5 weeks of LC - getting bored?
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Kattaway
Posts: 61
Has anyone else gotten bored of the limitations on what we can eat? I am not sure if I am just craving a hamburger, taco's or what but I feel like I am eating the same things over and over and losing momentum. I don't think about quitting whatsoever, I just feel like I need something different. I eat eggs with sausage or bacon every day. Steaks, chicken with nothing on them, maybe cooked with mushrooms sometimes. Work keeps me busy so I don't have a lot of time to cook and I really have a picky appetite when it comes to veggies. I don't like any of the fruits we are allowed, not even strawberries. I can't eat any of the fruits I love (banana's, grapes, watermelon, peaches, etc) - I guess I've been eating the things I do like so much that now I am no longer happy because I feel like it's a DIET now instead of a "way of life" - I don't know if having a binge day will help or not. I certainly do not want to come out of ketosis.....blah I am still limiting myself to 20 carbs daily. I dont know if I should up it to 30? I am just feeling kind of stagnate.
There has to be other's that have hit this point..... what did you do? How did you get over it?
There has to be other's that have hit this point..... what did you do? How did you get over it?
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Have you tried making those flaxseed muffins that are in this group? I haven't yet. Also, Atkins makes some candy bars that are very low net carbs and taste just like the real thing. I have them for snacks. What about fish? I've bought some fish but I haven't made it yet. Also, you can make a burger without the bun. Maybe mix up your spices?
I'm pretty new to the LC thing, and I'm afraid of getting bored too.0 -
If you've been doing this for 5 weeks you dont need to rigidly stick to 20g per day. I dont know if you are specifically following a diet plan (ie: Atkins) but even on Atkins, you can start introducing more types of foods into your diet after 5 weeks.
It really doenst need to be boring, you just need to experiment with your foods & cooking. There are threads on this forum that can help :
Ideas of what other low carbers eat:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/436710-whats-on-your-menu-today
Recipe websites:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/476935-recipe-websites
Plus- you really dont need to eat plain meat, I always have a dressing or sauce with mine. You can make flavoured butters (garlic butter, coriander butter, basil butter, chilli butter) and freeze them in sausage shapes so you only need to cut off a chunk when you need it. Or make creamy sauces using double (heavy cream), and add mushrooms, or mustard, or blue cheese, or tarragon & lemon. Or if you really dont want to cook, or are picky- you can buy low carb condiments/ sauces online.
Breakfast- try a flax 'MIM' in chocolate/lemon/raspberry (takes 60 seconds to cook) or full fat greek yoghurt with blueberries/ blackberries/ raspberries or yoghurt simply mixed with lemon juice?
I aim to try at least 2 new recipes a week and do my shopping around those recipes. If you want hamburgers, make some nice burgers at home, have them with whatever you fancy (bacon, cheese, mushrooms, jalapenos, sour cream, chorizo, pepperoni, peppers) and make a lettuce "bun" or a flax bun if you're missing the bread. If you want tacos, you can make those low carb too- chicken/steak/fish in seasoning, with veggies/ cheese/ sour cream/ guacamole/ jalapenos in a low carb wrap.
If you are low on time, make big portions at the weekend and freeze meals for the week.
Thats my advice. Although, if this is making you really miserable, and you are really picky/ too busy too cook then perhaps this is not for you and you need to evaluate your lifestyle/food choices. It isnt for everyone.0 -
I am not miserable, I never said that and this IS for me, I just have to find some varieties to make it work. I am not bashing LC at all, so please do not think that is what my original posting was getting at. I started at 341 lbs months ago, just slowly made some changes and just after the new year, I decided to get more proactive. I have made sauces, used mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, creamed cheeses, heavy creams, etc but because of MY OWN personal limitations in likes and dislikes, it's getting "routine". That's all I was saying.....
I have tried some LC tortilla's and they are good, but I am afraid that if I introduce too much, I will blow it. I have not found a balance in my limits because I know 20g a day will keep me losing (I am still 307 lbs and have a long way to go). I just need to find my balance in this and figure out what I can and cannot add to my meals.
But thanks for your advice and taking the time to reply.0 -
I have been trying to add new things that I couldn't or wouldn't eat before. Vegi's, food with fat in them. These are all new to me, so the exploration of adding new stuff vs things I got rid of.. has kept it less than boring.0
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Yes, certainly, low carbing can get boring if all you are cooking is plain meat and plain veg.
As has been pointed out, you have to kick things up a notch to make it more exciting sometimes. I like hot sauces...that helps out a lot...taco seasoning. I use alot of marinades...as any good low carber I am not that worried about fat LOL. You can buy bottled marinades and sauces that are pretty low carb for convenience.
A life saver for me has been the "invention" of chopped up cauliflower...I chop it really fine...zap it in the microwave...add whatever I want to transform it into a wonderful side. For instance...baked potato? Add butter and sour cream to the cauliflower...mmm. Lasanga? Layer the caulflower with cheese and sauce...you could even get fancier and add some "binding" agents to the cauliflower if you dont want it to fall apart.
Learn to roast veggies...add in different spices on top, and always use fresh ground sea salt...dont forget the butter!!! Butter makes everything better, even veggies!!
You have to put some meal planning effort in when you low carb...but its worth it.
Good luck to you!0 -
Start looking at low carb recipies, there are lots of good sites with tons of ideas, I know what you mean about it getting a bit boring, I would up the carbs by 5g a week to see how you cope with it, once you know your upper limit for carbs you may find you have more choices.
Stick with it!!0 -
I know what you mean.
Have you looked at any of the low carb cook books out there? I highly recommend George Stella's books and Low Carbing Among Friends!!! These have kept me sane when I get bored with the same ol' same ol!!!!
You can find some good ones at the library and at used book stores too.0 -
Have you tried making those flaxseed muffins that are in this group? I haven't yet.
I did low carb in the past. I LOVED these flax seed muffins BUT I started spotting and having irregular periods when I ate flaxseed. My doctor said that flax does something to change up estrogen levels or something like that???
They were really simple and good though!0 -
Think of your favorite meals and then see how they can be adapted to low carb. My family love spaghetti bolognaise - I have the meat sauce with cheese on top but serve it on some of those huge flat portobello mushrooms instead of pasta.
Go on what do you really crave ? I bet between us we could come up with some ways to give your favorites a low carb twist.0 -
Well my favorite would be mexican food, but as my "treats" for the week, I make a taco salad in a bowl (meat, cheese, sour cream and guacamole) or grilled fajita meat and eat with sour cream and guacamole. I will sometimes add a low carb tortilla (they are very good!) so I am incorporating that in. I do love spaghetti and last week tried a sauce with portobella mushrooms, I didn't like it too well, it came out much more liquidy than my normal thick sauce (being italian, this is a huge miss).
I think I just need to make more time to COOK, my schedule can be the biggest challenge, plus working nights/overtime makes it hard to find the energy to actually cook but I might have to change up my cooking times. I tend to stay up until 10/11am then hit the sheets until time to go back to work so no time to cook in the evenings before work, only on off days. So maybe I need to make my dinners first thing in the morning when I get home, let it thaw overnight at work.
My roommate hasnt been the biggest help and she cheats all of the time on her diet, I have only had ONE cheat MEAL in 5 (actually almost 6 weeks) - she is supposed to help with the cooking but she will bring home precooked/breaded cordon blue and say "just scrape the crust off" - here I am fishing for something to eat and take to work for lunch.
I think with more time management I can find the joy in this again. I could just about eat fajita's and taco salads daily! haha0 -
The other day I was craving tacos like crazy. So I took some romaine lettuce hearts and used them as a shell. IT REALLY HIT THE SPOT!!! I also tried a taco salad but using the lettuce as a taco shell really gave it a crunch factor that was not there with the salad. I totally understand about the boredom. It can be a challenge. When ever i craving mashed potatoes or pasta--- I make mashed cauliflower. just a couple of suggestions.0
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Another great low carb substitution that really rids me of my carby cravings is turnip chips (UK) Fries (US).
Simply peel and chop your turnip into chunky or shoestring 'chips/fries' and you can either deep fry them or toss them in oil & seasonings and oven bake for 15-20 mins.
Serve with your steaks/burgers etc.0 -
I make various primal sauces and bottle them to use on my meat to create variety. Also I eat a lot of veggies and mix them up with different seasoning etc.0
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I never get bored, but my wife does pretty quickly so I have to constantly change it up. A great site to hit up for variety is:
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html
It's easy to get in a rut with low carb dieting, but when you look at it objectively don't most people eat the same things a lot? It's just a bit harder with low carb because you do have to cook, there aren't a lot of prepared "on the go" types of meals available to purchase and the addiction to carbs keeps a lot of people "satisfied".0 -
Thanks for all of the suggestions!! I appreciate them all
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I make various primal sauces and bottle them to use on my meat to create variety. Also I eat a lot of veggies and mix them up with different seasoning etc.
Primal sauces? What are those? Will have to google....0
