where to start on a low carb diet
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spll50
Posts: 21 Member
looking at starting a low carb diet,not certain where to start and what to eat , prefer no dairy or no cheese or yogurt type stuff, do you change carb % in mfp ?
Any info will do
Any info will do
0
Replies
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I started with cutting out sugary and refined foods. Then I cut back on fruits and starchy vegetables. I increased fat and protein to make up some of the caloric decrease.
Most change their macro settings.
Welcome to the group.
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looking at starting a low carb diet,not certain where to start and what to eat , prefer no dairy or no cheese or yogurt type stuff, do you change carb % in mfp ?
Any info will do
LC is a major change for your physiology. Your chances for a good experience are better if you're well-informed than if you dive in with a collection of random tips.
Here's a good starting point:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10103966/start-here-the-lcd-launch-pad2 -
Having a steak seems like a fine start.9
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looking at starting a low carb diet,not certain where to start and what to eat , prefer no dairy or no cheese or yogurt type stuff, do you change carb % in mfp ?
Any info will do
LC is a major change for your physiology. Your chances for a good experience are better if you're well-informed than if you dive in with a collection of random tips.
Here's a good starting point:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10103966/start-here-the-lcd-launch-pad
I second what @RalfLott said about being informed. Be sure to read up on electrolytes and the "keto flu" so you can avoid feeling like something the cat dragged in. Good luck to you on your road to optimal health!2 -
@spll50 welcome to MFP forums.
Google is a good starting point to help you define a low carb diet that may work for you since there are about 10,000 meanings to 'low carb diet'. Find one carb source that you want to stop eating and start there perhaps.
Because of my age and fast failing general health and strong carb like addiction I finally cold turkey stopped eating any foods that contains added sugar and/or any form of any grain. Three years later I can say this Way Of Eating is still saving my life today.
You may wind up with a very different WOE than myself or many others. It is the WOE that works for you that you are looking for I expect. Trial and error is the only way that I know that will help you find your 'own' WOE.
Best of success.3 -
Having a steak seems like a fine start.
Laughing at myself right now. When I read the above, I read "streak" versus "steak" and was about to concur with streak (though steak is an excellent idea).
Reading through your profile @spll50 and noting you lost (paraphrasing) 5 stone on WW and put it all back on, you already know you need a "streak" of many days long after weight loss happens.
My 1499 day streak (1/4 for weight loss and 3/4 for maintenance) has varied from 40% carbs/30/30 in weight loss and maintenance to 5% carbs/20% protein/75% fat in maintenance. My personal experience when comparing what works for me versus MFP's default macros of 50% carbs, 30% fat, 20% protein is: I function best on significantly fewer carbs and significantly higher fat than MFP's default. Currently my macros are "set" to 20% carbs, 25% protein and 55% fat though I'm eating fewer carbs (than 77 grams @20%). The rest is balanced between protein and fat (~100 grams of each).
I don't know much about WW but think it is geared towards low fat. I stumbled upon LCHF in maintenance and decided to give it a try. It probably has saved me from finding the 63 pounds (4.5 stone) I lost and has kept me on my streak. I eat steak and all or most of the fat that comes with it.
Many consider low carb to be less than 150 grams so yes, a good start might be to adjust your macros because as a 50 y.o. male with at least 60 pounds to lose, MFP probably has you at more than 150 grams of carbs.
TL:DR I agree with what everyone said above. We're all different and have found or are finding what will work for us long term in regards to both weight management and general (or specific) health.1 -
Yes I changed my macros on MFP and I added fiber next to carbs so I could easily subtract the fiber. (thou some don't do that) I'm currently at 5% carbs, 15% protein, and 80% fat. I am glad if I can go over the protein and I never reach the fat since I'm trying to lose a total of about 112 pounds/8 stone give or take. So far I've lost 24 pounds.
We (my Husband and I) are reasonably new, going on about 3 months. But we started keto after we ran out of potatoes. Yes we did research and everything that was just the day we decided to start. We first cut out sugars and grains/potatoes.
I'd say try to get your wife on board would help a lot too. We started this all for my husbands health and then I realized it could help me. Our kids are eating this way too, with added fruits.2 -
I was already somewhat low carb (it's how I naturally seem to eat), so it wasn't that big a change for me, but I just cut out starchy sides and replaced them by using more fat in my preparations (and feeling more free to use higher options like avocado, olives, nuts and seeds, nut butter, bacon, other fattier cuts of meat, so on). I was already eating lots of vegetables, but unless you are going super, super low carb I think building meals around protein and vegetables (plus fat in preparation, in your protein, as accent) makes a lot of sense.
I do like that I can use cheese a bit more than I was before, but if you are not consuming it no need to add it, and even full fat yogurt/greek yogurt actually adds more carbs than you might think -- I use it because I always have and I love it, but if you don't there would be no need to add it because you are low carb. You do need to not be scared of fat, that's key.
I changed my macro percentages, but I really focus on grams (for a while I was trying to be under 50 g total carbs, now I am aiming more for under 50 net, at least 100 g protein, fat whereever it falls to make up a reasonable calorie goal -- for me that's at least 1500 calories. (Since I'm confident in how I'm eating I'm not currently logging, though, but I did for a while to understand how many carbs I was eating and how to lower them some.)2 -
I just jumped right in and modified it as I went along and learned more3
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I love the website dietdoctor.com fab recipes if u want to commit long term this is worth looking at2
