically cut calories. They go hand in hand. The difference between this diet and others is that with keto you burn fat for energy while producing ketones. Other diets burn carbs for energy. It's not a diet for everyone, but it's worked for me. It's a lifestyle.
Um, no...........low carb was popular in the 1970's as a way of not having to count calories. Back when counting calories was a pain.....you looked up calories in a book and kept track in a notebook. The interntet makes this much easier.
Back then some people would eat unlimited bacon, slather on butter, eat fried chicken, etc......and didn't lose weight. Some people will still need to track calories.
"Other diets burn carbs for energy"....low carb still burns the FOOD that you ingest. People who eat carbs while eating at a deficit aren't storing carbs.4 -
Nykkismommy21 wrote: »Why low carb? Why not eliminate just bad carbs,or aka junky food. Fruits have carbs but have too many benefits to leave out of your diet. Just pay attention to total calories. Counting carbs and sugar and all that sciency stuff doesn't really work for me. I just try to eat mostly healthy. Truthfully I go over my carbs alot, and sugar, from alllll the fruit I eat, I dont eat too much fat, not on purpose though, I guess I eat the same things. All the time ,but of different flavors or whatever, and I have lost 15lbs in less than two months. But if you want to go low carb, I guess a keto type diet will work.
I agree a bit with this part. Why was it so bad? I try to eliminate junky carbs also.4 -
TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »Nykkismommy21 wrote: »Why low carb? Why not eliminate just bad carbs,or aka junky food. Fruits have carbs but have too many benefits to leave out of your diet. Just pay attention to total calories. Counting carbs and sugar and all that sciency stuff doesn't really work for me. I just try to eat mostly healthy. Truthfully I go over my carbs alot, and sugar, from alllll the fruit I eat, I dont eat too much fat, not on purpose though, I guess I eat the same things. All the time ,but of different flavors or whatever, and I have lost 15lbs in less than two months. But if you want to go low carb, I guess a keto type diet will work.
I agree a bit with this part. Why was it so bad? I try to eliminate junky carbs also.
Because carbohydrates are just carbohydrates. It's true that some foods with carbohydrates are more or less nutrient-dense or more or less calorie-dense than others, but there is no such thing as a "bad" carbohydrate. It's just a macronutrient.1 -
But there are bad fats and good fats. So I thought.... Anyone else care explain? I really do well when I separate bad carbs and good carbs. Keeps me away from cookies and cake and lets me eat beans. Can this thinking be called something else?
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TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »But there are bad fats and good fats. So I thought.... Anyone else care explain? I really do well when I separate bad carbs and good carbs. Keeps me away from cookies and cake and lets me eat beans. Can this thinking be called something else?
Are you thinking of trans fats? Yeah, the best available evidence is that they aren't good for us. But it doesn't follow that there are automatically good carbohydrate and bad carbohydrates (or good protein and bad protein).
If limiting cookies and cake helps you meet your calorie goals, then it sounds like a good strategy for you. But it doesn't mean that the carbohydrates in cookies and cake are "bad."1 -
No need to do "low carb" per se, unless you find it easier to count carbs than calories. They're not the same thing, but many people tend to consume fewer calories while going low carb and that's why it's perceived to work.
Do make sure your carbs are no more than 50% of your total calories (per MFP default recommendation), because you still need fat and protein nutritionally. I've had to cut back on carbs a lot just to keep them at that 50% level.
I tend to watch my carbs when eating out because bread & pasta can load on excess calories fast. I still eat them, but it's like one roll or one piece of bread and a small portion of pasta, maybe 1/4 of most restaurant portions. The rest gets left behind or taken home for more meals.2 -
TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »But there are bad fats and good fats. So I thought.... Anyone else care explain? I really do well when I separate bad carbs and good carbs. Keeps me away from cookies and cake and lets me eat beans. Can this thinking be called something else?
Cookies and cake are not "carbs." They are half carb, half fat.
Beans are more nutrient dense than cookies and cake, of course, and lower cal (depending on how much you consume, of course) and (for me) more filling. They make more sense as part of a meal, whereas cookies and cake aren't really a meal, they are a treat food that one will eat more rarely than staple foods, presumably.
Cookies and cakes are high in sat fat and refined carbs, but I wouldn't call everything that has sugar (fruit) or refined flour (pasta -- which can be eaten with lean meat, vegetables, and olive oil) "bad carbs." Nor would I call everything with sat fat unhealthy, although I do limit it and more actively try to get in other sources of fat.4 -
Anyway, OP obviously doesn't need to go low carb to lose, but she seems interested in trying it, and she said:I noticed about a year ago when I got put on metformin and started paying more attention to my sugar and carb intake, I felt a lot better and had more energy, as well as I was noticing my clothes fitting better..
Thus, likely she's IR or T2D. Lots of people who are IR (and some who aren't, like me), find that eating a diet higher in protein and fat and somewhat lower in carbs (even carbs I personally consider perfectly healthy, like potatoes and sweet potatoes and grains, as well as added sugar) can make a calorie deficit easier. So if she's interested, it's worth trying, IMO (and my opinion doesn't matter anyway, obviously).3 -
So I've been using MFP off and on for several years. I've struggled with my weight since the birth of my first daughter in 2005, prior to that I weighed 135 lbs. I just had another baby in may and I'm at my heaviest (post baby) at 232 lbs! I know I have a long way to go. I'm pretty sure the best way for me to lose the weight is going low carb..my question is being that I'm 232 lbs and 5 ft 3, what should I be restricting my carbs too? Also should I be counting total carbs or net carbs? Thanks!
I'm not low carb, but I believe the key is finding the level where you can comfortably eat the right amount of calories and not be hungry all the time. I've heard here that anything under 150g is technically "low carb", though I think most people who are actively trying to do low carb are under 100g. Keto is more specific obviously.
Good luck!1 -
I'm still restricting calories too, not just focusing on the carbs alone..but any other weight loss strategy I have tried in the past like just calorie counting and eating healthier, it didn't work for me. I noticed about a year ago when I got put on metformin and started paying more attention to my sugar and carb intake, I felt a lot better and had more energy, as well as I was noticing my clothes fitting better..but shortly after I found out I was pregnant and all that went out the window lol. I gain weight so easily, and it's SO hard for me to lose it..I feel like this is going to be the best way to go. That applies to maintaining a low carb lifestyle as well. I'm not looking at this as a diet, but changing the way I eat overall so I can be healthy for my kids.
Just start replacing carbs with fats and when you eat carbs make sure you get fibrous ones..
The only diets that really require more attention is keto and plant based.
If you notice cramping or headaches, than increase sodium intake.1 -
nicci288693 wrote: »I'm still restricting calories too, not just focusing on the carbs alone..but any other weight loss strategy I have tried in the past like just calorie counting and eating healthier, it didn't work for me. I noticed about a year ago when I got put on metformin and started paying more attention to my sugar and carb intake, I felt a lot better and had more energy, as well as I was noticing my clothes fitting better..but shortly after I found out I was pregnant and all that went out the window lol. I gain weight so easily, and it's SO hard for me to lose it..I feel like this is going to be the best way to go. That applies to maintaining a low carb lifestyle as well. I'm not looking at this as a diet, but changing the way I eat overall so I can be healthy for my kids.
Cutting carbs will automatically cut calories. They go hand in hand. The difference between this diet and others is that with keto you burn fat for energy while producing ketones. Other diets burn carbs for energy. It's not a diet for everyone, but it's worked for me. It's a lifestyle.
Its true that fat oxidation vs carb oxidation is higher while following keto, but that is because you store more fat and less carbs. Substrate utilization doesnt mean much for the average person... it means something for endurance athletes and at the point carbs > all.
And i cut fats when i diet because i ca eat endless amounts of fats and not fill full. How do i know? Because i literally have eaten a block of cheese.4 -
If you are diabetic, then eating a lower carbohydrate diet is a good idea. How low depends on what you are able to maintain over the long term. I've done Atkins successfully, but couldn't maintain the weight loss because I love carbs and don't especially care about fat and a lot of meat. When trying to lose weight, I'd end up with at least one cheat meal each week, just to get some of my favorite carbs. However, losing weight with low carb and maintaining with lower calories did work for me.0
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Instead of thinking low carb, I would suggest thinking whole food and food as fuel instead. What I mean by this is eat food as close to its natural form as possible and get rid of the processed stuff that isn't going to make you feel full. I don't have any problems eating a sweet potato for example which is technically higher carb but great for you, or pretty much any fruit, egetables, even white potatoes, meats, nuts, healthy fats, etc. I would do that but not bread, I personally avoid grains, not processed low cal desserts, not empty calorie WW meals that will make you feel hungry again in an hour. That's what has worked for me. I follow a paleo type diet (there is a lot of room in there for individuality).3
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I would start off with 150g a day and see how you go. That way you can still get in fruit, veg and small portions of rice, potato etc. I aim for between 100g-150g. On a general day I can have full fat yogurt and fruit (oats if I feel like it) for breakfast, some sort of salad for lunch, and normal dinner. Anything from sausage and mash, to a roast, to tacos. If you start low-carb in the mornings, you know where you stand for dinner.
When you feel like it you could lower to 100g, then 70g, then keto (under 50g) if you feel its for you.
Really its just another way of re-distributing your calories. As long as you are still in a calorie deficit you're golden.4 -
To me, that thinking is called food fright. Trans fat is the only bad fat, and there's almost no trans fat in food anymore. Bad carbs and good carbs used to be called fast carbs and slow carbs, which was better, but we are adults, so we can handle concepts like starch and sugar, simple and complex carbohydrates, as well as complexity, and moderation, and time.TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »But there are bad fats and good fats. So I thought.... Anyone else care explain? I really do well when I separate bad carbs and good carbs. Keeps me away from cookies and cake and lets me eat beans. Can this thinking be called something else?
It is true that whole foods - overall - are more nutrient dense and less calorie dense than cookies and cake, and it is for this reason, and no other reason, we should limit intake of cookies and cake and increase intake of beans. Cookies and cake is not more or less unhealthy than beans, and neither can be eaten in unlimited amounts. Food fright and ignorance are effective tools to market diets, books, pills and surgery, so the more scared and less educated people are, the more will they buy, in the hope of better health and lower weight. But it doesn't work that way; health deteriorates, weight piles on.
Do you do well over time by separating food into good and bad? If so, it's a good strategy for you. For me, and for most people, it only lasts for a while, until the restrictons become too much, and then massively overeat everything that had been denied.5 -
@komm That is a great explanation. Deprivation and restriction will cause cravings. Makes sense. On the flip side, seeing a donut as a bad carb really and truly helps me stay away. If, and only if, I think of it as bad for my health. If I see it simply as a treat that I can't have, I will crave it.
So I now understand. Classifying carbs as good/bad is not a good idea for most. I'm at a point that I'm looking into good foods vs bad foods and learning.1 -
To OP,
You're received a lot of feedback already, but I thought I'd throw in some thoughts based on my own experience.
1) Be sure to research very well and learn about what you're doing before you implement a special kind of diet (especially keto or low-carb). These diets can go really well, but there are a bunch of pitfalls you can avoid with some learning.
2) While you're learning, I recommend that you try to bring in as many whole foods into your diet as possible. Going low-carb is not necessarily going to remove produce from your life, so finding what you like most in the beginning is a great way to start, even if you're on the "high end" (near 150g/day) for carbs.
3) You may consider avoiding dairy or at least minimizing its use while adjusting to a lower-carb diet. Whey protein has caused issues for several people, and I recall seeing some sort of research at one point that indicated it is metabolized differently, and thus creates various issues including hunger/cravings. (I can confirm this from my own experience that I had a problem with this with cottage cheese, which I had initially thought was safe to enjoy before/after working out. Apparently it's something I can look to try again later after taking a few more months to adapt my body to this way of eating.)
4) Doing anything for a "diet" is not something I recommend. Ideally, you should find something that works as a lifestyle. Low-carb can definitely fit this for someone who is willing to put in the work and figure out what works for them. I am a "50 net carb" kind of person, and I find enjoyment in a variety of produce in addition to my other foods. This includes even high-sugar fruits such as pineapple (in small portions, it sweetens a "fruit pudding" I make with avocado and a berry fruit). Variety and planning is good!
5) One of the things you'll read about as you learn/research, but that I wanted to help point out early on, is that high protein is actually not the way to go for low carb. This is one of the things that surprised me the most as I went into this way of eating. I learned that the body goes through a process to convert excess protein to glucose (sugar). A friend sent me a link to a neat calculator to help me figure out my macros. I'll pass it on in case you might find it useful. Note that the carb section recommends up to 50g net carbs, but you can enter a higher value without any issues.
https://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
Remember, if you try this and find that after at least a month of good trying, including troubleshooting any issues, you aren't feeling as though this is something you can work with for the rest of your life, gradually alter things to go back to a more "standard" way of eating. There is no point in maintaining something that does not meet all of your needs, especially if you've put all the necessary work/research into it and given it a true try. I wish you the best on your journey!
(Edit: typo/writing issues)6 -
3) I have never found whey to cause hunger/cravings for food. If cutting out all dairy, make sure to keep an eye on calcium.1
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Learning is exhausting and exciting, often in jumps, often by unlearning, never in straight lines, even if we like to think of it as such. I started out this time well armed with ideas of sugar addiction and good food/bad food, and it helped me gain traction. But I was also exposed to new ideas that challenged my beliefs. Investigating and implementing them was scary and liberating at once.TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »@komm That is a great explanation. Deprivation and restriction will cause cravings. Makes sense. On the flip side, seeing a donut as a bad carb really and truly helps me stay away. If, and only if, I think of it as bad for my health. If I see it simply as a treat that I can't have, I will crave it.
So I now understand. Classifying carbs as good/bad is not a good idea for most. I'm at a point that I'm looking into good foods vs bad foods and learning.
People (me too) will tend to be impatient or others' behalf, but you have to do this at your own pace. Bits and pieces fall into place when we are ready. (I tend to google terms, and one thing leads to another.) What can help you, could be to look for ways to embrace a mindset of abundance instead of scarcity - think of foods to help you improve your health instead of foods to avoid to not destroy it. (BTW, a donut is not bad for your health. A diet made up of nothing but donuts is bad for your health, but that's not something you'd really attempt, is it? Oh, and donuts are more fat than carbs, too.)1
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