5 Women Share How They Lost Weight Without Cutting Carbs

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SHANNON H.

Dieting these days seems to be focused around one thing: carbs. From Atkins to keto, cutting carbohydrates or eliminating them entirely is often touted as the best and fastest way to lose weight, drop fat, and feel better.

But that's not exactly true, says Rachel Zimmerman, R.D., a registered dietitian at Indiana University Hospital at IU Health. "Carbs have gotten such a bad reputation recently with all the low-carb, crash diets out there, but carbs are an important part of our daily nutrient intakes—they are what our brains run on," she says.

The research backs her up. When it comes to weight loss, it may be less about limiting a certain food group and more about finding a way of eating you enjoy and can sustain, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers divided participants into four groups and assigned each group a diet with varying amounts of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. After six months, every group had lost a similar amount of weight whether they were eating one-third of their calories from carbs or two-thirds. The results held steady even after two years, with all groups showing similar rates of weight-loss maintenance.

A separate study, also published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that while participants on low-carb plans lost more weight at the beginning than those on higher-carb plans, after one year it had all evened out. Weight loss, it seems, is more about creating a calorie deficit, and however you want to do that is fine, as long as you can stick with it.

That's all well and good in the lab, but in the real world, how do you find a way to limit your calories that doesn't totally suck? We asked five carb-loving ladies how they lost weight while still enjoying their favorite starches.



PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MEGHAN H.

1. 'I COUNTED CALORIES'

After having three babies Megan H., of Ridgecrest, California, says she was ready to focus on herself and get back in shape. She says she started by hiring a personal trainer, but would go home from her workouts starving and eat back all the calories she'd just burned. So after two months of seeing little progress, she decided to add in calorie restriction, tracking her calories using the MyFitnessPal app. "I don't refrain from eating anything, but I definitely eat less of it," she says. "I have a major sweet tooth for baked goods and no carbs would just make me sad." Fortunately, with calorie counting, she can both lose weight and still eat some carbs. This simple math has helped her lose 40 pounds.

What the experts say: Macros matter, but calories are always going to be the bottom-line of weight loss, Zimmerman says. You have to consume fewer calories per day than you burn to lose weight.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SHANNON H.

2. 'I USED CARBS TO FUEL MY WORKOUTS

"When I first started training as a bodybuilder, my coach introduced me to the Zone diet—and I always listen to my coach. I liked that it doesn't eliminate any food group, but is a balanced 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fats. As long as what I'm eating fits into those macronutrient ratios, it will work," says Shannon H., of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

She says she's learned that she must eat carbs if she wants to get through her tough workouts and when she has tried to cut carbs in the past, it made her feel tired, groggy, and weak. She recently used healthy carbs to help "cut" 10 pounds for a competition and it must be working: she won!

What the experts say: Because Shannon is a competitive bodybuilder, her food has to fuel her workouts. It isn't just about weight loss, it's about maintaining muscle and carbs can help you do that, says Amy Goodson, R.D., a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant in Dallas, Texas. "Carbohydrate need is really based on how much you exercise; the more you move, the more you need," she explains, adding that athletes will naturally need more carbs.



PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF KRISTEN M.

3. 'I PRACTICED PORTION CONTROL'

"When I decided it was time to lose weight and get fit, I started with the original 21 Day Fix, a diet and exercise program by Beachbody. It got me in the habit of exercising every day but it also taught me how to eat right using portion control," says Kristen M., of Knoxville, Tennessee.

The program comes with pre-measured containers and instructions for how to structure a diet by using the containers to help people see how much of each type of food is one serving. It's certainly worked for Kristen as she says she's down over 40 pounds and 20 inches, going from a tight size 14 to a comfortable size six.

What the experts say: This is a great idea, says Goodson, as people are notoriously bad at accurately estimating portion sizes. "Carbs aren't bad for you; people simply eat too many of them," she says.


PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF LISA M.

4. 'I FOCUSED ON WHOLE FOODS'

"I basically follow a clean-eating plan: I eat strictly 'God-made' food (anything whole and unprocessed) for two days and then allow myself some 'man-made' food (processed or treats) on the third day," explains Lisa M., of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

"I've learned that if I completely deny myself a food, I will end up bingeing on it at some point, so this two-days-on, one-day-off plan has allowed me to eat the foods I enjoy (including carbs!) while still losing 100 pounds."

What the experts say: Lisa's got the right idea by mostly choosing whole, unprocessed carbs, Goodson says. "Instead of cutting carbs, try cleaning them up and choosing things like oats, quinoa, couscous, brown rice and sweet potatoes," she says. "The fiber will keep you satisfied for longer, craving less junky carbs." And having the occasional treat is just fine as long as the majority of the time you're making healthy choices, she adds.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CHANTELLE I.

5. 'I EAT WITHIN CERTAIN HOURS'

"I've recently started limiting my eating to a 10-hour 'feeding window,'" says Chantelle I., a Zumba instructor in Denver, Colorado. "Outside of that time frame, I don't eat or drink anything other than water," she explains. Not only does this help her naturally limit calories—no more late-night snacking on junk food!—but it's helped her become more mindful of her food intake.

"It's a fairly simple change to help me eat less without triggering my emotional issues around restricting food, as this means I don't have to ban anything and I love carbs. I've only lost about five pounds but I can tell my body composition is changing. I'm losing fat and gaining muscle and people have commented that my face and legs are looking thinner," she says.

What the experts say: Intermittent fasting, or time-restricted feeding windows are becoming popular for good reason. Research published in the journal Cell Metabolism shows that grazing all day (like, for 15 hours straight!) is linked to higher weights, while restricting eating to 10 or 11 hours per day can automatically result in pounds shed.

Article source: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/lose-weight-with-carbs/slide/5
.