3 Days into LC/GF and I have a list of Questions for the Veterans :)
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Sarasmaintaining
Posts: 1,027 Member
Decided to go grain free/lower carb earlier this week as an elimination diet of sorts, to see if it sorts out some pesky health issues I'm having, and after three days I have several questions I hope someone can help me with (sorry this will be a bit long winded lol).
1. My fiber intake has really gone down since starting (9,14 and 8 are my totals for the last three days yikes). Today I've started to um, feel the affects of this
Any suggestion for getting fiber in with no grains? I know lc doesn't automatically mean grain free, but I'm hoping there's a few people who can help me with this one!
2. Three days of lc/grain free have resulted in a 4.5lb weight loss on the scale. I did also start eating at a calorie deficit at the same time as I started lc, but I have my calories set for a .5lb a week loss, which is not a very large deficit at all and I shouldn't even be seeing any actual weight loss yet. So this has to be 90% water weight loss.
My question is-I went into the small calorie deficit to lose some maintenance creep. I was at 127lbs earlier this week and wanted to get back down to the low end of my maintenance range, at 120ish pounds. Which, going by how things have been going over the past few days, I'll probably hit that within in the next several hours lol. I went into the lc thing as an experiment and at this point I don't know that I'll stick with it (if my health issues start clearing up then heck yeah, if not-then I'll probably eliminate something else like dairy and see how that goes etc). I know that when you go off LC you gain the water weight back. Should I then get below my maintenance range, to compensate for the possible bounce down the road? I know we're only talking a few pounds here, but I'm really curious to see how this is going to work out.
3. Having a hard time hitting my protein number. My numbers aren't too off, but isn't it important to be hitting protein pretty hard? Or is the .8/lb rule more of a suggestion?
4. I'm actually having a hard time hitting my calories, even at the deficit amount. The gf/lc foods I've been eating are ridiculously filling and I just don't have a lot of hunger. Mysterious things are afoot here lol. 2 of the 3 days I barely got over 1,000 calories and one day I hit just below my deficit number of 1,350. I'm seriously not feeling any hunger though and I go to bed feeling great! Is this a common thing when first starting lc?
So far it's going really great-no real issues yet, except for the fiber related one. I haven't had headaches, cravings, weakness etc. And food hasn't been a problem at all-I even went to Taco Bell AND Mcdonalds today and still am under calories and carbs for the day-go me
1. My fiber intake has really gone down since starting (9,14 and 8 are my totals for the last three days yikes). Today I've started to um, feel the affects of this
Any suggestion for getting fiber in with no grains? I know lc doesn't automatically mean grain free, but I'm hoping there's a few people who can help me with this one!2. Three days of lc/grain free have resulted in a 4.5lb weight loss on the scale. I did also start eating at a calorie deficit at the same time as I started lc, but I have my calories set for a .5lb a week loss, which is not a very large deficit at all and I shouldn't even be seeing any actual weight loss yet. So this has to be 90% water weight loss.
My question is-I went into the small calorie deficit to lose some maintenance creep. I was at 127lbs earlier this week and wanted to get back down to the low end of my maintenance range, at 120ish pounds. Which, going by how things have been going over the past few days, I'll probably hit that within in the next several hours lol. I went into the lc thing as an experiment and at this point I don't know that I'll stick with it (if my health issues start clearing up then heck yeah, if not-then I'll probably eliminate something else like dairy and see how that goes etc). I know that when you go off LC you gain the water weight back. Should I then get below my maintenance range, to compensate for the possible bounce down the road? I know we're only talking a few pounds here, but I'm really curious to see how this is going to work out.
3. Having a hard time hitting my protein number. My numbers aren't too off, but isn't it important to be hitting protein pretty hard? Or is the .8/lb rule more of a suggestion?
4. I'm actually having a hard time hitting my calories, even at the deficit amount. The gf/lc foods I've been eating are ridiculously filling and I just don't have a lot of hunger. Mysterious things are afoot here lol. 2 of the 3 days I barely got over 1,000 calories and one day I hit just below my deficit number of 1,350. I'm seriously not feeling any hunger though and I go to bed feeling great! Is this a common thing when first starting lc?
So far it's going really great-no real issues yet, except for the fiber related one. I haven't had headaches, cravings, weakness etc. And food hasn't been a problem at all-I even went to Taco Bell AND Mcdonalds today and still am under calories and carbs for the day-go me
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For the fiber, I eat half an avocado a day which gives my like 13g I think. Didn't have one today cuz I too am feeling full all the time. Have tons of energy too, Im trying to stay moderate on my carbs, I want to be at 100g a day, seems to be a balancing act for me.
How are you feeling with no gluten? You don't have to be low carb to be gluten free.
I've had days too where I'm low on calories and add something late to try to get higher, but some days I'm just not very hungry. I think it takes getting used to.0 -
For the fiber, I eat half an avocado a day which gives my like 13g I think. Didn't have one today cuz I too am feeling full all the time. Have tons of energy too, Im trying to stay moderate on my carbs, I want to be at 100g a day, seems to be a balancing act for me.
How are you feeling with no gluten? You don't have to be low carb to be gluten free.
I've had days too where I'm low on calories and add something late to try to get higher, but some days I'm just not very hungry. I think it takes getting used to.
My carb goal is 100 a day too right now
I'm feeling fine on no gluten. I've had a nasty head cold so withdrawal symptoms may have been masked by that though. Started feeling much better today from the cold (finally, after a week yuck), and at 9:30pm I'm full of energy (like legs bouncing in place energy!). Usually by now I'm crawling to bed feeling exhausted-crazy!
And yeah, eyeballing a light beer right now lol. But that will push me over carbs/calories hehe. Might have to save it for tomorrow 0 -
For the fiber Spinach, kale, almonds, peanuts ...
You know beer has wheat and gluten in it, right?0 -
I'm keto, so at 22g/carbs. I try to do an avocado a day, and rather than try to cure constipation with fiber, I go the other route, bump up fat and add a few extra tablespoons of coconut oil.
I'm also always low on calories. Days I'm at or above are rare. The whole "go off lc, gain water" is more of a myth. You gain back some water any time you switch from "dieting" to "regular" eating, because "regular" eating generally means more salt. Any water you gain back if you quit LC should go away again in a week or so, just like any other water, unless you're eating more calories than you need, in which case, it's not water.0 -
Drink lots of water, take it easy on cheese. Cheese was my archnemesis when I first tried LC 10 years ago -- took me a painful few weeks to figure that out.
Experiment with your calorie deficit. As you're already discovering, the secret sauce of LC is that it makes you feel full and you eat less. Go with your hunger.
That .8g/lb of protein thing should be .8g/kg. Less than half what you think it is.
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@Sarasmaintaining yeah me too on the energy, last night I laid in bed till one am wide awake thinking "yeah, I could run a mile right now" I love feeling this way, I'm scared though that it's been because I've been under on my carb goal, a lot, I'm nervous to regularly be at 100g for fear of losing that energy.
Yes be careful regular beer is not gluten free0 -
Here are a couple of links that pretty much answer your questions:
http://myzerocarblife.jamesdhogan.com/wp/2015/02/three-reasons-zero-carb-easier-low-carb/
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10103966/start-here-the-lcd-launch-pad
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fiber/
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Several of them are made using gluten-containing grain, but a proprietary process is used to remove it. The problem is, the test normally used to detect gluten doesn't work on alcohol, and many celiacs react to them.0 -
@Sarasmaintaining yeah me too on the energy, last night I laid in bed till one am wide awake thinking "yeah, I could run a mile right now" I love feeling this way, I'm scared though that it's been because I've been under on my carb goal, a lot, I'm nervous to regularly be at 100g for fear of losing that energy.
Yes be careful regular beer is not gluten free
Magnesium citrate at night can help with insomnia (or just eating more with magnesium in general). You can also try adding chamomile.0 -
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Thanks everyone, loving the group and how helpful everyone is!0
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I find it way too easy to have TOO much protein! Eggs, chicken, cheese and nuts are yummy. I usually go over every day
My ceiling is 30g carbs per day, but I tend to net anywhere between 7-20. I don't count fibre as a net carb. If I had 100g of carbs to play with it would be easy to get lots of fibre from food. Right now I use metamucil.0 -
@Sarasmaintaining yeah me too on the energy, last night I laid in bed till one am wide awake thinking "yeah, I could run a mile right now" I love feeling this way, I'm scared though that it's been because I've been under on my carb goal, a lot, I'm nervous to regularly be at 100g for fear of losing that energy.
Yes be careful regular beer is not gluten free
Magnesium citrate at night can help with insomnia (or just eating more with magnesium in general). You can also try adding chamomile.
Oh really, is this a common thing.0 -
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@Sarasmaintaining yeah me too on the energy, last night I laid in bed till one am wide awake thinking "yeah, I could run a mile right now" I love feeling this way, I'm scared though that it's been because I've been under on my carb goal, a lot, I'm nervous to regularly be at 100g for fear of losing that energy.
Yes be careful regular beer is not gluten free
Magnesium citrate at night can help with insomnia (or just eating more with magnesium in general). You can also try adding chamomile.
Oh really, is this a common thing.
Common enough. It doesn't happen to everyone, but some people have trouble sleeping after their first few weeks, then eventually they adjust. I deal with it a lot just because I'm wired that way, but the magnesium helps some for me, too.0 -
chia seeds or flax meal give good fiber as well, sprinkle them over avocado or whatever0
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Just teasing, though that does make me sad to know. I'm not a big drinker, but hubby and I have a weekend tradition of putting the kids to bed, doing some light drinking (I'm a one can girl lol), and gaming. I'll have to find another drink choice-maybe wine?
Small update-down another pound today and solidly in my maintenance range again, so I've upped my calories back to maintenance level.0 -
Drink more water.
Have chia or flax seeds. I like to mix cinnamon in with whole golden flax seeds as a snack.
Drink more water.
Have broccoli, spinach, kale, avocado...these have carbs, but also a lot of fibre to balance it out...so the net carbs end up being very low.
Drink more water.
-T.
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