Can't get enough protein, low enough carbs, please help!

Hi dear MFPers,
I started logging my food with MFP three weeks ago and I am trying to cut way back on carbs and eat more protein - so little or no bread, few processed foods, no pasta, and eggs for breakfast!
However, I just can't get enough protein and lower my carbs below 45%, and I can't imagine how the Atkins people do it!
Would anyone care to have a look at my diary and tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Thanks so much!
CP

Replies

SirBonerFart

instead of potato chips eat lean meat, cottage cheese, greek yogurt etc

TyTy76

www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1046449-tyler-s-tator-tot-casserole

deedzzz

I find it is kind of hard to hit your macro goals,. i have been on here for 3 months already, and i just started fixing my protein/carb/fat ratios.
I would suggest you change the ratios to 40% carb, 30% proteins and 30% fat, that's one the most "popular" ratios.
It will take some time adjusting, and eventually you will get the hang of it.

Maybe have some protein shakes/bars, as long as they fit in your calorie goals, they should add your protein content without adding much to carbs or fat.

Good luck

cmcollins001

Personally, all those things with 30 or 40+ carbs that you're eating several times a day...I would stop doing that if I wanted to lower my carbs.

Meat...great for protein. Protein shakes are a good option as well...if you're into that sorta thing.

Read the labels and log as you go and when you start getting close to your carb limit...stop eating carbs. Plan and log your meals ahead of time and stick with it.

TribeHokie

It looks like almost every meal includes fruit and/or grain (noodles, rice, bread), which are two major sources of carbs. If you want to lower your carb intake I would cut back on those and sub with watery veggies like lettuce, peppers, celery, etc. It also doesn't look like you have very much lean meat in there. There's all sorts of things you can do with poultry, beef (yes there are lean cuts of beef!), seafood, and pork, not to mention other things like lamb and non-animal protein sources.

rachface1234

The way I get to protein goals is by:

breakfast smoothies: fruit + almond or coconut milk + protein powder + spinach or kale

eggs for breakfast: try egg "muffins" by pouring whisked eggs over some turkey sausage and veggies and baking, low carb and high protein!

cottage cheese for a snack with sunflower seeds

almond butter with an apple

protein bars (look for ones with least amount of ingredients, high fiber, lower carb count)

greek yogurt

homemade chili! (google pumpkin turkey chili, amazing high fiber, high protein, low carb, delicious meal!)

beef jerkey as a snack

cauliflower cheddar soup (google recipes, you can add bacon on top, its like baked potato soup but way lower carb and lower cal)

if you are trying to keep carb count low, you'll need to be selective about your fruits, a lot have higher carbs. (But honestly that's health high carbs for me so I don't worry about it so much)

nuts for snacks or toppings on salads or as "breading" for chicken or fish for dinner

I peeked into your diary and noticed things like Luna bars, muffins, cereal bread, all yummy to be sure but on a low carb kick they gotta go! For me having lots of healthy fats (nuts, cheese, avocados, oils) helps a lot! good luck friend

bcattoes

Hi dear MFPers,
I started logging my food with MFP three weeks ago and I am trying to cut way back on carbs and eat more protein - so little or no bread, few processed foods, no pasta, and eggs for breakfast!
However, I just can't get enough protein and lower my carbs below 45%, and I can't imagine how the Atkins people do it!
Would anyone care to have a look at my diary and tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Thanks so much!
CP

Instead of focusing on giving up the things you clearly love such as breads and pasta, focus on just reducing the amount and focusing on whole grains. When you have pasta, use about half the pasta you normally use and more sauce. Eat a salad before the pasta dish so you will not be as tempted to overeat the pasta.

Instead of white rice or pasta, try substituting brown rice in some dishes. Use less rice and more veggies and meat, but still have a little brown rice. A lean meat and veggie stir fry with brown rice can be a deliciously healthy and low calorie meal.

Buy the thinner sliced wholemeal breads or low carb wraps for sandwiches instead of white bread.

To get more protein, eat more lean meats, eggs, seafood, etc.

You don't have to hit the calorie or nutrient goals every single day, but try to make them average out over a few days. If you have a high carb meal today, eat lower carbs tomorrow.

pushyourself14

ground turkey, eggs, greek yogurt, fish, cottage cheese, and chicken all have lots of protein.

MinnieInMaine

I could only go back in your diary a few days before I got the "site under maintenance" message but I'd say the big glaring difference between you and someone on Atkins is the fruit intake. Trust me, I get it, I love fruit too and it's one of the reasons the Atkins diet didn't work for me long term. Dried fruit is even worse!

While fruit is good for you and I don't think you should get rid of it all together, maybe replace one or two of those fruit snacks with a vegetable and some lean protein - plain greek yogurt, beef jerky, some nuts, edamame, cheese snack, etc.

chatpeau

Amazing advice, especially when given by real people!!! Keep it coming

thanks so much for helping, you guys are great!

tj1376

It looks like almost every meal includes fruit and/or grain (noodles, rice, bread), which are two major sources of carbs. If you want to lower your carb intake I would cut back on those and sub with watery veggies like lettuce, peppers, celery, etc. It also doesn't look like you have very much lean meat in there. There's all sorts of things you can do with poultry, beef (yes there are lean cuts of beef!), seafood, and pork, not to mention other things like lamb and non-animal protein sources.

I agree with this! Also, dont forget to have lowfat dairy too, it has lots of protien, not many carbs.

Chelz2013

I had a 6oz boneless pork loin chop the other night that I think registered 35g protein. I get liquid egg whites at Costco. A half a container has 25g of protein. I also like the Morningstar Farms - Maple Flavored Veggie Sausage Patties to go with my eggs. I occasionally use protein powder in a smoothie or buy a protein bar (I like Power Crunch French Vanilla Cream bar).

A lot of great ideas listed by others!

And I agree that you can cut back, but don't cut out, the foods you love.

julien999

That's interesting I'm having the opposite problem I don't seem to get enough carbs.
Try protein shakes, I'm doing the six star pro cookies and cream right now its quite tasty better than most!
Might want to try switching snacks to something like a rice cake instead of chips. I find the cakes easier to limit myself on opposed to the mini's.

Forgot to mention Tofu is a great source of protein, I make a stir fry almost every second day with it. Veggies, tofu, and for the sauce i use peanut butter, hot chilli flakes, soy sauce and a bit of brown sugar ....and shriachi (sorry for the spelling lol)

ALekaeHay

I've been trying to focus more on higher protein and lowering my carbs (goal is 75g or less, max 100g). I've had eggs and bacon or sausage almost every morning, but on a teacher's schedule I'll be trying to make the egg muffins this week since I'm starting back to work. I've been snacking on lots of almonds, light cheeses, beef jerky, pork rinds with hummus, and some cottage cheese, although I'm not crazy about it.

I've been eating a lot more meat - beef, pork, chicken, fish - than usual, but I'm certainly not complaining. I try to steer clear of any one food item that has 15+ carbs.

Check out lowcarboneday.com -- She has TONS of really great low carb recipes.

I can say it's definitely trying to work around some recipes or foods but absolutely worth it so far! I've only done this for about 10 days now but feel much less bloated or puffy. Good luck!

chatpeau

What about steel cut oats? They are still high carb but everyone's raving about them it seems. Should they be out?

sayhitostephz

More eggs, meat, greek yogurt and less of everything else....

julien999

Steel cut and Rolled are still from the same oat its just how they process them. Steel cut are slightly lower in sugars is the only difference. They take a lot longer to cook too!

AngelsFan91106

What about steel cut oats? They are still high carb but everyone's raving about them it seems. Should they be out?

Moderation is key. I always have steel cut oats on mornings I work out. It gives me energy that last. On days I don't work out, I skip the extra carbs and have a protein shake with fruit.

markink81

I glanced at your food dairy I saw a lot of yogurt, cereal and chips with very little in the way of lean protein like Fish or Poultry Eggs are great but egg whites are better. I am not sure what you would like to do body composition wise but I don't see an issue if your working out 4 to 5 times a week eating whole foods like fruit and vegetables. We all need carbs it helps fuel our bodies so if you are doing exercise or have a highly active job you will need them.

I am diabetic which I control by diet and exercise so I stay away from process crap foods like cereals, white bread and foods that aren't a complex carbohydrate in another word I eat a lot of veggies and lean proteins with some protein shakes throughout my day. I would switch out the chips for a sweet potato or make your own sweet potato fries have snacks of veggies with a lo-cal fat free ranch dressing or dip lower your intake of yogurt and switch more to low fat cottage cheese. There are a number of ways to lower your carbohydrate intake but again it all depends how you exercise when you eat your carbs before workout or after you workout and how you want your goal body to look. Hope this helps a little and good luck!

mrmagee3

What about steel cut oats? They are still high carb but everyone's raving about them it seems. Should they be out?

If you're trying to lower your carbs, not eating high carb foods is a good way to start. As for protein -- eat more meat. It's full of the stuff.

ldrosophila

www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1046449-tyler-s-tator-tot-casserole

LOL...yum!

OP why do you need to eat your carbs below 45%? I have insulin insensitivity and do pretty well at between 40-50%

Warchortle

Why force yourself into something your body clearly does not like... not every person's food experiences are going to be the same. The more you force yourself into it the less likely it'll be a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

twinsmom03

Banana's are high in carbs because they contain a lot of natural sugar....Try greek yogurt without fruit....also cottage cheese. You could add grilled chicken to your salads.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Hi dear MFPers,
I started logging my food with MFP three weeks ago and I am trying to cut way back on carbs and eat more protein - so little or no bread, few processed foods, no pasta, and eggs for breakfast!
However, I just can't get enough protein and lower my carbs below 45%, and I can't imagine how the Atkins people do it!
Would anyone care to have a look at my diary and tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Thanks so much!
CP

Meat, lots of vegetables and a bit of fruit.

SassyCalyGirl

low fat yogurt, chicken, tuna and other fresh fish, cottage cheese and beans
it's honestly not hard

I just changed my macros and lowered my protein and uoped my carbs for marathon training, I am always over in protein and struggle to get my carbs!

astartig

cut out all of the things with sugars. All grains (except for a select few with very low carbs and high fibre) make sure to count your fiber against your carbs.

go for meats cheeses (Fats are your friend if you're low carbing) nuts, vegetables (minus most root vegetables and corn and corn products)