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[starchild excalibur]

I know low carb is pretty popular. It's something I've done before and that many people seem to do, enjoy, and have great success with. This isn't a thread to knock that. But I'm wondering if there's anyone on here who tried low carb and - for whatever reason - decided to do something else and found that this "something else" worked out for them.

Threads like these tend to go down the rabbit hole of each respective side arguing ad nauseam with a combination of selective data and anecdotes. Again - not really looking for that. I think low carb works for people who can sustain it, just as I think low calorie stuff can work for some others (although maybe not for all).

Just looking to explore options as someone who has done low carb, but personally don't feel like I could sustain it for life.

Thanks

 

[Sinfamy]

I lose weight every day because I track my calories regardless of what I eat like a careful lad.

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

I trimmed 25lbs last year and have kept it off. I did it by counting calories using the MyFitnessPal app on my iPhone. The thing about a lot of high-carb junk foods is that they're high in calories. So if I wanted to feel full I had to avoid those types of foods because they simply didn't fill me up. With a restrictive-enough calorie intake, you're practically guaranteed to cut out some portion of those carbs. I never thought "ewww carbs", though.

In short, restricting calorie count and not spending those calories on crap foods will work just fine.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

I lost 50 lbs in 6 months and didnt concern myself with avoiding carbs, i just made sure i was hitting my calorie goals.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

People kept telling my calories were calories and carbs didn't matter.

It does. I gained the weight right back when I started eating more carby stuff again, especially bread. Low carb works for me, other things haven't

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

People kept telling my calories were calories and carbs didn't matter.

It does. I gained the weight right back when I started eating more carby stuff again, especially bread. Low carb works for me, other things haven't

That's because bread is high-glycemic. Might as well be eating sugar.

 

[starchild excalibur]

I lost 50 lbs in 6 months and didnt concern myself with avoiding carbs, i just made sure i was hitting my calorie goals.

Do you mind sharing your current calorie goals?

People kept telling my calories were calories and carbs didn't matter.

It does. I gained the weight right back when I started eating more carby stuff again, especially bread. Low carb works for me, other things haven't

That's great, man (not being sarcastic). Low carb definitely works for a lot of people.

 

[Ric Flair]

The only thing I do is make sure I hit the gym every day and lift/run. I also stay away from sugary sweets and butter. Losing weight is really easy if you can manage to burn a shit ton of calories at the gym.

 

[bonesmccoy]

Yes, CICO has worked for me in the past. But I find low carb meal plans to be safer for a fat swine like me.

 

[Shinypogs]

I lose weight every day because I track my calories regardless of what I eat like a careful lad.

Same I lost 50ish lbs 2 years ago by tracking my daily calories and staying within a limit that promoted weight loss.in that time I enjoyed pizza and mcdonalds as treats and the occasional evening out with friends without trouble because the math doesn't lie. I ate less calories than I burned and the weight came off.

 

[sneakypete]

I lost 50 lbs in 6 months and didnt concern myself with avoiding carbs, i just made sure i was hitting my calorie goals.

If you don't mind me asking, what was your starting weight?

I too lost about 50 lbs in ~6 months with just calorie counting and a ton of cardio.

I ended up gaining it all back and then some. Started on the keto diet 8 weeks ago and I'm down 47 lbs with 1/10th the amount of work outs per week. Keto has been a life changer for me, I can't see myself ever going back to a high carb diet.

 

[pixelation]

I lose weight every day because I track my calories regardless of what I eat like a careful lad.

Yep, not the ideal way of doing it. But it works regardless.

 

[SapientWolf]

I can cut and still have carbs, yeah. But I prefer the slow digesting variety.

 

[Sinfamy]

People kept telling my calories were calories and carbs didn't matter.

It does. I gained the weight right back when I started eating more carby stuff again, especially bread. Low carb works for me, other things haven't

You ate a surplus, you didn't defy the laws of thermodynamics.
If your TDEE is 2000 calories, and you eat 3000 calories of PopTarts or 3000 calories of boiled chicken, you're going to gain weight either way.
The only difference is that one is actually nutritious and will hit your protein macro goal.

There are other things to consider, but if your goal is strictly fat loss, deficit is the only thing that you should care about, not memes.

 

[Fantastical]

People kept telling my calories were calories and carbs didn't matter.

It does. I gained the weight right back when I started eating more carby stuff again, especially bread. Low carb works for me, other things haven't

Carbs matter. But at the end of the day you were eating more calories than you were burning which is how you gained weight.

 

[xxracerxx]

I lost weight by just eating healthier and being more vigorous in my workouts.

I didn't cut out anything, just didn't consume as much of everything. No counting calories.

 

[negreenfield]

For me intermittent fasting was the only enjoyable and repeatable way of dieting. Lifting plus IF plus counting calories basically.

 

[mackattk]

CICO

Try to eat nutritious and healthy as possible, but in the end it is all CICO.

Low carb works for a lot of people because you avoid the temptations of carbs and sugar. It worked great for me, but it isn't a lifestyle choice that I would want to maintain for a long period of time.

 

[zigg]

I trimmed 25lbs last year and have kept it off. I did it by counting calories using the MyFitnessPal app on my iPhone. The thing about a lot of high-carb junk foods is that they're high in calories. So if I wanted to feel full I had to avoid those types of foods because they simply didn't fill me up. With a restrictive-enough calorie intake, you're practically guaranteed to cut out some portion of those carbs. I never thought "ewww carbs", though.

In short, restricting calorie count and not spending those calories on crap foods will work just fine.

Yeah, exactly this. I'm not following any crazy rules; I just find foods that keep me going that fit inside my calorie budget. The proteins, vegetables, &c. that my diet has come to primarily consist of do this.

Calorie restriction is what pretty much everyone who needs to lose weight should do, but of course talk to your doctor etc. etc.

 

[User Name Here]

Can't really say I tried anything different, but doing both low calorie​ and low carb seemed to have help me lose 20 pounds over the last month. I also don't eat meat or diary more, so i'm sure that helped keep the carbs and calories low.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

Do you mind sharing your current calorie goals?

I started out 6 ft 230 lbs, got all the way down to 175 lbs. I was aiming for 1500 calories a day with high protein, medium carbs, low fat. (also avoiding sodium and sugar as much as i could, and hitting my fiber and potassium goals on myfitnesspal).

You dont have to do a huge caloric deficit though, if i had just done 2000 i still would have lost the weight, it just would have taken a little longer.

 

[Ziltoidia 9]

I tend to get hungry more if I eat carbs and do calories in/calories out. Doing keto allows me to become fat adapted, so my hunger level is much less and it is easier to stay on.

 

[What A Time To Be Alive]

idk if this has anything to do with this thread but i ate wendys and other fast food when i lost weight i dropped like 75 pounds.

just watched how much i ate and worked out.

that heatlhy food shit aint for me :S

 

[Madness]

Of course. Calories in and calories out is the number one thing to focus on. As long as you eat less than what your body can burn you are good.

Low carb is good for obese people who struggle with already elevated sugars, or need to get rid of fat quickly especially keto style diets.

You can eventually restart carbs once you reach a stable weight, are more active, your metabolism has improved. As the OECD Obesity thread showed, Japanese and Italian diets ridiculously high in carbs at times, but they are some of the thinnest. Rice, pastas and breads are not necessarily the enemy. But for me, weight loss was a combination of zero liquid calories ie. All sodas/pop gone and only water and keto to kickstart. I found I was more fuller eating veggies and meat rather than breads and grains.

 

[zigg]

You dont have to do a huge caloric deficit though, if i had just done 2000 i still would have lost the weight, it just would have taken a little longer.

Yeah, exactly.

And it's healthy to lose it at a good pace, 1-2 lbs./week, slowing as you reach your goal.

A long time ago I lost a lot of weight fast but never established good eating habits. Got it all back. Not this time. My curve started out at 2-odd lbs./week and is now below 1 lb./week (25 lbs. to go, my doctor and I agreed), but it's way easier and I'm way more confident I'll be able to maintain this long-term.

 

[Raine]

I know low carb is pretty popular. It's something I've done before and that many people seem to do, enjoy, and have great success with. This isn't a thread to knock that. But I'm wondering if there's anyone on here who tried low carb and - for whatever reason - decided to do something else and found that this "something else" worked out for them.

Threads like these tend to go down the rabbit hole of each respective side arguing ad nauseam with a combination of selective data and anecdotes. Again - not really looking for that. I think low carb works for people who can sustain it, just as I think low calorie stuff can work for some others (although maybe not for all).

Just looking to explore options as someone who has done low carb, but personally don't feel like I could sustain it for life.

Thanks

It kinda has to work for all. It's the one method that's been proven to work time and time again.

I can't speak to a low carb diet too much personally but I suspect those that have done that and cling to it's success were likely unknowingly (or knowingly) in a caloric deficit alongside it as a result. So if that what makes a caloric deficit easier to you, then shoot for it. Just know that it's really just helping you control your calorie intake in the end.

 

[boredandlazy]

I'm relatively skinny and I eat lots of bread, pasta, dairy, rice, cereal etc. But I also do plenty of exercise.

 

[Griss]

I lost 30 lbs on a high-carb diet consisting largely of chocolate and ice cream with no exercise. I'd budget about 300 calories to some protein (chicken or steak), then the rest of my daily 1,600 calories to junk food. It worked - I lost exactly the amount of weight my calorie counting vs basal metabolic rate suggested I should, shockingly accurately. I did take supplements for my vitamins / nutrients. But I was typically eating a snickers bar and two magnum ice creams a day, that was the bulk of my calorie intake.

Make no mistake, I don't recommend it for a number of reasons, but it's certainly possible, and I've kept the weight off for over two years now so it can 'stick', too.

Reasons I don't recommend it:
1) The blood sugar carosel - you feel exhausted and crash, then have tons of energy, then crash
2) You're always hungry as carbs don't sate your hunger like fats and proteins do
3) It's harder to stay under your calorie goal due to the above
4) You just don't lose weight as quickly due to the above.

But it's certainly possible and you can certainly keep the weight off. I did Keto afterwards for a month and a bit, however, and the appetite suppressant qualities and rapid weight loss blew me away - if I needed to lose a lot of weight right now it'd be Keto I turn to, but at 6'1 175 lbs I'm not unhappy where I'm at.

 

[The Lamp]

You ate a surplus, you didn't defy the laws of thermodynamics.
If your TDEE is 2000 calories, and you eat 3000 calories of PopTarts or 3000 calories of boiled chicken, you're going to gain weight either way.
The only difference is that one is actually nutritious and will hit your protein macro goal.

There are other things to consider, but if your goal is strictly fat loss, deficit is the only thing that you should care about, not memes.

It's not the only difference. Eating too much sugar will damage your metabolism and make it hard to control satiety, appetite, and as a result, weight.

Of course. Calories in and calories out is the number one thing to focus on. As long as you eat less than what your body can burn you are good.

Low carb is good for obese people who struggle with already elevated sugars, or need to get rid of fat quickly especially keto style diets.

You can eventually restart carbs once you reach a stable weight, are more active, your metabolism has improved. As the OECD Obesity thread showed, Japanese and Italian diets ridiculously high in carbs at times, but they are some of the thinnest. Rice, pastas and breads are not necessarily the enemy. But for me, weight loss was a combination of zero liquid calories ie. All sodas/pop gone and only water and keto to kickstart. I found I was more fuller eating veggies and meat rather than breads and grains.

But those diets aren't high in sugar. Complex carbs are filling and provide energy over long periods of time. Japanese and Italians eat less than half the amount of daily sugar Americans do and they're on the opposite side of the obesity trend from Americans.

 

[aronnov reborn]

I lose weight every day because I track my calories regardless of what I eat like a careful lad.

This. the only thing i used to lose 60 lbs in 8 months was counting calories.. that and working out all the time but i only paid attention to calories and made sure i had a daily deficit.

 

[robochimp]

I lose weight every day because I track my calories regardless of what I eat like a careful lad.

Yep, this is how you do it, exercise will make it easier as you'll be able to eat more to curb those initial cravings. You'll start to create some good habits.

 

[GatorBait]

I know low carb is pretty popular. It's something I've done before and that many people seem to do, enjoy, and have great success with. This isn't a thread to knock that. But I'm wondering if there's anyone on here who tried low carb and - for whatever reason - decided to do something else and found that this "something else" worked out for them.

Threads like these tend to go down the rabbit hole of each respective side arguing ad nauseam with a combination of selective data and anecdotes. Again - not really looking for that. I think low carb works for people who can sustain it, just as I think low calorie stuff can work for some others (although maybe not for all).

Just looking to explore options as someone who has done low carb, but personally don't feel like I could sustain it for life.

Thanks

I've done:
Low-carb,
Paleo diet,
Bodybuilder diet (think macro-based, "clean" foods all the time, such as chicken breasts, brown rice, broccoli, etc).
IIFYM/general calorie deficit,
and intermittent fasting.

They all worked when I was doing them. My final choice ended up being based less on which got results (since they all did), but which one was easiest and most enjoyable for me to stick to.

This was all on the way to losing 65 lbs. That was 8 years ago. I weigh only 5 lbs more now.

 

[Spoiled Milk]

You ate a surplus, you didn't defy the laws of thermodynamics.
If your TDEE is 2000 calories, and you eat 3000 calories of PopTarts or 3000 calories of boiled chicken, you're going to gain weight either way.
The only difference is that one is actually nutritious and will hit your protein macro goal.

There are other things to consider, but if your goal is strictly fat loss, deficit is the only thing that you should care about, not memes.

As the poster above me noted, this is extremely wrong. Of course it's calories in, calories out, but the makeup of your diet has everything to do with satiety and hunger, modulating your metabolism, affecting your glucose sensitivity, and a million other things. When I went keto I stopped getting hungry. When I got back on the carbs I became a ravenous animal and had an extremely hard time relearning how to control my appetite.

Ultimately my advice to anyone is to limit simple sugars, but a higher fat diet really does wonders.

 

[TickleMeElbow]

I've never done low carb, so I've never abandoned it lol.

I just stay within a certain calorie deficit based on my TDEE, and make sure I get enough protein.

I've gained and lost weight like 4 times within the last two years, because I tend to bulk too hard and get kinda fat lol. This year has been more successful though. Live and learn.

 

[Ziltoidia 9]

I would also add that everyone is different. Some people eat tons of "bad" stuff and yet are just skinny fat. In my case, its hard for me to contain it. Its like a drug in some way, I just keep going back for more and more without feeling full. I've been doing keto for 2 months and its really really helped my life quality. As long as you research it, get your carbs from healthy things (Salad/Green beans, broccoli, etc), take supplements, drink plenty of water, you will feel ok. The general rule is to stay under 20 carbs a day, hit your protein goal and the rest just fat. Some healthy fats (if you dont want red meat fat) would be almonds, nuts, MCT oil).

I mostly just eat cheese, salad, home made ranch dressing, chicken, pork and greens.

 

[Griss]

It's not the only difference. Eating too much sugar will damage your metabolism and make it hard to control satiety, appetite, and as a result, weight.



But those diets aren't high in sugar. Complex carbs are filling and provide energy over long periods of time. Japanese and Italians eat less than half the amount of daily sugar Americans do and they're on the opposite side of the obesity trend from Americans.

I think the issue a lot of people have with the "it's just calories in, calories out" (CICO) discussion is that it's hard to know whether to factor appetite into it.

If you're just crunching numbers, CICO does pretty much work, allowing for about 10% variance in base metabolism and different gut flora etc. (And not taking into account exercise calories burned.) But that doesn't take into account appetite, the actual experience of trying to restrict your calories. The CICO people would say "appetite is irrelevant - we're assuming you control your eating despite your appetite, no matter how hungry you feel". Opponents say managing appetite is a core part of weight loss, and must be factored in to nutritional choices and advice. I see both sides.

The truth is that if you have iron will then your appetite is irrelevant. In practice, for most people, it's very relevant.

On a different topic, many properly obese people have both insulin resistance issues and mental issues with disordered eating and both can be solved or ameliorated by getting off sugar into a low carb diet. For people in the normal or just slightly overweight bracket, I think CICO is more than enough.

I lose weight every day because I track my calories regardless of what I eat like a careful lad.

My motto is "It doesn't matter how many calories you ate today, as long as you were aware of them and tracked them you haven't given up."

I had 3,500 calories today because I played in a golf tournament and was drinking and eating all day long. Chocolate chip cookies, toblerone, hot dogs, stella artois... everything. So what, I can get a deficit next week. The important thing is that I know how much extra calories I took in today and I know what I need to do next week.

 

[combine42]

It doesn't matter. As long as you burn more calories than you eat, then you lose weight.

 

[Qblivion]

It doesn't matter. As long as you burn more calories than you eat, then you lose weight.

Yes, this is technically true. Cutting carbs is also one of the easier way to cut calories in the average western diet though.

 

[shawnbuddy]

All you have to do to lose weight is carefully (honestly!) count calories and make sure you have a calorie deficit. I've done it several times.

All you have to to keep the weight off is permanently adopt a healthy, active lifestyle and diet and stick to it scrupulously for the rest of your life. That's the part I have trouble with.

 

[MartyStu]

Yes, this is technically true. Cutting carbs is also one of the easier way to cut calories in the average western diet though.

I suppose, but it is not very fun.

 

[starchild excalibur]

I think the issue a lot of people have with the "it's just calories in, calories out" (CICO) discussion is that it's hard to know whether to factor appetite into it.

If you're just crunching numbers, CICO does pretty much work, allowing for about 10% variance in base metabolism and different gut flora etc. (And not taking into account exercise calories burned.) But that doesn't take into account appetite, the actual experience of trying to restrict your calories. The CICO people would say "appetite is irrelevant - we're assuming you control your eating despite your appetite, no matter how hungry you feel". Opponents say managing appetite is a core part of weight loss, and must be factored in to nutritional choices and advice. I see both sides.

This is very true.

I've been doing low carb for the past couple of months - admittedly not a great job, but better than I had before I switched to low carb. I'm proud of myself for having cut out soda entirely (except for on my cheat day) and cutting out snacking. I've eaten more salads than I ever have in my life and have seen some progress. The soda stuff is especially important to me as someone who - at my worst - could and would sometimes easily go through a 2L of soda a day.

But while I know forgoing soda, snacks, and candies for life is doable for me, I also know that low carb foods tend to get very boring for me. I like meat, but I'm the type of guy who prefers a hamburger over a steak because they like the bread and sauce component just as much as they like the meat component. I've also gone through many low carb recipes only to find even the celebrated ones horrible (I'm looking at you, cauliflower pizza).

So while I don't need to go back to eating chips and drinking soda, I do know that at some point I may very well crash if all I'm restricting myself to is meats, veggies, and cheese. Being able to eat rice with my meat a few meals per week or wheat bread with my hamburger from time to time would go a long way in making this more sustainable.

 

[Coriolanus]

yarp
lost about 8kg in the last two weeks. Fasted 9 of those days. ate like a motherfucker in three of them.

lifting was a bitch tho. Doing 2/1 now since it doesn't impact gym routine as much.

 

[EverythingShiny]

I've actually been counting calories for the past 5 weeks and have lost 4-5 lbs. I run every other day, lift weights and eat anywhere between 1200-1400 calories.

I'd like to try low carb, but I'm a pescatarian so I'm not sure how well it'd work, as I don't want to eat fish more than once or twice a week. CICO is working pretty well for me so far. We'll see how well I can maintain once I get to my goal weight, which is thankfully only 10lbs away.

 

[pokeystaples]

Gym and calorie counting has been the most effective for me. I've tried other things but I love food too much. Eating less of it works better for me than restricting things.

 

[TaterTots]

I'm 6'2 and weigh 260 lbs. I use to weigh 425 lbs. I found a workout routine and started counting calories and allow myself a cheat day each week. I eat bread and such and still lose weight. Depends on what you prefer I guess. My goal is 215-220.

 

[BigSoftieFF]

I've lost 120lbs in the last two years and I have never been low carb. Have a calorie and macro goal and do my best to hit it every week. I still go way off the rails sometimes but it's more lifestyle than specific diet I think. Whatever you do, make sure it's something maintainable for the long haul.

 

[rtcn63]

Carbs are just the easiest thing to cut out. Stop drinking soda? That's a bunch of sugar out the window. Plus protein and fat are satiating (the former is massively necessary if you're trying not to lose lean body mass during the process). Technically, you could lose weight by eating 90% carbs, you'd just feel like shit and it would probably be harder to sustain.

 

[The Lamp]

All you have to do to lose weight is carefully (honestly!) count calories and make sure you have a calorie deficit. I've done it several times.

All you have to to keep the weight off is permanently adopt a healthy, active lifestyle and diet and stick to it scrupulously for the rest of your life. That's the part I have trouble with.

Other countries' cultures and diets are such a way that most people don't have to try to stay lean, they just do.

Americans are outrageously fat because of the things and way they eat and live compared to the rest of the world. If you try to cook at home the types of foods that leaner cultures do, it'll probably be a lot easier to stay lean in the long term!

I see this all the time when Americans go abroad for a few weeks and automatically lose 5-20 lbs having changed nothing but what they're eating, then as soon as they come back to the US, they gain it all back. Same with tourists who come live in the US for a few weeks and eat carelessly like they do back home and suddenly they're gaining weight they never have.

 

[starchild excalibur]

I'm 6'2 and weigh 260 lbs. I use to weigh 425 lbs. I found a workout routine and started counting calories and allow myself a cheat day each week. I eat bread and such and still lose weight. Depends on what you prefer I guess. My goal is 215-220.

Damn, dude. Congrats! I'm about 6'2" and 355. Hoping to even be 260 some day, with time.

I've lost 120lbs in the last two years and I have never been low carb. Have a calorie and macro goal and do my best to hit it every week. I still go way off the rails sometimes but it's more lifestyle than specific diet I think. Whatever you do, make sure it's something maintainable for the long haul.

Yeah, the bolded is key to me. That's why I think i'm gonna switch to CICO instead of low carb. I can't see myself keeping this up for another 3 months, let alone for life.

 

[BigSoftieFF]

Damn, dude. Congrats! I'm about 6'2" and 355. Hoping to even be 260 some day, with time.



Yeah, the bolded is key to me. That's why I think i'm gonna switch to CICO instead of low carb. I can't see myself keeping this up for another 3 months, let alone for life.

I have a friend at work that does the low carb thing but he keeps losing the same 40 lbs. I pull for him but the diet he try's to stick to seems not only impossible but dreadful.


As for the 6'2" 355, you can do it. I was 6'2" 316 and could only run on the treadmill for a minute at a time. Now I'm 196 shooting for 185 and run several 5k's a week at 41 years young. Find something and stick with it! Good luck bro