Low card diet help?

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  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
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    Get the book the 17 day diet, starts low carb, low fat, high protien and then reintroduces healthy carbs. Teaches you to eat cleaner and accept a cheat day here and there. Good Luck!!
    I don't mean to be argumentative, but low carb, low fat is usually a recipe for disaster.. Most people who are successful with low carb eat a high fat diet. (Note, this is not me; I love my carbs!)
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    some of my go to ideas when I am cutting carbs -

    eggs (hardboiled are easy to take on the go)
    turkey lunchmeat wrapped around a pickle is a good snack
    string cheese
    old wisconson sausage sticks (eat with the string cheese if you want)
    tuna can be your best friend, put it on a salad or eat it on cucumbers, a few crackers, an open faces sandwich
    lots and lots of veggies
    nuts
    peanut butter - go back to you kid days and make ants on a log!


    make sure you eat plenty of veggies and fiber or else you might end up getting constipated (sorry but its true)
    drink plenty of water and watch your sodium intake, alot of quick to grab meats (lunchmeat, the sausage sticks I mentioned above) are high in salt

    you do still need to count calories, alot of low carb stuff is still very calorie dense, especially nuts/peanut butter - these things add up fast and can eliminate losses too

    don't go to low- I went all atkins diet one time and did the induction phase - I was completely miserable on 20 carbs a day and pretty much felt like I had the flue, not worth it! 75-100 seems to be a good place to shoot for.

    What the hell are old Wisconsin sausage sticks (they sound great) - do they sell them in the UK?

    http://www.oldwisconsin.com/

    sorry no idea about the UK, they are kinda like slim jims or something but way cheaper

    p.s. for the americans I get the at safeway
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Get the book the 17 day diet, starts low carb, low fat, high protien and then reintroduces healthy carbs. Teaches you to eat cleaner and accept a cheat day here and there. Good Luck!!
    I don't mean to be argumentative, but low carb, low fat is usually a recipe for disaster.. Most people who are successful with low carb eat a high fat diet. (Note, this is not me; I love my carbs!)

    Your quite right when your eating in low carb, you need high fat as your main fuel off ketones as opposed to glucose.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    [/quote]

    What the hell are old Wisconsin sausage sticks (they sound great) - do they sell them in the UK?
    [/quote]

    http://www.oldwisconsin.com/

    sorry no idea about the UK, they are kinda like slim jims or something but way cheaper
    [/quote]

    What are Slim Jims - man I'm missing out on some great sounding food. over here we have stuff like Spam.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    we have spam too but I have never tried it, it gets made fun of so much I figured it must be aweful.....
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,079 Member
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    we have spam too but I have never tried it, it gets made fun of so much I figured it must be aweful.....

    Really don't know if Murrica or UK has weirder meat choices. Let's call it a toss-up. I hate divisive topics.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
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    What are Slim Jims - man I'm missing out on some great sounding food. over here we have stuff like Spam.
    Just meat snacks, like long, skinny sausages. Usually very salty, high in fat, and full of preservatives. I prefer to find ones that are higher in protein and lower in fat, but again, my protein macro requirements are MUCH higher than average and fat is lower.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    What are Slim Jims - man I'm missing out on some great sounding food. over here we have stuff like Spam.
    Just meat snacks, like long, skinny sausages. Usually very salty, high in fat, and full of preservatives. I prefer to find ones that are higher in protein and lower in fat, but again, my protein macro requirements are MUCH higher than average and fat is lower.

    so share your findings with us?
  • jenniferarnold619
    jenniferarnold619 Posts: 68
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    I am not sure how low carb you would like to go. May I suggest this basic rule? All carbs are not bad. Stay away from complex white carbs- white potatoes, white rice, pasta, refined sugars... There are plenty of natural carbs that are great for your body. Limit your intake of breads, potatoes, pasta and other grains, but when you do, try to eat the "brown" version- brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, oats, etc.

    I live by quality calories vs quantity. For example the carbs and sugars in an apple are way better for you than 80-100 calories of graham crackers.

    Protein sticks with you longer, carbs are what gives you boost of energy and fiber is harder to digest so your body has the sensation of being full and SATISFIED. That's why the veggies and fruit are so great for your diet and you shouldn't be so worried about those carbs.
    Some of my regular go to meal options-
    1. salad with lean meat (spinach, variety of veggies, an oz. of cheese shredded or diced, and 4 oz of chicken breast or shrimp)
    2.soups with stock base not milk/ cream bases (vegetable beef soup which includes lean ground beef, frozen veggies of your choice, tomatoes and a can of condensed tomato soup is one example)
    3.grilled lean meat (chicken, fish, shrimp, turkey burger or sausage), green veggies (green beans, spinach or broccoli) and a small sweet potato ( love them plain, but sometimes will sprinkle cinnamon on them).

    Also, when I have to break a sugar addiction, I do it by satisfying the craving with fruit and lowfat/ nonfat yogurt. You certainly have carbs in yogurt, but greek yogurt has less carbs and double the protein. Its kind of a miracle food in my opinion. Especially when you are working out and building muscle.

    For some of my favorite snacks
    small serving of almonds (you can get a jar from the grocery store for about $5/6 but if you do a small number of nuts with fruit, it will last you a long time)
    10 almonds and tablespoon of raisins is about 120 calories. Its a good snack and will stick with you for a while
    cheese sticks
    apple slices and goat cheese (the cheese isn't cheap, but its spreadable and you can stretch it or you could do fruit with fat free cottage cheese or non fat vanilla greek yogurt)
    veggie sticks (carrots and celery are really good with peanut butter)
    Apple and peanut butter
    As you can see I pick a lot of protein and healthy carb/ fiber combos.

    And just because something is labeled fat free or sold as a health food, pay attention to extra sugar, artificial flavors and always go by serving sizes. Perfect example is granola. I could eat a pound in one sitting but the amount of calories and sugars in typical granola can make your head spin. Same goes with dried fruit. I really hope this post helps and can give you some ideas. Good Luck.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I have a terrible eating habit and I have tried other diets with no success and I have had a bout 10 people tell me they are doing the low carb diet. So.. I thought I would give it a try and see if that would help me and as far as the low carb/high fat I am not quite sure I am trying to research the diet to see what I need to be focused on doing since I have never done this before.

    Have those 10 people displayed a track record of long-term success? Probably not.

    Low carb is a pain in the butt that is tough to sustain long term.
  • toscarthearmada
    toscarthearmada Posts: 382 Member
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    I've seen excellent results with a lower carb / high protein diet.

    I am Insulin Resistant and have PCOS. My doctor put me on a IR Diet where I eat a protein to Carb ratio. For every 7 grams of protein I eat 15 grams of carbs. This ratio does not exceed 30 carbs at any meal.

    It's a very manageable diet. I still eat my potatoes, cereals and breads but just at a much smaller portion. The diet taught me to portion control and to eat more veggies!

    This is my second year on the diet, I've maintained for over 6 months.

    You can add me as a friend if you'd like more meal ideas. =)
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
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    What are Slim Jims - man I'm missing out on some great sounding food. over here we have stuff like Spam.
    Just meat snacks, like long, skinny sausages. Usually very salty, high in fat, and full of preservatives. I prefer to find ones that are higher in protein and lower in fat, but again, my protein macro requirements are MUCH higher than average and fat is lower.

    so share your findings with us?
    I don't understand the question.
  • Molly__bean
    Molly__bean Posts: 6 Member
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    I don't necessarily count carbs, but instead of eating wheat products, I try to snack on veggies, hummus, almonds, cheeses, and yogurt :) I do limit myself to at least 1/2 cup or less a day of something high in carbs though, like the granola I put in my yogurt, or sometimes I have a 1/2 cup of brown rice with lunch/dinner. I also always go for products that are lower in sugar too, like just plain greek yogurt instead of a flavored kind. Also, if you find yourself craving pasta, try spaghetti squash with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce- so good!
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    What are Slim Jims - man I'm missing out on some great sounding food. over here we have stuff like Spam.
    Just meat snacks, like long, skinny sausages. Usually very salty, high in fat, and full of preservatives. I prefer to find ones that are higher in protein and lower in fat, but again, my protein macro requirements are MUCH higher than average and fat is lower.

    so share your findings with us?
    I don't understand the question.

    Sounds like you think there are better options out there, what do you like?
  • hrdhrdhrd
    hrdhrdhrd Posts: 2 Member
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    Great low carb recipes, here: http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    Options
    What are Slim Jims - man I'm missing out on some great sounding food. over here we have stuff like Spam.
    Just meat snacks, like long, skinny sausages. Usually very salty, high in fat, and full of preservatives. I prefer to find ones that are higher in protein and lower in fat, but again, my protein macro requirements are MUCH higher than average and fat is lower.

    so share your findings with us?
    I don't understand the question.

    Sounds like you think there are better options out there, what do you like?
    Oh, if you mean which meat snacks I prefer, I prefer Ostrim, but I have no idea if you can get them outside the US. I often see them at Smoothie King, but also I have found them at my local grocery store, and places like Vitamin Shoppe.
  • hmaddpear
    hmaddpear Posts: 610 Member
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    There are several low carb diets out there - google Atkins, Paleo or Primal Blueprint. I believe all three are very low carb (where almost all your carbs come from veggies, and a little fruit) to induce ketosis. There's plenty of anecdotal evidence to say that a low-carb diet can help with various health issues, although there's been no scientific studies that have shown this.

    The main problems with such a low carb diet is the extreme restriction. I tried Atkins a while ago and failed miserably at it. I couldn't do without milk in my tea or tomatoes (induction phase - <25g net carbs a day). However, it did have the effect of finally weaning me off the "no fat is best" mindset (I'm a product of 80's and 90's diets, unfortunately.) I'm now eating a lower carb diet - around 115g a day on average - which suits me fine. I eat lots of vegetables, some protein and fat (I think I'm set at 30%C / 20%P / 50%F) and if I want it, some starches (mostly rice, cous cous, pasta and crisps (potato chips), generally no more than two portions in a day. If I crave it (and can fit it into my calories) I eat it, but I've found that by eating plenty of fresh veg, meat and dairy, I don't crave pasta or bread the way I used to.
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
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    Have those 10 people displayed a track record of long-term success? Probably not.

    Low carb is a pain in the butt that is tough to sustain long term.

    I hear this so often, but it's really poor logic if you look at the numbers. If you want to go by the success rate, calorie counting and IIFYM are just as abysmal. If having a high rate of long-term failure is a valid criticism of a particular diet/way of eating, then everything is garbage because there's not a single diet out there that's close to having even a majority of people who try it and enjoy long-term success. Put another way, you're suggesting people shouldn't do a specific diet because it has a poor rate of long-term success and that they should instead follow another way of eating, but you're ignoring the fact that the vast majority of people who set out to lose weight fail in the long-term regardless of how they go about trying to lose weight. While you'll see success stories on this site for people who did IIFYM, that's simply anecdotal evidence and you have to realize there's an obvious bias towards IIFYM/basic calorie counting on this site. For that matter, you can find just as many success stories of people who follow other diets like Atkins and so on on sites with a bias towards those diets.

    That said, I'll never say it's something everyone should try and certainly there are indicators that suggest a particular person is unlikely to have success on these diets.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,663 Member
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    I will be starting a low carb diet tomorrow. I have never done this one before so I need ideas for meals/snacks to make that are not overly expensive! Thanks(:
    Really consider if it's going to be a diet you'll do for life. If not, then the chances of weight regain will be high.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    why.....
    i mean if you wanna feel tired and grouchy all the time, have cravings and snap at people go for it but...
    yeah

    Been low-carbing since July. I'm not tired, grouchy and I don't snap at people UNLESS they deserve it.

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