Starting over

farmers_daughter
farmers_daughter Posts: 1,632 Member
Ok - I'm asking you to talk to me like I'm stupid here.

I did low carb at one point, didn't have any success except I was more "regular" I want to get back to that again but have COMPLETELY forgotten how I did it.
I'm a single momma of 2 tween girls, who are ALWAYS going - softball, 4H, dog stuff...blah blah blah....
We love bread, and pasta way too much.
On the bright side I'm a hunter - I have a buttload of venison, mostly ground (dad got carried away with his new grider)
I suffer from severe anemia - which translates to I don't know how I'm not narcoleptic (ok my opinion there) - I'm CONSTANTLY tired - like comically tired - so there's that too.

Help me get started again - and pointing me to a link with lots of reading....I'll never do it.

Replies

  • tammyfranks2
    tammyfranks2 Posts: 290 Member
    I have of list of NO NO foods that pretty much tell you , eat everything except these foods LOL


    Here is a concise list of foods to avoid that are discussed in this chapter. You may want to memorize it or copy it, as it is worth learning.

    Sweets and Sweeteners
    • Powdered sweeteners (other than stevia)
    • Candies, especially so-called sugar-free types
    • Honey and fructose
    • Most “diet” and “sugar-free” foods (except sugar-free Jell-O gelatin when the label doesn’t mention maltodextrin, and diet sodas that do not contain fruit juices or list other carbohydrate on the label)
    • Desserts (except Jell-O gelatin without maltodextrin—no more than ½ cup per serving) and pastries: cakes, cookies, pies, tarts, et cetera
    • Foods containing, as a significant ingredient, products whose names end in -ol or -ose (dextrose, glucose, lactose, mannitol, mannose, sorbitol, sucrose, xylitol, xylose, et cetera), except cellulose; also, corn syrup, molasses, maltodextrin, et cetera

    Sweet or Starchy Vegetables
    • Beans: chili beans, chickpeas, lima beans, lentils, sweet peas, et cetera (string beans, snow peas, and bell and chili peppers, which are mostly cellulose, are okay, as are limited amounts of many soybean products)
    • Beets
    • Carrots
    • Corn
    • Onions, except in small amounts
    • Packaged creamed spinach containing flour
    • Parsnips
    • Potatoes
    • Cooked tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and raw tomatoes except in small amounts
    • Winter squash

    Fruit and Juices
    • All fruits (except avocados)
    • All juices (including tomato and vegetable juices— except for some people, in a Bloody Mary)

    Certain Dairy Products
    • Milk
    • Sweetened and low-fat yogurts
    • Cottage cheese (except in very small amounts)
    • Powdered milk substitutes and coffee lighteners
    • Canned milk concentrate

    Grains and Grain Products
    • Wheat, rye, barley, corn, and lesser-known, “alternative” grains, such as kasha, quinoa, and sorghum
    • White, brown, wild rice, or rice cakes
    • Pasta
    • Breakfast cereal
    • Pancakes and waffles
    • Bread, crackers, and other flour products

    Prepared Foods
    • Most commercially prepared soups
    • Most packaged “health foods”
    • Snack foods (virtually anything that comes wrapped in cellophane, including nuts)
    • Balsamic vinegar (compared to wine vinegar, white vinegar, or cider vinegar, balsamic contains considerable sugar)


    DR. BERNSTEIN

    you can go to his website and learn more !!

    but I eat meats and veggies , cheese , eggs, salads , (you can have nuts and seeds ) but i can't eat them . but so many wed sites now you can find recipes and all kinds of info . but venison should help with the anemia , I also have anemia but it is better , the red meats have helped . I am on Hormones too so , yeah I am not losing like I should but I have lost almost 30 pounds . (110 days)

    I hope this helps !!!

  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Make venison burgers, eat them without the bun (if they're too dry, add bacon grease or mix them with high fat hamburger).

    Lettuce wrap all the things!

    Cut out the grains, eat the venison pretty freely, and I wouldn't be surprised if the anemia clears up within a month or two (been there, done that, burned the t-shirt).
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    And make lots of leftovers for a quick bite. I find the easiest way to fail when busy is to not plan ahead for food "emergencies".

    And don't forget to increase your sodium/salt as you cut carbs or you may end up feeling even MORE fatigued if your electrolytes go low. Not good. ;)
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    I ate keto previously and now eat very low carb. Dr. Eric Westman is the Director of the Obesity Clinic in Durham, NC which is keto. The man keeps things simple and as he says "If it is not on page 4 don't eat it. The link below is page 4 (and 5 which has further information). I don't follow page 4 precisely. A few things I eat occasionally in small portions that may/may not be on the list (or are on page 5 as a "no") are: legumes, rice, half and half, onions and a bit of cornstarch or cornmeal for breaded deep fried fish. Flour for thickening.

    He's not a fan of counting calories but had a video today on his "Adapt Live" series about when to count calories and the primary reason to count is if you're not losing. I count calories. Not as carefully as I did 4 years ago when losing but I am still counting some and am always mindful about what sneaks in my mouth. Here's the link. His videos are on youtube.

    https://www.whatsthatmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Dr-Westman-Keto-food-list-pg-4.pdf
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    Why do you want to go back to low carb if it was not successful for you in the past?

    Has something changed that leads you to believe you will now be successful with that way of eating?

    Also, low carb and no carb are very different - depending on your carb goal, you can totally fit some bread and some pasta into the plan and still stay on target. Do you know what goal carb limit you are going to target?

    Regarding the anemia - your body is not able to absorb iron without sufficient vitamin C and your body can't store C. So if you don't eat a lot of C rich foods with your meals, then your best bet is to take a C supplement with every meal. That way you can get the most bioavailability from the iron sources you do eat.
  • lowjax75
    lowjax75 Posts: 589 Member
    Welcome. One of the best pieces of advice I can give is to start simple. Start with making a simple meat and veggie for meals. Add in some fats like avocado or oils. Keep it easy as you get into the swing of things.

    Good luck!
  • farmers_daughter
    farmers_daughter Posts: 1,632 Member
    Why do you want to go back to low carb if it was not successful for you in the past?

    Has something changed that leads you to believe you will now be successful with that way of eating?

    Also, low carb and no carb are very different - depending on your carb goal, you can totally fit some bread and some pasta into the plan and still stay on target. Do you know what goal carb limit you are going to target?

    Regarding the anemia - your body is not able to absorb iron without sufficient vitamin C and your body can't store C. So if you don't eat a lot of C rich foods with your meals, then your best bet is to take a C supplement with every meal. That way you can get the most bioavailability from the iron sources you do eat.

    Top be honest - nothing except phentermine was successful. I've literally had zero success with anything that I've tried. Hence me being a serial starter. I see zero progress - I'm not motivated to continue, so I give up, try something different, and repeat and repeat and repeat. :)
  • Phoenix_Dawn
    Phoenix_Dawn Posts: 64 Member
    Maybe you could measure successes differently. Like instead of wanting to lose X amount of weight in a timeframe, try sticking to your macros for two weeks and see how you feel after accomplishing your goal and repeat with a slightly different goal, maybe getting X amount of minutes of your exercise of choice. With this WOE it is said you have to trust the process and stick with it. No weight loss is easy. I am up and down constantly on the scale but I feel so much better and less bloated than I used to be.
  • lowjax75
    lowjax75 Posts: 589 Member
    Great advice @Phoenix_Dawn . Getting healthy is far more than just numbers on a scale. It is healing your body and your mind. Sometimes your body doesn't want to cooperate. But just stick with it.
  • TheDevastator
    TheDevastator Posts: 1,626 Member
    edited May 2018
    With anemia I've heard you might need high amounts of b vitamins and iron so smoked oysters and clams are really good for iron if you can afford them. Aldi's has braunschweiger for fairly cheap that has b12 and lots of iron from the pork liver in it. Like Tcunbeliever said, add some vitamin C to the meal for absorption. Brewer's and Nutritional Yeast are great foods for your b vitamins.

    Do you want to go Keto or just low to moderate carbs? I personally like low to moderate carbs so I can eat carrots, celery, onions, beets, etc. I blend them with peanut butter, stevia, and cocoa to make a delicious smoothie.

    Here's a link for anemia:
    https://draxe.com/anemia-symptoms/