Low Carb Or No Carb?

[BrownDoesAll 409]

I find when I am really focused to get the scale moving I do not eat any carbs. Whem I eat zero carbs I am able to get past a stall and the scale starts moving. But the minute I introduce enen a small amount of carbs I start gaining. It is very frustrating because I want to eat balanced. I like a yogurt a piece of fruit and oatmeal. I can't enjoy life with zero carbs but that seems to be the only way my body wants to drop pounds. I have introduced slowly and still gained all I lost. BTW I am a 2 year vet never reached goal and still trying to drop 50 pounds. I have maintained my initial weight loss from surgery but not able to get a steady downward movement of the scale to make a difference. Its the carbs!

[7 Bites_Jen 479]

I am EXACTLY the same way!!
I like low-carb - I will eat about 1/4 C of oatmeal along with a scrambled egg or some sausage in the morning, then TRY to not have many carbs for the rest of the day (I am usually NOT successful with that...LOL). When I can stick with that then I start to lose again. It's when I have the carbs all day long that it stops. I know a lot of people that are like that though, so you are NOT alone!! Try only having a carb at one meal a day and see if that helps. But your right - balance is VITAL!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I don't think it is realistic to eat NO carb. if I get too low, I have no energy... wet noodle kind of thing and can't work out etc. when I go too low. I have never eatedn "no carbs" Your brain needs carbs. To me, a low day is in the up to 40 total carbs range. I don't believe in the net carb math, that's just me though.

I have had tremendous success with the whole intermittant, change things up. Like, I will eat carb restricted (strict) and then go to just a moderate healthy carb and boom - I always loose a pound or three. Changing things around with food and excercise seem to keep the body confused.

My personal advice is to avoid truly junky carbs all the time for weight loss (so this is processed foods, crackers, Cookies etc. Grains and fruit carbs should be minimized if you are carb sensitive. My niece says that grains/flour impact her much more then the sugary fruit - so maybe we are all different. If I am trying to lose, I eat berries but avoid most other fruits. Some carbs from veggies are fine though - i don't eat potato family but I don't worry about carbs in most veggies.

It is a hard reality to accept, but even in maintenance, i pay attention to avoiding a lot of carbs - not as strictly as before, but I find it much more important than calories personally.

WATCH hidden carbs in Protein bars, low fat foods and other alledged health food. I think people often eat way more carbs then they realize because it is in most processed foods.

[marfar7 1,533]

The only thing to eat without carbs is meat. eggs have. 5 carbs. Yellow cheese has 1. Broccoli has a few. How is that healthy eating just meat? I say cut out the REFINED carbs (sugar, white bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes-even tho theyre not refined) and eat veggies, fruit, cheese, eggs, Beans, Peanut Butter, etc. Inunderstand how u can lose weight being so strict on carbs but living forever its not realistic. Even 20 gms (which Atkins Induction suggests) is difficult to do for more than 2 weeks, not understanding how someone can survive on it forever.

Thank God my body loses (slowly but surely) on eating less food, not no carbs.

Good luck...

[BrownDoesAll 409]

Myfar7 that's my point when I try to bring in the good carbs I gain what ever I lost. I track my food especially when I am focused and trying to lose when my carbs go above 20 I gain or I don't lose. Below 20 is really hard