eating lower carb, having trouble eating enough...

sarahrbraun

So I have been eating lower carb (50-100 net carbs a day) for the last 11 days...there have been several days when I HAVE to eat an evening snack to hit 1200 calories a day. Despite a 400-500 calorie burn this morning, I had to force myself to eat an Atkins bar for lunch. I ate until I was full at dinner, but had barely eaten 1100 of my 1900 (including exercise calories) calories for the day. I did eat a chunk of summer sausage to hit my calories for the day, but I hated doing it. Is this bad?

email4jenp

I just posted my dilemma to this very problem last week. I do no sugar and very low carb (due to a metabolic syndrome, so I HAVE to) I eat about 20-30g carb per day. You end up just not being hungry anymore and it's hard to fit the calories in. I eat a lot of veggies, and since they are so low cal, it's hard to bump it up. I had several days last week where I barely made it to 1000 cals and that was just too weird and too crazy. That was not my intention either.

Add some healthy oils, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, things like that.

marycmeadows

Veggies are low cal but do not equal low carb.... but anyway. just eat more calorie dense stuff... avocado. peanut butter, nuts. (low carb goodness)

sarahrbraun

this is probably bad, but I don't log my salad dressing, or the coconut *butter* that I use on my eggs in the morning...there's probably another 100-200 calories there.

One night I had enough calories/carbs left to have a handful of chips with hubby and STILL have a yogurt too. Today at the store I bought fried mozzerella planks---I think they might be one of my cheats on the days when I am struggling to eat enough to hit my goals.

sarahrbraun

Veggies are low cal but do not equal low carb.... but anyway. just eat more calorie dense stuff... avocado. peanut butter, nuts. (low carb goodness)

I have been logging all my food the last few weeks, and the veggies I have been eating ARE low carb ( lettuce, cukes, etc). I meant to get an avocado at the store today, but I forgot I do eat some peanut butter, but it is pretty carb dense...

DaveneGfit

You actually need carbs to function and have energy to get through the day. A low carb diet may help you loose weight, but in the long run won't be so good. My diet actually consists of about 70% carbs and I eat a lot of veggies, whole grains, and small amounts of fruit. I think where I got confused for so many years was knowing the difference between a simple carb and a complex carb. A simple carb will make your blood sugar spike and ultimately will turn to fat. This would be anything like white bread, white rice, and pasta. A complex carb will give you sustained energy and is low glycemic meaning your blood sugar won't spike. Complex carbs are anything like veggies, brown rice, whole grain sprouted bread, quinoa, and even fruit.

I have tried so many diets though the years and none of them ever worked for me until I learned that we over complicate things, If we just make it simple and eat whole foods the weight falls off naturally and we feel so much better

sevencallmemom

this is probably bad, but I don't log my salad dressing, or the coconut *butter* that I use on my eggs in the morning...there's probably another 100-200 calories there.

One night I had enough calories/carbs left to have a handful of chips with hubby and STILL have a yogurt too. Today at the store I bought fried mozzerella planks---I think they might be one of my cheats on the days when I am struggling to eat enough to hit my goals.

Salad dressing and coconut butter is probably a bit more than 1-200 cals. If you are that close to your cal goal not counting them, I'm sure you are doing fine calorie-wise. I'd be more concerned about watching the carbs from chips and the breading (I assume) on the mozzarella sticks if I were you. I know that wouldn't work well for me (low carbing for 15 months now).

rasp12

Have you considered legumes? They count for both protein and carb, quite a lot of carbs especially chickpeas. I try for 45 carbs at each meal and have 30 carbs from starch usually with a fruit for the third 15 gms. If I have 1/2 cup of legumes, I can get my 7 gms of protein and 30gms of carbs so have to focus on a salad for the rest or something similar.

sarahrbraun

You actually need carbs to function and have energy to get through the day. A low carb diet may help you loose weight, but in the long run won't be so good. My diet actually consists of about 70% carbs and I eat a lot of veggies, whole grains, and small amounts of fruit. I think where I got confused for so many years was knowing the difference between a simple carb and a complex carb. A simple carb will make your blood sugar spike and ultimately will turn to fat. This would be anything like white bread, white rice, and pasta. A complex carb will give you sustained energy and is low glycemic meaning your blood sugar won't spike. Complex carbs are anything like veggies, brown rice, whole grain sprouted bread, quinoa, and even fruit.

I have tried so many diets though the years and none of them ever worked for me until I learned that we over complicate things, If we just make it simple and eat whole foods the weight falls off naturally and we feel so much better

The first time I cut my NET carbs down was under medical supervision. About 7-8 years ago I was diagnosed with insulin resistance. I cut my net carbs down to 50 per day, reversed my insulin resistance, lost 15-20 pounds, and got pregnant. I have been fighting the weight since my son was weaned about 5 years ago. 3 months ago I started really trying to lose weight, and I couldn't get it to come off. I busted *kitten* and lost 7 pounds in 3 months. I cut my carbs down, did the same workout, and lost 6 pounds in 9 days.

I generally eat 3 cups of lettuce a day, plus cukes. Almost every morning I have a high fiber tortilla with eggs and soy bacon for breakfast breakfast. Last weekend I ate a chipotle burrito bowl ( I had the calories/carbs for it). My goal this time around is to eat *normal* food in portions that fit in my meal plan. That means that last night when the family had chicken patties, I had a chicken patty ( wrapped in a tortilla instead of a bun).

sarahrbraun

this is probably bad, but I don't log my salad dressing, or the coconut *butter* that I use on my eggs in the morning...there's probably another 100-200 calories there.

One night I had enough calories/carbs left to have a handful of chips with hubby and STILL have a yogurt too. Today at the store I bought fried mozzerella planks---I think they might be one of my cheats on the days when I am struggling to eat enough to hit my goals.

Salad dressing and coconut butter is probably a bit more than 1-200 cals. If you are that close to your cal goal not counting them, I'm sure you are doing fine calorie-wise. I'd be more concerned about watching the carbs from chips and the breading (I assume) on the mozzarella sticks if I were you. I know that wouldn't work well for me (low carbing for 15 months now).

The scrape of coconut oil *butter* is under 50 calories. I only use about a tablespoon or so of dressing... The mozzarella sticks are for a "cheat" when I look at my food diary at night and see I have only eaten like 30 net carbs that day. I even looked at the calories/carbs per stick. The night I had the chips, I had like 400 calories left without touching exercise calories!

wftiger

Protein shakes. Just make sure you get low carb ones. A few I like -- Premier Nutrition, EAS CarbAdvantage, Pure Protein and Syntrax Nectar (okay I dunno about the "liking" the last one but it is super low in carbs and sodium so I drink it).

Of all above, the Premier Nutrition is the best with the EAS right behind. Get them nice and cold and tastes like yummy chocolate milk.

wftiger

You actually need carbs to function and have energy to get through the day. A low carb diet may help you loose weight, but in the long run won't be so good. My diet actually consists of about 70% carbs and I eat a lot of veggies, whole grains, and small amounts of fruit. I think where I got confused for so many years was knowing the difference between a simple carb and a complex carb. A simple carb will make your blood sugar spike and ultimately will turn to fat. This would be anything like white bread, white rice, and pasta. A complex carb will give you sustained energy and is low glycemic meaning your blood sugar won't spike. Complex carbs are anything like veggies, brown rice, whole grain sprouted bread, quinoa, and even fruit.

I have tried so many diets though the years and none of them ever worked for me until I learned that we over complicate things, If we just make it simple and eat whole foods the weight falls off naturally and we feel so much better

This is all fine and dandy for you but someone people including diabetics and those of us with metabolic syndrome cannot have carbs. So 70% of your diet can come from them but I don't want to jepardize my health for it. And low carb is perfectly safe. Ask any diabetic that is on a restricted carb diet.

At least give people the facts and don't make up stuff.

sarahrbraun

Protein shakes. Just make sure you get low carb ones. A few I like -- Premier Nutrition, EAS CarbAdvantage, Pure Protein and Syntrax Nectar (okay I dunno about the "liking" the last one but it is super low in carbs and sodium so I drink it).

Of all above, the Premier Nutrition is the best with the EAS right behind. Get them nice and cold and tastes like yummy chocolate milk.

I bought some of the atkins ones today, and I have a stash of the atkins bars...I just don't want to eat more than one a day because the sugar alcohols tend to make me gassy...

JaceyMarieS

You actually need carbs to function and have energy to get through the day. A low carb diet may help you loose weight, but in the long run won't be so good. My diet actually consists of about 70% carbs and I eat a lot of veggies, whole grains, and small amounts of fruit. I think where I got confused for so many years was knowing the difference between a simple carb and a complex carb. A simple carb will make your blood sugar spike and ultimately will turn to fat. This would be anything like white bread, white rice, and pasta. A complex carb will give you sustained energy and is low glycemic meaning your blood sugar won't spike. Complex carbs are anything like veggies, brown rice, whole grain sprouted bread, quinoa, and even fruit.

I have tried so many diets though the years and none of them ever worked for me until I learned that we over complicate things, If we just make it simple and eat whole foods the weight falls off naturally and we feel so much better

This is all fine and dandy for you but someone people including diabetics and those of us with metabolic syndrome cannot have carbs. So 70% of your diet can come from them but I don't want to jepardize my health for it. And low carb is perfectly safe. Ask any diabetic that is on a restricted carb diet.

At least give people the facts and don't make up stuff.

This. FWIW, a body doesn't need carbs - it needs glucose. While carbs are the macro most readily converted to glucose, the body is able to use fat and protein to function. Those complex carbs such as quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice and fruit spike my blood sugar a good 50 points ... As a diabetic, I cannot afford that price. Low carb is working for me.

Back to the OP, I have the same problem hitting my calories sometimes. Avocado, almond or almond butter, or Greek yogurt with a scoo0 of protein powder are my go-to snacks

psuLemon

Cheese helps as well. Nuts like everyone said and my personally favorite is peanut butter out of the jar. You can also do peanit butter on celery.. add riasons and you get ants on a log.