Just started low carb.

Sean_The_IT_Guy
Sean_The_IT_Guy Posts: 168
in Food and Nutrition
So after watching Fat Head and reading a bunch of paleo/primal forums and studies, I decided to give low carb a try. I'm not going full out paleo / primal, but leaning more towards that than I normally would. A lot of people I know have reduced their bread and pasta and candy and dropped a ton of weight without really trying beyond that slight adjustment.

I think paleo / primal has it's place and if it works for you, I don't think it's anyone's place to tell you it's a fad or an unwise diet. Many / most in the scientific community concede to the fact that high carb diets contribute to the diabetes and obesity problem, and it's pretty well known how insulin works in reaction to carbs to limit our ability to mobilize bodyfat metabolically.

I'm just not willing to go full primal, because there's too many foods I like, even just as occasional treats, and my diet is just that, my diet, not my life.

All that said, what was my point?

Ah yes. So I'm goaled to take in around 2000 calories a day. Right now (it's 6:30pm here) I'm up to just under 1300 calories consumed. For breakfast I had 2 eggs fried in a spritz of pam, a serving of plain greek yogurt and half a banana (mashed in to make the greek yogurt more palatable).

For lunch, I had half a pound of lean pork loin, fried without extra oil, a bunch (maybe half a pound) of steamed green beans, wrapped in a small pita (17g carb).

For snacks through the day at work, I had a 1/4 cup of soy nuts (I try to limit my soy intake, but dry roasted soy nuts are tasty and high protein), 1 whole hard boiled egg, and 4 hard boiled egg whites (don't get started on the "EAT THE YOLKS" campaign, I just can't eat more than 2 or 3 yolks a day without getting terrible egg farts and I ate them in my breakfast eggs).

So anyhoo. Supper WAS planned to be a grilled chicken breast, and a bunch of steamed broccoli and asparagus, but after biking to and from work (13km round trip), and then doing about an hour of gardening out back, I'm just not hungry, at ALL.

I'm thirsty like a bugger because of the work I did, but even before I guzzled a few cups of water, I wasn't hungry for supper at all. I know you stay full longer on a high protein, low carb diet, but this not being hungry at all, almost 2 hours past my normal meal time, seems very odd to me.

I'm way low on my calories, so I'll probably grill up that chicken breast and eat it, regardless, but I don't think I could get in my normal heaping plate of vegetables with it without feeling icky.

Is this in line with other people's experiences, even after just one day of high protein, low carb?

Replies

  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Yes protein is a powerful satiety agent. One hard boiled egg can keep me running from 8 until noon.

    I think you'd be wise to get your cals closer to goal though. Natural peanut butter is a lifesaver for that.

    Edit: just an FYI if you're "leaning" Paleo but not all the way there, chances are you're in "Zone" territory (40/30/30 macros) just in case your looking for meal ideas and stuff - there's a bazillion zone diet resources out there.
  • Sean_The_IT_Guy
    Sean_The_IT_Guy Posts: 168
    Yes protein is a powerful satiety agent. One hard boiled egg can keep me running from 8 until noon.

    I think you'd be wise to get your cals closer to goal though. Natural peanut butter is a lifesaver for that.

    All I have in the house is the girlfriend's sugary peanut butter.. but I do have a bag of peanuts. That sounds like a plan. Thanks for the idea.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Emerald makes raw unsalted almond and walnut 100 cal packs - great for an easy, quick cal boost.

    Also, Olive oil - lifesaver if you're trying to get higher, 1 tbsp to fry your chicken in and you've got an extra 100 cals without even noticing.
  • smityjr
    smityjr Posts: 3
    ive felt like this, its usually after some high intensity exercise though, like 5 a side football, usually i just eat then go sit down until it all digests properly.... i was also going to suggest the Olive oil for the extra cals but its already been done i see
  • pornstarzombie
    pornstarzombie Posts: 297
    Just so you know, peanuts are a legume and not really nuts. :) I know you're just only leaning paleo/primal, but I think it's a good thing to know.
  • Sean_The_IT_Guy
    Sean_The_IT_Guy Posts: 168
    Just so you know, peanuts are a legume and not really nuts. :) I know you're just only leaning paleo/primal, but I think it's a good thing to know.


    /)

    So are soy nuts. I understand the cutting of carbs, that makes entire sense to me, but the cutting of anything that we think might not have been eaten by Grok, well, seems a little more extreme than what I'm willing to do. I also think dairy is perfectly fine for me, especially the fermented stuff like yogurt and cheeses which are higher protein and lower carb than just milk.
  • Chokis
    Chokis Posts: 131
    You should really add some healthy oil to your diet: olive oil, coconut oil, nuts (almonds, walnuts), fish (salmon, tuna, sardines), even add butter. Avocados are really good. So, if you add oils, this will up your calories easily.

    Bananas are not your best choice (they raise your blood sugar). Have some berries instead if you want to add flavor to your Greek yogurt.
  • Sean_The_IT_Guy
    Sean_The_IT_Guy Posts: 168
    You should really add some healthy oil to your diet: olive oil, coconut oil, nuts (almonds, walnuts), fish (salmon, tuna, sardines), even add butter. Avocados are really good. So, if you add oils, this will up your calories easily.

    Bananas are not your best choice (they raise your blood sugar). Have some berries instead if you want to add flavor to your Greek yogurt.

    Good advice. I didn't have anything laying around that morning besides maple syrup and bananas, so I took the lesser of two evils. I hadn't been shopping for high protein stuff at that point, so I was limited in my choices. I 've since picked up some frozen berries and whatnot. I never thought of the olive oil. I usually only keep canola in the house because it's neutral and can wear a lot of hats.

    I have butter, as well. I've never kept margarine in the house. For the difference of less than a dollar around here, I want the real thing.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I've been doing lower carb for over a month now, and often I eat because it is time, not because I am hungry. It is a struggle to keep my net calories at a decent level--yesterday I think they were only 500-600 calories at the end of the day!

    a few slices of bacon crumbled into your green beans would add some calories :)

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