Attempting low carb.....again....advice??
Pookah77
Posts: 4
I did put in a very honest effort a couple of months ago, citing my ridiculous cookie monster-like craving for sweets in my past 
I have no doubt that my sweet tooth helped get me into this size...grr. Along with psych meds, and hypothyroidism. Double grr.
Now, I have cleaned up my diet 200%. Except for the occasional, and hard-earned, cheat, I do not eat candy, cakes, cookies, ice cream, or just about anything with flour or sugar. I stick to fresh fruit, oatmeal, and the like for carbs. Ok, ok...the occasional soda..BUT, I am trying really, really hard to give up soda for a looooong time! Why does fizzy sweetness have to be so good??
Last time I tried to low- carb, I went gung-ho. No fruit, no grains. And I got very sick. I remember being so cold, so very cold, I was lying around with a sweater on, and under 3 blankets, and still cold. This cannot be good, I thought. And I felt awful. So, I gave in and ate some sugar. Not a surprise, I felt better within a half hour. Hmm. Interesting.
Now, i am trying for 50 grams carbs a day, consuming some oats before I workout, for stamina as I work out hard, a piece of fruit, too. I am still planning on eating 1200 cals a day, 200 below what MFP recommends. Lots of protein, and veg, and healthy fats. I am very, very, very motivated to shrink I don't want to be rail thin, but I want to lose a lot of body fat, as I am very muscular beneath my fluff!
Opinions??? Helpful advice??? Anyone who has found success this way??
I have no doubt that my sweet tooth helped get me into this size...grr. Along with psych meds, and hypothyroidism. Double grr.Now, I have cleaned up my diet 200%. Except for the occasional, and hard-earned, cheat, I do not eat candy, cakes, cookies, ice cream, or just about anything with flour or sugar. I stick to fresh fruit, oatmeal, and the like for carbs. Ok, ok...the occasional soda..BUT, I am trying really, really hard to give up soda for a looooong time! Why does fizzy sweetness have to be so good??
Last time I tried to low- carb, I went gung-ho. No fruit, no grains. And I got very sick. I remember being so cold, so very cold, I was lying around with a sweater on, and under 3 blankets, and still cold. This cannot be good, I thought. And I felt awful. So, I gave in and ate some sugar. Not a surprise, I felt better within a half hour. Hmm. Interesting.
Now, i am trying for 50 grams carbs a day, consuming some oats before I workout, for stamina as I work out hard, a piece of fruit, too. I am still planning on eating 1200 cals a day, 200 below what MFP recommends. Lots of protein, and veg, and healthy fats. I am very, very, very motivated to shrink
I don't want to be rail thin, but I want to lose a lot of body fat, as I am very muscular beneath my fluff!Opinions??? Helpful advice??? Anyone who has found success this way??
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Replies
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I stay under 35 grams of fat a day and 50 grams of carbs a day. I have been doing really well with it but it does get boring. I stay away from fruit completely and use a lower carb bread (wonder smart wheat). Feel free to add me and ask me any questions.
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter0 -
If you want to go low-carb and make it stick, I'd encourage you to find a specific engineered diet that supports it properly. Atkins is one of the most popular and publicized. (EDIT: I don't mean that the tools on this site aren't useful, only that you have to adjust your targets in your diary and a low-carb-specific site will be better at getting you that data).
The issue with low-carb is that the nutritional requirements are different from the typical so-called "Balanced" American diet. Going at it by simply cutting the carbs is uncomfortable and possibly a little dangerous.
There are lots of resources on initiating and sustaining a low-carb lifestyle. I don't choose to do it myself, I loves my bread too much!, but I have a number of friends who have did it and their success was closely related to how much research they did and how much effort they put into developing and following a good plan.
There is a short phase in Atkins near the beginning where you do go "fairly" gung-ho extra-low-carb as you convert your body from carb-burning to fat-burning. This is, by all accounts, a "hungry" time, but with the proper nutrition it can be done with little actual discomfort.0 -
My advice would be to do something that will be easy for you to stick too. Since you gave up the LC eating in the past, it may be a sign that it was not right for you. Why not just stick to the 1200 calories, like you already plan to, and not worry about anything else?0
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Embrace fats and oils as they'll be a large part of your energy intake. Avoid diet and lite versions of things which replace fat with sugar or other carbs.
Kepp your salt intake up or increase it as low carb depletes sodium.
Back off the exercise if you don't feel good and if weight loss is the priority.0 -
My advice would be not to do it.
Oh ya, and 1200 calories a day too . . .
Insanity = doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.0 -
Insanity = doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
NO NO NO !!!! It's a WORKOUT!!!!!!!!!!!
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My advice would be not to do it.
Oh ya, and 1200 calories a day too . . .
Insanity = doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
this...
It did not work for you the first time, why would it work now...Low carb is forever, not just until you want a cookie....
And please please please stay away from 1200 cals!!!0 -
IMO, you are best off choosing to eat in a manner that can be sustained for the rest of your life. If it's a torment for you to give up fruits and the occasional piece of cake or cookie, chances are you won't be able to maintain that way of eating for the rest of your life. Personally, I believe in eating everything in moderation.
Also, why are you eating 200 below what MFP recommends? What are your BMR and TDEE?0 -
Don't eat even less than this site suggests. This site sets you at a 500 calorie a day deficit already for weight loss.
Eat the recommended calories or learn the hard way. It didn't work for you before, don't do it again!
It's easy to stay around 80-100 carbs a day. I can't believe I'm agreeing with Yarwell here, but eat lots of protein and Fats. They will keep you full, and you need fats.0 -
I am attempting this too........although it is modified and I seem to end up at about 60-80 grams of carbs a day. I cannot do really low carb as I end up HATING food period and feeling hungry all the time. So this is what I am currently doing. Lean healthy Protein with every meal (lots of cottage cheese, fish, healthy sausages)......4-6 small meals a day. Fruit. only grains are 1 T flax seed a day and 1/4 c. oatmeal a day (that I make into a pancake
1-2 T. olive oil/butter per day. And I end up at about 1400-1600 calories a day and am losing weight. I have noticed that I have no cravings and my appetite is much lower......yet I still enjoy food and feel good. It also helps alot with my pain level (I have fibromyalgia). Please friend me if you would like as I would love to work through this with someone else! Because even though it is simple and it works.....it is not easy to stick too :frown: Good luck!! Dyanna:happy: 0 -
I am attempting this too........although it is modified and I seem to end up at about 60-80 grams of carbs a day. I cannot do really low carb as I end up HATING food period and feeling hungry all the time. So this is what I am currently doing. Lean healthy Protein with every meal (lots of cottage cheese, fish, healthy sausages)......4-6 small meals a day. Fruit. only grains are 1 T flax seed a day and 1/4 c. oatmeal a day (that I make into a pancake 1-2 T. olive oil/butter per day. And I end up at about 1400-1600 calories a day and am losing weight. I have noticed that I have no cravings and my appetite is much lower......yet I still enjoy food and feel good. It also helps alot with my pain level (I have fibromyalgia). Please friend me if you would like as I would love to work through this with someone else! Because even though it is simple and it works.....it is not easy to stick too :frown: Good luck!! Dyanna:happy:
oh yeah........also wanted to add that the reason I am choosing to try this is that carbs, even healthy carbs, seem to make me want to crave more:sad:0 -
For the best way to live LCHF/Paleo, goto http://www.marksdailyapple.com//welcome-to-marks-daily-apple/
This website will provide all the tools you need to be successful.0 -
You probably felt really crappy with your previous diet because of low blood sugar. This is a serious issue. I have the same problem. The solution is really easy. You need to eat protein at every meal. Oatmeal and fruit will drop my blood sugar level to the point that I am shaking. Omelets will not.
Stay within your allotted calories and make it a priority to get a minimum of 65 grams of protein every day. Much of your calories will be used up by the protein and can skip the bread if you are eating 6 ounces of chicken at lunch. You will feel full, your blood sugar will not tank and you won't crave the foods that just turn to sugar like sweets and carbs.
Another thing I do is I eat one cookie every day with my coffee (in which I put cream AND sugar!). This is my sweet fix every single day. I add the calories to the total and count them well worth it!0 -
Some helpful advice, lol. I'm not doing the same thing over again...I'm modifying it based on my previous failure. 50 grams of carbs is above what I attempted previously. Sometimes, we can learn from our mistakes. When you fail, try, try again they always say
Low carb is controversial, and i agree that going to an extreme is not healthy for everyone. However, the science and logic behind ketosis appeals to me. I have a lot of body fat to burn off. My strength level has increased exponentially due to my walks. Not that anyone can see this, thanks to my fluffy profile!
I am trying to up the protein intake, I agree with a previous post. And healthy fats. I had an omelette for breakfast, beef jerkey for lunch, and a large chicken breast for dinner, with salad. And so far......I feel ok.
And I hear you, ladies....maybe i should aim for 1300-1400 cals a day.
Maybe you all think I have gone batty, but not so. I have a looooong road ahead of me, and I'm very ambitious. My diet is already nearly spotless, as I made a commitment to clean up my lifestyle. Half the battle is facing the demons, and acceptance of what I was eating was not doing my health any favors. So, yeah, maybe I am afraid of carbs...I got fat eating too many, LOL.
I just thought, why not rethink the low carb deal, see if I can boost my fat loss?? I have a lot of weight to lose. Have to lose it....have arthritis in both knees, now. The less I weigh, the better my outlook for the future i think I am tired of being overweight, plain sick of it. And times a wastin'
Thanks everyone for "weighing in" hahahaha......0 -
And a quick note, to anyone who might need some inspiration
4 months ago, I could barely walk 1/4 mile down the road, without feeling like I was dying, lol. Now, i am up to 2 miles up and down steep inclines. And it feels so good. Except for the excess weight I'm still carrying around, I am in better condition than I have been for a few years.
I tried and failed, before, to lose weight. We need trial and error, so we can learn from our mistakes. Don't give up! If you fail one attempt, assess why you failed, and try again. And again. You can do it! If i can beat a sugar addiction, anyone can 47 pounds lost since January, and I'm not done yet! 0 -
Embrace fats and oils as they'll be a large part of your energy intake. Avoid diet and lite versions of things which replace fat with sugar or other carbs.
Kepp your salt intake up or increase it as low carb depletes sodium.
Back off the exercise if you don't feel good and if weight loss is the priority.
What's up with the advice to go high fat and high sodium? Big fan of diabetes and high blood pressure?0 -
hi Pookah,
I wish you the best. You do know that the only way to successfully handle a low carb diet is to eat ONLY low Glycemic Index veggies until you completely get over your hypogylcemic and/or sugar withdrawls?
Stay away from oatmeal. Too high a GI.
best wishes, health, and happy training!0 -
Embrace fats and oils as they'll be a large part of your energy intake. Avoid diet and lite versions of things which replace fat with sugar or other carbs.
Kepp your salt intake up or increase it as low carb depletes sodium.
Back off the exercise if you don't feel good and if weight loss is the priority.
What's up with the advice to go high fat and high sodium? Big fan of diabetes and high blood pressure?
diabetes (type 2) is caused by too much CARBOHYDRATES (sugar) in the diet. Get a clue. Sodium is one of the 4 essential minerals your body needs. There will never be an essential carbohydrate.
Pookah, pal me. You see my *kitten* in my profile pic? That's me. I'm also a personal trainer.0 -
It did not work for you the first time, why would it work now...Low carb is forever, not just until you want a cookie....
And please please please stay away from 1200 cals!!!
I fully support low carb all the way. HOWEVER... You HAVE to make it a lifestyle change and not a "diet".
I completely changed the way I ate for years. I felt so amazing and the weight was just falling off. I finally got to the point where I was having about 80-100 carbs a day and was so full all the time I wasn't eating enough. Thats when I started counting cals and found I was only eating 800-1000 cals a day. I also started gaining weight at that point. Once I made myself eat at LEAST 1800 cals did the weight come off again.
Low carb is not a low cal or low fat thing. You need to eat high fat, high protein, high cals and low carb.0 -
I just started low carb today! I sent you a friend request.0
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I think max 75-100g carb would be better as easier to become a lifestyle. Last time you went too low on carb probably slowed your thyroid.
Or on the days you exercise have more carbs.
Do watch the fat (i.e. portion control) as calories can add up and not everyone feels full on low carb and can over-eat.0 -
I do both (low carb and 1200). My carbs are a bit higher 75 net. I have lost over 80 lbs in 6 months. While this is not the "average" it has worked well for me and may for you as well.
I would recommend Vitamins. I take multi, D, Calcium, and Fish Oil every day. I haven't been sick once in the time and most of the time have plenty of energy (when i don't it is from my chronic insomnia not lack of anything food related).
Good luck!
** And I keep my sodium under 2,000. I can find nothing that recommends upping that.0 -
And a quick note, to anyone who might need some inspiration
4 months ago, I could barely walk 1/4 mile down the road, without feeling like I was dying, lol. Now, i am up to 2 miles up and down steep inclines. And it feels so good. Except for the excess weight I'm still carrying around, I am in better condition than I have been for a few years.
I tried and failed, before, to lose weight. We need trial and error, so we can learn from our mistakes. Don't give up! If you fail one attempt, assess why you failed, and try again. And again. You can do it! If i can beat a sugar addiction, anyone can 47 pounds lost since January, and I'm not done yet!
you are doing AMAZING!! and I so agree "I tried and failed, before, to lose weight. We need trial and error, so we can learn from our mistakes. Don't give up! If you fail one attempt, assess why you failed, and try again. And again." I have not been very successful by most standards since I came to MFP as I have lost just 12 lbs. BUT I AM STILL HERE!!! STILL TRYING!! I WILL NOT GIVE UP EITHER!! Thank you for your support and inspiration and COURAGE to face the hyenas here :laugh: we will do this TOGETHER! Dyanna0 -
My advice is this: Unless you're a diabetic, don't do a low carb diet. Cutting fruit and things of that sort out of a diet is hard, and it usually leads to failure for most people.0
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I am preparing for a weight loss surgery (gastric sleeve) and I am on a high protein low carb diet. I drink whey protein shakes (can be found at walmart). I also found a carbmaster yogurt at Krogers. I don't know if there is one around you if not you can check at any major grocery store. I also drink lots of water, unsweetened drinks NO SODAS. I have dropped 5 lbs in 5 days.
Hope this helps.0 -
My advice would be not to do it.
Oh ya, and 1200 calories a day too . . .
Insanity = doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
That would be my advice too!0 -
Substitute whole wheat bread (not just wheat bread) for white, MEASURE your portions. 1/2 cup is a serving of rice or potatoes. Our American portions are too large and we are used to them. Peas and corn have a lot of carbs too. DON"T cut them out completely. Keep eating bananas, oranges, and other fruits. Just pay attention to everything you eat and enjoy it. 0
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I have insulin resistance so I personally need to have a low carb diet but I've been staying under 100 carbs..... I will sadly admit sometime I go over..... right now I'm doing the South Beach diet..... Yes it's called a diet but it's going to be the way I eat forever so nobody start freaking out....... any way the south beach diet isn't about just eating less carbs it's about eating the correct carbs and staying away from processed foods..... I'm loving I can still have a few of the carbs I love.... like a sandwich with one piece of 100% whole grain bread.0
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Don't make drastic changes in your diet. Adjust it a little at the time. If you change everything at once without getting used to any substitutions, you will not last. You may drop the weight, but it will come back. Trim your diet and give yourself time. 1 to 1 1/2 lbs a week is a goal that will be easier to live with. If you drink 5 cokes a day drop it to 4 the first couple of days. Over the first few weeks cut it back to cokes only with meals. You could live with a change like that and not feel so deprived. Don't say no to sweets. That will set you up for a binge. You can SHARE that piece of cake you're craving, eat it slowly, and be satisfied.0
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I think there is something to be said for a lower carb approach vs. low carb. I do what I'd call a modified South Beach diet. I keep my eye on the total carb number but I'm not fanatical.
At first, I completely eliminated fruit, but then I asked myself if I was serious in thinking I could go the next 40 years without eating another orange or apple or slice of watermelon. These things are good for you. I've really tried to focus on keeping the things I know are good, eliminating the things I know are bad (processed foods, chemicals, etc.), and, most importantly for me, not punishing myself by never allowing myself to eat the occasional serving of rice or pasta or cake or whatever else falls into the "shouldn't eat this" category.0
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