Low calorie vs. low carb

Kaecklund
Kaecklund Posts: 191 Member
edited October 2024 in Food and Nutrition
They say the last 5-10 lbs is the hardest to lose. I'm wanting to lose fat and become lean. Low calorie is just simply no longer working for me. Soon I will be working on toning up but in the meantime I've been watching my calories and this "lose 1 lb/week" thing just doesn't seem to be working. I've been where I'm at for at least a month now - can't seem to get any lighter. I carry most of my weight in m belly, hips and thighs and thought reducing my caloric intake would rid me of that flab. So now what? Is low carb what I need to do? I love carbs...

Replies

  • mrphil86
    mrphil86 Posts: 2,382 Member
    Well usually when you are in that area it's time to bump UP your calories. No need to sacrifice the carbs.
  • LisaKyle11
    LisaKyle11 Posts: 662 Member
    Well usually when you are in that area it's time to bump UP your calories. No need to sacrifice the carbs.

    This... Just make your carbs healthy carbs.
  • Kaecklund
    Kaecklund Posts: 191 Member
    Well usually when you are in that area it's time to bump UP your calories. No need to sacrifice the carbs.

    Upping my calories won't cause me to gain weight?
  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
    I bumped up my calories to 1500 and now i am losing a 1lb a week again. My weight stopped moving down for a month at 1200. I have 6 more to go now. :)

    I havnt been watching my carbs as much and i started eating white rice again instead of brown.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Well usually when you are in that area it's time to bump UP your calories. No need to sacrifice the carbs.

    Upping my calories won't cause me to gain weight?

    Change you goal to .5 pound per week if you have it set higher and follow those calorie goals. Don't pig out, but with that little left to lose .5 per week is more realistic.
  • SarahFrankel
    SarahFrankel Posts: 42 Member
    Not necessarily! It could be that your calories being too low is causing your weight loss to stall. Good luck!
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 Member
    my loss stalled twice in the 6 months I've been tracking here, both times to get it moving again I bumped UP my calorie intake. It works when you fuel your body with good calories ;)
  • cpegasus01
    cpegasus01 Posts: 400 Member
    It shouldn't. Though if you start exercising your weight might go up a little due to developing muscle tone.
  • linsben
    linsben Posts: 108 Member
    Low carb is incredibly effective. I strongly suggest trying it. I use this site http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/
  • Kaecklund
    Kaecklund Posts: 191 Member
    So if I were to change my goal from 1lb/wk to .5lb/wk - would that be a big enouh difference to tell my body I'm NOT ACTUALLY STARVING? I just want extra thigh and belly fat to drip off. Once my back heals up I'll be shredding w/Jillian ;) That'll help...
  • atomdraco
    atomdraco Posts: 1,083 Member
    In addition to what others have said here, do you exercises, or you just don't log it?
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
    They say the last 5-10 lbs is the hardest to lose. I'm wanting to lose fat and become lean. Low calorie is just simply no longer working for me. Soon I will be working on toning up but in the meantime I've been watching my calories and this "lose 1 lb/week" thing just doesn't seem to be working. I've been where I'm at for at least a month now - can't seem to get any lighter. I carry most of my weight in m belly, hips and thighs and thought reducing my caloric intake would rid me of that flab. So now what? Is low carb what I need to do? I love carbs...

    This is not advice, but related to getting rid of belly fat when at the "legs" of the diet. I heard carb cycling may help but I am not sure. The theory is that you deprive yourself of carbs for a few days then eat carbs so that your body distribution changes. I am not sure of the details, so I apologize if I got it wrong, but look into it. Or someone in mfp who has done it might speak up and give us their opinion. I am also curious.
  • lockef
    lockef Posts: 466
    What are your macros set at now?

    Everybody is different. You could try reducing your carbs by 5-15 percent while keeping your calories the same and see how that works.

    If you completely cut out carbs (<10%), you WILL lose weight, but most of the initial weight will be water.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,353 Member
    Well usually when you are in that area it's time to bump UP your calories. No need to sacrifice the carbs.

    Upping my calories won't cause me to gain weight?

    You still stay in a caloric deficit, but a small one. No more that .5 pounds per week. You could even eat at maintenance, but not eat back all your exercise calories which again would provide a small deficit. The only way to gain weight (really gain weight) is to eat at a caloric surplus.

    Here is a good guide on the sort of deficit your body will tolerate http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
  • Kaecklund
    Kaecklund Posts: 191 Member
    In addition to what others have said here, do you exercises, or you just don't log it?

    I do exercise - though very little. I've been feeling exhausted as of late and when I get home from work I just want to put my feet up! I am on my feet pretty much all day and I do a lot of walking. I do some hiking on the weekends, but that's about the extent of it right now. Once my back gets better I will be hitting up my Jillian Michaels dvd and starting my interval exercising again. I dread the muscle soreness I'm soon going to endure...
  • Kaecklund
    Kaecklund Posts: 191 Member
    In addition to what others have said here, do you exercises, or you just don't log it?

    I do exercise - though very little. I've been feeling exhausted as of late and when I get home from work I just want to put my feet up! I am on my feet pretty much all day and I do a lot of walking. I do some hiking on the weekends, but that's about the extent of it right now. Once my back gets better I will be hitting up my Jillian Michaels dvd and starting my interval exercising again. I dread the muscle soreness I'm soon going to endure...

    Oh and I don't log it... just seems difficult for me to use...
This discussion has been closed.

Categories