Calling the low carbers, no carbers, paleos etc.
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castadiva --> Here is a list of ketogenic foods if you're interested:
http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/low-carb-food-list.html
The veggies recommended are mostly leaft greens - lowest in carbs and nutrient dense. Other veggies are not ruled out in entirety - you can eat them, but in moderation.
I eat a wide variety of foods, including pizza (keto-friendly pizza of course) and cheesecake! YUMMY! :-) I eat around 25-30g of net carbs a day. I also keep a close eye on my protein and fat macros, set at 20% and 75% respectively. I make sure I definitely get those in. I don't eat too much protein, because an access of protein can be converted into glucose. The body can convert 100% of carbs, 58% of protein and 10% of dietary fat into glucose.
Also, I try not to gauge my progress by the number on the scale. I take monthly photos and measurements. I pay attention to how my clothing fits and how I feel (endurance, energy, strength, etc.). So many times the number on the scale might say we're not making progress, but the smaller clothing sizes/measurements say otherwise. It's not all about the number on the scale.0 -
Question for all of you: I'm managing to keep my carbs in the 70-90g zone (from a 160-200/day average), having cut out grains and simple starches, but would like to try lowering them even further, as I'm not seeing the sort of results I expected (2.5lb loss in four weeks - this was intended to be a temporary, experimental thing for me, and I was expecting at least double that loss over that period, as this seems to be the general result.) What do you eat???!!!???!!! Meat/fish/eggs are all well and good, but most vegetables and fruits show up carbs - some quite a lot - as do nuts and dairy (absolute non-negotiable for me due to family health history). I'm running out of ideas!
ETA. I've never had any problem eating wheat etc - no stomach issues, except for an excess of size! I have some of the symptoms, but not the major ones, of PCOS, and had hit a plateau of over a years' duration - hence trying this.
I don't do nuts but I do use heavy cream in a lot of my recipes. The carbs that I do eat are from veggies. I have a list of foods and which are higher in carbs than others. Mostly, I eat whatever veggies I like, though. I tell myself that they are the good carbs so its still better than bread, pasta or other starchy carbs.0 -
You could lower your carb intake to around 50g net a day. Net is carb minus fiber. That will allow you to eat most vegetables and a limited amount of fruit. Your fruit choices can have the biggest impact on the amount of carb you are eating. Berries are your best choice. Increase your fat intake. Healthy oils and animal fat are all good.Question for all of you: I'm managing to keep my carbs in the 70-90g zone (from a 160-200/day average), having cut out grains and simple starches, but would like to try lowering them even further, as I'm not seeing the sort of results I expected (2.5lb loss in four weeks - this was intended to be a temporary, experimental thing for me, and I was expecting at least double that loss over that period, as this seems to be the general result.) What do you eat???!!!???!!! Meat/fish/eggs are all well and good, but most vegetables and fruits show up carbs - some quite a lot - as do nuts and dairy (absolute non-negotiable for me due to family health history). I'm running out of ideas!
ETA. I've never had any problem eating wheat etc - no stomach issues, except for an excess of size! I have some of the symptoms, but not the major ones, of PCOS, and had hit a plateau of over a years' duration - hence trying this.0 -
I aim for about 50-60 net g of carbs per day, but it's not set in stone. I mostly just aim for high protein (100+ g a day), so by virtue of doing that, my carbs are much lower. The carbs I do get are from dairy, veggies, very limited amounts of fruit, etc.
I should aid I'm insulin resistant, though, and have reactive hypoglycemia, so eating this way is the only thing that keeps me from feeling like utter crap.0 -
I have adopted the paleo lifestyle for myself and that seems to be working really well for me. One of my friends did this as well, only she called it the "hunter gatherer" diet. At first it didnt make any sense to me, but I saw her results, and they were phenomenal. So, I decided to do some research and started this as well. In the past I had lost weight with Medifast. I lost a total of 42 lbs with Medifast. That really worked, but I found that I was over-obsessing about my calories and was weighing myself everyday and if I didn't lose any weight the day before, it would really make me worry. when I ran out of Medifast and lost my job, I couldn't afford it anymore, and put the weight back on and then some. I tried diet pills and exercise, weight watchers, vegetarian, and pretty much anything else you can think of. I did lose weight with all of these, but it wasn't a significant amount of weight and when i stopped doing them, i packed the weight back on. Paleo has worked and I know this because I am not scared to eat a piece of cake if I want to. I have been doing Paleo for a little over a month now, and have gone from 224 lbs and 110 lbs! It is a little hard to stick to at first because that's usually when everything you see tempts you, but once you start feeling the pounds shed off , you feel great. Wish everyone the best of luck in their weight loss journeys
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I think 'no choice' came into it
PCOS diagnosed since before 16 years old, told i was prediabetic a few years later (just to go with the hyperglycemia), got told to cut my portions and carbs (I was eating large fruit salads and i may aswell of been eating chocolate bars even though i thought i was being good)
carbs are 20% which works out at 72g but my dr said to get 70 and under (gross, not net), so my protein and fat are just increased that way. I train alot so its high protein 150g+ a day
It probably helps that i didnt particularly like breads, pastas (did have a bit of a weakness for sourdough but that quickly died away) and legumes.
Did notice, I am alot more imaginative in the kitchen now, where as i used to stick with bread/pasta/noodles cause I thought i had to eat it it got dull. Constantly experimenting now!0 -
Question for all of you: I'm managing to keep my carbs in the 70-90g zone (from a 160-200/day average), having cut out grains and simple starches, but would like to try lowering them even further, as I'm not seeing the sort of results I expected (2.5lb loss in four weeks - this was intended to be a temporary, experimental thing for me, and I was expecting at least double that loss over that period, as this seems to be the general result.) What do you eat???!!!???!!! Meat/fish/eggs are all well and good, but most vegetables and fruits show up carbs - some quite a lot - as do nuts and dairy (absolute non-negotiable for me due to family health history). I'm running out of ideas!
ETA. I've never had any problem eating wheat etc - no stomach issues, except for an excess of size! I have some of the symptoms, but not the major ones, of PCOS, and had hit a plateau of over a years' duration - hence trying this.
As a rule of thumb I eat no root or starchy veg. I eat mostly leafy greens and no fruits except an occasional avocado (too much sugar in the rest imo, but I do know some who eat certain berries and what not.)
Some of my favorite veggies to nom on are :
Asparagus
Broccoli
kale
Spinach
Green Beans
Brussel Sprouts
I also like green peppers and mushrooms but I don't eat those often.
I eat no pastas or breads, but I hear you can substitute regular noodles for Shirataki Noodles, and there are bread substitutes out there as well ( crackers made of flax seed, or chia seed, and almond flour of course.) I personally don't miss noodles or bread so much to where I feel the need to make substitutions. I have made flax crackers before though, and they were pretty good.
I don't completely abstain from dairy, because I LOVE CHEESE! I don't drink cow milk though, but that's ok, because I totally love almond milk (I actually prefer it.) However, I do enjoy my whipping cream
As far as meats go, there are tons of different cuts and flavors out there (steak, bacon, eggs, fish, pork chops, chicken breast, etc... come to mind as they're my favorites)
There are so many ways to make this stuff you can really get creative (cheese encrusted meats, meats (chicken works great for this) breaded in almond flour, sauteed in oil, butter, simply baked etc...)
The best part of the diet for me is the fat...I love all the different oils out there that give meals that extra "something." You can use a ton of different oils to accent dishes or salads:
Sesame (my favorite)
Olive
Coconut
Black Walnut
Sunflower (oh so yummy)
etc...
Also, the condiments ! I love cream cheese, sour cream and mayo (so good!)
Some of my favorite snacks include pepperoni, kale chips, cheese and pork rinds or simply a bowl of veggies (usually asparagus or brussel sprouts.) There is an awesome mock cheese stick recipe out there that involves mozzarella sticks and pork rinds (it's delicious lol.) Also, sugar free jello pudding mixed with heavy whipping cream is fantastic. I have also been known to eat super dark chocolate (no less than 86-90% cocoa) on occasion.
Now as far as how to lower your carbs even more....Just eat the stuff that's higher in carbs in moderation, and make sure you weigh everything out to the letter. Remember that the number you shoot for is your "net carbs" (you get this number by subtracting your fiber intake from your carb intake.)
If you keep your fat high, and protein moderate the carbs will naturally be lower.
I usually aim for around 15 net carbs, and usually get that most days (forget it when it's that TOM, or when I'm trying to shake it up to so that when I go super low again it spurs weight loss though lol.)
That said, there is plenty room for tasty variety (even dessert) in a low carb lifestyle. It's not nearly as limited as people would think.0 -
I follow a paleo diet. The reason I started doing this instead of just watching my calories is that I had some major...um, let's call them "digestive" issues last summer and eating like this was the only thing that made me feel better. After I was over my issues, I tried introducing these things back into my diet and was greeted with a whole bunch of other problems, so I just kept eating this way and I feel great!0
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I do what I suppose will be classed as 'lower carb'
I average around 100g of carbs a day but I'm not trying to reach a particular number.
I chose to try and lower carbs because I have PCOS and had a blood test that suggested I might be insulin resistant.
I haven't lost weight any faster than normal calorie counting (losing about 1.5lbs a week.) and times when I go lower than about 70g of carbs I dont function very well.0 -
Thank you all, especially bookyeti and SadKitty27 - your responses are very helpful, especially the carbs-fiber gives you a net carb measurement factoid that is completely new to me! A shame most of the vegetables I like aren't on the list...not a big fan of green things in general, except Broccoli and rocket, but happy to eat red/yellow/orange/other colours until the cows come home! Almond flour is a good tip as well - I've been trying coconut, but it doesn't work for everything. Also a shame I don't like cream or mayonnaise much, or cream cheese - clearly these are very useful additions to this sort of diet! Yoghurt it is, then.
Food for thought (no pun intended!).0 -
I havbe been eating lower carb (under 70g) for the last two months and I have lost about 15lbs. It has made a huge difference for me with bloating and tummy issues. Fortunately, I don't care for sweets so I don't really miss them, but I do miss crusty breat and chips alot!! Sometimes I substitute with low carb wraps and tortillas, but I sort of feel like it's a slippery slope so I keep it to a minimum. I also don't feel like I've eliminated anything from my diet. I eat what I want and if it fits with my macros, then I'm fine with it. I have my macros set to 20% carbs, 50% fat and 30% protein. I will say that if I gave up my wine, I'd be able to drop lower... Lol... But I love wine... so I'm not sacrificing!0
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For me, when it comes down to it, true calorie counting will ALWAYS work, it's the basic math of it... it's being accurate and consistant that's the tough part...
I've found that when I'm eating a paleo diet, keeping right around my calorie goal is EASY, and I tend to do it naturally, even when I'm not tracking consistently.
I believe this is because my brain "understands" the cues it gets from this type of food better than it does from the cues from more processed foods (usually loaded with sodium and/or sugar).
So I guess to answer your question, do I think paleo/natural/caveman/whatever is the ONLY way to lose weight? Hell no! But does aiming for that style of food help? Absolutely!0 -
Hey I'm paleo and although its not necessarily a low carb diet, it is an amazing lifestyle change. Before the agricultural revolution and obesity, humans at a high fat diet which also consisted of lots of protein and moderate carbs. Not only have I been able to lose weight but also feel better, am able to up my workouts and sleep a whole lot better as well. Personally if your interested you should read The Primal Blueprint as it outlines and explains better than I. Feel free to add me if you have any questions. Good luck0
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Educate me... Other than the obvious medical problems, why would you want a low carb eating plan?0
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Ketoer here. Got some bad PCOS and what I suspect is diabetes and this dietary approach seems to be working out well.0
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Educate me... Other than the obvious medical problems, why would you want a low carb eating plan?
The general idea is to control insulin response in order to avoid fat storage in one's body.0 -
Educate me... Other than the obvious medical problems, why would you want a low carb eating plan?
The general idea is to control insulin response in order to avoid fat storage in one's body.
Understood, however for non medical conditions is this something people choose as a lifestyle change, or as a quick fix because they think carbs will aid weight gain?
My point being carbs are the body's biggest tool to fuel it, reducing your fuel would affect energy level and how the body uses/ stores energy over a period of time.0 -
I shoot for lower-carb - my macros are usually 25/25/50 carbs/protein/fat, which sets me to 109g each of carbs and protein and 97g of fat. I treat my protein like a minimum, carbs an absolute maximum, and let the cards fall where they may on fat depending how my day goes.
I've tried keto on and off in the past, I don't find it to work any better or worse for me than just plain calorie counting (actually just got done with an 8 week stretch of it, I don't know why I keep trying it, lol. I always think it's going to "jumpstart" me but it really doesn't). However, I refuse to do a ketogenic diet in the summertime when all of the wonderful local produce is in season. Not going to do it, I love my peaches and cherries and blueberries and tomatoes and corn on the cob WAY too much.
For me, the main reason I limit carbs is that they're a total trigger food for me. I whole-heartedly believe in "everything in moderation" in theory, but for me it's SO difficult to limit myself to one serving of bread or cereal or pretzels or whatever. My carb limit allows me plenty of room for ample fruits and vegetables as well as some occasional complex carbs such as small servings of sweet potatoes, etc, a small amount of dairy (yogurt and cheese) and an occasional tsp of sugar in my coffee. I avoid most grains and white potatoes/sugar (except for the aforementioned coffee) as much as possible. My eating style tends to end up having a strong flavor of paleo without being 100% restrictive regarding dairy. I have enough carbs to fuel my workouts and I don't have a constant worry that if I'm going to eat that single dark chocolate almond is it going to throw me out of ketosis and undo weeks of work, you know? I find myself less hungry and less likely to binge when I eat this way, and I just feel better.
It works for me. Ultimately, the exact foods you eat are not going to impact your rate of fat loss in a significant way. But, getting enough protein and fat is excellent for your health, and avoiding grains and refined sugars helps me stay within my calorie goal with a lot less difficulty. Really, how you eat your food doesn't matter that much. The most important thing is to pick an eating style that 1) will fuel and enrich your body and health, 2) makes it as easy as possible to meet your calorie and macro goals, and 3) is sustainable for the rest of your life. That's it. For some people, maybe that's keto, and that's ok. For many others, it's not, and that's also ok. Find what works for you and do it.0 -
Educate me... Other than the obvious medical problems, why would you want a low carb eating plan?
Because I used to lose weight by counting calories. That doesn't work anymore and I am looking for something that will. I hate it when people tell me that I must be doing something wrong b/c unless calorie counting changed in the last couple of years, I know I am doing it correctly.0 -
I started doing low carb to help curb my sweet tooth. I have a wicked bad one...ashamed to admit this but I can eat brown sugar straight out of the bag with a spoon. Yeah it's that bad. Since I don't want all my teeth to fall out, I needed to find a way to kill the cravings.
I keep my carbs under 30 grams a day. That's 30 grams total - not the NET that Atkins folks follow. Right now I'm not eating fruit...it is a carving trigger for me even if it is natural sugar. I also count calories and try to keep my fats around 40-50 grams. If I decide to reintroduce fruit down the line I may up my carbs to 50 grams - we'll see how it goes.
I love love love low carb! I'm not starving like I was when I was simply calorie counting. I can go out to eat at a restaurant and not have to worry that I can't eat something on the menu. I always joke that I love my friends the cow, pig, chicken, turkey, shrimp, and salmon.
I find it alot easier to say "no" to sweet treats. My work is a sweet (death) trap - so far this week I've passed up chocolate cake, donuts, french toast bites, and scotcheroos. Before low-carb I would have been dying for any of them.
Edit to add: My energy level is awesome too by the way! Very rarely do I have that mid-afternoon drag (and if I do - protein to the rescue). Of course I've also lost weight and body fat too. That's just a big bonus though.0
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