New and confused
fitter_happier94
Posts: 63 Member
I'm maintaining my weight and have recently decided to try low carb to lower my body fat percentage. Can anyone tell me if 30-40-30 (protein-carbs-fat) is an okay place to start? I'm hoping to try keto for a month or so after I've comfortably settled into my current macros, but I'm worried about how I'll cope (I have no idea how to get good fats aside from cooking oils - I hate nuts and seeds) and even if my meals consist of a portion of meat and veggies, what about sauces?! I love sauces. I've recently found a (relatively) low carb low sugar ketchup and I'm much more excited than I should be.
I'd appreciate any help from those of you in the know, I'm clueless about low carb but it's something I've wanted to do for a really long time and this seems like the best place to come for help. Any information you think might be of use to me RE dietary recommendations, macros, exercise, etc. is appreciated.Thanks!
Oh, and if it's of any relevance I've recently started doing light calisthenics and yoga daily. Don't know if that impacts anything...
I'd appreciate any help from those of you in the know, I'm clueless about low carb but it's something I've wanted to do for a really long time and this seems like the best place to come for help. Any information you think might be of use to me RE dietary recommendations, macros, exercise, etc. is appreciated.Thanks!
Oh, and if it's of any relevance I've recently started doing light calisthenics and yoga daily. Don't know if that impacts anything...
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Welcome aboard. The best thing you can do is have a good read of the Launch Pad section at the top of this group. Lots of really good articles and info plus guidelines, recipes and links. Any questions after that come on back and just ask! The folk on here are really lovely and friendly with loads of knowledge and will be able to help you out.
Good luck with it all. Look forward to seeing your good progress.0 -
@jumanajane Thank you, having a thorough read through of it all now
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^^ Second this heartily... Short answers otherwise below.
Start at 100 grams of carbs or less (percentages don't help other than as point of reference). That's what my endo told me. Then adjust downward by 10 daily grams once a week (so like on each Monday, step down from 100 grams to 90, then 80 the next week etc) until cravings stop, you feel good, you lose weight, whatever. I personally had to get down to 35-50 grams a day to make the cravings stop, and I didn't do well stair stepping like above. Many do, I didn't.
Use: http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ to better calculate your needs.
Trying keto for a month may cause more adaption, but I was LCHF from 1/15 to 2/18, Keto ever since. My body loves keto, but not everyone's does. Lower is not always better - you have to find you're body's best program through trial and error, but give each single change at least 4 weeks to see a difference.
Health fats/sauces - butter. Butter. BUTTER. Cheese. sour cream. Cream Cheese. Alfredo Sauce. Mayo. Coconut Oil. Heavy cream instead of creamer in our coffee or tea. Fattier cuts of meat. butter and cheese on all veggies. Fattier cuts of meat. And for the love of all that is holy - BACON! I'm sure there are others, but this is a lot of it for me. Cook in fats. Eat the fats. Lick the plate. Make fatty sauces to your heart's content. Any sauce you like, google "Keto" before the sauce name and you'll find recipe suggestions. I just do keto because it is a more common term. You'll find how you can adjust as you go.
Cut out/down the exercise the first week. Adapting can be a pain in the patootie, and will wear you out. Flat out. Watch your electrolytes. Add sodium, potassium, and magnesium when possible. This is where the "carb flu" comes from. And add fat. In the first week or two of adapting, don't count calories. You'll need the extra to adapt. It will balance out after. Some people need to count, some don't.
And read everything you can. And ask a million questions. And then ask more questions. The only foolish questions are the ones unasked!0 -
Agreed! Lol. Even if there are differing opinions with the people here we all respect each others views because we have struggled through and found what works for us and....if it's not working for whatever reason someone will have been through the same and can give you good advice.
@knitormiss......thanks for writing all that! I knew someone would put it nicely for katiem! 0 -
@KnitOrMiss Wow, thank you! I've currently got my carbs set at 75g a day but that's because MFP estimates I need 1520kcal daily to maintain my weight, but I actually eat a lot more than that (I have an activity tracker that adjusts my TDEE, and in doing so raises my macro requirements), so I figured if I set my base carb count to 75g then even if I wind up eating 1800 or whatever, my carbs likely won't exceed 100g even after adjustments.
Butter is a great idea! I've avoided it like the plague my whole life because it's quite calorie dense, but now that I'm maintaining that isn't so much of an issue, and it's a great way to make some of the more offensive vegetables more palatable. Unfortunately I don't like cheese
I feel like that's going to make things a little more tough for me. What cooking fats do you recommend? Is olive oil good?
I don't tend to eat much red meat either (aside from sirloin steaks which I love, but they're too expensive to have all that often), but I could definitely eat a bit more bacon. I've bought a carton of egg whites so I think a bacon omelette is in my future.
Thanks for the tip RE exercise, I think abstaining from any at all would be difficult for me but I can always do some low intensity yoga (the more meditative, sit-still kind). I've bought a multivitamin for women that has magnesium in it but I'll have to check to see if it has potassium. Are sodium and table salt the same thing? I'm not much of a salt fan either but I suppose upping my intake while I'm adapting to the change in my diet couldn't hurt.
Thanks again, I really appreciate this0 -
I almost never eat cheese. You don't need it. You'll be fine. The start is all about playing around with numbers until you find what works for you.0
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By the way, not all of us worship bacon. Most, but not all. Sorry, @KnitOrMiss.
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@FIT_Goat Thanks, that's reassuring
This might sound silly, but is it possible to eat a low carb diet that isn't too high in animal produce? I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian, but I was wondering what the general consensus is regarding meat substitutes among low-carbers. Are things like soya mince (the one I buy is gluten free) and quorn sausages too high in carbs?
Also, while I can and do eat dairy, I always get a little nauseous if I have too much. Are there any decent vegan coffee creamers (preferably ones that don't kurdle too easily, Coffee Mate just doesn't work in my acidic Douwe Egberts coffee). Sorry for the fifty questions, just trying to find my feet!0 -
Don't skip the egg yolk! There's no reason to just eat egg whites when you're low carb. All the goodness is in that happy yellow sphere.
Speaking of which, hollandaise sauce! There are a ton of complicated recipes for it out there, but here's what I do:
Ingredients: 3 eggs, room temp, 1 stick butter, room temp. White wine vinegar, salt, pepper, 1tsp fresh lemon juice.
Get your 3 egg yolks, separated (keep the whites for something else if you like). Add the White wine vinegar, about the same volume as one of your yolks (1 - 2 tbsp).
Whip these together in a pan on low. Rule of thumb is that your pan should be cool enough on the outside to touch.
When they're slightly translucent and bubbly, add a stick of butter (helps if it's cut up) and whisk continuously until everything is melted. Salt and pepper to taste (hint: Lots of salt while you're starting out!). When that's reduced and the surface is glossy, add your lemon juice. Stir until well combined and remove from heat. Try to eat it relatively soon after it's done. It won't reheat well.
Tips: if your egg mix starts to look like it's cooking (congealing), remove from heat and whisk faster to cool it down, then return to the low heat and continue. Over whisking once it's done will break the emulsification, so just keep it mellow and moving until it's done, then don't touch except to spoon over something delicious.
I eat it over salmon, over steak, over eggs, over shrimp...0 -
@glossbones I eat so much egg that I need to buy egg whites, but you're probably right, no need to fear the yellow I'll start with a 1:3 egg to egg white ratio in my omelettes and see how it effects my calorie count (which isn't conservative, but I'm a piggy).
Thanks for that recipe, I'll definitely try it because I love salmon and shrimp. I'm a total honey and mustard sauce addict but I've found a really low carb recipe for it so I'm sure I'll survive on the sauce front with a bit of digging around for recipes. Gonna check Yummly out. Thanks again!0 -
katiem_444 wrote: »@KnitOrMiss Wow, thank you! I've currently got my carbs set at 75g a day but that's because MFP estimates I need 1520kcal daily to maintain my weight, but I actually eat a lot more than that (I have an activity tracker that adjusts my TDEE, and in doing so raises my macro requirements), so I figured if I set my base carb count to 75g then even if I wind up eating 1800 or whatever, my carbs likely won't exceed 100g even after adjustments.
Butter is a great idea! I've avoided it like the plague my whole life because it's quite calorie dense, but now that I'm maintaining that isn't so much of an issue, and it's a great way to make some of the more offensive vegetables more palatable. Unfortunately I don't like cheese I feel like that's going to make things a little more tough for me. What cooking fats do you recommend? Is olive oil good?
I don't tend to eat much red meat either (aside from sirloin steaks which I love, but they're too expensive to have all that often), but I could definitely eat a bit more bacon. I've bought a carton of egg whites so I think a bacon omelette is in my future.
Thanks for the tip RE exercise, I think abstaining from any at all would be difficult for me but I can always do some low intensity yoga (the more meditative, sit-still kind). I've bought a multivitamin for women that has magnesium in it but I'll have to check to see if it has potassium. Are sodium and table salt the same thing? I'm not much of a salt fan either but I suppose upping my intake while I'm adapting to the change in my diet couldn't hurt.
Thanks again, I really appreciate this
To answer the oil question (everyone else was awesome on the rest), olive oil is okay, but is better as a finishing dressing. It doesn't handle too much heat well. Coconut oil is good up to 350 F. Someone had an oil chart a while back. Basically most veg oil is bad due to processing. So trans fats are still bad, and partially hydrongenated I think is the one that means it's been processed roughly. So things like canola, corn, and vegetable oil are not good oils. A lot of folks us bacon grease, rendered fat, butter, etc. to cook depending on temperature. Also, when you get fattier meats, you won't have to worry about adding as much fats.
I thing @DittoDan and @wabmester are the chart folks, but don't quote me on that! Hopefully someone can point you to the oil chart, the carb chart, and all that awesome data out here.
That launchpad at the top of the first group page is AMAZING for info too!0 -
While you're just starting off, don't worry so much about calories. Focus on staying below your carb cap but if you're hungry, eat - until you're full - of things that are keto friendly!0
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katiem_444 wrote: »@glossbones I eat so much egg that I need to buy egg whites, but you're probably right, no need to fear the yellow I'll start with a 1:3 egg to egg white ratio in my omelettes and see how it effects my calorie count (which isn't conservative, but I'm a piggy).
Thanks for that recipe, I'll definitely try it because I love salmon and shrimp. I'm a total honey and mustard sauce addict but I've found a really low carb recipe for it so I'm sure I'll survive on the sauce front with a bit of digging around for recipes. Gonna check Yummly out. Thanks again!
There is no need to restrict on eggs eating this way. Unless cost, but in most civilized countries, eggs are one of the cheapest proteins around. They are considered to be the most perfectly balanced foods. It's nothing to hear of people going through dozens a week and having 4-8 egg omelettes. So unless you have a specific reason to avoid eggs, no need to skimp on them at all!!
Dijon mustard is an awesome compromise, too, on the honey mustard taste once your body gets used to not having as much sweets the real thing won't taste good anymore. Another combo my fiance and I like is 1-2 TBSP mayo with 1 tsp ketchup (I'm still using up the sugary stuff) and 1-2 tsp yellow mustard. It is a magic sauce!!!0 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »Coconut oil is good up to 350 F
Any oil should have its smoking point listed on the label. My UNrefined coconut oil says it tops out at 275º, while my refined oil says 375º (so the latter is for cooking, the former is for coffee).
I have found I cook everything on 1 or 2 on my burner. I used to sizzle my bacon til grease coated the ceiling, but it's way tastier (less fat cells destroyed) and less stressful to cook now!0 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »I thing @DittoDan and @wabmester are the chart folks, but don't quote me on that! Hopefully someone can point you to the oil chart, the carb chart, and all that awesome data out here.
I just eat what I like. Dan is the man with all the spreadsheets.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/DittoDan/view/dittodan-s-discussions-on-keto-lcd-groups-733001
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glossbones wrote: »KnitOrMiss wrote: »Coconut oil is good up to 350 F
Any oil should have its smoking point listed on the label. My UNrefined coconut oil says it tops out at 275º, while my refined oil says 375º (so the latter is for cooking, the former is for coffee).
I have found I cook everything on 1 or 2 on my burner. I used to sizzle my bacon til grease coated the ceiling, but it's way tastier (less fat cells destroyed) and less stressful to cook now!
That's interesting. My coworker and I were just comparing our coconut oils a moment ago, and his organic unrefined CO is good to 350, as is my refined stuff (both are non-gmo), so I had assumed they were all the same! Very interesting...
Remember to that combining oils alters smoke point!0 -
Thanks for that, I'll look into it all - I imagine cooking oils are pretty important on a low carb diet. I don't really fry things often but I suppose they come in handy for cooking meat in the oven too. Thanks again for all your help @KnitOrMiss
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You will when you realise how it helps so much with getting those fats into your diet! That and slathering butter on everything! I can see you still need to clear out the 'fat is bad' stuff from your memory banks,lol.0
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jumanajane wrote: »You will when you realise how it helps so much with getting those fats into your diet! That and slathering butter on everything! I can see you still need to clear out the 'fat is bad' stuff from your memory banks,lol.
I suppose so, but not really cause I'm scared of fats or anything, just cause of the caloric density of fattier foods. I'll try to amp up the yolk intake incrementally if I notice I'm lagging on my fat intake, that way it's always a sound maneuver to fall back on!0 -
My dad's made some boston beans and corned beef hash, so I'm gonna have some of that with a load of buttery bread as a sort of last supper for myself. Starting tomorrow and I'm definitely better equipped after all your help. Thanks so much everyone and wish me luck... 0
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my advice (still a newbie!) is don't give up if/when you get the carb flu....just drink a LOT of water and think of your goals 0
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Wishing you luck! It takes a bit to change your way of thinking about food with this woe. It gets easier! Hang in there!0
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@cottagegirl71 @Karlottap thank you!!0
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cottagegirl71 wrote: »my advice (still a newbie!) is don't give up if/when you get the carb flu....just drink a LOT of water and think of your goals
this & up your fat intake during that time
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Great advice from everyone!
Go calculate your macros
Get rid of all the carbs in your house to avoid temptations
Start slow and keep on lowering your carbs, unless you want to get into ketosis. I did it cold turkey and dropped it to 20 from the start
Load up on meat, eggs, butter, coconut oil, heavy whipping cream, bacon, avocados, cream cheese.
Don't use any low fat stuff, go for full fat if possible
Like veggies? Remember, they are carby, plan your meals and fats around them.
If you lower your carbs, you need to up your fats and moderate protein
If you exercise, take a break for few weeks
Drink water until you can drink no more
Watch your electrolytes
Eat wholesome foods that will keep you full
You'll do great! Best of luck!!0 -
katiem_444 wrote: »@FIT_Goat Thanks, that's reassuring
Also, while I can and do eat dairy, I always get a little nauseous if I have too much. Are there any decent vegan coffee creamers (preferably ones that don't kurdle too easily, Coffee Mate just doesn't work in my acidic Douwe Egberts coffee). Sorry for the fifty questions, just trying to find my feet!
Coconut milk isn't the lowest in carbs, but is good in coffee. I believe that unsweetened almond milk isn't too bad in the carb department, but I've never tried it in coffee...I'd think it'd be decent.
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katiem_444 wrote: »@FIT_Goat Thanks, that's reassuring
Also, while I can and do eat dairy, I always get a little nauseous if I have too much. Are there any decent vegan coffee creamers (preferably ones that don't kurdle too easily, Coffee Mate just doesn't work in my acidic Douwe Egberts coffee). Sorry for the fifty questions, just trying to find my feet!
Coconut milk isn't the lowest in carbs, but is good in coffee. I believe that unsweetened almond milk isn't too bad in the carb department, but I've never tried it in coffee...I'd think it'd be decent.
I make an iced coffee every mornjng with 6 oz cold coffee, a packet of stevia and a cup of unsweetened almond milk. 1 carb for the stevia and 1 net carb for the almond milk.0 -
katiem_444 wrote: »@FIT_Goat Thanks, that's reassuring
This might sound silly, but is it possible to eat a low carb diet that isn't too high in animal produce? I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian, but I was wondering what the general consensus is regarding meat substitutes among low-carbers. Are things like soya mince (the one I buy is gluten free) and quorn sausages too high in carbs?
This I can't really offer advice on. There are people who do vegetarian/vegan low-carb. I went the opposite direction. I'm 0% vegan. lol
/r/vegetarianketo is probably a good resource for those interested in reducing or eliminating both carbs and animal products.0 -
katiem_444 wrote: »@FIT_Goat Thanks, that's reassuring
This might sound silly, but is it possible to eat a low carb diet that isn't too high in animal produce? I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian, but I was wondering what the general consensus is regarding meat substitutes among low-carbers. Are things like soya mince (the one I buy is gluten free) and quorn sausages too high in carbs?
Also, while I can and do eat dairy, I always get a little nauseous if I have too much. Are there any decent vegan coffee creamers (preferably ones that don't kurdle too easily, Coffee Mate just doesn't work in my acidic Douwe Egberts coffee). Sorry for the fifty questions, just trying to find my feet!
Why the frankenfoods and meat avoidance? Soy isn't really great for your endocrine system, anyway (all the phytoestrogens can throw off your hormonal balance). Also, eating the Quorn sausages defeats the purpose of getting gluten free soya mince. The third ingredient is wheat and barley is listed farther down.
What kind of dairy makes you nauseous? All dairy, or just certain types? Have you ever tried heavy cream or butter? Coconut cream (or even coconut oil) is a common substitute.katiem_444 wrote: »@glossbones I eat so much egg that I need to buy egg whites, but you're probably right, no need to fear the yellow I'll start with a 1:3 egg to egg white ratio in my omelettes and see how it effects my calorie count (which isn't conservative, but I'm a piggy).
Define "a lot of egg." It's not uncommon for me to eat 4-6 eggs in a sitting, and even at 6, you're looking at just over 400 calories (and yes, that's whole, large eggs). Cook them in butter (or ghee, or bacon grease, or coconut oil, or whatever other fat source) and top with cheese for an extra couple hundred calories, and you've got yourself a solid meal that can last upwards of 7-8 hours.katiem_444 wrote: »jumanajane wrote: »You will when you realise how it helps so much with getting those fats into your diet! That and slathering butter on everything! I can see you still need to clear out the 'fat is bad' stuff from your memory banks,lol.
I suppose so, but not really cause I'm scared of fats or anything, just cause of the caloric density of fattier foods. I'll try to amp up the yolk intake incrementally if I notice I'm lagging on my fat intake, that way it's always a sound maneuver to fall back on!
Yes, fat is more calorie dense, but it's also very filling, especially after you've adapted. As a result, you actually eat less.
Trust the system. Give it a month or two, then re-evaluate. You might be surprised.0 -
Thanks for all your suggestions. @FIT_Goat I've bookmarked that link for future ref, thank you!
@Dragonwolf I'm not concerned about gluten, I just mentioned it because I wasn't sure if it would be of relevance or not. I suppose I'm just not really into meat with the exceptions of sirloin steaks, fish, and chicken. It isn't that I dislike meat, it's just that I'm not a huge fan (the way most people I know seem to be) and so learning to incorporate more fattier cuts is going to be tough for me but I'm sure I'll manage.
Whenever I've had more than say, 100ml of milk with cereal or something like that, I always feel very off. It's probably just a cycle of not eating any dairy and so being more sensitive to it when I do eat it. Cheese also makes me feel a bit sick, but that's probably just psychosomatic because I'm not a cheese fan at all.
By your definitions, a lot of egg was probably a huge overstatement haha. I used to buy a 1L carton of egg whites and eat it in 4 days, so I suppose that's what I was referring to.
And yeah, that's what I'm hoping for. I got interested in LCHF because I want to lower my BF%, but after seeing so much material regarding satiety and health benefits I'm feeling pretty hopeful. It's going to be hard though, as a total carb fiend...
Told my dad this morning about my LCHF plan, he seems thrilled (and smug) that I'm finally gonna start eating more meat and fat, after years of turning my nose up at it. Good time to start too, he spent £80 yesterday on what was almost exclusively red meat. I'm living in the right household for this
Had a salmon fillet and an egg for breakfast this morning, both dripping in olive oil and covered in salt (something I've never added to my food in my life but have been told I should eat a lot of while adapting). It was a lot better than cereal. I've also just realised I can eat oily, stuffed olives to my heart's content.
http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/sainsburys-olives---manchego-cheese-170g
At least I've already found something I can eat on the go :-) Now I just need to find a decent recipe so I can dodge that heinous price tag0
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