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How many of you have done Low Carb and Low Calorie and which one did you choose to stick with.

I started with Low Calorie with 800-1200 cal a month. I switch to Low Carb but I like the choices I have with Low Cal just need to consume less... So I just dont know which one to stick with.

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I count calories... to me it's all about calories in / calories out.

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To me its all about calories too - and for most people, not all but most, low carb works mainly because its low calorie. Meals tend to be very low calorie without any bread, rice, Pasta, pastry, sugar or even starchy veg like potatoes, unless you eat alot of fat.

There's lots of members here who need to low carb it or they dont lose, but for the average joe, as long as your calories are down, it really doesnt matter WHAT you eat. For the sake of your health you want to eat well, but you can lose weight eating nothing but crap. For example, a few months ago I had surgery and now have an ileostomy, my system tends to run in overdrive and anythign I eat has a very short transit time. My small intestine has not done what it should and learned to absorbe Water better, so I have chronic, copious diarrhoea. To manage that, I have to eat white bread, rice, pasta, cereals, bananas at each meal, and avoid too many fruits, vegies, etc. My simple carb intake is through the roof compared to what my diet was normally like but I havent gained a gram, even with my band unfilled. It worries me because it sucks in terms of general nutrition and I hope i can overcome it with reversal of the ileostomy but weight wise, it makes no difference at all.

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How many of you have done Low Carb and Low Calorie and which one did you choose to stick with.

I started with Low Calorie with 800-1200 cal a month. I switch to Low Carb but I like the choices I have with Low Cal just need to consume less... So I just dont know which one to stick with.

Joe,

No doubt, low carb is a healthy way to eat and studies find that people who eat 30gm or less carbs per day generally can eat 300 or so more calories, and even higher fat, and still lose more than people on a traditional diet that is higher in carbs. Which means nothing if you find it difficult to stick to it consistently...and it must be consistently.

I would say if you have a metabolic disorder (e.g. diabetes, hypoglycemia), a low carb diet is better because it has less impact on your body's insulin production which helps with a number of things including stabilization of blood sugar levels and physical cravings as a result of those levels. If you don't, then you probably have the option to go higher carb without too much difficulty.

The best diet for you is the one you will stick with long term. So pick one and then stick with it consistently.

.

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Hi All

Well not doing good this week. As of this morning up to 323.2 from 321... Been doing low carb but I like variety so I will end up doing LC this week...

Hope to get back on track.

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I tossed around the idea of low carb, especially since there are a bunch of people at my job who are doing a modified Atkins and losing weight. I decided to stick with low calorie. I am a somewhat finicky eater to begin with so the limitations of low carb would be to much for me. Not to sayi don't try to limit my carbs, most days I stay around 90-100g. I don't eat sandwiches or stuff like that. I do occasionally eat a garlic knot because I love them, but most days not.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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