Calories in, calories out???

naomimink5
naomimink5 Posts: 1
edited October 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I am new to MFP and I have a question to all you folks out there losing a ton of weight and keeping it off. Obviously, the goal here is to eat a well balance diet full of nutritious foods. If my goal is to eat 1400 calories, will I loose weight faster by eating lower carbs within my 1400 calories? Or will the rate of weight loss be the same if the calorie amount is the same: 1400, even if I eat much higher carbs.

The reason I ask, I view some folks diaries on here and they might stay in their calorie range but have mega high sugar and carbs because they are eating sweets and lots of breads. If they ate the same amount of calories but went lower on the sugar and carbs, would they lose weight faster?

Could it be possible that eating lower carbs up to your calorie limit helps keep your sugar levels balanced so that you don't have strong cravings?

So does it matter what form you are getting your calories in as long as your meals are nutritious?

Replies

  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Honestly? It is a personal thing. I've seen a lot of posts from people on here who say they do better consuming less carbs, while other people do just fine consuming a larger amount of carbs. It's all about what works for YOUR body. I consume a ton of carbs in a day - my body LOVES carbs and I have no issues with them. So, I go ahead and indulge my love of carbs. I'm probably one of the only people who tried low carb diets and gained weight. I had no energy, wanted to sleep all the time and felt so sluggish. As soon as I added carbs back in? I felt better. So, for my body - it wants the carbs.

    Find out what works for YOU.
  • quiksandy
    quiksandy Posts: 246 Member
    I don't think carbs are bad at all. They fuel your body. But there are good carbs and bad carbs. If you gotta eat bread you might as well eat whole grains. Make good, healthy carb choices and I think your body will respond.

    I also think your body needs a balance. You know, the whole food pyramid thing. There's a lot to that.

    I agree that it's a personal thing. But for myself, I try to limit my sweets and unhealthy carbs. They are just occasional treats that I allow.
  • quiksandy
    quiksandy Posts: 246 Member
    Oh...and for what it's worth...I did the Atkins diet years ago and gained 5 lbs in 1 week by limiting carbs. Crazy. Carbs are not evil. Just make healthy choices.
  • justmary4cm
    justmary4cm Posts: 29
    I think that if you crave carbs, you probably should be thinking about cutting out at least the processed, white ones...When I eat carbs, I find myself hungry in an hour or so. I do better consuming higher amounts of protein, even dairy proteins like yogurt, milk and cheese. Everyone is different but for sure, DO NOT eliminate any food group. Our bodies need variety to function properly and besides, it will be easier to maintain your weight loss if you learn to eat proper amounts of everything instead of trying to figure it out later. I speak from experience having lost tons of weight on carb free diets and other special fad diets. I always gained the weight back plus more! Now I have been basically at or below my goal weight for 4 years and just recently put a bit back on during a particularly stressful time with lots of social events...that is why I am back on this site.

    Good luck, keep asking questions!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Scientific studies comparing low carb diets to higher carb diets have shown that low carb diets offer faster weight loss in the beginning, but both methods will generally result in the same amount of weight lost overall after several months. The reason is because carbs are stored in the body as glycogen, and glycogen needs a lot of water for storage, along the lines of 3-4 grams of water per gram of glycogen. When you reduce carbs, you reduce glycogen stores, which leads to losing water weight.

    Unless you have a specific medical issue, it's mostly personal preference, it won't help you lose any faster. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie.
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