Low fat & Low carb, but 1200, what to eat?!

jeniireland
jeniireland Posts: 5 Member
edited December 26 in Food and Nutrition
So according to Dr Oz, in order to weigh my ideal weight of 120lb, I need to times that weight by 10 to get the calories I should eat per day aka 1200calories. No Problem.

Except I am meant to eat under 100grams of carbs and under 20grams of fat - problem arises - WHAT THE HELL AM I GONNA EAT?!

My diet is already packed with protein between 100-150grams a day, vegetables with every meal, fruit/soy milk and/or tuna for snacks. I can manage about 1000calories doing this, but where the hell are the other 200calories meant to come from?!

Should I introduce a protein shake?

*I'm lactose intolerant, so no dairy for me.
**I exercise for an hour or more 4-6 times a week
***I drink about 2litres of water per day

Replies

  • afl0405
    afl0405 Posts: 36 Member
    bump
  • afl0405
    afl0405 Posts: 36 Member
    eat some pistachios or almonds.
  • kmm7309
    kmm7309 Posts: 802 Member
    Maybe a tablespoon of reduced fat peanut butter? What are the restrictions on your diet for? Are they doctor-recommended?
  • sazzyp1973
    sazzyp1973 Posts: 517 Member
    have an avocado!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    If you are doing low carb, you should be eating moderate to a high fat diet. It is not a good idea to eat low carb and low fat. When cutting carbs fat and protein should be increased.

    If you exercise that much you should not be eating less that 1500-1600 cals/day. I think that generic 1200 cals is if you are sedentary.

    Why would you ever want to eat under 20 grams of fat/day. Fat should make up 20-35% of your daily requirement of calories. On lower cal diets, at the higher end of that range. Fat is very healthy and beneficial, helps digestive tract, hair, skin, nails, etc.

    So on 1200 cals you should be getting 33 to 47 grams/day based on %. I like to suggest getting 0.35 grams/lb of body weight. So if you weigh 120, aim for 42 grams.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    check out Everyday Food magazine for some great recipe ideas and also www.dailygarnish.com
  • slappymcgee
    slappymcgee Posts: 50
    green leafy veggies, and veggies of all kinds except the starchy ones, like potatoes and carrots. Try to aim towards high fiber veggies and beans.
  • winetoweights
    winetoweights Posts: 32 Member
    Why are you doing low fat and low carb? Not all fats are bad (nuts, olives, avocados, nut butters, coconut oil..)
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Diet air, lite water
  • RayRay1500
    RayRay1500 Posts: 158 Member
    You need an energy source, either fat or carbs. You cannot deplete both. And by the way, don't listen to Dr. Oz. :wink:
  • mermx
    mermx Posts: 976
    If you are doing low carb, you should be eating moderate to a high fat diet. It is not a good idea to eat low carb and low fat. When cutting carbs fat and protein should be increased.

    If you exercise that much you should not be eating less that 1500-1600 cals/day. I think that generic 1200 cals is if you are sedentary.

    Why would you ever want to eat under 20 grams of fat/day. Fat should make up 20-35% of your daily requirement of calories. On lower cal diets, at the higher end of that range. Fat is very healthy and beneficial, helps digestive tract, hair, skin, nails, etc.

    So on 1200 cals you should be getting 33 to 47 grams/day based on %. I like to suggest getting 0.35 grams/lb of body weight. So if you weigh 120, aim for 42 grams.

    < this
  • michelejoann
    michelejoann Posts: 295 Member
    *shakes head* Dr. Oz....sigh. So, if by his logic, you wanted to weigh 90 pounds, you should eat 900 calories, right? He frustrates me. But I digress...

    1200 is the MINIMUM anyone should eat. Also, if you are working out, it IS ok to go a little over 1200. (You are simply eating your workout calories back.)

    Eat some peanut butter on a celery stick, or try carrots and hummus. So delicious, so yummy.
  • michelejoann
    michelejoann Posts: 295 Member
    You need an energy source, either fat or carbs. You cannot deplete both. And by the way, don't listen to Dr. Oz. :wink:

    THIS.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Fat and carbohydrates are the main sources of dietary fuel, and sorry to say, unless you're a tadpole, you do need dietary fuel. You're basically asking how to eat 1200 calories worth of nothing. You can't eat a low-cal, low-fat, low-carb diet and expect your body to do much.
  • daterminedfatburnerX
    daterminedfatburnerX Posts: 346 Member
    one word paleo
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    I remember watching a show like the Biggest Loser or something and they said that you can subtract the dietary fiber off of your carbs. My carbs are somewhere between 125 and 200 I think but I eat a lot of whole grain and brown rice and the like so if I subtracted the dietary fiber it would be much lower. I hope this helps some even though I have no idea if that is something that Dr. Oz would agree with or not.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    one word paleo

    Paleo is fairly high in fat, much higher than 20 grams/day.
  • ms_cataclysm
    ms_cataclysm Posts: 26 Member
    I don't know which flavour low carb you're doing but if you're going to be comfortable, I think that you should try and keep it low GI .

    I'd try to have some protein at every meal - even if it's just a small slice of ham wrapped round a baby sweetcorn and not worry too much about your fruit and veg carbs .

    Have your fruit and veg in their most fibre dense form - fresh and raw is best.

    You could start with lean bacon, lightly grilled tomatoes and mushrooms for breakfast, have salad nicoise (but go easy on the dressing) for dinner and pack a banana and some houmous and ryvita for lunch . The ham and sweetcorn wraps are a nice snack if you're bored of carrot sticks or you could pack a small carton of baby cherry tomatoes. If you need to keep your carbs lower, crab sticks can be a good snack.
  • QueenGorgo
    QueenGorgo Posts: 75 Member
    Diet air, lite water

    Funny funny! Don't forget fat free food obsessing..I do that a lot..
  • winetoweights
    winetoweights Posts: 32 Member
    one word paleo

    Paleo is fairly high in fat, much higher than 20 grams/day.

    I don't see anything wrong with this.. fat does not make you fat.. I'd suggest just eating clean, cutting out any sugar, and "white" carbs (all grains, if you're really ambitious).

    I have yet to see someone follow the paleo diet who doesn't look and feel amazing. I eat at least 50g a day..
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I have yet to see someone follow the paleo diet who doesn't look and feel amazing. I eat at least 50g a day..

    I think the person you're responding to was just making the correction that paleo isn't a low-fat diet, as the OP originally asked for
  • winetoweights
    winetoweights Posts: 32 Member
    I have yet to see someone follow the paleo diet who doesn't look and feel amazing. I eat at least 50g a day..

    I think the person you're responding to was just making the correction that paleo isn't a low-fat diet, as the OP originally asked for

    Thanks, lobster..
    I think the poster was trying to say paleo is a better option :) While I don't strictly follow it, I think it's great and that these "low-fat" diets are not the most healthy. There is so much garbage in foods marketed as "low fat".

    I am not a nutritionist AT ALL, but have learned that you can believe everything you read!
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I think the poster was trying to say paleo is a better option :) While I don't strictly follow it, I think it's great and that these "low-fat" diets are not the most healthy. There is so much garbage in foods marketed as "low fat".

    I am not a nutritionist AT ALL, but have learned that you can believe everything you read!

    I was strict paleo for a while (6 months?) myself and it really is a difficult lifestyle to maintain... For me at least... But I will not deny that the results were incredible. Like you, I can't do it very strictly, but it definitely changed the way I eat long-term. If the OP is looking to make low-carb a lifestyle, it's a really good option. Eat mostly animals and plants - It makes nutrition very manageable.
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