2 Weeks of Low Carbs - PLEASE HELP

AdAstra47

You should never do low carb as a short term "diet" just to lose around your mid section. If you are not prepared to eat lowish or moderate carb with clean foods such as meat, eggs, lots of veggies and moderate fruit intake - then you should not go down this path at all. You will end up being one of the people on this site that says low carb doesn't work. It works when it is a lifestyle and not a short term fix!

Depending on your metabolism, it could take your body that long to just adjust to getting its fuel from protein/fat rather than carbs. So if you only do it for two weeks, you may not see any difference at all.

I have been low-carb, high-protein (20-30g carbs & 350g protein a day) for over 4 months now and it works wonderfully *when* you treat it as a lifestyle change and not some fad diet.

That said...
choose foods that are high in protein. For snacks: hard-boiled eggs, beef jerky, peanuts or almonds, Laughing cow wedges, or chunks of hard cheeses (you can find these in all kinds of flavors, it's kind of fun to experiment). For meals: chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, fish, spinach & other leafy greens, broccoli & cauliflower. And watch your sauces, most have a lot of hidden carbs. Invest in spices that you can sprinkle on for flavor, instead of high-carb sauces & dressings.

mgmlap

turkey sausage is really low carb..

swiftfox82

fat and carbs kinda work like a see saw . If you want to lose weight and get good cholesterol I recommend going on a high fat low carb . Keep your carbs under 100mg and make sure to eat whole fat foods . I know most people will say i'm nuts, but fat is very key to losing weight I would refer to the movie fathead to all those who don't believe me. Carbs tell your body to store what you eat and fat is what your muscles and brain need to function. I hope this helps it works for me.

AdAstra47

fat and carbs kinda work like a see saw . If you want to lose weight and get good cholesterol I recommend going on a high fat low carb . Keep your carbs under 100mg and make sure to eat whole fat foods . I know most people will say i'm nuts, but fat is very key to losing weight I would refer to the movie fathead to all those who don't believe me. Carbs tell your body to store what you eat and fat is what your muscles and brain need to function. I hope this helps it works for me.

This is correct! And I second the recommendation of the movie "Fat Head," and also (if you can find it) the Canadian documentary "My Big Fat Diet."

But I will add what my doctor told me: the chemical reaction that burns fat to create energy ALSO requires protein. Figure three parts fat to one part protein. Now, it's fine if you're trying to lose weight and your body harvests your fat for energy. But you do NOT want your body harvesting the protein from your muscles! So make sure to eat plenty of protein. That's a key element. Take MFP's recommended percentages (40%carb, 10% protein) and reverse them (10%carb, 40% protein). That way you'll burn fat while *not* losing any muscle mass.

Last time I went to my doctor (after eating low-carb, high-protein, higher-fat for about 3 months), he did some tests and found I had lost 25 lbs of fat, 6 lbs of water (fat retains water), and *gained* a pound of muscle. That's what you want to do!

beernutz

fat and carbs kinda work like a see saw . If you want to lose weight and get good cholesterol I recommend going on a high fat low carb . Keep your carbs under 100mg and make sure to eat whole fat foods . I know most people will say i'm nuts, but fat is very key to losing weight I would refer to the movie fathead to all those who don't believe me. Carbs tell your body to store what you eat and fat is what your muscles and brain need to function. I hope this helps it works for me.

I don't think you're nuts (or nutz like me). You, AdAstra, and fufonzo are providing some of the best information in this thread. Watching carbs and fat levels are the key to this diet but like AdAstra pointed out you need to maintain adequate protein or you risk catabolizing muscle. The more muscle you have the better, as your body will burn more calories. Well done AdAstra on losing fat while gaining muscle--I know a lot of bodybuilders who would be extremely jealous of that feat.