Starting Low Carb diet - confused!

lily2521

Don't let people scare you about eating high fat. Yesterday 57% of my calories came from fat, 25% from protein, and only 17% from carbs ending the day with a 250 calorie deficit. I never felt hungry at all and got a good workout in. Keeping my carbs in that 15-20% range keeps my energy way up and my body fat percentage keeps edging down.

When I do occasionally eat a lot off carbs, it helps to balance them out with fat, so lots of butter, olive oil, and full fat cheeses on bread and pasta. Pasta is preferably homemade with a couple whole eggs.

I ate low fat for several years and just got fatter. Restricting calories worked, but I was constantly hungry and just couldn't keep it up for long. Since I went high fat, losing weight is so much easier and people can't understand how I lost and continue to lose weight eating full fat everything like I do.

There are essential proteins and essential fatty acids your body needs. There are no essential carbs. Carbs are good for fast energy and available glucose, but you can do just fine with very little of them. Stay above 75 grams or so a day and you'll be efficiently burning fat (dietary and body fat) for most of your fuel and never go into full ketosis.

Thanks for your replies. Some of what you're saying is confusing to me because I'm so new to this, I've never tracked how much of something I'm eating. I think up until now I always had the false notion that because I'm not overweight it wasn't a problem so I never paid much attention. I have no clue how to figure out what % of my calories came from fat.

I am going to start tracking what I'm eating here though MFP and I know that will help, but I don't even really know where to start as far as what I can eat right now.

I feel so naive with some of this, ha! I don't know what ketosis is. I don't know how to figure out exactly what I'm supposed to be eating, and how many carbs, etc. I do have a call in to a nutritionist. Because so much of this is so foreign to me I think maybe that's a good place for me to turn?

No_Finish_Line

my mother is a diebetic and her doctor gives her a specific amount of carbs that he doesn't want her to exceed per meal.

I'd talk to your doctor about how many carbs per meal would be best... because how many you eat in one sitting will effect your blood sugar.

once you know how many you can have its really just a matter of reading labels or looking up foods in the database. if the item(s) have less grams of carbs then you are alotted then you can have it. if its more you can't, or you will have to have a smaller portion.

thats probably the simplest way to do it. you don't have to follow and particular diet plan.

lily2521

my mother is a diebetic and her doctor gives her a specific amount of carbs that he doesn't want her to exceed per meal.

I'd talk to your doctor about how many carbs per meal would be best... because how many you eat in one sitting will effect your blood sugar.

once you know how many you can have its really just a matter of reading labels or looking up foods in the database. if the item(s) have less grams of carbs then you are alotted then you can have it. if its more you can't, or you will have to have a smaller portion.

thats probably the simplest way to do it. you don't have to follow and particular diet plan.

I like the idea of doing this to be honest - seems a lot less complicated for me. And overall like I said I'm not trying to lose weight, I just need to be eating better and cut out the massive amount of carbs I have been eating up until now. Hopefully when I meet with the nutritionist they can give me some insight too on how many I should be eating per day/per meal. Thanks.

No_Finish_Line

also, i think that they amount of carbs she can eat per day is considerably more than most Atkins dieters eat... but per meal its very low, like she's not supposed to eat a whole bannana i one sitting.

Acg67

I have done Atkins - and have lost 44 pounds! I had high cholesterol, high blood pressure and borderline high blood sugar.... now I feel great and am off all medications! My weight loss has been slower than most - I started Mid November and lost 40 by Mid August...I believe it IS IMPORTANT to know why you are doing what you are doing - and why the heck it works. I recommend "the New Atkins For A New You" and anything Gary Taubes - there is also a book called 'Why We Get Fat"... very helpful.

Then fiction from both Atkins or Taubes likely won't help anyone understand how things work

Stoshew71

I just found out my blood sugar is slightly high, so my doctor is recommending exercise (which I also need to, and am going to, start) and a low carb diet.

I've Google'd low carb diets, but I'm confused by the different ones out there, and it seems like so much information I don't know where to look first. I just need a good starting point right now, and I'm in information overload. Can someone point me in the right direction just to get started on this low carb diet? I'm very confused, and don't know even the basics of what I should and shouldn't be eating right now.

Thank you.

Your doctor actually prescribed exercise. Did he also prescribe the low carb diet? Did he explain why your blood sugar was high? And he said "slightly high". That doesn't sound like a drastic solution like Atkins is necessary.

Here is what I would suggest. Make sure you are tracking everything here on MFP. Monitor your sugar closely as well as your overall Carb level. Especially when you eat them.

You also need to understand how your body processes food and especially how your body reacts during exercise in relation to food intake. The body naturally monitors things like sugar levels in the blood and reacts by releasing different harmones to control what is in your blood. Diseases like diabetes are caused when your body actually doesn't do what it naturally is supposed to do (like Type 1 diabetes people don't natually produce enough insulin) or your body doesn't react to these harmones (Type 2 diabetes where your body becomes resistant to the insulin).

The reason why your doctor prescribed exercise to take care of the "slightly high" sugar levels is because basic understanding of how the body works. In a nutshell: You eat certain foods, these foods get broken down into simplier parts like glucose (simple sugar). That get's released into the blood stream. Your blood get's a higher level of blood sugar. Sugar is transported to different parts of the body where cells that need this glucose for energy, then that sugar get's absorbed into those cells. If in a certain amount of short time (minutes) your body senses too much sugar in the blood stream, harmones are released to carry those sugar molecules where they are safely stored in the fat tissue. If something is not happening as I described, then you may have a disease like diabetes.

One way to combat this is by exercise. When you exercise, you create a demand for energy to your working muscle cells. Your body reacts by going through a series of systems to provide fuel to the muscle cells (ADP-ATP transformations). Your body goes through the Phosphagen System (where the muscle cells get energy from free floating fuel nearby the cells), and this lasts for 8 seconds as these free floating fuels run dry. Then Glygogen Lactic Acid kicks in where the muscle cells use up it's reserve of a complex carb called Glygogen. By about 90 seconds, this get's used up. So then a process where the cells need oxygen combined with fatty acids in fat tissue, protein breakdown from muscle cells (in extreme cases) or other fuel that is in the blood stream starts kicking in. This process known as aerobic resporation can last a long time as long as you have a good supply of oxygen and other fuels pumping through to the muscle cells that needs them.

What it boils down to, raising your activity levels will burn off the excess sugar in your blood stream if natural harmones released in the blood stream don't. I would suggest monitoring how much sugar you eat in calories (especially just before you plan to exercise) and then monitor how many calories you burn by the exercise. Does it even out? If you eat sugars like those in fruits and vegatbles, plan to eat them like a half hour before and after you plan to exercise. Carbs break down into sugars, but your body works harder to turn them into sugar and it takes your body a little more time to process the carb molecules into sugar. For this reason, experts say simple sugars is for quick energy (needed before activity) while carbs is for long term sustained energy that you need throughout the day.

I posted something here that I got from a couple different sources on the Internet that explains this process in better detail:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Stoshew71



How do you have your macros set in MFP? That is what percentage of Protein/Fat/Carbs? Make sure total carbs is set at a reasonable rate. If you go by the MFP default, then maybe lower the percentage of Carbs by 5% or so. Also, how many total grams of carbs and total grams of sugar is MFP allowing you? Oh an a very important step for you, how are you taking in fruits and vegatables? If you drink a glass of orange juice, I highly suggest you switch to eating a whole orange. Same with other juices. Juices leave out important nutrients like fiber that your body highly requires and plus you may be taking in more than you actually need by the juice. Plus make sure your carbs are in the whole grain catagory not bleached or processed.

Good luck!

tigersword

I just found out my blood sugar is slightly high, so my doctor is recommending exercise (which I also need to, and am going to, start) and a low carb diet.

I've Google'd low carb diets, but I'm confused by the different ones out there, and it seems like so much information I don't know where to look first. I just need a good starting point right now, and I'm in information overload. Can someone point me in the right direction just to get started on this low carb diet? I'm very confused, and don't know even the basics of what I should and shouldn't be eating right now.

Thank you.

Your doctor actually prescribed exercise. Did he also prescribe the low carb diet? Did he explain why your blood sugar was high? And he said "slightly high". That doesn't sound like a drastic solution like Atkins is necessary.

Here is what I would suggest. Make sure you are tracking everything here on MFP. Monitor your sugar closely as well as your overall Carb level. Especially when you eat them.

You also need to understand how your body processes food and especially how your body reacts during exercise in relation to food intake. The body naturally monitors things like sugar levels in the blood and reacts by releasing different harmones to control what is in your blood. Diseases like diabetes are caused when your body actually doesn't do what it naturally is supposed to do (like Type 1 diabetes people don't natually produce enough insulin) or your body doesn't react to these harmones (Type 2 diabetes where your body becomes resistant to the insulin).

The reason why your doctor prescribed exercise to take care of the "slightly high" sugar levels is because basic understanding of how the body works. In a nutshell: You eat certain foods, these foods get broken down into simplier parts like glucose (simple sugar). That get's released into the blood stream. Your blood get's a higher level of blood sugar. Sugar is transported to different parts of the body where cells that need this glucose for energy, then that sugar get's absorbed into those cells. If in a certain amount of short time (minutes) your body senses too much sugar in the blood stream, harmones are released to carry those sugar molecules where they are safely stored in the fat tissue. If something is not happening as I described, then you may have a disease like diabetes.

One way to combat this is by exercise. When you exercise, you create a demand for energy to your working muscle cells. Your body reacts by going through a series of systems to provide fuel to the muscle cells (ADP-ATP transformations). Your body goes through the Phosphagen System (where the muscle cells get energy from free floating fuel nearby the cells), and this lasts for 8 seconds as these free floating fuels run dry. Then Glygogen Lactic Acid kicks in where the muscle cells use up it's reserve of a complex carb called Glygogen. By about 90 seconds, this get's used up. So then a process where the cells need oxygen combined with fatty acids in fat tissue, protein breakdown from muscle cells (in extreme cases) or other fuel that is in the blood stream starts kicking in. This process known as aerobic resporation can last a long time as long as you have a good supply of oxygen and other fuels pumping through to the muscle cells that needs them.

What it boils down to, raising your activity levels will burn off the excess sugar in your blood stream if natural harmones released in the blood stream don't. I would suggest monitoring how much sugar you eat in calories (especially just before you plan to exercise) and then monitor how many calories you burn by the exercise. Does it even out? If you eat sugars like those in fruits and vegatbles, plan to eat them like a half hour before and after you plan to exercise. Carbs break down into sugars, but your body works harder to turn them into sugar and it takes your body a little more time to process the carb molecules into sugar. For this reason, experts say simple sugars is for quick energy (needed before activity) while carbs is for long term sustained energy that you need throughout the day.

I posted something here that I got from a couple different sources on the Internet that explains this process in better detail:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Stoshew71



How do you have your macros set in MFP? That is what percentage of Protein/Fat/Carbs? Make sure total carbs is set at a reasonable rate. If you go by the MFP default, then maybe lower the percentage of Carbs by 5% or so. Also, how many total grams of carbs and total grams of sugar is MFP allowing you? Oh an a very important step for you, how are you taking in fruits and vegatables? If you drink a glass of orange juice, I highly suggest you switch to eating a whole orange. Same with other juices. Juices leave out important nutrients like fiber that your body highly requires and plus you may be taking in more than you actually need by the juice. Plus make sure your carbs are in the whole grain catagory not bleached or processed.

Good luck!

While there is some info that is right here, there's also a lot that is wrong here. First, I believe the words you are looking for are "hormones" and I'm assuming "glycogen." Yes, it sounds like I'm being nitpicky, but to people that don't know anything about biology, spelling mistakes can be horrifying. For example, insulin and inulin are two completely different things, and could lead to serious confusion.

Now, insulin does hundreds of things in the human body, one thing it does NOT do is shuttle glucose to fat cells. Glucose doesn't go to fat cells. Insulin shuttles glucose directly to the muscles and organs that use it, then shuttles the rest to the liver. The liver converts the glucose to glycogen (glycogenesis) for storage. Once all the glycogen stores in your muscles and liver are completely full, then the liver will start converting excess glucose into glycerol. 3 glycerols are joined together to form a triglyceride, then that is sent to adipose cells for storage. It takes roughly 2-3 pounds of glycogen before the body starts producing glycerol.

Stoshew71

Thanks for the corrections tiger. I can appreciate how my bad speeling can confuse the novice. My apologies. Also, I may have over simplified the processes a bit. I kind of wrote it from the top of my head without referring to the facts or sources. The basic concept still holds water. I invite the OP to do her own investigation and research on how this all works. My off the cuff advice should lead her into further research. I provided enough to get her pointed in the right direction. Also, please consult your nutritionist. Don't just go by your docter alone. A general practitioner may have the basic idea of how the body works but a specialist (like a nutrionist or certified FT) may be more appropriate for more detailed questions or advise.

Just look at the physique of your doctor. Some are overweight and pudgy. That should tell you something about the advise they give you concerning nutrition and health.

lily2521

I just found out my blood sugar is slightly high, so my doctor is recommending exercise (which I also need to, and am going to, start) and a low carb diet.

I've Google'd low carb diets, but I'm confused by the different ones out there, and it seems like so much information I don't know where to look first. I just need a good starting point right now, and I'm in information overload. Can someone point me in the right direction just to get started on this low carb diet? I'm very confused, and don't know even the basics of what I should and shouldn't be eating right now.

Thank you.

Your doctor actually prescribed exercise. Did he also prescribe the low carb diet? Did he explain why your blood sugar was high? And he said "slightly high". That doesn't sound like a drastic solution like Atkins is necessary.

Here is what I would suggest. Make sure you are tracking everything here on MFP. Monitor your sugar closely as well as your overall Carb level. Especially when you eat them.

Yes, my doctors has prescribed the low carb diet, as well as the exercise. He didn't explain why it was high, I think I'm hoping to get that information from the nutritionist I meet with next week.

lily2521

How do you have your macros set in MFP? That is what percentage of Protein/Fat/Carbs? Make sure total carbs is set at a reasonable rate. If you go by the MFP default, then maybe lower the percentage of Carbs by 5% or so. Also, how many total grams of carbs and total grams of sugar is MFP allowing you? Oh an a very important step for you, how are you taking in fruits and vegatables? If you drink a glass of orange juice, I highly suggest you switch to eating a whole orange. Same with other juices. Juices leave out important nutrients like fiber that your body highly requires and plus you may be taking in more than you actually need by the juice. Plus make sure your carbs are in the whole grain catagory not bleached or processed.

Part of my problem here is I really have no clue what to set these %'s at? I'd like to get them figured out to start tracking. If my MFP goals are set by the 'guided' set up, based on what I'm plugging in for height/weight/exercise goals, it's giving me 215 carbs per day - I know that needs to be lower, but I'm not sure to what number I need to set it. If I go into MFP to change my %'s manually, I have no clue what to plug in there. Again, based on the guided numbers, which I know aren't right for me based on what I'm trying to accomplish it's showing 55% carb (215 grams), 15% protein (59 grams), and 30% fat. It also shows 31 grams of sugar allowed per day - again, I know this is too high for me.

My fruit an veggie intake overall needs to increase. I don't drink fruit juices, I usually eat the raw form of fruits/veggies (or steamed veggies). I'm a whole grain eater, always have been. I don't eat the white starchy type breads, pastas, etc. I always go for whole grains there.

Thank you for your help.

Stoshew71

Yes, my doctors has prescribed the low carb diet, as well as the exercise. He didn't explain why it was high, I think I'm hoping to get that information from the nutritionist I meet with next week.

Your nutrionist would be a great source on how to modify your food intake based upon your diagnosis. However, I highly doubt your nutionist would tell you why your blood sugar is slightly high. I could be wrong tho. A nutionist would see many cases and based upon his/her experience would have some ideas why it is so.

If your primary doctor didn't tell you why your blood sugar is high, then maybe he is unsure or just assuming that you don't have a serious case. A specialist on blood sugar may be the next step if simple modification of diet and exercise doesn't lower your blood sugar. Do you have the results from the blood work to show your nutrionist? I highly suggest you get it and show it to him/her.

lily2521

Yes, my doctors has prescribed the low carb diet, as well as the exercise. He didn't explain why it was high, I think I'm hoping to get that information from the nutritionist I meet with next week.

Your nutrionist would be a great source on how to modify your food intake based upon your diagnosis. However, I highly doubt your nutionist would tell you why your blood sugar is slightly high. I could be wrong tho. A nutionist would see many cases and based upon his/her experience would have some ideas why it is so.

If your primary doctor didn't tell you why your blood sugar is high, then maybe he is unsure or just assuming that you don't have a serious case. A specialist on blood sugar may be the next step if simple modification of diet and exercise doesn't lower your blood sugar. Do you have the results from the blood work to show your nutrionist? I highly suggest you get it and show it to him/her.

I do have the results showing the numbers, and that it's elevated, I'll be sure to bring that to my nutritionist appointment.

grentea

I'm prediabetic and I'm not overweight. What I do is eat around 30 grams of carbs at each meal. For me that ends up being about one serving size of a high carb food. For example, a 1/2 cup of beans, 1 serving of a starchy veggie like peas or corn, or 2 slices of bread. I would also eat protein and veggies with whatever carb/starchy food that I eat. I also use a little book called Calorie Fat and Carbohydrate counter that has tons of foods in it, with their carb and fat counts.

I think the big thing is to not have major fluctuations in your blood sugar throughout the day. Your blood sugar can go up and then crash by eating a lot of sugar/carbs, or for me going too long without eating. So foods like candy and donuts will send your blood sugar sky high and then you will crash, but a serving of chicken plus broccoli, not so much. Just an FYI, don't ask for this kind of advice on the Internet because everyone is different, and how you respond to a certain food will be different than someone else. And some of the advice you get can be ineffective or just plain wrong, including the advice that I gave you. Find a reputable source and not strangers on the Internet.

swaggityswagbag

Low carb is technically anything under 100g, but 50g is better, and 25 and lower is generally considered "keto". If you don't plan on exercising in the slightest, keto is the way to go.

Stoshew71

Part of my problem here is I really have no clue what to set these %'s at? I'd like to get them figured out to start tracking. If my MFP goals are set by the 'guided' set up, based on what I'm plugging in for height/weight/exercise goals, it's giving me 215 carbs per day - I know that needs to be lower, but I'm not sure to what number I need to set it. If I go into MFP to change my %'s manually, I have no clue what to plug in there. Again, based on the guided numbers, which I know aren't right for me based on what I'm trying to accomplish it's showing 55% carb (215 grams), 15% protein (59 grams), and 30% fat. It also shows 31 grams of sugar allowed per day - again, I know this is too high for me.

These settings may be more of an art then a science. There are 2 ways to attack this.

1. Wait for the nutrionist to advise you.
2. Start with a base and lower the appropriate amounts slowly until you achieve the correct results.

55% carb may be high for you personally. Maybe drop it down to 50%-45% and see if that works. I found personally that MFP provided too low of protein percentage for me. Again, maybe up it up here in proportion to your carb drop. Fats are important too tho. Do the research, for example, fatty acids help carry certian nutrients through the blood, is a source for membrane tissue, and helps your nervous system function properly. I still don't understand how much of my fats need to be saturated verses unsaturated (poly and mono). But I don't like how MFP only wants you to have saturated fat. Omega-3 fats from fish are vital to the funtioning of your body and that is an unsaturated fat. Trans fat are definetly bad for you since these are man made /factory manufactured hyrogenonized (sp?) process in order to make it saturated where one or more of the H links are twisted in the wrong direction giving problems to your body digesting it properly. Point is, I don't know exactly how to advise you on raising your proteins or fat percentages. But you need to lower your carb and sugar intake per what MFP advises you by default.

My fruit an veggie intake overall needs to increase. I don't drink fruit juices, I usually eat the raw form of fruits/veggies (or steamed veggies). I'm a whole grain eater, always have been. I don't eat the white starchy type breads, pastas, etc. I always go for whole grains there.

Careful fruits and veggies are considered carbs. The very thing we discussed in lowering. 3-4 servings of different fruits throughout the day is important. Maybe eat a banana in the morning before a workout, an apple just afterwards. Refer to my earlier post on sugar in relation to exercise. This will ensure that your exercise will counter the temporary sugar high in your blood sugar and still get the other nutrition that your body needs from those fruits. Maybe have that third serving of fruit when you feel those blues later on in the day for a quick boost. Other carbs (grains and veggies) and proteins are needed throughout the day evenly paced. And many proteins are consumed with fats naturally.

Your nutrionist would explain this better than me. I am just learning like the rest of us novices. But I feel being educated is much more effective then just following some orders or plan blindly. Whatever the doctor or nutrionist tells you to do, make sure you try your best to understand why they are telling you these things. The more questions you ask, the better for you in the long run.

Thank you for your help.

My pleasure!

kvalhion

I've never seen a great need to calculate exactly how many carbohydrates I am eating on a given day. I think people who micromanage every single carbohydrate miss the purpose of why keeping sugars low will likely improve health.

My advice would be to get rid of processed foods and focus on vegetables to begin with. Minimize fruits because they contain natural sugars. Make sure you have some vegetables with each meal as they will increase the quantity of food you eat and help you feel a bit more full. As long as you are not eating simple sugars and are having a generous amount of vegetables, you will very likely see a marked improvement in your health. You do need to keep an eye on calories, especially from fats if your goal is to lose weight.

For me, I stopped eating processed foods (foods that come in a package with an ingredient list) and focused on whole foods - lean proteins, vegetables, and healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. I didn't even count calories in the beginning, I simply ate when I was hungry and always had protein, vegetables and some fats together. I was able to lose 78 pounds in exactly one year, and have kept that off and more in the 2 1/2 years since.

Each person needs to find what works for them, so don't be afraid to experiment. Try not to follow the exact regimen of someone else as it can be very difficult to do so. Tailor your needs to you and find something that is satisfying and sustainable.

Good luck!

themedalist

I think seeing a nutritionist is an excellent idea. But, I would suggest making sure that person is a Registered Dietician (RD) and not just a "nutritionist". Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, but RD's have completed years of education in nutrition and have passed rigorous licensing exams in in their state.

You should consult an RD, not a "nutritionist" in my opinion.

verityfitness

Dont follow any particular diet as theyre all far too restrictive, Im on a low carb diet and simply just dont eat bread unless its rye bread, cut down on the amount of pasta you eat and eat sweet potato instead of normal white potatoes and then the obvious things like no chips, no crisps etc etc.

Ive lost alot of weight this way.

Fill up on high protein foods, like Eggs and meat.

kjimmie4848

I did well for a few weeks staying below 100 net carbs and keeping my blood sugar under 140 until yesterday. I had 2 slices of whole grain bread and it went to 170. I realized the only thing I did different that meal was I didn't have any fat to go with it. I guess it's just that important.