Anyone moved from low carb to calorie counting?

[Caramelkate]

Hi, I've been low carbing for 4 months and lost 2 stone but it just seems to have stopped working and with the summer holidays I am trying MFP instead as I'm hoping it will give me more flexibility. Part if me is a bit scared as my eating has been so different for so long!

Any good tips ? I want to keep healthy as I go - whole grains and Low Gi. I can't wait to eat a peach!!!!

[Imliketotallyummm]

Caramel, I am considering this. I've tried low carbing, but found it too restrictive, as I don't like eggs and don't eat much meat - only mince really. I'm trying to find a way of staying reasonably low carb, but still eating healthily, but allowing myself some bread (healthy whole grains obviously, probably rye bread) and some fruit.

[Imliketotallyummm]

forgot to say, I don't mind not eating potatoes and rice and pasta, it's breakfast that I struggle with most, because I don't like eggs much.

[MrsFlorrick]

Yes in a way.

I low carbed for 6 months last year then moved on to 5:2. I made sure I counted even on none fast days to ensure I didn't go over TDEE.

I moved into CC during July and then into proper 5:2 during August last year.

By mid Feb this year I had lost 2.5 stone. It was the "last" 2.5 stone of over 6 stone of baby weight .

I have to add that low carb didn't do much for me and I only lost 7lbs in 6 months.

The other 3.5 stone of baby weight was lost doing CC and quite a bit of it on Dukan (hard and unsustainable).

5:2 clearly worked much better than LC for me. And I was super strict LC with under 20g of carb per day.

5:2 was an absolute breeze after LC. And CC would be too on the basis you can eat tons of fruit and other stuff forbidden on LC.
Having LC first, it made anything else seem easy because it wasn't restrictive except on cals.

Have a look on the 5:2 boards.
Fwiw I didn't always do a strict 500 cals on a FD some fast days were more like 700 cals but it still
Worked.

[MrsFlorrick]

Oh I wanted to add that what LC did was teach me to live without sugar. That was so helpful.

I still don't eat much bread or potato or rice. Never really eat pasta as I have now worked out I don't like it very much.

You can still keep your diet Low GI or lowish carb doing CC. Just don't add the bread, pasta, rice or potato back into your diet. Add all the fruit and some of the veg you've avoided on LC instead.

[Caramelkate]

Thanks, that's so helpful. I don't miss rice, pasta or potatoes at all. I love roasted cauliflower and I worked out I can still have some olive oil on it and it be lower calorie than having a portion of rice or pasta. I am really not bothered about sugar now either, which is great. Since I gave up dairy I felt very limited, so I am looking forward to eating more variety of foods, but still with some low carb elements. I will look at 5:2 - you are right it might be more doable now than it was before I low carbed. :)

[stoopstofolly]

Agree with MrsFlorick- cal counting in 5:2 has been a revelation for me. I'm 40 lbs lighter in 8 months and finally a healthy BMI. I have PCOS and EVERYONE told me to
Low Carb- I lost some weight but found it unsustainable and put it all back on again.
MFP cal counting has enabled me to manage things really well, and I have reduced sugar- if only because when you see the calories in a Magnum you don't touch it!
Good luck.