[wednesdaymorning]

Living with a low-fat diet or a low-carbohydrate diet: which do you think is better? Better for losing weight. I'm doing low-fat, but maybe I'm completely wrong here. Are there any nice lifestyle-diets you know of that can help me lose?

[mandalinn82]

You know, I think its really very individual. Recent research (and the experiences many of us have had here) shows that as long as the total CALORIES in your diet are lower, you'll lose weight regardless of the fat/carb/protein levels.

Lots of people, though, find that they are able to stay more satisfied, reduce cravings, etc on one kind of diet or another. Most, in fact, find some balance between multiple plans. For example, I consider myself a calorie counter at my root, but I severely limit refined carbs, get a ton of veggies and fruit, eat lots of lean proteins, and have reasonable portions of whole grains, with a few treats thrown in. That's the combo that keeps me full and lets me eat a reduced calorie diet without feeling hungry or dissatisfied.

Some find that eating ANY refined carb, or sometimes even whole grain, can trigger crazy cravings and make it hard to eat a lower number of calories. Some, like me, find that getting a ton of VOLUME (lots of veggies, lots of high-water foods, etc) really helps me to stay fuller, longer. Some people find fullness with fiber, some with protein, some with healthy fat. It's all a matter of experimentation to figure out what works for YOU.

[mamaspank]

I would say I am a calorie counter as well (Weight Watchers). I do, however, make sure to get one-high protein meal in every day. That's not to say that I eat only protein at this meal. Like last night we had chicken kabobs with mushrooms and pineapple. We also had olive oil and herbed cous cous and a side of asparagus and broccoli. Tonight I just had a piece of seasoned chicken with asparagus and broccoli and a big salad. Right before bed I plan on having a big bowl of Cheerios. I do a lot better counting my points if I save at least ten for after 6:00 p.m.

[Glory87]

The one time I did a low fat diet, I skipped a period (the only time in my life) and lost hair by the handful in the shower. Based on my experience, I would definitely NOT recommend.

As a lifestyle (nearly 5 years since I started), my approach is a mixture of calorie counting (including measuring/portion control of hard to eyeball items like rice, pasta, nuts, salad dressing), whole foods (concentrating on eating fewer processed foods) and volumetrics (staying satisfied with bigger portions of lower calorie foods). I concentrate on eating ENOUGH healthy fat a day which is actually sometimes a challenge. I never really considered myself "low carb" but due to carb sensitivity with foods like cookies, crackers, cold cereal, white bread, I manage carbs carefully and try to stick to measured portions of healthy carbohydrates only (sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat tortillas, polenta, etc).

I don't eat any foods I hate, and I'm always looking for new, healthy recipes I love to add to my "usual" foods that I look forward to eating (greek yogurt with blackberries, for example or home made vegetable pasta sauce over polenta).

It has been fairly easy to manage and gives me some flexibility in social situations. For me, this method works because 1) I am a planner 2) I like to cook (or I like to freeze and reheat 3) I allow myself a weekly treat meal in a restaurant and the occasional treat (like the bar of Dark Chocolate with sea salt that I carefully divided and ate over 5 days last week at 90 calories per serving - definitely doable!)

You aren't locked into any mealplan, the most important thing to do is START Then, you can always bend and tweak and adjust the plan to fit your tastes, your lifestyle. How I eat now is not exactly how I ate when I started! My plan changed with me, and became my unique, perfect for me, way to eat for the rest of my life.

[mamaspank]

I would also like to add that if you try a calorie counting plan, don't forget to have your healthy fats like avocados, nuts, olive oil, canola oil, etc. I neglected this part last summer and got a headache that lasted for three weeks. It came on so fast and stayed with me forever. I don't skimp on my healthy fats, just add it in with my allotment of calories.

[Rosinante]

From past experience, a Plan that is low-anything sets me up for failure. Once I know something is virtually banned, I find it hard to resist or plan for.

I too am calorie counting but with conscious healthy choices too. I find it gives me breadth enough to learn to make those healthy choices but narrow enough that there is a restriction on my sudden convictions that a pound of cheese or chocolate is a healthy choice.

[yoyoma]

Like others have already said, the plan which works best for you may not be a pure low-fat or pure low-carb diet.

I am a calorie counter too and I also avoid refined carbohydrates (cravings aside, there are too many empty calories). As a calorie counter, it's tempting to skimp on all fats, including healthy fats, because they add up very fast. But there is lots of research showing how important they are for your health and they do help manage hunger levels.

I try to pair my healthy fats with a high volume food so that I get immediate satisfaction from the volume and longer term hunger management from the fat. Examples are a handful of almonds with a salad or a piece of salmon with a large serving of veggies.

I hope you can find a method that works for you!

[LittleMoonRabbit]

Finding the right plan for you really is all about experimentation. For a while, I did a low carb diet... didn't eat any grains at all. Felt okay for a while, but I just couldn't maintain it. I started incorporating whole grains into my diet and you know what? I felt better. I guess my body just runs better with whole grains being incorporated. But, you could be different. It's really all about reading your body and trying to learn what makes it run best. I think too often, we lose touch with our own bodies. We got used to overriding the warnings so we could eat what we wanted (and of course, gain the weight that comes with that kind of thinking). What I have found over time is that I am more aware of my body, and more in tune with it's needs after starting this process. All those cravings that I used to have for junk food... almost completely gone at this point. And all those pangs that I thought were HUNGER when it was all just either habit or boredom... those are gone too. I have learned to read my body, and give it what it needs. But, I have had to make many adjustments along the way. I have been at this off and on since 2007... but only now have I finally found the knowledge and the tools I need to follow this through to the end.

[JulieJ08]

Neither?

Mostly I focus on eating lots of veggies, plus whole grains, beans (including soy), fruits, nuts/seeds, and I have yogurt and cheese too. I go for unprocessed.

I don't try to hit certain ratios, and they vary. I do in general try to stay reasonable with both carbs and fat, but by no means "low."

But I'm more concerned with being sure I eat a variety of healthy foods than I am with carbs and fat and protein counting.

OTOH, I do avoid sugar most of the time, but that's different than counting carbs.

[nelie]

I eat a whole foods diet but I also try to 'be careful' about my fats and 'be careful' about refined carbs.

I ate 1/2 an avocado today and that is ok with how I do it and I had something with nuts in it. So my diet isn't truly 'low fat' but its still on the side of being lower in fat.

[kaplods]

Keeping a health journal (not just what you eat, but how you feel every day), can really help you find your own personal patterns.

I'm finding that I feel the best on a relatively (but not extremely) low carbohydrate diet, and that the kind of carb matters. Refined carbs and most grains whether whole or refined (especially wheat) and even fruit sugars if I eat fruit to excess, tend to impact negatively upon my health and energy levels.

I think my particular food issues are rather extreme (as I don't remember the food/health/well-being associations ever being this noticeable, but then again, I wasn't looking, either).

I think I've always known that sugar tends to make me feel lethargic and slightly ill. For as long as I can remember (even as young as 10 or 11), I knew that donuts made me feel ill. On the rare occasion that we had donuts for breakfast, I would try to pick the donuts least likely to make me ill (like french crullers, which where much lighter in calories and sugar than most donuts), or would save mine to eat later in the day. Pancakes or waffles for supper was one of my favorite dinners, because they didn't make me sick in the evening.

I obviously had blood sugar issues, even as a child.

Back to the original topic though, I think the "better" way is the way that you can stick to and feels best physically and mentally for you.