Guess I'll do low carb now
abouthealth56
Posts: 27 Member
35 days on MFP with weight loss of 5 lbs. Working out about 7 hrs. weekly, eating below my caloric range for probably 33 of the 35 days, etc. Today was weigh day--Zero weight loss in past week despite tweaking my diet to include only 2 starches per day and eaten only after my workouts. Anyway, I'm feeling a liitle discouraged, but not giving in to it. Was reading about low carb eating and how I need to keep my carbs at 100 g. or less per day. I'm going to do this for one week to see if the scale will budge. I would like positive feedback on how successful a low carb diet has been for others. Any help is appreciated. P.S. I'm 5 ft. tall, 154 lbs., post menopausal, endomorphic(apple shaped), medium bone structure, on no meds, with 1st goal wt. of 135, final goal of 125.
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Replies
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average net calories per day?0
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If done 'healthily', low-carb is good imo. I've had luck in the past. I gained the weight I lost back, but who knows if that is from eating carbs again or just eating straight up junk again!
I definitely see the appeal to it, and I think before Halloween I will go low-carb again to lose the bloat. Definitely helps get the water weight off, at least for me!
Maybe going low-carb for a bit will help get you over the weight loss hurdle! Good luck!
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When I tried it is was very hard to do. I actually switched to a whole foods diet halfway through...I try to eat minimally processed foods. Tons of fresh fruit, veggies, nuts, and lean protein meats. I had more success with it. I was at a plateau at 147, and when I swtiched to whole foods I quickly lost the 7 extra pounds I wanted to lose; and that was with a cheat meal on the weekends. So, I just though low carb was just too difficult to maintain.0
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35 days on MFP with weight loss of 5 lbs. Working out about 7 hrs. weekly, eating below my caloric range for probably 33 of the 35 days, etc. Today was weigh day--Zero weight loss in past week despite tweaking my diet to include only 2 starches per day and eaten only after my workouts. Anyway, I'm feeling a liitle discouraged, but not giving in to it. Was reading about low carb eating and how I need to keep my carbs at 100 g. or less per day. I'm going to do this for one week to see if the scale will budge. I would like positive feedback on how successful a low carb diet has been for others. Any help is appreciated. P.S. I'm 5 ft. tall, 154 lbs., post menopausal, endomorphic(apple shaped), medium bone structure, on no meds, with 1st goal wt. of 135, final goal of 125.
A week might not be enough. Don't expect it to work instantly.
You didn't gain the weight in a week, you're def not going to lose it in a week.0 -
I often eat less than 100 g of carbs, though I don't do it purposely nor have I ever considered my diet low carb. With few exceptions, I only eat whole grains (usually brown rice or quinoa, and bread or pasta occasionally), veggies and fruit. Very little sweets (desserts). This usually comes out around 100 g, Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less.
This works for me (I met my goal a few months ago) and I suppose is considered low carb by some. But I don't ever think "I can't have this because it has carbs". Rather, I think "I don't want this because it has refined carbs or sugar".0 -
You are averaging one pound a week. That is awesome. You don't have much weight to lose. Therefore, you will lose it in smaller increments. Take your measurements. You are doing way to good to be discouraged. Instant weight loss isn't gonna happen. Maybe get a digital scale that will show you when you lose a half pound or less but still show the loss.0
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It's about carb timing. You should get the majority of your carbs from non root veggies, so leafy greens, cabbage, broccoli and such. Low carb doesn't work for the long haul.
Also if you've been on a low calorie diet for an extended period, it's time for a cheat day. I know it sounds scary, but for the temporary discomfort, you'll get back that calorie burning fire.
Your body may be in starvation mode.
Try this website: www.body-improvements.com0 -
Don't give up on the calorie counting just yet! I am giving it at least 2 months straight before I go back to the lowcarb diet. I lost a lot of inches & kept them off doing the lowcarb diet. I loved the diet, but also got a little bored with it too. Have you ever tried South Beach? Now with Atkins & South Beach, there is so much new info out there than before. And yes...you do incorporate more veggies & fruits when you get to certain phases. Most people think that on either diet you are eating so terrible. But if you follow each phase like you are supposed to, you reap the benefits of all the "right" foods.
I also tweaked my calories & lowered mine. I have only lost about 4 pounds in 30 days. A pound per week & I have a lot to lose. The older we get, the harder it is for us to lose. My friend always tells me that old, stubborn fat is harder to get rid of. It's the newer stuff that we tack on that's easier to lose.
I think you are exercising the right amount too. They say 35-40/minutes per day of cardio to stay healthy.
HTH
Let me know what you decide to do!0 -
I am a personal trainer, and the common thing that happens from people that are on low carb diets lose weight fast, but always gain it back, plus they do not have as much energy. 50% of your diet is supposed to be carbohydrates. This is where the body gets it's energy. The problem is people do not know the difference between simple carbs and complex carbs. Simple carbs are the ones that you want to avoid, white bread, pasta, pizza, spaghetti, white rice, sweets, soda's, etc... Simple carbs spike insulin levels and cause fat storage. However complex carbs, foods high in fiber and whole grains cause weight loss. Most fruits and vegetables, 100% whole wheat products, oatmeal, etc... promote weight loss. So please do me a favor and do not get on a low carb diet and just stay away from simple carbohydrates!! This is for permanent weight loss35 days on MFP with weight loss of 5 lbs. Working out about 7 hrs. weekly, eating below my caloric range for probably 33 of the 35 days, etc. Today was weigh day--Zero weight loss in past week despite tweaking my diet to include only 2 starches per day and eaten only after my workouts. Anyway, I'm feeling a liitle discouraged, but not giving in to it. Was reading about low carb eating and how I need to keep my carbs at 100 g. or less per day. I'm going to do this for one week to see if the scale will budge. I would like positive feedback on how successful a low carb diet has been for others. Any help is appreciated. P.S. I'm 5 ft. tall, 154 lbs., post menopausal, endomorphic(apple shaped), medium bone structure, on no meds, with 1st goal wt. of 135, final goal of 125.0
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You might want to show your diary so people can make suggestions based on that. I hesitate to select a "diet" that I think I won't be able to maintain. I'm scared to find out that all my work would be for nothing if it wasn't a lifestyle change that was sustainable for me. I've tried to concentrate on viewing food as "fuel", eating smaller portions, and exercise. Don't get me wrong -- I'll drink beer, eat pizza, chocolate and the occasional cookie, but I make sure I have the calories for those thing. I'd be worried that if I told myself some food was "bad" or "off limits" I'd be prepping myself for a binge.0
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I used to diet and eat normal healthy whole foods but the scale was always stuck at 127.8 or would creep up to 131 no matter what I did. When the scale got back up to 131 I did a **** ton of research and found the high protein and high fat whole foods method.
I was on average eating between 150-200 gm of carbs per day before my latest journey and based on my results I am assuming I am extremely insulin sensitive. In the first week I started low carb I dropped 4 pounds.The second week I lost another 4 pounds and mind you I don't have much weight to lose. I maintained for a week and now I am on my fourth week and eating 15 gms of carbs per day. For me its a great and easy way to live. I don't ever feel deprived and I don't ever binge on foods. I do eat vegetables and I keep fruits to a minimum. I don't see why I would start eating unhealthy carbs ever again and by unhealthy I mean all carbs except for vegetables and fruits.
If you have any questions please feel free to add me!0 -
SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE!! Don't give up!!!0
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Yes, low-carb will allow you to loose the weight. However, if you are already "under" your caloric intake, you may not be getting enough cals and that means your body is hoarding the fat because you are not feeding it right. You need to try to make your calories even at 0 everyday or as close as you can do it.. Your body is needs food for energy. If you do the low-carb, once you eat the carbs again you will gain all the weight back.
I researched all of this before I started changing my diet. I do not diet, I have a healthy diet. Does that mean that I eat absolutely NO sweets or unhealthy foods? No, it does not. I have learned to eat these foods in moderation. I am not saying it is easy, it was not! But after 5 years, I am in a better mode of life, because I choose to change my lifestyle instead of dieting all the time and then gaining the weight back the second I got off the diet.
I hope you will start your own research and come to your own conclusions. It is not a quick fix to diet, it is a temporary fix. And it will blow back up in your face.
Oh and by the way, the weight I have lost I have never gained back. It has taken me 3 years to loose 45 lbs, but I have done it healthy and I have not seen those pounds come back. I have between 35 -40 more to loose. I am looking at what size I will be the healthiest. I will loose weight until I am happy with me. Not till I am "skinny".
I hope this helps. I pray that you will research.
Have a blessed day!0 -
I don't think you are doing all that bad. You have basically lost 1 pound a week and I am sure you have lost inches. I try to stay around 100-125 carbs (150 max) because I have to watch my glucose levels and carbs = fluffiness for me. I have learned that carbs and all the other things we track matter but most importantly a calorie deficit is what drives weight loss. I have lost 50 pounds but at a very slow pace. I lost weight fast in the past and gained it right back. Stick in there and realize that you can have victories that are not scale related - inches, do your clothes fit better - exercise, do you feel healthier and more energetic - healthy eating, eating to fuel your body. Hope this helps.0
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The thing to remember about going low-carb is that it is not a diet. Yes, you can lose weight doing it - and will probably gain it all back when you stop restricting your carb intake.
Low-carb is a lifestyle - you'll pretty much need to do it forever. That can work for some people, especially people with diabetes or other insulin issues.
You need to really think about whether you want to live a low-carb life before you begin. If that's the case, then you do your research before you begin.0 -
I actually found low-carb pretty easy
(I'm not on it at the moment) there weren't a whole lot of foods I liked that I could eat, and having a lack of variety actually helped me out a lot. I did have a few problems: eating out when I couldn't choose the restaurant/plan beforehand; cravings; and not getting enough calories. I was netting about 800 calories a day because all the protein meant I was almost never hungry, so it's something to get past. and it was hard to have foods I couldn't eat which led to cravings 
BUT, I had a lot of energy, wasn't hungry, and was eating well, so I have a very positive experience overall- I might go back on it at some point, depending on my mental health (my cravings aren't as bad on a non-low-carb diet, and when I get depressed my willpower decreases). I hope you find something that works for you! 0 -
my average is about 1300 to 1500 per day, depending on my exercise amount. MFP has me set on 1233 cal. per day, not counting exercise.0
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I eat nothing but whole foods also. I never eat junk or fast food. I'm a health nut.0
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Thanks. I definitely need more patience. Also, your quote at bottom of your post made me laugh out loud.:laugh:0
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Thank you for your encouragement. I do have a new WW digital scale I bought at Costco. I will continue to chip away.0
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+1 on patience. It sounds like you eat healthy food that you enjoy food and your weight _is_ decreasing. That is fantastic ! If you feel like your current eating patterns are sustainable (i.e., you're not making heroic sacrifices which continually test your willpower) then you are already successful. Just let it happen !
The only reasons to specifically choose a low-carb diet vs. generic calorie-tracking are 1) Many people find carbs to be the easiest type of calories to give up while still eating foods which are satisfying, and 2) Eating *too* many carbs, and especially the refined ones, have a wide range of negative health consequences.
Two things in particular to know about beginning a low-carb diet. 1) Eating carbs causes a fair amount of water retention. So often, when someone abruptly reduces their carb intake, they notice a pretty significant initial weight loss (the "water weight"). This is fun, but it just delays the disappointment of realizing that weight loss is a slow process. Also, 2) When your body gets fewer carbs than it is used to, it takes a little time to adapt. It's common to have a day or two of fatigue and dizziness. I had never heard about this and it was a bit scary until I learned why it was happening. After a day or so, your body adapts quite nicely. Anybody who experiences continuing fatigue or low energy or endurance is definitely doing something wrong. My experience has been exactly the opposite : I feel markedly less depressed, I wake up earlier in the morning feeling more "ready to go" than ever in my life, and although I've always been fairly lazy and "comfort-oriented", I'm finding I'm more excited about exercise than ever.
As for low-carb diets "failing", there is quite good evidence that this is true. And sadly this is equally true for low-fat and for any other type of diet out there. Anyone who is "on a diet" is at a fairly high risk of "going off" the diet, and the result is typically a rapid re-gain of all the lost weight and then some. This happens to people who start out overweight as well as people who start out at a normal weight. So the most important thing anybody interested in dieting should ask is "Is this an eating style I can live with for the rest of my life?" Just trying to slim down for a wedding, or beach season, etc., or going on a hard-core self-deprivation program is a recipe for disaster.0 -
Good post. This is sound advice.0
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Yes, it is. It's common sense. Thank you for feedback. It has definitely helped me see a bigger picture!:glasses:0
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5 lbs is great! it's totally normal for me to not lose in a week, or even 2 weeks, but then the next week i'll drop a couple. in fact i haven't lost weight for a couple of weeks so i'm really hoping for a good weigh in soon! losing weight takes loads and loads of patience! good luck 0
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Gag. So much misinformation, I am *shocked* that it was written by a PT.I am a personal trainer, and the common thing that happens from people that are on low carb diets lose weight fast, but always gain it back, plus they do not have as much energy. 50% of your diet is supposed to be carbohydrates. This is where the body gets it's energy. The problem is people do not know the difference between simple carbs and complex carbs. Simple carbs are the ones that you want to avoid, white bread, pasta, pizza, spaghetti, white rice, sweets, soda's, etc... Simple carbs spike insulin levels and cause fat storage. However complex carbs, foods high in fiber and whole grains cause weight loss. Most fruits and vegetables, 100% whole wheat products, oatmeal, etc... promote weight loss. So please do me a favor and do not get on a low carb diet and just stay away from simple carbohydrates!! This is for permanent weight loss35 days on MFP with weight loss of 5 lbs. Working out about 7 hrs. weekly, eating below my caloric range for probably 33 of the 35 days, etc. Today was weigh day--Zero weight loss in past week despite tweaking my diet to include only 2 starches per day and eaten only after my workouts. Anyway, I'm feeling a liitle discouraged, but not giving in to it. Was reading about low carb eating and how I need to keep my carbs at 100 g. or less per day. I'm going to do this for one week to see if the scale will budge. I would like positive feedback on how successful a low carb diet has been for others. Any help is appreciated. P.S. I'm 5 ft. tall, 154 lbs., post menopausal, endomorphic(apple shaped), medium bone structure, on no meds, with 1st goal wt. of 135, final goal of 125.
First, people on low carb diets don't "always" gain it back. There are many low carb dieters who've stayed on the diet for a decade or longer who've kept their weight off.
Second, there is no physiological reason that 50% of your diet should come from carbs. There is no physiological reason you have to have any carbs in your diet, however, some carb sources such as vegetables also contain other important nutrients which are healthy. No one needs grains, whole or otherwise, either, particularly the genetically bastardized grains most people currently eat. OTOH, try completely cutting fat or protein out of your diet and see what happens--have fun in the hospital.
Third, low carb does not mean no carb. The most popular low carb diets I know about all recommend multiple servings of vegetables per day, even in their introductory or induction periods. Most of them also allow for a gradual reintroduction of more carbs after you've acclimated yourself to the diet to the point that you still lose weight or at least maintain the weight you want.
Fourth, your last statement to "please do me a favor and do not get on a low carb diet and just stay away from simple carbohydrates!!" is contradictory as I've explained above. Low carb diets recommend staying away from refined carbs, starches, and grains and only eating "good" carbs. Why don't you actually do some research on what exactly low carb diets are before ignorantly shooting your mouth off about them?0 -
I generally despise "me too" type replies, but your post was so well written I'm going to do one anyway. Very well said. You have given a balanced view of low carb which is both rare and refreshing. The diet isn't for everybody but as you eloquently stated neither is any another diet for everybody. Your last two sentences are particularly incisive in my opinion and I hope the OP and anyone else reading them takes them to heart.+1 on patience. It sounds like you eat healthy food that you enjoy food and your weight _is_ decreasing. That is fantastic ! If you feel like your current eating patterns are sustainable (i.e., you're not making heroic sacrifices which continually test your willpower) then you are already successful. Just let it happen !
The only reasons to specifically choose a low-carb diet vs. generic calorie-tracking are 1) Many people find carbs to be the easiest type of calories to give up while still eating foods which are satisfying, and 2) Eating *too* many carbs, and especially the refined ones, have a wide range of negative health consequences.
Two things in particular to know about beginning a low-carb diet. 1) Eating carbs causes a fair amount of water retention. So often, when someone abruptly reduces their carb intake, they notice a pretty significant initial weight loss (the "water weight"). This is fun, but it just delays the disappointment of realizing that weight loss is a slow process. Also, 2) When your body gets fewer carbs than it is used to, it takes a little time to adapt. It's common to have a day or two of fatigue and dizziness. I had never heard about this and it was a bit scary until I learned why it was happening. After a day or so, your body adapts quite nicely. Anybody who experiences continuing fatigue or low energy or endurance is definitely doing something wrong. My experience has been exactly the opposite : I feel markedly less depressed, I wake up earlier in the morning feeling more "ready to go" than ever in my life, and although I've always been fairly lazy and "comfort-oriented", I'm finding I'm more excited about exercise than ever.
As for low-carb diets "failing", there is quite good evidence that this is true. And sadly this is equally true for low-fat and for any other type of diet out there. Anyone who is "on a diet" is at a fairly high risk of "going off" the diet, and the result is typically a rapid re-gain of all the lost weight and then some. This happens to people who start out overweight as well as people who start out at a normal weight. So the most important thing anybody interested in dieting should ask is "Is this an eating style I can live with for the rest of my life?" Just trying to slim down for a wedding, or beach season, etc., or going on a hard-core self-deprivation program is a recipe for disaster.0 -
I often eat less than 100 g of carbs, though I don't do it purposely nor have I ever considered my diet low carb. With few exceptions, I only eat whole grains (usually brown rice or quinoa, and bread or pasta occasionally), veggies and fruit. Very little sweets (desserts). This usually comes out around 100 g, Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less.
This works for me (I met my goal a few months ago) and I suppose is considered low carb by some. But I don't ever think "I can't have this because it has carbs". Rather, I think "I don't want this because it has refined carbs or sugar".
THIS. If you are under your calories but eating refined processed foods, your blood sugar may swing a bit. Eat whole unprocessed foods.0
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