Hi,

I tried the low carb diet which did actually work, but it wasn't healthy and so after having my first baby I'm trying to get back in shape using the low-cal method. What I don't understand, is that if the low carb diet consisted of eating only calories and it worked, but the low calorie diet is eating more carbs and it's supposed to work too? I'm kind of confused and a little nervous about eating a lot of carbs-any advice?

All diets are in effect low (or reduced) calorie diets.  The only way to lose weight is to limit you calorie intake.

The researches found that the typical person on the low carb diet actually reduced their calories.  The reason is that they were filling up on proteins and fiber and limitig sugars and processed foods which tend to increase your appetite.

So the question is what works best for you in reducing calories.  What you refer to as low calorie is probably the traditional calorie counting or you coudl count points on WW there are many others I am sure.

Technically when it comes to pure weightloss all calories are the same.  You could go on an ice cream diet.  But when it comes to overall health, nutrition and developing eating habits you can maintain is when the quality of your food counts.

I personally prefer calorie counting.  I don't really deny myself anything.  i play tons of mind games in trying to eat as healthy as possible and naturall stay between 1,300 and 1,500 calories per day.  This is comes out to 25% protein, 20% fat and 55% carb.

This is not high carb in the real world only in the low carb world.

Lori

Thanks,  I guess you're right in the long run it is all about eating less calories-I didn't change what I ate, I just more or less limited the qty.  Well I cerainly cut out a few things like junk foods, and I'm loosing weight faster than I did on the low carb diet!  Not too mention, I don't have all the guilt of sitting down with a bag of chips to catch a movie!

Low-carb snacks and foods can be good because fats and proteins are more filling than carbohydrates, especially sugar. And you need some of both, but they're NOT necessarily low in calories, and too much will make you gain weight. Pork cracklins - fried out pork fat - is labeled "Low Carb." Not exactly something you want to include in a weight-loss diet (unless you love it and it's just one or two little pieces, I guess.) Oil and butter are low-carb, too.

And pure sugar is fat-free...

Calories count more than anything else; the macronutrients should just be balanced, and go more for complex carbs than simple ones, and you should be fine.

You dont have to eat a lot carbs to be low cal. It just means you have more freedom
I did low cal AND low(er) carb. I stuck to Low GI carbs (wholegrains etc) to keep me full.
Carbs can be very cal dense. But you need carbs too
Just count your cals and watch your helath and you'll be fine

I dropped 30lbs in 4 weeks doing ULTRA low carb (at only 158 to begin with, that's pretty huge), but it was nothing I could ever stick to in a MILLION years.  I ended up going back to my original weight, plus 6lbs. Not to mention the crazy constipation! LOL

Basically with a true low carb plan like Atkins the foods you can eat on low cal are the exact opposite you can eat on low carb (sans some veggies).  However if you are doing low calorie and you eat bread and rice you are fine, but if you are doing low carb and a grain slips through your lips you'll throw everything out the window and have to start from day one :)

Original Post by jdaniels87:

Hi,

I tried the low carb diet which did actually work, but it wasn't healthy and so after having my first baby I'm trying to get back in shape using the low-cal method.

 what made your low carb diet unhealthy?  Just wondering, because while low carb diets are not necessarily for all people, for most folks a low carb diet if done correctly (i.e. lots of veggies and water, keep an eye on calorie intake, keep fat intake high), can be one of the healthiest diets a person can choose - it can improve your lipid profile, prevent type II diabetes, and even reverse the early stages of diabetic kidney failure to name a few things (if you want I can dig up some citations on these).  For me, it helped improve my lipid profile (HDL, LDL, total chol.) and blood pressure as well as clear up my skin.