LOW CARBS

i would love to hear about low carb diets. how many carbs are you suppose to eat daily...i read atkins and it said 12-15 from veggies but no more than 20...i usually count calories but it seems to have slowed down and i need a big jump start right now...i just dont want to do anything unhealthy...today i am eating 4 to 6 oz's protein with my meals...i am eating 3 meals no snacks....i am eating veggies with each meal...and i used extra virgin olive oil/sunflower oil with my eggs this morning....and lots of water....it says my calories are just over 1000 my carbs are 20...i am 5'4 260 lbs and 39 years old...i would love any advice...thank you for all your help

Replies

  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    That is the induction phase with Atkins. After the first 2 weeks you add in fruit, I believe. The South Beach Diet is not as drastic with the carbs. It starts off for 2 weeks really low, to break your sugar addiction, but then slowly adds in whole grains and fruits. It teaches you to choose 'slow' carbs, that are higher in fiber. IMO the South Beach plan is great for getting started. You do still need to count your calories tho, even tho Atkins and SB both say that isn't necessary.
    With the amount of weight you need to lose, chances are that you are insulin resistant, or pre-diabetic. Have you had your blood sugar tested? Do you have a family history of Diabetes? Do you carry a lot of your weight in your midsection? Do you have any hormonal issues?
    Yes, to any of these questions could indicate a higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes, so I would definitely get your blood tested if you haven't already.

    You will probably get a lot of responses bashing the low carb diets and saying that they are unnecessary, but if you are indeed pre-diabetic, then a lower carb diet will definitely help you.

    Personally, I cut out most all processed sugars and grains. Especially wheat. I try to keep my total carbs under 75g a day, and my 'net carbs' (minus the fiber) under 50 g a day. When I was losing the quickest in the beginning months, I kept my net under 30 g.

    You don't have to be fully in Ketosis for lower carb to help, either.
    Friend me if you like.
    Best wishes for you.
  • truddy6647
    truddy6647 Posts: 519 Member
    Kim if u r eating 4-6 Oz of protein 3 times a day that is only 12-18oz for the whole day.... that is not enough...your body uses protein to help repair and build muscle and function many other processes. I went through many classes with weight loss doctors and dietitians what I learned is that anything bellow 1200 calories a day combined with less than 70 grams of protein will cause your body to go into starvation mode thus slowing your metabolism down. I also learned that a person should eat 6 small meals a day spaced out every 3-4 hours.....this not only helps with hunger feelings but also keeping your metabolism going stronger with more even glucose levels. I also learned that water intake is big key as well. Water helps flush our system. My dr told me to try to drink 16 instead of 8 8oz glasses of water a day. I understand that your post was on crabs but want to address the lack of key elements that can contribute to a stall
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    I eat low carb and generally just try and keep my carbs under 50 which is really easy to do when you don't eat or severely restrict grains, sugar and starchy vegetables. I want my meals to have more fat than protein and more protein than carbs and that rule of thumb seems to keep my macros inline and my food delicious. My diary is open is you want to take a look but keep in mind these are just the foods I like -- there's a lot of different ways to go about low carb.

    Good luck. I've been eating this way for over a year now and it's the best decision I could have made for my health. Here's a great resource that helped a ton in the beginning if you haven't seen it yet:

    LCHF for Beginners:
    http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
  • Kimberlyann21
    Kimberlyann21 Posts: 31 Member
    no everything is good with my health and blood work....my doctor said just the weight is all i need to worry about...my blood pressure was elevated for a little bit so he put me on meds but after i lost 13 lbs i no longer need them...so i just need my weight to keep going down so i can stay healthy..

    can i ask when you are eating a low carb diet is it just proteins/veggies.. then oil a mulit vitamin...i guess i am new and trying to see different things you can eat..
  • Kimberlyann21
    Kimberlyann21 Posts: 31 Member
    this is what my total is so far for today


    CALORIES 1086
    CARBS 38
    FAT 52
    PROTEIN 111
    SODIUM 1411
    FIBER 15
    according to MFP....so should i try more protein to get more calories in?
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    no everything is good with my health and blood work....my doctor said just the weight is all i need to worry about...my blood pressure was elevated for a little bit so he put me on meds but after i lost 13 lbs i no longer need them...so i just need my weight to keep going down so i can stay healthy..

    can i ask when you are eating a low carb diet is it just proteins/veggies.. then oil a mulit vitamin...i guess i am new and trying to see different things you can eat..
    If you don't have any health concerns a calorie deficit is going to work no matter what foods you're eating which means your stall in losing weight isn't because you're eating too many carbs, it's too many calories. Get back to the basics and make sure you're weighing all of your food and logging everything, everyday. Some part of the calories in, calories out equation isn't correct so you need to be extra diligent and precise to figure out where it's going wrong.

    That's not to say that a low carb diet won't work -- because it will -- and one of the huge advantages it has over a high or moderate carb diet is that it suppresses your appetite which makes it easier to stick to a calorie deficit. To see what you can eat on a low carb diet you can always google "low carb recipes" and you'll get a ton of results -- try an image search as well to get an even better idea of what the food looks like. Good luck, again. :)

    ETA:
    Looking at the macros you posted I think you'd do well to add a few hundred calories in fat to your diet, your protein is fine.
  • toscarthearmada
    toscarthearmada Posts: 382 Member
    I eat low carb and follow a diet called "Link and Balance." I stick to a 15 protein to 30 carb ratio and it has done amazing things for my body! I just started a Gluten free diet too.

    If you would like to add me and look at my food diary, you're more than welcome!
  • HeyGoRun
    HeyGoRun Posts: 550 Member
    Atkins and south beach are not good if your in it for the long run, gotta be more realistic, carbs are not bad and needed to fuel your workouts, and im talking about the good carbs. From all those crazy diets I heard the zone diet does better its 40-30-30, i like that one gives you more cushion and its more realistic than atkins. Make sure your eating enough calories and not less just so you wont go over your carbs. Remember the more fiber you have the less carbs you get, so get good fiber in there too, and drink more water that recommended.
  • ewrob
    ewrob Posts: 136 Member
    Kim if u r eating 4-6 Oz of protein 3 times a day that is only 12-18oz for the whole day.... that is not enough...your body uses protein to help repair and build muscle and function many other processes. I went through many classes with weight loss doctors and dietitians what I learned is that anything bellow 1200 calories a day combined with less than 70 grams of protein will cause your body to go into starvation mode thus slowing your metabolism down. I also learned that a person should eat 6 small meals a day spaced out every 3-4 hours.....this not only helps with hunger feelings but also keeping your metabolism going stronger with more even glucose levels. I also learned that water intake is big key as well. Water helps flush our system. My dr told me to try to drink 16 instead of 8 8oz glasses of water a day. I understand that your post was on crabs but want to address the lack of key elements that can contribute to a stall

    I eat 30 to 40 grams of protein per day and about 1500 calories. I've lost 93 pounds in 5 months so I am going to have to disagree with you on protein intake needs.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    I eat 30 to 40 grams of protein per day and about 1500 calories. I've lost 93 pounds in 5 months so I am going to have to disagree with you on protein intake needs.
    Of course you do! Why don't you comment on all of the high carb, low fat, low protein threads instead of trolling the low carb posts? Oh wait, there aren't any is there? I wonder why...
  • Kimberlyann21
    Kimberlyann21 Posts: 31 Member
    that is awesome...very motivating
  • RubyRunner14
    RubyRunner14 Posts: 148 Member
    I am on Keto, I keep it between 10 - 30 net. Usually 21-ish net daily.
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Kim if u r eating 4-6 Oz of protein 3 times a day that is only 12-18oz for the whole day.... that is not enough...your body uses protein to help repair and build muscle and function many other processes. I went through many classes with weight loss doctors and dietitians what I learned is that anything bellow 1200 calories a day combined with less than 70 grams of protein will cause your body to go into starvation mode thus slowing your metabolism down. I also learned that a person should eat 6 small meals a day spaced out every 3-4 hours.....this not only helps with hunger feelings but also keeping your metabolism going stronger with more even glucose levels. I also learned that water intake is big key as well. Water helps flush our system. My dr told me to try to drink 16 instead of 8 8oz glasses of water a day. I understand that your post was on crabs but want to address the lack of key elements that can contribute to a stall

    Agreed!
  • JisatsuHoshi
    JisatsuHoshi Posts: 421 Member
    I usually eat 10~20 net carbs a day ... <_<;

    but not today lol.. it's my protein/veggie day then switching back into keto macros (65% fats, 30% proteins, 5% carbs). Just had a carb up recently.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    Kim if u r eating 4-6 Oz of protein 3 times a day that is only 12-18oz for the whole day.... that is not enough...your body uses protein to help repair and build muscle and function many other processes. I went through many classes with weight loss doctors and dietitians what I learned is that anything bellow 1200 calories a day combined with less than 70 grams of protein will cause your body to go into starvation mode thus slowing your metabolism down. I also learned that a person should eat 6 small meals a day spaced out every 3-4 hours.....this not only helps with hunger feelings but also keeping your metabolism going stronger with more even glucose levels. I also learned that water intake is big key as well. Water helps flush our system. My dr told me to try to drink 16 instead of 8 8oz glasses of water a day. I understand that your post was on crabs but want to address the lack of key elements that can contribute to a stall

    Almost everything here is totally inaccurate...
  • JisatsuHoshi
    JisatsuHoshi Posts: 421 Member
    Kim if u r eating 4-6 Oz of protein 3 times a day that is only 12-18oz for the whole day.... that is not enough...your body uses protein to help repair and build muscle and function many other processes. I went through many classes with weight loss doctors and dietitians what I learned is that anything bellow 1200 calories a day combined with less than 70 grams of protein will cause your body to go into starvation mode thus slowing your metabolism down. I also learned that a person should eat 6 small meals a day spaced out every 3-4 hours.....this not only helps with hunger feelings but also keeping your metabolism going stronger with more even glucose levels. I also learned that water intake is big key as well. Water helps flush our system. My dr told me to try to drink 16 instead of 8 8oz glasses of water a day. I understand that your post was on crabs but want to address the lack of key elements that can contribute to a stall

    Almost everything here is totally inaccurate...

    I'll second that...
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    What? 18oz of ground beef is ~100 grams of protein. The same amount of stew cubes is 110 grams. That's plenty of protein, for most people at most activity levels.

    Personally, I did the VLC approach for about 9 months, and it helped get my appetite and eating patterns back under control. But once I started getting meaningful exercise in, it was a no-go. I still eat calorie-reduced as I still have weight to lose, but with increased fitness level I've bumped carbs back to around the 150g/day level. This works much better for me.
  • AmeChops
    AmeChops Posts: 744 Member
    I generally eat less than 30g of carbs per day - I've got pcos and I'm insulin resistant, it is literally the only way I can control my weight...plus I feel so much better...I'm eating better than I ever have...and it is totally sustainable! If you're thinking of following a low carb way of eating then I would definitely recommend reading, for example, the Atkins book - if you're gonna do it right you need to know all the information about it. Generally low carb doesn't mean high protein...it's more about high fat, moderate protein and low carb.
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    75% of the population are carb sensitive and still pack in the carbs and wonder why they have weight problems and can't maintain.

    I do medically supervised weight loss and aim for no more than 50 g carbs and at least 100 g protein a day and keep it at 1000 calories. I have actually gained over 4 pounds of lean body mass while losing 23 pounds.

    Low carb diets are sustainable for life. No diet is for everyone. I get so tired of people who thinks carbs are the be all and end all of nutrition. They don't have any facts. There has never been a condition diagnosed because of too few carbs, in fact the body requires no carbs. The liver converts gat to glucose and that takes care of brain function.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    75% of the population are carb sensitive and still pack in the carbs and wonder why they have weight problems and can't maintain.

    I do medically supervised weight loss and aim for no more than 50 g carbs and at least 100 g protein a day and keep it at 1000 calories. I have actually gained over 4 pounds of lean body mass while losing 23 pounds.

    Low carb diets are sustainable for life. No diet is for everyone. I get so tired of people who thinks carbs are the be all and end all of nutrition. They don't have any facts. There has never been a condition diagnosed because of too few carbs, in fact the body requires no carbs. The liver converts gat to glucose and that takes care of brain function.

    Sources to back up 75% of the population is carb sensitive? Give me a break....

    And you're gaining muscle mass eating 1k calories a day? lolk.