Why go Low Carb?

I know I am going to start a riot probably by asking these questions but I need advice and pros vs. cons

I am trying to find things that will break my stupid consecutive stalls. Carbs are the only things I can think would change my diet that may help. I am meeting my protein and calorie goals but the carb content may be my problem

I want your opinions on why this works, if it works, how long it works for or if it is complete crap!

PLEASE BE HONEST!

I so hope you get the answers that you need!  I am so tired of losing just a few pounds a month and working my butt off all month for nothing.  As you can see I am extremely frustrated.  I do stay away from bread and pasta.  I only eat veggies and fruit which are my carbs.  I am not getting anywhere either. 

Melissa

So from your expeirience but not eating carbs like bread or pasta does it work for you or does it not make a difference?

Hi Kelli,

I know every Dr. is different and I had the same questions.  My Dr. emailed the below out to his patients this week.  I'm sure this topic will have lots of opinions.

Carbs are not the enemy!

Carbohydrates, or carbs, are often treated like the villains of the weight loss surgery world. However, these very important dietary components need not be neglected in a balanced, healthy diet for bariatric patients. Carbohydrates the energy source utilized most efficiently by the body which is important to remember when fueling and recovering from exercise. Carbs are also important for brain function, which runs on glucose (carbs are broken down into glucose in the body and stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles). This being said, it's important to get dietary carbohydrates from high quality sources: fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Each meal should include protein, fats, and carbohydrates for a balanced nutritional profile and to provide everything the body needs.               But how many carbs is too many, or too few? In an 800 kcal diet, 65 grams of carbohydrate and 75 grams of protein is a good goal. If getting closer to 1200 calories in a day, aim for 120-135 grams of carbohydrate and at least 75 grams of protein. Remember to focus on the quality of carbohydrates and to include them with every meal. Try this recipe for breakfast or any other meal during the day for healthy carbohydrates and fiber. The addition of a scoop of protein powder helps boost the meal, keeping you full for hours!

Personally, I low carbed it, less than 30-40gr per day and the only carbs I took in were from the few green veggies and dairy I consumed. I did not eat rice, pasta, fruit, starches, or bread during my losing stage. I never stalled, not one single week in a 6.5 month time period until I got close to goal (like within 5-7lbs of goal) did I go without losing weight. I think the longest I went was about 10 days without any scale movement, and then I woke up and was below goal by 2 pounds, go figure.

I knew low carbing it would work for me. I swear by it to this day, and when I saw a bounce up over the holidays, I went back to less than 50gr of carbs per day and I dropped 5lbs in about 6 days, and that's after 8 months in maintenance mode. So, no one can tell me that low carb doesn't work.

When I started adding in more carbs, as I was getting into maintenance, I had to increase my carbs via fruit, veggies, some starches up to about 80-100 and guess what my weight loss came to screeching halt, and I've been maintaining around those numbers. Some days I get way more carbs via juice, and more bread items. I eat whole grain/whole wheat when I eat breads, and I keep them in moderation.

I know there are others out there that don't count carbs, that don't stress over it, but they're also the ones saying "I'm a slower loser, but it's how I want to lose, or they're content with their losing rate" so each person's path is different. I wanted to lose fast and hard. I knew low carbing it would work. I never felt deprived or felt like I was dieting. I just ate protein and went about my life and knew that I would be able to get more options in once I was in maintenance. I didn't eat any foods on the glycemic index with counts over 55-60.

I always tell people if what you're doing isn't giving you the results you want, then obviously what you've been doing isn't working. I also never did this whole net carb vs. regular carb thing. A carb is a carb is a carb was my thought process, and well, no one can argue that it didn't give me 100% success. Will it work for everyone? Nope, but for those that respond well to low carbing, well, it works pretty damn fabulous.

 I'd like to know how people even go low carb. I've only had a protein shake and a beets & feta salad (1/4cup) and I'm already at 29 carbs. 

Most of my day is eggs, cheese, jerky, veggie burger patties.... That is how I am doing low carb! Beets have a ton of sugar and my protein shake is low in sugar, too.

Meat, cheese, greek yogurt, green beans that's how I low carbed it. Beets are sugar pots. I never used shakes so I didn't have to worry about that one, and when I was trying to find one I mixed them with water, and never used a protein mix if the protein:carb ratio was any less than 4-5:1 meaning if that protein mix had 5gr of carbs, it needed to have a minimum of 20gr(preferrably 25-30gr) of protein per serving.

You give amazing advice. Would you be willing to add me so I can keep up with you and ask you questions when I have them?

~Mandi 

I just sent you the request chickee. . . Feel free to message me anytime.