Switched from slim fast to low carb diet

Feeling much better; less side effects to far. More to eat; finding new recipes each day and offers in all supermarkets too. Does anyone have any advice they can give me, or suggest any meals or recipes that are yummy and different?

Replies

  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited January 2016
    I switched from Slim Fast to a high carb high fiber diet.
    Lots of beans, quinoa, barley, lentils, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, roasted chick peas, brown rice, wheat pasta, etc. Guess anything is better than Slim Fast. Good job.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Feeling much better; less side effects to far. More to eat; finding new recipes each day and offers in all supermarkets too. Does anyone have any advice they can give me, or suggest any meals or recipes that are yummy and different?

    Focus on getting your micronutrients and hitting your MFP calorie goal each day. The Low Carber group here has great suggestions for recipes and tips for getting started with low carb:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    You don't need to eat low carb to lose weight.

    Just eating at a calorie deficit will do it.

    Unless you have a doctor telling you you need to, it's more sustainable in the long term to learn to eat at your calorie limit as soon as possible. This will keep you at a healthy weight for life.

    You don't need to be on a diet. Just use MFP to count calories and eat the things you feel like. Easy peasy!

  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
    kgeyser wrote: »
    The Low Carber group here has great suggestions for recipes and tips for getting started with low carb:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

    Also at the top of the LCHF group is a sticky pad launch pad area that has tons of links to great LCHF recipe websites, articles, books, tips, etc.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    You don't need to eat low carb to lose weight.

    I think I'll try this approach in every exercise thread. "You don't need to exercise to lose weight". Should go well.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    yarwell wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    You don't need to eat low carb to lose weight.

    I think I'll try this approach in every exercise thread. "You don't need to exercise to lose weight". Should go well.

    That makes no sense at all, but good luck with that.
  • jungefrau
    jungefrau Posts: 11 Member
    If you go onto Pinterest and just put in "low carb meals" you'll get so many great ideas. I love Pinterest for this stuff.
  • rwhyte12
    rwhyte12 Posts: 204 Member
    Add in the good fats so you feel full.
  • JQuinnLife
    JQuinnLife Posts: 102 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    You don't need to be on a diet. Just use MFP to count calories and eat the things you feel like. Easy peasy!

    Hey you're fat, you probably know what to eat, you're just eating too much of it right now.... :|


    Low carb is a great lifestyle option for the nutritionally minded @JemmaLeather ! The real secret is bacon and buttermilk ranch, adding that to any other mix of protein and low-carb veggies equate to delicious dinners all around.

    If you're interested in checking out a strict Keto diary, add me as a friend.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    You don't need to eat low carb to lose weight.

    Just eating at a calorie deficit will do it.

    Unless you have a doctor telling you you need to, it's more sustainable in the long term to learn to eat at your calorie limit as soon as possible. This will keep you at a healthy weight for life.

    You don't need to be on a diet. Just use MFP to count calories and eat the things you feel like. Easy peasy!

    This^

    I've done Slim Fast (years ago) low carb years ago....and many other temporary diets. Yet here I am again.

    Pick something sustainable for you. If you LIKE low carb and want to use low carb as part of your maintenance (like 2 low carb days a week for the rest of your life).....then continue on. Because that's what a lifestyle is.....forever.
  • JQuinnLife
    JQuinnLife Posts: 102 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    If you LIKE low carb and want to use low carb as part of your maintenance (like 2 low carb days a week for the rest of your life).....then continue on. Because that's what a lifestyle is.....forever.

    You cannot achieve fat burning Ketosis eating only low-carb 2 days a week, more importantly you also cannot become fat-adapted eating like that. Fat adaptation is where your body pulls fat as its main energy source instead of carbohydrates.

    It is not a good idea to give advice on a eating lifestyle you don't know too much about. @TeaBea
  • CherylG1983
    CherylG1983 Posts: 294 Member
    One switch that was pretty easy for me to make was to use spaghetti squash in replace of anything that required noodles... From pasta dishes (obviously) to chicken pad thai, I always use spaghetti squash! Pad thai is actually quite lovely with the squash to be honest.

    Another thing I did was instead of using wraps, use Boston lettuce (also called Bibb or Butter lettuce). This lettuce is softer and doesn't tear apart easily, so it's perfect! Where I live, you can buy them in plastic containers and add water to the container to it "lives" and stays fresh until it's all gone!

    If you're not afraid to spend a few bucks, I really like GoGo Quinoa spaghetti. No wheat - it's made from quinoa and rice. But it's about 4X as much as a box of regular spaghetti. However, I much prefer it to regular spaghetti now! It keeps much better in the fridge (doesn't get slimy) and it's practically impossible to over cook!

    Hope that helps. I did low carb about a year and a half ago and, in conjunction with exercise, lost 18 pounds in two months. Everyone is different, of course. But I'm giving it another go now. It's a big adjustment! Good luck!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Nage3000 wrote: »
    TeaBea wrote: »
    If you LIKE low carb and want to use low carb as part of your maintenance (like 2 low carb days a week for the rest of your life).....then continue on. Because that's what a lifestyle is.....forever.

    You cannot achieve fat burning Ketosis eating only low-carb 2 days a week, more importantly you also cannot become fat-adapted eating like that. Fat adaptation is where your body pulls fat as its main energy source instead of carbohydrates.

    It is not a good idea to give advice on a eating lifestyle you don't know too much about. @TeaBea

    I said NOTHING about keto. Do you see the word keto in MY original post? No. My advice was for MAINTENANCE. That's the lifestyle change. The lifestyle change is not about losing weight. My advice was for OP to pick something sustainable (whatever that may be).
  • Jbarbo01
    Jbarbo01 Posts: 240 Member
    If you have no medical reason to eat a low carb diet, then it is not necessary. I do it because I have PCOS which causes issues with insulin and blood sugar, so it does help me control my appetite signals and lower my weight. That said if you still want to try low carb, I'd suggest investing in a spiralizer so you can make noodles out of zucchini or squash for spaghetti. I love making ground turkey meat sauce with zucchini or summer squash noodles. Spaghetti squash works well too. Tonight I'm making roasted chicken thighs with franks red hot brushed on with broccoli and a side salad. Stuffed peppers with extra veggies in place of rice is a nice recipe also. Basically limit your grains, fruit, and potatoes. Not saying never, but just that they are limited. I'm adhering to just under 100 grams of carbs a day which seems to be enough to not make me go crazy on a lower carb diet. I think the Atkins style 40 grams of carbs a day is not sustainable. With a "diet", you want the changes to be fairly sustainable and almost effortless for you. Thats the only way it will work long term.
  • JQuinnLife
    JQuinnLife Posts: 102 Member
    It's ok if you don't understand how carbohydrates affect the body, I say just get educated about it @TeaBea

    "(like 2 low carb days a week for the rest of your life)" - About as hysterically vague and unsustainable as possible. I suggest advice based in science and anecdotal success, not in assumptions or self-created theories.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    kgeyser wrote: »
    Feeling much better; less side effects to far. More to eat; finding new recipes each day and offers in all supermarkets too. Does anyone have any advice they can give me, or suggest any meals or recipes that are yummy and different?

    Focus on getting your micronutrients and hitting your MFP calorie goal each day. The Low Carber group here has great suggestions for recipes and tips for getting started with low carb:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

    Go here.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    yarwell wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    You don't need to eat low carb to lose weight.

    I think I'll try this approach in every exercise thread. "You don't need to exercise to lose weight". Should go well.

    That makes no sense at all, but good luck with that.

    While not the best comparison, yeah, it does.

    Whenever anyone asks a question about low carb, or states that they're doing it, someone comes in and says "you don't need to do that to lose weight". Even when they say it's going GREAT.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    yarwell wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    You don't need to eat low carb to lose weight.

    I think I'll try this approach in every exercise thread. "You don't need to exercise to lose weight". Should go well.

    That makes no sense at all, but good luck with that.

    While not the best comparison, yeah, it does.

    Whenever anyone asks a question about low carb, or states that they're doing it, someone comes in and says "you don't need to do that to lose weight". Even when they say it's going GREAT.

    Yeah I also agree. I don't understand why almost every thread someone says you don't have to do "that" to do "this"...

    The OP or any one's original question such as this is not, "can I do this to loose weight?". He/she said, I went from Slim Fast and now doing low carb and asking for assistance... NOT IF THEY CAN DO IT OR NOT?

    There are may roads that will lead to the same place..
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
    Nage3000 wrote: »
    It's ok if you don't understand how carbohydrates affect the body, I say just get educated about it @TeaBea

    Physician, heal thyself.



  • superspork2
    superspork2 Posts: 99 Member
    Nage3000 wrote: »
    It's ok if you don't understand how carbohydrates affect the body, I say just get educated about it @TeaBea

    Physician, heal thyself.



    Maybe he's grumpy because he doesn't eat carbs