Attempting low carb.....again....advice??

Options
Pookah77
Pookah77 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
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 :D 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 :D 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??
«1

Replies

  • michelleranee
    michelleranee Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    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.

    15516068.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    Options
    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.
  • AlyRoseNYC
    AlyRoseNYC Posts: 1,075 Member
    Options
    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?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Options
    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.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Options
    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.
  • AlyRoseNYC
    AlyRoseNYC Posts: 1,075 Member
    Options
    Insanity = doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

    NO NO NO !!!! It's a WORKOUT!!!!!!!!!!! =)
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    Options
    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!!!
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
    Options
    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?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,121 Member
    Options
    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.
  • dyannajoy
    dyannajoy Posts: 466 Member
    Options
    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:
  • dyannajoy
    dyannajoy Posts: 466 Member
    Options
    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:
  • ehrihk
    ehrihk Posts: 1
    Options
    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.
  • jonibeeps
    jonibeeps Posts: 6
    Options
    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!
  • Pookah77
    Pookah77 Posts: 4
    Options
    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......
  • Pookah77
    Pookah77 Posts: 4
    Options
    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 :D 47 pounds lost since January, and I'm not done yet!
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
    Options
    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?
  • busywaterbending
    busywaterbending Posts: 844 Member
    Options
    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!
  • busywaterbending
    busywaterbending Posts: 844 Member
    Options
    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.
  • SammyKatt
    SammyKatt Posts: 364 Member
    Options
    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.
  • crudd123
    crudd123 Posts: 244 Member
    Options
    I just started low carb today! I sent you a friend request.

Categories