Carb control?!

I often go over my carbs. But I still dropped 106lbs. As others have said, it's all about the deficit. (I focus on protein and iron and let the rest fall where it falls. Which tends to be higher carbs and lower—but not 'low' fat).

LauraSrock18 wrote: »

malibu927 wrote: »

The only thing needed for weight loss is a calorie deficit. You could eat 100% carbs* and still lose weight.

*-obviously this is not recommended as fat/protein are very important

Some days my carbs are close to 100% but thankfully not every day

This is my dream diet.

I lost 50lbs and kept it off for 6 years with eating 250g to 300g of carbs a day. But personally i prioritize protein and just let fats and carbs fall out.

I average about 250 grams of carbs (more on exercise days) when I'm losing.

If you're increasing your carbs form 100-120 to 200+ expect your weight loss to stall for a while or even gain. This is normal. With more carbs comes more glycogen and more water weight. Your baseline weight is higher with higher carbs for that reason, but it doesn't mean you're fatter. As you're also increasing calories, food volume in your gut will be larger making a stall even more likely.

Don't let that scare you. It's entirely normal and doesn't mean you are gaining fat or that you stopped losing. Be patient and continue doing what you're doing and your weight will eventually start going down again. It's one of the most common reasons people think carbs are fattening; their weight goes up when they increase carbs and they panic.

Also keep in mind that since you are increasing your calories, when your weight loss does resume, you will be losing at a slower rate than you have been so far. Undoubtedly you've lost a bunch of water weight when you started low carbing but your deficit was also higher.

If you go into this mentally prepared you'll be surprised how little difference macros make to your long term weight loss outside of personal preference and how your hunger responds, so may as well pick comfortable macros. Usually, it's best to hit a minimum for protein and fat, then use the rest of the calories on whatever you want.

I agree with everyone here. With respect to losing weight, it is all about a caloric deficit. The macros are indeed important, but it is the caloric intake (vs. your maintenance) that determines deficit or surplus.

The macros, as people have stated, help your body do things. Protein, I think that most would agree, is the most important (general statement). Most try to keep that - all things being equal - around 1g/lb (of body weight....I would contend that 1g/lb of lean body mass....but that is me). Then, fat comes in next (important for hormone balance, among other things) and most people try to keep it around 0.35g/lb. Again, general statement.....

Carbs, generally speaking, fill in the rest.

So, all things being equal, you should not fear carbs.

Now, I love carbs but do not tolerate them very well (which is really unfortunate). I follow the Ketogenic Lifestyle because of high A1C and insulin resistance. I blow up when I eat carbs. So, I have to be careful. I try to keep it under 20g a day. But, that is just me....given my specific situation.

One thing that I would highly recommend to you.....play with nutrition. I have hurt myself several times in my powerlifting journey. And during that time (injured reserve, so-to-speak) I have played with nutrition and learned a lot about myself and how my body responds. If possible, do the same!

The great thing about doing that....I *KNOW* how I respond. I have no fears about "What if.....?". I have done all of those things and I know exactly what is going to happen. Last night I went out, had three beers, had lots of chips and salsa (and by lots I mean LOTS) and I know what is going to happen. I am not worried one bit. Not "not knowing" is amazing!

We learn something new each day, right?