How low do you go?

KalesBagel
KalesBagel Posts: 20 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I've been trying the low-carb thing and even though I've nixed fruit, all grains, etc etc, I still can't keep my carbs below 50? Do I really just have to eat plates of meat and eggs? How low can I make it where I'll still be cutting calories/staying full?

This is hard for me. I don't really like fruit that much, but I LOVE grains and I have a serious sweet tooth. But whatever, not a big deal because I also LOVE vegetables. Every time my carbs go up, it's because I ate too many vegetables. I have been sticking with cucumbers, celery, broccoli, etc. I admit I had some tomatoes today and I don't understand how anyone stays away from onions. I'm not sure I've ever cooked anything without onions. I don't care for carrots.

So what should I be shooting for here?

Also, anyone have good advice on coffee creamer? I've been using half and half but it's so lackluster after using delight's cold stone creamery creamer for so long.

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • panda4153
    panda4153 Posts: 417 Member
    First, do you like being on Keto? Is this something you think you can sustain? Are you doing keto for a health condition? I ask because Keto is a great option for many people, but if you don’t like giving up grains and you don’t have a health condition that requires, you can still lose weight as long as you are in a calorie deficit. Keto is one method of calorie deficit .

    Now if you really like keto and it’s working for you to keep a calorie deficit, make sure you are counting net carbs. That’s total carbs minus fiber. Your veggies have a lot of fiber too, so you might not be as high as you think. Also there is not an exact number for keto, essentially you need to eat few enough carbs to keep your body in ketosis. That number can be differ for people. When I did keto I was good as long as I stayed under 75grams I’d carbs. You can get test strips at any pharmacy to check your urine for ketones to know if you are in ketosis or not.

    Last, there are all kinds of yummy sugar free torani syrups you can put in your coffee with half abs half that will give you the similar flavor of your coldstone creamer. Or if you like really creamy coffee try using heavy cream instead of half and half.

    If you like sweet treats sometimes a diet root beer with a table spoon of heavy cream tastes like a root beer float, and has only a few carbs.
  • KalesBagel
    KalesBagel Posts: 20 Member
    panda4153 wrote: »
    First, do you like being on Keto? Is this something you think you can sustain? Are you doing keto for a health condition? I ask because Keto is a great option for many people, but if you don’t like giving up grains and you don’t have a health condition that requires, you can still lose weight as long as you are in a calorie deficit. Keto is one method of calorie deficit .

    Now if you really like keto and it’s working for you to keep a calorie deficit, make sure you are counting net carbs. That’s total carbs minus fiber. Your veggies have a lot of fiber too, so you might not be as high as you think. Also there is not an exact number for keto, essentially you need to eat few enough carbs to keep your body in ketosis. That number can be differ for people. When I did keto I was good as long as I stayed under 75grams I’d carbs. You can get test strips at any pharmacy to check your urine for ketones to know if you are in ketosis or not.

    Last, there are all kinds of yummy sugar free torani syrups you can put in your coffee with half abs half that will give you the similar flavor of your coldstone creamer. Or if you like really creamy coffee try using heavy cream instead of half and half.

    If you like sweet treats sometimes a diet root beer with a table spoon of heavy cream tastes like a root beer float, and has only a few carbs.

    Yes I really do like keto, but also my therapist is suggesting it for mood regulation and to help with my depression. I have felt better over the past couple of days but I wanted to give it a couple of weeks to be fair. I do not medicate so I'm supposed to try to stay as healthy as possible (including losing weight), sleep enough, exercise, staying hydrated, etc. So I'm giving it 100% in all of those areas.

    But yes, keto works for me very well EXCEPT when it comes to veggies.

    I didn't realize you could be in keto at 75 grams! I've always heard it was like 20-30. I'll look into the price of those ketone strips.

    Would there be any benefit to staying low-carb even if I'm not in ketosis?

    Thanks!

  • KalesBagel
    KalesBagel Posts: 20 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    If your low carb goal is 50 you do know that is net carbs not total carbs, right? To get your net carbs you subtract the total amount of fiber you have eaten from the total number of carbs.

    For the record guys, yes I know to calculate net carbs, in case anyone else asks :) and I also know how to calculate different alcohol sugars.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    KalesBagel wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    If your low carb goal is 50 you do know that is net carbs not total carbs, right? To get your net carbs you subtract the total amount of fiber you have eaten from the total number of carbs.

    For the record guys, yes I know to calculate net carbs, in case anyone else asks :) and I also know how to calculate different alcohol sugars.

    Just wanted to make sure. You'd be surprised how many people come through here that do not know that basic information.

    You should also keep an eye out for database entries that should have fiber but do not. The MFP database is not to be trusted without personally verifying entries.
  • KalesBagel
    KalesBagel Posts: 20 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »

    Just wanted to make sure. You'd be surprised how many people come through here that do not know that basic information.

    You should also keep an eye out for database entries that should have fiber but do not. The MFP database is not to be trusted without personally verifying entries.

    Well that's going to get old fast lol thanks for the pro-tip! I will definitely watch out!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
    edited January 2020
    The admin-created entries that were pulled from the USDA database are prone to other errors, but they will always have fiber for whole foods that contain fiber.

    Unfortunately, the green check marks in the MFP database are used for both user-created entries and admin-created entries that MFP pulled from the USDA database. To find admin entries for whole foods, I get the syntax from the USDA database and paste that into MFP.

    The USDA recently changed the platform for their database and it is unfortunately a little more difficult to use. I uncheck everything but SR Legacy - that seems to be what MFP used to pull in entries.

    Note: any MFP entry that includes "USDA" was user entered.

    For packaged foods, I verify the label against what I find in MFP. (Alas, you cannot just scan with your phone and assume what you get is correct.)
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,393 Member
    I eat low carb/keto 90% of the time, with my MFP set to 50g of carbs.

    Today I had 38g of carbs including a serving (91g) of radish, a serving (88g) of cucumber (peel on), 2 servings (168g) of green beans, a serving plus (112g) button mushrooms, 28g red onion and 6g garlic.

    I got some carbs from half and half, trace in eggs and cheese, a pickle.

    20g is induction levels for keto. Can get into keto quicker that way, but almost anyone who can move at all can eventually get (and stay) in keto with 50-75g total carbs.
  • rentrikin
    rentrikin Posts: 104 Member
    The goal of a keto diet is to eat clean and get into ketosis, so that your body will be using fat as fuel instead of sugar. The only way you can really be sure if you are in ketosis is to test your blood for ketones.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    rentrikin wrote: »
    The goal of a keto diet is to eat clean and get into ketosis, so that your body will be using fat as fuel instead of sugar. The only way you can really be sure if you are in ketosis is to test your blood for ketones.

    It does sound like OP's goal is to be in ketosis, to see if ketosis helps her with her mood issues. My understanding is that sometimes it does (and sometimes it's counterproductive). For many the main goal of keto is simply hunger reduction or cravings reduction, and often just being low carb is as effective for those people.

    Never heard that the goal of keto is "eating clean," as that's not consistent with any of the 5000 definitions of eating "clean" I've heard (usually it means avoiding processed or more than minimally processed foods, and lots of diets that do that are not keto, whereas most keto ways of eating I've seen do not do that, and it's rarely stated as an element of keto).

    Everyone in a calorie deficit burns fat (the fat you eat and some body fat) in addition to sugar. Someone who is eating little carbs and a very high percentage of fat is going to burn more fat, but not more body fat -- if calories and activity are equal, that will also be roughly equal. I'm not sure why it's inherently beneficial to burn mostly dietary fat vs. dietary fat + carbs.

    Most doing keto have no need to test their urine (and it's frequently not that accurate, especially after one has been doing keto for a while).

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