Is Low Carb for Life?

swinnie239

I'm currently trying to average 50-60 grams of carbs a day. For the time being, I think I can keep up with it. I def will try to stay on it as long as possible, but I can't help but think that this is not something that I can maintain for the rest of my life.

Because I am vegetarian, it does limit what I can eat pretty severly.

I am by no means close to maintenance, so this is a way in the future question, but just wondering.

Would it be a bad idea that once I hit my goal weight/maintenance to up my carb goal to 100 gross or to 60-70 net (i.e. the carbs less the fiber)?

Dragonwolf

It may be possible to eventually increase your carb intake as you lose weight and your body heals, but keep in mind that eating in a way that our bodies can't handle (too many carbs) is what got us where we are in the first place. So there is a very real possibility that you won't be able to increase it that much without creeping back to where you started. If/when you do decide to do that, go slowly and keep an eye on not just things like your weight, but your cravings and hunger levels, too, as those will be a pretty immediate indicator that you've gone beyond what your body best tolerates.

That said, your diet looks pretty good, though I do have a couple of tweaking suggestions (which might also help mix things up a bit and keep things from getting dull):

I'd swap out the "buttery spread" for real butter, coconut oil, and/or olive oil. Canola oil and soybean oil in particular can have some nasty effects on our bodies, especially in conjunction with PCOS. Olive oil will become semi-solid when chilled, and is a big hit on breads. Real butter has a number of beneficial nutrients, including vitamin K2, selenium, and magnesium, which are especially good for women with PCOS. Coconut oil (particularly virgin, unrefined) has a number of nutritional benefits, including positive effects on insulin resistance, and the relatively rare medium chain triglycerides, which is a great source of fuel for the body.

Depending on your reasons for being vegetarian, you might want to consider adding some fish to your diet, or supplement Omega-3 specifically with a good quality supplement. Almonds (and the products made from them) are particularly high in Omega-6 and lacking in Omega-3 fats. The two fats should be roughly balanced, overall, as too much Omega-6 can cause inflammation and lead to/exacerbate inflammation-related problems. The eggs are a good start, but they don't make enough of an appearance to really counterbalance the amount of Omega-6s in the almond milk (especially when combined with the seed oil based butter substitutes, which are also high in Omega-6 fats). You can also reduce your Omega-6 intake by rotating the almond milk with other milks, such as coconut milk.