Low Carb - Help Please!

Options
EdensMummy
EdensMummy Posts: 106 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone

I've been on here a little while but my motivation has been very up and down. I have lost about a stone (14lbs) this year but I still have a long way to go.

My biggest weakness is starchy carbohydrates - bread, rice, pasta, potatoes - as I always dish up big portions of these and they really make me gain weight. In the past when I cut them out I lost a lot of weight fairly quickly and I'm getting to the point now where I just need to do something 'drastic' to get myself back on track.

I don't mind eating the carbs in fruit and vegetables - I'm talking more about the complex carbs that are found in the foods mentioned above. I therefore need some guidance about food that is mostly protein and good recipes etc that aren't carb heavy.

Most of the online stuff about low carbs focuses on high-fat, Atkins/Dukan style eating and I'm not really crazy about doing that either. I just want to focus my eating on lean protein, (fish included), vegetables, fruit etc and I need some tips and recipes that might help.

If anyone has any advice they can offer then I'd be really grateful. I'm especially stuck on what to eat for breakfast as I usually eat toast!

Thanks for reading! xx

Replies

  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Options

    My biggest weakness is starchy carbohydrates - bread, rice, pasta, potatoes - as I always dish up big portions of these and they really make me gain weight. In the past when I cut them out I lost a lot of weight fairly quickly and I'm getting to the point now where I just need to do something 'drastic' to get myself back on track.

    they may make you gain water weight, but you are not getting fat off carbs unless you're eating in a surplus. And the weight you drop initially when cutting carbs is all water weight as well

    try getting a balanced and varied diet with about .6-1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, .3-.45g of fat per lb of bodyweight and fill in the rest of your cals however you please
  • ilikejam33
    ilikejam33 Posts: 252 Member
    Options
    For breakfast i have a protein shake, the brand i buy from costo only has 2 carbs and 25 g protein.

    On weekend when i have more time i eat eggs, scrambled, fried, hard boiled, and i eat turkey bacon.

    There are some good recipies on the atkins site for low carb pankakes and muffins, that i have made in the past that were good grab and go items.

    Try a google search that is where i get most of my ideas :)
  • EdensMummy
    EdensMummy Posts: 106 Member
    Options
    [/quote]

    they may make you gain water weight, but you are not getting fat off carbs unless you're eating in a surplus. And the weight you drop initially when cutting carbs is all water weight as well

    I am definitely eating them in surplus! I can't portion control them, I always make too much and, worse, I always eat whatever extra I have made! I know this is one of my weak areas as when, quite a few years ago, I cut these foods out, the weight did come off really quite easily. They also make me feel pretty sluggish and horrible.
  • kbanzhaf
    kbanzhaf Posts: 601 Member
    Options
    You said: I am definitely eating them in surplus! I can't portion control them, I always make too much and, worse, I always eat whatever extra I have made! I know this is one of my weak areas as when, quite a few years ago, I cut these foods out, the weight did come off really quite easily. They also make me feel pretty sluggish and horrible.

    There is a big difference between CAN'T and WON'T or DON'T. It is always a choice. Make one slice of whole grain toast, make one serving of oatmeal, etc. You CAN do this....you WILL do this. It is a mindset, and you've got to change YOUR mind. It's like the little engine who said, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...."

    Good luck,
    Kaye
  • LuciaLongIsland
    LuciaLongIsland Posts: 815 Member
    Options
    For breakfast You can heaved a hard boiled egg with a whole wheat bagel or slice of toast, fried eggs or egg whites. Lately i have been using a shake for breakfast and dinner.

    I love rice and pasta but I know I am weak with portion control; so I eliminated them all together, plus pizza. You get use to it. I am alone so I can control what I eat. You can do it.
  • metisgirl
    metisgirl Posts: 86 Member
    Options
    My endocrinologist for diabetes, stated that the only way to lose weight and be healthy is to keep carbs at around 50grms per day. Along with that he suggested exercise....He also stated that snacks could be protein or low glycemic foods not exceeding carb allowance......he said that if you want to maintain weight then you can add more carbs, but not in excess.....
  • CashierCantin
    CashierCantin Posts: 206 Member
    Options
    It sounds like the South Beach diet plan may work for you. It's a lower fat low carb plan. If you pick up a copy, they have wonderful menus in there to follow.

    I low carbed for many many years and my breakfasts consisted of left overs from dinner, or eggs in the morning (deviled eggs were really good for some reason), low carb yogurt, and they even have low carb bread you can have a slice with an egg or two.

    South beach isnt as strict as Atkins and I know plenty of people on other message boards who have used it and enjoy it more than Atkins and have kept the weight off.
  • silkysly
    silkysly Posts: 701 Member
    Options
    You said: I am definitely eating them in surplus! I can't portion control them, I always make too much and, worse, I always eat whatever extra I have made! I know this is one of my weak areas as when, quite a few years ago, I cut these foods out, the weight did come off really quite easily. They also make me feel pretty sluggish and horrible.

    There is a big difference between CAN'T and WON'T or DON'T. It is always a choice. Make one slice of whole grain toast, make one serving of oatmeal, etc. You CAN do this....you WILL do this. It is a mindset, and you've got to change YOUR mind. It's like the little engine who said, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...."

    Good luck,
    Kaye
    Well said...
    You have to want this, it’s just that simple. No one can help you unless you are willing to help yourself. best of luck.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Options
    they may make you gain water weight, but you are not getting fat off carbs unless you're eating in a surplus. And the weight you drop initially when cutting carbs is all water weight as well

    try getting a balanced and varied diet with about .6-1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, .3-.45g of fat per lb of bodyweight and fill in the rest of your cals however you please

    This. It's pretty simple, really.
  • Strive2BLean
    Strive2BLean Posts: 300 Member
    Options
    My go to favorite breakfast is fat free plain greek yogurt with blueberries or some other fresh fruit or frozen fruit with no added sugar. If you want to sweeten you can use a little honey or Splenda. Veggie omelets are good too for carb watching. You can use Egg Beaters also. Just avoid toast, cereals, pancakes, etc. My trick is to not eat anything made with any kind of flour. Stick to lean meats and fish and lots of non starchy veggies.
  • KayteeBear
    KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
    Options
    I'm in the same boat...sort of. I want to do low carb because it's supposed to help with losing weight with PCOS...but right now I don't have much money for groceries and I have a lot of white rice/pasta and potatoes stocked up so that's most of my meals now days. :(
  • cheree1965
    cheree1965 Posts: 29
    Options
    my diet put me on low carb with some fats healthy ones. i havent started yet. it hard i am gluten and lactose intolerant
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
    Options
    I avoid regular flour but allow Rice Krispies or oats for breakfast, but lunch is salad or soup and dinner is salad or veggies with white meat or fish... snacks are fruit or carrot sticks with hummus. I have things like carrot and swede mash in place of mashed potatoes, parsnip 'chips' in place of potato chips, cauliflower rice in place of white rice with home made curry or chilli etc

    I allow gluten free bread once a week as I love scrambled eggs on toast at weekend... sometimes I have a gluten free pitta bread in week filled with salad and slice of roast beef to make a 'healthy kebab'. .. even had few gluten free choc brownies and still lost 2 stone since June.

    Often for people who have problems losing weight with carbs,, its the wheat thats the problem so for me just taking out bread, wheat based cereals and pasta from diet helped loads. I've had (non-wheat based) carbs 3 times this week as maintaining but I've still lost a pound!
  • trinityj1
    trinityj1 Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    Well if you want to do something drastic that will work wonders, stop eating grains and starch cold turkey. You don't need them at all.

    You should be eating a high fat diet (nothing will make you lose body fat and feel freaking amazing faster), but if you don't want to you can still get carbs for energy from fruits and vegetables. Still the person above is right, getting 50 grams of carbs per day or less and eating high fat/moderate protein will MELT fat off.
  • tinytinadeluca
    tinytinadeluca Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    I used to be a "carb-aholic"!! That is, up until about 3 months ago when I started using an amazing product. I replace two meals per day with ViSalus protein shakes. They are the best thing I've ever found to lose weight. So great, in fact, that it's the fastest growing health products in the Country! I've been trying to lose weight for over 20 years without success. I've lost 15 pounds and I have more energy and feel better than I have in years.

    These shakes are low in carb, sugar, sodium, etc., and are jam packed with beneficial nutrients. (email address removed by moderator - please refer to the guidelines http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/guidelines) I also have two healthy snacks in between the meal replacements and then eat a very sensible dinner.

    Once you get the carbs out of your system, you will not even miss them. Trust me, if I can do it, so can you.

    I wish you the best of luck!!

    Tina
  • EdensMummy
    EdensMummy Posts: 106 Member
    Options
    Thanks everyone. Obviously when I said I 'can't' control portions of rice/pasta etc it meant that I don't - it was just a turn of phrase. I know it's up to me to do it, but I tend to find with things like this I'm better at just cutting it out all together so the temptation to overeat it just isn't there.

    Thanks for the help/advice! Am going to try to stick to 50g of carbs a day and combined with my usual exercise it should make a difference!

    x

Categories