LOW CARB help and advice needed, please :)

caitindabx

Hi Everyone!

Today will be a full week that I've been trying out a low carb diet. My diary is public so I would very much appreciate some feed back. I adjusted my MFP settings to low carb 10% carb, 45% protein, 45% fat. I have been calculating my net carbs by subtracting my fiber from carbs and I have been able to remain around 40 grams of carbs for the most part. My weight currently hovers around 180 and I'm trying to lose 20 pounds. I'm 5'8" and 24 yrs old. I work at a desk job but try to get all the extra exercise I can get.. such as always using the stairs, walking to and from the train, taking walks on my lunch break.. but aside from that I don't work out. I have been on this diet for a week.. no bad carbs.. just getting my carbs from veggies mainly. I havent seen any weight loss this week and I have read everywhere that on a low carb diet you should see a big chance after a week or so... If someone could look at my diary and give me some advice I would appreciate it. My calories hover around 1200-1400 mostly but occasionally I don't even hit 1000. I also should mention that I am a vegetarian. I do however eat fish and eggs. I think I may not be getting enough protein and fat?? I'm not sure. New to this and want to make sure I'm going to be seeing results!

Thank you!!!

mommyJto3

Yes, you need to eat more, in general. Never let your calories get below 1200. I would definitely up your protein if you plan on lowering your carb intake. Try something like this:

Breakfast:
Protein, carb

Snack

Lunch:
Protein, carb, salad

Snack

Dinner:
Protein, veggie, salad

Snack Options
1 serving almonds with a rice cake or piece of fruit
1tbsp almond butter on whole grain toast or rice cake
Low fat string cheese, celery sticks
Jerky (low sodium if you can find it)
1scoop protein or serving of protein and a fruit
Protein bar with low sugar/carbs
½ cup low sugar greek yogurt, ½ serving almonds

good luck!

jedi9393

Hi, you are actually doing great, however I would up the protein to at least 60 grams a day. Also you might wanna cut back on the sauces and stuff just a little. Most are full of sugars and stuff. You also probably need a guide book on which vggies to eat if you dont already have that.

As a vegetarian going low carb I seriously applaud you! It's not always easy. Also skip the egg whites if you can. Try a full blown egg. Mix in some cheese too. I love cheese. Adds a little more fat. Oh and drink, drink plenty of water. Lots!! I hope this helps.

kimmck

Does anyone know what is the % for the Zone diet? I believe this is a low carb diet system?

NoExcuseTina

Eat at least 1200 calories
cut out the sauces
cut out the alcohol (at least for the first month or so)
add exercise and eat back your calories

and I agree with protein being at least 60g per day (higher if you add lifting weights)

JipsyJudy

When you changed your diet you might have caused your body to start retaining water or storing more "sewage" in your intestines (the human intestine is 33 ft. long). This will probably balance out over time. It isn't possible to eat only 1200 calories a day and not lose weight unless you're lying in bed all day long. When you go low carb, You need to be careful to eat enough fiber. I find I have to eat a half cup of oatmeal or a half slice of whole wheat bread once a day or I begin to hold "sewage" in my system. Several people have suggested adding milled flax seeds for low carb fiber. That seems to work for a lot of people, but it gave me gas, so I went back to eating small amounts of oatmeal and whole wheat products.

I'm prediabetic so low carb isn't just a choice for me, it's a necessity. You might want to read The Insulin Resistance Diet book. It's written for diabetics and prediabetics, but it has a lot of excellent advice regarding low carb diets. However, I can sum up the two most important points in that book. First, the doctor who wrote the book says to ALWAYS pair carbs and protein at a meal. This means always eat some protein when you eat carbs, and never, ever eat carbs without protein. Second, she says to never eat more than 30 carbs in any two hour period.

I'm 65 years old, 5'9, and weigh 164.6 at the moment. I've lost 20 pounds since March, when I was diagnosed as prediabetic, and I have been a member of this site for 30 days. I'm also on a 1200 calorie a day program, although I walk at least 4 miles a day, so I get to eat a little more than 1200 calories most days. I'm losing one pound per week pretty consistently.

Since you can easily hold as much as 4 or 5 extra pounds due to water and "sewage" retention, my guess is you've probably lost a pound or two of fat by now but aren't yet seeing it on the scales. Hang in there!

caitindabx

Thank you so much for the suggestions!!! Jedi, I am going to take your advice about the eggs... even though I'm super programmed to eat only the whites, I will try whole eggs (free range, of course!). I have also been adding some mozzarella cheese to my eggs in the morning which is delicious.

It can be hard as a vegetarian since most low carb recipes i've come across include meat.. but I'm doing my best!

AdAstra47

First of all, everyone's metabolism is different so take any advice from anyone (including me!) with a grain of salt. People can only tell you what worked for them, not necessarily what will work for you. And don't let anyone tell you what you "should" be losing. Personally, for me it depends on the TOM, I will eat & exercise very consistently but for two weeks every month the scale won't move at all no matter what. Then the next two weeks I might see a drastic change. Gotta love those hormones...not. Anyway, don't judge your weight loss success or failure based on a single week, or even two weeks. Listen to how your body is feeling, rather than paying too much attention to the scale, and give it some time.

Also, people doing low-carb tend to get attacked sometimes because some people still think it's unhealthy or a fad diet. Just ignore those people, and politely remind them that you posted for advice on how to do low-carb better, not because you want to be talked out of low-carb.

OK, with that said...
I took a look and noticed that you almost never hit your protein goal for the day. You should be trying to keep the other numbers in the green, but that protein number is a minimum, you should try to get that in the red. Why? Because that's what will keep you from losing muscle as you lose your fat. If you lose both muscle and fat, your weight loss will slow down, because muscle tissue burns a lot of energy. The less muscle mass you have, the less energy your body will burn. So burn that fat, but preserve the muscle by eating at least your daily goal of protein.

I'm on an even more restrictive lifestyle than yours, eating 5% carbs, 30% fat, 65% protein per my doctor's orders. Things I've found that help are:
Keeping cheese cubes or wedges and hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for good high-protein snacks.
Protein powder. I don't know how you feel about processed foods, but protein powder has been a lifesaver for me. I can put a scoop in my drink at each meal or snacktime. I'd never reach my protein goal without it. Also, the flavored protein powders can be a good substitute for the bad carbs, if you have a sweet tooth. A scoop of chocolate powder in some Greek yogurt gets me through a chocolate ice cream craving.
I've also just discovered ridiculously simple yet tasty Muffin in a Minute recipes, here http://www.atkins.com/Program/Phase1/WhatYouCanEatinthisPhase/AllAboutMIMs.aspx

Hope this helps. Good luck to you!

BBBombshell

Hi Everyone!

Today will be a full week that I've been trying out a low carb diet. My diary is public so I would very much appreciate some feed back. I adjusted my MFP settings to low carb 10% carb, 45% protein, 45% fat. I have been calculating my net carbs by subtracting my fiber from carbs and I have been able to remain around 40 grams of carbs for the most part. My weight currently hovers around 180 and I'm trying to lose 20 pounds. I'm 5'8" and 24 yrs old. I work at a desk job but try to get all the extra exercise I can get.. such as always using the stairs, walking to and from the train, taking walks on my lunch break.. but aside from that I don't work out. I have been on this diet for a week.. no bad carbs.. just getting my carbs from veggies mainly. I havent seen any weight loss this week and I have read everywhere that on a low carb diet you should see a big chance after a week or so... If someone could look at my diary and give me some advice I would appreciate it. My calories hover around 1200-1400 mostly but occasionally I don't even hit 1000. I also should mention that I am a vegetarian. I do however eat fish and eggs. I think I may not be getting enough protein and fat?? I'm not sure. New to this and want to make sure I'm going to be seeing results!

Thank you!!!

You need to eat more....you are likely below your BMR, so your body is hanging on. Also, if you read the Atkins book and do 14 days of induction (20 g of carbs) you will likely kick start again.

martinah4

I took a look at your diary, and here's my suggestions.
--You don't seem to be drinking enough water. You should try to drink a minimum of 64 oz a day!
--Get rid of the "light" mayo, and the sauces and dressings, esp. if they are "low fat" or "light". When you take the fat out of mayo, for example, they just replace the fat with sugar. Too many sugars will stall your weight loss.
--Eat more protein. You're vegiterrean, then maybe eat whole eggs and cheese (whole, not reduced fat)
--Look closely at the foods you buy and make sure they don't have too many sugars.
--an easy and yummy way to up your calories is to have a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter. It only has about 4-5 carbs per serving, it does a good job of satisfying a sweet tooth, and it has protein and fat. WINNING!

I stay around 20 net carbs a day, since February '11. I avoid fruits (because of the natural sugars--I can add them in when I'm closer to goal weight) and I try to avoid anything that comes in a package or processed.

Good luck!

SOOZIE429

How about eat more healthy fats? Coconut oil, olive oil, butter? If you are doing low carb, you should being eating a little higher fat. Try to have a healthy fat with each meal and do some reading, South Beach Diet or The Zone. Lots and lots of greens and no processed foods whatsoever.

Good luck.

Grokette

Hi Everyone!

Today will be a full week that I've been trying out a low carb diet. My diary is public so I would very much appreciate some feed back. I adjusted my MFP settings to low carb 10% carb, 45% protein, 45% fat. I have been calculating my net carbs by subtracting my fiber from carbs and I have been able to remain around 40 grams of carbs for the most part. My weight currently hovers around 180 and I'm trying to lose 20 pounds. I'm 5'8" and 24 yrs old. I work at a desk job but try to get all the extra exercise I can get.. such as always using the stairs, walking to and from the train, taking walks on my lunch break.. but aside from that I don't work out. I have been on this diet for a week.. no bad carbs.. just getting my carbs from veggies mainly. I havent seen any weight loss this week and I have read everywhere that on a low carb diet you should see a big chance after a week or so... If someone could look at my diary and give me some advice I would appreciate it. My calories hover around 1200-1400 mostly but occasionally I don't even hit 1000. I also should mention that I am a vegetarian. I do however eat fish and eggs. I think I may not be getting enough protein and fat?? I'm not sure. New to this and want to make sure I'm going to be seeing results!

Thank you!!!

Check out the Atkins website for recipe ideas of being a vegetarian and low carbing. I think you are going to have to up your fats with coconut oil and olive oil and make sure you are eating great amounts of vegetables.

http://www.atkins.com/Recipes.aspx?searchmode=cuisine

Go to the bottom of the page in this link and there are a LOT of vegetarian recipes for you to browse and get ideas on how you should be eating with being a vegetarian and low carb.

KavemanKarg

Hi and welcome to reduced carb.

I will say that one week is not enough to judge any diet and to know if its right for you.

Now, moving on

I would lose the egg whites that come in a carton, and eat real and whole eggs. You will feel more full, and you will actually get a complete protein that way. At the very least you should eat one yolk per 2 whites.

Also, you are not doing yourself any favors with "lite" versions of anything.

If you need to top up, consider as well coconut oil, organic and virgin. Quick 120 calories and it will dull your hunger and is insanely heart healthy.

And of course, ample protein is a must.

All the best

caitindabx

When you changed your diet you might have caused your body to start retaining water or storing more "sewage" in your intestines (the human intestine is 33 ft. long). This will probably balance out over time. It isn't possible to eat only 1200 calories a day and not lose weight unless you're lying in bed all day long. When you go low carb, You need to be careful to eat enough fiber. I find I have to eat a half cup of oatmeal or a half slice of whole wheat bread once a day or I begin to hold "sewage" in my system. Several people have suggested adding milled flax seeds for low carb fiber. That seems to work for a lot of people, but it gave me gas, so I went back to eating small amounts of oatmeal and whole wheat products.

I'm prediabetic so low carb isn't just a choice for me, it's a necessity. You might want to read The Insulin Resistance Diet book. It's written for diabetics and prediabetics, but it has a lot of excellent advice regarding low carb diets. However, I can sum up the two most important points in that book. First, the doctor who wrote the book says to ALWAYS pair carbs and protein at a meal. This means always eat some protein when you eat carbs, and never, ever eat carbs without protein. Second, she says to never eat more than 30 carbs in any two hour period.

I'm 65 years old, 5'9, and weigh 164.6 at the moment. I've lost 20 pounds since March, when I was diagnosed as prediabetic, and I have been a member of this site for 30 days. I'm also on a 1200 calorie a day program, although I walk at least 4 miles a day, so I get to eat a little more than 1200 calories most days. I'm losing one pound per week pretty consistently.

Since you can easily hold as much as 4 or 5 extra pounds due to water and "sewage" retention, my guess is you've probably lost a pound or two of fat by now but aren't yet seeing it on the scales. Hang in there!

Thank you so much for this post!!! I'm going to take your advice and start increasing my fiber.. I think you might be on to something. I have been a little.. off.. lately lol Would you recommend taking a fiber supplement?? I have seen fiber gummys in the store but they also probably have sugar in them. Also, I have only been on this low carb diet for a week and conveniently (sarcasm) it is just about that time of the month so I'm hoping I just may be bloated and retaining water.. and i'm hoping once Aunt flo arrives I will see a difference on the scale. Sorry if this was too much information.

caitindabx

First of all, everyone's metabolism is different so take any advice from anyone (including me!) with a grain of salt. People can only tell you what worked for them, not necessarily what will work for you. And don't let anyone tell you what you "should" be losing. Personally, for me it depends on the TOM, I will eat & exercise very consistently but for two weeks every month the scale won't move at all no matter what. Then the next two weeks I might see a drastic change. Gotta love those hormones...not. Anyway, don't judge your weight loss success or failure based on a single week, or even two weeks. Listen to how your body is feeling, rather than paying too much attention to the scale, and give it some time.

Also, people doing low-carb tend to get attacked sometimes because some people still think it's unhealthy or a fad diet. Just ignore those people, and politely remind them that you posted for advice on how to do low-carb better, not because you want to be talked out of low-carb.

OK, with that said...
I took a look and noticed that you almost never hit your protein goal for the day. You should be trying to keep the other numbers in the green, but that protein number is a minimum, you should try to get that in the red. Why? Because that's what will keep you from losing muscle as you lose your fat. If you lose both muscle and fat, your weight loss will slow down, because muscle tissue burns a lot of energy. The less muscle mass you have, the less energy your body will burn. So burn that fat, but preserve the muscle by eating at least your daily goal of protein.

I'm on an even more restrictive lifestyle than yours, eating 5% carbs, 30% fat, 65% protein per my doctor's orders. Things I've found that help are:
Keeping cheese cubes or wedges and hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for good high-protein snacks.
Protein powder. I don't know how you feel about processed foods, but protein powder has been a lifesaver for me. I can put a scoop in my drink at each meal or snacktime. I'd never reach my protein goal without it. Also, the flavored protein powders can be a good substitute for the bad carbs, if you have a sweet tooth. A scoop of chocolate powder in some Greek yogurt gets me through a chocolate ice cream craving.
I've also just discovered ridiculously simple yet tasty Muffin in a Minute recipes, here http://www.atkins.com/Program/Phase1/WhatYouCanEatinthisPhase/AllAboutMIMs.aspx

Hope this helps. Good luck to you!

Thank you thank you thank you for your tips!!! I can't express how happy I am that I finally posted here and asked for advice. Everyone is so nice. You have convinced me to invest in some protein powder...I have been holding off on it because of the price but I think it will be worth it based on what you've told me. The yogurt + chocolate powder sounds amazing.

Thank you

caitindabx

All of your tips/advice are very good and helpful. This is my first time really sticking to a diet or eating plan for more than a day (seriously) lol... aside from being vegetarian of course.

I have been drinking more water than it is showing on my diary... I always forget to record the water. I try to always be sipping water throughout the day at work.. I use the little crystal light single packets to make it more appealing. They are delicious!

JipsyJudy

To answer your question about fiber recommendations, I haven't tried any supplements, but I found this web page useful.
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/a/fibercounts.htm

Birder150

Yogurt & cocoa powder IS amazing!!! I will testify! :happy:
KavemanKarg & AdAstra47 & Grokette have given you some great advice, IMO.
I always get great info from these people and they have your best interests at heart.

oops ... AND martinah too.
These people really understand the low carb lifestyle.

caitindabx

Thanks!!! I'm glad I finally posted on here it makes me feel so good to get all these tips and support!! You all are wonderful and it's good to hear from so many people who are so knowledgeable about low carbing. I can tell low carb diets are a big topic of debate on these threads but I'm glad you are all here!

alexaransome

I've just ordered some coconut oil, protein powder and almond butter - fingers cross they are edible....

funkycamper

You have already gotten some great advice which I can't add to so I will just say that I have never had the bigger 5-10# weight losses some people report when going low-carb either so don't let that bother you. It's just water-weight anyway so, except for the fact that it can feel good to see that scale go down, it really doesn't mean much in the long run anyway. Good luck!