Low Carb Atkins + vegetarian advice!

pru101
pru101 Posts: 40 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

I have been on the Atkins/Low carb (<20g carb a day) diet for 11 days now. So far I have lost 5lbs so am very happy with that (which is most likely water weight). Never the less, its what keeps me motivated to carry on.

I am doing well, have not had any cravings, or feeling extremely hungry and I love the food that i can eat. However, a lot of MFP friends have said my calorie intake and fat content is very low. I usually do around 600cal a day - and i am NOT starving myself, nor am i restricting food. When im hungry i EAT. (i just want to highlight this for those people who may assume im doing this on purpose, rest assured i am NOT). When i go to sleep i feel very full :)

Anyways my main point is that i enjoy being on this diet, its working so far, but being a veggie its hard to increase calorie intake and fat content.

Does anyone have any advice for me? suggestions or tips?

Please also feel free to add me as a friend :)

Thank you guys xx

Replies

  • Aedavids
    Aedavids Posts: 2
    Hi there!

    I can't speak for the low carb aspect of your diet, but I am eating at 1300 calories a day and coming close to hitting my macros every day on a vegetarian diet. A normal day's diet consists of a protein shake including milk, a banana, and Plant Fusion's shake mix. For lunch it's a salad, this week with avocado and Beyond Meat Chicken, otherwise I include beans and lots of veg. Dinner is always super veg heavy with olive oil. (Tonight's was veggie lo mein, yesterday I did an arugula wrap with apples and gouda). You can include snacks. I do two a day, one at 3 (usually pita chips and hummus or fruit) and one after dinner (fruit or a slice of Ezekial Bread)

    Good sources of fat include a serving size of cheese (1 oz), definitely nuts (raw almonds or cashews), and avocados.

    I think going with Atkins is definitely a nice way to get started and get you in the spirit of things, but I worry about the sustainability of that, especially if exercise is a component of your new lifestyle. You know what'll work best for you and your body though, so right on for it working for you! :)
  • GoingSlightlyMad
    GoingSlightlyMad Posts: 190 Member
    Hello there :)
    Even if you are not trying to restrict calories so much, you're still undereating. 600 calories is really low. Just adding a couple tablespoons of olive oil into your salads, or maybe some avocado or some nuts, you can raise both your fat intake and calorie intake, plus they're yummy and really good for you. If you're on Atkins maybe you would prefer to stick with olive oil since it's a carb free source of fat.
    And regarding Atkins, I suggest you see how you feel as you continue with the regime. Personally I think variety and not feeling deprived are crucial. Remember you want to change your relationship with food so that you can mantain your weight loss afterwards. Do you see yourself eating like this after you've lost the weight? If not, maybe you should consider trying some other more sustainable method.
    Good luck!
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    edited October 2014
    You are not eating healthily. You are undereating, you have also lost a lot of water weight - 5lbs in 11 days is not sustainable loss. You want to lose ~40lbs, you are dieting wrong.

    A lot of people who undereat have stated they don't feel hunger, so your lack of hunger is not a good indication of you feeding your body properly.

    As the poster above pointed out, weight loss is all about eating in a way that you will maintain long-term. If you need to use a fad diet to lose weight, then quitting that fad diet will usually result in gaining weight back because you are not learning how to eat in the long-run for weight maintenance.
  • spatty_harris
    spatty_harris Posts: 17 Member
    I'm a vegetarian, and I eat about 2000 calories a day, with approximately 200g carbs. If I ate 600 calories I would wither up and die in a day. I personally find a low carb vegetarian diet unsustainable, because to get enough protein you would really just be drinking shakes or taking supplements. There is a lot to be said for good carby protein sources - beans, lentils, tofu,

    Seconding what others have said - eat some nuts or avocados, or oil to your meals. The fast er you lose weight, the harder it is to keep it off, especially when you lose it by under-eating.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    pru101 wrote: »

    Anyways my main point is that i enjoy being on this diet, its working so far, but being a veggie its hard to increase calorie intake and fat content.

    Eggs, cheese, nuts, avocado are all low carb vegetarian and have the right macros for Atkins.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    At 600 cals per day you ARE starving. You may not feel hungry but this does not mean your body does not need food.

    As stated above, eggs, cheese, nuts and avocado are great options.

    Add to this list cream, coconut oil, butter and olive oil to get more fat in.

    But at the end of the day, most omnivores find low carb diets hard to stick to long term. As a vegetarian it is going to be especially difficult.
  • blastbeat78
    blastbeat78 Posts: 31 Member
    600 calories is far too low. Your body will not be getting all the nutrients and energy it requires. PLEASE EAT MORE!

    Going back to your other question I am vegan and try to limit my carbs to 100grams (or less) a day which is 25% of my daily calorie intake. I'm steadily attempting to reduce them more. My fat intake is 45% (82g) and I easily reach that by eating tofu, coconut yoghurt, avocado, peanut butter, full fat hummus, full fat coconut milk, nuts and seeds.

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