Low Carb help

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c031588
c031588 Posts: 13
in Food and Nutrition
Hi! So I decided to try low carb. I've been doing it for about a week now and I've lost 4.5 pounds. Pretty good start and I feel great about it.

However, I've noticed that I'm not eating a lot of calories in a day. Today my breakfast was bacon and eggs, lunch was ham and cheese, dinner cheddar chicken and green beans and I had a snack of jello. I'm only in at 582 calories! I'll eat another small "dinner" soon but that will probably only bring me up to about 700. Any one that has done low carb, did you find this to be true? I don't know how to get in at least 1200 calories doing this diet. I'm not hungry at all and I don't normally eat this little of calories. Any advice?

Replies

  • kelr04
    kelr04 Posts: 15
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    I have to do low carb because I am insulin resistant. The first few days I had the same problem, but I soon realized that
    if I wasnt consuming enough calories, then I wasn't going to lose. (I need to lose at least forty pounds) Your metabolism will slow with only those few calories.
    I have got alot better over the last few days using most of my calories and I don't feel as tired or hungry. Feel free to check
    my diary. It feels like I eat all day.
  • c031588
    c031588 Posts: 13
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    That is my fear, I know such little calories isn't good. I just had 2 fried eggs and now I'm up to just under 600 calories. I don't know how to up my calories! I never thought I'd have this issue. I was eating a lot of cheese but then my fat intake was super high, is that okay on low carb?


    I'll check out your diary, thanks!
  • c031588
    c031588 Posts: 13
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    It appears your dairy isn't open to public viewing.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    Hi! So I decided to try low carb. I've been doing it for about a week now and I've lost 4.5 pounds. Pretty good start and I feel great about it.

    However, I've noticed that I'm not eating a lot of calories in a day. Today my breakfast was bacon and eggs, lunch was ham and cheese, dinner cheddar chicken and green beans and I had a snack of jello. I'm only in at 582 calories! I'll eat another small "dinner" soon but that will probably only bring me up to about 700. Any one that has done low carb, did you find this to be true? I don't know how to get in at least 1200 calories doing this diet. I'm not hungry at all and I don't normally eat this little of calories. Any advice?

    You will need to up your fat and you need to be eating a LOT more veggies.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    That is my fear, I know such little calories isn't good. I just had 2 fried eggs and now I'm up to just under 600 calories. I don't know how to up my calories! I never thought I'd have this issue. I was eating a lot of cheese but then my fat intake was super high, is that okay on low carb?


    I'll check out your diary, thanks!

    Yes, fat intake being high on low carb is fine. This is where you will get your energy from.
  • jillyt85
    jillyt85 Posts: 161 Member
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    You need to make sure you're eating lots of vegetables too. A little bit of fruit is fine too. Just make sure it's not ALL meat and cheese. LOTS of veggies! The carbs you're going to get in vegetables and fruit are the good kind your body needs and wants.
  • c031588
    c031588 Posts: 13
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    I'm in the introduction phase, it last for two weeks and I can only have 1 cup of veggies a day (this is input from a medical person, I would ask her about the fat intake but she has been on vacation the last few days so I can't). I'm doing below 20g carbs a day for the first two weeks (again, following a medical advice) The first few days I was eating more calories but then I got freaked out by all the fat. I'll go back to how I was the first few days. Tomorrow is a new day, I can't eat tonight I'm full. I'll go back to eating cheese and what not tomorrow. Thanks for the input!
  • kelr04
    kelr04 Posts: 15
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    Sorry, I changed my settings...You can see it now.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    You need to make sure you're eating lots of vegetables too. A little bit of fruit is fine too. Just make sure it's not ALL meat and cheese. LOTS of veggies! The carbs you're going to get in vegetables and fruit are the good kind your body needs and wants.

    No eating fruit in the beginning. The whole purpose is to rid of the body of needing sweet stuff. Fruit is added in later.........

    Focus on veggies.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    I'm in the introduction phase, it last for two weeks and I can only have 1 cup of veggies a day (this is input from a medical person, I would ask her about the fat intake but she has been on vacation the last few days so I can't). I'm doing below 20g carbs a day for the first two weeks (again, following a medical advice) The first few days I was eating more calories but then I got freaked out by all the fat. I'll go back to how I was the first few days. Tomorrow is a new day, I can't eat tonight I'm full. I'll go back to eating cheese and what not tomorrow. Thanks for the input!

    1 cup of veggies is way under 20 grams of carbs per day.

    With 20 grams of carbs I have spinach, onion, pepper and tomato in my omelette or scrambled eggs.

    Salad for lunch with grilled chicken, steak or some type of fish (salmon and tuna make great salad fish)

    Supper at least 1 cup of veggies.
  • c031588
    c031588 Posts: 13
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    I just had a slice of spinach and feta frittata and some cheese on the side. I'm at 923 calories now. Better than the 500 something but still low.

    I'm at 20 carbs today. 5 from the ham (it was ham steaks, I don't know if that is accurate I threw away the package so I'm going by what was already on mfp), 3 from the cheddar cheese sauce on my chicken, 8 from the green beans, 2 from eggs (I've had 3 eggs today), 1 from colby jack cheese, 1 from feta cheese and 1 from spinach (which is a guess on the spinach and feta because it was from a frittata)

    Do you count the carbs from cheese? Or just eat no carb cheeses?
  • kelr04
    kelr04 Posts: 15
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    My dietitian recommended 125 carbs a day for me. You have way too few..Healthy carbs are good
    because the sugar that you get from them is what fuels your body.. ( I learned that last night at my
    insulin class...lol).
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    My dietitian recommended 125 carbs a day for me. You have way too few..Healthy carbs are good
    because the sugar that you get from them is what fuels your body.. ( I learned that last night at my
    insulin class...lol).

    You don't need sugar to fuel the body, that keeps insulin production on a roller coaster.

    Fat is the better fuel.
  • _persephone_
    _persephone_ Posts: 138 Member
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    Yep, don't be scared of fat, it is your friend when you're doing a low carb diet. Low carb and low fat simultaneously is impossible and unhealthy. Perhaps try some fattier cuts of meat - duck is good, and so is rump steak. Maybe add in some coconut milk?
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    I just had a slice of spinach and feta frittata and some cheese on the side. I'm at 923 calories now. Better than the 500 something but still low.

    I'm at 20 carbs today. 5 from the ham (it was ham steaks, I don't know if that is accurate I threw away the package so I'm going by what was already on mfp), 3 from the cheddar cheese sauce on my chicken, 8 from the green beans, 2 from eggs (I've had 3 eggs today), 1 from colby jack cheese, 1 from feta cheese and 1 from spinach (which is a guess on the spinach and feta because it was from a frittata)

    Do you count the carbs from cheese? Or just eat no carb cheeses?

    That is not a bad day.

    One of the beautiful things about low carb (especially when first starting out) is that you don't and shouldn't pay attention to calories. You may have to pay attention more as you start adding in higher carb veggies and fruits.

    Eat plenty of fat and protein and then carbs from vegetables. Drink plenty of water and coffee and tea if you like. Try to stay away from the artificial sweeteners if at all possible. Stevia (not Truvia or Purvia), but natural stevia is ok.

    The key is to pay most attention to the QUALITY of the food your eating, not the QUANTITY. Your eating non-processed foods, so calories will naturally be much lower.

    I had only 345 calories yesterday as it was a Fast day for me for the most part. Fasted all day from the day before and then ate supper last night.

    Today I had over 1,000 calories.
  • c031588
    c031588 Posts: 13
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    Thanks _persephone_, I was looking at coconut oil today. I might get that next time I need oil. The only (real) coconut milk I can find around me is in a can and I don't buy canned foods. If I ever come across it in a glass bottle I'll totally try it. Not sure I can do duck, I'm a newly meat eater as it is so I'm not sure I can venture into duck! Maybe later on.

    NatureMade thank you SO MUCH for your input! Like I said, I'm totally new to the low carb so seeing such low calorie count and high fat count had my jaw on the floor! Thanks for the reassurance, it's nice coming from someone who knows about low carb!
    Do you think I should add any whey protein powder into my diet? I picked some up today at Target but I am really hesitant to use it.

    I drink a gallon of water a day, sometimes more, all really depending on how much salty foods I had. I can tell when I need more than a gallon. I only drink coffee on occasion, typically at work when I'm having a slow tired day. Same with tea.

    kelr04 - I'm doing basically like the atkins diet, so introduction its 20g. Then you slowly start adding until you find your magic number. 20g might be too low for long term but right now it's perfect. I am tired but that is because my body was/is addicted to carbs. And like the others said, I'm getting my fuel for fat. Which is why I need to stop being so sticker shocked every time I see my fat count for the day!

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