Carbs vs Calories

[CardiacBeat]

Hello everyone. I have 2 questions.

1) Which is more important to watch carbs or calories? I have tried both and they both have their ups and downs. I know it is important to watch both and to not exceed one or the other, but is either one better or more beneficial to count? 

2) A few months back I lost 15lbs. I was so dedicated and, yeah, it was hard but some how I did it. I know all the steps I took to get there, however, I can't seem to do it again. I can't grasp the self motivation and self discipline again. My question being, how do I kick my butt in gear again? It took me 3 months to lose the 15lbs and it's been almost double that trying to get myself to do it again. I have kept the weight down, I just can't convince myself to try for another 15!!!

Thanks for the help! 

[carl669]

for me, watching carbs did the trick.  i don't count calories at all, only carbs.  87 lbs lost to date.

again, this worked great for me.

[CardiacBeat]

If you don't mind, Can you tell me some of the stuff you eat so I have some ideas, what number of crabs you stay under (your goal to stay under), and how you motivate yourself? 

Thanks again!

[Heybales]

Calories - you can't lose weight without eating less than you burn.

You may have an easier time sticking to your goal eating less carbs, and certain health issues benefit from that direction.

But there are plenty of people that have done Atkins with low carb and proved that you eat too much of any macro, more than you burn, you will gain weight.

[carl669 · Accepted solution]

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@CardiacBeat wrote:

If you don't mind, Can you tell me some of the stuff you eat so I have some ideas, what number of crabs you stay under (your goal to stay under), and how you motivate yourself? 

Thanks again!

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my daily goal is between 20-30g carbs.  here's a sample menu from when i first started low carbing:

breakfast - bulletproof coffee (coffee blended with 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp coconut oil and heavy cream): 2g carb

snack - 1 oz macadamia nuts: 4g carb

lunch - 3 egg, chorizo and cheese omlette: 9g carb

dinner - roast pork tenderloin and spinach salad drizzled with olive oil and salt: 3g carb

dessert - chocolate mug cake: 4g carb

total for the day: 22g carb

just for reference, i put that all into fitbit's food log and the total calories comes out as around 1700 calories (give or take a few).  but back then, i never entered food into a food log so i never knew how many calories i was eating.

honestly, with the above diet, the weight just fell off with little to no effort on my part.  my exercise consisted of a leisurely 20 minute walk with the dog and that's about it.  then again, at that time, i still had a lot to lose.  my guess is i was in nutritional ketosis the majority of the time.  i just never bothered to buy strips and test (they're expensive!).

now, i'm not saying you'll be able to eat the above forever and lose weight.  at some point, you will probably go into maintenance mode.  and, i'd highly recommend adding in weights at some point. 

as far as motivation goes, the weight loss was motivation enough.  in that first week, i probably dropped close to 5 lbs.  sure, most of it was water weight, but seeing the scale move that rapidly was pretty awesome.  also, my energy level was incredibly consistent throughout the day.  i never have the after lunch crash anymore.  and my appetite is much more controlled.  i no longer eat breakfast at 7 only to find myself ravenously hungry at 10.  

i won't say it's easy, because it may not be for you (if you decide to try it).  here's some tips in case you do try it:

1.  stay away from processed "low carb" foods like atkins.  cooking as much as you can for yourself is the way to go.  pork rinds are an exception.  (well....for me they are)

2.  for the first few days, you might feel like crap (light headed, brain fog, tired).  to help counteract this, drink plenty of water and eat some extra salt.  yes, salt.  i wish i had known this.  some people will dissolve a buillion cube and drink it.

3.  make sure you're getting enough fat.  this will help keep you satiated longer.  don't be afraid of fat.  except trans-fat.  that stuff should be banned.  oh, and ditch the vegetable oils. stick with olive and coconut oil or butter/ghee.

4.  initially, i tried to stay away from the artificial sweeteners. i felt this helped with cravings.  after about 4 weeks, the cravings were nearly gone.  now, i can drink diet soda or eat things like the mug cake and not have the cravings return.  however, just in case, keep a bar of 85-90% chocolate on hand.  eat one square just to take the edge off the craving.  at some point, you might just have to power through.

4.5  you WILL have cravings.  how intense they are depends on what your current diet is.

5.  if you slip up, don't beat yourself up.  just get back on the wagon and carry on.

6.  cutting carbs all at once or gradually depends on your personality type.  be completely honest with yourself here.   

7.  buy the best meat you can afford.  when i can afford it, i buy pastured, grass fed beef.  at other times, i'll buy the cheaper stuff.  

8.  eating out can be tricky.  try to plan ahead and look up nutritional values before you go.  you can always order a sandwich and just not eat the bread.  be especially careful of sauces and salad dressings as they can be chock full of sugar.  for salads, i'll usually ask for the dressing on the side or just have them drizzle it with olive oil.

9.  don't think of it as a diet.  i've got about 10 more lbs to lose.  after i hit my goal, i'm still going to eat low carb.  i see it as a way of life now, not a diet.

disclaimer: i'm not a doctor, nor do i play one on TV.  i'm just a guy that lost some weight.  although, i do have 9 doctors in my family, so maybe some of their smarts rubbed off on me.

[slysam]

For me calories, I don't respond well to intentionally low carb diets. But cutting calories does usually mean cutting simple carbs for me as I still want to get enough protein and essential fats. I do eat vegetables, fruits, beans, etc that people on a lot of low-carb diets would not eat.  I have also tried low fat and that didn't work well for me either, I spent a lot of time cooking and eating to feel satisfied (I wasn't needing to lose weight, just thought it might be healthier at the time) though my weight stayed about the same. For me, reasonably balanced diet with smaller portions, fewer calories, and less simple carbs/sugars works best. I can see why low carb could work for some people, as I could eat low in calories and still feel satisfied, but I would get light headed, trembly and dizzy during activity especially during evening workouts or activity. 

[Cindyannette]

That's awesome Carl669!  Way to go!  I've been eating low carb, too for about 3 weeks and have dropped about 6 lbs.  I only need to lose about 15-20 total so it's slower coming off for me.  Thank you for sharing your story with everyone and you have truly inspired me!  You have a lot of great helpful hints to help us to keep on keeping on! Thanks so much!

[CardiacBeat]

Thank you so much Carl669! That is really helpful. I have a lot of learning to do but I can do it! And you have really helped me!

[liversb]

Thanks Carl669 - wonderful news - well done. Yours is almost identical to my approach - although only started 7 weeks ago - lost 8 Kg, but 34 still to lose. I am following Prof Tim Noakes' modern Banting diet - "Real Meal Revolution"

[Spyderryder]

I have had great success since getting my FitBit just watching calories.  The FitBit dashboard on my smartphone makes it so easy.  Having said that, I am learning more and more about the damage carbs can cause, both in the digestive system (old news), as well as the brain! New science is linking our addiction to carbs as a society directly to early onset brain issues.

So, like others on this forum, as I cut calories, (made easier with my FitBit) I naturally cut Carbs.  But now I want to target Carbs specifically.  

Wouldn't it be great if tracking Carbs with your FitBit dashboard was as easy as Calories?  Cake and eat it too... Maybe the wrong analogy.

[moonsign]

Counting carbs for me has done the best- I do not care about the calories or the fat- in fact I eat as much good fat as I want.  With the flex it only counts calories and that is frustrating- anything out there that will help keep your carbs in line instead of calories

[moonsign]

I try to stay between 50 and 100 carbs per day.  It also is based on your activity levels- very active days maybe a few more carbs but ONLY good carbs- those from veggies and fruits.  No bread, rice, white potatoes  (sweet potatoe OK) or grains  (ie Paleo diet)

[moonsign]

I agree, I have not counted calories for years, only carbs!!  Flex needs to adapt a program for us Carbaphobics  

[Lindquistan]

I as a recently discovered diabetic wish FitBit would allow focus on Carb intake as opposed to just calories

[LewWagner]

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@Lindquistan wrote:
I as a recently discovered diabetic wish FitBit would allow focus on Carb intake as opposed to just calories

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Lindquistan,

I was diagnosed as Type II Diabetic back in late Oct 2013.  I was a bit over 300 pounds.  My nutritionist gave me the following requirements to follow:

Cals                     2,000

Fat                            65

Chol                        300

Sodium                2,400

Carbs                      150

Fiber                         25

Sugar                       90

Protein                     50

I was 57 at the time and am 5'8"

Since Aug 22, 2014, I've gotten down to below 170 pounds and the doc has taken me off all diabetes medication. Just maintaining my glucose level through diet and exercise.

It's going to be a long haul and you'll need to stay focused on attaining your goals.

[Heybales]

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@Lindquistan wrote:
I as a recently discovered diabetic wish FitBit would allow focus on Carb intake as opposed to just calories

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Since they integrate and sync with several very good food diary logging sites, like MyFitnessPal - you are unlikely to see them interested in spending money developing their own any better.

On MFP you can display and set goals for carbs in general, and even Sugars specifically if that helps.

[Megedell]

Since they integrate and sync with several very good food diary logging sites, like MyFitnessPal - you are unlikely to see them interested in spending money developing their own any better.

On MFP you can display and set goals for carbs in general, and even Sugars specifically if that helps.

So, I would LOVE to be able to log food in My Fitness Pal and have THAT synch with my Fitbit to show the calories burned vs. calories eaten so I know where I'm at throughout the day. 

What I DON'T want is to have to log in two places...once in MFP and once in FB...

I know you can synch your steps between the two--but I haven't figuredout if you can synch food log?

Is that possible? I have a Charge HR, btw...

[Heybales]

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@Megedell wrote:

Since they integrate and sync with several very good food diary logging sites, like MyFitnessPal - you are unlikely to see them interested in spending money developing their own any better.

On MFP you can display and set goals for carbs in general, and even Sugars specifically if that helps.

So, I would LOVE to be able to log food in My Fitness Pal and have THAT synch with my Fitbit to show the calories burned vs. calories eaten so I know where I'm at throughout the day. 

What I DON'T want is to have to log in two places...once in MFP and once in FB...

I know you can synch your steps between the two--but I haven't figuredout if you can synch food log?

Is that possible? I have a Charge HR, btw...

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If the accounts are synced, the food syncs from MFP over to Fitbit already.

Doesn't show individual items, merely the meal totals.

[dcrain]

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@LewWagner wrote:

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@Lindquistan wrote:
I as a recently discovered diabetic wish FitBit would allow focus on Carb intake as opposed to just calories

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Lindquistan,

I was diagnosed as Type II Diabetic back in late Oct 2013.  I was a bit over 300 pounds.  My nutritionist gave me the following requirements to follow:

Cals                     2,000

Fat                            65

Chol                        300

Sodium                2,400

Carbs                      150

Fiber                         25

Sugar                       90

Protein                     50

I was 57 at the time and am 5'8"

Since Aug 22, 2014, I've gotten down to below 170 pounds and the doc has taken me off all diabetes medication. Just maintaining my glucose level through diet and exercise.

It's going to be a long haul and you'll need to stay focused on attaining your goals.

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WOW!  Fantastic!

I do something similar per my doctor. I wanted to lose 40 and so far I have lost 25 pounds just watching my carbs.  However I don't have a "low carb" diet and I don't do "net carbs".  I just make sure to keep my carbs below 135 a day.  Because I'm watching my carbs I don't eat a lot of higher calorie foods and I'm generally stay under 1500 calories a day. 

Premium says I'm at 43% carbs.  I never feel hungry and because I am picking foods that really stick with me and I still get to splurge when I want to. 

I love my fitbit but I do wish the app gave the option of showing carb counts.  It is a pain to try to keep track of it and this is something that I think should be a no brainer.  Fitbit is missing the boat on this one.

[mrscalong78]

If you are using the fitbit app for your phne, you can also download the My Fitness Pal app and link them.  In my Fitness Pal you can keep track of your food and their breakdown (carbs, protein, fat).  You can set it to the exact amounts of each nutrient that you want to eat daily and it will keep track for you.  It can also monitor sodium, sugar, etc.  I love it because now I don't have to aggonize over it... it does all of the thinking for me and alerts me if something is out of wack.  

I also have the Map My Finess app linked to Fitbit so I can log any type of workout or activity that I do.  What'sso great is that May Fitness Pal, Map My Fitness and fitbit are always communicating with one another so my daily calories and stats are always current with my level of activity.  It makes it fool proof so that you don't go over your calories.