Lowering carbs

Seanb_us
Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
edited November 26 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey,

I've searched but haven't found it yet. I would like to lose 2lb per week, have 50lb loss as a goal and plan to increase to moderate exercise in a week.

I am thinking of lowering my carb intake, and my doc has approved all of this for a 1500 cal intake.

Do you think resetting myfitnesspal goals to 20% carbs, 25% fat, and 55% protein would be a good approach to setting values on what low-carb means?

Thoughts?

Sean
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Replies

  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
    Thanks guys. I'll adjust carbs and fat up and protein down. 1500 is low. I'll see how that goes. Am happy with less than 2k.
  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
    My doc is a DO. Seems to know his stuff. Anyway, I am certainly considering the practicality of this change in food and how I feel as I go along. As you say, I have to eat like a person. :D
  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
    Gotcha. 2lbs is aggressive. Based on past experience, that will be more like 1-1.5 for me. 1500 is bare minimum, and I'm aiming for it but will adjust based on how I feel and also not worry if I come in over 1500 but less than 2000.
  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
    That makes sense and "backwards" is sometimes how I go about things, unfortunately. I will adjust calories to 1800. Let's see what happens over three weeks and I'll update here and revise my plan as suggested and needed.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited May 2018
    As others have said, 1500 cal is low.

    Better approach is to set grams, not percentages. Think of goal weight in lbs (assuming it's in the healthy range) x .8 for protein, whatever you want for carbs (if you want to try low carbing aiming for under 100 g as a starting point can be a good goal), and then remainder fat.
  • NGentRD
    NGentRD Posts: 181 Member
    Just find something that works for you. It'll take time. It'll go slower than you want. You'll get frustrated. Might not see results at some points. But as long as you don't give up you'll get there. Low carb is tough if its not ketogenic because then you whole system switches and you actually have a bit more energy but its even more restrictive and can be very challenging. As @PokeyBug was saying. Exercise is going to have big impact. you can do 1 pound a week and in a year you can be at your goal, while still eating like a human. There are tons of calculators to find out a good macro ratio for you to use. experiment and whatever works but more importantly is sustainable, do it! If a year seems too far, think what if you started a year ago today, where you'd be :)
  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
    +1 - marathon. Generally speaking. There are specific conditions where one can be a bit more aggressive. All depends on his stats.

    I am 51, stand 6'0" and weigh 210lbs. According to BMI, I am almost obese. Ha! NOT EVEN CLOSE. But, my point here is.....I would take a less aggressive stance with someone like me (say I wanted to get down to 195lbs). I would do it slowly....making sure to avoid all of the pitfalls.

    Keep in mind that the human body has essentially two purposes: SURVIVE and ADAPT.

    So, if you start giving it only 1,500 calories and you really need - say - 2210 calories - and you do this for a long time then it is going to adapt down to 1,500 calories over that time. And, 1,500 calories - somehow - becomes its norm (can you spell 'homeostasis'? Not sure that I can - but I just tried). Doing something like this potentially (and very likely) paints you into a corner from which there is not a lot of room to maneuver.

    And, we need to remember that what most of us say in here has the *generally speaking* implied connotation. Everyone is different and we all need to take personal responsibility and accountability. No one in this forum is putting a gun to anyone's head and forcing that person - in this case - to eat 1,500 calories a day. If he decides to do that then that is 100% his own decision. Not mine, not his, not hers...but the op's. He needs to own it and deal with it.

    And, we are all different so what works for me might kill you (and vice versa). The human body is amazing. No one knows his "diet history".....so we can not really speak intelligently about "him". Only he can.

    But, what we can do.....we can offer guidelines based on what we know (and by "we" I mean the fitness and nutrition community as a whole...not the folks in MFP, specifically) and what we (specifically, the folks in MFP) have experienced with ourselves and with others.

    Then, he (whoever "he" might be) needs to decide what he is going to do. And how.

    Just my take.
  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
    Thanks everyone. I think my percentages will shift as I figure this out, but you've given me a bunch of info. to consider and use.
  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
    As was pointed out, I need to eat like a human. I am eating simpler and fewer processed foods, but fruit and granola, etc., have lots of carbs and, even though I'm eating more salad (yuck), I'm over on carbs a fair bit. So, I plan to adjust my percentages along the lines of those suggested here over the coming week. Thanks for the experienced advice!
  • NotEnoughEffort
    NotEnoughEffort Posts: 4 Member
    Copied ... just something interesting to read.. it’s a study of the studies, lol..... also validation for my personal choice as a diabetic to go lower carb....The Lancet... The medical Bible: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)32252-3/fulltext
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited May 2018
    Seanb_us wrote: »
    As was pointed out, I need to eat like a human. I am eating simpler and fewer processed foods, but fruit and granola, etc., have lots of carbs and, even though I'm eating more salad (yuck), I'm over on carbs a fair bit. So, I plan to adjust my percentages along the lines of those suggested here over the coming week. Thanks for the experienced advice!

    I love granola, and grew up on home made granola, but don't find it satiating at all. I will have it occasionally as a dessert. For breakfast I have higher protein options like eggs or a smoothie that has @ 40% protein, plus chia seeds and dried coconut to add fat and fiber.

    To reduce carbs and calories, I have smaller portions of rice and pasta, and eat less baked goods and more fruit. Berries are lower carb fruits.
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    Seanb_us wrote: »
    As was pointed out, I need to eat like a human. I am eating simpler and fewer processed foods, but fruit and granola, etc., have lots of carbs and, even though I'm eating more salad (yuck), I'm over on carbs a fair bit. So, I plan to adjust my percentages along the lines of those suggested here over the coming week. Thanks for the experienced advice!

    Salad is only YUCK if you add foods to a salad you find YUCK. A salad isn't a set rigid meal with set ingredients, you can add whatever you like to a salad. Be adventurous.
  • happytree923
    happytree923 Posts: 463 Member
    One more thing to consider, if you're planning on increasing exercise you may not be able to on low carb. I tried to reduce carbs because of the supposed appetite-suppressing benefits, I could not get through a workout without getting dizzy and fatigued. Not all people respond to low carb like this but I just felt so weak that my activity went way down and it didn't matter that I was eating fewer calories, I was also burning fewer from having no energy.
  • tbright1965
    tbright1965 Posts: 852 Member
    Seanb_us wrote: »
    Hey,

    I've searched but haven't found it yet. I would like to lose 2lb per week, have 50lb loss as a goal and plan to increase to moderate exercise in a week.

    I am thinking of lowering my carb intake, and my doc has approved all of this for a 1500 cal intake.

    Do you think resetting myfitnesspal goals to 20% carbs, 25% fat, and 55% protein would be a good approach to setting values on what low-carb means?

    Thoughts?

    Sean

    You don't say where you are starting from. Fifty pounds may or may not be a lot depending on your starting point.

    I'll share my anecdote and you can adjust to see if it fits.

    Starting weight 14 Feb 265#. I'm 5'11" and technically obese. But I did have a 50" chest and 38-39" waist, so I still fit athletic cut 10" drop suits, FWIW. Suspected of being a type 2 diabetic with an A1C of 7.3 and a fasting BG reading of 180 mg/dL. I say this because it allowed me to lie to myself. Few people would guess my real weight, most being under by 30+ pounds. I could hide it well. Just couldn't hide it from the lab with bad A1C, BG and triglyceride numbers.

    Dietitian put me on a 2250 calorie/day diet with not more than 225g carbohydrates/day, no more than 60g carbs/meal and another 45g/day in snacks.

    I've been on a pretty steady 1% / week weight loss. Of course, I was already hitting the gym 4-6 days/week, so my weight was due to what was on the end of my fork.

    On Wednesday, I weighed 229# and my A1C was down to 5.4, which is in the normal range. So down 36# in what 13-14 weeks and back in the normal range for A1C. I was 228 yesterday, so I'm on track to be down another two pounds, give or take by this coming Wednesday.

    Once I hit just below 240#, I cut my targets by 5%. I figured 10% weight loss, I need to drop my intake by 5% to keep the weight loss going.

    The goal is to hit 200#, which will have me technically, according to the BMI tables, still obese. But that was my weight when I left the Army in 1992 and I was pretty fit back then, running 2 miles in 13 min flat after having done 70 pushups and 80 situps in the 2 minutes allocated for each of those tests.

    I still have my class A and dress blue uniforms. It will be interesting to see if I can get back into them this fall.

    My 65 pound targeted weight loss is just under 25 percent of my original body weight
  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
    Am 5'7" and 255#. So, 50 is okay for now. :D
  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Seanb_us wrote: »
    As was pointed out, I need to eat like a human. I am eating simpler and fewer processed foods, but fruit and granola, etc., have lots of carbs and, even though I'm eating more salad (yuck), I'm over on carbs a fair bit. So, I plan to adjust my percentages along the lines of those suggested here over the coming week. Thanks for the experienced advice!

    Salad is only YUCK if you add foods to a salad you find YUCK. A salad isn't a set rigid meal with set ingredients, you can add whatever you like to a salad. Be adventurous.

    Yeah, not a fan of lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, celery... :D Yuck.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    LOL
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,256 Member
    Seanb_us wrote: »
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Seanb_us wrote: »
    As was pointed out, I need to eat like a human. I am eating simpler and fewer processed foods, but fruit and granola, etc., have lots of carbs and, even though I'm eating more salad (yuck), I'm over on carbs a fair bit. So, I plan to adjust my percentages along the lines of those suggested here over the coming week. Thanks for the experienced advice!

    Salad is only YUCK if you add foods to a salad you find YUCK. A salad isn't a set rigid meal with set ingredients, you can add whatever you like to a salad. Be adventurous.

    Yeah, not a fan of lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, celery... :D Yuck.

    Then... don’t eat them?

    You absolutely will not stick to a diet of foods that you don’t like. And it’s not required, for either weight loss or for health.

    How do you feel about red peppers? Tomatoes? Baby sweetcorn? Sugar snap peas? Red onions? Watermelon? You can put any or all of those in a salad. Or if you prefer your vegetables roasted, why not... eat roast veg instead of salad? I love a big ol’ plate of roast squash or roast aubergine, and if you use a pastry brush or similar to put oil on each wedge rather than shaking it into the tin it doesn’t need to be high calorie.

    And there’s nothing magically healthy about granola.
  • Deviette
    Deviette Posts: 978 Member
    Seanb_us wrote: »
    Yeah, not a fan of lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, celery... :D Yuck.

    Have you tried different types of leaf, I find lettuce dull, so I mix it with baby spinach, watercress and rocket. There's also red leaf, chard, pea shoots etc etc. There are loads of much yummier types of salad leaves, don't restrict yourself with just lettuce!
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,365 Member
    Seanb_us wrote: »
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Seanb_us wrote: »
    As was pointed out, I need to eat like a human. I am eating simpler and fewer processed foods, but fruit and granola, etc., have lots of carbs and, even though I'm eating more salad (yuck), I'm over on carbs a fair bit. So, I plan to adjust my percentages along the lines of those suggested here over the coming week. Thanks for the experienced advice!

    Salad is only YUCK if you add foods to a salad you find YUCK. A salad isn't a set rigid meal with set ingredients, you can add whatever you like to a salad. Be adventurous.

    Yeah, not a fan of lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, celery... :D Yuck.

    Bolthouse yogurt dressings. They have a greek yogurt base and the calories are low enough that you can use enough to hide the taste of pretty much everything else in the bowl. This stuff literally makes salad worth eating!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    deviette wrote: »
    Seanb_us wrote: »
    Yeah, not a fan of lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, celery... :D Yuck.

    Have you tried different types of leaf, I find lettuce dull, so I mix it with baby spinach, watercress and rocket. There's also red leaf, chard, pea shoots etc etc. There are loads of much yummier types of salad leaves, don't restrict yourself with just lettuce!

    Pea shoots are wicked good. I keep meaning to get some seeds and sprout them.

    I'm growing Malabar spinach this year for the first time - regular spinach bolts too quickly here in MA. I read two plants will feed a family and I got a much higher germination rate from my seeds than I expected - I have 6 seedlings coming up now and possibly more on the way. I'll be putting it in salads and smoothies.

    I'm also growing Swiss chard and kale for salads and smoothies.
  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
    deviette wrote: »
    Seanb_us wrote: »
    Yeah, not a fan of lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, celery... :D Yuck.

    Have you tried different types of leaf, I find lettuce dull, so I mix it with baby spinach, watercress and rocket. There's also red leaf, chard, pea shoots etc etc. There are loads of much yummier types of salad leaves, don't restrict yourself with just lettuce!

    I do mix it up. And, truth be told, salad is ok. :D
  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
    PokeyBug wrote: »
    ^ What NovusDies said. But I would also ask, Are you planning to exercise? Even just a little cardio can help make your diet not seem so restrictive. Depending on your size, walking 5K or more a day can increase your calorie intake to 1800 or even 2000, and that's not nearly so hard to do as 1500.

    Also, as a former low-carber, I will say that it's been my experience that trying to restrict a category of macronutrients doesn't work for all of us. I did wonderfully for a few months, but I eventually broke down. I've found that watching my sugar intake is a lot easier than giving up bread and potatoes, lol. Because of a personal health problem, I can only do 25 g of sugar a day. A normal person -- especially a man -- doesn't need to set the bar that low, though. I have to track all sugars. Normal people only need to worry about added sugars, like the sugar you put into your coffee or the sugar baked into those cookies, etc. Try to cut those down to 25 g or less a day.

    I know that the temptation to make weight loss into a sprint rather than a marathon is a strong one. You want the days of restriction to be over with as quickly as possible, so you can go back to just eating what you want. Get that out of your head. The primary goal of your dieting should be to learn to eat what you like in healthy amounts, so you will never have to "diet" again. I've dieted very aggressively in the past, lost the weight, and gone back to my old patterns, gotten heavier, dieted aggressively again, lost the weight, and then gone back to my old patterns again. This is my second time coming to MFP to lose weight, because I didn't learn my lesson the first time. But I'm taking things much more slowly this time, going for half a pound a week. I don't want to keep rinsing and repeating.

    I started with cardio this week.
  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
    edited June 2018
    Today, I read about "keto" diets. I hadn't heard of them before (I had heard of "South Beach"). That's not what I am doing. I am reducing some particular sources of carbs, potatoes, pasta, bread, and rice, but not cutting them out entirely and not cutting out carbs from other sources.
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