Low carb advice
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BAFCH
Posts: 23 Member
Hello all, newbie here!
I'm looking for some advice really, from people who know what they are doing!
I'm currently 82kg, my goal weight is 70kg at least to begin with. I know what my problem is, and that's carbs.
I just can't seem to cut them down completely. I want to go low carb eventually, but at the moment I can feel my body completely shutting down. I've become tired all the time and much more sensitive to things!
My boyfriend has even noticed this and he's becoming quite worried!
I understand that this is expected at the early stages, but I'm cautious that it isn't a wise way to go about things early on.
I'm iron deficient, so I take iron tablets daily. That contributes to my problem with being tired all of the time, but with the help of the medication it becomes manageable.
I am also gluten intolerant and lactose intolerant, so this means quite a few foods are automatically a no go.
You'd think being gluten free would cut down carbs and it'd be a walk in the park. I wish!
POTATOES.
DAMN POTATOES.
I'm like a drug addict when it comes to those round pieces of starch that turn into chips that taste very nice.
I am trying to cut carbs to 40%, protein 30% and fat 30%. My daily calorie intake is 1,400.
Does this sound okay?
I don't have much confidence in what I'm doing and don't really think I'm actually doing it the right way or the healthy way! I can't even express how hungry I am during the day.
If anyone has any tips, I'd really appreciate it!
I'm looking for some advice really, from people who know what they are doing!
I'm currently 82kg, my goal weight is 70kg at least to begin with. I know what my problem is, and that's carbs.
I just can't seem to cut them down completely. I want to go low carb eventually, but at the moment I can feel my body completely shutting down. I've become tired all the time and much more sensitive to things!
My boyfriend has even noticed this and he's becoming quite worried!
I understand that this is expected at the early stages, but I'm cautious that it isn't a wise way to go about things early on.
I'm iron deficient, so I take iron tablets daily. That contributes to my problem with being tired all of the time, but with the help of the medication it becomes manageable.
I am also gluten intolerant and lactose intolerant, so this means quite a few foods are automatically a no go.
You'd think being gluten free would cut down carbs and it'd be a walk in the park. I wish!
POTATOES.
DAMN POTATOES.
I'm like a drug addict when it comes to those round pieces of starch that turn into chips that taste very nice.
I am trying to cut carbs to 40%, protein 30% and fat 30%. My daily calorie intake is 1,400.
Does this sound okay?
I don't have much confidence in what I'm doing and don't really think I'm actually doing it the right way or the healthy way! I can't even express how hungry I am during the day.
If anyone has any tips, I'd really appreciate it!
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Replies
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Anyone?0
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Hi, what's your stats? (Height, weight, age?)
40% carbs isn't low carb as far as I know, it's normal carbs.1 -
40% carbs isn't particularly 'low', but at the same time, why does it need to be 40%?
i aim for around 45%, sometimes it works out as more, and sometimes less.1 -
Hi both, thanks for your replies - really appreciate it!
I'm 24, 5ft 8 and 82kg which is 12st 9lb ish.
I'm going by what the MFP app generated when I put in everything, it said 50% carbs at first but I put it down to 40% as I thought 50% was far too high.
So if I keep it at 40% now, and see how I get on for the next few weeks, then adjust according to how things are going?0 -
40% carbs isn't low by any stretch of the imagination. I tend to hover around 10% max (5% if looking at net only), and I could still probably stand to shave some off.
ETA: journal is public if you're curious, though it's pretty limited, since I just bothered to start logging again a couple of days ago. Was doing it in my head for about three years.1 -
I am tracking my carbs as well as calories. I'm not on a "low carb" diet but I'll give you what I'm set up to eat by my nutritionist. I'm 5'0 and around 200lbs. This is based on 6 meals per day (3 main meals and 3 small snacks)
Each main meal aim for around 30 carbs and each snack aim for around 15 carbs (in grams).
While this isn't low carb necessarily, it can give you a guideline to go by and really see how many you're consuming. Remember to consume a decent amount of protein and healthy fats throughout your meals as well protein at every meal and combined with the carbs will help you feel fuller longer.
Doing this has really shown me how many carbs I'm eating and it helped Me get a handle on the amount I consume. Feel free to friend me, my diary is open to friends.
good luck! 1 -
What are you eating throughout your day that you still feel hungry ? What types of activities do you do each day ?0
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MeganMcK11 wrote: »I am tracking my carbs as well as calories. I'm not on a "low carb" diet but I'll give you what I'm set up to eat by my nutritionist. I'm 5'0 and around 200lbs. This is based on 6 meals per day (3 main meals and 3 small snacks)
Each main meal aim for around 30 carbs and each snack aim for around 15 carbs (in grams).
While this isn't low carb necessarily, it can give you a guideline to go by and really see how many you're consuming. Remember to consume a decent amount of protein and healthy fats throughout your meals as well protein at every meal and combined with the carbs will help you feel fuller longer.
Doing this has really shown me how many carbs I'm eating and it helped Me get a handle on the amount I consume. Feel free to friend me, my diary is open to friends. good luck!
Thank you so much Megan, that is really helpful information! I'll definitely be following your advice.
I think I'm trying to guess how it will go too early on. I'll only know once I've played around with a few methods and find out what works best for me. Patience is the key I think, something I don't have!0 -
Hi both, thanks for your replies - really appreciate it!
I'm 24, 5ft 8 and 82kg which is 12st 9lb ish.
I'm going by what the MFP app generated when I put in everything, it said 50% carbs at first but I put it down to 40% as I thought 50% was far too high.
So if I keep it at 40% now, and see how I get on for the next few weeks, then adjust according to how things are going?
50% is too high for what? weight loss is about calories not macros. if you struggle eating less than 50% carbs, eat 50% carbs....1 -
Runngurl43 wrote: »What are you eating throughout your day that you still feel hungry ? What types of activities do you do each day ?
Breakfast - Gluten free oats with water and a sprinkle of cinnamon
Lunch - A tuna salad with a potato and some almonds
Dinner - Chicken, sometimes breast sometimes not with a sweet potato or normal potato - always with veggies
Snacks - Carrot, raw tomato, avacado (I very rarely snack during the day because of my work - only if I remember, say on weekends, I'll eat one of these during the day)
I don't do good with keeping hydrated and that's my biggest problem. I'm a lot better now and will manage around a litre of water but not without freshly squeezed lemon in it.
Exercise is 20 min workout in the afternoon on my lunch break. But I will be changing that once I've got hold of how my new diet is working. I will definitely increase it.0 -
Hi, I've just started very low carbs, and looking to lose a similar amount of weight as you. Unfortunately the key is to reduce the bad carbs (ie chips). I've reduced my carb intake to 20gms a day (less than 20% of my total calories - which is extremely low, and it only comes from vegetables) as I want to see quick results over the next few weeks, and I'll need to bring them up again in a few weeks, because I love carbs too.
I wasn't able to do this right away. I had to work towards it, its taken me 4 weeks to get down to 20gms of carbs a day.
Week 1 - I cut the fried stuff and the cakes/alcohol, ie chips - as these are my main vice, removed high calories (bad fat foods)
Week 2 - I cut the bread/rice/croissants etc - but as you're gluten intolerant, this stage should be abit easier, but its probably the rice you need to cut, basically I replaced everything with stir fried vegetables or kidney beans/chickpeas etc and wasn't looking at the carbs in the vegetables at this stage - just focused on replacing the bad carbs with the good carbs, so I could get used to not eating them
Week 3 - Cut down on sugary fruits, I love mangos, bananas, pineapples, all fruits that have high carbs because of the sugar - so I started looking at low sugar fruits (similar to a low GI type diet) - so strawberries, blueberries, apricots, peaches etc, are low in sugar
Week 4 - strictly went down to 20gms of carbs a day but I'm not watching my fat levels as closely as I was (just like Atkins) , this was still hard, as I experienced the side effects of this right away, such as tiredness, nausea and a metallic taste in my mouth, but to be honest, it only lasted 1 - 2 days. The key is to battle through this part, I'm now 4 days into it and feel fine. I'm not hungry at all, as I'm just eating lots of protein (mainly fish as I prefer it to red meat - which makes it relatively healthy too), which keeps me full (and I get my greens too (broccoli, courgettes, spinach etc) . I like to cook, so I've found inventive ways to make low carb salads - ie courgette spaghetti with chicken, flavoured with herbs and spices. The key I would say is to be inventive with your food, as grilled chicken and steam broccoli everyday gets boring and hard to follow long term. Also, planning your meals or having an idea of what you want to eat within your low carb regime is key.
In 4 weeks I've lost 2.6kg ( 1.5kg has been in the last week). I have a long way to go, but hopefully the next few weeks will show a bigger drop in weight.
I don't think there is a quick win to be honest, its really about finding the right balance of what works for you and it does take effort and determination, but once you get into the habit its fine.
Good luck!
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Not quite understanding why you are targeting carbs rather than calories if you enjoy eating them?
Think ahead to maintenance at goal weight, will you be changing your diet and preferences for life? Adherence is a huge factor in success and eating foods you enjoy is essential for happy and sustainable maintenance IMHO.
However, if you do wish to lower carbs then it's simply eating more protein and fats and stopping when you hit your calorie goal. It's just making different food choices.
BTW - an alternative to set macro percentages is regarding protein and fat as minimum goals and the remainder of your calorie allowance is flexible to use however you choose. Far less restrictive.2 -
Not quite understanding why you are targeting carbs rather than calories if you enjoy eating them?
Think ahead to maintenance at goal weight, will you be changing your diet and preferences for life? Adherence is a huge factor in success and eating foods you enjoy is essential for happy and sustainable maintenance IMHO.
However, if you do wish to lower carbs then it's simply eating more protein and fats and stopping when you hit your calorie goal. It's just making different food choices.
BTW - an alternative to set macro percentages is regarding protein and fat as minimum goals and the remainder of your calorie allowance is flexible to use however you choose. Far less restrictive.
A whole lot of this
Hi @sijomial :bigsmile:0 -
michelleamjad wrote: »Hi, I've just started very low carbs, and looking to lose a similar amount of weight as you. Unfortunately the key is to reduce the bad carbs (ie chips). I've reduced my carb intake to 20gms a day (less than 20% of my total calories - which is extremely low, and it only comes from vegetables) as I want to see quick results over the next few weeks, and I'll need to bring them up again in a few weeks, because I love carbs too.
I wasn't able to do this right away. I had to work towards it, its taken me 4 weeks to get down to 20gms of carbs a day.
Week 1 - I cut the fried stuff and the cakes/alcohol, ie chips - as these are my main vice, removed high calories (bad fat foods)
Week 2 - I cut the bread/rice/croissants etc - but as you're gluten intolerant, this stage should be abit easier, but its probably the rice you need to cut, basically I replaced everything with stir fried vegetables or kidney beans/chickpeas etc and wasn't looking at the carbs in the vegetables at this stage - just focused on replacing the bad carbs with the good carbs, so I could get used to not eating them
Week 3 - Cut down on sugary fruits, I love mangos, bananas, pineapples, all fruits that have high carbs because of the sugar - so I started looking at low sugar fruits (similar to a low GI type diet) - so strawberries, blueberries, apricots, peaches etc, are low in sugar
Week 4 - strictly went down to 20gms of carbs a day but I'm not watching my fat levels as closely as I was (just like Atkins) , this was still hard, as I experienced the side effects of this right away, such as tiredness, nausea and a metallic taste in my mouth, but to be honest, it only lasted 1 - 2 days. The key is to battle through this part, I'm now 4 days into it and feel fine. I'm not hungry at all, as I'm just eating lots of protein (mainly fish as I prefer it to red meat - which makes it relatively healthy too), which keeps me full (and I get my greens too (broccoli, courgettes, spinach etc) . I like to cook, so I've found inventive ways to make low carb salads - ie courgette spaghetti with chicken, flavoured with herbs and spices. The key I would say is to be inventive with your food, as grilled chicken and steam broccoli everyday gets boring and hard to follow long term. Also, planning your meals or having an idea of what you want to eat within your low carb regime is key.
In 4 weeks I've lost 2.6kg ( 1.5kg has been in the last week). I have a long way to go, but hopefully the next few weeks will show a bigger drop in weight.
I don't think there is a quick win to be honest, its really about finding the right balance of what works for you and it does take effort and determination, but once you get into the habit its fine.
Good luck!
Hi Michelle.
Thank you very much for taking the time out to give me so much useful information! I'll also be following your advice, too.
Before I decided to cut out the carbs, I really had no idea how much of them I was actually consuming. Because I'm gluten intolerant, I can't eat pizza or bread or cakes and what I was doing was replacing those foods with potatoes, chips, crisps and anything that I could eat that didn't have gluten. That was and is my downfall for sure!
It is still so tempting, but with the help of the app, it really does keep you on track. It certainly shocked me into seeing exactly what I was doing to my body and where I was going wrong!0 -
Are you simply targeting cutting carbs..because it seems to be the latest fad thing diet to do? Low Carb..Keto..etc etc? Target your calories instead and eat what you like. I started out at 308 pounds on Feb 29th this year. I weighed in on Monday @ 250 pounds. I've lost 58 pounds since I started my diet & exercise routine.
I was also pre-diabetic in January. Went to the Dr and my A1C was 7.4 After I started losing weight and eating better, I went back on April 28th (I was down to 273 at that time) and my A1C was 5.4
My Dr never told me to go low carb. He simply said ..lose weight. Eat less and be more active. I eat 2 potatos every night for dinner. I have no idea why you think you have identified your problem as ..you need to lower your carbs?
I put myself on a low calorie diet of 1200 a day (way too low for the long run) and started riding my exercise bike. It worked. I have bumped my calories up to 1600 a day now and ride my bike 60-75 minutes a day.
I eat veggies and fresh fruit..plenty of carbs. To each their own of course, but I don't think you've identified the problem?0 -
michelleamjad wrote: »Hi, I've just started very low carbs, and looking to lose a similar amount of weight as you. Unfortunately the key is to reduce the bad carbs (ie chips). I've reduced my carb intake to 20gms a day (less than 20% of my total calories - which is extremely low, and it only comes from vegetables) as I want to see quick results over the next few weeks, and I'll need to bring them up again in a few weeks, because I love carbs too.
I wasn't able to do this right away. I had to work towards it, its taken me 4 weeks to get down to 20gms of carbs a day.
Week 1 - I cut the fried stuff and the cakes/alcohol, ie chips - as these are my main vice, removed high calories (bad fat foods)
Week 2 - I cut the bread/rice/croissants etc - but as you're gluten intolerant, this stage should be abit easier, but its probably the rice you need to cut, basically I replaced everything with stir fried vegetables or kidney beans/chickpeas etc and wasn't looking at the carbs in the vegetables at this stage - just focused on replacing the bad carbs with the good carbs, so I could get used to not eating them
Week 3 - Cut down on sugary fruits, I love mangos, bananas, pineapples, all fruits that have high carbs because of the sugar - so I started looking at low sugar fruits (similar to a low GI type diet) - so strawberries, blueberries, apricots, peaches etc, are low in sugar
Week 4 - strictly went down to 20gms of carbs a day but I'm not watching my fat levels as closely as I was (just like Atkins) , this was still hard, as I experienced the side effects of this right away, such as tiredness, nausea and a metallic taste in my mouth, but to be honest, it only lasted 1 - 2 days. The key is to battle through this part, I'm now 4 days into it and feel fine. I'm not hungry at all, as I'm just eating lots of protein (mainly fish as I prefer it to red meat - which makes it relatively healthy too), which keeps me full (and I get my greens too (broccoli, courgettes, spinach etc) . I like to cook, so I've found inventive ways to make low carb salads - ie courgette spaghetti with chicken, flavoured with herbs and spices. The key I would say is to be inventive with your food, as grilled chicken and steam broccoli everyday gets boring and hard to follow long term. Also, planning your meals or having an idea of what you want to eat within your low carb regime is key.
In 4 weeks I've lost 2.6kg ( 1.5kg has been in the last week). I have a long way to go, but hopefully the next few weeks will show a bigger drop in weight.
I don't think there is a quick win to be honest, its really about finding the right balance of what works for you and it does take effort and determination, but once you get into the habit its fine.
Good luck!
Hi Michelle.
Thank you very much for taking the time out to give me so much useful information! I'll also be following your advice, too.
Before I decided to cut out the carbs, I really had no idea how much of them I was actually consuming. Because I'm gluten intolerant, I can't eat pizza or bread or cakes and what I was doing was replacing those foods with potatoes, chips, crisps and anything that I could eat that didn't have gluten. That was and is my downfall for sure!
It is still so tempting, but with the help of the app, it really does keep you on track. It certainly shocked me into seeing exactly what I was doing to my body and where I was going wrong!
nope... your 'downfall' was too many calories...0 -
BiggDaddy58 wrote: »Are you simply targeting cutting carbs..because it seems to be the latest fad thing diet to do? Low Carb..Keto..etc etc? Target your calories instead and eat what you like. I started out at 308 pounds on Feb 29th this year. I weighed in on Monday @ 250 pounds. I've lost 58 pounds since I started my diet & exercise routine.
I was also pre-diabetic in January. Went to the Dr and my A1C was 7.4 After I started losing weight and eating better, I went back on April 28th (I was down to 273 at that time) and my A1C was 5.4
My Dr never told me to go low carb. He simply said ..lose weight. Eat less and be more active. I eat 2 potatos every night for dinner. I have no idea why you think you have identified your problem as ..you need to lower your carbs?
I put myself on a low calorie diet of 1200 a day (way too low for the long run) and started riding my exercise bike. It worked. I have bumped my calories up to 1600 a day now and ride my bike 60-75 minutes a day.
I eat veggies and fresh fruit..plenty of carbs. To each their own of course, but I don't think you've identified the problem?
Thanks for your advice and congratulations on your weight loss!
Yes, that's why I am here, for advice because as I said in my OP, I'm not too sure whether I'm doing things right.
I'm here for opinions and I'm open to reading about what other people's experiences are, and what worked for them.
Like another poster said, I need to think about what impact it will have in the long run. It won't be sustainable so I'll need to find the right balance. Think I'm jumping the gun too soon without thinking about the whole picture.
Thanks for your comments so far everyone. Definitely opening my eyes to what can and is possible - really appreciate it.1 -
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If you find that the easiest way for you to cut caloric intake is by cutting carbs, then have at it. If not, it's just going to cause you problems, and you would be better suited to just looking at a more balanced approach. Keto works for me, because in general, I can't stand starches and sugars (except rice...bah!)1
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TavistockToad wrote: »michelleamjad wrote: »Hi, I've just started very low carbs, and looking to lose a similar amount of weight as you. Unfortunately the key is to reduce the bad carbs (ie chips). I've reduced my carb intake to 20gms a day (less than 20% of my total calories - which is extremely low, and it only comes from vegetables) as I want to see quick results over the next few weeks, and I'll need to bring them up again in a few weeks, because I love carbs too.
I wasn't able to do this right away. I had to work towards it, its taken me 4 weeks to get down to 20gms of carbs a day.
Week 1 - I cut the fried stuff and the cakes/alcohol, ie chips - as these are my main vice, removed high calories (bad fat foods)
Week 2 - I cut the bread/rice/croissants etc - but as you're gluten intolerant, this stage should be abit easier, but its probably the rice you need to cut, basically I replaced everything with stir fried vegetables or kidney beans/chickpeas etc and wasn't looking at the carbs in the vegetables at this stage - just focused on replacing the bad carbs with the good carbs, so I could get used to not eating them
Week 3 - Cut down on sugary fruits, I love mangos, bananas, pineapples, all fruits that have high carbs because of the sugar - so I started looking at low sugar fruits (similar to a low GI type diet) - so strawberries, blueberries, apricots, peaches etc, are low in sugar
Week 4 - strictly went down to 20gms of carbs a day but I'm not watching my fat levels as closely as I was (just like Atkins) , this was still hard, as I experienced the side effects of this right away, such as tiredness, nausea and a metallic taste in my mouth, but to be honest, it only lasted 1 - 2 days. The key is to battle through this part, I'm now 4 days into it and feel fine. I'm not hungry at all, as I'm just eating lots of protein (mainly fish as I prefer it to red meat - which makes it relatively healthy too), which keeps me full (and I get my greens too (broccoli, courgettes, spinach etc) . I like to cook, so I've found inventive ways to make low carb salads - ie courgette spaghetti with chicken, flavoured with herbs and spices. The key I would say is to be inventive with your food, as grilled chicken and steam broccoli everyday gets boring and hard to follow long term. Also, planning your meals or having an idea of what you want to eat within your low carb regime is key.
In 4 weeks I've lost 2.6kg ( 1.5kg has been in the last week). I have a long way to go, but hopefully the next few weeks will show a bigger drop in weight.
I don't think there is a quick win to be honest, its really about finding the right balance of what works for you and it does take effort and determination, but once you get into the habit its fine.
Good luck!
Hi Michelle.
Thank you very much for taking the time out to give me so much useful information! I'll also be following your advice, too.
Before I decided to cut out the carbs, I really had no idea how much of them I was actually consuming. Because I'm gluten intolerant, I can't eat pizza or bread or cakes and what I was doing was replacing those foods with potatoes, chips, crisps and anything that I could eat that didn't have gluten. That was and is my downfall for sure!
It is still so tempting, but with the help of the app, it really does keep you on track. It certainly shocked me into seeing exactly what I was doing to my body and where I was going wrong!
nope... your 'downfall' was too many calories...
Thanks. Like I said before, I am here for opinions and advice from people who know a lot more about it than I do, so I will definitely take that on board. I'll be more focused on calories, rather than carbs as so many people have advised.
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