Any info about eating low-carb would be so appreciated!!

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Erinslove
Erinslove Posts: 139
in Health and Weight Loss
I know that low carb is controversial; however, I gained weight VERY quickly and would like to lose somewhat quickly too. Maintainence is not difficult for me and I generally don't regain what I have lost. Therefore, I would like to try low carb for 2 weeks to take off some weight quickly for motivation and then return to low calorie. (my doctor actually suggested this so I think it's worth a try) Major life changes (move, depression, anxiety & insomnia) led to a very quick weight gain. Now that I am getting life under control and starting a job in 2 weeks I would love to fit into my clothes ASAP as I can't afford to buy new ones right now. I can't afford a book right now and I am having trouble finding detailed information about low carb dieting online.

Any information you can share with me will be so appreciated!!

1. What did you eat the 1st 2 weeks?

2. How much did you lose the 1st 2 weeks?

3. Besides the obvious (bread, pasta, corn, sugar, flour, yogurt, potatoes, fruit, honey, chocolate) are there any off-limit foods?

4. Do you limit portions?

5. Do you also eat low fat?

6. Do you use heavy cream?

7. Do you limit cheese?

8. Do you drink caffeine?

9. Do you drink alcohol?

10. Do you use artificial sweetener?

11. Do you eat nuts?

12. Is there a particular diet you follow? (like Atkins or South Beach etc)

Replies

  • jaquwa
    jaquwa Posts: 99 Member
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    Hello,
    Feel free to look in my food diary, I try and keep Carbs to 40%. In my first 2 weeks (27/02/12 - 11/03/12) I lost 11.5lbs.
    I try to eat 6 small meals a day, this stops me feeling hungry and snacking and also regulates my blood sugar.
    I drank caffeine but didn't drink any alcohol.
    I also keep off nuts just because they tend to be higher in fat.
    Not specifically following a diet just trying to do 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat.
    Hope this helps
    Good luck x
  • cygnetpro
    cygnetpro Posts: 419 Member
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    Hi!

    I tried Atkins a few times with my ex-husband. I plummeted in weight. I ate no more than 20 g carb a day, which was really, really hard for me. Because there were so few no- or low-carb foods that I enjoy, I did not limit any other area (like fat or calories), just for sanity. Each time I lost 9-11 lbs in the first two weeks. I was (and am) convinced that, for me, it's not the way to go.

    That said, I started the Curves diet plan after meeting with my doctor about how slow my weight loss is, even on 1200 cal. The plan is 1200 cal/60 g carb (a much more reasonable amount for me) for the first two weeks, and then up to 1600 cal/60 g carb..

    The first week I lost four pounds, after losing almost nothing for 6 weeks leading up to it. This week I have been off-plan, unfortunately, due to things like forgetting my lunch, being away from home and having to eat what's available, cocktails with friends. So not sure if the loss would have continued this week. I am back on it as of the weekend, though.

    Any diet plan will tell you to limit alcohol. And as for the other stuff, when I was on Atkins, I ate any other low-carb thing I wanted. I shouldn't admit this, but I ate a pound of bacon in one sitting. And still lost that crazy weight.

    Like I said, despite the results, I'm not a fan, and couldn't live that way long-term. The first few days each time I felt light-headed and "off", till my body and blood sugar adjusted.
  • glennstoudt
    glennstoudt Posts: 403 Member
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    Try Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. Plenty of information online. See Mark's Daily Apple (his blog). You can buy his book later, it's worth reading. Lots of good ideas about nutrition and exercise and life in general without being too self absorbed or preachy. It is not (essentially) no carb like an Atkins and in my view is more sustainable. I don't entirely agree with his principles on a few components like Sat Fat for example, but you can take from it what you will and discover what works for you, as the approach does and will work. You can lose weight quickly for a time, but the amount of which depends on your current particulars in that area, size, shape, and so on, how much time you dedicate to exercise, etc. of course. Good luck.
  • mandylooo
    mandylooo Posts: 456 Member
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    It's not necessary to go low carb to lose weight quickly or slowly, though generally people end up reducing carbs when dieting as they tend to be high energy density foods.. Losing weight quickly is not recommended. How quickly did you put the weight on and are you sure it's not just water retention? You should maybe look at the reason for why you've put weight on quickly before just trying to reverse it.
  • Erinslove
    Erinslove Posts: 139
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    Thanks for everyone's advice. Would love to hear from more people.
  • MrsNunny
    MrsNunny Posts: 7 Member
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    1. What did you eat the 1st 2 weeks? 3 'normal' meals, 3 snacks

    2. How much did you lose the 1st 2 weeks? 1lb a week as I wanted

    3. Besides the obvious (bread, pasta, corn, sugar, flour, yogurt, potatoes, fruit, honey, chocolate) are there any off-limit foods? I eat all of those excluding bread but including rice

    4. Do you limit portions? I control my portions and if making something like a chilli will seperate some into tubs to take to work for lunches.

    5. Do you also eat low fat? I try too but I also don't agree with cutting out all treats, that's not healthy

    6. Do you use heavy cream? no

    7. Do you limit cheese? no, I use lighter cheese, couldn't live without cheese!!

    8. Do you drink caffeine? yes, tea everyday

    9. Do you drink alcohol? yes, at the weekends/special occasions

    10. Do you use artificial sweetener? no

    11. Do you eat nuts? yes

    12. Is there a particular diet you follow? (like Atkins or South Beach etc) I just eat normally and input everything into mfp and most importantly I plan ahead so I don't come unstuck at any point and give in to temptation.
  • mcnibbleton
    mcnibbleton Posts: 20
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    1. What did you eat the 1st 2 weeks? 3 meals, two snacks. Always eggs for breakfast, with at least 1/2 cup of veggies. Usually salad, turkey burger, or black bean burger for lunch (no bun, obvs). Grilled fish or chicken with at least 2 cups of veggies for dinner. Snacks were usually a cheese stick, nuts (15 almonds is a serving), or a Tbsp of peanut butter.

    2. How much did you lose the 1st 2 weeks? My results were not typical. I lost 2 lbs per week no matter what phase of the diet I was in.

    3. Besides the obvious (bread, pasta, corn, sugar, flour, yogurt, potatoes, fruit, honey, chocolate) are there any off-limit foods? I stayed away from starchy veggies like corn, carrots, and peas.

    4. Do you limit portions? Nope, not at all.

    5. Do you also eat low fat? I did low fat cheese and skim milk (because that's my preference). I also stayed away from red meat and ate all lean protein like chicken, turkey, and fish.

    6. Do you use heavy cream? No.

    7. Do you limit cheese? I stayed away from creamy cheeses, like brie.

    8. Do you drink caffeine? Yes, flavored coffee was the best way to satisfy my sweet tooth for the first two weeks!

    9. Do you drink alcohol? No, only the occasional (once every two weeks) glass of red wine.

    10. Do you use artificial sweetener? Yes, truvia for beverages and splenda for baking. Also sugar-free flavored syrup for coffee.

    11. Do you eat nuts? Yes, they're a great snack.

    12. Is there a particular diet you follow? (like Atkins or South Beach etc) I did South Beach. There's a lot of information about it online, and I think you can read some of the book for free on Google Books. South Beach has three phases. The first phase (first two weeks) are absolutely no carbs. It's hard, but doable. You're supposed to eat 1/2 cup of veggies at breakfast and 2 cups of veggies at lunch and dinner, minimum. Only one serving of tomatoes per day, and make sure if you eat nuts you only eat one portion per day. South Beach is pro-beans, unlike some other low-carb diets, because they are so high in fiber that they make you feel full for longer. You should never be hungry on a low-carb diet, because you can get plenty of fiber and lean protein. Fiber is a carb, but it doesn't count toward your net carbs. So, to calculate your net carbs, subtract the amount of fiber from the total carb count.

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