Should I low carb to hit goal weight?

[Livingthe Dream 0]

I have been flying along towards my goal weight for the last 3 months. I finally hit the wall at 230 pounds and have not moved below that number for 2 1/2 weeks. I even go to bed at 230 pounds and wake up, hop on the scale only to see it at 230 pounds. I know that I can eat better so it is not some great mystery but I am tempted to go low carb. The good news is that I seem to maintain my current weight effortlessly when not trying to lose weight so that is exciting. My goal is 210 so I am looking at 20 more pounds. Has anyone used this approach to hit their goal weight and did the weight come back after leaving the low carb lifestyle. For some reason I think that the weight will stay off If I can just get to the the goal. Who knows but I could use some advice on this topic. I completely understand the view point of no gimmick diets and just live healthier but at this point I am trying to bust up my routine.

[TracyinKS 7]

it's worth a shot!

I KNOW I would be losing faster if I'd get back on the LC wagon!

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

My doctor says I am supposed to eat 75% Protein and 25% veggies with small amounts of fruit. That sounds like low carb to me!

[Jachut 487]

Even I've considered it and that's saying something. Heck, I"ve even thought about shakes! I have a BMI of 23 now, but I keep thinking sheesh, I could look GREAT at about 21. But its just so hard to lose that last bit.

But I think what will happen to me is that I'll just put the weight right back on again. I dont believe deep down that low carb is healthy and I know that I cant eat that way forever, so I think doing it the slow way is probably best for me.

Truthfully, I am maintenance eating now and maintenance exercising. I just need to step it back up a bit and the rest will come off. Would you say the same or are you really doing everything you possibly can and have nowhere to go but low carb?

Its worth a shot if so, but I do really believe diets have to be maintainable otherwise its just a fad. I need my carbs. My running performance drops markedly without good wholegrains for Breakfast and something like a sandwich for lunch. I wilt within an hour of a carbless lunch - I dont get hungry because of my band but low carb makes me feel sick and lethargic.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I agree Jacqui. You do need carbs when you are exercising. That's why I don't really listen to my dr. I eat a bowl of high Fiber whole grain Cereal

before I go to the gym. I feel really nauseous if I try to exercise with only Protein for Breakfast. I know our bodies need a lot of Fiber to have a healthy system. There is no way to get fiber into our diets without carbs. It's those junky empty calorie carbs that we need to watch out for.

I watch my carbs and I eat the low glycemic carbs. Even veggies have carbs.

[jjsmiles 3]

I hit an almost 4 week plateau at the end of January and was "stuck" at around 237, which was very frustrating. I stuck to my plan (around 1000- 1200 calories most days, intense exercise 4-5 days a week) and then poof all of a sudden I started to lose again, although I didn't do anything different.

I am really wary of the low carb life because I have done incredibly well on Atkins in the past only to gain the weight back (plus extra) the very moment I started to introduce carbs back into my diet. The other thing I found with low carb is that once I started to introduce the carbs back into my diet, I was like an addict in that I craved them intensely.

I made a very conscious choice in this journey to eat the way that I plan to eat for the rest of my life (just in moderation), and to include food from all the food groups (including the food groups of chocolate and cake) :thumbdown:

[Jachut 487]

What I've thought about doing is days on, days off sort of thing. I just like my food too much, I'm a hopeless dieter and I do always eat to feel satisfied, even with a band.

But I can do it for short stretches. I thought about trying 3 really low calorie days a week, broken up by normal but good days of eating. And I'm about to REALLY change about my exercise routine.

What I have always noticed is that I always lose weight on holidays - what I do that's different is 3 meals NO Snacks (too busy having fun) and as well as continuing my running, we usually walk a lot more, probably up to 8 kms a day. I always come home to find a big drop in weight. So my plan for the next month:

normal running schedule - a couple of half hour runs and a really long run each week - I normally do this early evening

up early week days for a 45 minute walk (5kms or so)

Make use of the free 3 week Curves membership to introduce some more regular circuit training 3 x a week (its only half an hour during the day afterall).

For ONE month, I think I can make this commitment. Hopefully, this might take me under 70kg which was my ultimate goal and have me fitting into an Australian size 12 reliably.

Of course I wont just throw it all to the wind completely after a month but that's an intense schedule, no need to do that much forever.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I wish I could run. My back just kills me for days when I try to run. My doctor said no more running.

Jacqui, you are such a good bandster.

[Jachut 487]

Gosh Denise, my back kills me for days too, lol. It really throws me about, running and after a long long run it takes me days to be able to go again. Its very hard on the body.

I'm seriously thinking now that I need to cut back and do lots of power walking and circuit training. The running has done a great job for me, but I have a few too many back and heel problems and am on the wrong side of 40 to be running five or more times a week. I most definitely AM doing a half marathon in July and then I will be limiting my outside running to twice a week.

The trouble is I'm really addicted to that fast exercise, the high you get from it, you jsut dont get it from walking, but I do note that I actually tend to lose weight again when I do a lot of walking (because I can do greater distances more often without the need for recovery). I can get that high from intense circuit training though and its not quite so hard on the body. I just find I need a day or two in between runs to recover now.

Sigh, old age is a curse.

[mindwing 15]

Any weight lost by low carb dieting quickly comes back when you return to high carb eating.

That said, low carb eating is a great way to lose and maintain weight. If you decide to go low carb, don't jump back to normal eating. Dr. Atkins is very clear about this in his books. Add carbs gradually back into your diet until you start to gain, then cut back just a bit. That is the carb level your body does well at. If you stay at or below that level, you won't gain your weight back.

mindwing

[mindwing 15]

Also, be sure to drink lots of Water while low carbing it. You won't lose much if you don't drink enough.

Mindwing