How do I 'do' low carb?

torsaer
torsaer Posts: 211 Member
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
sounds like a silly question, but the more I read about low carb eating being the key to weight loss the more I need to know how to go about it...some guys here say that mfp has carbs set too high and we should be aiming for 50-100?

Replies

  • shelly650
    shelly650 Posts: 319
    Well I have mine set at 120g per day! This helped me bust my plateau! Previously I was consuming anout 180g - 200g a day!! Its worth a try!!
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    I changed my settings to 30/30/40 for carbs/protein/fat, you can go into you settings and select "custom" and that works well for me. I find if I can get all my protein I am not hungry but I have a hard time getting that much protein everyday.
  • DianaPowerUp
    DianaPowerUp Posts: 518 Member
    If you set your goals at 50-100gm/day, you will have close to effortless weight loss. No joke. That seems to be the "magic #" in terms of fat loss. Less than that will put you in ketosis. More than that, you'll either stay the same, or gain, depending on your body.

    How do you do it? Well, you can check out my diary. I try to keep my carbs at about 100 gm/day. Some days I'm a little over, some a little under...oh, forget looking at the wknds (if I have a beer, that screws things up, lol!) Anyway, this is what I do, pretty much on a daily basis, and is REALLY super easy to follow:

    Breakfast (only one, not all at the same time!):
    1. greek yogurt with a little Kashi sprinkled in (for my cardio days, a little carb in there)
    2. ricotta cheese with fresh fruit (low GI fruit, like berries)
    3. bacon and eggs

    Lunch:
    Big bowl of leafy greens
    sprinkle of cheese, nuts, berries (dried)
    side of turkey breast

    Dinner:
    Meat or fish
    Side of veggies
    (and I make a side of some starch (rice, noodles, etc) for the hubby and kids, but I don't eat it)

    Dessert:
    Almost never. But I will indulge in a piece of dark chocolate, almost daily.

    And that will keep your carbs low, yet keep your satiety and energy up. Hope this helps!
  • lisagetsfit
    lisagetsfit Posts: 47
    bump
  • Strive2BLean
    Strive2BLean Posts: 300 Member
    Low carb (Like Atkins) has been impossible for me. I sort of have tailored my eating more like The South Beach Diet. I am eating good carbs like fresh fruit (strawberries in my salad/Greek plain nonfat yogurt, chicken, fish, turkey. The one thing that has helped me get over a 6 month plateau is that I have completely cut bread (even the good healthy whole wheat one). I don't eat oatmeal anymore for breakfast. I have yogurt and fruit. Basically salads for lunch with turkey and dinner is some kind of lean protein with vegetables and an occassional 1/2 cup of wheat berries or wild rice blend. PS I also sprinkle wheat germ on yogurt for a little treat. I also drink only WATER. I'm not into booze so that's a big plus Beer has lots of carbs. .lol Hope this helps you.
  • otr12
    otr12 Posts: 632 Member
    If you set your goals at 50-100gm/day, you will have close to effortless weight loss. No joke.....

    Really? I'm usually around 80-100. I thought "low" was like 20.
  • cathy314
    cathy314 Posts: 9
    @ asjerven. I went to settings and didn't find custom to change my carb counts. Can you be more specific?

    I ALWAYS watch my carbs. Was doing Atkins for a while, lost a ton of weight (unfortunately that was 5 years ago, and Menopause changed all that! Now I have other challenges!!).

    I have low blood sugar and my husband the opposite. We always watch Carbs as we know they turn to sugars in the body. I'm a protein person that needs to eat TONS adding lots of veggies and little fruit.

    This site has taught me so much that I thought I already knew, so being able to track my Carbs better will be good for my diet and my health!
  • kaittx13
    kaittx13 Posts: 88 Member
    so low carb always seems to include a lot of meat?
    what about if a person doesnt eat meat.. what are some low carb options besides eggs.
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
    it's really easy, no grains, and no added sugar. If you do that you will find it hard to eat more than 100 carbs a day, even 50 will be hard. Eat, clean meat, high fat foods (no hydrogenated oils), a ton of veggies, and a little fruit
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
    so low carb always seems to include a lot of meat?
    what about if a person doesnt eat meat.. what are some low carb options besides eggs.

    Dairy, and veggies, stay away from high GI veggies like potatoes. I have nothing against people that don't eat meat, I don't understand it, but I don't need to. Just some friendly (and probably unwanted) advice. Re-think why you don't eat meat, all the BS in the past about meat being unhealthy has pretty much been disproved. Look into clean eating, it might change your mind about meat.
  • shauntalnavas
    shauntalnavas Posts: 1 Member
    Normal carb consumption for women is 45 to 60 grams of carbs per meal with 15 grams of carbs for snacks, no added sugar and limited grains will help get to low carbs. And it's essential to read food labels everything has carbs
  • alyssamiller77
    alyssamiller77 Posts: 891 Member
    If you set your goals at 50-100gm/day, you will have close to effortless weight loss. No joke. That seems to be the "magic #" in terms of fat loss. Less than that will put you in ketosis. More than that, you'll either stay the same, or gain, depending on your body.

    This is patently false. You don't have to keep your carbs at 100g or less to lose weight. Look no further than my diary if you want proof.
  • NLG139
    NLG139 Posts: 11
    Bump
  • kaittx13
    kaittx13 Posts: 88 Member
    so low carb always seems to include a lot of meat?
    what about if a person doesnt eat meat.. what are some low carb options besides eggs.

    Dairy, and veggies, stay away from high GI veggies like potatoes. I have nothing against people that don't eat meat, I don't understand it, but I don't need to. Just some friendly (and probably unwanted) advice. Re-think why you don't eat meat, all the BS in the past about meat being unhealthy has pretty much been disproved. Look into clean eating, it might change your mind about meat.

    I used to be a huge meat eater.. my fav was a bacon cheese burger. I am very away of "clean" meat.
    It is just not my things anymore and i think too much about it and i just dont enjoy eating it.
    and meat.. especially clean meat is expensive for a college budget.
    I tend to stay away from potatos and rice and cereal.. if i eat bread it is like a few times a week and it is foodforlike sprouted grain..

    what if i dont do milk or yogurt? i have started eating a little more cheese since it is high in fat and calories.

    so taking all of that into account.. anymore suggestions on how i can eat low carb and still hit my calorie intake? :)
  • kaittx13
    kaittx13 Posts: 88 Member
    If you set your goals at 50-100gm/day, you will have close to effortless weight loss. No joke. That seems to be the "magic #" in terms of fat loss. Less than that will put you in ketosis. More than that, you'll either stay the same, or gain, depending on your body.

    This is patently false. You don't have to keep your carbs at 100g or less to lose weight. Look no further than my diary if you want proof.

    i know it is possible.. but as far as belly fat.. it has a lot to do with carbs and sugar.. so i am just trying it out this month to see if lowering my carbs makes a difference.. i am just kinda experimenting what food go good with my particular body.
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
    Coconut oil and nuts, will give you more healthy fats, and calories without added carbs.
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
    so low carb always seems to include a lot of meat?
    what about if a person doesnt eat meat.. what are some low carb options besides eggs.

    Cut the starchy grainy carbs first. Add lots of nuts (careful with salt), and things like avocado, fresh olives, sweet potatoes, butternut and spaghetti squash and other vegetables and fruits that would be consistent with a primal or paleo style eating plan.

    I would also suggest considering adding fish (salmon, trout, tuna. shellfish, etc.) and/or poultry to your intake to get the protein up while still avoiding red meats. Obviously the choice is your. You just may find that helpful.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
    sounds like a silly question, but the more I read about low carb eating being the key to weight loss the more I need to know how to go about it...some guys here say that mfp has carbs set too high and we should be aiming for 50-100?

    Everyone is different. For me, eating more than 30 grams of carbs per day will have me gaining weight at this point. There are others that are able to have upwards of 120 or 130 grms of carbs per day.

    You will have to experiment with what works for you. Some people do better on high fat, moderate protein, low carb and others do better on moderate fat, moderate protein, lower carb, etc.............
  • Misiaxcore
    Misiaxcore Posts: 659 Member
    I must be lucky, I don't need to watch my carbs to lose weight...
  • brmonet
    brmonet Posts: 30 Member
    I know this irrelevant, but what does bump mean? I keep seeing it on posts.
  • winslow44238
    winslow44238 Posts: 35
    Why so low carb? My friend is on really low carb because it is messing with her blood sugar and gestational diabetes. I'm told that unless you are having trouble with your blood sugar, you don't need to aim for such a low blood sugar and that if you are not drinking enough water on a high protien diet, you can actually cause some build up in your muscles and organs. I've been afraid to try going too low on carbs because of those stories. I am not sure if they are myths or facts.
  • strawberryromper
    strawberryromper Posts: 64 Member
    "Bump" is just a filler word to use in a post to return the topic to the top of the forums and keep it visible.
  • brmonet
    brmonet Posts: 30 Member
    thank you :smile: :smile:
  • Jennyisbusy
    Jennyisbusy Posts: 1,294 Member
    You got some good advice already... so I am here to say your post reminded me of the movie Mean Girls. :)
  • robeeen
    robeeen Posts: 15
    "Bump" renews the thread so it is back up to the top. People just do it to keep the thread new.

    As for low carb - I agree with everyone being different, because I can't tell you how many times I hear people say it doesn't matter, just keep your calories down. I've "kept my calories down" and worked out religiously the past 10 years. I've read every diet / health book out there and I STILL had problems losing weight... I was never "clinically" over weight, but close to it which always bothered me. It wasn't until 4 years ago when I cut my carbs down to 30 grams per day that I saw progress. Yes, I was in ketosis, and I know it's controversial. It is the only thing that works for me though - so I'm doing it again (I didn't gain the weight back right away - it took like 4 years, but now I find myself where I'm at that brink again, so I'm doing it again). So to answer your question, figure out what's right for you, don't let anybody tell you different. Just keep it healthy when you go low carb - keep the dark green vegetables and water coming!
  • alyssamiller77
    alyssamiller77 Posts: 891 Member
    If you set your goals at 50-100gm/day, you will have close to effortless weight loss. No joke. That seems to be the "magic #" in terms of fat loss. Less than that will put you in ketosis. More than that, you'll either stay the same, or gain, depending on your body.

    This is patently false. You don't have to keep your carbs at 100g or less to lose weight. Look no further than my diary if you want proof.

    i know it is possible.. but as far as belly fat.. it has a lot to do with carbs and sugar.. so i am just trying it out this month to see if lowering my carbs makes a difference.. i am just kinda experimenting what food go good with my particular body.

    Oh yeah I understand. There's nothing wrong with low-carb approaches and I certainly support you in your goal. I just get annoyed when people like this who are on a low carb program make it out to be the only way you can do it. As you know, it's not. So making the claim that you have to eat 100 grams of carbohydrates or less to lose fat is just silliness.

    Good luck to you, hopefully you find continued success!!
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
    Normal carb consumption for women is 45 to 60 grams of carbs per meal with 15 grams of carbs for snacks, no added sugar and limited grains will help get to low carbs. And it's essential to read food labels everything has carbs

    Everyone isn't normal and with someone that has an impaired Endocrine system this level of carb consumption will land you with multiple prescriptions for medications.

    And if you are not eating foods with labels then you have less to worry about where the carbs are concerned.

    Meat does not have enough carb count to even register and most green leafy vegetables are relatively low in carbs.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    sounds like a silly question, but the more I read about low carb eating being the key to weight loss the more I need to know how to go about it...some guys here say that mfp has carbs set too high and we should be aiming for 50-100?

    Actually, if you are considering going the low-carb route.. it might be a good idea to consult with your doctor or specialist who can give you a more specific number to limit that works with you and your body composition.

    I went through my Endo for a guideline to follow because of some very challenging medical problems... I definitely did not want to make my situation worse by doing it on my own without getting her advice.... and its a good thing too - because her endo-partner made things worse for me with HIS recommendations and they were horrible!!!!!
  • kaittx13
    kaittx13 Posts: 88 Member
    Thanks for all the advice guys.

    I think I am gonna go for 75g a day. It is def not very low by any means, but it is still far enough away from 100.
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