Talking about carbs...
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MrsBailey149 wrote: »How in the heck are people getting around 50g of carbs?!? The carbs in veggies and fruit really add up. I'm assuming most of your day is meat and nuts? I'm lucky to stay under my goal of 130g.
You'd be surprised. There are lots of veggies out there that are low in carbs. My diet includes lots of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, kale, mushrooms, onions, rutabagas, "power greens" (that's kale and spinach and other things I can't remember), spinach, summer squash, turnips. I'm sure there are lots more that I'm not including, as I'm feeling rather brain dead.
Edited to add cauliflower. Can't leave that out! It's my main potato and rice substitute. I also just discovered that celery root can be turned into passable hashbrowns.
Because I don't do well when my carbs are *too* low, I add in parsnips, sweet potatoes and winter squash, as much as a cup a day if I look at my food log and notice I'm under 50.
For fruit, I might have a cup of berries in a day, or half a grapefruit. Too much fruit makes me crave carbs. Once in a great while, I'll have some apple or pear or peach or banana or grapes.
Most of my food consists of protein (meat, eggs, poultry, fish, liver), fat, and vegetables. I rarely eat nuts. And my sweet tooth has really decreased. I can get by on a square of 85% chocolate, or a "fat bomb" made of coconut oil, shredded (unsweetened) coconut, and raw cacao or cocoa powder and feel satisfied. Things I used to love (milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate) are now too sweet.
Hope that helps.
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MrsBailey149 wrote: »How in the heck are people getting around 50g of carbs?!? The carbs in veggies and fruit really add up. I'm assuming most of your day is meat and nuts? I'm lucky to stay under my goal of 130g.
I also have a very hard time with getting my days to work out to under 50g of carbs. They are still around 100gs, but am trying to assess if it really makes a difference for me. I definitely live to eat! It is great to pay attention and know at what amount of carbs do the cravings hit the hardest.0 -
homesweeths wrote: »
how do you make the "fat bomb" sounds good! also has anyone heard of The Bulletproof Diet? and is there a way to set MFP so i can get updates in email to know when topics are updated? thanks !MrsBailey149 wrote: »or a "fat bomb" made of coconut oil, shredded (unsweetened) coconut, and raw cacao or cocoa powder and feel satisfied.
Hope that helps.0 -
MrsBailey149 wrote: »How in the heck are people getting around 50g of carbs?!? The carbs in veggies and fruit really add up. I'm assuming most of your day is meat and nuts? I'm lucky to stay under my goal of 130g.
I also have a very hard time with getting my days to work out to under 50g of carbs. They are still around 100gs, but am trying to assess if it really makes a difference for me. I definitely live to eat! It is great to pay attention and know at what amount of carbs do the cravings hit the hardest.
Drop the fruit. That seems to be the bulk of your carbs. You also have a number of items that are, by themselves, 20g+. Dropping those off would go a long way toward getting under 100g consistently, and getting more toward 50g.0 -
I've read the Bulletproof Diet book. It's got some good principles but I didn't finish it because so much of it felt like, "You have to buy this extra-special fancy low mold coffee, and this extra-special vanilla powder, and this extra-special..."
I haven't made fat bombs in over a week, but basically it's just coconut oil, unsweetened shredded coconut, and cacao powder. You can add flavors (vanilla or orange or almond extract, or cinnamon) if you want. I don't even sweeten mine, but I started out with just a touch of honey and gradually decreased the honey until now I don't add any. You mix it all together (some people melt the coconut oil, some just put everything into a food processor as is), spoon it into a silicone candy mold if you have one (I use my silicon mini-muffin "tin"), and let it set up in the freezer for a short time. Or just eat it with a spoon. But be careful, it can be addictive. I find it so satisfying that I'm happy with a TBS or two (depending on how low I am in fat for the day. Some days I need 2 TBS to get to my 60% macro for fat!).
Do a web search on "paleo fat bombs" and you'll find plenty of recipes. I don't remember the proportions I used last time, so I'm going to have to do a web search for a sample recipe the next time I make them.0 -
thank you homesweeths.. i am going to try the "mold free" coffee as i love coffee by i seem to have some allergic reactions to it .. will be interesting to see if there is any difference. I don't have the bullet proof diet book, i can never seem to get very far with books
but i was just curious about the principles. thanks for all your great feedback! 0 -
You're welcome! Oh, you can also make fat bombs with nut/seed butter, but I have to minimize those, so I forgot to include them earlier.0
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From my research on this subject I think this has much to do with your ancestral make up although even within certain groups this can vary. I think that while our genes are mostly identical to pre-historic man there has still been evolutionary changes depending on where your ancestors lived and what food was most available to them. If your people lived north and adapted to eating mostly meat that would likely work best for you. If your people lived near the equator and had more access to fruit and starchy tubers than the opposite would likely be true. I realize theis is a huge generalization and once again, will not work for everyone across the board. Personally I do not need to limit my overall carbs very much to lose weight and feel good. I really only have to worry about the fructose and make sure that's in check. I do great on a very high fat and moderate protein/carb diet and am fine if my carbs are up to 150g on heavy work out days.0
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Preach it, newmeadow.
My style of paleo works when I keep my carbs under 100g a day (averaging about 80g, I think, if I averaged it out over a week. One or two days approach 150g, but mostly under 100g). I could easily go way higher than that in the carb count, with "paleo-approved" foods, but it's not the way my body feels at its best. Someone else, though, might need much more in the way of carbs than I do. Or much less.
I think that's one of the beauties of paleo -- it's not a one-size-fits-all program. Or maybe it is. I just confused myself with the mental image I was trying for. What I'm trying to say is that it's not a list of rigid guidelines (you *must* eat this, this, and this). The most helpful advice I've seen is more of the variety that says something like: "BEST would be to eat grass-fed meats, but if you can't afford them, try for...(insert descriptions of "BETTER" and "GOOD" here)...or if you can only manage conventional meat, pick the leanest cuts or cut the skin off, and add good fats to your diet to make up for it."
The thing that amazes me about paleo is the variety and deliciousness of the food. I'm eating way better than I ever did, pre-paleo. I'm enjoying the taste of my food. And I'm feeling better, healthwise, than I have in years.0 -
Of course... but when I see people filling up on high carb/sugar Paleo substitutes and eating loads of fruit, I don't actually think that's in the spirit of Paleo either, personally. And then it's that much more annoying when these questions arise: "why am I not feeling good; why am I not losing weight?" And then not long after "Paleo doesn't work".
Every person is different! However, the majority of people here are over-weight and have clear metabolic problems (obesity, diabetes, depression, etc). That's why lower carb is often beneficial. And 100 grams IS low carb; much lower than SAD.
Last time I checked most cities have farmers markets. I am from the camp that putting effort into researching and finding the best foods (not labelled organic!) is a worthwhile pursuit. I found my supplier online, didn't even have to leave the house. Food direct from farmers is better quality for a competitive price (sometimes cheaper).
I saved money when I went Paleo; how do I know? Because I record every penny I spend and have for years. Now that I eat even more simplistically than when I first started Paleo, I'm saving even more. All those fancy flours, nuts, spices, etc? Not necessary.0 -
Thanks. It felt an awful lot like casting pearls before swine... but there were one or two thoughtful replies that made me feel like it wasn't a complete waste of time.homesweeths wrote: »The thing that amazes me about paleo is the variety and deliciousness of the food. I'm eating way better than I ever did, pre-paleo. I'm enjoying the taste of my food. And I'm feeling better, healthwise, than I have in years.
I never tire of hearing how much better people feel when Paleoing.
I also enjoyed reading your comebacks on the paleo thread on the main forum yesterday. You put the usual smug pricks, who show up in almost all main forum paleo threads, in their place.
Their so called clever efforts were well rewarded, thanks to you.
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i am about 2 days into this and am finding myself pretty hungry, i wonder what i am missing? maybe more veggies? thanks0
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now i am at 120grams of fat and 115g protein, for fats, olive oil coconut oil, chia seeds about an ounce of nuts, butter, eggs, chicken breast today that was all i had and peanut butter- since i hit the 120 fat mark i dont feel so hungry, but i realize i have a nite eating problem.. not based on hunger0
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Women NEED carbs for healthy metabolic and endocrine function which is why low carb doesn't work well, in the long term, for most ladies. Sometimes it can be a helpful approach to bust through a plateau for a few weeks but overall, I'm of the mindset that if you're a woman you should be eating at least 100g (total) of carbs/day and focus on food quality not macros as much
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Women NEED carbs for healthy metabolic and endocrine function which is why low carb doesn't work well, in the long term, for most ladies. Sometimes it can be a helpful approach to bust through a plateau for a few weeks but overall, I'm of the mindset that if you're a woman you should be eating at least 100g (total) of carbs/day and focus on food quality not macros as much
There are many people that won't solve all their issues without dropping carbs and to keep saying that carbs are necessary is untrue (for the human body period) and a disservice to those people. Since severe metabolic disorder is rampant, my experience is often applicable in those situations. The problem with low carb is some of us are struggling because we didn't drop them low enough... what I learned over the last 3 years.
Not everyone is like me either, who can't seem to tolerate any carbs, but if "moderating carbs" is a constant struggle it may not be the best path. I'd happily eat more carbs if I could, but finding my best health is more important.
It would be interesting to know if the amount of carbs that are tolerable relate to where someone starts from. Maybe there's a tipping point where things are just too broken? But I'm also not at all convinced (anymore) that plant foods are needed or even beneficial... I need a Carnivore Paleo Group. And I'd be there all alone.... for awhile. lol
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We have carnivores over at the low carb and keto groups, and some of us are paleo too.... I have seen definite health benefits myself from dropping my carb intake significantly and I hear others have as well.0
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Women NEED carbs for healthy metabolic and endocrine function which is why low carb doesn't work well, in the long term, for most ladies. Sometimes it can be a helpful approach to bust through a plateau for a few weeks but overall, I'm of the mindset that if you're a woman you should be eating at least 100g (total) of carbs/day and focus on food quality not macros as much
The sex hormones are steroid hormones, which are made from cholesterol, making fat the important nutrient, not carbs.
It can be argued that lean, insulin sensitive people in general do better on higher carbohydrate allotments, but the idea that all women "need" carbs is misleading and disingenuous. In fact, one of the more reliable ways to correct metabolic and endocrine issues in women is with a very low carb diet.0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »Women NEED carbs for healthy metabolic and endocrine function which is why low carb doesn't work well, in the long term, for most ladies. Sometimes it can be a helpful approach to bust through a plateau for a few weeks but overall, I'm of the mindset that if you're a woman you should be eating at least 100g (total) of carbs/day and focus on food quality not macros as much
The sex hormones are steroid hormones, which are made from cholesterol, making fat the important nutrient, not carbs.
It can be argued that lean, insulin sensitive people in general do better on higher carbohydrate allotments, but the idea that all women "need" carbs is misleading and disingenuous. In fact, one of the more reliable ways to correct metabolic and endocrine issues in women is with a very low carb diet.
Thanks for the clarification. I was wondering about this, as from personal experience, I know that if I eat close to 100g of carbs a day, for two or three days in a row, my cravings ignite again and drive me to distraction. I do much better bouncing around in the zone between 50 and 80g for the most part.0 -
I'm guilty of eating too much fruit and nuts and not enough meats and veggies. Most of my fat comes from nuts though. How do you get more fat without eating nuts? High fat meats?0
