healthy low carb diet

lucysmommy
lucysmommy Posts: 460
edited September 24 in Food and Nutrition
hiya

was wondering if anyone follows something like the above diet?

i am looking to go low carb but i want to do it the healthy way - looking for some advice and what people eat? and also what they set there protein and carbs too as well
x

Replies

  • Ral263
    Ral263 Posts: 318 Member
    You can check out my diary; though my actual carb count isnt as low as traditional "Atkins" diets, keep in mind that those are very unhealthy, and I am also very active, so your body NEEDS carbs with that much exercise.

    Basically, you can be very healthy if you limit yourself to only complex whole grains, non processed foods, and don't worry too much about carbs in (most) fruit, veggies, and nonfat plain dairy.
  • ShunkyDave
    ShunkyDave Posts: 190 Member
    If I had to say I'm trying to follow a diet, I'd say the most likely description would be 'less carbs than before, a helluvalot more veggies than before, better protein than before, and no sodas at all, scant sweets'. Not a very marketable title.
  • FoamyRiver
    FoamyRiver Posts: 276 Member
    Me too. I've been playing around with my diet this week trying to reduce my carb intake. I'm a carb-aholic but was thinking I might see bigger differences in my numbers if I reduced carbs and increased protein for a few weeks.
  • hog2east
    hog2east Posts: 9
    This
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    Just be careful. Low carb diets like Atkins aren't good for you. Your body needs carbs for energy and your brain runs exclusively on carbs, so you need to make sure you get enough.
  • So_Um_Yeah
    So_Um_Yeah Posts: 39 Member
    Hey!

    I've been doing low carb for about six months and I'm not going to lie, its not easy, but it has been the most success I've ever had with a diet.

    My first tip would probobaly be to not be afraid of vegetables. They are high in carbs, after a while, it becomes pretty easy to work them in. You just have to realize that you may need to cut portions of things down from what the box says you can have to add them in. For example, a serving of dried egg noodles fourty-one carbs. I have to stay under fourty-five for a meal, so I could easily say okay I'll have those noodles with some sauce and chicken and be done. This can very often be completely unsatisfying. Instead of eating the whole serving, though, you can cut it in half and easily add a big salad or a vegetable into the mix. It's all about choices and it is REALLY hard at first because it seems like everything is geared toward low calorie only, but after a while you get used to it.

    Another thing is to be picky about what you eat. A candy bar is as many carbs as an apple, but don't be tempted to eat the candy instead. I mean, obviously, sometimes you just need a candy bar, but just because it fits into your carbs for the day, doesn't mean it's good nutrition.

    Good luck and feel free to add me for more support/ideas!
  • pkgirrl
    pkgirrl Posts: 587
    I've done moderate low carb before. Like p90x phase one, 50% protein, 30% carb, 20% fat. Relatively clean eating. I found the fat stripped off super fat, and it gave me loads of energy. I've honestly never felt that good. It is really difficult to keep suck a close eye on your macros though. I found it really hard to stick to once I started working full time. But try it out. If you're really good at planning, and dedicated, it might really help you!
  • lucysmommy
    lucysmommy Posts: 460
    thanks for all your replies

    i am deffo not going extreme atkins :-)

    i just want to reduce my carbs - eat fruit and veg - healthy ya know
    x
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
    Just be careful. Low carb diets like Atkins aren't good for you. Your body needs carbs for energy and your brain runs exclusively on carbs, so you need to make sure you get enough.

    BS, the brain actually prefers ketones, and your body does convert protien to glycogen for any "needed" carbs.
  • MissKim
    MissKim Posts: 2,853 Member
    Just be careful. Low carb diets like Atkins aren't good for you. Your body needs carbs for energy and your brain runs exclusively on carbs, so you need to make sure you get enough.

    BS, the brain actually prefers ketones, and your body does convert protien to glycogen for any "needed" carbs.

    agree, that is an untrue statement. Your brain can run on ketones just fine. If it were true there would be alot of dead people in the world that live off of only food they can hunt and kill. I've never heard much about eskimos or tribes from other countries haveing obesity, diabetes, or heart problems though, so strange! lol
  • adew1972
    adew1972 Posts: 9
    For me it's just a question of eating less rubbish and processed / ready made stuff. That and eating more fruit and veg lol. That way you eat more naturally and therefore reduce the manufactured stuff which is full of all the wrong type of carbs and fats. Also for me eating habits are a big thing and this can be just as important as the actual diet itself. If you get any good recipes I'd be grateful if you could share them.

    Cheers

    Ade
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    I found the simplest way was to "halve the carbs"

    Usually by means of portion control. So I'll still have potaotes with my dinner, just 1 instead of 2. I'll still eat rice, but just a small spoonful. And add in a big salad or portion of veg. It's pretty easy to make one meal of the day low in carbs - a bowl of ratatouille for lunch, say, or tuna with green salad. And switch away from cereal or toast for breakfast onto something like eggs.

    Sometimes a thick slice of toasted white bread with butter will call to me....but that's so rare it's less than once a week, and I'll relish it as a special treat.

    Good luck, and have fun experimenting!
  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
    Just be careful. Low carb diets like Atkins aren't good for you. Your body needs carbs for energy and your brain runs exclusively on carbs, so you need to make sure you get enough.

    Your brain doesn't run exclusively on carbohydrates. I also wonder where your information about Atkins' diet comes from, as it contains quite a lot of carbohydrates, just far less than a "standard" diet.
  • C_Bran
    C_Bran Posts: 254
    I looked into a diet/lifestyle change that is low carb. Initially what made me gravitate to it was the results I was seeing from others. I read up on it and found it to be okay............well, okay for me.

    The first 2 weeks are the hardest part of it and you'll get thru it because of the newness of your eating habits. This is the stuff that worked for me as well as E.S.E. along with it.

    Here is a link to get you started:
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-succeed-with-the-primal-blueprint/

    Good luck!!!!
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