low carb or high carb what's better for us with pcos?

Jennym93
Jennym93 Posts: 136 Member
Sorry if this has already been asked, if so please direct me to the thread:)
But is low carb better for those with pcos,I see a lot of people online promoting high carb low fat diets but I was under the impression low carb was better, has anyone seen improvements with either diet
Thank you, sorry for asking a no doubt very common question :)
«1

Replies

  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Several of us here are on the low carb, high fat, moderate protein side of that fence. It boils down to the fact that most of us have Insulin Resistance (not all, but most), which has been shown to respond better to lower carb ways of eating, and makes sense -- carbs prompt insulin secretion, so if you have troubles with insulin, then it makes sense to minimize the prompts for it.

    That said, I'm sure some people have seen improvement on the other side, as well (I know a few of the big names in the "truly low fat" crowd have reported successes), but I've not personally met them (probably due to my own allegiances), so I can't speak to exact numbers.

    What makes the biggest difference, I think -- and why both sides have their share of success stories -- is the dropping of refined carbohydrates and sugars in favor of whole foods. If you do nothing else (because both sides can be daunting), start by getting rid of "boxed carbs" -- breads, crackers, pastas, cookies, etc. -- and get your carbohydrates from vegetables (mostly the non-starchy variety, which are the ones that grow above ground) and some fruit. Go back to the basics, using something like the "3 ingredients or less" rule of thumb for making food decisions (when you're buying it from the store, it should have three ingredients or less; the idea is that you want to avoid the heavily processed stuff with a bunch of additives of questionable quality and health ramifications). Go back to the foods your grandparents or great-grandparents (and even farther back) used to eat and cook with as the primary part of your diet -- meat, vegetables, some fruit, some nuts, butter, etc. (aka - just eat real food).
  • Jennym93
    Jennym93 Posts: 136 Member
    edited March 2015
    I'm not certain if I am insulin resistant, I was put on metformin (do they give it to everyone?) but I think it was to see if it helped with the excess hair, I stopped due to the symptoms it caused as they outweighed the potential benefits. So I suppose I'll have to ask my doctor next time I see her whether it says in my notes
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
    If they didn't do a fasting insulin test (different from glucose aka blood sugar), the doctor should have never put you on Metformin, because that can make things worse. However, if they did that test and put you on it, it is likely because you were insulin resistant. 95% of my side effects from Metformin went away (and I had a heck of a lot of them), when I dropped my carbs significantly and stopped eating dairy 4 hours before/after Met. So there are ways around it if it really helps you. I wouldn't wait for another appointment. I would just call to ask for your fasting insulin level (play possum). If they tell you they didn't do it, ask them to do so (at earliest convenience, it makes all the difference in the universe). If they give you the number, ask if the doctor noted likely insulin resistance... If not, do your own research. My test results were in acceptable ranges, but I had every other classic symptom of it. So I started it, and it was almost instant results.... It was crazy. It took me months to manage my symptoms, because I'll admit, I totally didn't buy into the low carb premise, but once I finally did, OMG, the differences!!!!
  • Jennym93
    Jennym93 Posts: 136 Member
    edited March 2015
    They did take a blood test but unfortunately I can't recall exactly what it was for, it was on;y because of my grandad having a test for diabetes that I fasted for over 12 hours beforehand, I don't think I was supposed to eat before hand anyway so I think that was what they were testing for.
    I did just google about the dark patches of skin (I really hate them!) and apparently that is another sign of IR so I think it's safe to say I probably am
  • ldmoor
    ldmoor Posts: 152 Member
    I'm Type II, PCOS and insulin resistant. Simply put, high carbs made me gain, low carbing kept me at maintenance or loss. I am a low carber for life now.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Jennym93 wrote: »
    They did take a blood test but unfortunately I can't recall exactly what it was for, it was on;y because of my grandad having a test for diabetes that I fasted for over 12 hours beforehand, I don't think I was supposed to eat before hand anyway so I think that was what they were testing for.
    I did just google about the dark patches of skin (I really hate them!) and apparently that is another sign of IR so I think it's safe to say I probably am

    Odds are, unless your doctor is familiar with hyperinsulinemia, they only checked glucose and A1C. Usually, you have to specifically ask for the insulin test.
    ldmoor wrote: »
    I'm Type II, PCOS and insulin resistant. Simply put, high carbs made me gain, low carbing kept me at maintenance or loss. I am a low carber for life now.

    Yep, that's me, too, though I'm still working on the "or loss" part. :grumble: Thankfully, I feel better on low carb, too, so I do it even despite the weight loss (and being able to eat a sane amount of food and not gain weight is its own comfort).
  • Jennym93
    Jennym93 Posts: 136 Member
    Dragonwolf wrote: »
    Jennym93 wrote: »
    They did take a blood test but unfortunately I can't recall exactly what it was for, it was on;y because of my grandad having a test for diabetes that I fasted for over 12 hours beforehand, I don't think I was supposed to eat before hand anyway so I think that was what they were testing for.
    I did just google about the dark patches of skin (I really hate them!) and apparently that is another sign of IR so I think it's safe to say I probably am

    Odds are, unless your doctor is familiar with hyperinsulinemia, they only checked glucose and A1C. Usually, you have to specifically ask for the insulin test.
    ldmoor wrote: »
    I'm Type II, PCOS and insulin resistant. Simply put, high carbs made me gain, low carbing kept me at maintenance or loss. I am a low carber for life now.

    Yep, that's me, too, though I'm still working on the "or loss" part. :grumble: Thankfully, I feel better on low carb, too, so I do it even despite the weight loss (and being able to eat a sane amount of food and not gain weight is its own comfort).

    Ah probably I think it was either glucose or insulin but it was that long ago I just can't recall, I think the metformin was a 'try and see if it works' approach the doctors had rather than testing for it
  • alfiedn
    alfiedn Posts: 425 Member
    Maybe you should clarify your bloodwork and get a copy of it? They should have it on file.
  • stefne888
    stefne888 Posts: 113 Member
    For those whom have had success with low carb, how many Net Carbs are you consuming a day?
  • bellalavita717
    bellalavita717 Posts: 10 Member
    I am on low carb high fat. I started in January and have lost about 47 pounds, granted I have a lot to lose. But I consume about 20-30 carbs a day.
  • ravenstar25
    ravenstar25 Posts: 126 Member
    There's been studies on low carb and PCOS that were basically inconclusive, but I don't think they separated IR and non IR PCOS. It probably has more to do with how well you tolerate carbs due to your insulin levels than anything else.

    The irony about carbs is that back when I was young they told us all to switch to a higher carb, lower fat diet to lose weight, and since then most people gained a ton and now they admit they were all wrong. Probably meat, veggies, fruits and dairy are the best diet for most people (not just us), with limited breads, pastas and sugars.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    stefne888 wrote: »
    For those whom have had success with low carb, how many Net Carbs are you consuming a day?

    I have been able to keep my weight stable at total carb levels under 100g, and the lower I keep it, the easier I've found to remain that way. I'm currently at a 20g max goal in order to get into nutritional ketosis and see if that helps with my hyperinsulinemia issues.

    Non-weight things have been more successful, though. I no longer feel bloated, I no longer have migraine or heartburn issues, my acne has largely cleared up (it's not perfect, but it's infinitely better than it used to be), among other things.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
    edited March 2015
    stefne888 wrote: »
    For those whom have had success with low carb, how many Net Carbs are you consuming a day?

    **warning, my numbers are more extreme than some**

    Endocrinologist said maximum 25% carbs. Start there and adjust down. He said, Low Carb, High Fats, Moderate Protein. Took me nearly a year of research and following progress of others to buy into the idea.

    I finally jumped in, targeting below 100 grams at first, noticed by doing this I was sticking below 50 grams, usually 35 grams. After a month, I made the commitment to try Keto. I usually aim for 25 grams - total if I don't have veggies, net if I'm having a lot of veggies. I could NOT control my carb cravings at 100 grams daily, so I kept dropping them until I could... (35-50 grams).

    My protein is about 90 grams as my target area (about halfway between lowest recommended and highest, based on my lean body mass.

    So I'm under 25 grams of carbs, between 65-130 grams of protein (if I go a little over, no biggie), and filling in the rest to satiety with fat (usually 120-180 grams).

    I started LCHF (under 50 g) on 1/15, and I switched to Keto (under 25 g) on 2/18. My dark skin spots have faded almost completely, my energy and mental clarity are awesome, my cravings are 95% gone - and what isn't got is more easily managed (and I was a ridiculous sugaraholic and carboholic that could have gone in the record books), and just, well, I feel better than I remember feeling in my whole adult life. I've lost between 15-20 pounds, and almost as many inches. I'm down one full pants size and well on my way to another one.

    Sticking to this new way of eating is the easiest thing I've ever done. I can eat bacon, cheese, sausage, butter, cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, and all the good things I was told I had to give up. I should be getting bloodwork in the next month or so to show the improvements in all of my numbers!
  • Jennym93
    Jennym93 Posts: 136 Member
    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    stefne888 wrote: »
    For those whom have had success with low carb, how many Net Carbs are you consuming a day?

    **warning, my numbers are more extreme than some**

    Endocrinologist said maximum 25% carbs. Start there and adjust down. He said, Low Carb, High Fats, Moderate Protein. Took me nearly a year of research and following progress of others to buy into the idea.

    I finally jumped in, targeting below 100 grams at first, noticed by doing this I was sticking below 50 grams, usually 35 grams. After a month, I made the commitment to try Keto. I usually aim for 25 grams - total if I don't have veggies, net if I'm having a lot of veggies. I could NOT control my carb cravings at 100 grams daily, so I kept dropping them until I could... (35-50 grams).

    My protein is about 90 grams as my target area (about halfway between lowest recommended and highest, based on my lean body mass.

    So I'm under 25 grams of carbs, between 65-130 grams of protein (if I go a little over, no biggie), and filling in the rest to satiety with fat (usually 120-180 grams).

    I started LCHF (under 50 g) on 1/15, and I switched to Keto (under 25 g) on 2/18. My dark skin spots have faded almost completely, my energy and mental clarity are awesome, my cravings are 95% gone - and what isn't got is more easily managed (and I was a ridiculous sugaraholic and carboholic that could have gone in the record books), and just, well, I feel better than I remember feeling in my whole adult life. I've lost between 15-20 pounds, and almost as many inches. I'm down one full pants size and well on my way to another one.

    Sticking to this new way of eating is the easiest thing I've ever done. I can eat bacon, cheese, sausage, butter, cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, and all the good things I was told I had to give up. I should be getting bloodwork in the next month or so to show the improvements in all of my numbers!

    I find this hugely inspiring, thank you for sharing :)
    Do you have any favourite low carb meals? I'm struggling to figure out what to eat some meals (but I've always been that way) while still fitting into my calories
  • PattieCakes25
    PattieCakes25 Posts: 30 Member
    I recently have done a makeover on my diet. At first I was terrified by the whole idea of low-carb. I thought it meant cutting out so many things that I love. When I was diagnosed with PCOS, it brought fear to me even more. I had researched everything possible, but it all went back to low-carb.
    Finally, I decided to jump in. Especially after working my butt off in the gym for 2 months and seeing nothing.
    Now, I'm only a week and a half into. I've decided to gradually lover my carbs down to around 50g a day. Some days right now I get to that, other days I'm around 80-90. Right now, I am trying to stay under 100g of carbs. My fat is at 50g at the moment, but after more research I've noticed high fat is good (I still don't know why, if someone would like to tell me, that'd be great). and my protein is around 100-130g. I struggle hitting my protein most days.
    Honestly, it hasn't been hard to lower my carbs. I don't eat breads, pastas, chips, cookies. I have minimized my dairy intake to about a yogurt a day and a sprinkle of cheese on my salad (if I have a salad that day) I still find that I can tend to my sweet tooth without ruining everything.
    In the past 1.5 weeks I have felt more awake throughout the day. I feel like I could accomplish anything! My skin is clearing. I can feel my body feeling better. It's an amazing feeling. And even better than that, I don't want those carbs. Every now and then I imagine that a bagel or some pasta would taste great, but then I move on and forget about it.

    The thing with PCOS and low carb, you have to accept that this isn't just a diet. You HAVE to change the way you eat. You could eat low carb to lower your weight, but then if you start again you're just going to creep back up. It's changing the way you eat for good.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
    Now, I'm only a week and a half into. I've decided to gradually lover my carbs down to around 50g a day. Some days right now I get to that, other days I'm around 80-90. Right now, I am trying to stay under 100g of carbs. My fat is at 50g at the moment, but after more research I've noticed high fat is good (I still don't know why, if someone would like to tell me, that'd be great). and my protein is around 100-130g. I struggle hitting my protein most days.
    Honestly, it hasn't been hard to lower my carbs. I don't eat breads, pastas, chips, cookies. I have minimized my dairy intake to about a yogurt a day and a sprinkle of cheese on my salad (if I have a salad that day) I still find that I can tend to my sweet tooth without ruining everything.

    You need the fat because your body can only use carbs or fat for fuel. It cannot use protein for fuel. So if you drop carbs, you must add fats or your body will burn itself up trying to convert enough fuel to operate.

    Once you are able to drop your carbs further, you will not really have much of a sweet tooth to tend to. I find now that I sweeten things just to take the edge off, but anything approaching my former level of sweetness preference is nauseating. Gives me headaches and all manner of craziness. I tried to convert a recipe to a type of pudding last night and oversweetened it just a touch. About two bites in, I was out. Couldn't eat it...
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
    Jennym93 wrote: »
    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    stefne888 wrote: »
    For those whom have had success with low carb, how many Net Carbs are you consuming a day?

    **warning, my numbers are more extreme than some**

    Endocrinologist said maximum 25% carbs. Start there and adjust down. He said, Low Carb, High Fats, Moderate Protein. Took me nearly a year of research and following progress of others to buy into the idea.

    I finally jumped in, targeting below 100 grams at first, noticed by doing this I was sticking below 50 grams, usually 35 grams. After a month, I made the commitment to try Keto. I usually aim for 25 grams - total if I don't have veggies, net if I'm having a lot of veggies. I could NOT control my carb cravings at 100 grams daily, so I kept dropping them until I could... (35-50 grams).

    My protein is about 90 grams as my target area (about halfway between lowest recommended and highest, based on my lean body mass.

    So I'm under 25 grams of carbs, between 65-130 grams of protein (if I go a little over, no biggie), and filling in the rest to satiety with fat (usually 120-180 grams).

    I started LCHF (under 50 g) on 1/15, and I switched to Keto (under 25 g) on 2/18. My dark skin spots have faded almost completely, my energy and mental clarity are awesome, my cravings are 95% gone - and what isn't got is more easily managed (and I was a ridiculous sugaraholic and carboholic that could have gone in the record books), and just, well, I feel better than I remember feeling in my whole adult life. I've lost between 15-20 pounds, and almost as many inches. I'm down one full pants size and well on my way to another one.

    Sticking to this new way of eating is the easiest thing I've ever done. I can eat bacon, cheese, sausage, butter, cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, and all the good things I was told I had to give up. I should be getting bloodwork in the next month or so to show the improvements in all of my numbers!

    I find this hugely inspiring, thank you for sharing :)
    Do you have any favourite low carb meals? I'm struggling to figure out what to eat some meals (but I've always been that way) while still fitting into my calories

    @Jennym93 I sent you a friend request. Feel free to bounce around my diary and ask any questions you have. Mostly, I don't do "low carb meals." I make lower carb versions of food I already loved and ate. Taco salad? Lose the bowl, add sour cream, guacamole, and cut down on the salsa quantity or any added carbs. Chicken cordon blue? Coat in parmesan, crumbled pork rinds, or low carb friendly flour alternatives. Steak? No subs needed. Chicken legs/thighs/drumsticks? Leave the skin on, bake, roast, fry, your choice. Pudding or coffee - use Heavy Whipping Cream, cut the sugar (use substitutes as needed, Pure Via Stevia being my personal choice), and/or use coconut milk. Add bacon to everything! Coffee/tea - make it bulletproof (add one or more sources of fat for a major energy boost). Add salt to everything (ketosis makes your body dump the excess water it held onto to process carbs - fats don't need that), so sodium levels, potassium, and magnesium, too, often need to be supplemented during adaptation. Put cheese or creamy sauce and/or butter on meats, veggies. Stick to leafy green veggies and not carby veggies (greens and any non root veggies are good). With fruit, stick to berries and stone fruits (peaches, etc.). Pair with a fat of some kind so your body knows how to process them (whipped heavy cream, sour cream, butter if baked with a little cinnamon, etc.).

    Google. Almost any fave carb recipe can be modified or taste copied to kill cravings or make you feel less left out of old favorites. I've found tons of new favorite recipes this way...

    Let me know if you have specific questions, and I'll suggest what I can.
  • Jennym93
    Jennym93 Posts: 136 Member
    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    Jennym93 wrote: »
    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    stefne888 wrote: »
    For those whom have had success with low carb, how many Net Carbs are you consuming a day?

    **warning, my numbers are more extreme than some**

    Endocrinologist said maximum 25% carbs. Start there and adjust down. He said, Low Carb, High Fats, Moderate Protein. Took me nearly a year of research and following progress of others to buy into the idea.

    I finally jumped in, targeting below 100 grams at first, noticed by doing this I was sticking below 50 grams, usually 35 grams. After a month, I made the commitment to try Keto. I usually aim for 25 grams - total if I don't have veggies, net if I'm having a lot of veggies. I could NOT control my carb cravings at 100 grams daily, so I kept dropping them until I could... (35-50 grams).

    My protein is about 90 grams as my target area (about halfway between lowest recommended and highest, based on my lean body mass.

    So I'm under 25 grams of carbs, between 65-130 grams of protein (if I go a little over, no biggie), and filling in the rest to satiety with fat (usually 120-180 grams).

    I started LCHF (under 50 g) on 1/15, and I switched to Keto (under 25 g) on 2/18. My dark skin spots have faded almost completely, my energy and mental clarity are awesome, my cravings are 95% gone - and what isn't got is more easily managed (and I was a ridiculous sugaraholic and carboholic that could have gone in the record books), and just, well, I feel better than I remember feeling in my whole adult life. I've lost between 15-20 pounds, and almost as many inches. I'm down one full pants size and well on my way to another one.

    Sticking to this new way of eating is the easiest thing I've ever done. I can eat bacon, cheese, sausage, butter, cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, and all the good things I was told I had to give up. I should be getting bloodwork in the next month or so to show the improvements in all of my numbers!

    I find this hugely inspiring, thank you for sharing :)
    Do you have any favourite low carb meals? I'm struggling to figure out what to eat some meals (but I've always been that way) while still fitting into my calories

    @Jennym93 I sent you a friend request. Feel free to bounce around my diary and ask any questions you have. Mostly, I don't do "low carb meals." I make lower carb versions of food I already loved and ate. Taco salad? Lose the bowl, add sour cream, guacamole, and cut down on the salsa quantity or any added carbs. Chicken cordon blue? Coat in parmesan, crumbled pork rinds, or low carb friendly flour alternatives. Steak? No subs needed. Chicken legs/thighs/drumsticks? Leave the skin on, bake, roast, fry, your choice. Pudding or coffee - use Heavy Whipping Cream, cut the sugar (use substitutes as needed, Pure Via Stevia being my personal choice), and/or use coconut milk. Add bacon to everything! Coffee/tea - make it bulletproof (add one or more sources of fat for a major energy boost). Add salt to everything (ketosis makes your body dump the excess water it held onto to process carbs - fats don't need that), so sodium levels, potassium, and magnesium, too, often need to be supplemented during adaptation. Put cheese or creamy sauce and/or butter on meats, veggies. Stick to leafy green veggies and not carby veggies (greens and any non root veggies are good). With fruit, stick to berries and stone fruits (peaches, etc.). Pair with a fat of some kind so your body knows how to process them (whipped heavy cream, sour cream, butter if baked with a little cinnamon, etc.).

    Google. Almost any fave carb recipe can be modified or taste copied to kill cravings or make you feel less left out of old favorites. I've found tons of new favorite recipes this way...

    Let me know if you have specific questions, and I'll suggest what I can.
    Thank you :)
    It's so difficult because the 'eat lots of fats' part is so different to what we grow up with I'm resisting it mentally, my parents eat low fat so I have to make do with some of the lower fat produce ie milk and butter, I wonder if this LCHF approach would work for them too as they are trying to lose weight.
  • PattieCakes25
    PattieCakes25 Posts: 30 Member
    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    Now, I'm only a week and a half into. I've decided to gradually lover my carbs down to around 50g a day. Some days right now I get to that, other days I'm around 80-90. Right now, I am trying to stay under 100g of carbs. My fat is at 50g at the moment, but after more research I've noticed high fat is good (I still don't know why, if someone would like to tell me, that'd be great). and my protein is around 100-130g. I struggle hitting my protein most days.
    Honestly, it hasn't been hard to lower my carbs. I don't eat breads, pastas, chips, cookies. I have minimized my dairy intake to about a yogurt a day and a sprinkle of cheese on my salad (if I have a salad that day) I still find that I can tend to my sweet tooth without ruining everything.

    You need the fat because your body can only use carbs or fat for fuel. It cannot use protein for fuel. So if you drop carbs, you must add fats or your body will burn itself up trying to convert enough fuel to operate.

    Once you are able to drop your carbs further, you will not really have much of a sweet tooth to tend to. I find now that I sweeten things just to take the edge off, but anything approaching my former level of sweetness preference is nauseating. Gives me headaches and all manner of craziness. I tried to convert a recipe to a type of pudding last night and oversweetened it just a touch. About two bites in, I was out. Couldn't eat it...

    This makes sense! Thank you! I'm sure I've read about it before, but I've read so muhc in the past week that it's hard to keep track.


  • PattieCakes25
    PattieCakes25 Posts: 30 Member
    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    Jennym93 wrote: »
    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    stefne888 wrote: »
    For those whom have had success with low carb, how many Net Carbs are you consuming a day?

    **warning, my numbers are more extreme than some**

    Endocrinologist said maximum 25% carbs. Start there and adjust down. He said, Low Carb, High Fats, Moderate Protein. Took me nearly a year of research and following progress of others to buy into the idea.

    I finally jumped in, targeting below 100 grams at first, noticed by doing this I was sticking below 50 grams, usually 35 grams. After a month, I made the commitment to try Keto. I usually aim for 25 grams - total if I don't have veggies, net if I'm having a lot of veggies. I could NOT control my carb cravings at 100 grams daily, so I kept dropping them until I could... (35-50 grams).

    My protein is about 90 grams as my target area (about halfway between lowest recommended and highest, based on my lean body mass.

    So I'm under 25 grams of carbs, between 65-130 grams of protein (if I go a little over, no biggie), and filling in the rest to satiety with fat (usually 120-180 grams).

    I started LCHF (under 50 g) on 1/15, and I switched to Keto (under 25 g) on 2/18. My dark skin spots have faded almost completely, my energy and mental clarity are awesome, my cravings are 95% gone - and what isn't got is more easily managed (and I was a ridiculous sugaraholic and carboholic that could have gone in the record books), and just, well, I feel better than I remember feeling in my whole adult life. I've lost between 15-20 pounds, and almost as many inches. I'm down one full pants size and well on my way to another one.

    Sticking to this new way of eating is the easiest thing I've ever done. I can eat bacon, cheese, sausage, butter, cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, and all the good things I was told I had to give up. I should be getting bloodwork in the next month or so to show the improvements in all of my numbers!

    I find this hugely inspiring, thank you for sharing :)
    Do you have any favourite low carb meals? I'm struggling to figure out what to eat some meals (but I've always been that way) while still fitting into my calories

    @Jennym93 I sent you a friend request. Feel free to bounce around my diary and ask any questions you have. Mostly, I don't do "low carb meals." I make lower carb versions of food I already loved and ate. Taco salad? Lose the bowl, add sour cream, guacamole, and cut down on the salsa quantity or any added carbs. Chicken cordon blue? Coat in parmesan, crumbled pork rinds, or low carb friendly flour alternatives. Steak? No subs needed. Chicken legs/thighs/drumsticks? Leave the skin on, bake, roast, fry, your choice. Pudding or coffee - use Heavy Whipping Cream, cut the sugar (use substitutes as needed, Pure Via Stevia being my personal choice), and/or use coconut milk. Add bacon to everything! Coffee/tea - make it bulletproof (add one or more sources of fat for a major energy boost). Add salt to everything (ketosis makes your body dump the excess water it held onto to process carbs - fats don't need that), so sodium levels, potassium, and magnesium, too, often need to be supplemented during adaptation. Put cheese or creamy sauce and/or butter on meats, veggies. Stick to leafy green veggies and not carby veggies (greens and any non root veggies are good). With fruit, stick to berries and stone fruits (peaches, etc.). Pair with a fat of some kind so your body knows how to process them (whipped heavy cream, sour cream, butter if baked with a little cinnamon, etc.).

    Google. Almost any fave carb recipe can be modified or taste copied to kill cravings or make you feel less left out of old favorites. I've found tons of new favorite recipes this way...

    Let me know if you have specific questions, and I'll suggest what I can.

    I do this with recipes all the time. If I have a favorite, I'll modify it to fit my carb needs. It's really not too complicated once you get into it. It can seem overwhelming at first.