For a steady weight loss: carbs or no carbs?

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  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    Figure out what works for you. Don't mimic anyone else, you are not going to respond or react exactly the same as anyone else's diet and training regimen.
  • chris1816
    chris1816 Posts: 715 Member
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    Your body needs carbs, period.

    In absence of excess body fat, ie your body fat % is below the ideal levels for your age/sex, you especially need carbs.

    If you have excess body fat, and I mean TRUE excess, not your effed up body issues perception because your dad didn't hug you enough when you were young sort of excess body fat...your body will access that as a source of energy without anything else readily available.

    The above is why folks that try ketosis see good results as far as weight/fat loss (enjoy your kidney failure, at least you have two).

    The key thing with weight loss is to ask yourself for clarification. Are you speaking fat loss? or weight loss?

    I was over 400lbs until recently; but a good chunk of that weight was and still is lean mass. I did olympic weight lifting and rugby in high school. I still weight lift and am continuing to weight lift as I focus on losing -fat-, in other words my goal is to change my body composition, not lose weight.

    If I could lose 100lbs of fat and be 6'2, and about 300lbs of mostly lean mass and a healthy amount of fat I would be pretty friggin happy.

    The key point there is to focus on your calorie intake, it doesn't matter if you put 1500 calories of In N Out burger or 1500 calories of salmon, quinoa, almonds, snap peas, grapefruit, almonds etc in you. If 1500 calories is the 500 calorie deficit you need to lose weight, you will lose it. You may not be "healthy" on a daily diet of In N Out (but you may feel pretty awesome in other ways), but you will lose.

    So should you cut carbs out completely? No.

    You should even be very careful with limiting them, especially if your protein choices are not the best either.

    All things being equal (calorie intake etc) do carbs make you any more fat than anything else? Nope.
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    Being a nursing student, I'm learning a lot about carbohydrates and protein break downs in the body.
    Without carbs, you will be angry and tired! Your body needs carbs to survive, especially protein so you dont lose muscle. Carbs make you feel good, give you some percentage of energy and is vital for breakdowns in your body. Your body will hold onto every shred of food and water it gets just to keep going if you dont get a certain amount of carbs...

    Dont abandon carbs.. I have been on around 180 - 220 macros of carbs a day which is enough for me. So far in a month I have lost 6.5kg (14 pounds). It all depends what carbs you're eating (white rice vs brown rice) etc and your body weight and height.

    Sorry but your really don't know what you are talking about. The two essential macros that you must get from diet are fats and proteins. The brain can run perfectly well on ketones.
    Saying that, I would still rather get my carbs via diet.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    Carbs! I love them, and I still lose while having them in my diet (approx 200-250g a day)

    Some people do great on low carb, I'm not one of those people. I love pasta too much, and low carb doesn't agree with me at all.
  • irade8u
    irade8u Posts: 2 Member
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    I eat good carbs before I work out. I have been trying to reduce my simple carbs lately.I try and eat protein after a workout. I would love to eliminate sugar all together from my diet. That is one of my goals. complex carbs are a great source of energy. Try whole wheat pastas and breads, veggies and beans, they will fill you up.:wink:
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    When I started this journey, I wasn't restricting carbs. I just cut back on my calories and making the snacks healthier. I have lost 37 pounds since January 4. But, I have struggled in losing the stomach. My stomach has gone down, but still big. I like how my legs and arms are shaping up. But, my stomach isn't responding as well. Someone told me about a book called Wheat Belly. The author is a doctor and he explains how he believes that the wheat and grains in our diets are what makes us have big bellies. So, I am going to try to cut down on that. See, if that helps. The person that told me about the book, said he is definitely feeling better since they started that. I figure it can't hurt.

    It's like Atkins, many of the foods that taste great also have carbs/wheat. Cutting them out will of course reduce the amount of calories you eat. Try the no wheat thing, but maintain the same amount of calories. Then see how well that idea works.
    As long as you don't replace the wheat with all that gluten free "food". Overly processed, expensive crap.
  • chris1816
    chris1816 Posts: 715 Member
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    The brain can run perfectly well on ketones.

    Hooray for kidney failure.
  • tantalee
    tantalee Posts: 130 Member
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    Being a nursing student, I'm learning a lot about carbohydrates and protein break downs in the body.
    Without carbs, you will be angry and tired! Your body needs carbs to survive, especially protein so you dont lose muscle. Carbs make you feel good, give you some percentage of energy and is vital for breakdowns in your body. Your body will hold onto every shred of food and water it gets just to keep going if you dont get a certain amount of carbs...

    Dont abandon carbs.. I have been on around 180 - 220 macros of carbs a day which is enough for me. So far in a month I have lost 6.5kg (14 pounds). It all depends what carbs you're eating (white rice vs brown rice) etc and your body weight and height.

    Sorry but your really don't know what you are talking about. The two essential macros that you must get from diet are fats and proteins. The brain can run perfectly well on ketones.
    Saying that, I would still rather get my carbs via diet.

    Exactly. As long as you drink enough water to get read of the metabolites and to not let the ph drop too much, no problem. People see Ketones as devils but they are not. In some diseases people are obliged to have a 90% fat diet so the brain function better.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    The brain can run perfectly well on ketones.

    Hooray for kidney failure.
    There is zero scientific evidence that high protein diets damage kidneys.

    As for the OP. It's 100% personal preference. If you like carbs, eat carbs. If you don't like them, don't eat them.

    Carbs are linked to serotonin, cutting them back can have negative effects on mood. There's also research that indicates that cutting carbs can negatively impact lean mass retention. On the other side, people with insulin resistance issues do better on lower carb.

    It's a personal choice, some people handle it well, some people don't. Me personally, I don't handle low carb well.
  • jodiex92
    jodiex92 Posts: 56
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    I went extreme and cut carbs (except for green veg) and it caused me to binge. Were as previously I ate wholegrains & fruit and was fine.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    I went extreme and cut carbs (except for green veg) and it caused me to binge. Were as previously I ate wholegrains & fruit and was fine.
    I am a big fan of "slow carb". Whole grains, lots of vegetables. And some fruit.
  • cmweber1966
    cmweber1966 Posts: 5
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    limit carbs I think. Its works for me. Your body needs some to produce energy.
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    The brain can run perfectly well on ketones.

    Hooray for kidney failure.

    yeh, all these low carbers running around with kidney failure!!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    For me... carbs are no problem. If I eat a balance of healthy food (including 45-50% carbs) and stick to my net calorie goal, losing weight just happens. It seems that there are some people who react better to a lower amount of carbs in their diet, but for most people, low carb isn't necesary. If you LIKE that way of eating - go for it, but if its hard work, then you would be much better to work out a healthy sustainable pattern of eating that works for you, that way you will be able to lose weight and keep it off.

    We've done low-fat to death, now it's low-carb - I'm waiting for the day that low-protein becomes the new strategy!
  • kenny_johnson
    kenny_johnson Posts: 108 Member
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    Calories in... Calories out. That's my philosophy.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    I've done both and I've learned that carbs don't bother me at all. My body actually likes carbs (I'm probably the only person who gained weight while on a low carb diet!).
  • chris1816
    chris1816 Posts: 715 Member
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    The brain can run perfectly well on ketones.

    Hooray for kidney failure.

    yeh, all these low carbers running around with kidney failure!!

    There is a difference between low carb and ketosis.

    Big, chemical difference.

    Low carb can cover a broad range of diet. 200g carb a day? 100g? 50g?

    Ketosis specifically is minimal to no carb, high fat, and high protein, to induce a very specific chemical state in the body originally devised to treat epilepsy.

    But please, do continue, Herr Doktor.
  • mzhokie
    mzhokie Posts: 349 Member
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    I try not to do the white carbs.... white flour, white sugar, white potatoes, etc.

    I do eat carbs found in things like veggies, fruit, yogurt etc. I do high fiber whole grain carbs about one meal a day. I try not to over indulge and I make sure there is lean protein with it.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    The brain can run perfectly well on ketones.

    Hooray for kidney failure.
    There is zero scientific evidence that high protein diets damage kidneys.

    As for the OP. It's 100% personal preference. If you like carbs, eat carbs. If you don't like them, don't eat them.

    Carbs are linked to serotonin, cutting them back can have negative effects on mood. There's also research that indicates that cutting carbs can negatively impact lean mass retention. On the other side, people with insulin resistance issues do better on lower carb.

    It's a personal choice, some people handle it well, some people don't. Me personally, I don't handle low carb well.

    Hm. From my own personal experience (along with others in my family), high protein DOES affect my kidneys. When I get over 120g or so I start having terrible kidney pain. Went to the doctor and was told to keep my protein levels down. When I keep it closer to 110g or so, I feel fine but hitting 120 or more grams and the pain comes back. We have a family history of kidney stones and my doctor wants me to stick with lower protein to try and avoid getting the stones. So, while you say there isn't any scientific evidence that high protein affects your kidneys, my doctor and I both agree that too much protein is too hard on my kidneys -- that's enough evidence for me.
  • jenniejengin
    jenniejengin Posts: 785 Member
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