Anyone else on a low carb diet?

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Hi there,

Thanks so much for reading this!

I was just wondering if someone would be awfully kind and just have a quick look at my diary. I am following a low carb diet, trying to stay below 60 grams a day.

I am also planning on exercising like 3 or 4 times a week at gym classes (like spin or body pump etc)

Will what I am doing help me lose weight?

I am also drinking water - i just haven't recorded it!

Thanks so much in advance!

Carolyn :) x

Replies

  • Sallytoslim
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    Hi Carolyn

    I have just started back on low-carb after a lot of success 5 years ago (2 stone+?). I then got lazy and ate the same as my family of 5 teenagers/adults. I can now cook for myself and hubby (as the kids have gone of to uni), and whether he likes it or not, I won't be cooking pasta, rice, potatoes, bread etc.

    I don't have a sweet tooth, so cutting out biscuits, cakes, puddings etc will be no problem...but I can't say the same for crisps and crackers!

    Anyway, I've had a quick look at your diary but I'm not sure I am knowledgeable to suggest changes (although my diet won't include ANY 'white stuff' - I'll replace carby foods with protein).

    Do you know whether you can adjust your tracking on MFP to allow for more fat and fewer carbs?

    Good luck with your weight loss...keep in touch?

    Sally
  • Mrsjenningsjr
    Mrsjenningsjr Posts: 149 Member
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    Yes, low carb, low sugar diet for me...Just trying to get adjusted. It's challenging!
  • bambam203
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    Yes, 45 a day is my limit- trying hard not to go over...it's so easy too!
  • sixxfan4ever
    sixxfan4ever Posts: 103 Member
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    I looked at your diary and some carbs are kind of low, too low. I am pre-diabetic and cant have less then 43 or more then 56 carbs a meal. Try to stay the same each meal. Exercise will help as well too. Good luck.


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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • sameto73
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    Hi everyone thiss my first time, new member. I too want to start a low carb diet next week. Has anyone had great success with low carb dieting? Is there a specific low carb dieting that anyone is following?
  • bambam203
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    I have had success with the Atkins/south beach- I read the the south beach book which explains what your body does with the food! It made me understand alot....--

    Also now I am reading the new Atkins......I lost 2lbs so far this year but a friend of mine started on it and didn't cheat like I did when I traveled on the weekend and lost 7lbs the first week so it does work.........
  • twynzmom
    twynzmom Posts: 172
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    my doctor put me on a low carb diet. I'm starting to get my carbs down to a good number but it's a challenge. I don't look at other people's diaries though.
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
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    Everyone's body is different. Some people's metabolisms aren't as efficient as other people's. Some people's bodies don't process certain kinds of calories (carbs) as well as other kinds (protein & fat). Personally, my doctor set my carb limit at 25-30 per day. And it has done wonders. I've lost almost 60 lb in 9 months, first time in my life I've been able to lose weight.

    Things that have helped me:

    Eat lots of protein. If your body isn't getting energy from carbs, it needs to get energy from burning a combination of fat & protein. The ratio for the chemical reaction is roughly 3 parts fat to one part protein. So it's very important that you eat enough protein, to keep that reaction going and keep your muscles healthy while you're losing fat. I make sure to eat my body weight in protein every day. I started out weighing 300 lb, so I tried to get at least 300g protein per day.

    Eat often. Again, everyone's body is different, some people can eat all their daily calories in one meal a day and it works fine for them. But for most of us who are overweight, our bodies aren't that efficient in storing and retrieving calories, so it's helpful for us to spread the calories out evenly. My doc recommended that I eat every three hours while I'm awake (works out to about six small meals a day).

    Avoid juice and fruits, or save them for a special treat. Too much sugar, too many carbs. You can get the same vitamins & nutrients from veggies.

    Choose veggies that are lower in carbs and higher in protein. That'll let you eat more of them. Avoid corn, potatoes, beans, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes. Instead, eat spinach, mushrooms, kale & other leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, bell peppers, asparagus.

    Protein powders are wonderful things. Just be careful to get the low-carb kind. My favorite is Syntrax Nectar brand. If you check their website, they have trial-size packets available so you can try different flavors before buying a whole big jar.

    As you go along, you'll find tricks that will work for your tastes and your lifestyle. I have learned to make low-carb versions of a lot of my favorite foods so that I don't feel deprived. For example, steamed, chopped cauliflower makes a great substitute for rice or potatoes in a lot of recipes. Instead of breadcrumbs in your meatloaf, use a grated zucchini. Instead of a taco shell or tortilla, put your taco meat in a bell pepper or a big lettuce leaf. Find a good BBQ rub recipe that doesn't include sugar, and use that instead of higher-carb BBQ sauces. I've also learned to make cookies, muffins and pancakes using flaxmeal, almond flour or protein powder instead of regular flour. Check out Atkins muffin-in-a-minute recipes for starters.

    Foods I eat often: hard-boiled eggs, great quick snack to have on hand. Cheese sticks or wedges. Beef jerky. Pork rinds. Plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese: you can eat it plain, or flavor it with half a packet of Crystal Light.

    A George Foreman grill is a great tool, it lets you cook up all kinds of meats quickly & easily. Steak & mushrooms, pork chops, chicken breasts, grilled veggies, shrimp shishkabobs... My fave recipe is to take a chicken breast, slice it open, spread some cheese (Laughing Cow?) inside, close it up again & wrap it in a slice of bacon, then grill. You could also put it inside a piece of tinfoil to bake it in the oven.
    Oriental stir-fry is also a good easy one-dish choice, just make sure you check the carbs on your flavoring sauce. I like Chun's Thai peanut dipping sauce, or just plain old soy sauce with a little garlic or ginger.

    Hope this helps. Good luck to you!
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
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    Just peeked at your food diary. Couple of thoughts:

    Be careful about the accuracy of some of the entries here. Whoever put that "brown bread cheese sandwich" into the database only entered the calories, and not the carbs or protein. But a sandwich with two slices of brown bread will have around 35-40g carbs. So you've been eating more carbs than you think. If you're trying to stay under 60 a day, I would not eat any kind of bread. Have your sandwiches on large lettuce leaves instead.

    Fruit juice should be avoided, it's very high in sugar; you can get the same vitamins & nutrients without as much sugar by simply eating the fruit, or by going with veggies instead. If you like drinking something sweet, find a good flavored protein powder or use Crystal Light.

    Watch your sauces, they can really catch you up. Sweet'n'sour sauce alone was over 20 carbs, that's a third of your daily allowance all in one sitting. Check the carb count very carefully before buying any sauce or salad dressing.

    I'd encourage you to eat more meat, fish, chicken. Those foods are high in protein and low in carbs, and will fill you up well & keep you from getting hungry.

    Hope this helps!
  • chicklidell
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    I follow the Anabolic diet, I don't eat more then 30 grams of carbs a day. Spinach and lean protein are my best friends. On Saturday and Sundays my carbs go up, it works for me when I have to cut for competition I can easily take off the 8-10 pounds in a few weeks. That doesn't sound like alot but when you're only 115lbs 8 pounds is huge!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    If you have problems digesting carbs or eating low carb causes you to eat less overall, then it will definitely help with weight loss. If you don't have any problems and you still eat the same amount of calories, then it's unlikely to make any difference.
  • gsbanks1
    gsbanks1 Posts: 69 Member
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    I AM STARTING LOW CARB AGAIN TODAY. I AM DOING THE STRICKER ATKINS VERSION. WISH ME LUCK!
  • NCVF
    NCVF Posts: 83 Member
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    iI typically stat with Atkins as a kick off to jump start weightless. But this time I really wanted something i could easily do in the long run. i have a Puerto Rico trip in Two weeks! gotta drop 10 for that. But after that I am seriously considering the 17 day diet. Seems less restrictive and healthier. Anyone have any testimonies?
  • Carolyn_T
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    Very helpful tips! Thank you x
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
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    iI typically stat with Atkins as a kick off to jump start weightless. But this time I really wanted something i could easily do in the long run. i have a Puerto Rico trip in Two weeks! gotta drop 10 for that. But after that I am seriously considering the 17 day diet. Seems less restrictive and healthier. Anyone have any testimonies?

    First, when the thread is asking advice about one person's low-carb diary, it's really not appropriate to change the subject by asking for testimonies on some other diet. You should start your own thread, and title it "17 Day Diet: opinions?" and you will get a lot more / better answers without being rude to the OP of this thread.

    But, that said, any diet that promises to drop 10-12 lb in 17 days is probably unhealthy. Ideal, sustainable weight loss is 1-2 lb per week. When it comes to weight loss, slow & steady wins the race.
  • NCVF
    NCVF Posts: 83 Member
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    Wow, It was my first time here to the site, and also my first time posting. I didn't realize how the posting worked, seemed to be a little all over the place. Thanks for policing, I guess.
    iI typically stat with Atkins as a kick off to jump start weightless. But this time I really wanted something i could easily do in the long run. i have a Puerto Rico trip in Two weeks! gotta drop 10 for that. But after that I am seriously considering the 17 day diet. Seems less restrictive and healthier. Anyone have any testimonies?

    First, when the thread is asking advice about one person's low-carb diary, it's really not appropriate to change the subject by asking for testimonies on some other diet. You should start your own thread, and title it "17 Day Diet: opinions?" and you will get a lot more / better answers without being rude to the OP of this thread.

    But, that said, any diet that promises to drop 10-12 lb in 17 days is probably unhealthy. Ideal, sustainable weight loss is 1-2 lb per week. When it comes to weight loss, slow & steady wins the race.
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
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    Wow, It was my first time here to the site, and also my first time posting. I didn't realize how the posting worked, seemed to be a little all over the place. Thanks for policing, I guess.
    No worries, how are you going to know unless someone tells you? It just works a lot better (and like I said, you'll get better answers) if we try & keep separate topics separate. You could also try doing a keyword search to see if anyone else has asked the question before: if they have, you can check out the answers they got, and that might help you, too.
    Good luck!