Low cal vs low carb ??

leannehathaway1 · October 2020

So I know you need a calorie deficit to lose weight regardless of how/what you are eating. In the past I’ve lost weight eating whatever I want just less of it.. I get that.
This time around it’s not the case. I’m 43 now and things are not as easy as they used to be. Have any of you found that adjusting your diet to low carb has helped you get over the hump even when consuming the same amount of calories?
I’m not a fan of keto or anything that is not sustainable long term for me but wondering if some adjustments to my macros might help.
I’ve also started using the food scale hoping that will help tighten my numbers down.

NovusDies · October 2020

Low carb just releases water weight. If you are not in a deficit this can be deceiving because the scale will still go down initially.

FWIW I lost a huge amount of weight starting in my late forties. It was much easier than it was before because I approached it with more wisdom. It only gets harder because many of us are not moving as much as we once were. NEAT improvement or decline can have a pretty big impact on our calories. I have made a lot of effort to improve mine which has made things easier.

lemurcat2 · October 2020

I have not found that my carb # affects calories needed to lose or maintain, and I've experimented with a wide range from the standard MFP goals to keto. However, when I started (I was 44), I thought through what I could most easily cut without missing it, and for me that was snacks (I've never really been a big snacker, and feel more satisfied without eating other than at main meals, but there tended to be lots of snacks around at work), added fat (such as the amount of oil used in cooking or dressings), and then my carb portions -- no meals with double carbs (sandwich and chips) and reducing starch portions (less pasta, less potatoes, less rice, etc.). If I was low on cals, I'd have dinner that was just meat and veg, no starch side, and my standard breakfast was pretty low carb anyway (veg omelet with cottage cheese/greek yogurt or maybe half an avocado on the side). Making these adjustments, and adding more veg in their place, I ended up at about 100-120 g carbs, and wasn't hungry at all, so in that sense it worked for me, but not because carbs are inherently a problem.

I actually think it worked in large part because I could eat less without any reduction in volume, and because I am not really someone who loves carbs. I like pasta fine, but it's mainly a vehicle for sauce, I eat rice when it's there, but don't find it especially exciting and am as satisfied with a much smaller portion, I'm eh about most bread and find foods other than sandwiches usually more interesting (as a kid my mom would want to make sandwiches with the leftover turkey after Thanksgiving and I would prefer my turkey plain, no bread). So it really was about just cutting the foods I ate more mindlessly with less actual appreciation.

Some people find cutting carbs decreases their appetite, also.

Food scale is useful too, so I hope that helps.

errollmaclean · October 2020

The food scale will definitely help. Accurate logging is the most important thing.

kshama2001 · October 2020

I'm not low carb, but I found REDUCING carbs (especially from foods that don't fill me up, like bread, pasta, and baked goods) and increasing protein and making sure I hit my fiber goal helps keep me full for less calories.

For the nutrients tracked, I swapped out Sugar and Sodium for Fiber and Iron (I'm anemic.)

Dogmom1978 · October 2020

Age is largely just a number. You may be moving less and have a slightly slower metabolism than when you were younger.

If you weren’t using a food scale before though, you didn’t actually know if you were eating in a deficit. Use the food scale, weigh and track everything, make sure the database entries are correct. Find foods that fill you up (like high fiber).

missysippy930 · October 2020

Everyone is different, but the common denominator for all is, eat less calories than your body burns for weight loss. Finding what works for each of us, long term, is key for successful weight loss, and maintaining a healthy weight. You know yourself best. Take advice that you think may work for you, and try it. For myself, it was as simple as all foods that I like in moderation, staying in a calorie deficit, and moving more. I know that for myself, denying any food, wouldn’t work for me. I successfully lost over 1/2 my body weight @ age 60.

cwolfman13 · October 2020

I don't exactly do low carb when I'm trying to lose weight, but cutting back on carbs is typically the easiest way for me to also cut back on calories when I'm trying to cut some weight. I don't log, so typically when I want to cut some weight I just skip the grain or starch with my dinner and have extra veggies along with my protein and cut out a couple of snacks and alcohol.

There might also be an issue with activity dip...my general activity dipped quite a bit with COVID and working from home...when I'm at the office I typically get in around 8K steps by the end of the workday and usually around 10-12K by the time I go to bed...at home I'm often around 3K by the end of the workday and maybe 5-6K by the time I go to bed. I'm off IR now, so I've had to up my cycling and workout game to compensate for the decrease in general activity.

dragon_girl26 · October 2020

For me, it isn't necessarily carbs, but I just started learning what keeps me full longer, and try to focus on those foods. For instance, I've found that if I eat scrambled eggs and potatoes at breakfast time, most days I can stay full until dinner. If I eat something sweet though, like cereal, I might be more inclined to get hungry by early lunchtime. Fiber and fat seems to help my cause, too...this week I made three bean chili, and if I put a little greek yogurt amd/or some cheese, and some fritos with it..that's enough for dinner and for the rest of the evening. That has really helped keep my calories in check. Each individual has different needs for what works..I think it's all about paying attention to what works for you.

DancingMoosie · October 2020

I generally just eat less of things like rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, etc and eat more veg. Because of cutting some of those carbs, I'm also cutting some fat(like butter) that would be added to them, and creating a deficit.

leannehathaway1 · October 2020

Great suggestions guys. Thanks. My activity has been way down during Covid as well. I’ve started working out again daily but my over all walking and movement is def down as well as wine and snack intake has been up.

AshHeartsJesus · October 2020

QUIT alcohol/ drinking calories it will help a ton!

AnnPT77 · October 2020

leannehathaway1 wrote: »

Great suggestions guys. Thanks. My activity has been way down during Covid as well. I’ve started working out again daily but my over all walking and movement is def down as well as wine and snack intake has been up.

Reduced daily life movement can make a surprisingly large difference. I think people often don't realize how much.

Consider whether there may be ways you can include more movement in your day, beyond exercise. It isn't necessarily time-consuming.

Ideas in this thread (some of which don't work during stay-at-home orders, but many still do):

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

Low cal vs low carb ??

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