I'm one of those people who isn't cutting out anything but working at appropriate moderation. I've read here and there that folks saw a difference when they went low carb... so my question is, what exactly do you consider low carb? My goal is 165-180g of carbs a day but more times than not, I don't hit those numbers.
So my questions, do you see a difference when you go low carb and what do you consider low carb?
Last edited by fyreflie24; 10-19-2011 at 12:37 PM.
I work with percentages rather than grams as the grams will vary based on how many calories you are aiming to eat.
I do 40% carb, 40% protein and 20% fat or as close to that as I can get. I would consider that to be moderate carb intake. My trainer advised that anything under 30% was considered low carb and anything less then 20% was essentially no carb. Remember, veggies and fruits are carbs so it's really difficult to go under 20% and stalk be getting sufficient nutrients.
I eat somewhere between 50 and 100 grams of carbs per day, mostly coming from vegetables. I do see some differences in how I lose weight when I stick to that, but I think that's because eating lower carb really satisfies me and makes me less likely to go over my calorie limit. It makes a huge impact in terms of my appetite. Refined/"white" carbs are very triggering for me, so it's easier just not to eat them, but it's different for everyone, I guess.
I'm not on a formal low carb diet like Atkins or South Beach, but I was doing portion control and not losing weight and my doctor suggested I cut my carbs by 50% and replace with protein and I started losing 2 lbs a week by doing that. I don't know why, but my body just seems to hold onto the weight if I'm eating carbs.
For me, low carb means: I don't eat pasta, potatoes or rice, don't drink alcohol, don't drink juice, 1 slice of bread MAX a day, and I avoid all processed foods because they are loaded with HFCS (with the exception of Amy's Frozen Dinners because they are 100% natural). Basically I try to eat a lean protein and low glycemic veggies and maybe 1 pc of fruit a day.
Last edited by EagleRiverDee; 10-19-2011 at 01:52 PM.
I was doing VERY low carbs and I just met with a dietician yesterday and she had me increase my carb intake to 200g, protein 80g and fat 50g. Today is the first full day of the change and she told me to stick with it for 2 weeks and the weight should start coming off again.
I sure hope so. I have been at a plateau for almost a month now.
Bear in mind that while low carb is currently popular, it is by no means necessary, and it doesn't seem to do any better than other plans in long-term research. Try it by all means, but if you decide to follow it, do so because it works for you personally, not because everyone else seems to be doing it! Some people find it's great for them, some people find it makes no discernible difference. Remember that the most important thing about a diet is that you can follow it healthily and happily long-term.
So my questions, do you see a difference when you go low carb
Yes! Very much so. I didn't want to be one of those people who loses better on a low carb plan because I love carbs but it does seem to be the case. I already ate gluten free so my carbs were coming from beans, lentils, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit, rice pasta and quinoa pasta.
I can still eat those things but much less. Today for example I am going to try a gluten free Amy's burrito. I also had a few grams of sugar in some coffee which is rare. I don't normally drink coffee. Yesterday I had about 3/4 cup of lentil soup and a fruit and nut bar which are higher in carbs.
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and what do you consider low carb?
I would say nothing over 125g per day. For me, when I am on the wagon I aim for 50-100 grams per day (I do subtract fiber). Currently I am aiming for 50-75 per day.
I am not one of those people who feels fuller on a low carb diet. I have to have some kind of gluten free grain, potato or lentils every day otherwise I am starving. I do not eat pork, beef or any type of shellfish. I eat chicken but humanly raised kosher chicken is $6 per pound so I do find low carb a little difficult. Still doable though.
I definitely get better results when I watch my carbs. For me that's keeping it under 100g a day at the most, but I generally aim for around 50g daily.
It's not just about eating less carbs, it's that when I do eat foods higher in carbs, I want more food higher in carbs. Most of my carbs come from fruits and veggies. It's much easier for me to control cravings if I don't eat things that cause the cravings to begin with.
I don't count carbs specifically now. Instead I avoid/strictly limit carby foods that tend to derail me. I can eat all the low-calorie veggies I want, including brussels sprouts, cabbage ,etc, no matter how many carbs it adds up to. They simply don't (in my case) lead to crazy binges.
On the other hand, I am *very* careful about grains and legumes and on the average day I won't eat any. On some days, I will eat a small serving in conjunction with veggies/protein/fat. (BTW, I basically don't eat "white" carbs, minus 2 squares of dark chocolate a day. I guess not eating other sweets is another strict limit).
I also have to be careful with fruit, but not as careful. Again, measured portions and not every day. I also have to be careful with carby veggies, and those have a pecking order... potatoes I avoid, squash I'm careful, etc.
I guess I'm saying that in my own case, it's not an absolute number of carbohydrate carbs that seems to matter, but rather some types of carby foods tend to derail me, and I know I need to avoid them or strictly limit them.
I can't say, with any certainty, that low-carb is a great "diet" - I have done South Beach and Metabolic Research Center, and lost 30 pounds on each diet at different times in my life.
I CAN say, with great certainty (for me!!) that eating low-carb does seem to help with cravings. That is, cravings of the "evil food" variety... specifically junk food (candies, chips, etc.)
I'm not really counting carbs in any way right now - but I do tend to stay away from white bread, pasta, candies/cakes/cookies, etc for the most part. And the longer I go without it, the less I miss it.
Last edited by Beach Patrol; 10-19-2011 at 04:26 PM.
I am having success with a very low carb plan, which means high fat (70%+) moderate protein and only the very occasional veggie. It's not for everyone, but it has finally given me a way of eating that does not involve tracking everything. When I was counting calories it lead to some pretty obsessive behaviors so I moved on to Atkins, then VLC. I also do intermittent fasting, and I cannot emphasize enough I FEEL AWESOME!!!! I don't do zero carb because I do include lots of eggs and organs when I crave them.
My weight loss is not linear, I lose a few weeks in a row and then "stick" for a couple weeks, but overall it is slow and steady.
Summary: I don't get that ravenous eating-my-arm type hungry anymore, it is manageable. I am gaining muscle and losing fat, looking better than I have in years. I am losing belly fat that I never thought would come off at the same rate as the rest of my body. It just feels great and I would recommend that everyone try 2 months of a grain and sugar free whole food diet once in their life just to see what it feels like.
Last edited by Raven132; 10-19-2011 at 05:20 PM.
Reason: summary
While I am not on any sort of low carb plan anymore, certain habits from being on low carb diets have stuck with me. For example, I'll order a bunless "protein" burger at in-n-out, etc.
I don't think it would hurt to add a few low carb meals into your meal plan. Like have a lean protein with veggies, no starch, a few times a week.
I can't live forever on low carb, but I am carb conscious and I *know* white flour, sugar, etc is bad for me.
I'm not on a formal low carb diet like Atkins or South Beach, but I was doing portion control and not losing weight and my doctor suggested I cut my carbs by 50% and replace with protein and I started losing 2 lbs a week by doing that. I don't know why, but my body just seems to hold onto the weight if I'm eating carbs.
FYI-South Beach is not low carb, it's healthy carb. I feel great and lose when I stay away from white sugar, white flour and concentrate on lower glycemic foods, regardless of the carb content.
I'm one of those that does lose better on a low carb but because I don't think for me personally, it's sustainable in the long term, it's not really the plan I follow. From time to time, I do low-carb weeks or low-carb fortnights with no rice, pasta or bread and all carbs coming from veggies and the occasional fruit, but I'm not by any means a low-carber.
My usual percentage goal is 40% carb, 30% protein, 30% fat. I'm really more interested in my calorie count at the end of the day, but I do follow my macronutrients and try to aim for 40:30:30 even though I'm not that strict with it (e.g. right now over the past 7days, I'm averaging 37:35:28, sometimes it can get up to 50% carbs though not recently). I personally consider low carb to be 20-30% carb, but erring around the 25% median, that's about where I hang out during low-carb periods.
Last edited by toastedsmoke; 10-19-2011 at 07:17 PM.
Talk to me about low carb
