I have been having such a hard time sticking to a low carb diet. I do good for a few days but then I binge like crazy on carbs and I feel so guilty. I had been successful with it before, I went from 212 pounds to 151. I have since gained and am now 175ish. It doesn't seem like I can do it anymore. I really need to stick to a diet and get to my goal, however, I am confused about which one to do.
In your experience, does low calorie and low fat really take a long time as they say? I admit, I got spoiled and got used to losing like 3 pounds a week eating low carb. Is it possible to lose that much on a low calorie low fat diet?
I counted calories (1400-1600) but made sure I ate enough healthy fat everyday (a low fat diet in college made me skip a period and lose copious amounts of hair - learned THAT lesson). I started at 200 lbs and lost the first 60 lbs very quickly (with a few 3 lb a week losses) in about 7 months, the last 15 lbs took much longer, about 9 months. Still, totally worth it, no matter how long it took.
The key is finding something you can stick with. Losing the weight is only the first step and it's the shortest step. Then, you have to keep the weight off and well, that lasts the rest of your life. It took me 20 years to figure out that I keep the weight off the same way I lost it - food journaling, calorie counting, weekly weigh-ins, a diet of mostly whole foods (very little processed) and sensible portions.
If you can't stick to low carb, it doesn't sound like a very sustainable way to maintain a weight loss long term, which is the REAL goal. I've lost weight before and only stayed at my goal weight a single day - regaining weight sucks and I wouldn't wish that misery on anybody.
In my opinion, low calorie is the ONLY thing that works. I myself try to do LOWER CARB within the calorie counting, but that's just me choosing vegetables over mashed potato's, for example.... or a side salad over fries. But sometimes I go ahead and get the fries, as long as I count them. I also eat ice cream sometimes... as long as I count it. THIS WORKS. I lost 30 lbs doing it in the past. (gained it back because I quit, but am now back to doing what I know works and what I can live with forever)
Honestly for me eating healthily and sensibly is the only thing that works. I'm a big believer in moderation in everything rather than attempting to eliminate one type of food or limit myself to particular items or whatever. I don't do "low" anything diets, for that reason.
I count calories and try to eat a moderate amount of food. I don't eat a lot of carbs, but I don't eliminate them and I do try to eat the bulk of my carbs before dinner. I don't eat a lot of fat, but when I do I eat healthy, natural fats (i.e. olive oil and butter rather than fake butter) and eat them in moderation.
For me that's the only thing that works. If I try to eliminate one type of food, then I begin to feel deprived and it's counter productive.
I work at eating around 1500 cals a day and exercising as much as possible (at least 3-4 times a week). I try to keep fat around 40-50g a day. I try to eat as much protein as I can, esp on my workout days.
But I'm not tied to the numbers and as long as I'm losing weight at a healthy rate, I think I'm doing ok.
Well, perhaps you should consider that low-carb may not be the thing for you. You need to stick to a plan that you can sustain for life, and something that puts you on a constant do well/binge, do well/binge cycle is definitely not the such.
Rather than trying to stick to a specific plan that centers on low carbs, or low fat, et cetera, couldn't you focus on just the calories? You could still watch your intake of those things, but just try to keep them at a healthy level instead of keeping any one exceptionally low. Many people find that balance is key.
In fact, you might find that switching to a low-fat diet may have the same effect as the low-carbs. For me, if I unintentionally am very low in fat one day, I find that I'll REALLY crave fatty foods the next. Maintaining something like that for life, for me at least, would be extremely difficult. I'm sure others could relate to this.
Anyway, what ever you do, I wish you good luck in finding something that works for you.
Everyone is different, the only way to know for sure how much weight you can lose per week on a low calorie/low fat diet is to try it and see. I am by no means an expert, but based on what I've read from others here and what my trainer has told me, at your current weight, I don't think losing 2-3 lbs per week is completely out of the question on a low calorie/low fat diet. But as you get closer to your goal weight, I doubt you will be able to maintain this loss rate.
I chose a low calorie approach to losing weight and ended up also doing low fat without really trying to. I could not give up carbs. Right now, about 50% of my calories are from carbs, about 35% are from protein, and about 15% are from fat. On this diet, I lost about 1 lb per week until I got to within ten lbs of my goal weight, then things slowed down considerably. But I also only had 35 lbs to lose, so my rate of weight loss was slower than for someone that has more weight to lose.
Whatever you do to lose weight, you have to be able to sustain it on a permanent basis if you want the weight to stay off. I think this is especially true for low carb diets; if you drastically reduce carbs to lose weight, once you start eating carbs again, the weight is likely to come back. So if you don't want to give up carbs forever, it sounds like a low carb diet might not be the right approach for you. What is more important: losing weight fast or losing weight permanently? For me, I'd slow and permanent over fast and temporary any day.
And, of course, if giving up carbs is causing you to binge on carbs and isn't a diet you can stick to, you aren't going to lose 3 lbs a week on a low carb diet. More than anything else, what slowed my weight loss were the times I didn't stick to my plan. No matter what diet you follow, the more times you go off plan, the slower you are going to lose weight.
Everyone else has said it so well--you must find something that works for you! If a low carb diet isn't sustainable for you in the long run, why be on one? I've said it over in the LC forum (in the counting calories vs LC thread) that I do both. I find that I'm happier and more satisfied on a LC diet, and I count calories to be sure I'm getting enough of them.
When I do binge, it's for emotional reasons and I've done it on a LC diet and on a low fat/high carb diet--it's something that I still struggle with; I've done it all my life. However, if you have a hard time feeling satisfied on LC and you think it causes you to binge on junk--then don't do LC. Find what works for you, count your calories, and just enjoy life!
Ditto on everything said here. Low cal and part of eating better is just naturally choosing lower carb foods anyways..fruits, veggies, getting enough protein. I try to follow a pre-diabetic diet, keeping calories around 1500-1600 and balancing all my foods with good carbs. But nothing is off limits...if I want pizza I have it...I just account for it. Plus I know that too many carbs turns into too much sugar and then I feel terrible. Balance is everything.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueToBlue
Whatever you do to lose weight, you have to be able to sustain it on a permanent basis if you want the weight to stay off. I think this is especially true for low carb diets; if you drastically reduce carbs to lose weight, once you start eating carbs again, the weight is likely to come back. So if you don't want to give up carbs forever, it sounds like a low carb diet might not be the right approach for you.
Whatever plan you choose to lose weight must be a total lifestyle change.
I think a lot of people are very misinformed regarding low carb eating plans. As with any eating plan, for it to be successful, you must follow it precisely...low carb is no exception. When its followed correctly, it works.
Low carb is exactly that, LOW carb...it is not NO carb. If you gradually add the recommended foods as the plan directs, you establish the correct carb level for you personally to either continue to lose weight or maintain your loss, whichever you are trying to do.
I agree with the others, if you don't feel this is something you can manage, then by all means, you need to find another plan.
Low Cal... Low Carb.... Low Cal... Low... ack.
