Trouble with carb vs protein intake

AngeLechuza
AngeLechuza Posts: 11
edited January 2015 in Social Groups
It's been little over a week since I started LCHF. My fat intake has increased to about 60% of my diet. However, I'm having trouble keeping my proteins higher than my carbs.

Another problem is that my school is very strict about cooking in the dorms (basically it's prohibited), so I have to rely on their cafeteria for meals. Most of the time this isn't much of an issues, but sometimes they go to high carb hell. They also have really weird hours on weekends and don't serve lunch on those days. I need ideas as to what to buy that doesn't need cooking, so I'll have weekend lunch / emergency food.

Replies

  • cdn_beaver
    cdn_beaver Posts: 130 Member
    edited January 2015
    Does your school have a salad bar? Load up on lettuce, spinach, veggies, cheese, protein, and high fat salad dressing. Burgers without buns, grilled chicken, etc.
    Nuts are a great snack food for your dorm.
    Are you allowed a fridge in your dorm room? You can keep plenty of keto friendly food in there that don't need to be cooked.
  • We're allowed to have a mini fridge, and they do have a salad bar. What kind of dressings do you recommend?
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    It's been little over a week since I started LCHF. My fat intake has increased to about 60% of my diet. However, I'm having trouble keeping my proteins higher than my carbs.

    Another problem is that my school is very strict about cooking in the dorms (basically it's prohibited), so I have to rely on their cafeteria for meals. Most of the time this isn't much of an issues, but sometimes they go to high carb hell. They also have really weird hours on weekends and don't serve lunch on those days. I need ideas as to what to buy that doesn't need cooking, so I'll have weekend lunch / emergency food.

    Why are you trying to keep your protein intake that high Fat is 80% of my calories and Protein is 15% but that is just in my case. Low Carb high Protein diets can have some major health related issues as I understand it. Fat is the only thing that does not increase the risk of cancer and heart issues long term.

  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    It's been little over a week since I started LCHF. My fat intake has increased to about 60% of my diet. However, I'm having trouble keeping my proteins higher than my carbs.

    Another problem is that my school is very strict about cooking in the dorms (basically it's prohibited), so I have to rely on their cafeteria for meals. Most of the time this isn't much of an issues, but sometimes they go to high carb hell. They also have really weird hours on weekends and don't serve lunch on those days. I need ideas as to what to buy that doesn't need cooking, so I'll have weekend lunch / emergency food.

    Why are you trying to keep your protein intake that high Fat is 80% of my calories and Protein is 15% but that is just in my case. Low Carb high Protein diets can have some major health related issues as I understand it. Fat is the only thing that does not increase the risk of cancer and heart issues long term.

    At 60% fat, she's not in danger of most of the issues of high protein diets, as most of them are low fat. Additionally, without knowing her carbs, it's impossible to tell if her protein really is that high. If she's still doing sandwiches, then that jacks up carbs in a hurry and makes getting protein higher a challenge (I've been there).

    OP -- Can you get away with an induction cook plate? I'm guessing they don't allow cooking in the dorm due to fire hazards. Induction plates don't really carry this same kind of hazard (you can actually put your hand on the cook plate and not get burned, check out the demonstrations on YouTube). If you can, that would be a good option, at least for the "carb hell" days in the caf.

    For dressings, any oil based or "creamy" dressing is a better bet over anything else, as most of the others have a lot of sugar to make them palatable without any fat. Ranch is generally my go-to, though making your own is ideal, but second to that is plain old oil and vinegar. The most typically used oil for dressings is soybean, which has its own issues. Making your own and keeping it in your mini-fridge will allow you to control the oil used (and makes a better dressing).

    Other things you can keep that don't need refrigeration or heated -- jerky, nuts, shelf-stable oils (ghee, lard, coconut oil, etc), vinegar (for making dressings).
  • KeithF6250
    KeithF6250 Posts: 321 Member
    It's a matter of taste but my 1st choice for dressing is 1 tbl of olive oil, a generous sprinkle with an herb blend and about 1 tbl of wine vinegar. The oil is measured, the vinegar is shaken on to taste. Everything else is in 2nd place.
  • Alliwan
    Alliwan Posts: 1,245 Member
    KeithF6250 wrote: »
    It's a matter of taste but my 1st choice for dressing is 1 tbl of olive oil, a generous sprinkle with an herb blend and about 1 tbl of wine vinegar. The oil is measured, the vinegar is shaken on to taste. Everything else is in 2nd place.

    this had always been my go to till I made my own ranch dressing from scratch, not a packet of dried mix and OMG the difference is amazing! I could seriously eat that stuff right out of the jar, but i dont, mostly, usually, everyday.

    Play around with dressing recipes till you find one you like. We have a little shop near us that makes different flavor olive oils and vinegars. We use a lemon olive oil with a strawberry vinegar sometimes, or even just the black cherry vinegar on a salad is good.
  • Dragonwolf wrote: »
    It's been little over a week since I started LCHF. My fat intake has increased to about 60% of my diet. However, I'm having trouble keeping my proteins higher than my carbs.

    Another problem is that my school is very strict about cooking in the dorms (basically it's prohibited), so I have to rely on their cafeteria for meals. Most of the time this isn't much of an issues, but sometimes they go to high carb hell. They also have really weird hours on weekends and don't serve lunch on those days. I need ideas as to what to buy that doesn't need cooking, so I'll have weekend lunch / emergency food.

    Why are you trying to keep your protein intake that high Fat is 80% of my calories and Protein is 15% but that is just in my case. Low Carb high Protein diets can have some major health related issues as I understand it. Fat is the only thing that does not increase the risk of cancer and heart issues long term.

    At 60% fat, she's not in danger of most of the issues of high protein diets, as most of them are low fat. Additionally, without knowing her carbs, it's impossible to tell if her protein really is that high. If she's still doing sandwiches, then that jacks up carbs in a hurry and makes getting protein higher a challenge (I've been there).

    OP -- Can you get away with an induction cook plate? I'm guessing they don't allow cooking in the dorm due to fire hazards. Induction plates don't really carry this same kind of hazard (you can actually put your hand on the cook plate and not get burned, check out the demonstrations on YouTube). If you can, that would be a good option, at least for the "carb hell" days in the caf.

    For dressings, any oil based or "creamy" dressing is a better bet over anything else, as most of the others have a lot of sugar to make them palatable without any fat. Ranch is generally my go-to, though making your own is ideal, but second to that is plain old oil and vinegar. The most typically used oil for dressings is soybean, which has its own issues. Making your own and keeping it in your mini-fridge will allow you to control the oil used (and makes a better dressing).

    Other things you can keep that don't need refrigeration or heated -- jerky, nuts, shelf-stable oils (ghee, lard, coconut oil, etc), vinegar (for making dressings).

    I'm pretty good at avoiding sandwiches; not a big fan of them really. My biggest hurdles are potatoes, pasta, & soda.

    I'll also have to check if induction plates are allowed or not.
  • Alliwan wrote: »
    KeithF6250 wrote: »
    It's a matter of taste but my 1st choice for dressing is 1 tbl of olive oil, a generous sprinkle with an herb blend and about 1 tbl of wine vinegar. The oil is measured, the vinegar is shaken on to taste. Everything else is in 2nd place.

    this had always been my go to till I made my own ranch dressing from scratch, not a packet of dried mix and OMG the difference is amazing! I could seriously eat that stuff right out of the jar, but i dont, mostly, usually, everyday.

    Play around with dressing recipes till you find one you like. We have a little shop near us that makes different flavor olive oils and vinegars. We use a lemon olive oil with a strawberry vinegar sometimes, or even just the black cherry vinegar on a salad is good.

    Lemon olive oil with strawberry vinegar sounds pretty good.
  • petr8888
    petr8888 Posts: 47 Member
    Angel - on LC HF you are not supposed to have protein above fat. Roughly 80 to 15 to 5 split. With that much protein you will be in glocogenisis that will cret glucose and then you are out of ketosis.
  • petr8888
    petr8888 Posts: 47 Member
    Sorry - typo - should be 70/ 25 / 5
  • Just steer clear of the pastas and soda and you should be fine. If I up my fat and lower my carbs, the rest falls into place.
  • KeithF6250
    KeithF6250 Posts: 321 Member
    Alliwan wrote: »
    KeithF6250 wrote: »
    It's a matter of taste but my 1st choice for dressing is 1 tbl of olive oil, a generous sprinkle with an herb blend and about 1 tbl of wine vinegar. The oil is measured, the vinegar is shaken on to taste. Everything else is in 2nd place.

    this had always been my go to till I made my own ranch dressing from scratch, not a packet of dried mix and OMG the difference is amazing! I could seriously eat that stuff right out of the jar, but i dont, mostly, usually, everyday.

    Play around with dressing recipes till you find one you like. We have a little shop near us that makes different flavor olive oils and vinegars. We use a lemon olive oil with a strawberry vinegar sometimes, or even just the black cherry vinegar on a salad is good.

    Alliwan, do you have a recipe? I buy quart bottles of ranch for my grandchildren. I get my herb blend from a local restaurant who maintain that their recipe is proprietary. I don't really mind because they sell me a big baggie of herbs for less than it costs to buy a little bottle of spices at the grocery. I suppose I could be in trouble if I got stopped some night with a baggie of dried vegetable material on the seat. they usually don't stop old white guys though.
  • Alliwan
    Alliwan Posts: 1,245 Member
    KeithF6250 wrote: »
    Alliwan wrote: »
    KeithF6250 wrote: »
    It's a matter of taste but my 1st choice for dressing is 1 tbl of olive oil, a generous sprinkle with an herb blend and about 1 tbl of wine vinegar. The oil is measured, the vinegar is shaken on to taste. Everything else is in 2nd place.

    this had always been my go to till I made my own ranch dressing from scratch, not a packet of dried mix and OMG the difference is amazing! I could seriously eat that stuff right out of the jar, but i dont, mostly, usually, everyday.

    Play around with dressing recipes till you find one you like. We have a little shop near us that makes different flavor olive oils and vinegars. We use a lemon olive oil with a strawberry vinegar sometimes, or even just the black cherry vinegar on a salad is good.

    Alliwan, do you have a recipe? I buy quart bottles of ranch for my grandchildren. I get my herb blend from a local restaurant who maintain that their recipe is proprietary. I don't really mind because they sell me a big baggie of herbs for less than it costs to buy a little bottle of spices at the grocery. I suppose I could be in trouble if I got stopped some night with a baggie of dried vegetable material on the seat. they usually don't stop old white guys though.
    ]

    I use http://thenourishingcook.com/easy-homemade-ranch-dressing-or-dip/ its nightshade free because im allergic to nightshades but everyone who's tried this says its the best ranch they've ever tried. Because you do all the herbs yourself, there's no added sugar or anything weird.

    If you try it, let me know what you think.

  • Just steer clear of the pastas and soda and you should be fine. If I up my fat and lower my carbs, the rest falls into place.

    I think I can do that.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    petr8888 wrote: »
    Angel - on LC HF you are not supposed to have protein above fat. Roughly 80 to 15 to 5 split. With that much protein you will be in glocogenisis that will cret glucose and then you are out of ketosis.

    She's not getting her protein higher than her fat, shes' trying to do it higher than her carbs.... She said her fat was about 60% of her calories, so she's probably not too far off the necessary macros for LCHF.