Has anyone tried low carb?
vickimcdonald73
Posts: 25 Member
Hi there, im almost 45 and discovered low carb eating to tackle the middle age spread. Id love to become friends with anyone trying something similar.
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46 and I've done low carb for over a year - if you want to stay lean, I think it's the way forward.6
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Yes, been eating low carb for a little over 3 years now. Has made a huge difference!4
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What defines low carb? (What % of daily calories from carbs do you eat?)2
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A low carb diet is between 10-26% of your daily calories. I do eat fruit carbs, but I eat very little starchy foods. I suppose I eat a moderate carb diet, not technically low.
From wikipedia: The term "low-carbohydrate diet" is generally applied to diets that restrict carbohydrates to less than 20% of caloric intake, but can also refer to diets that simply restrict or limit carbohydrates to less than recommended proportions (generally less than 45% of total energy coming from carbohydrates)4 -
My diet consist of fresh meat, low starchy vegetables and eggs, dairy. I try to keep my carbs to 20grams a day or under 10%.
I enjoy it and find im not obessing over what I can eat next, for the first time in my life.6 -
I've been trying to eat low carb.. gradual process. What do your meals look like?0
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My day goes something like this:
Breakfast: 1 protein (usually an egg - boiled or scrambled), 1-2 fruit servings (usually berries), a yogurt under 100 calories and sometimes a good for you fat like nuts, avocado or granola and sometimes a starch like this morning I had melba toast.
Lunch: 1 fruit serving (apple or orange), 1-2 proteins (turkey, ham, tuna, hamburger), 2 vegetable servings (broccoli, snap peas, carrots, peppers, cucumbers), 1 fat (usually salad dressing or mayo)
Dinner: 4-6 servings of protein (fish, poultry, beef, pork), 2-3 vegetable servings, 2 fat if haven't eaten them all throughout the day (butter, dressing, oil, etc.) and 1 starch if I haven't eaten them all for the day (usually a 1/3 cup of rice, noodles, potatoes) but not very often as they tend to make me crave more carbs and they make me bloat. I have really enjoyed not feeling "fat" and/or "full" after eating dinner.7 -
Hi, I'm currently following the keto way of eating (low carb, high fat, moderate protein) and it has been great for me. It's been 3 months (first month spent faffing) and I've lost two stone. I've started to tweak it recently as I find I don't need as much fat in my diet these days as my body is fat adapted, so i don't feel hungry or crave carbs anymore. I found a lot of the info from dietdoctor website.3
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I have started this week. I have already lost 3 lbs by only eating low carb foods. I am easy into ketosis trying to avoid the carb flu2
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Hi, low carb is great and works well for a lot of people. I found it hard being Paleo as it really limited what I could eat when I wasn't the one cooking and it is more of a lifestyle change than a diet. But if you are looking to just limit carbs, I find it pretty easy and rewarding.3
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I currently am on a low carb, high protein diet and it seems to be working for me. I love to cook and don't eat out very much. Once I dropped my carbs, my digestion improved and I don't feel as bloated when I eat.1
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I tried a low carb diet for a few months and it didn't work for me. By the end of it I felt ill and nauseated by my food choices. I know there's a period where it's really tough and then it gets a lot easier. It never got a easier for me and it took all the joy out of food. Maybe I didn't do it long enough or right, but I just found I craved foods that I wasn't supposed to have. In any event I found it wasn't sustainable for me. I did learn a few things. A high protein breakfast reduces cravings later in the day (very useful). That protein isn't something I love and I have to take more care to make sure I have enough of it.
Currently, I am trying to lose weight and definitely try and keep my carbs low (~20%), protein high and fat, well, I don't have a problem here. Cheese and avocado and peanut butter are my friends! And this amount of carbs feeds some internal craving I seem to have. I've lost 5 lbs so far and it seems to work for me. I think there's a lot of inter-individual variation in terms of what works. No approach is easy peasy. Good luck.4 -
I tried low carb for a while and it worked, but my fat consumption was up. Cholesterol got really bad. I was diagnosed type 2 diabetic this last March. The dietitian has me on a 90 - 150 grams of carbs per day, so not horrible, but not terribly low carb either. It seems to be helping, my blood sugar is dropping, I need to exercise a bit more to drop weight.2
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I have found that low carb is the best diet for me it helps control my blood sugar if i avoid starchy carbs at a minimum - i eat fresh fruits,vegetables and lean meats like chicken and fish - i rarely eat the white carbs such as pasta,white bread and white rice anymore - but i must have potatoes occassionally - i won't give up white potatoes completely4
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Keto here. Just started. Lunch today lettuce wraps w ground beef shredded cheddar and Lil bit salsa.
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I have been doing low carb for years ever since the Atkins Phase emerged. It has always helped me to lose weight I have been a diabetic for 22 years I am 46 years old it has been my go to diet it allows me to come off of my diabetic medications stabilizes my blood sugars Etc. I have lost almost 40 pounds in 2 months if done properly it is great. However in order to maintain you cannot look at it as if it's a diet it has to be a lifestyle change1
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Low carb worked for me in my thirties now in my forties and struggling so I switch to ketogenic and it's awesome.1
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Keto works for me when I stick to the plan. My wife struggles with it but I am a meatatarian.
and that makes it easier for me. 0 -
I'm also doing low carb - started in February and I credit the diet with helping me lose 50 lbs. I've also been working out, so it's not 100% diet, maybe only 90% diet 1
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Hi. I posted about a year ago about a low carb option not really working for me and so thought I'd do a quick update. I stuck to the plan above with carbs at ~20%, feeding some internal need. I had a higher fat % ~(40-50%) and lost ~25 lbs. I started at 184 and am now around 160. I've been at maintenance since October. It all depends on your body and really listening to what you are craving. I think fewer carbs can be very helpful, but it just depends on you as individual. Some can do less. I haven't really had much of a problem keeping to this ratio since I moved to maintenance. It's hardest when I travel for work because carbs are cheap and they are all over restaurant menus. At home I don't eat out that much. So, do what truly works for you and is something you can stick to.3
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41, and doin' the Keto thing since the end of March. Down 13.5 lbs. total, and 5 of them since I started tracking with MFP. I will probably experiment with other ideas...short term carnivore now, and again comes to mind. I do think Keto is here to stay as my primary diet. Add me if you like, am always looking for new friends!2
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I'm 48, and have been doing it for 6 weeks. I love it. I intended to eat low carb, but unintentionally found myself in ketosis (I didn't understand the net vs. total carbs) so I went with it! I feel more energetic and clear headed and less moody. My digestion is better too. Grains (even whole) and sugars do not agree with me in various ways. I am still working on getting my sodium intake right and sometimes get heart palpitations and other symptoms. I don't go overboard with fat, and eat like I did before (leaner meats and seafood, veggies, eggs, dairy, nuts & seeds) with the exception of starchy vegetables, grains, legumes, sugar and fruit (other than a few berries). Eventually I would like switch back to lower carb only and to be able to eat grains and sugar again, but only on occasion. I was able to maintain my weight that way previously, and just need to lose about 20 pounds, so I think within a few months I will be ready to make the transition3
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Me! My doctor suggested it as I was prediabetic. Now I'm not.
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Me as well, I have lost 10 lbs doing low carb and I'm not finding it as hard as I thought I would.
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At 49, the only thing that works for me is low carb (5-10%), watch the calories (1500-1700) and working out 4-6 times per week.
Doing this I have taken off 7 of the 10 lbs I gained this winter over the last month.
Currently in a low energy period (last 3 days). Not sure if this is diet related or hormonal since I am in the throws of perimenopause.1
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