# Easiest and Effective Way to See Weight Loss is to Cut the Carbs



## SeaBreeze

I've done this myself in the past, just vow for two weeks not to eat any bread, pasta, etc.  Combine that with replacing heavy fatty desserts with lighter healthy ones and there should be a noticeable difference on the scale for your efforts.

When I did this, even if ate a homemade hamburger, I'd leave the bun.  If I had eggs, I wouldn't have them with a bagel, etc.


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## mathjak107

as a diabetic i can tell you carbs take water to process . when you stop eating carbs the weight loss you see early on  is water .  i can put on pounds when i eat more  carbs and shed it just as fast when i stop and pee it out .

before i was diabetic i lost 40 lbs on a high carb low fat diet .  it all boils down to calories at the end of the day .  eat less or move more . it really does not matter much as to what you eat . you just need to burn more then you take in .


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## tnthomas

Good advice, I might add a phrase that's effective:  Portion control.   You can eat enjoyable foods, just eat less.   :cupcake:


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## SeaBreeze

Portion control is key Tnthomas I agree, I still don't measure anything but don't eat the humungous servings I did when I was younger.  Now that I'm a senior, I can't be that careless, the pounds pack on too quickly.  I'm not pre-diabetic yet, but I always have that in the back of my mind.  Nobody in my family was/is obese, but my father developed diabetes in his old age that he was able to just control with dietetic foods, but my sister is on daily medication for her diabetes and my mother was taking insulin injections and ended up dying from a diabetic stroke which led to coma.

Mathjak, eat less and move more works well too, no doubt.  I notice if I'm out camping and taking long hikes every day and getting in extra activity, I'll always come home with a loss of around 5 pounds in a few weeks without even trying.  We eat well on those trips, not denied anything really, actually extra treats, etc.

When I was going to the gym and doing exercise classes like Zumba, I was able to shed ten pounds over time.  I'm usually just ten pounds over where I'd like to be, lose it and gain it back again...but I try not to exceed that.


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## fureverywhere

I just gave up drinking...that's gonna be a crap load less calories right there. I rarely eat meat or fried stuff and exercise like a hamster. But 90% of our meals for the week are pasta or rice based. My average weight is between 120-130 at 5'4. More exercise and portion control...works for me. BTW I just discovered the new treadmills at the Y, like no treadmill I have ever seen...you can go on hikes like Google earth.


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## SeaBreeze

Congrats on giving up the drinking Fur, were you drinking hard liquor or just wine and beer?  Empty calories on all of them I guess, I'll have a beer or two with dinner but other than that I don't drink anything else.  Those treadmills sound great!


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## Don M.

tnthomas said:


> Good advice, I might add a phrase that's effective:  Portion control.   You can eat enjoyable foods, just eat less.   :cupcake:



I think That is the key...especially as we get older.  Our old bodies don't require the amount of calories we needed when younger.  A moderate portion of well rounded meals, and staying reasonably active, should suffice for most people unless they have health issues that upsets their metabolism.  Also, the timing of the meals becomes more important.  A healthy breakfast is generally considered good, but to eat a big meal for Supper, then flop down on the couch watching TV for 3 or 4 hours certainly doesn't help.


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## Ameriscot

Calories and healthy eating.


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## mathjak107

it is funny , because exercise alone will not do the trick . the days i run my 5 miles i don't even get full . my arm gets tired lifting food  in to my mouth as i am hungry all day .

i burn more but eat more so usually some form of restricting calories is needed


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## Ameriscot

mathjak107 said:


> it is funny , because exercise alone will not do the trick . the days i run my 5 miles i don't even get full . my arm gets tired lifting food  in to my mouth as i am hungry all day .
> 
> i burn more but eat more so usually some form of restricting calories is needed



For most people exercise contributes to only 5-10% of weight loss.  Has lots of other great benefits though.  But people who think they can exercise and still have the same bad eating habits are dead wrong.


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## mathjak107

exercise can actually backfire . i see the women doing cardio only , no weights . they are actually burning muscle with fat and are slowing their metabolisms even more then they were .

it is important to rebuild muscle with any weight loss routine .


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## Ameriscot

mathjak107 said:


> exercise can actually backfire . i see the women doing cardio only , no weights . they are actually burning muscle with fat and are slowing their metabolisms even more then they were .
> 
> it is important to rebuild muscle with any weight loss routine .



I do a lot more muscle work than I do cardio.  Muscle work is very important but is often ignored, especially by women.


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## mathjak107

my wife and i have been gym rats for 15 years . the classic mistakes we see , especially by the women is sending their body's in to starvation mode by not eating enough  . that just slows their metabolism's down , and then burning muscle doing cardio . they tend to hang on to all their weight and get frustrated eventually


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## Son_of_Perdition

Cutting carbs, good as any.


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## Debby

Another thing that I've just recently read about is 'intermittent fasting' and at it's most basic and easiest to manage is stopping eating at 7:00 in the evening and having your first food the next day at 11:00.  Either that or two days out of each week, consume half the calories you normally do the rest of the days.

The way it works apparently is that it for eight hours you're eating normally, then you quit eating and it takes a further eight hours for your body to burn the calories you've eaten in the previous eight hours.

By hour sixteen, you've consumed the available calories and now your body begins to consume other forms of energy.  It will begin to use up fat and it burns other cells that are breaking down and apparently white blood cells which I think I read, cause inflammation in your body.  So you're burning fat and reducing the causes of the inflammatory response (which is so bad for your heart).

And now at 11:00 when you break your fast, you're doing that before you trigger your body's change to the famine mode where it begins to conserve fat by slowing the metabolism.  

That's probably a rather poor explanation of the process, but I've got an interesting link here that talks about it if anyone is interested.  The speaker in the video was giving a talk at the Johns Hopkins University, about the subject.

http://www.collective-evolution.com...s-to-your-brain-why-big-pharma-wont-study-it/


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## Brookswood

Cutting carbs worked well for me.  I lost 25 pounds and can keep them off, if I don't start adding back carbs, especially sugar.

I do not subsribe to the "It worked for me, so it must work for you" school of thought.  It's just my story. Take it or leave it. If you can lose weight being a vegan, or a paleo person, or a low-fat person, or a high sugar and junk food person, then good for you. We are all different.


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## Brookswood

Ameriscot said:


> For most people exercise contributes to only a 5-10% of weight loss.  Has lots of other great benefits though.  But people who think they can exercise and still have the same bad eating habits are dead wrong.



Very true.   We act as though one thing at a time happens with our bodies.   But, in reality there are always many things going on. In the case of our bodies it is the fact that we must burn most of or daily supply of calories just to stay alive and live as couch potatoes.


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## tnthomas

...eating like about 5 little meals[snacks] a day, of lower fat items will keep you metabolism revved and your appetite satisfied.    

  No cookies for you!


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## mathjak107

while i had no trouble losing 40lbs on high carb low fat through the years genetics took over and i turned diabetic . today i am on very low carbs and now am at prediabetic levels with no meds .

the point is just about any system that has you eating less calories and moving more will work .


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## pattyluvshealth

I agree that a healthy diet can be rewarding on losing weight, but beyond that it is important to maintain a regular schedule of physical exercise. Resistance training and a combination of leisure and physical activities have worked best for me to keep up my motivation and see results. Physical exercise can show results in the present and prevent a worsening of health in the future.


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## tnthomas

**Bump**   for a very relevant and constructive thread.


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## fureverywhere

Me eh? I eat whatever the heck I crave. But my activity level is off the charts. Very simple, more activity than calories consumed.


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## Ruthanne

I eat small meals low in calories for breakfast and lunch then a larger one for dinner.  I am aware that rice, noodles, pasta, and bread should be eaten sparingly and try to do that.  I drink wine that is very dry and low in calories.  Wine is also good for the heart at a glass or two per day.


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## bluebreezes

I decided to read every food label for a week to learn more, and the #1 thing I'm learning is how much sugar is in food. I'm not diabetic, but I'm more concerned about what's been in the news about how sugar impacts heart health, and the sugar industry's coverup (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-industry-shifted-blame-to-fat.html).

The daily recommended max for women is 25g of sugar a day, and it's amazing how quickly that adds up. I don't add sugar to my food, but I realized I was eating much more than that in things I buy form the store, things that didn't seem that sweet.

For example, although I drink primarily water, I enjoy a glass Newman's Orange Mango Tango sometimes, but learned 8 ounces has 26g of sugar. That's one day's total sugar in one glass, whew! That little one packet of instant oatmeal I like so much that touts heart health on the box has 14g of sugar. A couple of examples of things I changed this week are making my own salad dressing and stop putting Craisins in my salad. 

I don't think I could go sugar free, but I realize it's going to take some discipline and practice to come under that 25g/day.


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## tnthomas

Yea, I've read that one regular soft drink can have 38g of sugar- yikes!    I only drink water, coffee(w/o sugar) and store brand club soda(0 sugars); I read the label on everything and avoid sugars like the plague.   However, I know that breads have sugar, I_ brown bag_ lunch so sandwiches are common items I have.  Also, my wife makes bran muffins, which I have 3 or 4 times a week- they do have considerable sugar content.   My dad had and brother has diabetes, so I know my chances are probably 'elevated' if I don't watch what I'm doing.    

Daily exercise helps to decrease to odds of having high cholesterol, diabetes, weight related disorders and such.   I try to ge 30 minutes a day of walking (or greater), and lift weights a couple days a week.


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## SeaBreeze

I'm glad I never got into drinking much soda, even with the high sugar I hear that the diet sodas with the artificial sweeteners are worse for your health.  There are ones with Stevia for the sweetener, I bought some for my sister years ago when she visited because she has diabetes, but they tasted terrible.  I also just drink plain carbonated seltzer water, not even club because club has the sodium and that's not needed.  Safeway sells a brand in 2L bottles that's inexpensive and nothing but carbonated water.  Also drink Perrier, same thing no calories, sugar, salt, carbs, etc.

My parents never put sugar in their coffee, so I grew up not caring for it either, but the Coffee Mate creamer I use isn't too healthy.  I try not to eat too much bread, will use wheat pasta, wheat hamburger buns, etc. most of the time.  My mother, father and sister had diabetes, my mother died from a diabetic stroke that lead to coma, my sister is on meds for diabetes.  I have to watch myself too, so things don't get out of hand in that department.  Take supplements like Chromium Picolinate and Bitter Melon to help things along with blood sugar.

I stopped going to the gym quite awhile ago, but take long walks daily with the dog in the park and will life weights now and then, nothing like I used to.  Lucky not to have high cholesterol or high blood pressure problems like others in my immediate family.

Any juices I drink are not from concentrate and have no added sugars.  But I do have a sweet tooth and what I gain with not drinking sugar, I lose with frequent ice cream, pie and other treats.  I just try to keep the portions in some control, not like when I was younger.  But back then I didn't pack on the pounds so easily.


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## Victor Meldrew

I've cut down on the carbs and sugar. I still consume some, but I don't eat anywhere near the amounts of bread, rice and pasta that I used to.

You have to consume some carbs.

I try to eat 80/20. That means 80% of the time I watch what and how much I eat, then 20% of the time (weekends for me) I eat mostly what I want.


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## bluebreezes

I like the 80/20 way of thinking too because it feels more realistic and doesn't create that vacuum hole that you're going to be sucked into when you feel the need for a temptation. I'm doing more of a 90/10 these days because I'm determined not to fall into the holiday sweet carb pit. If I could live on ice cream, pies and potato chips and be healthy and well, I would do it, but alas .... not on this planet in this lifetime.


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## Victor Meldrew

The holidays really screw up my eating schedule too. 

Always some event during the week that causes me to go off my usual food routine.


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## tnthomas

Victor Meldrew said:


> The holidays really screw up my eating schedule too.
> 
> Always some event during the week that causes me to go off my usual food routine.




I am going to hang tough, and lay off the green bean casserole....:rofl1:


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## nvtribefan

Moderation works for me.   I'm so sorry for people who are allergic to nuts, or shellfish, or who have other issues with food.


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## RadishRose

SB that's right, cutting carbs helped me! I lost the quit-smoking weight by cutting down on carbs.

But "....replacing heavy fatty desserts with lighter healthy ones".....

There is no such thing as dessert as part of the meal IMO. It's never something to be expected every day. If I grew up with dessert as part of each evening meal, I would be fat.

A dessert is only an occasional treat.

 Thank goodness I didn't have to deal with dessert! Pasta, breads, cheese, mashed potatoes and pizza are hard enough to limit.


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## Brookswood

I like the 80/20 rule as it works and is realistic.  If I know I will be in a situation where the food may not be that healthy, I make a point of eating very well a few days before that.  80/20 usually means that I can eat one so-so meal every other day.   That covers most situations where I can't eat my usual home-made lower carb foods.


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## BlondieBoomer

The only diet I've ever successfully lost weight on and kept it off for a while, is one high in unprocessed food. Lots of vegetables, fresh or frozen and heated. Lots of fresh fruit, like 6 servings or more a day (no fruit juice) and lots of beans. I ate very little meat or poultry and cheese only as an occasional sprinkle on vegetables. Any grains or breads were whole grain because whole grains are filling. I didn't count calories or carbs and I lost weight at a rate of about a pound and a half a week. I've never had to lose more than 25 pounds, but it's not easy to cut back when you love to eat. I think once I can get 5 or 6 days of eating healthy, it gets easier. But it's hard to get started, damn hard!

Like Victor mentioned, the holidays make it hard to eat healthy. There are just so many heavy sugar and heavy fat things everywhere. It's hard to avoid it all. I felt like I had to walk through Sam's Club with blinders on tonite and I still ended up with a couple containers of Spiced Pumpkin Soup that have a light cream base. I justified it as healthy because it's soup, right? But really, it's food porn.  

If you have time to read read a book this time of year, this one is good:  https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Sugar-F...qid=1479784784&sr=1-2&keywords=Sugar+and+salt  It's not a diet book by any means, but it's a real eye opener about how big food companies try to get you to eat more and more. It might make you mad enough to eat less processed food.


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## nvtribefan

RadishRose said:


> There is no such thing as dessert as part of the meal IMO. It's never something to be expected every day. If I grew up with dessert as part of each evening meal, I would be fat.
> 
> A dessert is only an occasional treat.
> 
> Thank goodness I didn't have to deal with dessert! .



You sure didn't grow up in my family.  We do love our desserts.


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## nvtribefan

BlondieBoomer said:


> I still ended up with a couple containers of Spiced Pumpkin Soup that have a light cream base. I justified it as healthy because it's soup, right? But really, it's food porn.



You know, you can make a really quick, tasty pumpkin soup with no dairy (or dairy substitutes) using canned pumpkin.  Just saying.


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## tnthomas

**bump**.    For a very relivent and useful thread.       No carbs!    Portion control!


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## Aurora

I was told by my dietician that I can eat as much meat as I want as long as I keep the carbs low each day. So I have no desserts, small amounts of rice, pasta
and only thin bread. Only diet soda. Ginger snaps have low carbs and low sugar. So far I have lost only 2 pounds after a month.


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## Trade

A low carb, high fat diet works best for me. I know it's counter to the prevailing mantra but everybody is different. 

I can eat sausage and eggs for breakfast and I'm good for 5 hours. 

But if I eat a so called healthy breakfast of Oatmeal with raisins and a banana that has the same amount of calories as the sausage and eggs, I will be ravenously hungry in an hour or two. But everybody is different. My wife can eat the same oatmeal raisins and banana breakfast and go all the way to supper time on it. 

So I think you just have to find what works for you.


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## Son_of_Perdition

sorry


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## Ruth n Jersey

I am always 6 or 7 pounds over what my weight should be for my height. I  do agree that cutting carbs is the way to go. Everyone talks about how  not to be hungry on this or that diet.  Know one has addressed my  problem. I love to eat, I love to cook and I love the taste of food.   Hunger has absolutely nothing to do with it. When I'm out for the day  and someone suggests having dinner and they ask me if I'm hungry,It  doesn't matter. I'm the first one through the door of the restaurant. I  am on a gluten free diet. The doctor warned me that it is very  restrictive and a challenging diet. Little did he know that in a matter  of months I mastered making pizza that is to die for, cakes,  cookies,biscuits and the list goes on,all with my gluten free  alternatives. So what is a piggy like me suppose to do? I can't seem to  stay out of the trough.


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## Trade

Son_of_Perdition said:


> Low carb for me, being diabetic, playing around with my menu was a never ending story.  I need to eat something at least every 5 hours.  Last intake is 10PM (protein & low carb fruit).  I lost a bunch of weight over the last 2 years, kept my A1C normal (most current is 4.4) and have basically ignored every nutritionist's list there is.  Eat a lot, I mean a lot of eggs.  My LDL & HDL are normal as are my AST & ALT.  My doctor just shakes his head.  Get my veggies but need them cooked almost beyond recognition, raw plays hob on my digestion.  Haven't had bread or pasta in 2 years, miss the pizza though.  Everyone is different, so don't listen to nay sayers when you pass on the salads, but eat your beans.



An A1C of 4.4! That's really good isn't it? I'd like to get mine down in the 5's at least. It currently runs in the low 6's and I'm in the pre-diabetic range. I'm trying the low carb way now and I'm down about 5 lbs in a month. I still have another 20 to go to get down to my high school weight which is where I'd like to be. 5 lbs a month is a slow pace but I don't mind because with low carb I'm eating as much as I want to and never feeling hungry.


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## Son_of_Perdition

delete


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## Trade

Son_of_Perdition said:


> Jul '15 mine was over 12, not good, depends on what article you read between 3.0 - 6.0 is normal.  I found I can eat sweet potatoes (no reg ones, twice a week), berries in moderation,  beans/beans/beans.  Avocados, olives, cottage cheese, eggs, meats (red in moderation) & take 1 Tbsp of Braggs raw, unfiltered, with mother - Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of water before meals, doesn't bother my counts.  The vinegar helps with digestion, weight loss,,,etc.  In two years I've never gotten use to the taste, good luck.  My BMI is 24.6 haven't seen that number since I was 14-15.  Stay away from fake butter, low fat dairy products, whole daily is better (once again in moderation) for diabetics,  Plenty of coffee with half n half is my vice.  I could get my BMI lower is they would let me weigh naked before 9 AM but no one wants to see that!



That sounds a bit like the South Beach Diet which I think would work for me to maintain my weight. However to lose I need to cut carbs more like the Atkins diet. To me the South Beach is more healthy, but Atkins is probably better for getting the weight off. Not that I would follow either one to the letter.


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## Son_of_Perdition

sorry


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## Trade

Son_of_Perdition said:


> Jul '15 mine was over 12, not good, depends on what article you read between 3.0 - 6.0 is normal.  I found I can eat sweet potatoes (no reg ones, twice a week), berries in moderation,  beans/beans/beans.  Avocados, olives, cottage cheese, eggs, meats (red in moderation) & take 1 Tbsp of Braggs raw, unfiltered, with mother - Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of water before meals, doesn't bother my counts.  The vinegar helps with digestion, weight loss,,,etc.  In two years I've never gotten use to the taste, good luck.  My BMI is 24.6 haven't seen that number since I was 14-15.  Stay away from fake butter, low fat dairy products, whole daily is better (once again in moderation) for diabetics,  Plenty of coffee with half n half is my vice.  I could get my BMI lower if they would let me weigh naked before 9 AM but no one wants to see that!



I don't put much stock in the BMI. It's just an arbitrary number derived from an arbitrary formula. I think the tape measure is a much better tool. And the best tool of all is a full length mirror. Stand in front of it naked, or in your tighty whities if you are shy, and the truth shall be revealed to you.


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## Son_of_Perdition

delete


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## Trade

Son_of_Perdition said:


> You have to find what works for you & ignore the rest.



There it is.


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## Don M.

Trade said:


> I don't put much stock in the BMI. I think the tape measure is a much better tool.



Correct!  More and more medical studies are pointing at Belly Fat as being one of the worst conditions...especially as a person grows older.  The Waist to Height ratio is becoming a more accepted measurement.  If a person's waist is more than half their height, that person needs to find a diet/exercise routine that reduces their waist size.  Anything substantially over that ratio will probably result in excess visits to the doctor, and much of the retirement funding going to prescription drugs.


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## Iam

I lost 30 lbs calorie counting, in the first six months of this year, since then it has been - one pound off, one pound on!! :aargh:


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## Camper6

> Portion control is key Tnthomas I agree,



Me too.  That is the answer.  If you need 1800 calories and you consume less, you will lose weight regardless of what you eat.

I'm fortunate.  I don't have a big appetite. I cook for myself, and try to make only enough for one meal and have no leftovers.


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## Trade

I was out of town for a while and fell off the wagon. Over eating and under exercising. I went nine straight days without walking. I did manage to get in two weight lifting sessions, but that was it. So I'm up 3 lbs from where I was. This morning I was 213 in my skivvies before breakfast. I'm going to try Atkins for a while. I started off the day with two polish sausages and a fried egg for breakfast. 3 net carbs, about 600 calories (although they don't count on Atkins, right?) And I did my two mile walk in 37 minutes.


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## Roadwarrior

I found that getting the right carbs is as important as abstaining from them.  Atkins worked for me in the short term.  But boring, I have since discovered after much research *WHAT WORKS FOR ME*, is eating complex carbs.  I consume sweet potatoes, oatmeal, beans, beans & more beans.  The complex carbs stay with you longer giving you the feeling of fullness.  You body knows what to do with those carbs, converting it to energy rather than storing it as fat.  I also walk for exercise have reached & maintained myself at 180 lbs (6'2") for more than 2 years.  Never drink sodas (lots of unsweetened coffee/half n half), don't eat empty carbs (sugared or low fat) or anything processed (packaged).  But that's me might not work for everyone.


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## Trade

Roadwarrior said:


> I found that getting the right carbs is as important as abstaining from them.  Atkins worked for me in the short term.  But boring, I have since discovered after much research *WHAT WORKS FOR ME*, is eating complex carbs.  I consume sweet potatoes, oatmeal, beans, beans & more beans.  The complex carbs stay with you longer giving you the feeling of fullness.  You body knows what to do with those carbs, converting it to energy rather than storing it as fat.  I also walk for exercise have reached & maintained myself at 180 lbs (6'2") for more than 2 years.  Never drink sodas (lots of unsweetened coffee/half n half), don't eat empty carbs (sugared or low fat) or anything processed (packaged).  But that's me might not work for everyone.



That sounds like the south beach approach. Probably better for you than Atkins, but it's complicated. Atkins on the other hand is simple. 

Today for lunch I had a burger and four skinless boneless chicken thighs for lunch. 0 net carbs, about 800 calories. So far for today it's 1400 calories and 3 net carbs.


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## Iam

A doctor once told me that the best exercise was my chair away from the table..


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## Iam

Don M. said:


> Correct!  More and more medical studies are pointing at Belly Fat as being one of the worst conditions...especially as a person grows older.  The Waist to Height ratio is becoming a more accepted measurement.  If a person's waist is more than half their height, that person needs to find a diet/exercise routine that reduces their waist size.  Anything substantially over that ratio will probably result in excess visits to the doctor, and much of the retirement funding going to prescription drugs.


That's very interesting and I tend to agree with you, it makes more sense than BMI. When I go each year for my birthday checkup the nurse always measures my waist as well as my weight & height. The trouble is she measures me in centimetres, where  at my age I understand inches more.


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## Trade

Iam said:


> The trouble is she measures me in centimetres, where  at my age I understand inches more.



Really? When did England move over to the metric system?

I wish we would here. It's a much easier system once you get used to it.


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## terry123

nvtribefan said:


> You sure didn't grow up in my family.  We do love our desserts.


We never had dessert except on Sunday.  Then it was rice pudding or banana pudding.  Homemade all the way.


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## Aunt Bea

Trade said:


> I was out of town for a while and fell off the wagon. Over eating and under exercising. I went nine straight days without walking. I did manage to get in two weight lifting sessions, but that was it. So I'm up 3 lbs from where I was. This morning I was 213 in my skivvies before breakfast. I'm going to try Atkins for a while. I started off the day with two polish sausages and a fried egg for breakfast. 3 net carbs, about 600 calories (although they don't count on Atkins, right?) And I did my two mile walk in 37 minutes.



Atkins is a good way to jump start your weight loss but it is tough for the long haul.

I noticed in one of your posts that you are considered pre-diabetic, ask your PCP to prescribe a meeting with a nutritionist and to enroll you in the standard three session eating program that explains how to eat using the diabetic exchange system.  The program will quickly show you how to navigate any situation involving food and make the correct choices when filling a plate.  You can also find some good information about the exchange system online.  You can really eat anything that you enjoy on this system although the portions may not be what you are used to.

Good luck!


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## Trade

Aunt Bea said:


> I noticed in one of your posts that you are considered pre-diabetic, ask your PCP to prescribe a meeting with a nutritionist and to enroll you in the standard three session eating program that explains how to eat using the diabetic exchange system.  The program will quickly show you how to navigate any situation involving food and make the correct choices when filling a plate.  You can also find some good information about the exchange system online.  You can really eat anything that you enjoy on this system although the portions may not be what you are used to.



I appreciate the effort you took in writing this all down but I'm afraid it's wasted on him. If I could get by on a diet where all you needed in your kitchen was a can opener and a spoon I'd be happy.


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## Trade

8 ounces (before cooking) of salmon, a salad, 1/4 cup of almonds an another Polish sausage for dinner. That's what I like about Atkins, being 1/2 Polish, I could live on Polish sausage. 

Total estimated calories for the day 2400. Net carbs 17. 

Going to bed now, not a bit hungry. Let's see what my weight is in the am.


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## Iam

Trade said:


> Really? When did England move over to the metric system?
> 
> I wish we would here. It's a much easier system once you get used to it.


We changed several years ago in agreement with EU. We measure and weigh in metric, on the road it's supposed to be kilometres, I no longer drive but I think some the of the old road signs are still in miles. We still talk of miles and miles per hour. For myself I'm happy to weigh food in grams but my self in lbs and sts. (14 pounds = 1 stone.)


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## Trade

Iam said:


> We changed several years ago in agreement with EU. We measure and weigh in metric, on the road it's supposed to be kilometres, I no longer drive but I think some the of the old road signs are still in miles. We still talk of miles and miles per hour. For myself I'm happy to weigh food in grams but my self in lbs and sts. (14 pounds = 1 stone.)



I like the metric system myself. It's so darned easy to make conversion when all you have to do is multiply or divide by 10's. But of course I think in the English system because you pretty much have to here. There was a big push in the 80's to try to get people used to it, but it met so much resistance that it fizzled out.


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## Trade

Trade said:


> 8 ounces (before cooking) of salmon, a salad, 1/4 cup of almonds an another Polish sausage for dinner. That's what I like about Atkins, being 1/2 Polish, I could live on Polish sausage.
> 
> Total estimated calories for the day 2400. Net carbs 17.
> 
> Going to bed now, not a bit hungry. Let's see what my weight is in the am.



No change. 213 again this am. But I feel better without those carbs. Lots of energy. So I'll stay the course for a while.


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## Trade

OK, so today, after my second day of Atkins my weight dropped 3 lbs. to my pre-vacation mark of 210 lbs! Of course I'm aware that the weight one drops in the first few days of any diet, especially Atkns is mostly water, but it's still encouraging.


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## Trade

Five days into 20 or less net carbs and my weight is holding at 210. I haven't felt any of the usual low carb bonk this time.


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## Trade

I'm now 11 days into it and still stuck at 210 lbs. I have cheated a little on the 20 net carb limit though. My highest day was 47. Still well below what I would average if I was eating the way I usually do which is probably at least 300 net grams.


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## hearlady

I'm doing well with the "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants". We have a little garden and try to stay away from processed or fast food. 
I eat less food when I don't constantly think about food or dieting. I stay away from food network! It makes me hungry but I do enjoy the cooking shows on PBS. I like to cook and to eat.


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## Happyflowerlady

I was losing weight on low carb/ketogenic diet, and then this summer just stopped doing it, and now I have started to gain someof the weight back. It is time for me to get back into low carb way of eating again, and back into those jeans I was wearing last spring. With the cooler weather of fall fast approaching, it is time to start wearing warmer clothes again, and now my jeans are tight. 
I know that winter is a harder time (at least for me) to lose weight because I spend more time inside , eat warmer/heavier foods, and exercise less. 
I belong to the low carb forum that Matrix has listed at the bottom of the main pages here, and have just been inactive there for the last few months; but I am going to start posting more there , too. 
Yesterday I started back on low carb, and I am again logging my food intake into the Carb Manager app on my iPad. I love this app, and it gives me so much information, and it has a place that I can even save recipes, and it gives me all of the nutrition information, just like you find on the back of something you purchase at the grocery store. 
Here is the link for the CarbManager website, and from there you can download either the Apple or Android apps, or just use it with you computer. 
The basic app is free, and if you want all of the stastics and graphs, then they have the upgraded edition that costs. 

https://www.carbmanager.com


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## Trade

Trade said:


> I'm now 11 days into it and still stuck at 210 lbs. I have cheated a little on the 20 net carb limit though. My highest day was 47. Still well below what I would average if I was eating the way I usually do which is probably at least 300 net grams.



I fell off the low carb wagon. Still stuck at 210 lbs.


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## neotheone

Going "low carb" is brutal, if they would legalize heroin that would make it more bearable.


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## CeeCee

Going very low carb like Atkins is brutal but general low carb or good carb isn't too hard.  I'm not on a diet because my weight is good at 128 but to maintain that I eat healthy and that means no bad carbs.

This way of life has worked for me for that last 9-10 years.  I was never overweight except when I was pregnant and when I quit smoking 10 years ago.  Had to lose 30lbs then and I did it on the 17 day diet which is similar to South Beach.

Its low carb but not as low as Atkins.


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## Don M.

Trade said:


> I fell off the low carb wagon. Still stuck at 210 lbs.
> 
> If you are having trouble losing weight, check your TV channel line up to see if you get a channel called "TLC".  If you do, watch a couple of episodes of a show called "My 600lb. Life".  Watching a couple of those shows should give almost anyone all the incentive they need to do whatever it takes to control their weight.  If your phone company is part of the online viewing network, you can even watch these shows on your computer....
> 
> https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/my-600-lb-life/


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## CeeCee

Don M. said:


> Trade said:
> 
> 
> 
> I fell off the low carb wagon. Still stuck at 210 lbs.
> 
> If you are having trouble losing weight, check your TV channel line up to see if you get a channel called "TLC".  If you do, watch a couple of episodes of a show called "My 600lb. Life".  Watching a couple of those shows should give almost anyone all the incentive they need to do whatever it takes to control their weight.  If your phone company is part of the online viewing network, you can even watch these shows on your computer....
> 
> https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/my-600-lb-life/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ive watched that show.  Ive seen a few die after some complications of the bariatric surgery they had.  When you're that heavy only way to lose is the surgery.
Click to expand...


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## Trade

Don M. said:


> Trade said:
> 
> 
> 
> I fell off the low carb wagon. Still stuck at 210 lbs.
> 
> If you are having trouble losing weight, check your TV channel line up to see if you get a channel called "TLC".  If you do, watch a couple of episodes of a show called "My 600lb. Life".  Watching a couple of those shows should give almost anyone all the incentive they need to do whatever it takes to control their weight.  If your phone company is part of the online viewing network, you can even watch these shows on your computer....
> 
> https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/my-600-lb-life/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jesus Christ Don!   I'm not that fat! I've just got some belly fat and some love handles. I'm going to try a more moderate low card approach. Try to average no more than 100 net carbs a day and see how that works.
Click to expand...


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## Don M.

Trade said:


> Don M. said:
> 
> 
> 
> Jesus Christ Don!   I'm not that fat! I've just got some belly fat and some love handles. I'm going to try a more moderate low card approach. Try to average no more than 100 net carbs a day and see how that works.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Any good weight loss program consists of Diet AND Exercise...with an emphasis on Exercise.  The amount of calories you consume is secondary in importance to what you do to burn off the calories that you do consume.  If you consume 1500 calories a day, but burn off only 1200, you will probably never reach your weight goal.  The first year I retired...with little exercise but mowing the lawn, I started to gain weight.  I bought a bicycle, and started riding around the area, but after a few near misses with cars speeding through the neighborhood, I chickened out on that idea.  I went from a size 36 pants to size 40....and I'm only 5'9".  Then, we decided to move to the country, and I found myself constantly in scramble mode trying to make this place look good.  Within a year or two, I dropped almost 50 lbs., and now size 34 pants are a bit loose.  Any day the weather permits, I'm outdoors doing chores for at least 3 or 4 hours a day...yard work, gardening, chainsawing dead trees, etc.,etc.  In the Winter, I have a BowFlex gym in the basement, and I put some quality time in with that thing.
> 
> Bottom line...a diet can only do so much...successful weight loss cannot be achieved if it isn't accompanied by the proper amount of exercise.  At age 75, I feel as good as I did 20 years ago...with the exception of a minor bit of arthritis.  I'm hoping to be about 95 years old, and chainsawing a dead tree in the forest, and the thing falls on me, and ends it quickly.  The last thing I want is to be filling the calendar with doctor visits, and having to spend my days glued to the TV.
Click to expand...


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## Trade

Don M. said:


> Trade said:
> 
> 
> 
> Any good weight loss program consists of Diet AND Exercise...with an emphasis on Exercise.  The amount of calories you consume is secondary in importance to what you do to burn off the calories that you do consume.  If you consume 1500 calories a day, but burn off only 1200, you will probably never reach your weight goal.  The first year I retired...with little exercise but mowing the lawn, I started to gain weight.  I bought a bicycle, and started riding around the area, but after a few near misses with cars speeding through the neighborhood, I chickened out on that idea.  I went from a size 36 pants to size 40....and I'm only 5'9".  Then, we decided to move to the country, and I found myself constantly in scramble mode trying to make this place look good.  Within a year or two, I dropped almost 50 lbs., and now size 34 pants are a bit loose.  Any day the weather permits, I'm outdoors doing chores for at least 3 or 4 hours a day...yard work, gardening, chainsawing dead trees, etc.,etc.  In the Winter, I have a BowFlex gym in the basement, and I put some quality time in with that thing.
> 
> Bottom line...a diet can only do so much...successful weight loss cannot be achieved if it isn't accompanied by the proper amount of exercise.  At age 75, I feel as good as I did 20 years ago...with the exception of a minor bit of arthritis.  I'm hoping to be about 95 years old, and chainsawing a dead tree in the forest, and the thing falls on me, and ends it quickly.  The last thing I want is to be filling the calendar with doctor visits, and having to spend my days glued to the TV.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I exercise Don. I walk everyday and I lift weights three times a week.
> 
> But what you are talking about is not exercise. What you are talking about is HARD WORK.
> 
> And I'm allergic to that.
Click to expand...


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## Don M.

Trade said:


> Don M. said:
> 
> 
> 
> But what you are talking about is not exercise. What you are talking about is HARD WORK.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yup, but I kind of thrive on hard work....I feel that I should be getting something positive for my efforts.  This past week, I hand spaded up my 1000 sq. ft. garden...one shovel full at a time.  It took me about 10 hours, over 3 or 4 days, but the last time I did that, I used the tractor and plow, and then spent the next Spring undoing the tractor damage to the lawn....so this time, I did it the hard way, but the body got a good workout.  My next project, when the weather cools a bit, will be taking down and cutting up about 15 big dead trees for the Winter firewood.  Over the Winter, that results in handling about 30,000 pounds of wood...multiple times,,,from the forest to the log splitter to the furnace.  That saves me hundreds of dollars a year on the electric heating bill, and keeps this old body from getting soft during the Winter.
> 
> Irregardless...whatever weight loss program you try, it Must include a good amount of exercise if it is to be effective.  Walking, weights, visits to the gym...whatever works.  I get all the motivation I need by observing the other old folks every time I go to the casino, and watching them hobbling around...usually with a beer or "diet" coke in their hand.
Click to expand...


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## hearlady

I know cutting carbs works but I also know that I won't do it long term so the weight will come back. Same reason I don't go "all in" on exercise programs. I need to do what I can stick to long term. 
Now if someone has a lot of weight to lose then I can see where I'd want to cut carbs short term then ease into a healthy diet including good carbs.


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