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Best way of losing weight?
- Thread starter pms543
- Start Date
chrisjohnh
Well-Known Member
My own view is that a good approach is to combine low carbs with an eye out for ensuring overall calorie reduction as well, with some regular exercise thrown in.
catinahat
Well-Known Member
Another vote for low carb from me, no weighing or counting and no hunger, just steady weight loss and lower blood sugar. The weight loss has stopped now and according to my bmi I still have a little way to go, but I'm almost 4 stones lighter and I feel better than I have for years, so who cares
chrisjohnh
Well-Known Member
I believe it does no harm to be aware of overall energy intake, as ultimately that is the weight loss determinant. Dr Unwin is very clear on that even though his approach focuses on low carbs. For sure, low carbs greatly assists moderated eating patterns and hence weight loss. But someone eating 30g of daily carbs while gorging on prodigious amounts of fat while sitting all day in front of the telly is not likely to lose weight.
Low carb worked and continues to work for me. I started it to reduce my blood glucose (successfully) but weight loss came along as well after a bit. I have lost at least 60lbs since the beginning of 2020, not sure because I really don't know how heavy I was at the beginning . Still losing.
No idea how many calories I currently eat. What I do is limit myself to 20g carbs/day, eat one big meal a day and nothing much outside that. Apart from that I eat as much as I want, so I've never been hungry.
I sat around for most of lockdown and only really started to exercise properly last year, after most of the weight had already gone, so I put the weight loss down to low carb eating.
No idea how many calories I currently eat. What I do is limit myself to 20g carbs/day, eat one big meal a day and nothing much outside that. Apart from that I eat as much as I want, so I've never been hungry.
I sat around for most of lockdown and only really started to exercise properly last year, after most of the weight had already gone, so I put the weight loss down to low carb eating.
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I do keto but I also have to keep an eye on my calories especially from dairy, but I’m a long way into my weight loss journey so I think that’s why I have to watch calories too, in the beginning low carb was enough but I had a LOT of weight to lose. Maybe for you keto/low carb will be enough
chrisjohnh
Well-Known Member
The best overall situation is to have gained enough experience with one’s own successful mode of eating that one emerges wholly from the counting game, whether of carbs or cals, and just enjoy with confidence the way one eats. Many in this forum now do exactly that. I still do a lot of counting because, although I’ve got my blood glucose under control I continue to experiment with different macronutrient mixes out of interest. If it were not for that I wouldn’t count at all.
HSSS
Expert
Whilst this is true, in reality the vast majority don’t actually do this because when you remove the carbs that cause cravings and replace them with satiating fats and proteins it’s really hard to actually eat that much. Obviously there will be exceptions but keto or low carb don’t necessarily equate to prodigious amount of fat. Once established and eating to hunger, not emotions for example, it usually means what used to be considered normal amounts before the 1970’s.
chrisjohnh
Well-Known Member
I totally agree.
I think it depends on what you have done previously to lose weight. I calorie counted for years and got ever fatter, yet I had trained my stomach to expect very little. So, as a former calorie counter I got used to eating very little, therefore I was unlikely to gorge on loads of fat and protein. The idea that every T2 over ate to make themselves obese is loved by the media, but it simply isn't true for all of us.
For me, if I eat a low enough amount of carbs then I can eat as much fat as I personally can stomach. Here's an extreme experiment I did to prove this.
My 5 day dairy fat fast
I started on Monday after lunch and then continued from Tuesday 28th July to Sat 1st August This experiment was inspired by the fat fast thread of @Baruney , @nomistheman and @Merrylizard1314 . Thank you all of you. Background. I have yoyo dieted for very many years. No diet ever worked...
www.diabetes.co.uk
pms543
Well-Known Member
O Thanks for the link too...
catinahat
Well-Known Member
This is the sort of stereotypical statement I would expect to see in the daily rags, must admit to being quite surprised that one of our own would write it.
For me calorie restriction and hunger is not a sustainable way to lose weight, that does not mean I spend all day shovelling slabs of lard into my mouth, and I do occasionally summon the strength to lift my lazy T2 backside off the couch.
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There are lots of factors to consider. For example, age, gender, other health conditions, medication, emotional health, etc. Though I imagine you already need to avoid a lot of the high carb gluten foods, it could help to reduce other carbs, too, as others have already said.
chrisjohnh
Well-Known Member
You have interpreted my comment unjustly as having some pejorative intent, whereas its intent was only to make clear that successful application of low carbs has to be within the right context, that is, when eating overall in a moderate fashion and not being too sedentary, if one can. My comment is I believe objectively true, weight loss does not depend *solely* upon reduction of carbs.
Low carb just don't overdo the nuts, cream, peanut butter, butter- like I have and put on half a stone! I wondered why my bottom was wiggly! Have cut right back now lol
chrisjohnh
Well-Known Member
That makes my point exactly, thank you!
Oh right then, the rest of us must be wrong.
