I'm done with counting calories, Weight Watchers, etc - I'm going back to low carb
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Considering that the vast majority of people regain at least some of the weight they lose, no one can tell you with certainty how to lose the weight once and for all.
Perhaps low carb is the best way of eating for you. Why did you stop eating that way in the first place, was it difficult for you? Maybe start out aiming for 50g less than you have been typically eating. After a couple of weeks if it's going well, try a little lower.
I believe some places define low carb as under 150g, which doesn't seem very low to me! Generally it's considered 100g or less I think. Don't get boxed into feeling line you have to follow some guidelines for a defined diet though. Play around with your macros until you find your sweet spot, regardless of what someone else would call it. There's no magic to specific carb ratios, it's just that for some people a particular ratio will have them satiated, will make their logging more on point, and may be making them happier, less stressed, more energetic or whatever other intangibles play a role. Good luck!
Lol 150g of carbs is like a smorgasbord to me! 🎉1 -
I think the thread has gotten a little off because of the not weighing your food situation which is a personal choice. People do lose weight successfully without a food scale. I personally would not want to try it but it does work for some.
Setting that aside. Regaining weight can happen just as easily with low(er) carb. It takes a lot of calories to put on weight and it doesn't happen overnight. I have said this many times but everyone that I know that successfully maintains their weight is diligent even though they have different ways (one including slimfast) of losing and maintaining. If you use a scale to measure yourself during the loss you have to keep weighing yourself and make corrections when you start gaining again. I know a woman who doesn't weigh herself but as soon as her clothes start feeling tight she immediate goes back into a calorie deficit and has done it this way for 15 years now. She is diligent.
Just remember that all successful weight loss methods work on the same principle of a calorie deficit even if they have different ways of achieving it. If you think lower carb can help you maintain that deficit without counting calories there is no harm in trying. Just keep an eye on the final results and if doesn't work or you start to gain reconsider your plan.14 -
Thank you all for the very insightful replies...I appreciate it!1
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It's not the carbs that the issue. It's the inconsistency of HOW MUCH you're consuming that is. When numbers are consistent and in line, the system works.
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You're right.
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Hm. It takes me a whole five minutes per day to use my digital food scale, log my food, weigh my body, and log my weight. I don't consider that consuming my life. I consider that the same amount of "hassle" as paying my bills or putting gas in the car, or balancing my checkbook or brushing my teeth. It's life-maintenance tool, not a career.
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That's a great way to look at the "hassle" of logging.6 -
You don't weigh food, and it's normal to gain weight back from water when you start eating more carbs. That doesn't mean it's fat.
Calorie counting unfortunately does take over your life a bit - but for a lot of us, it's the only way to keep us in check.6 -
BlessedMom70 wrote: »psychod787 wrote: »Weight battles are never over. People regain on low carb, high carb, Keto.... where you counting calories STRICTLY when you stopped doing lower carb? I am not criticising you? I am just curious.
Yes, to the best of my knowledge. I don't weigh food...I feel that I am obsessive enough with keeping track of every calorie I consume on an app. I really hate that this has consumed a good part of my life. I was 14 when I started counting calories (back then, it was on paper...lol)...and I am 48 now! Ughhhhhhhhh
Here is your answer. You didn't count calories effectively or correctly that is what failed not CICO. It doesn't bother me whether you go low carb, no carb or 30 bananas a day, but you can go lower carb and count which is what I do and it works.3 -
Alternatively, its not that you didn't count calories properly - its that the math of CICO and calorie counting is wrong. Calorie counting presumes that weight loss is a simple linear equation but your body is a complex and dynamic system. An NIH research found that based on large data sets of high quality clinical trials - it actually takes around a 7000 calorie deficit when using calorie counting to lose a pound of weight (not 3500 - as is commonly quoted) because of metabolic adaptation (i.e. your metabolism slows down).
Popular media summaries of the study.
https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a20813313/biggest-weight-loss-myth-revealed/
https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111114p36.shtml
NIH website
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/at-niddk/labs-branches/LBM/integrative-physiology-section/research-behind-body-weight-planner/Pages/default.aspx
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If I've learned anything in all the years of dieting it is that you have to do what works for you. If that's low carb and your doc feels it's healthy for you then do what works. I was never able to maintain the low carb lifestyle so I do low cal. But that's me! Good luck on your journey and there are a couple low carb groups on here which are likely to be very helpful to you. Give them a shot.3
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BlessedMom70 wrote: »I know so many say weight loss is all about calories in/calories out, and that does make sense...but I have been trying to lose 15 lbs for around 10 years and I'm frustrated. I know that's not a lot of weight to lose, but I feel better at a certain weight (my healthy weight).
I have counted calories on and off since I was 14 (!), and I have tried Weight Watchers. Last summer, I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic and started watching the carbs. I brought my A1C down to a normal level and lost weight in the process. I stopped eating low carb and the weight returned (so obviously I am going to have to make it a permanent change/lifestyle). My husband lost 50 lbs eating low carb and has kept it off for 3 years (he still watches the carbs but not as 'fanatically').
I am really starting to think that low carb is the only thing that works for me. What is considered low carb (ex: 100 net carbs a day)? And I know that eating low carb naturally results in eating a higher fat diet. Can anyone recommend good websites, books, etc to help me in this journey to finally lose the extra weight once and for all?
low carb doesn't work for me at all. what i do lose comes back on the minute i touch a piece of bread and the cravings hit so hard i end up bingeing on carbs sometimes which doesn't help. low carb per diets like the atkins diet go around 30-40 carbs a day max. i'd consider what you are thinking a reduced carb diet rather than a low carb one which i think isn't sustainable at least for me. i can do reduced carb though. they say anything in moderation. the thing with calorie counting, is that after a while you should be able to sort of estimate how many calories is in something so you don't have to count so hard and it just comes naturally. anyway, i have been diagnosed diabetic recently and my dietician said it's not so much eliminating carbs but reducing portion sizes. if you stick to one to two recommeneded servings per meal you should do good with weight loss. (example. a serving of pasta or rice is about 1/3 cup cooked)1 -
alicebhsia1 wrote: »BlessedMom70 wrote: »I know so many say weight loss is all about calories in/calories out, and that does make sense...but I have been trying to lose 15 lbs for around 10 years and I'm frustrated. I know that's not a lot of weight to lose, but I feel better at a certain weight (my healthy weight).
I have counted calories on and off since I was 14 (!), and I have tried Weight Watchers. Last summer, I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic and started watching the carbs. I brought my A1C down to a normal level and lost weight in the process. I stopped eating low carb and the weight returned (so obviously I am going to have to make it a permanent change/lifestyle). My husband lost 50 lbs eating low carb and has kept it off for 3 years (he still watches the carbs but not as 'fanatically').
I am really starting to think that low carb is the only thing that works for me. What is considered low carb (ex: 100 net carbs a day)? And I know that eating low carb naturally results in eating a higher fat diet. Can anyone recommend good websites, books, etc to help me in this journey to finally lose the extra weight once and for all?
low carb doesn't work for me at all. what i do lose comes back on the minute i touch a piece of bread and the cravings hit so hard i end up bingeing on carbs sometimes which doesn't help. low carb per diets like the atkins diet go around 30-40 carbs a day max. i'd consider what you are thinking a reduced carb diet rather than a low carb one which i think isn't sustainable at least for me. i can do reduced carb though. they say anything in moderation. the thing with calorie counting, is that after a while you should be able to sort of estimate how many calories is in something so you don't have to count so hard and it just comes naturally. anyway, i have been diagnosed diabetic recently and my dietician said it's not so much eliminating carbs but reducing portion sizes. if you stick to one to two recommeneded servings per meal you should do good with weight loss. (example. a serving of pasta or rice is about 1/3 cup cooked)
While your point about portion sizes is absolutely correct, either you or your dietitian misspoke about a serving size of pasta or rice. The normal serving size of both is about 1 cup (200 calories) cooked... maybe you meant uncooked?
And just for the benefit of others considering a low-carb diet, in reply to your statement that, "what I do lose comes back on the minute I touch a piece of bread", many don't seem to realize that carbs come with a substantial amount of water weight (each gram of carbs holds 3 g of water). So when you initially restrict carbs, you lose a lot of water weight. When you suddenly increase your carb intake, your water weight will spike. It's not fat, and has no bearing on the effectiveness of low-carb diets for fat loss. It doesn't mean "carbs make a person fat", or "a person's body doesn't like carbs", it's just the way it works. So if a person chooses low carb (which is perfectly fine), they should really educate themselves so they will know what to expect.8 -
Eat the way is sustainable for you.
For those who are diabetic (I am Type II) there is a common misconception that we are all the same. Not true. The source of my carbs, combined with what else I'm eating at the time, the time of day, and my activity level all impact my blood sugar. I can eat 45 g of carbs from sweet potatoes and have readings of 120 after 2 hours. The day before I ate 17 g of carbs from wheat toast and had a 2 hour reading of 130. You need to eat to your meter. It will tell you how many carbs you can consume.
I fluctuate with my carb intake. There are days I only take in 50 and days I eat 100. It's ok to do that. Yesterday I ended up with around 70. Lately I've been having a really hard time eating enough calories and that has impacted my carb intake significantly.2 -
garystrickland357 wrote: »
Hm. It takes me a whole five minutes per day to use my digital food scale, log my food, weigh my body, and log my weight. I don't consider that consuming my life. I consider that the same amount of "hassle" as paying my bills or putting gas in the car, or balancing my checkbook or brushing my teeth. It's life-maintenance tool, not a career.
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That's a great way to look at the "hassle" of logging. [/quote]
But maybe you haven't been doing it for 35 years like I have. 35 years is a long time. :-/
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BlessedMom70 wrote: »garystrickland357 wrote: »
Hm. It takes me a whole five minutes per day to use my digital food scale, log my food, weigh my body, and log my weight. I don't consider that consuming my life. I consider that the same amount of "hassle" as paying my bills or putting gas in the car, or balancing my checkbook or brushing my teeth. It's life-maintenance tool, not a career.
That's a great way to look at the "hassle" of logging. [/quote]
But maybe you haven't been doing it for 35 years like I have. 35 years is a long time. :-/
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But people have to do all those other things their whole lives too, and for the most part, we do it without thinking about it (I do think about it when I have to get gas and it's -20 outside
).
Listen... you don't have to log. All people are saying is that choosing different diets is just the noise surrounding the math. The math just helps us cut to the chase, without having to make a lot of fussy food choices. If that's what you need to be happy, that's fine, but it may be more of a challenge to get results consistently.3 -
I measured a few things but I never used a scale. I got pretty good at estimating my calories and was able to lose 50 pounds and my large beer gut. My portion size has remained under control but after a ski injury I stopped running. I also increased my beer intake to complete the double whammy and gained 30 pounds back. OP like you I find logging a pain and I didn't use a scale either. I was searching for a healthier way to eat and lose some weight. I ended up with keto or LCHF and it fits me well as I don't restrict, log or count calories. I have lost 16 pounds without really trying the way I had to in the past. I would probably lose more if I didn't have scotch and wine each night. I look at this as a new way of eating and not a diet. This WOE seems to benefit people with insulin resistance, Pre-diabetic and type II diabetes. Lots of things to check out on You Tube if you want to. I like KenDBerry, FitterU and Low Carb Down Under. A interesting documentary is "The Magic Pill" on Netflix. I just finished a book "Tripping Over The Truth" and started "Big Fat Lie".
Someone stated that you don't need to increase fats for low carb and that may be true but I feel the fat is what keeps me feeling full. LCHF may not be for everyone but it may be worth looking into.11 -
I saw someone shared this on another thread this morning, and I think it makes a good point for this thread as well.
From https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1 , p. 13:
Hey everyone, just wanted to share my experience with the food scale - my best friend and worst enemy.
I’ve lost 40 lbs so far and for the first 25-30, I used measuring cups and “eyeballing”, and it worked fine - until it didn’t. The scale refused to budge for almost a month and I had no idea that I had been sabotaging myself. I posted in the forums here for help and this thread’s OP - quiksylver, chimed in about food scales. I was sure that I was logging accurately and my thought process was “well I’ve lost weight so far, so my logging must be accurate”. Wrong!! I had lost a significant amount of weight so far, my calorie needs had changed and that meant that a “few extra” calories not logged accurately added up even more since I needed a larger deficit now in order to maintain my rate of loss (set to 1.5 lbs/week). A smaller person needs fewer calories.
So I purchased a food scale. The very first day, I realized that there were several hundred extra calories sneaking their way into my day. Several hundred!! On some days, as many as 400-500 calories that would have been unaccounted for.
The main culprits for me were things like ice cream, mayo, coffee creamer, salad dressings, etc. I had been measuring my ice cream in a measuring cup and learned that I was getting almost 33% more in each “serving”. It was a sad day that I realized I did not know what a portion of ice cream looks like, lol 😢 😂
There were also some foods that I was shorting myself on like cereal, Mac and cheese (wooohooo!!), and deli meat. But in the end, I was eating way more than I thought.
Since picking up the food scale and becoming more accurate about what I’m consuming, I’ve had massive success. The scale has been going down consistently every week.
Another bonus to the food scale is it keeps me from randomly grazing and snacking because I don’t want to have to bother pulling out the food scale for just 2 or 3 grapes, for example. When I eat, it’s deliberate and everything is weighed.
Getting a food scale was some of the best advice I’ve received - thank you quiksylver!
Now again, this is not to say that a person can't lose weight without weighing and logging one's food, but it does speak to how challenging it can be to achieve a calorie deficit even when a person is being very mindful of what they are eating. I believe OP only has 10-15 lbs to lose which means almost no room for error. I'm also not trying to suggest that low-carb is a bad thing- I think for some people it's a beneficial WOE for various reasons. But most people don't seem willing to eat that way indefinitely, and thus solely relying on it for calorie control may not be the best route. I think the most practical advice I've seen on MFP is, don't make any changes to lose weight that you're not willing to do for the rest of your life, because it will make maintenance that much more challenging.
At any rate, OP, I hope you find what works for you 5 -
you aren't accurately calorie counting if you are not weighing your food.
low carb is a style of eating and will not necessarily help you lose weight. you ONLY lose weight when you are in a calorie deficit.
i food prep for an hour or so, weigh and label my food and then eat as desired and track when i eat it. i also usually pre-log my food so all i have to do is eat what i pack
and sometimes i go out to eat and don't sweat it. just log and move on.
being healthy and mindful is an investment in myself6 -
steamer1964 wrote: »Yes I’ve found carbs do not like me especially the complex ones like bread rice pasta and potatoes
I’ve been doing low carb now for 7 weeks and lost just under 14 kilo
But saying that I had 40kg to lose so it will come off a bit faster for me
I definitely think it’s worth trying something different given how long you have been trying
There’s nothing more disappointing then doing the hard yards for weeks with no result
Best of luck to you
Everything you just listed as complex is actually a simple carb just FYI4 -
steamer1964 wrote: »Yes I’ve found carbs do not like me especially the complex ones like bread rice pasta and potatoes
I’ve been doing low carb now for 7 weeks and lost just under 14 kilo
But saying that I had 40kg to lose so it will come off a bit faster for me
I definitely think it’s worth trying something different given how long you have been trying
There’s nothing more disappointing then doing the hard yards for weeks with no result
Best of luck to you
Everything you just listed as complex is actually a simple carb just FYI
Those are complex carbohydrates.6 -
BlessedMom70, I totally get what you are saying about it consuming your life. It is the constant thought of it all.3
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Just saw your follow up post. Since you don't use a food scale, perhaps the foods you added back into your diet when you stopped low carb are more difficult for you to measure or eyeball correctly. Regardless of the reason though, if LC works for you, it makes sense to give it another try.
Knowing why you stopped might help you get more targeted responses of how to make it work!
this is my guess as well. Most people are ridiculously bad at not serving out 3x+ portions of things like rice, pasta, cereals, oatmeal/the actual serving sizes are paltry compared to what many of us have become used to. (and they are triggery foods for a lot of people - so more likely to go back for 2nds, etc). I tend to mostly avoid these foods for those reasons as well.
for OP- It might be a certain subset of foods that you tend to over-serve/over-crave extra...not keeping those around (rather than aiming for a certain # carbs grams) might be the key. (weighing and logging for a little while if you have re-introduced them might tell you which are the culprits that aren't worth the calories - either because they are triggery foods for you or because the actual serving size is depressingly small for the number of calories).1 -
Interestingly, at least to me, is that in the last couple of months since I started weighing in grams and more accurately it has been quite freeing. Not only of stress but of frustration. I leave the scale on the counter and just do it. I don't sit there and measure grains of rice to get exactly 100g. Instead i put my plate on the scale, add the rice I want and then log it.
Gone is the "I'm doing, everything right, why aren't I losing?" constant battle. Now, it's just math, Unemotional, non-accusatory, non-frustration filled math.
Gone also is the obsession and guesswork and subtly lying to myself. For me, it's been a game-changer.12 -
I know if I was 'done with counting' there would be no way I would be able to have kept maintaining my weight for so long... either I count calories or I gain - I know I prefer being slim so I will keep counting - it helps me be aware of how much I'm eating.
OP if you really want to lose those last 15 pounds it will take either eating less than you do now or moving more....or a combo of both. If you want to lose them badly enough it takes working at but its doable.2
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