low carbs high protein

SmartWhatever
SmartWhatever Posts: 718 Member
edited November 11 in Health and Weight Loss
I just started on a low carb high protein kick yesterday to try to put my body into ketosis. My weight loss slowed down in the last 2 weeks and I decided to try something different. I would love to hear about anyones experiences and results from doing this. Any advice?
«134

Replies

  • japruzze
    japruzze Posts: 453 Member
    I work with low (not no) carbs and high protein consistently. I've lost over 170 lbs...trying to take off an additonal 15 (down to 8 now). My macros are currently set at 30/35/35 for carbs/fat/protein and that's much more carbs than it was when I was in serious weight loss mode.

    My carbs come from, for the most part, dairy, fruits and veggies. Monday - Thursday , I do not eat bread, pasta, rice, crackers, etc. Friday through Sunday, I allow myself 1 a day (that's one measured serving...so 1/2 cup a pasta is it). I allow it on the weekends because I tend to go out and don't want to have to be as picky as I usually am. However, many days even through its allowed, I don't think of it as Its a way of life. I'm a high maintenance orderer at a restaurant (think Sally in Harrty met...).

    Works for me. But I should warn you, carb withdrawal can be painful. And, I'm now caught that if I "binge" on carbs, I gain big time and feel really sick. Good luck.
  • BonMetz
    BonMetz Posts: 102
    Mine is set at 5/50/45 carb/protein/fat. works for me I LOVE low carb.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I just started on a low carb high protein kick yesterday to try to put my body into ketosis. My weight loss slowed down in the last 2 weeks and I decided to try something different. I would love to hear about anyones experiences and results from doing this. Any advice?

    Are you concerned with weight loss or fat loss?
  • TinkrBelz
    TinkrBelz Posts: 866 Member
    I just adjusted mine to 35/35/30 protein/carbs/fat. This has been a lot easier to maintain and I know that this will not be a diet, but a lifestyle. Going too low in carbs is just tough to maintain. This is working out great for me.
  • SmartWhatever
    SmartWhatever Posts: 718 Member
    Wow, 170- that's awesome!! What are some carb withdrawal symtoms if you don't mind me asking. I had a slight headache last night which is kinda unusal for me and now you got me thinking. Also I have heard inconsistant feedback regarding the rate you lose weight. How was it for you when you were in "serious weight loss mode"?
  • jkuzman
    jkuzman Posts: 2 Member
    I currently see a personal trainer and he, somewhat recently, had me switch to a low-carb high-protein diet. I love it! I only do some carve in the morning with a cereal or a bread. I don't eat any carbs in the form of beads, pastas, etc after 3pm. I actually don't eat them after noon. For mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks I have introduced protein shakes. Such as Muscle Milk's Vanilla Creme. It seems to be the tastiest to me. If I'm hungry, the only carbs I eat are in the form of fruits and veggies. Since, I've manipulated my nutrition I've lost 34lbs and 11 inches in the last 3.5 months.

    ** Good Luck to you! **

    ~ Jess
  • SmartWhatever
    SmartWhatever Posts: 718 Member
    I just started on a low carb high protein kick yesterday to try to put my body into ketosis. My weight loss slowed down in the last 2 weeks and I decided to try something different. I would love to hear about anyones experiences and results from doing this. Any advice?

    Are you concerned with weight loss or fat loss?

    Well both at the moment but in the long run, fat loss.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I just started on a low carb high protein kick yesterday to try to put my body into ketosis. My weight loss slowed down in the last 2 weeks and I decided to try something different. I would love to hear about anyones experiences and results from doing this. Any advice?

    Are you concerned with weight loss or fat loss?

    Then you really won't get any boost in the fat loss dept from going low carb, assuming you're holding protein and cals constant. You should see some water weight drop off if you go low carb though
    Well both at the moment but in the long run, fat loss.
  • SmartWhatever
    SmartWhatever Posts: 718 Member
    I currently see a personal trainer and he, somewhat recently, had me switch to a low-carb high-protein diet. I love it! I only do some carve in the morning with a cereal or a bread. I don't eat any carbs in the form of beads, pastas, etc after 3pm. I actually don't eat them after noon. For mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks I have introduced protein shakes. Such as Muscle Milk's Vanilla Creme. It seems to be the tastiest to me. If I'm hungry, the only carbs I eat are in the form of fruits and veggies. Since, I've manipulated my nutrition I've lost 34lbs and 11 inches in the last 3.5 months.

    ** Good Luck to you! **

    ~ Jess

    Nice to see it working for you! I'm definately gonna stick with it and see what happens. I think the only thing IIll really miss are pretzels... Bye pretzels!
  • 130 pounds off :) I love my low carb lifestyle!!!!
  • cranberrycat
    cranberrycat Posts: 233 Member
    As long calories are within range for weight loss, a lower carb diet will produce fat loss just as well as any other diet, and perhaps even better.
  • RayRay1500
    RayRay1500 Posts: 158 Member
    You will see both FAT loss and WEIGHT loss. I did it a while back and my body never looked soooo good. So try it for yourself and see!
  • NiciS72
    NiciS72 Posts: 1,043 Member
    First thing I would say to you is that if you really want this to work and stay off you should be sure that you want to do low carb as a lifestyle. It will work in the short run, but if you go back to "normal" eating after you lose the weight, you will probably add some if not all back on! That said, I've chosen low carb as my lifestyle mainly due to illness. I cannot eat most widely available carbs (processed foods) as I have Celiacs. My Dr. has me on a high protein plan. I aim for 90+ grams a day of protein and under 100 grams of carbs (I shoot for 60 but don't harangue myself if I'm under 100). My Macro's are set at C/P/F 20/35/45. As you can see by my ticker I've lost A LOT doing this and it's ALL been fat (the Dr. office has a scale that tracks this). You should come join us on the Low Carb Groups. Lot's of great folks on there and lots of good advice too!
  • You need to eat enough carbs so that your body has energy, but not so many that your body stores them as fat. I use the suggested carb intake for the day on MFP as a guideline for that.
  • SmartWhatever
    SmartWhatever Posts: 718 Member
    First thing I would say to you is that if you really want this to work and stay off you should be sure that you want to do low carb as a lifestyle. It will work in the short run, but if you go back to "normal" eating after you lose the weight, you will probably add some if not all back on! That said, I've chosen low carb as my lifestyle mainly due to illness. I cannot eat most widely available carbs (processed foods) as I have Celiacs. My Dr. has me on a high protein plan. I aim for 90+ grams a day of protein and under 100 grams of carbs (I shoot for 60 but don't harangue myself if I'm under 100). My Macro's are set at C/P/F 20/35/45. As you can see by my ticker I've lost A LOT doing this and it's ALL been fat (the Dr. office has a scale that tracks this). You should come join us on the Low Carb Groups. Lot's of great folks on there and lots of good advice too!

    I have always eaten way too many carbs before I started dieting, and that's probably why I gained weight in the first place. I wouldn't crave sweet snacks I would gor for the salty high carb stuff- pretzels, bagels, chips etc. So I am planning on making this a lifestyle change. And thanks! I'll see you in the Low Carbs Groups!
  • rotnkat
    rotnkat Posts: 393 Member
    I have my macros set at 15/25/60 and I aim for 35 net carbs.

    I have lost 27.2 lbs pre MFP and since Nov 2011 (when I started MFP) I have only lost 6.4 lbs. But I have lost 21.75"overall since I joined MFP and that makes me a very happy girl!!!!
  • SmartWhatever
    SmartWhatever Posts: 718 Member
    I have my macros set at 15/25/60 and I aim for 35 net carbs.

    I have lost 27.2 lbs pre MFP and since Nov 2011 (when I started MFP) I have only lost 6.4 lbs. But I have lost 21.75"overall since I joined MFP and that makes me a very happy girl!!!!

    My macros are pretty close to yours at 10/30/60 and are goals are close as well. I am 223 at my last weigh in and hope to get down to 140. Wanna race? Lol
    Hey, I just realized I can eat bacon! In moderation of course, but bacon!
  • gemini2267
    gemini2267 Posts: 74 Member
    bump
  • starsnyc21
    starsnyc21 Posts: 436 Member
    If you are committed to living a low carb (not no carb) lifestyle than I think this will work. I've lost 31 additional pounds since I've started a low carb/ high protein diet. I'm committed to the lifestyle and I think you lose fat, not just water weight. Try and see what works for you.

    Oh, I lose the 31 additional pound is 2.5 mos! My MFP settings are 30% Carbs, 30% Fat, 40% Protein. It works!
  • Low carb or low fat, there really is no speed advantage to one over the other when calories are the same. However, some people find that the low carb feels better and is therefore easier, and some find it terrible. Also note that ketosis is not really a desired end state, and is rather a by product of low carbs. You can fall into the line of thinking espoused by some, that ketosis means that my body can store fat, and therefore calories don't matter. This is wrong and leads to low carb diet failures. Instead ketosis is merely the body adapting to provide for the tissues that need glycogen and the lack of the typical source of that glycogen(carbs).

    There is no magic, although higher protein diets tend to blunt hunger some in many people, and that can be it's own boost in the ability to stick to a caloric deficit.
  • owngoal64
    owngoal64 Posts: 22 Member
    Interesting thread....always a controversial subject on these boards. My experience has been similar to many others - low carb definitely seems to be the fastest way to weight loss. I started South Beach Diet a few years ago and took off 20 pounds in 5 weeks (and it is not as low carb as Atkins). Biggest issue to me was I couldn't exercise effectively while on a low carb diet - kept crashing due to lack of energy. Also I gained 5 lbs back immediately when I started eating them again.

    I think the 35 / 35 / 30 distribution seems to be a good compromise - it allows me to exercise and still lose weight (although slower than before). Good luck everyone!!!
  • owngoal64
    owngoal64 Posts: 22 Member

    There is no magic, although higher protein diets tend to blunt hunger some in many people, and that can be it's own boost in the ability to stick to a caloric deficit.

    Bingo. For me low carb really suppressed my appetite. Protein is filling, and many carbs aren't. This is why many find low carb easier than low fat - you tend to not be hungry when on low carb.
  • My husband and I did the "Ideal Protein Plan" and you have to do it through a doctor (my heart doctor for us) we both lost 20 lbs.
  • LovelyLibra79
    LovelyLibra79 Posts: 569 Member
    Question..so when you are restricting carbs...should you watch calories too or no?
    With Atkins...they advise not to count the calories

  • There is no magic, although higher protein diets tend to blunt hunger some in many people, and that can be it's own boost in the ability to stick to a caloric deficit.

    Bingo. For me low carb really suppressed my appetite. Protein is filling, and many carbs aren't. This is why many find low carb easier than low fat - you tend to not be hungry when on low carb.

    Although there are also disadvantages to higher protein diets. For example, constipation is a common side effect. There is no one size fits all solution. All diets have good aspects and bad aspects. Some people find some of the drawbacks of one to be intolerable, while others find it to be a minor inconveinance. Its all about what you want, and what you are willing to live with to get it.
  • atjays
    atjays Posts: 797 Member
    I did the no carb (atkins diet) fad a couple years ago, I wouldn't really recommend it. You generally will lose about the same amount of weight from your muscle tissue as you do actual fat loss. The initial sugar withdrawls basically crippled me for the first two weeks, I was miserable. After that though, it was easier. I lost like 10-15 lbs quick just like everyone does but that's about where it stopped. Cheating on this diet is absolutely 10x worse than any other diet, your body will take every bit of carbs that enter your body and store them as fat.

    It may be a way to drop a few pounds quickly, but the adverse effects it has on your health are equal to some of the dangerous diet supplements out there in the long term. I would visit your doctor before starting it just to get a baseline on your overall health.

    I realize some people in this thread have had great success with it, but you can't argue that it is superior or faster than doing it the right way.
  • Question..so when you are restricting carbs...should you watch calories too or no?
    With Atkins...they advise not to count the calories

    This is absolutely incorrect. Atkins says don't count calories not as a way to help weight loss but as a way to sell people on the program. Most people that switch from eating 50% or more of their calories from carbs to eating far more protein and fat find themselves fuller on less food. Protein and fats tend to be more filling, protein especially. Therefore the recent atkins convert eats "as many calories as they want" while still eating less than they used to. Eventually people turn to high fat foods like bacon to blunt the craving for carbs, and volia, weight loss slows or stops. At the end of the day there really is only one rule to dieting the law of thermodynamics. When energy, calories, is consumed at a greater rate than it is expelled there is a surplus to store(as fat). There are various compentents to how that energy is expelled including hormonal effects, and different thermogenic effects of nutrients. However, at the end of the day its calories in v. calories out.
  • LovelyLibra79
    LovelyLibra79 Posts: 569 Member
    Question..so when you are restricting carbs...should you watch calories too or no?
    With Atkins...they advise not to count the calories

    This is absolutely incorrect. Atkins says don't count calories not as a way to help weight loss but as a way to sell people on the program. Most people that switch from eating 50% or more of their calories from carbs to eating far more protein and fat find themselves fuller on less food. Protein and fats tend to be more filling, protein especially. Therefore the recent atkins convert eats "as many calories as they want" while still eating less than they used to. Eventually people turn to high fat foods like bacon to blunt the craving for carbs, and volia, weight loss slows or stops. At the end of the day there really is only one rule to dieting the law of thermodynamics. When energy, calories, is consumed at a greater rate than it is expelled there is a surplus to store(as fat). There are various compentents to how that energy is expelled including hormonal effects, and different thermogenic effects of nutrients. However, at the end of the day its calories in v. calories out.

    Thanks very helpful information
  • bigbeardiver
    bigbeardiver Posts: 154 Member
    Mine is set at 5/50/45 carb/protein/fat. works for me I LOVE low carb.

    How long have you been doing this? I've been trying this the last week and I"m at 20/40/35 most days carb/protein/fat most days. I've never felt better. I've been full of energy all week long. I thought I would run out during my workouts. I workout out daily 1 hour strength + 30 minutes cardio + hot tub/pool/steam room and I've noticed more energy not less. Just wondering how long I can keep this going.
  • steelersfamily6
    steelersfamily6 Posts: 138 Member
    I have actually been trying to do this but the hard thing about doing low carb and counting calories at the same time is that I wasn't getting enough calories in. I was so afraid to eat more calories bc I didn't want to eat more carbs and I couldn't just run out to get something at the store that was low carb. A friend of mine wrote out a couple of sheets for me to look at but it was a low carb, high protein but not a calorie count...

    So right now I am just trying to keep my carbs anywhere between 50 - 80 carbs a day and yes somedays I will go over but I am really trying not to. I just started it this week and I was losing a pound a day, so not bad!


    ***Please remember one thing everyone, this is not supposed to be a DIET, it is supposed to be a LIFE CHANGE and if you are not in this for the long haul you might end up screwing up yourself and your body. Everyone has a right to do it the way they want just remember diets are temporary, a life change is forever!
This discussion has been closed.