New to low carb

kristen_karg
kristen_karg Posts: 41 Member
hey everyone! I'm new to low carb eating. This is only the second day. My boyfriend and I are trying this out together. Any tips on what to eat/how much? I appreciate any tips you have! I am really serious about losing weight and could use any help you have! Don't hesitate to add as a friend! :) thanks everyone.

Replies

  • Twibbly
    Twibbly Posts: 1,065 Member
    http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/

    Start there for amounts.

    http://www.ruled.me/ketogenic-diet-food-list/

    Start there for what to eat. :smile:
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    edited March 2015
    It's great that you two can do it together. Is there a specific approach you're taking or a target carb intake?

    If not, then start by keeping it simple: eliminate any food not found in nature, and that includes pretty much anything "processed." Don't fear natural fat.
  • Twibbly
    Twibbly Posts: 1,065 Member
    I take things like tuna salad or lunch meat & cheese for my lunches. Sometimes I bring pickles & veggies as well. Dinners tend to be meat and veg, pan fried, grilled, or baked, always with plenty of bacon grease or tallow.
  • kristen_karg
    kristen_karg Posts: 41 Member
    Awesome! Honestly so far we've just cut breads and pastas and wheat. I've just been reading things online but it helps talking to people who are also doing it!
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    That is an excellent first step. A lot of people in this group are hard-core ketogenic dieters, but for a lot of people, just decreasing simple carbs and increasing protein and natural fat works well for weight loss.

    The protein, especially, will make you feel full, so you'll be less inclined to overeat.
  • Twibbly
    Twibbly Posts: 1,065 Member
    Oh, right. I forget that there are low carb people who don't aim for keto. :wink:

    Do you have a plan? I mean, are you just going low carb, or are you following Atkins, Protein Power, or any of the other plans out there?
  • kristen_karg
    kristen_karg Posts: 41 Member
    honestly the only site i've looked at so far is atkins. i don't know what the best thing to follow is.. what do you guys do?
  • Twibbly
    Twibbly Posts: 1,065 Member
    I don't follow a specific plan, but I'm supposed to be eating low carb (defined by my doctor as under 100g carbs per day, but I'm aiming for ketosis so I aim for under 30g per day) with no almonds, artificial sweeteners (including stevia), or grains.
  • kristen_karg
    kristen_karg Posts: 41 Member
    yeah,from what i read on atkins it said to stay at 20. so staying under 30 would be okay too?
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    It really depends on your needs. A lot of us are doing it for health reasons as well as weight loss.

    If you have a healthy metabolism, then you have a lot of flexibility.

    If you like veggies, then try "The Calorie Myth" or one of the Paleo books.

    The new Atkins book seems pretty good.
  • kristen_karg
    kristen_karg Posts: 41 Member
    okay great, thanks so much! i will definitely be doing my research.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    @Twibbly and @kristen_karg I don't know if either of you suffer from carb/sugar cravings, but I did massively. I started out with he goal of 50-100 grams of carbs a day, but couldn't kick the cravings. I had to drop below 35 grams per day (50 grams on a heavy veggie day), to kill the cravings. After a month I realized how close I was to keto and took the leap below 25 grams per day (usually net if adding veggies). There were adjustments to both stages, but my quality of life has improved in ways I can hardly quantify in that timeframe. I'll soon have blood/lab work results to support all the non-scale victories I've achieved.
  • GSD_Mama
    GSD_Mama Posts: 629 Member
    Welcome Kristen, glad you joined and are trying to eat healthier!

    It seems you guys haven't figure out your game plan, but that's OK. I'm strict keto as of now (8 weeks in) with <25g carbs per day. Once i get into my maintenance mode, i would up my carbs because i do want an apple or banana here and there, not that i miss them much. If you just cut all the junk food, or what we call CRAP (carbonated drinks, refined sugar, artificial sweeteners/colors, processed food) you will feel a lot better, you don't have to go full Keto to lose weight. Exercise and eat good wholesome food will get you there. You can't think of it as a quick weight loss/quick fix/diet, you have to think of it as a lifestyle change to better yourself and feel good about it. :)

    Best of luck, and you can add me as a friend.
  • Twibbly
    Twibbly Posts: 1,065 Member
    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    @Twibbly and @kristen_karg I don't know if either of you suffer from carb/sugar cravings, but I did massively. I started out with he goal of 50-100 grams of carbs a day, but couldn't kick the cravings. I had to drop below 35 grams per day (50 grams on a heavy veggie day), to kill the cravings. After a month I realized how close I was to keto and took the leap below 25 grams per day (usually net if adding veggies). There were adjustments to both stages, but my quality of life has improved in ways I can hardly quantify in that timeframe. I'll soon have blood/lab work results to support all the non-scale victories I've achieved.

    I had issues with carb cravings until I cut out all the sweeteners (well, and this past weekend, but that was vacation and I didn't properly prepare). 30 grams is normally my total carbs, and it's generally under that even.
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    I needed to cut out all baked goods or I would overeat. I don't get too restrictive over "good" carbs. I consume all the blueberries and celery I can eat. :)

    I'm able to keep carbs to around 100g/d with no cravings that way. But ketogenesis sounds like fun -- maybe someday. :)
  • kristen_karg
    kristen_karg Posts: 41 Member
    so far, i'm just excited to find something that i think i can handle. being a college student has definitely interrupted my weight loss journey the past year because i moved into my own place out of state and far from my family. i'm a diet coke girl, so that will be a tough one for me. also just finding a rhythm of foods to have and to buy will make things easier! one day at a time!
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    Twibbly wrote: »
    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    @Twibbly and @kristen_karg I don't know if either of you suffer from carb/sugar cravings, but I did massively. I started out with he goal of 50-100 grams of carbs a day, but couldn't kick the cravings. I had to drop below 35 grams per day (50 grams on a heavy veggie day), to kill the cravings. After a month I realized how close I was to keto and took the leap below 25 grams per day (usually net if adding veggies). There were adjustments to both stages, but my quality of life has improved in ways I can hardly quantify in that timeframe. I'll soon have blood/lab work results to support all the non-scale victories I've achieved.

    I had issues with carb cravings until I cut out all the sweeteners (well, and this past weekend, but that was vacation and I didn't properly prepare). 30 grams is normally my total carbs, and it's generally under that even.

    I cut all sweet things the first two weeks, but gradually added them back in.
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    If you can make a go of it for 1-2 months, it'll become a habit, and you'll be on autopilot after that.
  • kristen_karg
    kristen_karg Posts: 41 Member
    yeah, i think so too! thank you!
  • glossbones
    glossbones Posts: 1,064 Member
    If you've seen Elf, with Wil Farrel, there's the scene where Wil Farrel says, "I love to smile. Smiling's my favorite." and his new boss says "Make work your favorite."

    That's kind of what happened with me. I made a conscious decision not to try and pine for my old favorite treats. "Make bacon your favorite."

    Also, from my personal experience I'll warn you that my husband and I are terrible co-enablers when we diet together. This time I'm doing it on my own and I've mentally accepted that my husband will have mashed potatoes and bread and the other things I thought I might miss, and that I was a separate individual and I didn't have to join him. Very quickly we started preparing separate meals. I didn't feel "dragged" into anything he wanted to eat, and it's been an amazing change. Right now I'm 25 days into eating under 50 g carbs a day (usually it's closer to < 30), and I never made it this long without a slip-up in the past. You can do it together, but be responsible for your personal success, don't try to match each other in both successes and set-backs.
  • kristen_karg
    kristen_karg Posts: 41 Member
    When I did the online thing to show you your macros the calorie amount it gave me seems like so much! Is it okay to not eat all of it?
  • Twibbly
    Twibbly Posts: 1,065 Member
    Eat until you're not hungry. If you're not hungry and don't want to eat, wait a while. I normally don't hit the calorie goal it gives me.
  • kristen_karg
    kristen_karg Posts: 41 Member
    Thank you :smiley:
  • itcphotog wrote: »
    Welcome Kristen, glad you joined and are trying to eat healthier!

    Best of luck, and you can add me as a friend.

    Can I add you? I just started keto this week (day 4). :-)
  • Sugarbeat
    Sugarbeat Posts: 824 Member
    Welcome Kristen! I don't have much to add, just take your time and remember that sometimes it's all just one big experiment. At least that's how it feels. You're welcome to add me but my food diary can be sporadic.
  • Aruba08
    Aruba08 Posts: 61 Member
    hi I started back on march 18th too. I have done this before and I had great success. I have no idea why I stopped but here we go again. Best of luck and feel free to add me :)