Low carb diet tips??

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emmagrace0818
emmagrace0818 Posts: 211 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, everyone, I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful day.
I have always just been a calorie counter but I thought I'd switch it up some and try a low carb diet.
I was reading up on the Atkins diet and that's only 20 grams of carbs a day
That seems like it would be tough haha
So i was hoping anyone who have tried this out before had some tips for me
I really appreciate it, thank you =]

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I don't do low carb because it wouldn't be a lifestyle change for me, but there is tons of information in this group

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
  • emmagrace0818
    emmagrace0818 Posts: 211 Member
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    oh awesome, thank you so much!
  • GorgeousMa
    GorgeousMa Posts: 34 Member
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    I'm on day 3 and its actually been pretty hard to get the 20 carbs in!!!! I have been happily eating bacon, eggs, avocado, coffee with heavy whipping cream and im actually full most of the time! This is my first time too and im pretty exited for what the future holds for me im tired of starving to lose a few lbs only to eat one thing and it call comes back
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,574 Member
    edited May 2016
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    I eat 100 and under. Many days around 50 net. It's not Atkins or Keto but it's low carb. I do it by...not eating bread or adding sugar to my coffee. It's not that hard. Meat, veg, fats.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    Atkins induction phase is very low carb/keto. But it doesn't stay that way. Atkins has you slowly add carbs back to your diet after the first couple weeks (in a rather prescribed way; personally I find it too contrived and so I just reduced my carbs to between 50-80 grams, which is low carb, but still allows for tons of variety and flexibility), and if you read the book/website it clearly states that induction is optional. You can start in the ongoing weight loss phase if you wish. Or you can just use MFP to log food (I suggest pre logging until you get a good sense of what foods are highest in carbs) and pay attention to your macros and stay under whatever carb level you see fit. Cutting to below 100 g a day is generally a good starting point for most people. You can always go lower if you wish, or add a little. That said, unless you plan to do LCHF long term, there doesn't seem much point. You will lose a bit of water in the first week or so, but if/when you go back to higher carb eating you will regain the water. Not a big deal, but some people absolutely lose their sh1t over that :D so be prepared.
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
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    If you do Atkins by the book, 20 carbs is only for 2 weeks and then you start adding back 5 at a time until you find your optimal amount of carbs. Of the 20, 15 must be from foundation vegetables so there isn't much room for cream and sweeteners. There is also Atkins 40 which bypasses induction altogether and you start with 40 carbs. Weight loss will be a little slower. Go to Atkins website for more info.
  • MarciGaf
    MarciGaf Posts: 8 Member
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    I've just completed 21 days on the Ketogenic plan and lost 9.5Kgs. It allows 10% carbs, 25% protein and 65% fat. Much different to what I have done before. There is a tool which allows you to plan a meal by adding the ingredients, play with quantities so each meal stays within the required protein/fat/carb percentages. Ingredients are also highlighted in different colours so you know which are best to use. Because I stay with the listed ingredients I find it really easy to stay under the necessary allowance for carbs.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    edited May 2016
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    emmagrace0818 wrote: »
    Hi, everyone, I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful day.
    I have always just been a calorie counter but I thought I'd switch it up some and try a low carb diet.
    I was reading up on the Atkins diet and that's only 20 grams of carbs a day
    That seems like it would be tough haha
    So i was hoping anyone who have tried this out before had some tips for me
    I really appreciate it, thank you =]

    I've been doing Atkins phase 1 (plus dairy) for about a year now. It works well for me and has helped me with some health issues. Eating around 20g of carbs per day is pretty easy once you let go of the (false) idea that you need a starchy side dish at every meal. Skip bread, cereal, rice, corn, other grains like quinoa and oatmeal, plus other baked goods, and keeping carbs low isn't hard. If you skip most tropical fruits and use only full fat dairy, keeping carbs low becomes pretty easy.

    If you decide to try LCHF my advice is embrace the fats and do NOT try to find low carb replacement foods (like Atkins bread). Stick to naturally low carb foods (meat, veggies, eggs, full fat dairy, coconut, olives, etc) and it is pretty easy.

    And up your salt intake to 3000-5000mg per day to make up for the electrolyte loss you'll experience (along with water loss) in the first week or so. If you are tired, headachy, and have sore muscles, your electrolytes are way off. Eat more salt.

    Perhaps check out the Low Carber Daily group for more support and tips. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

    Good luck.

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