New to the group

[Activity2004]

Hi there. I'm new to this group and was wondering if anyone knows how to loose weight AND still eat the right amount of carbs.? I count carbs. all the time, but somehow, I seem to be keep adding weight instead of loosing it. How can I stop this?

[Dave1961 25kg]

Counting carbs only in a bid to lose weight is kind of like trying to swim with one hand tied behind your back.

Its not a long term strategy - do you intend to do this for the rest of your life?

You have to start eating a healthy and balanced diet with appropriate portion sizes and include some exercise each day.

Thats all it takes - its as simple as that.

If you are following the NHS 12 week plan - which most people here do - then this gives you a perfect structure for understanding how to eat and how much exercise to do.

nhs.uk/Tools/Documents/WEIG...

Clearly what you are doing is not working so its time to make a change.

As they say...

Keep doing what you're doing, keep getting what you've got.

[Activity2004 Visitor in reply to Dave1961]

How do you NOT count carbs. if you're diabetic? You have to count carbs. or your blood sugars are out of control.

[Len1940]

Try Slimming World, their success rate is very good.

[Activity2004 Visitor in reply to Len1940]

Where are they located? In USA-- MD?

[Len1940 in reply to Activity2004]

They are situated in the UK

[Penel]

Make sure that the carbs you are eating are high fibre ones, try to avoid foods with added sugar. Usually the more active you are, the more carbs your body needs.

This article has some suggestions on possible amounts.

authoritynutrition.com/how-...

[Activity2004 Visitor in reply to Penel]

Thank you. I'll check it out soon.

[2bFabnfit]

If you download a free app called myfitnesspal and enter all you eat it, it works out not just calories but % of fat, protein and carbs. It also checks iron, vitamins and the sort of fat etc.

I use it to check that over the course of a day and week my meals balance. (Some meals like my breakfst of porridge are carb high, but it keep me feeling full because of the fibre and gives me energy for an active job) then either my lunch or dinner are then often almost carb free.

I cut out refined sugar which helps reduce carbs over all.

I am going for a balanced sustainable diet for the longterm.

[nomoremuffin in reply to 2bFabnfit]

Agree about the free app myfitnesspal - I have been using it after being recommended by Dave1961 on this forum. It really helps but sometimes I don't like to see the number of calories I have really consumed!

[2bFabnfit in reply to nomoremuffin]

Umm yes but I usually input before I eat and then cut my portion size or chose an alternative if I need to! X

[Busywoman19 in reply to nomoremuffin]

I agree with the others' ideas- carbs is only one way and won't work long term as you'll find you have no energy, it's all about balance. The free fitness pal app is a really useful tool 😄

[Mayfly4]

Take a look at dietdoctor.com it's a low carb lifestyle, I've been following this for 3 months now and find it really easy.

[Hidden]

I agree with the MyFitnessPal brigade. 2bfabnfit's idea of planning and checking before you eat is really worth considering as it will make you think a little more about what, and how much you are consuming and hopefully make better food choices.

Also, don't forget to incorporate some sort of movement into your day and keep an eye on energy consumed through activity. I log my fitness activities on MayMyWalk which then feeds the data into MyFitnessPal. Beware - don't convert all energy used from exercise into food though!

[ceejayblue]

I'm 63, overweight and using myfitnesspal to log my food and my exercise. I am also diabetic and I keep a close eye on my carbs and have around 150g per day (sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less). However, I don't go very low carb and I haven't increased my fat content (which is what low carb high fat diet does). For me increasing my fat content is not good (tummy problems) but I do make sure the carbs I eat are good carbs.

Myfitnesspal has really helped me see how many carbs I'm eating in the day and with the logging of my exercise things are moving. However, I also follow Freedom Eating principles, eat only when hungry (I do level 6 on a scale of 1-10), you may be dehydrated so have a glass of water, be mindful of what you eat and when you eat it, do you eat when you are feeling low? I recommend the book Till The Fat Lady Slims 2.0 The When Diet - available from Amazon in Kindle form and hard back form. Its written by Debbie Flint who has had a weight problem in the past, it tracks her journey but also gives you the tools to work with to eat only when you are hungry and to recognise your triggers.

Another thing to remember is portion size, sometimes a portion is a lot less than what we think it is.

[cherv]

I agree with Fitness Pal app it really works. I suggest the Keto diet, my husband has lost over 60lbs on it with exercise. It's high protein, high fat, high veggie, low carb.. No breads, cereal, rice, pasta, beans, potato's. You will be full.

[Activity2004 Visitor in reply to cherv]

You need some carbs so your brain can function, remember?? Not enough carbs.= brain fuzziness or low blood sugar.

[ceejayblue]

No, its the actual fat content of the food that affects me when I eat it, if I were to eat a portion of fish and chips without taking off the batter and leaving 75% of the chips my tummy goes into over drive within half an hour and I need the loo!

I know a lot of people love the LCHF diet, I don't and prefer to eat a proper balanced diet which is working for me, not excluding any food groups but eating things in moderation and only eating until I'm satisfied and not full. Its not rocket science lol! Eat less move more works for me.

[ceejayblue]

I don't cut it out altogether! I have butter if I have a sandwich or toast, I have sausages and meat and olive oil etc, oily fish its the deep fried stuff I try to avoid having too much of!