Lowering Carbs

LeenaRuns

Hi guys! I'm pretty new to this group and have pretty much dived into primal eating (yes, I had a 900-calorie Ghiradelli binge session last nihgt, but aside from that...) but am having a hard time lowering my carbs. I eat a lot of fruits and veggies and try to get my fiber up to 30g/day (before I went primal I was eating 40-50g/day consistently). Anyway, I was hoping you could take a peek at my diary and offer some suggestions for getting those carbs down. I'd ideally like to be below or up to 100g/day. Thanks!

caribougal

I went back a few days in your diary.

You have a few meals that seem really high in carbs that throw you off... that Moroccan chicken, even a McD salad! I wonder if those carb values are correct.

Anyway... here are a few thoughts for you.

1. You're doing great.
2. Think about NET carbs, not total. Subtract the fiber total from the carb total to get net carbs... I think you're doing better than you think.
3. You look from your pics like you already have very low BF, and you're a long-distance runner. You probably would do better with a moderate carb diet than super low-carb... maybe between 100g-150g. You might find that sustains your running better.
4. Clementines... lots of sugar but not very filling. Maybe swap out your clementines with other fruits like berries, which I see you do eat. I would much rather eat a filling apple with some almond butter for about the same carbs as 2 little clementines.
5. Let your carbs come from root veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, rutabagas, etc moreso than fruit. Power your runs with those.

Good luck!

LittleTrollCupcake

I noticed you are eating a lot of nuts over the course of a day. While it doesn't seem like a lot, when you add it all together, it makes a big chunk of your carbs. If you would replace those nuts with eating some kind of meat/protein instead, that may solve your issue.

You also seem to get the biggest hit of carbs when you dine out. Maybe you could focus on ordering more clean foods than before.

And just a personal preference... I saw your are having paleo bread. If you really want to work on your carb count, I'd cut out any paleo bread concoctions.

Edit: I just opened my diary if you want to look at my diet. I routinely stay under 100g of carbs a day without trying. Maybe you can get some ideas from mine. Where you see a lot of frozen fruits/spinach, that's my Nutribullet.

hilliardjoe

My weakness is sugar so I don't eat much fruit. I was never much of a fruit eater before so it's not hard for me to skip it. Too much sugar and I start getting the munchies.

I find when I cut the sugar that it is pretty easy for me to stay under my carb totals.

monkeydharma

2. Think about NET carbs, not total. Subtract the fiber total from the carb total to get net carbs... I think you're doing better than you think.

According to Mark Sisson (marksdailyapple.com), one of the primary Primal sites, we're to forget about the whole 'net carb' idea. The carb levels he recommends are total carbs.

Ketogenesis: under 50g/day
Active dieting: 50-100g/day
Maintenance or high-exercise regimen: 100-150g/day
SAD: over 150g/day.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/

JohnNull

Two things:

1: As stated above, the net carb thing is dumb.

2: You don't need fiber the way we've been taught. Too much fiber can be detrimental, in fact. If your diet has sufficient fat and you drink enough h2o, you're golden.

caribougal

2. Think about NET carbs, not total. Subtract the fiber total from the carb total to get net carbs... I think you're doing better than you think.

According to Mark Sisson (marksdailyapple.com), one of the primary Primal sites, we're to forget about the whole 'net carb' idea. The carb levels he recommends are total carbs.

Ketogenesis: under 50g/day
Active dieting: 50-100g/day
Maintenance or high-exercise regimen: 100-150g/day
SAD: over 150g/day.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/

Wow. I never picked up on that. I just assumed that meant net carbs.

Shadowknight137

Hi guys! I'm pretty new to this group and have pretty much dived into primal eating (yes, I had a 900-calorie Ghiradelli binge session last nihgt, but aside from that...) but am having a hard time lowering my carbs. I eat a lot of fruits and veggies and try to get my fiber up to 30g/day (before I went primal I was eating 40-50g/day consistently). Anyway, I was hoping you could take a peek at my diary and offer some suggestions for getting those carbs down. I'd ideally like to be below or up to 100g/day. Thanks!

This is just an IMO thing, but as a runner, I'd suggest you maybe go on the higher end with carbs. Sure, it's very possible to run with lower carbs and fat as fuel, but your performance is more likely to be improved with more carbs in your diet - just more Primal/Paleo carbs like potatoes, yams, and white rice if you can tolerate it.

However, so I can't be accused of not answering the question by anyone, I suggest replacing the snack bars and fruit with more fat sources, such as jerky and eggs, maybe some macadamia nuts.

LeenaRuns

Hi everyone, thanks for all the responses!

I'm trying not to go too high with my protein--I have diabetes insipidus and too much protein is a no-no (I'm already eating a bit more than my doctor recommends, but it is what it is. I guess I never thought about 100-150g carbs as "maintenance or high-exercise regimen." I think that's where I fit in, I'll just try to keep them on the lower end of that as much as possible.