Seriously thinking about Quitting low carb! I need some motivation!!
Jlan11
Posts: 61 Member
I'm well into week 3 of low carbs(less than 30g/day). I have already lost 10lbs, so I know that eating low carb works. It's just that I'm really tired of not having more food options! I'm already so sick of eggs! I just want to have a big bowl of cereal! I'm really questioning whether or not I can stick with this long term? I love that I have given up sugar, and I hope I can never go back to processed sugary junk, but I'm really craving fruit! I was originally planning to go at least 3-6 months on less than 30g of carbs, but now I am starting to think about adding them back after one month. I have 60lbs to lose, so I'm wondering if I will still lose enough weight if I add carbs back?
0
Replies
-
Why are you eating just eggs? Are you lacto-ovo vegetarian?
If so, you can eat avocados for your fat and nuts. Eat some cheese.
Pescatarian? Fish is your friend for protein - add butter or cream sauce for your fats.
Meat eater? - fatty cuts of beef and poultry are great. Bacon is awesome. Even if you like leaner cuts, you can add fat to it.0 -
My suggestion would be to check out the thread on what low carb meals look like -- it's here on the forum somewhere, probably close to page one. That should get your appetite working!0
-
Sometimes that "wanting" of carbs is the need for a bit more fat, and sometimes it is a need for more salt. If you find yourself thinking a lot about those foods, try increasing fat and salt and see if it helps.
I would skip eggs for a while too. I am off eggs right now too. I think I last had eggs in May. Now bacon on the other hand.... LOLMy suggestion would be to check out the thread on what low carb meals look like -- it's here on the forum somewhere, probably close to page one. That should get your appetite working!
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10274397/what-does-your-low-carb-meals-look-like/p270 -
samanthaluangphixay wrote: »Why are you eating just eggs? Are you lacto-ovo vegetarian?
If so, you can eat avocados for your fat and nuts. Eat some cheese.
Pescatarian? Fish is your friend for protein - add butter or cream sauce for your fats.
Meat eater? - fatty cuts of beef and poultry are great. Bacon is awesome. Even if you like leaner cuts, you can add fat to it.
Eggs are just one example of something I eat frequently that I am sick of. I eat eggs for breakfast everyday, and I have tried them in many different ways.
The only foods that I avoid are the foods that do not meet low carb requirements. I usually have 2-3 servings of low carb vegetables daily. I mostly eat eggs, cheese, and chicken and other animal protein sources.
I'm just ready to add back fruits and then eventually healthy grains. I'm hoping to always keep carbs below 100g/day when I reach maintenance.
I'm just wondering how long I should stick with eating less than 30g of carbs daily? I have between 60-70lbs left to lose. Any advice and motivation is appreciated!
1 -
If you want to fit in fruit, you can go higher than 30g.
Everyone works better with a different number. Maybe experiment with a week at 60g and add in some fruit.
Low carb is considered 150g or less per day.
Some people work better with higher numbers because they feel less restricted and some work better with lower numbers to keep cravings at bay and to keep blood sugar levels down.2 -
jlangton10 wrote: »samanthaluangphixay wrote: »Why are you eating just eggs? Are you lacto-ovo vegetarian?
If so, you can eat avocados for your fat and nuts. Eat some cheese.
Pescatarian? Fish is your friend for protein - add butter or cream sauce for your fats.
Meat eater? - fatty cuts of beef and poultry are great. Bacon is awesome. Even if you like leaner cuts, you can add fat to it.
Eggs are just one example of something I eat frequently that I am sick of. I eat eggs for breakfast everyday, and I have tried them in many different ways.
The only foods that I avoid are the foods that do not meet low carb requirements. I usually have 2-3 servings of low carb vegetables daily. I mostly eat eggs, cheese, and chicken and other animal protein sources.
I'm just ready to add back fruits and then eventually healthy grains. I'm hoping to always keep carbs below 100g/day when I reach maintenance.
I'm just wondering how long I should stick with eating less than 30g of carbs daily? I have between 60-70lbs left to lose. Any advice and motivation is appreciated!
I make a few different things for breakfast and still stay in ketosis
Mixed berries with full fat Greek yogurt and toasted nuts and seeds on top
Smoked salmon / smoked mackerel
A 'muesli' made from seeds, nuts, coconut flakes and almond milk
2 minute English muffin recipe with lashings of butter and a smidge of sugar free jam
Almond flour pancakes
There are many different ideas not involving eggs!!
If you are on Pinterest - feel free to follow me, I have many Keto recipe boards you can raid - my username on there is becwaahh
It's individual what you would choose to eat and how if affects your body, but after some of the stuff I have read researching this woe, I would say there is maybe no such thing as a 'healthy' grain!
1 -
I've started the 2 weeks diet doctor thing from his website. For breakfast I had a yummy bacon, mushroom, cheese omelet, lunch was pork chops with a compound butter and a salad, supper is pesto chicken casserole. If nothing else, it will give me some new lc recipes. DOn't give up...1
-
When I'm craving something, I'll Google it but add "keto" in. Like "keto sushi" for example, there's usually really good recipes for everything that's keto friendly. Even keto pancakes and waffles... I feel the opposite, that there's a ton of options for keto if you are creative enough.
Last night I made cinnamon sugar breadsticks that were only 3carbs3 -
I hear you. Cereal is my ice cream lol. I struggle a lot with my carb in take. I aspire to be at 50g but I really struggle to stay there. I just keep trying though!0
-
Try going up like 10 grams of carbs every few weeks. See how you feel and if you are still losing. Find the carb count that works for you. But try to give it enough time between every step up to make an informed decision before giving up. Many people do better on more carbs. Keto is not the only way to lose weight. It just helps to control cravings if you keep your carbs low. Some people do fine on a CICO diet, but many don't because they just get hungry.
As far as the cravings, take note of when and why you get them. Did you have an artificial sweetener? Did you wait too long between meals? Did you have an adequate amount of fat?
Many things can trigger a craving.
Good luck!1 -
Perhaps you should not be so low carb? Not everyone needs, or wants to be, as low carb as you are. There are many around here who do better with "higher" low carb of 100-150g of carbs. Some go even higher but keep their carbs "slow carb". If you aren't going to be happy without fruit and grains, you may want to eat them. Start with berries. Instead of "healthy grains" (a misnomer for me) try doing some baking with coconut or almond flour, and maybe use flax meal too.
For someone like me, I don't feel good on higher carbs, yet I still include berries and the occassional slice of melon or other fruit. I skip grains, because they are at best nutritionally neutral for me, but some fruit is in my diet.
If you aren't happy, you may not last on this woe. It may be best to find a way to make LCHF work for you. Keto is not needed for weight loss. It helps many of us, especially those with health issues, but for the rest it can often be skipped.2 -
Are you eating lots of vegetables? Are you eating a wide variety of foods? Are you eating berries?0
-
My daughter has just recently decided to go LCHF too and just yesterday she said "I'm tired of eating eggs for breakfast, Mom". So we had "the talk". There are so many options for foods that we just don't think about sometimes. The suggestion to google with keto in the phrase is a great idea. I think she sometimes doesn't think that eating a carb is ok. Her carb goal is 106 g or less so I suggested she eat one of my favorites - grits! She ate grits with 2 T of butter, a cut up string cheese and salt. She LOVED it! I personally won't eat that because my carb goal is so much lower but she now realizes that she can step outside the bacon and egg arena, so to speak. I'd kill for a bowl of grits and I took a tiny taste of hers - dumb idea....I was all of a sudden starving. I also reminded her that breakfast doesn't have to be breakfast food, per se. It can be anything she wants.2
-
RowdysLady wrote: »My daughter has just recently decided to go LCHF too and just yesterday she said "I'm tired of eating eggs for breakfast, Mom". So we had "the talk". There are so many options for foods that we just don't think about sometimes. The suggestion to google with keto in the phrase is a great idea. I think she sometimes doesn't think that eating a carb is ok. Her carb goal is 106 g or less so I suggested she eat one of my favorites - grits! She ate grits with 2 T of butter, a cut up string cheese and salt. She LOVED it! I personally won't eat that because my carb goal is so much lower but she now realizes that she can step outside the bacon and egg arena, so to speak. I'd kill for a bowl of grits and I took a tiny taste of hers - dumb idea....I was all of a sudden starving. I also reminded her that breakfast doesn't have to be breakfast food, per se. It can be anything she wants.
What are grits?? Is it a cereal?
0 -
If your long term plan is to be around 100g and include fruit and grains, then you should just do that now, especially since you're not feeling very good about it. Getting well set into a way of life rather than a "diet" is really what will be needed for long term success.
Motivation is fleeting... Commitment is what's needed for lifelong goals.10 -
RowdysLady wrote: »My daughter has just recently decided to go LCHF too and just yesterday she said "I'm tired of eating eggs for breakfast, Mom". So we had "the talk". There are so many options for foods that we just don't think about sometimes. The suggestion to google with keto in the phrase is a great idea. I think she sometimes doesn't think that eating a carb is ok. Her carb goal is 106 g or less so I suggested she eat one of my favorites - grits! She ate grits with 2 T of butter, a cut up string cheese and salt. She LOVED it! I personally won't eat that because my carb goal is so much lower but she now realizes that she can step outside the bacon and egg arena, so to speak. I'd kill for a bowl of grits and I took a tiny taste of hers - dumb idea....I was all of a sudden starving. I also reminded her that breakfast doesn't have to be breakfast food, per se. It can be anything she wants.
What are grits?? Is it a cereal?
I think it is like a corn porridge. We (western Canada) don't see grits much... or ever. I had to google it when I first heard of it. I thought it was a hashbrown dish at first.
1 -
RowdysLady wrote: »My daughter has just recently decided to go LCHF too and just yesterday she said "I'm tired of eating eggs for breakfast, Mom". So we had "the talk". There are so many options for foods that we just don't think about sometimes. The suggestion to google with keto in the phrase is a great idea. I think she sometimes doesn't think that eating a carb is ok. Her carb goal is 106 g or less so I suggested she eat one of my favorites - grits! She ate grits with 2 T of butter, a cut up string cheese and salt. She LOVED it! I personally won't eat that because my carb goal is so much lower but she now realizes that she can step outside the bacon and egg arena, so to speak. I'd kill for a bowl of grits and I took a tiny taste of hers - dumb idea....I was all of a sudden starving. I also reminded her that breakfast doesn't have to be breakfast food, per se. It can be anything she wants.
What are grits?? Is it a cereal?
I think it is like a corn porridge. We (western Canada) don't see grits much... or ever. I had to google it when I first heard of it. I thought it was a hashbrown dish at first.
Lol west Kootenays of BC here. Never heard of grits
0 -
yes it's like a corn porridge of sorts it's delicious kinda like cream of wheat but better lol0
-
-
I'm on the east coast. We eat plenty of grits in North Carolina!1
-
RowdysLady wrote: »
South east knows them, but it more or less stops at the Mason-Dixon line.
I grew up with my grandmother (who's from NC) serving grits, and my aunt lived in SC for several years, so it was always something on the breakfast menu. It was only recently that I actually looked into what they were, though, because it was always just grits! To me, explaining grits was kind of like explaining cereal for the first time -- you have to seriously think about it to get beyond "uh...it's cereal..."jlangton10 wrote: »I'm well into week 3 of low carbs(less than 30g/day). I have already lost 10lbs, so I know that eating low carb works. It's just that I'm really tired of not having more food options! I'm already so sick of eggs! I just want to have a big bowl of cereal! I'm really questioning whether or not I can stick with this long term? I love that I have given up sugar, and I hope I can never go back to processed sugary junk, but I'm really craving fruit! I was originally planning to go at least 3-6 months on less than 30g of carbs, but now I am starting to think about adding them back after one month. I have 60lbs to lose, so I'm wondering if I will still lose enough weight if I add carbs back?
Yep, you've reached "food boredom" stage -- http://whole30.com/2013/08/revised-timeline/ -- it's normal. Don't let it get you down. Don't let it stop you. Don't give up now.
Give it an honest to goodness effort for another couple of weeks, then see how you feel about things. If you're still feeling thing way, then do what others have mentioned about tweaking it, but it my opinion, it's best to give a big change like this at least 4 weeks, if not 6, so you get through this period.
Tired of eggs for breakfast? Then don't eat them. Have leftover steak. Or Bulletproof coffee. Or Primal Egg coffee. Or a plate of bacon. Or a vegetarian hash of mushrooms and whatever veggies you like. Or nothing at all.
Tired of meat-heavy meals? Then do giant salads (and realize that the bulk of your carbs are from fibrous veggies and unless you have a health issue that makes it matter, the fiber doesn't really matter). Good lettuces (spinach, romaine, arugula, dandelion, etc), mushrooms, olives, nuts/seeds, a little steak/bacon/chicken/whatever for protein, a good oil or cream based dressing, etc.
If you're still struggling, try just doing a smoothie for one of your meals for a little while. Look up "savory smoothies" or "keto smoothies" for some ideas, but my go-to when I do that is my favorite chocolate, low-carb protein powder, unsweetened almond and/or coconut milk, heavy cream, and some peanut butter. Blend it all up and enjoy.
Also, check out the recipe threads that are linked in the Launch Pad for more ideas.6 -
After 5 weeks of eating eggs every morning they started making me gag. I had my fill of stir fried veggies with meat or salad with meat... I started experimenting with recipes and have been posting my version of them on a blog (http://anewlifeatforty.wordpress.com)... so far I've made cream cheese crepes (sort of like pancakes but flatter), low carb cabbage rolls (replace rice with cauli-rice), keto pizza (crust is made with cheese, eggs, cauli-rice and spices), sugar free jello, moon cheese mixed with macadamia nuts, protein nut balls, BLT lettuce wraps, smoked salmon & cream cheese lettuce wraps, and the list goes on... Most of my food inspiration comes from instagram. There are a LOT of low carb/keto accounts on there constantly posting amazing looking meals...2
-
I do 70 or so carbs daily
I just avoid those sugar carbs.
It has worked for two years!
Ezekiel bread is my friend when I have a bread craving.3 -
@Dragonwolf offers excellent advice.
Don't get stuck in the "only certain foods are for breakfast" thing.
I don't necessarily believe in doing one thing for the short term and another thing for the long term though. But... It does seem that many people really get into the low low carb groove without expecting it once they embraced it whole heartedly. And it really does take opening your mind to new foods and a "new way" to be able embrace it.
Lots of people even discover that they don't actually even need to eat breakfast upon trying a fatty hot beverage instead. It can be very surprisingly filling, especially when incorporating coconut or MCT oil to boost ketone production to ward off the hungries til the afternoon. Get some relief from food boredom by breaking some "breakfast rules".
2 -
-
In my case I found the first 90 days to be the hardest part of doing low carb.
1 -
-
@KenSmith108 grits! Used to be one of my favorites! Add some bacon bits, and lots of butter! Haven't had any for 17 months!
OP, I can say that the advice you've received has been awesome! I will add that sticking with it is soooo worth it! The reward of health is greater than I ever imagined!1 -
All of the above. And if it helps....giving in and restarting is worse, been there, done that.
https://proteinpower.com/drmike/2009/01/16/why-is-low-carb-harder-the-second-time-around/1 -
SuperCarLori wrote: »All of the above. And if it helps....giving in and restarting is worse, been there, done that.
https://proteinpower.com/drmike/2009/01/16/why-is-low-carb-harder-the-second-time-around/
Learning healthy new eating habits and making long term behavioural changes are difficult. While I agree with the overall point of this article, i.e. its harder to lose the older you get and you end up with more to lose from the regains, I wanted to share that it took me three separate efforts over the course of a year to move to a very low carb diet, and I was already low carb at 100 g to begin with. Your body goes through a lot of changes and it takes work and time to learn how to adjust. Don't give up on yourself. Don't set your expectations to high, take the time to experiment and try different things, you'll find your groove eventually, and that groove may continue to evolve.4
or 
This discussion has been closed.