Straight Low Carb vs Moderate Complex Carb

So I have a carb question:

I see a lot of people(like maybe everyone?) saying that they go almost totally low carb when losing weight. So not just refined flowers and sugars and all that, but even like... black beans?

I ask because I've been eating black beans probably... 5 times a week for the past year... and I've still been losing. Well, not eating them the past week on account of the Liquid Insanity that happens 2 weeks prior to surgery, but I was still thinking that a month out(or whenever they're allowable by my food schedule) that I'd be adding black beans in again.

So... Do you guys avoid all carbs or just simple(bad, boo) carbs?

Lots of what we did or thought pre-surgery may or may not apply going forward.

So, if I were to offer you a broad stroke answer to your question...... and my opinion based on the program I was on and seeing thousands of others over the past 6 years.

Straight Low Carb= Best WL strategy

Moderate Complex Carb= Maintenance after reaching goal weight

Look around here and see who actually made goal, I can assure you it's very few and most that come short of making goal have carb/sugar related issues.

I am almost 7 years post-op and almost 6 years maintaining and I can tell you that there isn't a food that I don't eat. That said, it's the amount of carbs that makes my weight fluctuate. 

In WL, go hard core low carb and regulate them back in for maintenance.

frisco

Thank you, Frisco! Mind a follow-up Q?

There are minimal carbs in my protein drinks, but there are a few. Like... 2 carbs in the powder, 3 in the carbmaster milk I like to use(11 g protein, no fat, no lactose, 60 cal). Would you cut those out, or do we have a daily cap that might still meet the hard core low carb definition?

The thing about carbs is that carbs are everywhere and most of us take in wayyyyy more carbs than we think.

If it's a little sweet..... guess what, it's sugar.

If the sauce is a little thick, most likely it's a flour or starch.

In WL, a daily carb count of between 20-40 seems to be most effective for those that have lost all the excess weight.

Don't fall into the trap of counting net carbs, a carb is a carb. Do all those kind of experimental calculations in maintenance.

Your protein drink sounds fine...... the daily carb amount is what counts.

frisco

Thank you, totally what I was looking for!

:)

It's nearly impossible to go zero carb. Carbs sneak into everything. I ate nothing but meat yesterday, and still ended up with 12 carbs. It must be whatever they cured the ham with.

20 to 40 carbs is extremely low carb. I have stayed closer to 40 to 60 carbs per day, but they are mostly from dairy, beans, nuts, seeds, protein bars, and berries. A good portion of those carbs are natural fiber. I do not trust that fiber in processed foods acts the same as fiber in whole foods. I actually do eat 1/4 of a serving of beans most days for their fiber, so I am an advocate for eating them. My suggestion is just to keep your portion size small and buy them dried. Canned beans are terrible. Dried beans can easily be cooked and stored in the freezer for a fraction of the costs.

Different people have different carb tolerances, and I have also started to suspect that carb tolerance goes down with age. So you may find that you can tolerate more or less carbs. Personally, I was experiencing too much constipation when I cut my carbs so low, and I found that eating a minimum of 10 grams of fiber per day made a huge difference. The key is finding foods that contain fiber without lots of sugar or starch, and seeds, nuts, and beans are a good place to look.

Fiber was why I turned to beans early on too(yay IBS). That and they kept me full longer, and when you've got a regular sized tummy, that full feeling is super important!

I want to maximize weight loss. As of this morning, I've lost 90 pounds pre-op, which leaves me about 125 still to go... and I'd really like a chunk of that gone in the first few months when weight goes easier.

Gonna have to fiddle around. Might be that I do beans once or twice a week to keep Ye Olde Innards happy. Guess it's gonna be a wait and see thing.

I did purchase some scoopable fiber additives(Optifiber, rather than Benefiber) and it's only 3 grams of fiber and 8 grams of carbohydrates, so it's hard for me to justify...

Gonna look at seeds...

Thank you for your answer! It all helps!

I started with chia seeds because they are all fiber. Just make sure you soak them first. I use unsweetend almond milk. I looked at fiber additives, but I never found one I'm happy with. Real food is better.

Chia seeds, I'll look for them when it's time to start adding bits back in... I definitely prefer more whole food stuff, but I'm making due with the protein shakes now since yogurt was not on my approved pre-op list of foods.

Thank you for the info, this board is gold! :)